Private Tales Breaking Waves

[Kasim Areth]

He watched as she gestured to the ears once more, pointing her fingers up over them and wiggling them slightly. A frown touched the Jesters lips as she spoke in that same sing song tone. There was something kind to it, though he could tell she was getting a mote upset.

A voice in the back of his mind reminded him he should never let a woman get upset, particularly one he did not understand.

One would get stabbed that way. "My ears are..."

Kasim stopped for a second, frowning and then slowly speaking.

"Human?" Is that what she wanted to hear? "They're round...because I'm human... You're and elf so yours are pointy, right?"

Was he going crazy? Had she never seen a human before? Maybe that was it. That would certainly explain the big deal she was making of it. "Do you... Want to touch them again?"

He gestured to her hand in confusion then to his ears.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

Human or Hilde. Here is the part where not understanding what a word meant in one language could cause problems in the other.

Illyria gave a slight twist of her lips, deep concentration flowing through the Eldari's mind. Whatever Kashem said could be up for debate. Trying to find common ground was going to be interesting.

Both of them were, unfortunately, coming in with little information on the other and right now, Illyria was kicking herself for not paying more attention to the Elders when discussing the age before the great schism.

Maybe they should take a few steps back? she mused. They at least got their names down.

Let's go with what I know. Gesturing to herself, fingers coming to rest just over her Moonshadow armor, Illyria carefully pronounced the word, "Eldari." the musical infliction providing a measure of distinction that it wasn't just a name.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Eldari?

Not her name. No. They had already established what her name was so perhaps a title? No...unlikely at this point. It had go be her species? This had to relate to the whole thing about ears. Her species maybe? Yes, that had to be it. He nodded his head and smiled, understanding finally.

"Human." Kasim said confidently as he pointed himself.

Yes.

This was going a little bit better than he had thought it would. In fact this entire night had gone better than he thought it would ever since he woke up. Things had looked practically dismal when he'd first woken up on the beach.

"Hoo-man." He pronounced for her.

If that even meant anything to her he had no idea. She called herself an Eldari, but from what he could tell she was just a glowing elf.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

Hooman?

Illyria's brows gave a slight purse in thought, saying it in her mind before daring to say it aloud. Even then, her accent and the tonal differences of their languages made her attempt at mimicry slightly off, if a bit more singsong than normal conversation would permit.

"Hoo-man?" Well, that wasn't an elf. He certainly didn't have the glowing characteristics of a Star Elf. Nor the rugged, dusky skin of a Sun elf. There was a mental ticking of specific characteristics. The only difference that she could determine were the odd tattoos and his ears. By all accounts, everything else seemed to be normal...

Maybe. Honestly, it was easier to believe that he was some mutated splinter elf than a race that her kind haven't seen in millennia. Part of her wanted to believe it -- another, well just wanted to find out.

That was when the glowing woman came to her feet, a slight twitch of determination jutting along her jawline and settling in her eyes. Well, no other way than to see if there was anything else.

He didn't have any of the horns Moon and Earth Elves were known for, but did he have feathers or scales?

Time to find out.

Gesturing, she made a circular pattern with her finger towards the cloak he'd borrowed from her. She wanted to get a better look at the tattoos. For under the Moonshadow armor, Illyria carried the dark, inky pattern of Aegia, her demon.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He frowned for a moment, glancing down at himself. Kasim had never been a modest man, not in his life, but in the moment he was pretty sure this random glowing elf lady was now telling him to undress.

His cheeks colored for a moment, mouth falling open. "Uhmm..."

The jesters lips thinned as he paused. For a second more he considered, though he slowly began to realize that at this point he didn't really have much of a choice. She still had weapons while he had none, and as friendly as she'd been as of late...he really didn't want to do anything to change her mood.

Sighing, Kasim slowly pulled open this cloak.

He felt a bit silly doing so, revealing his torso in all its tattooed and carved glory. A part of him remembered watching a Dancer do this very same thing, though she had been swiveling her hips and enticing every man in the room.

