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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2015 17:34:52 GMT -5
Velox awoke the moment the sun first began to rise, light just barely glimmering through trees and hitting his eye-lids. He opened them, refreshed and ready to begin moving. The fire had long since died out, and a chill air swept around, sending a slight shiver along his skin. He looked around and immediately found his robes, swinging them around himself for more warmth. He was surprised, however, when he found they felt lighter than they should. A quick inspection revealed a few knives were missing from his arsenal, and he had a rather good idea of where they ended up at. Darkmoon had likely taken them for extra defense. He sighed....they were not cheap knives, but he didn't really have any reason to bring it up to her. He had plenty of other weapons, and if she felt safer with having them, he could not argue against it. He would just have to remember to have her pay him back at some point.
He gazed around and eventually discovered Darkmoon up in the tree canopy, silent and alone. She did not look at all happy...in fact she looked quite lonely. It was a very understandable feeling, for being in a knew land with no one you knew and no known method of getting back yet. He was used to situations of being on his own and in unfamiliar places, but for anyone who had become comfortable with the same area and same people around, even if none were true friends, it could be....hard to handle. Perhaps traveling and getting out onto the open road would distract her from such thoughts.
Velox nimbly climbed up the tree to where Darkmoon was perched, sure that she had noticed him by now in his slow wake up routine. "Thank you for letting me rest, Darkmoon. Are you ready to begin our Journey to Ba Sing Sey? It should not be a long walk, I imagine we should reach the outer wall by Midday. That will leave plenty of time to check for trading caravans and keep our ears open for news of anything else strange that has happened in the area" In some ways, it would be nice to go to Ba Sing Sey. However, Velox had gone over it numerous times in his head and there was no way they could get in without alerting those in the palace that he was in the city. The outer wall was still checking suspicious persons for entry, and he was almost certain he would have to pull his title to get them through.
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2015 18:03:14 GMT -5
Darkmoon did not move as Velox ascended to her. Her eyes flicked in his direction as she watched him climb, then rested on him, unblinking, as he alighted before her. She had stayed in her curled position for much of the night, enjoying the cool night air away from the sting of the fire. Being alone with her thoughts was generally not the best thing for her. Usually, she did not have this much free time to herself; nights were normally spent running and hiding from her pursuers. Daylight hours were spent sleeping fitfully. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a night to herself. And honestly, she would have preferred being hunted in her own woods. As Velox settled himself in front of her, she reached into her boot and pulled out the half dozen knives she had taken, holding them by the tips and splaying the handles towards him. "Quiet night," she explained. "These are yours."
A thought occurred to her as Velox told her of his plan to go to Ba Sing Sey. "Velox, I am not sure if you've noticed, but I am not human. I highly doubt that I can just walk into a major city, or even to a caravan. Even cloaked, my eyes will give me away. Unless you have others here that look like me - which I doubt - I cannot be seen." She wasn't about to tell Velox what it was she needed, either, considering the short amount of time she'd known him. Her staff was too immensely valuable. Even home, there were very few who knew of it's power. She doubted anyone lower in rank than the Forest King's court knew of it's secrets. But, she did have an idea. "Actually, I can stay hidden. If you ask people about the contents of their cargo, I can discern what they carry from their minds, even if they do not outright tell you. As long as I can be close enough to read them, that should be the best way of going about this. If what I need is already in the city..." she frowned, knowing that if that were the case she would have to divulge her quest to Velox. "If that is the case, you will have to continue without me. If you are still willing to help at that point. Though I am assuming you could easily track down my item with the help of your Princess, yes?"
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
Velox eyed the knives as she held them out to him, almost surprised the she was now offering to give them back. He was torn between taking them back and letting her keep them, although he was sure she didnt necessarily need them to defend herself. Finally relenting, he pushed them back to her, shaking his head slightly. "Hang on to them for now. I have plenty other items at my disposal, you may find more use for them than I. Besides, If I day end up going by the palace I can get into my armory and obtain some more....as well as a few other things" He said nodding. For some reason, he was beginning to get a prickly feeling his mind that he would want to be cautious going forward. While he now trusted Darkmoon somewhat, the imminent sense of danger had not quite yet seemed to have gone away. It was very possible he had not been the only person to see the bright flash of light last night.
