Hidden(open)

[jada]

Deep within the Selkia Forest was a hidden city, with a name long forgotten. It was impossible to find unless you knew where the entrance lay. Or if you stumbled upon the entrance by accident.

Cadi was tired of stealing in the city of Tamisha to stay alive. Life there was becomming to easy. She knew her way around and knew where to go to avoid gaurds. She didn't like the settled down feeling so she moved on. She was looking for a new place and decided to take to the forest until she found a place she could be happy stealing from.

As always when walking in a forest the deeper you go the thicker the trees get, and the closer together they become. Cadi noticed this as it started to grow darker because of the canopy above her. Light still shown through in spots giving off enough light to keep walking. Cadi knew it was about noon, but under the trees the heat was dissolved into a soft warming glow.

Cadi lost track of where she was walking, just sort of aimlessly moving, when she was forced to stop. The trees in front of her had formed a wall, impassible. Confusion covered Cadi's face. She had never herd of such a thing. A wall of trees. There seemed to be no way around them either.

She skimmed her hand along the wall as if it was a picket fence. She felt the knarled bark of the trees. She closed her eyes and felt her way along the wall. She stopped and opened her eyes when she felt a small gap in the bark. Although when she looked again at the gap she discovered it was a door. She pulled at it and slowly walked inside. She had to pulled her hand up to sheild her eyes from the sudden burst of sunlight.

When her eyes adjusted Cadi realised she had discovered a whole new world. A city. A functioning city, unknown to the outside world.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara Severn stepped from the library hidden away in a nook on the far side of the hidden city. It had been an escape for years and Kimara had been able to glean knowledge from the centuries before the elves had become Valear's oldest inhabitants.

Kimara had known of the place for years and had figured out its secret. Of course, like all things, secrets can be found out and they become public knowledge. It appeared that the time was ripe for the hidden city to become known to the world again...a time from the past would now be brought forth to the present.

Kimara shook the grizzled head and wondered if the prophecy was real. While some did not put much stock in them, Kimara dealt in magic and knew that they had a grain of truth if understood. The prophecy mentioned a return to the days of glory...and Kimara knew that could only mean one thing: Exposure.

Kimara magically resealed the door to the library and headed out of the city. It was not very large, but it was well preserved and well hidden. The ancient magic had done its job for all these eons of time. Kimara was headed towards the wooded entrance when a scraping noise sounded. Kimara stopped and listened more closely. It happened again...and Kimara realized the prophecy was in motion.

Kimara made it to the edge of town just as a young lady stepped through. It was the beginning of the end it would seem. Kimara frowned and hobbled forward towards the visitor.

[jada]

Cadi saw the woman approaching and realizedit was too late to hide. She had been discovered.

"Mental Note: ALWAYS stay on my toes." she thought to herself. She literally could have smacked herself in the head for being noticed.

When the woman was close enough Cadi decided that conversation would ease her introusion.
"What is this place?" Cadi asked, with every ounce of curiousity she had in her. She looked around more at ther city observing it. Looking for a means of escape if need be.

She laced her fingers together behind her back patiently awaiting the response of the woman.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara stopped several feet from the young lady. She seemed very cool in her composure, something most were not deep within the confines of the Selkia. That alone made Kimara more cautious.

"This place," Kimara croaked, "is a haven from the past. It was once the center of industry and science in Valear. It was the center of Valerian society for centuries before the modern races came to light."

Kimara walked closer to the girl, the walking stick clicking softly on the leaves that had been falling in the early autumn of Valear. Kimara stopped a few feet from her and leaned heavily on the walking stick.

"What are you doing here, young lady? What drew you here?" Kimara gazed intently at her waiting for an answer.

[jada]

"I have grown tired of living in the city of Tamisha. I only wished to travel through the forest in search of a new place to live. I stumbled across the wall of impassible trees and walked along them until i found the entrace to this city. And I am now under the opinion that it wasn't meant to be discovered." She said honetly.

"Honesty? what am I turning over a new leaf? When have I ever been a good honest person?" She said to herself.

Cadi could tell the woman was uncomfortable with how casual she was acting. The woman being uncomfortable cave Cadi more confidence in herself. She smiled politely at the woman giving her know reason to mistrust her.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara nodded absently, shaking the walking stick slightly with the effort. Suddenly, a green light emanated from the gnarled fingers and sprang to the doorway still slightly visible behind the girl. The green light melded perfectly into the doorway and it vanished...leaving the forest wall whole again from both sides.

