Augury: Hate’s Creation

[Archer he/him]

Tion made a mental note to find Sagitta a cavalry sword sometime. They way the shadows of the rocks around them coalesced into drawn out fingers of darkness, reaching ominously towards them, made him think that they might need it soon. With effort, the god started stepping towards his horse again.

“There are other places, scattered around Hopearaa. Most emit a much weaker field than this. And most are otherwise unremarkable, making them very difficult to find.” He tried to pull himself up onto Jessic’s back, but kept missing the top handhold and falling back down. He waved his companion off, however. “It’s fine, I got this.”

Finally, he managed to get his leg up and over so he could sit atop the saddle. “I can think of two sites of comparable energy to this. The first lies to the south-east, near the Sea of Gods. A small monastery. I haven’t visited in a decade, but the head monk Oldolf is a friend. I’d say it’s about four to six days ride from here, depending if we have any trouble crossing the border into Tuhine.”

“The second is to the south-west, about twice as far away if we ride the whole time. It’s a small island in the Male’mth Sea, positioned along the border. Equidistant between Quartz and Ilani, I think. I struggle to recall its exact location.” Unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched, the god instinctively lowered his voice. “The island is Intensity’s Sanctuary. It’s a strong conduit of magic, but you have to put up with the god when you visit. He can mess with your head, no offence.”

He considered the two options. “Both seem equally as likely candidates for an emergence point. I don’t know how we could go about laying a trap, as you suggested, but I am eager to leave this place. South-east or south-west? Choose one and let’s get out of here.”

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I am guessing at the distances. May have to retcon if our cartographers object.  Or, horses in this world are really fast. Or slow. One of those, probably. 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta followed him over to her horse, her eyes resting on the shadow-like figures waiting in the shadows. They made her skin crawl and she kept her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to react should one of them attack them. Tion took two or three tries to get on his horse, although she tried to politely ignore it. There had to be something about this place that weakened him. Or it was the thing Last had mentioned, that something was wrong with the gods, that something was happening.

She reached out for her mare's reigns and walked her off the site. "South-West sounds as if it might be close to Ta'e'ilo?" She asked while starting to walk off the site, her sword still ready at hand. She could get back on the horse when they were farther away, when she didn't expect to be attacked every moment. One thing after the other. First they had to get away from this place in one piece and then, maybe she could ask a few careful questions.

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Did you have something in mind with the shadowy figures? I wasn't sure whether I can have them reach out for Sagitta or not

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Sorana

[AonEne he/him]

Quote

Wait, so. What does Tion think is up with old magic spots? What even is old magic?  

 

[Archer he/him]

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Sorana, the shadows were just flavour, I didn’t have a plan for them. But as always, if you want to expand on it in some way, be my guest.

Ene, whereas (new) magic is the kind connected to the Powers of the gods or used by humans in the form of Instincts, Old Magic is wilder. It’s pooled throughout the world in seemingly random and occasionally shifting locations. Where it’s strongest, phenomena that seems magical occurs. Stuff like wishing wells that actually seem to work once and a while, or aurora borealis effects. The kind of things which, when examined closely, can be explained away as science or luck, but when you’re blessed by it, seem like nature’s smiling on you today. Old magic can be encouraged to channel in positive ways by the ritualistic carving or arrangement of large amounts of stones, as well as other ways mostly lost in time, but it can’t be wielded like the instincts are. When it’s on your side and strong in a place, you get effects like favourable weather and other good vibes. When it turns against you, the area tends to experience a run of bad fortune. Beings of great magical energy, such as the gods, are more in-tune to the energy of Old Magic, hence why they felt the earthquake from a distance. Think, Star Wars’, ‘I feel a disturbance in the force’ kind of thing, if that’s okay with you.

Tion suspects that the Old Magic within the earth has manifested itself into humanoid or monstrous form and begun to roam the world. Or, he thinks that something trapped below the earth punched through at a strong magical place because it would make a statement to the gods when it was disrupted. OOC, I suspect First and Last are to blame, but IC, Tion doesn’t know how many more disturbances are going to happen, so he might as well check out other likely exit points.

"South-West sounds as if it might be close to Ta'e'ilo?" Sagitta asked.

Tion nodded. “It takes us closer, but it’s on the east side of Cahaya, not the western front near your home country. Give me a moment then, I need to do something.”

