Fate - First Reply Cast Away

[Illyria Daemyar]

Illyria hit the ground hard, the air whooshing out of her lungs in a painful gasp. Her lungs felt as if they were burning, and from shoulder to knee she could feel the throbbing bloom of bruises grow. Vertigo would linger, clutching the Eldari within its claws as she fought to maintain her consciousness.

Behind her, a spinning vortex of star-speckled indigo darkness would linger, ancient primeval magic pulsating as if giving life to an ethereal heart. Distorted voices, a clammer of alarm, all seemingly disembodied musical tones would float through the torrent of magic that fed the portal. Struggling to her side, pale blue eyes would drag their way towards the portal, alarm sharpening her angular features.

Im baur na get awaui!

Deep inside, the pressing desire to run rose with a white-hot wave. Scrambling, she fought with her lungs to desperately gain some much-needed air. Whether or not they would come after her would be dependant on the elders. If they were willing to take the risk. To break covenants upheld over millennia as she had. Turning towards her surroundings, all she could see was the crumble of ruins. Thick vines reclaiming what had once belonged to them. Behind her, the swirl of the portal would fade, until it was no more, naught but a series of cracked and crumbled circles of limestone and stone.

Whether it was day or night, she could not tell. There was not a speckle of stars overhead. A cavern of sorts? No matter. If there was a way for her to locate an exit, she would find it.

With a grunt, the star-elf adjusted her satchel, flicking her cloak over her head. What felt like half an hour later, would reveal the maw of the cavern system to the outside world. There, overhead, the twin moons would float overhead, bloodred. An ominous sign.

Was this worth it? Who knew. As she stepped out into the night, in an unfamiliar land, Illyria could only hope for the survival of her kin, it would be.

 

[Zara]

Even as the twin moons towered overhead, Zara was up and moving. Sunrise was not long in coming and Zara the Abtati, sand elf, wanted to make the most of the daylight when it did appear. It was a long journey back to the warm sands Amol-Kalit abd if she could not find a stone to carry her, the journey would be equally as perilous as the one that had brought her thus far; only this time she did not have a following of Amol mares in tow to deliver, making it easier and harder to both blend in and hide.

Rolling up her simple sleeping mat, Zara slung it over her shoulder, fishing a piece of fruit from one of the many concealed pockets of her heavy course white robe. Looking down at her garments that covered her from head to toe, save for her brown eyes, the sand elf shook her head. They had originally been white, but weeks of riding, even with the occasional washing in a passing stream had left the garment grayed. Still, it was not tome to switch out; not yet.

And so with the loud crunch of a bite of the tart fruit, Zara was on her way. The ruins had been, in truth, a diversion from her path, but the young elf had been curious and knew that a day or two or even a week would not be questioned if she arrived home late. There was something about ruins. They fascinated her. Maybe it had been the tales of The Forbidden City she grew up on, maybe it was just yourhful curiousity, the girl just enjoyed learning and exploring. Here amongst pillars that spoke forgotten words of ancient times amongst the stillness, she felt an inexplicable sense of awe at worlds and knowledge greater than herself, beyond her own comprehensions. Yet the time had come to press on though. A welcome diversion, but she had commitments to return to.

And so, even before the first rays of sunlight began to pierce the dark night sky, Zara was off, winding her way through the rocky strewn overgrown floors. Carefully, she picked what she saw as the least obstructed path, taking her along the edges of the forgotten city, along a steep mountain face that abutted the forgotten world. Zara moved, each step quiet and ginger trained from a lifetime of traversing shifting dunes of sand. As she moved, movement ahead caught her eye and she paused in the shadow of an ancient marbled obelisk. What was that? Something had moved in the mouth of a cave opening into the mountain itself. The sand elf could not be sure what she had seen, but the brief flicker of cloth gave her belief that she had happened upon sentience and not the den of a beast. Given the world as she knew it though, sentience did not mean no risk though. Silently, she paused, her hand reaching for one of her daggers hidden up her sleeve. She hoped it would be unnecessary and that she could flit away silently; but she knew better than to be caught unaware.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

|| Zara ||

As Illyria's almond-shaped eyes would squint and attempt to gather her bearings on her surrounding environment. The ruins and the climbing vines and fronds of leaves seemed to be never ending. At her back were large, crumbling statues and monoliths carved right onto the rockface. Time, rain, and wind had weathered the limestone, polished the crumbling surfaces, leaving but a shadow of what had once been a testament of a magnificent city. Now there were not even bones of the past to provide any insight into what civilization once stood here.

Biting her lower lip, the Eldari would peer from under her hood, the slight illumination of her skin a fading under the dancing coral rays of the morning sun. Off in the distance, the sounds of birds would chirp. Wind rustling the leaves and sending a cloud of grit into the air.

