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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 9:58:14 GMT -5
In a way, the way in which Darkmoon replied in such a playful manner helped Velox relieve some of the tension in the air and regain his composure. He frowned, unsure how to take her comment, before letting out a deep sigh. Pushing himself up, he gathered his numerous weapons and donned his robes again, glad to have the protection on once again. That he lost wasn't what had bothered him, though Darkmoon seemed to think that was the case. He had no issues losing to a powerful opponent, especially given that half of his techniques were not suited to sparring anyways. Rather, it was that no one had dared get so close and open with him. No had wanted to, aside from Raisa, and he had successfully deflected her with his attitude, whether purposefully or not he was still not sure. But here was Darkmoon, who thought just the same as he did, and so could not be convinced so easily by his facades.
"You know, for someone who seems worried about a neck injury, your sure had seemed focused elsewhere" He replied with a half-smile, now having regained his composure. He hadn't missed that she had been staring at him as he lay there earlier, and he wasn't about to let her have he last jab. He nodded his head slightly in thanks and accepted the cool rock, pressing against his neck and enjoying the soothing cold. He was not very worries about the injury, but better to be careful with anything near a pressure point.
"Anyways, you are certainly an excellent close-quarters fighter. You could easily give Azula a run for her money, from the way I hear it. I would have enjoyed having natural weapons at my disposal. Sure I have air-bending, but air bending was never intended as a weapon..." Velox paused, still well aware of just how much Aang dispised his air-bending techniques. If Aang was the good side of airbending, he was most certainly the dark side of it. Velox shrugged slightly and sat down cross-legged against a tree-trunk, now content to rest and talk now that their match had ended.
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Crossover
Oct 4, 2016 11:15:05 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2016 11:15:05 GMT -5
Darkmoon didn't want to admit that the heat was taxing her as much at it was. While Velox spoke, she knelt beside the stream again and splashed the cold water over her forearms. Her cheeks here pink reflected in the water. Cupping her hands, she brought the cool water to her face, savoring the icy needles it sent into her heated skin. "I was looking at you," she began, "because I was trying to figure out how such a fragile human was able to give me such difficulty." Her back was still to him, but she doubted he missed the smile that crept into her voice.
After soaking her braid in the water, she stood and returned to their little clearing. "As for matching someone like Azula...I am not so confident that it would end well. I had no master, no trainer. Everything I know is born from survival, or watching Cain's men when I was lucky enough to spy on them undetected. I have never fought for fun or to test skill. Only to save my own life. My skill is where it is now out of necessity. I have bested all of my opponents at least enough to escape. Any less, and I would be dead now." Darkmoon stopped short, uncertain why whe had let herself ramble. This was coming close to a truth she did not want to share with Velox - the truth about the outlawed, hunted, despised life she led. The underling[i/] she was. If he knew how hated she was by even her own kind, certainly he would rethink the wisdom in their tentative trust, and no longer be willing to help her. As any person in their right mind would not be.
In an effort to change the subject, she picked up one of Velox's hunting knives. She twisted it in her hand, admiring the care with which its edges were honed. "Can you start a fire?" she asked, moving downstream to where the creek widened and flooded the stream bed. She selected cattails that had not yet matured to the point of blossoming and swiftly cut their stems. She would have preferred to use her sword, but did not risk exposing it. The silver pommel was ordinary enough: the blade was not. And that was another set of painful questions she was sure would ensue. "I am assuming your kind eat a midday meal?" Rinsing the cattails in the water, she brought back a half dozen, and perched herself on the boulder to begin pulling the sharper hairs from the stalks.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 12:06:19 GMT -5
Velox chuckled slightly, glancing to the side at her as he could hear the humor in her voice. He couldn't help but think they were getting along much better now than they were when they first met, like two war-comrades who had been through hell together. Except in their cases, they had each gone through different hells. As she cooled herself off in the stream, he couldn't help but hope that the heat wouldn't become too much of a problem for her in the future. The palace would be kept cool enough, but much of the earth kingdom was much the same as this area as far as temperature went.
"Necessity is the best of teachers, don't you think? Sure it is a rough and crude teacher, but the skills to live and survive could not be better taught than by survival itself. So don't be embarrassed that that is how you learned. It is why I am here now. My people could not adapt....but I did" Velox paused again, still wondering what the monks of old would think of an airbender such as him. Sure he was not spiritual yet, but he had developed techniques that they would never dare try. He was the only airbender in existence to be able to sound-bend, and not even Raisa herself knew he could. He wondered if Darkmoon knew, after having seen his memories. Either way, it mattered not. It was a technique that caused only pain, and was not ever to be used on friends.