Kasim wouldn't be doing that.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

The soft glow of Illyria's skin would follow her steps, bringing with it a gentle illumination akin to a distant star. Her pale blue eyes were rather meticulous in their appraisal, following the line of her hand as it came up to hover just over Kasim's chest. While his clothes were no longer sodden, they were still a damp, ragged mess. Yet betwixt the few shredded pieces, she was able to discern the inky black tattoos and carved half finished runes etched upon his skin.

Illyria gave a deep frown. They were nothing like the demon imprints left on acolytes skin after the joining. These were something different. Did he do this to himself or was it due to some other agenda?

An increase of frustration would be visibly growing upon her angular features, and a shake of her head would indicate that what she had been searching for wasn't there. In fact, all that it caused was more confusion.

"Man did sina?" she inquired, wondering who had done this to him. Wide, almond shaped eyes went flickering back directly into Kasim's own.

"Mana does -yes faica?'

 

[Kasim Areth]

He frowned for a moment, not quite sure what she was getting at.

Her voice didn't help, actually trying to discern what she was saying within that song of a tone was...all but impossible. His lips thinned for a second, and his head lulled. After a moment he shook his head and gestured towards the Rune on his chest. "They're Rune Magic."

Kasim spoke slowly, hopefully making it easier for her to understand.

After a moment he realized that she likely wouldn't understand, then an idea popped into his mind to at least get her to understand. He gestured for a moment, bidding her to stay put for just a few seconds before he turned around and squatted for just a moment. His hands picked at the flame, a slight yelp escaping him as he grabbed a hot coal.

The Jester let the coal fall and then cool for a second, grabbing a small flat rock that had been laying on the ground.

After a moment more he gestured for the elf to come closer, bidding her to observe.

"It's a form of magic. It let's me do things like this." He picked up the black piece of coal and drew on the flat rock. It was a simple symbol, one that would barely work 'spark'. Most of it's power would come from the heated trail of the coal, though the effect would be minor. "Watch."

The Jester said as he put the rock on the ground then finished the last line. A second passed, then the Rune glowed and suddenly turned into a minuscule spark.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

Now that prompted a sudden flinch of alarm from Illyria. She took a sharp breath, the cold, wet air flowing quickly into her flaring nostrils. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth fell agape for a second before closing shut.

Whatever he had done, Kasim managed to prompt some version of magic from the carving. However, it was not bound to any primal source of magic that she could tell nor from a demon.

Eyes narrowing at her growing suspicions and alarm, Illyria gave a step back. Just who was this Kasheem? By what magic was he able to use such tricks? A voice in the back of her mind gave a small cry of warning. The very split that had drawn her people away from the rest of the world had been due to the dark magic the elves in the past had summoned to break free from the Orc horde.

Could this be it?

Her suspicion of Kasim was evident on the Eldari's glowing visage. He could be an ancient elf or he could very well be Human.

Neither was a good omen. The Elder Council should have picked up on the signs; for clairvoyance was innate to the nature of the Star Elves. Had they seen this coming?

Swallowing hard, Illyria felt Aegia's form slither in her slumber, a tickling sensation against her collarbone.

"Tye indóme túl as me ana i council." Even the singsong nature of her melodic voice could not diminish the seriousness of her tone, Illyria's expression equally suspicious as it was stern.

 

[Kasim Areth]

She was not pleased.

Kasim immediately threw down the small piece of coal and decided it would be best not to demonstrate further, mostly because he was pretty sure from the tone of her voice she was about to stab him in the stomach and leave him rotting in this little cavern until the crabs got him.

His face contorted slightly as he tried to puzzle out the next bit of her words, lips thinning as she heard the serious inflection of her song. After a moment he shrugged.

"Look I have no idea what you want." Where the fuck was a translator when you needed one?

She had asked about his Tattoos...or at least he thought she had asked, and he'd figured this would be the best way to explain. He frowned, and then pointed to his Tattoos.

"It's Rune Magic." He gestured, shrugging and acting confused. "It's old magic, not dangerous."

A frown touched his lips, unsure of how to proceed.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

The Star Elf was already feeling anxious. The earlier demonstration did not bode well to Illyria, and it was evident that the man could tell this right way, as he threw away the small piece of coal he had in his hand earlier.