As Darkmoon explained her perspective of the situation, he could not find any way to disagree with her. It was true, even if he got her into the city, her appearance could very easily attract unwanted attention. There were all manner of people lurking in Ba Sing Sey, and not all had good intentions. If he could safely get her to the palace that could potentially act as a safe haven....but even that was risky. But so was leaving her outside the walls. She seemed very capable of defending herself, even at night, there are all manner of dangers in the daytime as well. As his brain racked over either option, he could not find in himself to decide which seemed the least risky.
"If what you seek is within the city, between me and Princess Raisa we should be capable of tracking it down. Im hesitant to leave you beyond the bounds of the wall, though, if that is to happen. If there was some way of ushering you to the palace, that could act as a sanctuary for you, and allow you to identify anything we find as matching your item. Although the only way we could get you there with no eyes upon you would be with the help of an earth bender......" He continued to ponder the possibilities. Raisa could easily earth bend a tunnel below the city and get her inside, but there would still be risk. In the end, he could not decide what seemed better.
"I leave the decision to you. You can find a place to hide beyond the bounds of the city as me and the princess search, or you can be brought to a relative sanctuary within the walls of the palace. You do not have to determine now though. We may as well getting started now...." He said, trying to smile again as he climbed down the tree and dropped to floor the below. "Who knows, we may find your item along the road and not have to worry about such a decision" He waited for Darkmoon to join him on the ground, and then began trudging forward towards the main road. The road he sought was used almost exclusively by traders, and ran parallel to the edge of the forest. Aside from the occasional bandit attack, he did not picture it posing to large of a danger for them.
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2015 19:10:18 GMT -5
While she wasn't entirely comfortable accepting the knives indefinitely, she had to swallow her pride and remind herself she had almost no weapons on her. She grudgingly resheathed them in her boot without outward protest. As she watched Velox climb back down the tree, she thought over what she had said. "My concern isn't that my staff is lost in this world," she whispered to herself, "but that it never came here with me in the first place."
Velox was right, though, in that she would have to hide in the city if she were to search there. While she didn't like the idea of being around that many people, she couldn't find a way around it. But how to get there? Quickly, a plan began to formulate. It wouldn't be foolproof, but it might work for a short enough time. She couldn't do anything about her attire, which Alex had referred to more than one as a "ballerina ninja" supersuit, but she could mask some of her more distinctive features. She leaned over the branch to Velox. "Wait here a minute?" Without waiting for a reply, she pounced to the top branches of the tree and swayed on the thin limbs.
The sun was too bright for her to see anything without the shade of the pin boughs. Grimacing at the pain from the sunlight, she closed her eyes. And...there. Only a half mile away. There was a pond, hopefully mostly stagnant. Returning to the shade below the canopy, she spirited herself off in the direction she had smelled the pond in. Just as she had hoped, the pond was a true pond, not a stream, and had the same plants here as she knew home. She waited a minute to scan the area before she dropped to the forest floor. Walking among the dewey plants, she found one that gave its permission to be harvested. She took one frond of a broad-leafed cattail, wrapped it around her wrist, and made her way back up the trees and to where Velox was hopefully still waiting.
When she found him, she leaped down to the ground and unraveled the cattail. "You mentioned that you had a friend who was an earth bender...Toph, correct? And that she was blind. Well..." She tied the cattail like a bandana around her head, covering her eyes. Accessing her own energy, she opened her senses to the landscape around her. Admittedly, she could not see as well as she would have liked to feel safe in the foreign lands, but she could get by this way. Finding a thigh-high boulder on the edge of the clearing, she turned her attention to it and extended a hand outward. Wrapping her energy around the boulder, she supinated her hand and curled her long fingers into a fist. The boulder levitated a few feet off the ground. Darkmoon turned her head back to Velox, still keeping her hold of the stone. "Will this work as a disguise?"
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2015 19:35:23 GMT -5
Velox was not clear at first what Darkmoon had gone to get, but as she came back she made her purpose rather clear. A makeshift disguise, good enough to at least fool any common folk. He was a bit taken aback by the levitating boulder, as he had in a way assumed she had no abilities beyond her strength and speed. To a normal set of eyes, anyone would instantly say that Darkmoon is an earth bender given the floating boulder. Velox's eyes knew better. While the boulder floated, he could tell it was through no form of bending. It was as if it was being suspended by some...energy. Forced into such a position rather than being willed to move. The more he watched, the more he grew curious about just what Darkmoon was and where she came from.