As she requested for him to build a fire, he nodded silently and stood up to gather dead sticks, leaves, and what large peices of wood he could find. Just as before, he swept them into a circular pile and surrounded them with rocks to prevent spreading, grabbing some flint to strike and start the fire. A little carefully placed air currents and soon the fire was blazing. Watching with his head tilted to the side as she sat at work on the cat-tails, Velox leaned back against the tree trunk and reached into his robe, pulling out an extravagant, engraved silver flute. Swirls of wind, and ravens decorated the barrel of the flute, ending in a single, poised Raven at the edge. He pressed the lip-piece to his mouth, and began playing. A calm, haunting melody soon began floating on the air, filled with slow joyous tones. He hoped she did not mind a little music during their meal, pausing to wonder what kind of music she had in her realm.
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Crossover
Oct 4, 2016 12:42:57 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2016 12:42:57 GMT -5
Darkmoon smiled darkly to herself as Velox discussed the merits of learning skills based on survival. Spoken like someone who had a home, and a community. Not someone who's life was in danger day in and day out. Not someone relentlessly hunted. But that was inconsequential. In her century and a half of living, her view of the world had been warped. She lived a twisted half life, no more than prey to mighty hunters. She could not expect someone so young to see things the same way she did.
She was about to find something new to discuss when he began playing, and she immediately closed her mouth. Music was such a rare gift in her life. She herself could not risk music for drawing attention to her location, and the melodies at ceremonies were only whispers through the trees, banned as she was from attending the holiday parties. It was a welcomed sound, 5!/6 vibrated along her bones and she prepared their meal. She padded silently to the stream as he played, selecting a large, thin, flat rock from the water, -!: billowy leaves growing on the shore. She wrapped the cattails in a damp leaf each, placed the rock on top of the flames, and set the cattails on her makeshift skillet, rotating them by their stalks.
"Hunters in my realm are expected to practice the arts," she said when he had finished a song. "But I have never heard an instrument such as that before. It is beautiful. "
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 13:04:57 GMT -5
Velox watched through slitted eyes as Darkmoon cooked the cattails, focusing mainly on his instrument, eager for a meal soon and glad for the relaxation. He was happy they had chosen to camp out rather than risk the desert, as this was giving him quite the chance to get to know this curious girl. Her compliment rang out in his ears and made him smile lightly, though he continued to play the tune through to its end before he chose to answer her. Once started, he preferred not to stop playing till the music itself deemed it so, otherwise he felt broken and unfulfilled. When he finished, he stuck the flute back in his robe, curious as to if their meal had finished yet.
"Here, usually it is one or the other. Typically, warriors here do not practice any form of art other than the martial kind, and vice versa. I'm a bit of an exception, being a warrior-airbender." He replied, and it was indeed the truth. Most benders were too focused on their craft for any other art, and most airbenders cared little for violence, and delved completely into art itself. In this way only, he was product of both worlds. "And I would imagine so....even if the instrument existed, I doubt anyone you know would be able to produce the sounds I just did out of it. Its a...special technique I developed. Its used mainly for violence, but it has its uses here as well. I am quite happy you enjoyed it though. Most days in the palace I would get scolded for playing when I was on the roof. They never liked how out of place it looked in city meant to be orderly. Usually I only play here in the forest when I am alone." Velox explained. He considered himself for a moment, and then pulled the flute back out of his robe and handed it to Darkmoon.
"You are more than welcome to try if you like. I'm sure you can get the hang of it quite easily. It will, though, produce a higher sound than the ones I was just playing, but none the less it is still a wonderful instrument." He said through a smile. And indeed he did have no doubt she could figure out the trick to playing it with a few tries, if her mind worked the same way his did.
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Crossover
Oct 4, 2016 13:23:36 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2016 13:23:36 GMT -5
Darkmoon shrank back from the bright silver flute, feeling her claws extending slightly as she pulled her hands into herself. The great warriors of the Night People were trained in arts of an aesthetic nature as well as a martial one, in order to achieve balance and intellect. For her to follow in those ancient steps would be utterly wrong. "I cannot, Velox," she said, her gaze faltering back to her task. "Art and music are for warriors, and I am not a warrior."
She cooked the rest of her meal in silence, feeling the truth of her being an outcast as plainly as if it had been branded onto her skin. There was no place for her amongst the scholars, the warriors, even the gurus. All had shunned her for what she'd become. All for a choice that hadn't even been hers to make.