Pale blue eyes would observe Kasim closely. It was evident that he felt under pressure. At the very least, his expressions allowed Illyria to gather an easier read on him. It would be harder to try and pull the wool over her eyes with body language than with words. The more desperate he would attempt to convey his meaning, the more erratic his behavior and motions became. Within those acts, there was an inkling of genuineness that Illyria could not ignore.

Seeing Kasim hands motion over towards the tattoos again, Illyria could gather that whatever magic he used had to do with those markings. But what are the origins of those markings and where does he come from?

That was the answer that Illyria did not know. One that perhaps the Elders could assist with.

From Kasim's perspective, he would be able to see a slight narrowing of Illyria's lips, as if ruminating over a decision before coming to terms with it. There was a conviction in her expression that would be relayed in the tone of her voice as she spoke, that pale, slightly glowing visage staring straight at Kasims, "Tye indóme túl as me ana i citime. I elders indóme quet- ana tye. "

A hand motioned towards the fire and then she gathered her pack. Untying the straps she would search the contents before pulling out a small package. It was a bundle of haraka leaves used as a container for leven bread. She offered him one to eat.

They would first have to go to the Moon Village, but thereafter... I'll take him to the Elders.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Bread.

Okay. It appeared that for now the demonstration of his magic was finished. A frown touched his face for a brief moment and he thought about trying more, but ultimately he decided against it.

These people, or perhaps simply just this woman, had not seen Rune Magic before. He did not want to press his luck and end up pinpricked like a hedgehog. Perhaps in the morning they could find someone who spoke the Trade Tongue.

It was a hope, but he figured it was worth a shot.

Elves were supposed to be old, and though she was clearly...something else, he figured the similarities might have been enough for something to be there.

With a hand he reached out and took some of the bread. Without much thought of poison or the like he took a bite, munching it and finding the taste...odd. His face never changed, Kasim having sat at enough royal dining tables to stomach even the most curious of meals.

"Thank you." He offered.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

While Illyria did not understand the words, she could infer the man's tone and body language. He did bite into the flatbread, so that expressed a measure of trust he had in her. He didn't give off any sort of indication that he was lying or trying to manipulate her. Certainly, the sort of magic he utilized was curious, but Illyria knew that there were things out there that she had no knowledge of, be it new or ancient.

Whatever Kasheeem was or from where he came, would be revealed soon enough.

"Tye vel", common courtesy would provoke Illyria to reply with 'you are welcome'. He may not be able to understand what she said, but the courteous tone might relay the gist of it. Much like he had replied in that odd tongue to her when she offered him the dry ration.

Outside, the storm would start to fade, the rain no longer pouring down. The softly glowing face of the young elf woman would turn towards the entrance, "Sér-, ni indóme keep tír-"

He should rest while she kept watch.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim didn't attempt any more communication.

At this point he figured that the Elf would either kill him or at least let him live long enough to bring him somewhere people could actually understand him. She stood slowly and walked towards the entrance. For a time the Jester watched her in curiosity.

Eventually he decided that there was no point in doing that either. The fire was warm, and he had been tossed around in the ocean long enough that his body was now screaming at him. A wave of tiredness struck him, and slowly he hunched himself near a rock next to the flame.

It was not the most comfortable place to sleep, but he'd had worse.

When Kasim had first made his escape from Vel Anir he had spent months in forests and caves, sleeping only when it was most safe. That time had been a hell on it's own, though eventually gotten better after he met Landry.

A yawn passed his lips, and soon Kasim drifted off to sleep.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

The night went by quickly. Illyria did not sleep, spending the bulk of the night keeping watch. She couldn't lower her guard on either the stranger or in the chance that whatever creature had used this cave before as its home would return.

By the time Kasim would wake, the coals of last night's fire were smothered and the Eldari had already packed her small satchel, wearing it on her back. As he had her cloak, the faint illumination of her skin still gave off a pale blue-white glow. It didn't appear as if the bioluminescence of her skin faded with the time of day. It was just a natural part of her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim woke up about as sore as a kitten that had fallen out of several trees.