"A creative choice in disguise, miss Darkmoon. You have the whit of an airbender. This will do perfectly to get us in, however be wary. As long as we dont run into anyone who truly know Toph, we should be fine. You continue to intrigue me" He said with a wry smile. Meanwhile, his brain continued to turn over what he saw. What was the extent of her abilities? It now seemed as if he wasn't the only one hiding their true potential. "I would say we are good to head off, now". Velox made a last double check that all of his items were safely concealed beneath his smokey gray robe. Sighing, and pushing away the last bit of reluctance about going to Ba Sing Sey, he lead the way toward the edge of the forest.
The journey to the edge was rather quiet and uneventful, filled only with the chatters of small woodland creatures and the cries of birds around them as the sun rose ever higher in the morning sky. It was pleasant music around him, and the breeze felt serene and calm and pure. Upon reaching the edge, a dirt road just wide enough for two carts to fit side by side lay before them. It expanded straight in either direction save for a few curves, and was boarded on the other side by a vast plain that stretched forward. Further on, as Velox knew from experience, was the vast desert the surrounded another piece of Ba Sing Sey. Just ahead and toward the direction of the city wall, already a trading caravan could be spotted consisting of two carts being pulled along with a trio of traders and travelers. Already his eyes were attempting to look over the carts, though from this distance he could not spot anything suspicious.
"I doubt our luck will be so good as to find your item before we reach the wall, but it shouldnt take as long to check these caravans. Just remember, if any of them try to offer you 'Cactus Juice', please do not accept it"
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2015 19:55:54 GMT -5
Darkmoon held her chin a fraction higher at Velox's praise. She was only accustomed to being treated like an underling. Kindness or compliments on a job well done were not anything she had received in recent memory. She nodded to him when he cautioned her to be careful around anyone they met, regardless of her ruse. Having now been endeared to her a little more by his appreciation of her talent, she was more likely to listen to him and do as he suggested than she previously had been. Darkmoon pushed the cattail up over her forehead so she could see while they walked, though her trip was still slow going. Her eyes were not adapted to see in daylight. More than once she nearly ran into smaller rocks or tripped over fallen log. She stuck to the shadows as much as she could as eager to see in their darkness as much as to get out of the heat of the sun.
As they came up to the trail, Darkmoon pulled the cattail back down over her eyes. As an extra measure, she also undid the braids holding back her hair and let her hair drape loosely around her face to cover her slanted ears. She was short enough that if she spoke with her attention downcast, no one would see her incisors. Her attire would just have to do. Her attention followed Velox's as he pointed out the caravan. She agreed with him that their luck was probably not so great as to make their trip this short, but it was a start. When he mentioned cactus juice, she looked at him skeptically and raised one dark brow. "Thanks... I'll remember that... how close can we get to them without raising suspicion?" she asked, focusing back on the rambling carts. "I hope that in this world I could feel the energy of my lost... possession...as I could in my home, but I cannot rely on that alone. I would prefer to stop them before they are out of the cover of trees. It would be best if I am not seen, and I'm not built to ensure harsh sunlight. It will wear on my strength. But if it comes to that, so be it. All I will need you to do is ask them about the contents of their goods. Even if they do not openly tell you, they will be thinking about it, and then I will know if they have what I seek." She remembered a fleeting thought that had crossed his mind earlier. Invading the mind of another wasn't truly the right thing to do, but she had been monitoring his consciousness from afar to be sure he would not cross her. With a wry smirk, she added, "And no, you are not the only one hiding your true potential, if you were still wondering."
It was true, she should sense her staff from miles away, and she did not right now. It made it seem all the less likely that the caravans contained it. If she could still use telekinesis here...but it was a strange place, and perhaps her staff's energy had been dampened. Still, her time to find it was running out. The moon last night had been waning. She probably had only three more days until the new moon. If she didn't find it by then, she could be in true danger. "But anyway, let us continue this venture. I am eager to leave as soon as possible, and I am certain that you have more pressing matters to attend to as well."