The leaves wrapping the cattails became shriveled and brittle, and she pulled their meal off of the hot stone. "I apologize if this isn't hearty enough for you. I do not kill animals. If you would like meat with our meals, you will have to hunt for it yourself." She unceremoniously shredded the leaf wrapping with one talon, retreating with the soft cattail and two more still wrapped to her boulder. She perched atop it, incisors slicing into the hot seeds of the husk easily with the heat from the fire. The nutty smell of the plant blotted out all other scents in the area.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 13:47:39 GMT -5
Velox nodded his head in understanding when she refused the flute, slipping it back into his robe. He wanted to argue against her point, but was not going to, as it was not his place. He would not ask her to go against the traditions of her own culture. "Very well, I understand. If you do wish to hear more at any point, though, you need only ask. I am happy to play for a willing ear, especially one that is not trying punish me for playing" He said through a chuckle, memories of retreating from palace guards coming to mind. They had hated how freely he had used the palace, and he had been very rebellious at that time, intent to keeping to his own nature regardless of the rules of the palace. Raisa had beat sense into him otherwise.
When she indicated the meal was ready, he smiled and nodded his head thanks. "Thank you, Darkmoon. It looks delicious. I'm sure no more will be necessary for me, not to worry" He said through a mild smile. He took his portion and unwrapped it, softly eating upon it and filling his stomach. Truthfully, he had not even needed to eat yet, as he actually did not consume much food each day, but he was not going to turn down her kind offer. When he had finished, he took what remained of his meal and stuck it into the fire, the flames licking and consuming at it hungrily. He frowned slightly, still finding that after all this time he was not yet quite fond of fire for anything but warmth. Eyeing the sun as it was sinking lower into the sky, he glanced back at Darkmoon.
"I am going to meditate for awhile. It looks like it will soon be time to head out" He noted. With that, he silently whisked a few meters away to a large, flat boulder and climbed upon, resting down in the lotus position. He opened up his sense to the wind currents around him, and his mind to the air, floating away into the breeze. Instantly calm washed over him as his eyes closed, feeling at one with the air. As it often did, the air began taking up a rather slow, circular motion around him, something he could never quite explain as he was not intending to bend it at the moment. The breeze seemed to tell him of things in moments like these. Of the peace of the surroundings, of the dank, toxic air in the city nearby, and of the emotions, good and bad, floating everywhere.
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Crossover
Oct 4, 2016 14:47:28 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2016 14:47:28 GMT -5
Darkmoon nodded mutely while she finished her cattails, following his lead and burning the remains. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to the earth and the plants for their nourishment and sacrifice.
As Velox moved to meditate, she herself took advantage of the opportunity to rest, not having had the chance to do so in over a day now. She surveyed the trees ringing their little area, and chose the one immediately across from Velox. Scrambling up the trunk, Darkmoon silently made her way to the branch hanging directly over their little camp. It would allow her to keep an eye on Velox, as well as reach him quickly were something to happen. One hand on the trunk of the ancient tree, she caught the scents of the winds high above the ground. Nothing unnatural. No one around. She could see all around their camp from here and would spot any threats before they got too close.
Trusting Velox would summon her if need be, she curled up against the trunk of the tree and pulled her bandana over head, preparing to shield her sensitive eyes from the sun. Just before the cattail frond obscured the sky, she noticed something that send ice down her spine. The moon. It was waning here, as it was home. And if it were in the same phase, then... With its crescent and where it hung in the sky at this time, she only had one more day until the new moon. One day until...
She would think of that later. And run. A day to find her staff and disappear. Suddenly, getting enough rest now seemed more important than ever. Darkmoon quickly bowed to her nocturnal nature and slipped into a nervous sleep.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 19:19:18 GMT -5
In the time spent meditating, Velox always felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough with making some sort of spiritual connection to the air spirits, but as it always was, he failed this time as well. And as it always was, he would try again tomorrow. He dared not ask Aang for help, fearful that he would forbid him from practicing such things given his own stance. And besides Aang, there was no one else he was aware of that was capable of helping him.
Just as the sun began setting on the horizon, and darkness spread across the area, a chill set into the air. Velox awoke with a start as the cold air licked his skin, knowing it was time. The desert would be plenty cold now for Darkmoon, but a whole new set of creatures awaited them on their Journey to the great wall. He breathed deeply and got up. "It's time, Darkmoon" He said outloud, his mind focused on what lay ahead of them. As he waited for Darkmoon to get up, he began removing two long metallic poles from his robes as well as the two long-blades at his waist. He twisted the poles together to make a longer staff, and slid each sword into place on each end of the metal staff, clicking them securely into place. This bladed staff was decorated in the same manner as his flute, a piece he had commissioned from Lord Zuko's metal forgers. It was an extremely fine piece, and in a way a sign of piece between them.