His bones and muscles ached, his neck hurt, and just about everything else felt like it was on fire. A groan escaped him as he dragged himself to his feet, fingers rubbing at the back of his neck as his other hand pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ugh." The Jester said quietly as he ran a hand through his hair, a yawn echoing through the cavern.

For a brief moment he forgot where he was, his bright golden eyes opening as he smacked his lips. Confusion flickered across his features, and then a crash of memories flooded back into him. Goosebumps ran over his skin, and he spotted the glowing elf standing at the mouth of the cave.

For a brief moment he was silent, and then he cleared his throat. "Good morning."

He offered, already knowing she likely would not understand.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

Well body language managed to convey the bulk of what the man said. Thank goodness for universal language cues and clues.

"Mára arinya," Illyria's voice would float with that distinct singsong. In the light of the morning sun, that sense of etherealness waned, but it did not deter from the unique melody of her voice or the language she spoke.

A crock of her gloved hand motioned for him to gather his meager belongings once he was done. They would head to the moon elf village shortly.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim grabbed what he could from the ground, noting that most of his things had not survived.

It was a sad state of affairs in truth, even his lute had been lost. He wondered if the Elves could build him another one, then he briefly wondered if he would die in this place. The thought was a grim one, but brief.

At least he wouldn't have to face his father. "After you."

The Jester said gregariously.

He was still not entirely sure where it was that he had actually landed, nor how this odd elf woman came to be here. He assumed she was a native of some sort, though the truth of that matter escaped him as much as anything else.

Kasim only hoped that wherever she was taking him would have answers.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

If Kasim thought Illyria was going to lead him first, she shook her head, gesturing with the dark night blue of her glove for him to move first ahead of her.

"inne- minya, ni indóme hil- bime indiya tye maure ana linne-" Illyria was indending for him to take the directions she was giving him to follow. It wouldn't be far until they found the trail. Then it would be relatively easier until they came across the Moon elf territory where the Eldari would need to discern the markers where the illusion began that hid the Moon Elf city from view.

It was going to be an interesting time getting there without having any sort of common tongue to understand each other.

A long morning full of gestures and attempts at guidance was to be expected.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He sighed. "Alright alright."

Understanding her gestures was really the only way he could communicate with her at this point. It wasn't exactly easy to navigate this...relationship, and her words meant about as much to him as sausages covered in wood pulp.

Still, a gesture of a glove and a shake of a head was clear enough.

Without further prompting Kasim stepped out of the cave and headed down the path that they had taken up, waiting for her to yell at him and glancing back every now and again to make sure that he was actually going where she wanted him to.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

Their path led them towards the beach, the wet damp moss and mud from the rain that fell last night converting into a dark, black pebble swath of beach.

An ancient volcano had converted the sands of this particular side of the island with black course sand, eroded into small pebbles and grit after ages of weathering the pounding of the sea. Some say that these waters hold some form of magical boon, one that would heighten during the three year double moon equinox, when the sea would glow a bright, almost ethereal cobalt hue with bioluminescence.

They would need to walk about two hours before the would make it to the moon elf city. A study of the man before her and the rather sad state of his footwear due to being stranded made her give a sigh.

She had nothing to provide for him to protect his feet. She could only hope that he wouldn’t be wounded too terribly if those shoes were not able to last the duration. She only had basic necessities for healing.

The walk would be relatively quiet, with a lingering morning mist that would shroud the sheer mountains to the east. Every now and then they would hear the flutter of wings; birds and insects alike. What would be more interesting is that the closer they made their way to the moon city, the more brightly colored the vegetation and the creatures around them would become.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim's shoes did indeed become a problem.

The leather had been exquisitely worked by a man back in Alliria. Kasim had met the man through one of the members of the Merchant Council, or rather, the Councilmans wife. She had raved and ranted about the cobbler, and although he'd done great work it turned out that even such well shoes did not stand up to a raging storm.

He supposed that he should have thought about that, but the idea had never really occured to him until the small pebbles of the beach could be felt stabbing through the sole of his shoes.