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2015 20:23:31 GMT -5
Telepathy, telekinesis, heightened senses, and endurance. This girl certainly had quite the array of gifts. It irked him slightly that she had been capable of peering into his mind, although she seemed to only have done so in humor. He would have to guard his thoughts more carefully, something he hadn't bothered on since his days learning politics in the palace. Only the spirits could know what would happen if others found out about what she could do. The triad would have a field day with such a prize, especially after they had slowed down their hunt of himself and the other members of the party that had defeated them in their efforts in the city. He frowned slightly when she mentioned that the sunlight would pose a problem for them. In the city with the number buildings shade was plentiful, but here on the road, that could hinder their efforts. But if she claimed all he needed to do was ask, then that would be easy enough. But, a little extra cover and caution couldn't hurt. She was right, though. The faster the better.
As the caravan trudged along slowly ahead of them, Velox stepped out onto the road and ever so slightly swayed his hand infront of him, as if dragging his fingers across water. Suddenly, a breeze swept up and blew across the dirt road, whipping up dist and dirt into the air all around the caravan. Velox cast a nod at Darkmoon as the Caravan ground to a halt. Velox plastered a fake smile across his face and folded his hand infront of him, gliding up toward the carts.
"That was some wind. I do hope your belongings weren't ruined by all that dust...." Velox chatted politely as he approached a short, rotund man with small goatee and a red vest. He seemed not the slightest bit worried, only mildly caught off guard by the strange weather.
"Oh, nothing to worry about. It'll take more than a little dirt to harm what's in here. We're bringing metal goods strange from the forges of the fire nation! Lots of shops looking to sell this stuff now. Its all the rage with those in the upper ring. Even had one fellow make an order for a whole cart load of some of the left over scrap and stuff from the war....didn't say what he was gonna do with it though...." The trader said cheerily As Velox listened, his eyes scanned the carts for anything suspicious. As far as he could tell, it was just as the man said. All manner of pots and pans and other strange items lay within his cart, the other indeed carrying leftover instruments of war from the fire nation. Velox's brow furled in ponder at who could ever want those items, and what for.
Velox bowed and bid the trader farewell, walking ahead of them and skirting the edge of the forest to find Darkmoon once more. "Were you able to sense anything? I wasn't able to see anything I didn't recognize. As we feared, I do beleive this first try was a failure" Velox said plainly, his mind still processing what he had seen.
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2015 20:49:34 GMT -5
Darkmoon did not entirely understand what was happening from behind her blindfold when the wind first picked up, and peeked out from under the green leaf. She instantly regretted that, as her eyes were assaulted with speeding particles of sand. She pulled her blindfold back down and grumpily wiped her eyes. Of course, Velox was practicing what he called air bending. She didn't need to see what he had done to realize that that had been his plan. She made a mental note to make sure she knew ahead of time what it was he was going to do. Particularly if he had whipped up a dust storm so nonchalantly. She would have to be more cautious.
The storm did provide one upside, at least: she was hidden from view long enough for her to scale a nearby elm and perch over the top of the caravan. She had to shield her sensitive nose from the dust for fear of sneezing and giving her position away, but it was a decent vantage point. She listened as Velox began a discussion with the men. Their words and thoughts matched; they weren't trying to hide anything. All traded goods and metal...metal? Darkmoon perked up at this. Without hesitating, Darkmoon slipped from the trees and into the carts. The first one held nothing of interest to her - all instruments and furniture that looked, in her opinion, quite uncomfortable. The second two, which she spirited between over their rooftops, were a little more promising. She found a long, hollow axel in one and something that seemed unfinished, but was essentially a solid bar about a finger width and a half thick and four feet long with metal discs attached at each end. Happy with her score, she clutched her prizes and returned to the trees. Her balance tipped slightly with the weight of the metal and she quickly decided to fall back a little further into the underbrush until Velox had finished.
When he came to speak with her, she was busy snapping the axel in half with her hands. "I found nothing of what I need. You were right, this first venture was fruitless." Once satisfied with the length of the axel, she tipped the bar upright and, standing on one dies, twisted the other until it sheared off with a crack. She tossed the disc aside and layed the pole back down. In one motion, she unsheathed her dark sword, sliced the blade through the pole to lob of the second disc, and resheathed it before the pole finished clanging to the ground. Then, it was just a matter of fitting the two together to suit her, coupled with a few incisions from her nails to hold the two together, and she was satisfied. Her finished product was a solid wooden bo about the length of her arm, but with an experienced brandish extended to be a little taller than she. It wasn't an adequate replacement for her staff, but it would do for now. Minimizing her metal bo, she slid it into the metal longs across her shoulder and opposite ribs where her staff usually lay. The familiarity of the weight there eased her tension a little. "Well, I suppose not entirely fruitless. By the way, is that normal trade goods and transport for this world? Humans here seem much more primitive than what I'm used to."
