Saigo Nozimi

[xinck]

Fire sputtered and engulfed everything in its path. They came with malice and spared none. All were enveloped by their hatred. Screams full of Agonizing pain were heard throughout the small village. Aceldama was one of the first stops in their conquest of power. It was on the path to one of the largest cities in the world, a necessary point for their invasion to succeed. A woman carrying an infant ran inside a house that was no longer burning. One of them went inside, a smile of sadistic joy would have been seen if there was no armor on them. Seconds later, a shriek pierced the air followed by a wail. It came back out, letting its bloody sword hang limply at its side.

A young boy at about the age of five ran as far away as he could, holding hands with a young girl of the same age. Tears trailed behind them as they fled from everything they once held dear, now in ruins.

"Kiyomi!" The boy yelled in fear as he slowed to a stop.

The girl stopped, completely in tears and looked up at the boy.
"Lucian..."

The two of them were about a mile away from the village now. They both thought that they could rest for a second.

The boy sat down on the cool grass and sniffed, wiping away some tears with his arm. In the distance, the glow of the fire against the night sky only made it seem more demonic than it already was.

The girl sat close by to him. She covered her face into her knees and cried harder than she had ever cried before.

The boy looked sadly at the girl and gave her a hug.
"Its...going to be alright..."

The girl looked up at the boy, eyes full of fear.
"THEY'RE DEAD!!! DON'T YOU GET IT!...They are...all gone..." The girl yelled, than cried more into her arm.

The boy looked down at the ground sadly. Remembering what he was told by his father, the boy said: "They...wanted us to live on though..."

The girl looked up again and shivered.

"We...can't let their sacrifice go in vain..." The boy repeated back what he was told.

The girl looked him in the eyes and nodded sadly.
"You're right..." She looked depressingly into the distance.
"Where will we go...?" The girl asked, trying to keep the horrors she had just seen off her mind. It was too much. She burst into a fit of tears.

"It'll...all be..." The boy hugged her again and started crying to. This was too much for them.

In the distance, the Village of Aceldama slowly darkened. The flames were dieing out.

The boy wiped his tears from his eyes, than did the same for the girl. She smiled at him. His brown right eye was always very nice to look at. It made you feel like there was always hope, no matter how bad things may seem. His left eye was currently a dark blue color. It was depressing to look at and she wished it it would change to a happier color. It was only because Lucian was sad though.

They both stood up, slowly together. Hand in hand, the pair walked in the opposite direction of the first five years of their lives, and walked toward the dark and uncertain future.

13 Years Later...
An 18 year old male stood on a cliff edge. The red scarf he wore around his neck blew violently in the wind. He blinked and took a deep breath. His two different colored eyes looked down at the City below. Hebron would be the final stop before he was ready. Staying here for a while would do him well. It was the closest city to the once beautiful Aceldama Village after all. At the thought of this his left eye went from gray to red. His brown right eye stayed the same. Giving a small smile, the young man made his way down the cliff. Minutes later, he entered the city and blended in with the crowd.

//Its time...for a change...\\ The young man thought.

[faeythe]

“Trinkets, baubles, potions…” A gruff elbow to the ribcage cut Faelynne’s recital of wares short. It was just as well, her voice sounded disembodied and far away even to her own ears, how could she expect anyone else to pay her any heed? A wave of dizziness swept over her. She squatted in a doorway waiting for it to subside, watching the feet of the city denizens, what seemed hundreds upon hundreds of them passing her by as if she were no more than another stone fixture, another pillar supporting another wall of another building. So many… tiny and delicate, large and scuffed, polished, bedraggled… hundreds of little feet. It was overwhelming, too much to take.

Cities always threw Faelynne off her kilter. She had to get away from this place where the scents and sounds and constant motion were a never-ending racket to her senses. Getting to her feet, she shoved her way through passerby, showing them as little courtesy as they showed her. Darting down a westerly road she saw what she was looking for; a hill, green grass, all that was real and tangible to her. So relieved and absorbed was she to spy something not wrought of stone or metal that she failed to notice anything else around her.

So it was with a start that she smashed headlong into the young man with the strange eyes. Her satchel tumbled to the ground with a clatter. She only just barely managed to contain the vitriolic curses on her tongue. Folding her arms across her chest she glowered darkly at the man, her green eyes narrowed, her full lips pursed into a frown of dismay.

“Carelessness is not a trait oft smiled upon. Watch the path ahead of you boy, I might advise,” she muttered as she stooped to pick up her satchel, stray tendrils of strawberry hair falling across her luminously pale skin.

[xinck]

Lucian got up slowly, never unlocking his eyes from the girl's. His left eye flashed red for a split second, than returned to it's normal gray.