Illyria was in an unfamiliar land without any training to survive it. There was not a single tree, bush, or landmark that made sense to her. While it appeared that she was in some sort of ruins, it did not mean that it was uninhabited. If the portal led here... then, there could be others.

Wary, the woman would crouch down a few inches, taking in her surroundings, observing for any other life sign. Unfortunately for her, she did not catch Zara's movement, placing Illyria at a disadvantage. A risk of arriving at a place she was not familiar with or understood the risks.

Moving forward, with cautious footsteps, the Eldari began her trek, deciding to see if she could find a way out of the ruins. She had to get some idea of where she traveled to. That much she knew. The ancient's magic had crafted the magic of that portal -- where it led, however, had been lost or purposefully erased from the ledgers.

 

[Zara]

As the sun broke the unseen horizon and began to lance it’s spears of light through the dense jungle overgrowth, Zara stood. The girl’s breath came slowly and deeply as she watched the maw of the cave. Stumbling out came a creature, a being, that seemed to feel as out of place as it looked picking her way out into the ruins

Zara crept forward, curiosity getting the better of the young elvish woman. Travelling alone in a strange land was dangerous and a task usually undertaken only by fools, madmen, and devils. The fact that Zara was doing the same thing was lost on her; for she was Abtati and she was above such things. Zara was a survivor. She was built and bred for survival, to depend on no one but herself and her kin. Yet, it was deeply ingrained in her by this same survivor’s pride in her culture to care for the lost and destitute; to see them to safety and shield them from the dangers of the world should they desire it.

Swathed head to toe, Zara moved fluidly, her robes gliding with her every movement. She followed after the strange luminescent cave-person. This deep in the heart of the Ixchel Wilds, anything was possible. Who or what ever lived here, mysterious or mystic could be normal or magical; Zara did not know. This woman that stumbled through the dense overgrown ruins though, seemed out of place, displaced by the world.

Zara crept after the girl. Each of her footfalls carefully selected amongst the overgrown jungle floor. She zigged and zagged through the ruins and hanging vines and moss, her focus on not losing the mystic arrival in the distance ahead of her. Then it happened. A snap echoed through the underbrush, a snap that silenced the birds that twittered overhead as they were alerted to something that stalked the jungle floor. Zara stared down at the downed limb that she had stepped on. It had been more dead than she had assumed and had given way beneath her weight in a display of popping wood and tearing chlorophyll-filled sinews. The sand elf froze, her eyes wide in surprise.

Instinct kicked in at that moment, Zara twirled around, her robes swirling about her lithe form as she spun backwards, slamming into a tree. She lost sight of the strange jungle wanderer, but hopefully she was out of sight of the same woman as well. Regardless, Zara’s hands flew upwards as she intricately wove a Abtati spell in the air, her body vanishing from sight in a shimmer of heat as it drew power from the heavy humid air all around as it was warmed by the sun.

Zara breathed through clenched teeth, trying to keep her sharp inhale of surprise and concern down to a slow breath in and out, lest she be heard amongst the jungle’s vast amount of life.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Zara

The sudden crack of wood breaking drew Illyria's attention, the Eldari whipping her head around towards the sound. Her right hand quickly went for the bow strapped to her back, swinging it up and off to hold tightly in her left hand.

Ducking into a low crouch, Illyria held her breath, her heart thundering in her chest in alarm.

Who was there? She mused, trying to see if she could spot any movement. With her hood swept low over her head, she could just barely see under the hem of her cowl, ice blue eyes warily staring out into the distance.

Should she speak? Address whoever was there to come out? Or should she attempt to try and sneak around to try and catch who or whatever it may be.

If someone meant no harm, they may have already called out. But if it was a beast laying in wait, then that could explain the lack of greeting. Then again, was she just going through many variations of possibilities to try and quell her pounding heart?

Biting her lower lip, Illyria decided to play it safe. She could not summon Nyx, it required and audible command.

Perhaps if she were to quietly grab an arrow from her quiver?

Ever so slowly, her right hand went reaching behind her to try and grab a simple arrow.

 

[Zara]

Back pressed firmly to the tree, Zara stood, a sentinel at one with the world around her. The weight of her illusion, cast to obscure her presence even further, slowly drew forth heat from the air; a rightful price for such a hand wave of a trick. She stood, listening. Overhead the birds resumed their furious twitters. All about them, the jungle hummed with life. It was a stark difference to the world she regularly traversed amongst dunes and sky.

After a moment or three, when Zara could hear nothing more than the sounds of the junglr, she chanced a hesitant glance about her makeshift cover. The fog of heat and magic obscured her from sight, or it ought to; still, she was cautious.