"Now we cannot be disturbed," Kimara mentioned, nodding approvingly. Kimara motioned for the girl to follow and headed to a bench under a nearby tree. Kimara sat down heavily, wearily, and looked at the girl again.

"This is the cradle of the Valearian civilization. People have not been here for centuries...you are one of the first. A few in every generation know the secret and they have kept it...as have I. Now, you have appeared...on accident." Kimara looked up at the girl who was still standing where she had been since Kimara had appeared.

"If your purpose is to seek isolation, you have found it. There are no people here and it is the equivalent of a ghost town. I think an active lady like you would be quite uncomfortable here for long." Kimara chuckled and was silent for a few minutes.

"Give me your hand, girl. I need to know if you are going to the salvation of this city or its bane."

[jada]

Cadi moved closer but she didn't sit on the bench.

"Your correct in the fact that I'm not comfortable in isolation." Cadi started.

"I'm like a parasite to the human kind. I steal from them, and feed off of what belongs to others. I have no use for a place like this, other then a safe hiding haven."

"If you wish for me to keep this place a secret I can do that. If I don't want something to be found, including myself I can make it happen. you have my word." With that said she held out her hand to the woman.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara took the hand and the milky eyes glazed over even more. A slight spark left the bony fingers and shocked the young flesh of the girl before Kimara. A small mutter came from the cracked lips and a hum followed. The veins on the withered hand glowed slightly and then the hand was dropped.

Kimara raised the grizzled head and looked at the young lady. "You are good at keeping secrets about yourself; but that is not the same as keeping secrets of others. You are a liar and a thief...not to be trusted, but to dangerous to let go."

Kimara shook the grey-white head and stood, again using the walking stick. "If you try to leave, you can, but you will not be able to get back...not without the blood vow. A blood vow is a magic stronger than most. If you take it, you cannot betray the secret here. If you do, your life is forfeit."

Kimara walked around the tree and motioned absently for the girl to follow. Kimara stopped beside a small altar with a knife embedded into it. Kimara looked up into the eyes of the girl once more.

"Cadence, you must take the oath. Alone, you cannot leave here. For all of this city's science wonder, magic has always protected it. Is the utter irony of the past...and one to which you are bound if you wish to leave, live, and remember. There are but two ways in...one which you found and it is now gone. Magic has sealed it over. Magic is required of the other way out too...and you seem to have none. So, you will need to take the blood vow...or die."

[jada]

Cadi placedher hand in the cool palm of the older womans and Soon felt a searing shock pulse through her. Somehow Cadi knew that this woman now knew every detail of Cadi's existence, from that one shock all had been revealed.

She was speachless as she listened to the woman speak. she had no awnser. She could take the blood vow and leave. But then again why would she want to now? She had the oppritunity to learn far more then anyone else could about Valear. Then she could re-enter the world she knew; She could use her intelligence to get anything she wanted.

Not nessisarily a place where she lived. More of a place of escape from the city life. A place away from all of the nobility who thought they were better, a place away from the annoying children in the town squares, a place where she could be alone and plot whatever her next move would be.

"Am I correct that If I take the blood Vow, that I can re-enter this city? And Do I have to leave right away?"

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara looked at the girl with old and tired eyes. The girl had asked about leaving and returning and that was a double-edged sword of all things. Wearily, Kimara nodded the grizzled old head.

"Yes, child. You can come and go as you please through the forest entrance. You have found it once and once you have taken the blood oath, you will remember the secret of the city and the way. But be warned that if you fail in your vow or if you damage the protection of this city, the ancient magic that wards this place will kill you. It has always been thus and it will continue to be so."

Kimara's hand traced a hard-to-see image on the handle of the knife. It glowed slightly and the hand pulled out the knife. "Put your right hand here, dear. We must have the blood oath before I can tell you more."

[jada]

Cadi slowly out reached her hand. This wasn't going to feel good. Pain was not something she liked putting on her agenda.

"yeah yeah yeah. I'm not stupid. I'd like to keep my life." Cadi said shortly.

she took a deep breath of air and held out her hand stiff like a wooden board. She was ready for the pain. If it was quick it would be less painful. she tried to think about something else other than her hand about to be sliced open.