"Tssk. Look who is talking. Also, I'm not that young ma'am."
Lucian exaggerated the last word and smiled coyly at the lady. He turned around and began to walk away. He didn't have time for this...or maybe...He stopped for a second.

[faeythe]

Faelynne was , tired, and miles away from the forest. She needed food, and a place to sleep... And she saw opportunity in the boy's brief hesitation. Snatching her satchel off the ground, she moved deliberately towards him as he moved away. She ever felt a fool following these tedious men and women around fawning and braying for their attentions. She hated it.

"Perhaps I could interest you in a charm, sir." Faelynne arched an inquisitive eyebrow. She reached into her satchel drawing forth a handful of stones in myriad colors and shapes. She shifted them within her cupped hands, seemingly making some disappear while new ones took their place. A trick of the eye, really, albeit an impressive one.

"Desire you wealth? Love? Power...?"

[xinck]

The young man turned around. His left eye changed from gray to a light greenish color.
"None of those...Sorry to bother you...I just thought...Never mind." The man began walking away slowly muttering something about just being a merchant.

//Why did I even come here anyways? There are going to be more guards here...\\ The man thought picking up his pace a little. He slowed down again, slower than before. //That girl though...\\
He turned around fast and headed back toward the girl.

[faeythe]

“I am no merchant, fool. Have a care sir not to make presumptions,” she called towards Lucian’s unresponsive back. Anger flashed hot, sharp, jagged as a sudden fork of heat lightning. Faelynne balled her hands into fists around the stones she still clutched. Her fingernails bit hard into the soft flesh of her palms, leaving tiny red half-moon welts that she failed to notice. Something unbridled glinted in her narrowed eyes.

You mustn’t fall prey to this, these fits, these cursed emotions… not here, not now over so small a thing.

It was with great effort that Faelynne managed to compose herself. She took a labored breath and smoothed a stray tendril of crimson hair back from her face then chose a stone seemingly at random from her cupped hand. She flung it in Lucian’s general direction. The stone began to burn with a pulsing golden glow.

“Take it, boy, for you’re not so bold as you might seem. You fear something, you are haunted, you are stalked. A fool might buy your ruse, but I see it in your eyes. You might chance to find a use for that trinket.”

Faelynne spun in one graceful motion away from Lucian. This time it was her turn to stalk away.

[xinck]

Lucian turned around and blinked fast. The stone was...glowing? He caught it in his palm. There was clearly more to this girl than he had thought. No wonder something was bothering him when he turned around. Coming here was not a waste of time after all. He began to walk toward her at a steady pace, trying to catch up. About to yell for her, he caught his tongue. He knew better than that. He didn't want to draw a crowd. Once he was almost in range, he tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder. //How does she know...about me? ...\\Lucian thought, unnerved.

[faeythe]

Faelynne had sensed the man’s approach long before he had moved to touch her. If luck was on her side he would demand that she tell his whole bloody future from the palm of his hand and then offer her enough gold to pay for a meal. She was quite certain that would not be the way of things though. This one seemed different, not your typical haughty lordling wanting to know if he might die a victorious hero on some distant battlefield.

She turned slowly to face Lucian, contemplating his intentions for a moment before speaking.

“I am called Faelynne Swanne. I call no city home and no man friend… Do not mistake my gestures for more than they are. I merely sensed something and sought to give what little help I might offer. Is there aught more might I do for you, my Lord?”

She arched a slender inquisitive eyebrow, intrigued by the prospects that might loom in his response.

[xinck]

Lucian was somewhat taken aback.
"Thank you Faelynne, but the formalities are not needed. I am not of noble blood."
Lucian straightened his back out a little bit, obviously uncomfortable and not used to being called Lord.
"Anyways, I believe we can do each other a favor. Oh! I'm sorry. The names Lucian. Hehe. Well, you seem to be , so as odd as this may sound, would you like to talk over a meal?" He saw hunger in her eyes, and for more than just food.

[faeythe]

Dinner dates; dates of any sort actually, were rather against Faelynne’s morals and ethics. ‘Love all, Trust few’ was her mantra… And by love she meant from a distance. She innately appreciated people’s fascinating intricacies but had no stomach for spending an inordinate amount of time around them.

Still…the mere idea of food made Faelynne’s mouth water. She was mildly concerned she might salivate all over Lucian’s boots if she let the idea of meat pie or rabbit stew dance around her head for another moment. And there could certainly be less… attractive company to spend time with.

She bit her lip, mulling the idea over, but ultimately hunger and curiosity won out.

“Some place quiet… and dark… and empty,” she still looked less than comfortable with the idea as she responded to his inquiry. She rubbed the stones in her hands together nervously, and was struck by the sudden warmth in them. Odd. It was not often that the stones burned. She would have to read them later, find out what they were trying to express. For now, she patiently waited for Lucian to lead the way to a (hopefully) appropriately desolate dining spot.