Rightfully so it seemed, for there, not a stone’s throw ahead was the creature, the being, a woman? She stood, bow in hand stanced as a huntress amongst the vines. Maybe this person did belong here after all? She surely looked the part now, a cautious predator sensing what it thought to be prey. Yet she did not call out, perhaps she thought Zara’s mishap only a creature’s misstep; perhaps not. The Abtati had no way of knowing. At range, she was decidedly disadvantaged if it came down to it. She hoped it did not.

With a deep breath, Zara stole one last glance at the stranger as she reached for what Zara could only assume was an arrow of some manner. Then she stepped out from behind her cover, allowing the illusionary facade of nothingness to fall. She stood there in the open, slowly raising her open hands from her side in a gesture to show that she was not armed or intending any manner of violence in the moment.

“Hello friend.,” she offered in greeting, trying to keep her voice warm and friendly, in spite of her concern at all the possibilities that could erupt at any moment. Her arms were spread in an open welcome, but beneath her heavy robes, the woman’s body tense. She was ready to leap, roll , and run at the first sign of danger; much like the desert gazelle of her home. “I am journeying home. Uhhh, are these your ruins?”

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Zara

Illyria's chest rose and fell with a quickened pace, her heartbeat still hammering within. She swallowed hard, the sound of fluttering beats of wings and chirps of birds increasing her wariness.

By now, she'd nocked an arrow within the string of her bow. Her teeth would gnaw at the fullness of her lower lip, blinking rapidly as the sound of crackling leaves, and then a movement caught her within her periphery.

Her torso gave a half-turn, the yew bow-drawn, ice-blue eyes warily boring down her line of sight at the figure that slowly appeared within the fronds of vines and scattered ruins. It was as if Zara melted into existence, hands up, covered from head to toe. Illyria couldn't tell if it was man, woman, or some sort of humanoid creature at this distance and from the clothing.

Then it spoke. Illyria immediately frowned, her light brown brows furrowing forward in confusion. It was not Eldari. She could not understand, but by the body language, it appeared that the stranger was unarmed. It didn't mean, however, that Illyria was keen on lowering her bow just yet.

Ever so carefully, the Eldari rose from her crouched position, still aiming the arrow, the line taut.

"In Quenya?" she asked, inquiring who they were, speaking in the old tongue of the Eldarin. Her voice had a musical quality to it, the words spoken with a smooth cadence.

"Mana care- tye mére-?" Illyria added, wanting to know what Zara wanted.

Where there more out there? Who else? Just where exactly was she?

 

[Zara]

Zara’s entire body was tense; undoubtedly helped by the weapon pointed in her direction. The woman spoke though, a good sign to say the least. There was only one problem. Zara squinted her eyes and cocked her head at the words spoken in her direction. She spoke several languages, dwarven, common , several nomadic tongues and dialects, but it did not sound like any of them. She was familiar with several different forms of elven and even if the words had a seeming familiarity to them, Zara could not make the meaning out.

Raising her hands up by her head in a universal symbol of surrender, Zara spoke louder and slower, as if that might solve their problem. “Friend. Friend. Please don’t shoot me. I am heading home. Can I help you?”

Zara slowly undid the side of her heavy veil with one hand. She allowed it to fall to the side, revealing her bronzed face crisscrossed with intricate jade runic tattoos. She offered a warm smile to the stranger. “Are you an elf?” she queried pulling her head covering and hair aside to reveal the universal pointed ear of their kind.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Zara - Super sorry work has been crazy for me! I should be a little faster now during the weekend.

Now they were in a bit of a predicament; one familiar to the Eldari. Months past, Illyria had stumbled across a castaway from the sea. A man who had been covered in curious designs from neck to toe, the flesh scarred over and keloid. He'd managed to bring a few alight, using some sort of magic that was strange to her. That experience resulted in the Eldari realizing that there was more to what the Elders had told about what was out there beyond their island.

Still uncertain and unable to communicate, the twin brows of the young elf woman continued their intense furrow. At least, until the stranger would untangle the veil shielding her dark, olive face. There were intricate tattoos over her features. A woman -- no an elf??

The pointed ears made Illyria's eyes grow wide. "cin eldari?" she immediately asked, wondering if this was a descendant of the elves the elders had said had fallen to using corrupted dark magic. Of course, that musical tongue would be incomprehensible.

She was equally intrigued as she was ever so wary. It was clear that Illyria wasn't quite sure what to make of all this.

To blend in or admit she was also an elf? But then again, where was she?

Slowly, Illyria would lower the aim of her bow...

 

[Zara]

Zara kept her hands in the air as she offered a warm reassuring smile t the stranger. Her body relaxed a fraction as the stranger lowered her bow. “Well, maybe that is something,” she mumbled. She had not understand the word the woman had spoken. Eldari. What did that word mean?