Normally, he wouldn't need a weapon such as this, even for the desert, but he was aware that they would be going at a rather fast pace, which would only increase the risk of danger. He stood told with his staff in one hand, eyeing the path ahead of them. "This is gonna be pretty straightforward. All we need to do is head straight ahead for the great stone wall, specifically the large slit in the middle. It will easily be visible from the edge of the forest. I don't know what we will encounter, but our desert creatures are known to be extra aggressive. We will need to be careful. However, once we make it to the wall, we will be safe." He explained outloud. He knew much of it was obvious, but it needed to be directly stated to avoid any possible confusion. And since he had a decent idea of Darkmoon's abilities now, working together with her in a fight would be much easier.
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Crossover
Oct 4, 2016 20:40:46 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 4, 2016 20:40:46 GMT -5
Darkmoon's eyes flitted open at Velox's call. The darkness was much more soothing, and she was able to pull her blindfold all the way off without squinting. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, having been assaulted by the sun for hours on end. In the shadowy night, her vision was as clear as a fox and twice as far reaching. Nothing would escape her detection. Any of the creatures Velox mentioned would not catch them off gaurd.
Slipping from the branch, she fell to the forest floor landing silently in a crouch. She noticed his choice in weaponry, but kept her own staff strapped across her back in its shortened form. It would only get in the way when she ran. She cocked her head to the side as she studied his staff, momentarily wondering how he would keep pace with her. A mortal would stand no chance. But a mortal with air bending very well might.
Light a cool caress,the silver moonlight demanded her attention. She looked to her guiding goddess and sister, feeling that icy fire fill her veins in the eve before she became the Crone. It gave her an idea. "Can your kind winnow?" she asked. "I am not as skilled as some, but I can likely get us through some of the trickier areas. Though we will still need to run most of the way to the city. My skill is severely limited when I do not know the area. However..." she bit her lip, considering what she was about to ask, the invasion she would feel she was committing, and the magnitude of trust it would require from him. "You know this city well. If...if you were to allow me access to your memories again, I could likely navigate through its space." Best to take advantage of her heightened power at this moon phase than to let it pass by unnoticed, and to take advantage of the safety it would give them.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 4, 2016 20:58:43 GMT -5
Velox cocked his head to the side like that of a fox at her question. "I do believe that we cannot. Or at the very least I cannot. If others in this world can, I would find myself quite jealous" He replied, trying to add in a bit of humor to keep the situation from becoming too serious. It was possible to over-think things, and humor was the best way to prevent and divert that possibility. There would be many things that could not be prepared for, no matter how much they thought about it. Creatures big and small, including his least favorite, the enormous dune worms, a cousin of the Inagi that was occasionally spotted by unfortunate travelers.
At her next question, Velox caught himself sighing slightly. He took a moment to think it over. She was essentially asking to dig into his memories even further, especially regarding a place with which many of his life's events were connected. But, at this point they were tied into this quest together, whether he liked it any more or not. She already knew more about him than anyone else, next to Raisa. He could not see the harm in allowing her in once again. He slowly nodded his head and left himself unguarded an open for her to read his thoughts once more. "If you think it will help....you may. But just as the last time, I will warn you again. Not all of my memories are pleasant." He answered solemely.
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Crossover
Oct 5, 2016 0:59:37 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 5, 2016 0:59:37 GMT -5
Without being able to figure out whether or not Velox truly did trust her, Darkmoon was at a standstill. Without the information regarding the layout of the city, she would not risk winnowing them anywhere. She'd heard stories of people that tried to winnow into unknown areas and were instead lost in the vacuum between spaces. While she didn't know if these tales were true or embellished to frighten littlyngs... well she didn't want to find out the hard way that the tales were true.
But Velox had a right to the privacy of his thoughts. And she would not invade his memories without his full permission. She tentatively brushed against his mind, trying only to glean enough information to let her know if she could proceed, but found his mind blank. Still letting go of thoughts instantly from meditation, perhaps. But there was an underlying current of something between mild fear and discomfort, and that was answer enough.