The god pulled his horse’s reins to the left, sending them trotting into the half-cover of a large rock ten meters away. He twisted his shoulders so his body blocked Sagitta’s line of sight, then carefully reached into a hidden pocket of his coat and grabbed his cellphone. It was a clunky black flip-phone, but when he opened it, its screen lit up cheerfully. Awkwardly stabbing at the buttons with his index finger, the deity tapped out a message.

Intensity, we a re coming your wy from Tiska. Send boat.

He watched with amusement as the little circle spun to indicate the message was sending. Then he frowned, and typed a quick follow-up.

Intensity, i meant to write are & way .

Edited April 16, 2020 by Archer

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta turned away from him, to give him some privacy and pulled herself on her horse.Then she carefully tied her scabbard to the saddle and finally turned her mare to face west. Cahaya, but close to the border of home. Maybe they could make a turn, maybe there would be a reason to travel farther west afterwards, to the ocean, to the hills and the green landscape she missed. She had never been so far away from home before, had never spent so many weeks and months without her friends and family.

They had to think her dead. The thought entered her mind, ran like ice through her veins, when she realized that the last thing they knew was, that she had been kidnapped, had been carried away by the enemy. The same enemy that was living a poor live all around her. Her hand moved to her leg, touched the tender scar that remained of her injury. It was wide, jagged, and she could feel it like a mountain range on her skin. Maybe it would have healed better, if she hadn't ripped the stiches, if someone who knew what they were doing had sewn it shut again. Maybe. It would fade a little over the course of the next years, but it would stay with her, a reminder.

Her skin crawled when she remembered what she had heard, what the nomads had spoken about. They needed water, they needed soil. They had trouble to feed their population, and therefore they fought for it. But they could have traded, she argued with herself. There would have been a way, good conditions maybe. But they hadn't. They had started an invasion, had started to kill and to maim, they were stealing their land and their farmlands. She grimaced when the familiar anger surged through her again. No reason. Nothing of all of this was reason enough to start a war. There had to have been another way, a different possibilty. She knew that there would have been another way.

Lowering her face again she pulled her hood up against the sun, only nodding to a lone man passing them on the path. Tion was right. She did a lousy job at pretending she was nothing but a harmless traveler. And if there was one thing she wanted to avoid, then it was ending up in captivity again.

[Archer he/him]

The reply to Tion’s message came back quickly:

IT WILL BE DONE.

The god flipped his phone shut and resealed it in the hidden pouch he had gotten it from. He cantered back to catch up with Sagitta. The further away from the hole they rode, the better his head felt. Once they returned to the roadway, he started smiling again. He kept his horse a half-pace ahead of the other one to lead them in the right direction as they navigated the trail south-westward. It wasn't long before he started filling the silence with an upbeat prattle. 

“It’s counter-intuitive, but you should never ask the god of seeing all sides to arbitrate an argument. He won’t take it seriously, he’s too facet-ious!”

“So, three men are having drinks at a bar. The bar tender says to the first one, ‘you look angry, mate. Trouble at home?’. To which the man replies, ‘yeah, there’s always trouble. I’m Ta’e’iloan.’ The bartender nods, and asks the same question to the next man down the line. ‘I’m upset for the same reason, although I’m Cahayan. It’s tough over there.’ The bartender shrugs at this and moves to the final man. ‘Hey, you look happier than the others! I guess you must be from Tuhine!’. ‘Good guess,’ says the last man, ‘but me no mad.’”

“My friend Izzy told her dentist she was in pain. ‘What’s your Instinct?’ he asked as he looked at her mouth, so she told him. ‘Ha! That makes sense. You’ve got a truth ache.’” Tion paused his stream of jokes to check that Sagitta was still paying attention. “Hey. You good back there?”

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta frowned at the first joke, trying to understand the last joke. Tuhine and no mad? Was there a predjuice she didn't know? She hadn't listened to too many stories about them, so she could easily have missed some.

Startled she looked up when Tion turned to her. "Yes, I am." she replied, without realizing, that she had missed his last joke completely. There were so many things she had no idea about, the world, it seemed to be smaller ever since she started to travel and at the same time incredibly more complicated. And she was travelling with a god, a god that was telling jokes she didn't get. It reminded her of something she had wanted to ask long ago, but somehow never found right place and time. "Tion." She started and made a short pause to get his attention.

"Is there anything you expect me to do?" She finally asked, looking up into his eyes. "Anything that is important for you? Gestures, rules to keep, rituals?"