[xinck]

Lucian disliked the idea, but he had to take time to find more about this girl. He nodded and turned around.
She probably thinks I am a pervert or something like that.
Lucian laughed slightly at the thought.
This was just how far he would go though. Anything to get him where he needed to go. A dark a dreary place it was then. Lucian thought of the town layout, closing his eyes briefly as he stood. Opening them again, he remembered a small tavern which few visitors dared to enter. He walked at a moderate pace making sure Faelynne was behind him every now and then. They arrived at the tavern minutes later. It was located in a rather dirty part of the city. Lucian has sworn he had seen three dark red eyes staring out from an alley at the pair as they walked to the tavern. Turning around to smile half heartedly at Faelynne, Lucian opened the door for her trying to start off polite.

[faeythe]

Faelynne stepped through the open door, trying to disregard the blatant scurrying noises emitted from the alleyway besides the ramshackle building. The place could have passed for abandoned by the looks of it. Certainly exactly what she’d asked for, though she likely would have opted for someplace where the floors had been graced by a mop once or twice in the not so distant past.

On the bright side, Faelynne thought, I could apply the term “woodland creature” to the denizens of the proliferating rat colony the building was clearly built on and hence feel at home. She smirked at the notion, hoping Lucian didn’t notice.

The barmaid cum hostess and waitress and likely from what Faelynne could tell turned to glance at them. She had a lazy left eye that made Faelynne’s stomach turn. Her senses honed in on the stench of a dishonest, gluttonous, putrified soul when she gazed at the woman.

Beggars can’t be choosers she thought blandly as she followed the barmaid to a rickety little table beside an almost impossibly grimy window. She could hardly wait for Lucian to take a seat before blurting out an order, but she found it in herself to bite her tongue. She’d never been especially keen on manners but the man was after all her benefactor for at least a brief moment. She ought not forget that.

[xinck]

Lucian was definetly disturbed about how dirty the tavern was, but it was dark and lonely. That was a definite plus. He sat down at a chair facing Faelynne across the table. He looked her in the eyes for a moment almost "piercing" her soul with his stare, then shook his head, looking at the floor. He looked up again to meet Faelynne's questioning stare.
"Well, what would you like?" He smiled, trying hard to be as friendly as he could. They had met on bad terms. Even worse, they both needed each other for something. Lucian felt as though they were holding daggers to each other's throats. One wrong move and...

[faeythe]

What would I like, Faelynne mused. A bubble of emotion that had been threatening to burst for days suddenly and unexpectedly rose up in her throat. A panicky feeling began to creep along the back of her neck, raising the tiny hairs there. At her hip she could feel the stones burning even through her satchel. Her eyes welled against her will, and a deluge of silent tears streamed down her high cheekbones.

“What would I like? I would like the forest, the wind rushing through trees, the sun streaming down on a prairie, the earth beneath my toes.” She nearly choked on the words. She hadn’t meant to say any of this. She simply hadn’t been able to stop herself. She loathed these walls pressing in around her, the smell of decaying spirit that pervaded the air… Everything about the city that had been weighing on her suddenly seemed almost to heavy to bear. hen, as if she had never even succombed to fears she flashed a quick and oddly charming grin.“ But you meant to eat of course,” she laughed dryly wiping a rogue tear from her cheek, “rabbit pie would be fine. ”

She stared at Lucian, waiting for the waitress to return. She couldn’t get a particular recollection out of her head. His eyes… What was it about them… She tried to brush it off.

“You belong here no more than I. What is your purpose in this place?” She had little intention of dancing around the issue. Her instincts had drawn her to him, and there was reason in that there always was… Precisely what that reason was she could not yet say.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: I stole that little quote about wishing on stars in your sig for my away message tonight...hope you don't mind

[xinck]

Lucian was a little surprised about all the references to nature. It did sound very nice actually. He had been traveling so much recently that he had not taken time to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. A chill crept up his back reminding him that it would soon be too late for him to relax almost ever again. It was all worth it. He would do this no matter what and no matter how much it cost him. Coming out of deep thought, Lucian shifted his gaze to the waitress. She seemed to have been watching the pair intently. She waddled over.

"What'll ya be havin'?" Her voice sounded like she had been killed and no one had told her.

Lucian feigned the best smile he could.
"Rabbit pie. Please."

The waitress nodded and waddled off to the .

Lucian looked back at Faelynne.
"How very perceptive of you. Yes, I do not live here, or anywhere for that matter. I am what some would call a nomad. My village was...sorry. It is a tough subject to speak about. I did just meet you after all..." Lucian looked astray at the table, reminiscing. He frowned slightly then looked back up at Faelynne.
"Yourself?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Np, its fine. Just added it to my signature because I was a little...ehh, depressed today.