With one more look to the waning moon, she came up with a new plan. "Tonight and tomorrow night, before the new moon reaches her zenith, I can...accomplish things that would be otherwise impossible. Here-" She quickly swiped a dagger from his belt and sliced a clean line down her palm. Blood that was a few shades too dark to be human welled at the incision. "Your blood is still in my veins. Take mine. While we possess each other life force, I can create a link for a short amount of time. You can guide me through only the thoughts you want me to see, and I can navigate us through parts of the city we need to winnow through." She held her palm out to him, waiting to see what his decision would be. It was unpleasant, she knew, but their best option for now. And, she admitted, a test to see how far Velox would go to help her.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 5, 2016 1:22:35 GMT -5
For all of his life, Velox's decisions to help people really ever only boiled down to two questions he would ask himself: would it cause his demise, and would this person ever help him in return? If he was satisfied with the answers, he would help to best of his ability. If he was not, he would not help the person, regardless of how perilous their situation was. It was for this very reason he had come to know Raisa, become a guardian to the princess, and part of the war against the triad. In all of these things, he was confident in his skill not to die, and that those he was helping might one day be willing to return the favor. Yet here was a situation that he knew his answer, and yet he had no idea how he had come to he had come to reach it. What Darkmoon asked of him, it would not be the first time he had bonded himself to someone, although by different means. It was not that that was strange about his conclusion. Rather, here was a girl who had brought him into a situation where he could not very accurately gauge his safety, now was he certain she'd even be able to repay him one day. But she, out of anyone, had already come to figure him out more than anyone dare try. Perhaps, he thought, he stayed in hopes she may be able to see past the layers of mask he himself had trouble removing.
All this passed through his head as Darkmoon tested her connection and then retreated, offering the alternative solution. It a large thing to ask indeed, and he wondered what implications it had beyond just a shared thought connection. Anyone who knew him would have instantly said he would not have helped at this point, and yet....
Velox leaned forward and grasped Darkmoon's bloodied hand with his own, softly bringing it up to his mouth and licking up all that was there. Once he was done, he gently let go, gazing at her once more first stoically, and then with slightest sly half-smile. "No use in me turning back now. I can't have you roaming around on your own with all of my secrets tucked away, I need to keep an eye on you" He said with a shrug and a chuckle. He was well aware he was going farther than most others would, and he still couldn't explain it himself. His joking excuse would have to satisfy them both for now. "Besides, now you definitely owe me one" he added quickly. "Now that that is done, what is our next step for this link of yours?"
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Crossover
Oct 5, 2016 21:30:30 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Raisa/Darkmoon on Oct 5, 2016 21:30:30 GMT -5
Velox's touch raised goosebumps down her arm. The moment he released his hold, Darkmoon pulled her hand back to her, fingers curling into a tight fist. Her dark eyes narrowed as she looked at him, not understanding the strange effect he had on her. "That is all there is," she said, her lips pressing into a hard line. "I am not a master spell weaver like others. The bond will last only so long as my blood remains in your system, and mine in yours. A day, at most. As long as you and I are in physical contact, you can chose what memories to show me. This way, you can guide us through the city and tell me where you want us to go, and I can winnow us there without the danger of getting lost in the abyss."
Darkmoon turned on her heel then, moving back to their little camp to dismantle their fire and scatter its remains. "A word of caution, though : this will only work to get us in. After moon set tomorrow, I will lose these abilities and my heightened power as the moon as the moon waxes." A half truth. But her kind were incapable of lying. "Either you will need your princess to get us safely out of the palace, or we will need to wait until the next new moon so I can do it myself." She didn't feel the need to elaborate on the heaviness left by that statement. If they were still in the palace a month from now, it would mean two things. One, her staff was not there and likely lost to her the longer apart she was from it. And two, if she were still here a month from now, then her stay in this realm may be permanent.
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Post by Velox Sicarius on Oct 5, 2016 21:50:03 GMT -5
Velox couldn't help but notice that Darkmoon's attitude was beginning to worsen slightly. He knew this item she was searching for was greatly important, but he was sure that was not the only thing dampening her spirits. Likely, of anything, no one was really sure if she could even make it home. But at this point he could do nothing about it. Rather, all they could do was continue with their plan.
"That sounds as good a plan as any. Even if it is temporary, this does sound like a useful ability to have" He commented stoically. "And once we make it to the palace safely, we will have much less to worry about. Raisa will be able to guarantee our safety, so long as we remain on her good side" He added. Well, her's anyway. I'm fairly sure she will be angry with me bringing another strange woman to her palace he thought to himself.
"Now that that is all finished, it is time we head off" He stated. The both of them walked to the edge of the forest, where the desert began. It was wide and dark, with a cool dry air wisping off of it. He could not spot anything out of the ordinary in their immediate surroundings, meaning it was safe to start running. Confident that Darkmoon would easily keep pace with him, he simply nodded and then broke off at full speed across the dunes, a trail of air behind him carrying him faster than any human could go, and still faster than even most airbenders.
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