[Archer he/him]

“Surprise me.” Tion’s tone turned nostalgic. “I told the last person who asked me that to wear a gourd on their head. I made it sound grander and more important to the continued well-being of their valley, but in the end, they just spent the last ten years of their life using a vegetable as a hat. I was hoping it would catch on, but the man died in obscurity and shame. It was funnier at the time, trust me.”

“I know your type. I know your race. I have walked with your people for thousands of years, shaping and learning your culture and customs. I know how you think, and I know how you’ll act. That makes you boring. If you really want to please me, show me something I’ve never seen before. Be interesting.” A hint of bitterness crept into the god’s voice. “I know you wanted to hear something else from me. Yes, I have my own code of conduct. I’m cynical, not amoral. But it’s too late for you to try living a perfect life, soldier. Beneath the blues and greens, your aura’s tainted red. Perfection is my weight to bear. So thank you for helping keep my hands clean, but the most you can aspire to now is to be an amusement. Isn’t being human maddening!”

Tion took a swig from his canteen. The water tasted warm, but he had had worse. He was having to re-hydrate more often these days, yet another consequence of his condition. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m chasing this prophecy. I haven’t felt this scared in decades. That’s exciting! You, are also indulging me quite nicely. You should be terrified, but you’re not. I find that funny.”

[+Sorana she/her]

His words left her in silence, unable to come up with a reply that was closely polite or decent. Surprise him, humor him. She grit her teeth against the surge of annoyance, bit back on her reply and instead busied herself taking out a piece of hardtack and biting into it. Boring. He considered them boring. He used them for his own delight. It grated her, to hear it openly like that, that he admited it so easily. That he didn't even try to pretend. And then she somehow couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Price had been right. She didn't want to know this. She didn't want to know about the gods and their stupid attitude, she didn't want to know about their games and their characters. Feeling guilty she realized, she should have trusted Price, should have accepted his decision to keep this hidden from her.

But she hadn't because she hadn't trusted the one person who hadn't tried to trick her, and now he gone, lost on their journey and she had no idea if she would ever see him again. If she could apologize for pushing him, if she could fulfill her promise and teach him for more than a few evenings.

"Well, if that's the case I suppose it's good you're loosing your powers. Or lost them. Which one was it?" She asked Tion and heard her ire in her tone, straightening her back she stared at him proudly. "I certainly won't amuse you and if you think me that boring -" she made a gesture with one of her hands as if shoeing him away, "then feel free to leave."

She stared at him, itching to be on the ground, so that she could move her weight, reach for her sword more comfortably. Her aura was tinted red. It was to late to live a perfect life. The words worried her, but for now she let the worry be covered beneath her anger, anger fueled by disappointment, by fear, by the fact that her whole world was becoming apart and nobody cared to explain, to catch her. All of it so much more difficult than anger. Anger was easy. Fleeting, short lived but for a while it was easy.

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 11/04/2020 at 9:46 AM, AonEne said:

I, Pryclin Evada of Hopearaa of the Twin Concepts of the Creator, give my word to the Concept First that I will assist it in the gathering of information relating to the deterioration of Hopearaa, and if required participate in actions to control the spread of this condition. I pledge my Power and my intentions to this cause. 

You don’t strictly need to, but it would help me a great deal, and I could say something to the same effect. I’ll tell you specifics of what I need afterward, if you do say it.” First took a step back, looking at him with eyes that still did not close. “As for the bad things, they are already happening, and will only continue to get worse without intervention. The wars. The insanity of the gods. And...a few other things.” 

The wars. Well, Price certainly couldn’t argue they were bad things. Insanity of the gods? Price could certainly see how that had been playing out. And here he was, in a position to help stop those things. He wrote down the extra words on the contract, whispering them to himself as wrote:

“I, Pryclin Evada of Hopearaa, of the Twin Concepts of the Creator, give my word to the Concept First that I will assist it in the gathering of information relating to the deterioration of Hopearaa, and if required, participate in actions to control the spread of this condition. I pledge my Power and my intentions to this cause.”

He looked back at the deity, remembering the words. Twin Concepts. And this one was the Concept First. Which meant...

“So... there’s another Concept isn’t there? Another being like you?”

[Archer he/him]

9 hours ago, Sorana said:

"Well, if that's the case I suppose it's good you're loosing your powers. Or lost them. Which one was it?" She asked Tion and heard her ire in her tone, straightening her back she stared at him proudly. "I certainly won't amuse you and if you think me that boring -" she made a gesture with one of her hands as if shoeing him away, "then feel free to leave."