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2015 21:08:31 GMT -5
AS Velox came back upon Darkmoon, he should have hardly been surprised to find her working upon one of the metal items taken straight the cart he was just at. He watched her with intrigue as she transformed the item into a metal staff. She seemed to be much more calm after having the make-shift weapon with her, leading Velox to believe that was her suited style of weaponry. It was good that their efforts had some return he supposed.
"I suppose those could be considered normal. Nothing fancy on those carts, but it is a normal selection of items. Although it does not sit well with me that someone is buying up weapons from the war. I had assumed those were all to be melted down and re-purposed....I may have to look into that later. But that can wait, it doesnt seem to be anything of immediate importance. Let us continue on, Ba Sing Sey is not much farther" He said as he exited the forest once more.
As they traveled the road to the outer wall, they came upon three more caravans none produced the item they were hoping for. Their teamwork and tactics grew ever better with each encounter, but nothing of what Velox saw did anything to ease his tensions. Just as the sun reached its peak in the sky, though, they came upon the great wall several stories high that marked the edge of the city-capital of the earth Kingdom: Ba Sing Sey. Ahead, a small slit could be seen that the road met up with where travelers were being let through at the inspection point. Velox took a deep breath, digging through his robes before pulling out a set of green wrist bands that had been hung on chain. He inspected them briefly, ensuring that they were still emblazoned with the Earth Kingdom insignia.
"Alright, once we are inside I think it best that we head straight for the palace. We can get you out of the sun and out of that disguise.i am not keen to linger in the lower ring for longer than absolutely necessary." The lower districts had the most curious eyes, and was often the most common grounds for petty criminals and Triad Scouts. He was sure they would be alright, but at this point extra caution would not hurt.
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2015 21:27:46 GMT -5
Darkmoon eyed the expanse of desert wearily. Out of habit more than anything else, she pulled out her staff and tossed it from hand to hand in its shortened form, shifting from one foot to another. She had multiple concerns in this venture, and this next step was doing nothing to help quell those fears. She hated that she has found herself in this predicament, and especially because it forced her to rely on a stranger. The last time she had relied on someone, had truly trusted someone, had been when she knew them and never suspected betrayal. And that had led her to become the dark night stalking creature she was now. Velox was little more than a name to a face at this point, and already she felt alarms ringing in her head about going along with his plan. If things went badly, she was going to have to hope that she could defeat him in a fight, though honestly she knew nothing of his skill and wasn't confident that she could do that.
"Velox, wait," she said, forcing herself past her fear and giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. "How am I going to get through a city? Every man in those traders carts was wearing something similar to the next one, and none of that was a black and violet corset and boots. I cannot imagine that I won't attract attention. And..." She paused briefly, pulling her cattail completely off. "I haven't been in sunlight like this in a long time. I mean, small patches on occasion through the trees. But this bright and hot...it isn't something I have been exposed to in a century and a half. I don't know what will happen..."
While she still had the nerve to expose her true thoughts and make herself completely vulnerable, she forced herself to press on. It was the biggest sign of trust she could show him, and she only hoped he would respond in kind. "And...and how do I know that this isn't a trap? That you are taking me to your ruler for imprisonment, or torture, or something else? I am different. I have abilities you don't. For all you know I could be part of this Triad and everything to this point could have been a ruse. How do I know that you are truly going to do as you say? That you are trying to help me?"
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 8, 2015 18:35:03 GMT -5
Velox stopped with Darkmoon just before the gate, hearing her concerns and questions thoroughly. Indeed they were true concerns, and he was not about to try to force her into immediate danger for an idea they may not come to be. But, he had already considered these concerns into his plan before and was ready with the idea that would help them through all of that. The only true concern, right now, was putting into place. It would force him to be in debt with someone that he preferred not to be.