More about the city. Maybe it had secrets she could find. Passageways none knew about. It was like an adventure. A Playground for her to climb all over and discover.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara took the young hand gently and laid it out on the stone altar. Beneath where the knife had been secured was a basin with odd runes on it. Kimara took the blade and rubbed the arm for a vein near the wrist. Once the blue tint of it showed beneath the skin, Kimara quickly sliced through the skin, blood spurting. Turning the arm over, Kimara drained some of the blood into the basin and quickly staunched the blood flow from the arm and released it.

"There. Now we wait for the basin to accept your offering. Once it does, we can speak more on the matter." Kimara leaned back and waited patiently for the runes to glow with approval. "In the meantime, my dear, it might be best to quit thinking about this city as your own personal haven. That will not exactly make your offering seem...enlightened." Kimara smiled knowingly and closed the aged old eyes. "This will take about an hour. Feel free to explore around the immediate area...but go no further. It is dangerous."

[jada]

Cadi bit her lip from the sting she felt in her wrist. She took the womans advice and quickly shut her mind to thoughts of personal gain. Instead she took the womans advice again and looked around the imediate area.

First she found an old abandoned Garden. There was a tree in the garden that was still healthy. It was older and strong. Cadi climbed the tree and sat on a thick branch and hung her feet off the sides. She looked down and imagined the garden healthy and alive agian. She could see where all the different types of flowers where growing. She pictured all of there different colors. In the center of the garden was a small pond, covered and filled with dead leaves and plants.

Cadi imagined the pong clear, with koi fish swiming freely within it, and rich green lily pads floating on the waters surface. she imagined the touch of the cool crisp water.

When she looked down again and saw the actual garden she felt a sense of loss. She felt like the garden it self felt lost. It had once been the beautiful place she imagined, but now, it was a lost space, forgotten in time.

That was something Cadi wanted to change. she made her way back to the Alter and to the older woman," Do you know how to...garden...?" It was almost embarassing for Cadi. She felt like a little child asking for help. she had never wanted help, never asked for it. but here, she had no one to steal from and no knowledge to work with. she had to ask for help, and she had to be nice and learn how to be nice to get the help she wanted.

"Am I really turning over a new leaf?"

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara watched as the girl raced to climb a nearby tree overlooking the Glory Garden as it was known in its day. The pencil-thin left eyebrow arched as Kimara watched the girl skitter easily up into the tree branches. "Nimble little mynx," Kimara muttered, closing the milky eyes and waiting for the blood to run its course.

It was quite a while later when Kimara was awoken by the girl...asking about gardening of all things. Kimara repressed a smile at the confusion on the girl's face in the midst of asking a question that apparently made her uncomfortable.

"I noticed you found the Glory Garden," Kimara noted. "That garden is tied to the health and welfare of this city and to Valear as a whole, dear child. When it is in bloom, it is the most breathtaking sight to see...and it means that Valear and the city are quite safe. When dead so that nothing can survive, it means that tragedy is hitting or will hit Valear."

Kimara muttered something in a strange language and continued, "But when the garden is the way it is now, it is the saddest of all of its cycles. It means that no one cares about the city or Valear. It is a state of apathy. When people do not care about each other or themselves, the garden mirrors that image."

Kimara looked up and smiled kindly. "While I appreciate your zeal, you cannot work in this garden in the traditional sense. It is a magical barometer of emotion and feeling in Valear. That is not something you can care for by digging in the dirt. Do you understand what that means, my dear?"

[jada]

"Yes but why? Why make a place that just has potential for beauty? Why not make a garden so that is beautiful forever?What is the purpose of a magic garden that mirrors Valear? I don't understand." Cadi understood, she was just utterly shocked that someone would create such a beautiful space and put magic over it to mirror Valear. To her it seemed that the garden was set up to fail, like it had no hope in the begning.

Cadi sort of felt that way herself. She was given everything. she had the perfect life, but set herself up to fail. She picked her life of theivery. For what? Because it was more interesting, but not beautiful. Maybe that's all the Garden was, more interesting then beautiful. It was afterall created with magic, there must be more then the eye can see.

She would check into that later. She knew an hour was getting close and she was curious as to if her offering would pass or not.