Hm. Almost to the boat. Tion’s horse was still a half-pace ahead of Sagitta’s, riding the middle of the road while she trotted along the right. He turned to look to the left, hiding his face from her. “Fascinating,” he said, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice, mixed with overtones of hot arrogance.

He intentionally refrained from dwelling on the woman’s barbs, though they flared his newfound insecurities in an unexpected way. Radical honesty was producing some interesting results, but he was losing his self-control. Growing careless. Even if they were due to die eventually, the humans shouldn’t know too many secrets. Now more than ever, their power needed to be checked.

Tion looked over his shoulder, taking in his travelling partner’s ridiculous over-confidence. “Perhaps you need a reminder of your mortality.” He pulled hard on his reins. Jessic immediately stopped, rearing slightly. In a flash, the god’s rapier was in his hand, swinging sideways to catch Sagitta across the chest.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Archer

[+Sorana she/her]

46 minutes ago, Archer said:

Tion looked over his shoulder, taking in his travelling partner’s ridiculous over-confidence. “Perhaps you need a reminder of your mortality.” He pulled hard on his reins. Jessic immediately stopped, rearing slightly. In a flash, the god’s rapier was in his hand, swinging sideways to catch Sagitta across the chest.

Sagitta noted the way he turned his body, how his muscles tightened and reacted without thinking about it. His rapier, whereever it had come from, was in his hand, his body already moving towards her, aiming for her upperbody.

She reached for her sword, closed her hand around the scabbard and moved to the left, to throw herself of the horse and avoid the attack. Instead the mare moved, startled by the sudden action, throwing her forward. Sagitta lost her balanca, didn't try to hold one, catching the rapier with her chest and arm while falling forward. She softened the blow with her instinct, accepted the thin bloddy line it drew over her skin.

Then she hit the ground. Her arm hurt when she landed upon it, rolled over it and she grunted, pushed herself up to her feet again easily. It was hard to get back to your feet when you wore armour, but she didn't and nearly surprised herself with how easy and fast she moved. Eyes focused on Tion she finished drawing her sword, let the scabbard fall to the ground and attacked. Her weapon was long, long enough that she could easily reach him, his hip and stomach, despite the horse and she aimed high, aimed at him, not at the animal.

[Archer he/him]

Tion dug his heel into Jessic’s side, urging it to pivot and take the brunt of Sagitta’s blow in its side. The horse refused, rearing up again instead, threatening to throw the god off, but he held on. Too late, he realized that his greater experience with mounted combat would be less of an advantage than he’d thought with an untried mount. Still, the Ta’e’lioan’s were strangers to horses, so he stayed in his saddle as Sagitta’s sword swung towards him. He parried smartly with his rapier, flicking his wrist to meet the blade, but the attack’s momentum was too great to block entirely. Instead of gorging his intestines, it caught him on his upper thigh.

His leg immediately felt wet. He hoped it was just smashed bottles leaking in the lower pockets of his trenchcoat where the slash had hit him, but the immense pain in his lower body warned of bleeding. A few more hits like that and he wouldn’t be able to dismount. The god jammed his feet into their stirrups as tightly as they would go, relieved his right one still responded. Defensively, he brought his rapier back around to slice down at his opponent’s weakest point, her head. As he swung, his left hand dug into a pocket near his armpit to retrieve a tiny waterskin. With his teeth, he ripped the cork off then poured its contents into the air beside him, spilling a grey powder down that poofed into a small cloud of particulate when it was released: the crushed spores of a noxious fungus breed, nasty on the eyes and lungs.

And incredibly hard to come by, he thought with dismay, trying not to breathe it in himself. 

[AonEne he/him]

23 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

He looked back at the deity, remembering the words. Twin Concepts. And this one was the Concept First. Which meant...

“So... there’s another Concept isn’t there? Another being like you?”

“Indeed there is. Last.” First said the other’s name quietly. “It’s...a colleague, you could say. You could also call it my family, though I don’t. We were made the same way, at the same time, by the same being, and we are the same in substance and Power. I don’t often know what to make of it; sometimes I worry...” It trailed off, then shook its head - or rather, its head blinked straight from looking at Price to looking to the side, then the other side, then back at him, without movement. “Never mind. It’s my turn now.” 

A cool breeze swept from First to Price, coiling in a tight current around the two of them, ruffling Price’s hair. It didn’t appear to affect the Concept. The walls of the room took on a brighter sheen as First spoke. "I - the Concept of Beginnings, Innovation, and that which is First - of the Twin Concepts of my Creator, give my word to the human Pryclin Evada that I will work with him to affect the deterioration of Hopearaa. I pledge my Conceptual Design to this cause until Hopearaa is either stable or has collapsed. I also pledge myself to him.” 