"I understand your concerns Miss Darkmoon, but you need not worry. This will not be a problem because we will not be going through the City.....we will be going under it. That we will not only keep us from the peering eyes of others, but provide you with plenty of darkness and shade as well. We only need to locate a....friend...of mine in order to do this. Toph should be somewhere in the city, or if need be, I can ask Raisa herself. In the meantime, we can make camp at a small pub nearby. Does this plan sound reasonable to you?" He asked her directly. While he was sure of the plan, he did not want to enact it without her go ahead. He was fairly certain contacting Toph would be no problem though. Between his sound bending and her ability to sense vibrations in the earth, it would be no task at all to relay a message to her. He smiled slightly at having thought of the idea.
Darkmoon's next question tripped Velox up slightly, though he supposed the question was inevitable. In essence, she wanted to know plain and clear if they could trust one another. It was certainly quite the quandary, and while the question appeared straightforward at first, it was not straight forward in the slightest. The problem was that was no true way to prove one's trust. One could simply display as much of themselves as they could until the other party decided they were trustworthy. Trust was never proven, it was simply accepted. And now here Darkmoon was asking him to prove it.
"You want to know how it is that you can be sure I'm not tricking you? You should know that there is no true way to ever know that for certain, Darkmoon. That is a question that has no answer. All I can do tell you that I have only the best of intentions...and..." Velox paused, suddenly realizing a method for which he could allow Darkmoon to trust him. It would not be pleasant, but it would be the quickest way."I suppose while I can say nothing that will be convincing, I could show you instead. You can read minds and thoughts, yes? Then peer into mine and witness my memories...." He finally suggested, displaying his full permission for her to do so. He she accepted he would, of course, try to block of some of his more secretive knowledge including his soundbending and knowledge he had been trusted with. His memories themselves would not be a pleasant experience for either party, anyways.
"And as for how do I know you're not Triad? Its quite simple....they hate anything that isn't human and wasn't born exactly like them. If you were in any way part of the triad, you would undoubtedly not be walking free right now."
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Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 22, 2015 22:21:02 GMT -5
Darkmoon initially opened her mouth to argue, that she could not read his mind, that is wasn't right. But she did see the logic of it, and stopped. He was right. If she wanted to know for certain whether or not he was doing as he said, this was likely the only way. Still, she had always been taught to only use telepathy when absolutely necessary. It was a vile and despicable thing to go through another's mind and memories without their permission, as doing so was profoundly invasive and intimate. But he had given consent, and she had no argument. Darkmoon racked her brain for an alternative, but her suspicion would not be appeased until she knew for certain. She frowned as she resigned herself to the task. "Velox..." she said painfully, placing on hand over his heart and the other across his brow. "I truly am sorry for this..."
Aware that her skin was unnaturally cold, she tried to keep her touch as light as she could, and closed her eyes. Melding to his energy was effortless, as he gave her no resistance. It was she that hesitated before going into his mind. Instantly, she was flooded with images and memories. Years of grueling, bone-chilling training by his group called the Air Assassins. His life spent in hiding, in the shadows, away from the main world. And then the whispers of destruction, his task to prevent chaos from consuming the world, and protecting...Raisa. The young, strong-willed princess with whom he shared a fatal attraction. She winced as their tearful saga played out and he was torn in half between his heart and his mind for what he should do. And then the war raged in Ba Sing Sey. The ferocity of his strength and ease with which he killed shocked her. But what ended the war -
Darkmoon pulled away sharply, severing the connection. Her heart was beating wildly from what she had seen, and even felt, through Velox. She studied his cryptic expression, his guarded eyes, his tense stance. It all made sense to her now. And he wasn't lying to her, he was truly trying to help. But to go to these extremes... even though she had glimpsed Raisa coming back, being alive again... after everything he had endured...
"I cannot let you take me to Ba Sing Sey, Velox," she said with finality. "What that must be like for you... I'll find another way home."
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 3, 2016 9:59:09 GMT -5
The flow of memories being forced to re-surge within him was not entirely pleasant for Velox. But as an Air Assassin, one of the first things he had been taught was how to deal with haunting memories. How to keep one's self together in a torrent of dark thoughts and experiences was one of the defining traits of every air assassin. In a way it was almost nostalgic for him to call upon this old training so as to keep his composure as he re-lived his life. When Darkmoon finally released her comforting-cold touch, he stood there with his same old stoic expression. In a way, it was comforting to know that she now had access to all events that had befallen him and his comrades. It would make talking about them much easier. And, unlike anyone else he knew, she was closest to the same thing he was at his core....a predator.