It got to the point that after the first hour Kasim began to talk to himself quietly. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

The word was repeated just under his breath again and again.

"Ow." The Jester grumbled as he felt the stabbing pain of something else jutting into the base of his foot.

The scenery at the very least provided a pleasant distraction. Kasim attempted to focus on that, the path they took and the natural decoration of the trees surrounding them as they walked.

After a while he half turned to the elf. "How much longer."

As he spoke Kasim tried to make hand motions, putting out a palm and walking two of his fingers along it before he made the motions of a clock.

Did the elf have clocks in her society? He supposed he would find out.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

The Eldari would stare at Kasim with a silent appraisal. She made a small noise at the back of her throat as if the concern she had earlier had manifested, much to her displeasure.

A quick exhale at the amount of time she was wasting fell from her mouth, lips turning thin. It wasn't that she wasn't sympathetic to his plight.

Lifting her head, the woman cast her face towards the morning sky, the pale, blonde wisps freed from her braid revealing her sharp point ears.

They may not have a common tongue, but they were working their way through some form of communication. She could only guess by the hand motions that he meant how much more walking they had to do.

Her brows drew together, reading the light of the sun. About half an hour. Now how did she indicate that? glancing around, she found a spare twig on the floor from a nearby tree.

Using it, she began to draw the standard design of a sundial. With it, she indicated by the position of the sun how much longer it would be.

"perina an lumenn"

 

[Kasim Areth]

Shock suddenly ran through him.

Had he and the elf just both communicated their points without a problem? A sudden bright beaming smile shot across his features. Smugness aired from him as he gave her an emphatic nod.

In the back of his mind he thanked his tutors back home. Without them he would not have recognized the sun dial nor its purpose. Yet here he was.

There was an odd excitement in having finally clearly understood a point the Elf was trying to make, and Kasim couldn't help but finally understand all those Xenologist that his tutors would constantly prattle on about. He had a certain pride after having communicated with The Elf, especially after the night they had before.

A big grin pulled across his face as he turned and continued down the road.

Pain still lanced up through his soles, but with the knowledge of the rest of the trip being relatively short the Jester found it easy to push on.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Kasim Areth

It wasn’t long before they arrived at what appeared to be a natural clearing, with a calm lagoon that fed into the sea. There did not appear to be anyone or anything there. Just a normal section of the beach. However, there was more than met the eye.

Illyria gave a pause, then called out the the man to stop, “erute.”

Once he did so, the Eldari brought her hand up, palm to the sky. She’d taken a small moonstone pendant from her pocket. It was a keystone used to activate the ability to channel moon magic. With a few chants, there was a flutter of the wind, within her palm the pendant began to glow.

Within moments, the entire area began to shift, as if made by water. Slowly, the illusion melted away. In the place if an empty lagoon lay an astonishing city, with pale white intricate buildings that interwove naturally among the trees and across the lagoon.

There were people as well. Moon elves, distinct from Illyria, y’all with pale skin and twin horns along the tops of their heads. They all had intricate tattoos, even the children. The language they spoke, however, was the same melodic one Illyria spoke. None spoke common.

Normally, Illyrias presence would not be an issue. She was by all intents and ambassador for the Star Elves. However, Kasim on the other hand was different. He was human.

A species that none had seen in over a millennia on the island. Not since before the great schism.

To say that they gardnered attention was putting it lightly.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim felt his head tilt to the side as a city like none he had ever seen before was revealed to him.

As a kid he had been told stories by his Uncle Sarkus of Fal'Addas. He had said that the sight of the cities in the trees had made most men weep. The beauty of the architecture. Kasim had never really believed in that sort of nonsense, but standing there he could almost buy it.

There was an ethereal sort of beauty to this place. It was like the entire thing had been grown instead of built.

He gaped, not even noticing the people that gaped back at him until Illyria gently nudged his back.

"Huh?" Kasim said as he looked back at his companion elf, and then glanced forward. A grunt escaped him, and then he cleared his throat. "Hello there."

He offered a small wave of hello to the people staring. "Hello."

Another wave as they walked through the crowd, people shifting automatically to move out of their way.