Keeping the smile on her face, Zara slowly brought her free hand up to point to her own chest repeating the word as she questioned it and if that was what she was supposed to be. “Eldari? Am I eldari?” pointing her finger slowly toward Illyria she asked again, “Eldari?”

Zara’s ancient runic tattoos delicately covered her exposed face, exposing the ancient words to the daylight. They were of similar design, dainty, swirling and intricately beautiful in their bright jade hue against her face, and crisscrossed beneath her robes across her body.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Zara

The last time she met another with intricate runes upon their skin, it had been the human that had washed up on the shore. He did not seem dangerous, and perhaps, while the marks were not carved into Zara's skin, was she someone connected to the human?

Were all who lived beyond the protection of the island now subject to these runes. Illyria wasn't sure. At the same time, the hunter was aware that she wasn't going to get far without help. It was either try now... or risk staying too long for the Elders to potentially send someone after her.

Seeing that the woman was repeating the same word back and forth, pointing at herself and at Illyria, perhaps there was some level of understanding there. While the stranger wasn't human, the elf's ears made her believe that she was some sort of elf after all.

But friend or foe... still undetermined.

For now, the way those jade-colored scripts flowed over the woman's dusky skin was oddly mesmerizing. For a moment Illyria feared that perhaps this was some sort of magic, but after a second, she decided to proceed with caution.

"Ni am eldari." Illyria quietly replied in that musical language, confirming that she was in fact Eldari. Was Zara also saying she was one as well?

A pause. "Mana na- esse?" she asked for a name. Realizing that would likely still not make sense. Illyria's arrow would point to the ground. After a second she relaxed her hold on the string.

"Ni am Illyria." she added this time, gesturing to herself after returning the arrow to her quill.

 

[Zara]

Zara squinted at her counterpart as she sought to understand, turning the strange words over in her mind trying to match it to the woman’s actions. Slowly, she nodded are her mind grasped at the edges of understanding. ‘Ni am’ must have been something akin to ‘I am’. What ‘Eldari’ or ‘Illyria’ meant Zara was less sure in.

Slowly gesturing to herself she responded, “Ni am Abtati?” she spoke questioningly. “Ni am Zara?” As she said her name she pointed to her face, repeating the name, “Zara. I am Zara. Ni am Zara?” Running her hand over her ear and then pressing a hand to her chest she continued, “Abtati. Ni am Abtati?”

She spoke slowly, hoping to make some sort of headway. Truth be told, they were both strangers in a relatively strange land; not that either could probably tell that. Still, Zara knew that it would be better to try and end things amicably so they could each be on their way. If this stranger needed her help, she was duty bound to provide it. At this point, she did not know.

Suddenly, deeper in the brush, the crackling of downed twigs and branched filled the air. The crack of a downed log splitting as something heavy pressed down on it echoed through the still air as the native birds high overhead fell silent or took flight, startled in the moment.

Zara, already tense, tensed even more as her eyes darted from the stranger to the direction of the sound, unseen beyond the ruins and undergrowth, and back to the stranger. Her eyes were wide with concern as she ducked beneath the nearest moss covered jutting ruin.

 

[Illyria Daemyar]

Zara

Ice blue eyes would grow wide at the sudden noise, barely having enough time to register the use of the stranger's mimicry of her language. Abtati? Zara? Parts of it, Illyria could understand, others it came back broken.

Not that it mattered; if the stranger's name was Abtati or Zara, Illyria would take it. Compared to what could have made such a sound, there were other concerns.

Wild eyes would quickly pan around her, falling towards the closest vine covered ruin. A pillar cut in half, at least a few meters taller than her and a meter wide. Quick feet brought her behind the piller, her back pressing tight against the column.

That rumbling sound went booming across the din again, making the earth shake. Then another.

Was it footsteps?

 

[Zara]

Zara watched, wide-eyed, as the ground shook with each heavy footfall. Her back was pressed against the ruin in the shadow of the hanging moss. She shot a concerning glance across at Illyria. Slowly, with a knowing nod, Zara slide an intricate blade from each sleeve.

Each well-worn weapon hung loosely in the elf’s hands. She was not sure what had happened, but she had been caught unaware once in the last hour. She was not going to let it happen again.

“What is it?” she hissed towards her companion, forgetting, in the moment, their lack of a common tongue.

Far from home, Zara wondered what sort of creature or beings inhabited these lost abandoned ruins. The young elf should have known better than to traverse through such a potentially sacred or haunted space. It might be just like The Forbidden City. Aside from the scenery, the only stark difference between the ruined city being swallowed by sand and these unknown ruins consumed by the jungle was that The Forbidden City was supposedly uninhabited. Here, Zara had met Eldari or Illyria or whoever this strange elven woman was. She really hoped that her companion knew what to do next. Running seemed like an entirely plausible option; that is, if she could outrun it.