He took a deep breath and tried his best at a smile, there was no hiding Velox's anxiousness to see Raisa again. "Think nothing of it, Miss Darkmoon" He said finally, and slowly. Darkmoon was facing her fears, he would have to do so himself if he was intent on helping. "I will have to face her again at somepoint, so there is no use in me putting it off". He suggested, though in a way it was a poor excuse. "Plus, I would very much enjoy having you along during such an experience rather than doing it alone, so think of it as doing me a favor" He added after a second, smiling lightly.
Seeming convinced with himself, he nodded his head and regained his composure. "Come, in return I would love to hear any interesting tales you might have of your own world as we walk. Unlike you, I cannot read minds and thoughts" He said jokingly, though the joke seemed rather forced.
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Crossover
Oct 3, 2016 13:53:48 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 3, 2016 13:53:48 GMT -5
Darkmoon tried to smile, but wasn't sure if it came out more as a wince or not. Velox's offer was generous, and one she was in no position to refuse - but at what cost to him? From the brief time she had spent reviewing his memory, his entanglement with the Princess was a painful one... and one hauntingly similar to her situation with Alex.
She cringed at the thought of him again. Hopefully he was still doing well with the Night People. And alive. Yes, she would have to at least check on him if she ever made it home. Velox was right that he would have to face his former liege at some point, just as she would have to face her student. If she ever got home...
Darkmoon retied the cattail around her eyes. "My home..." A truth for a truth. It's how they'd operated thus far. She nodded as they began walking. She quickly spun her staff, snapping it out to full length and using it as a walking cane. It clinked metallically against the stones in the rode. "My home is much like this realm... and also not," she began. "My people, we have clans much the same way you have nations. We live deep within the forest, watched over and ruled by a benevolent king. Though our forest is not as old as this one. I think the humans have desecrated most of the land's oldest woods." Indeed, the trunks of the trees here were so big around she doubted her arms would wrap half way around them. Even still, she could feel the heat of the rising sun prick uncomfortably against her skin. She swallowed the rising panic of what would happen to her when she needed to leave the shelter of the forest and step out onto that bright, blistering sand...
Talking to distract herself, she went on. "Our people are private, and secretive from the world. For survival. But the humans live outside of the forests, in large buildings. I do not know all there is about them - my interactions with them are forbidden, save one - but they are not as...simplistic in their living as you seem to be here. They have electricity to light their homes at night, vehicles that run on foul chemicals that pollute our air, and mechanized weaponry. I wish they were more akin to this world..." And they had been, when she was young. Before she had been banished to the darkness. "I do hope the humans of this realm do not follow the same path."
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 3, 2016 14:17:31 GMT -5
Velox tilted his head as they walked, listening to her story curiously. She did not seem all too pleased to be remembering parts of her world. His naturally inquisitive mind instantly began trying to picture this world of hers that she was describing. A forest clan of people like her was not all that hard to picture, but it was the other half that had him scratching his head. Vehicles that did not require animals for movement, mechanized weapons, electricity for lighting. Some sounded similar to that he had seen from the fire nation, other parts sounded like pure fiction. He believed her words that these developments by these humans had only harmed their world, but in a sick kind of way he still found himself very much wanting to see it someday.
"That sounds...intriguing. Both amazing, and haunting. Your forest clan sounds in a way like how I have heard our spirit world looks. A vast forest of energy for protecting an housing all manner of spirits and...other things. As for your humans, I am sorry to hear about what they have done to your world. In a way, it reminds me of the fire nation here. Had Aang not ended the war....our world may have very likely ended as yours is described, perhaps far worse...." He commented absentmindedly as he walked alongside Darkmoon.
"Still, I think it would be interesting to see some time. These days, I find I do not have much of a role her other than seeking out Triad members in hiding. A world at peace has no need for a warrior such as myself, especially not with a war deterrent in the form of the Avatar." He followed up. He was going to say more, but at the moment they had reach the very edge of the forest, where before them now layed an expansive of desert, and just on the horizon, the High wll of Ba Sing Sey could still be visibly seen. Darkmoon had mentioned she was not good in the sun, so this trek would not be easy. He thought to himself quietly if they should stop and way till night to cross, or risk it now.
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