The wind fell away. 

First relaxed, its figure untensing. It glanced down at itself, then back up at Price, and smiled. “Well! What I need you to do is give me updates on your companions, including the gods, and their well-being, as well as the state of the world in general. Before I leave you, do you have any questions for me?” 

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta lifted her blade to meet his in the air, deflecting it easily. She had no idea how to fight sitting on a horse, but years of fighting mounted invaders had taught her a few things about how to deal with a foe sitting on a worse. One was, that they nearly always aimed for the head. She followed her motion up with another one, this time focusing on his weapon arm, as it was close to her.

She noticed his other hand, withdrawing the wineskin, but she was already moving, and her weapon was too heavy to change its course quickly. She left it where it was, moving towards his arm, turning her attack into a surprised mess would be worse. She would simply have to deal with, whatever he was about to do.

When he dumped the powder in her direction, she had a short moment to wonder what exactly he was aiming for, before she started to cough. It made her throat burn, and her lungs hurt when she accidently inhaled some of it, her eyes immediatly watering and burning. She hadn't expected this, hadn't heard or seen such a substance before. Blinded she closed her eyes, tried to protect them as good as possible.

[Archer he/him]

As Sagitta’s sword swiped at his arm, Tion tried to move it in the same direction so it wouldn’t ever connect. He was too slow, the blade crunched into the fingers on his right hand. Instinctively, they loosened, sending his rapier flying five meters ahead of them on the road. It slid in the dust, then came to a rest on its side, fresh blood dripping from its tip.

The god yanked his right foot out of its stirrup. Leaning on his left, he rolled his body out of the saddle, briefly holding his mare’s mane to slow his fall. That annoyed Jessic; they screeched and bolted. In a flash, what Tion had hoped would be an animal shield between him and his foe was gone. He wanted to look and see where she went, but he kept his gaze focussed on Sagitta in preparation for her next attack.

In a well practiced motion, Tion shrugged his shoulders to send his coat sliding down his arms as he held them downward. Before it fell to his ankles, he grasped it with his left hand and swung it around to his front where he grabbed it (with a wince) with his right too. He gave the heavy black material a twist. About three feet of the leather made a taunt, bulky rope-like form between his hands, while the ends trailed loose on the outsides.

The deity presented his right foot, keeping his stronger left behind him as he fell into an impromptu boxing stance. He held one hand by his head, and the other by his waist, shielding his chest with the coat. It left him otherwise unarmoured, but he hoped to catch Sagitta’s swing in it and twist the sword out of her grasp when she advanced, collapsing his weight onto her arm if necessary. The sensei preferred an unarmed, close-quarters fight to the current situation, even if his leg was currently protesting mightily. With his coat off, he now felt how much his body was drenched in sweat. That was unusual.

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta felt her sword hitting something, heard some strange noises and then the horse was gone. She held her sword in a low guard, tried to listen for sounds of Tion, where he was going, from which side he would attack her. She shifted her weight to her back food, still trying to breath through the pain and the coughs, eyes watering so much she could barely see.

Blinking her eyes several times, she managed to get a short glimpse of him, standing just out of range of her sword, obviously waiting for her to attack. He held something in his hands, but she had to close her eyes again, before she could determine what it was. The break in action, made her think, made her realise what she was doing, she was fighting a god, hurting a good. The god that had helped to create her nation. A nation she had sworn to protect.

Slowly she lowered her sword, pointed its tip to the ground. "Why," she started her voice horase and immediatly had to make a break to stop herself from coughing again, "did you -" this time she couldn't stop the cough, her lungs hurting already, "do that?" she managed to finish her sentence and decided against adding anything else. It was no use, she could barely speak one sentence as it was.

[Archer he/him]

In. Out. In. Out. Tion focussed on his breathing, bringing it down to a steadier rhythm. His heart was pounding quickly, but too slow. The god was a little light-headed. Wary of a trick, he held his pose for a count of ten. Then he sunk to one knee and dropped his coat in front of him.

Why had he done it? It was an impulsive act. He’d known she could defend herself, so he wasn’t murderous. It was just… something about her insolence irked him more than it should have. But violence wasn’t his preferred language, it was hers. It was theirs. The humans.

The god shook his head. His right fingers were leaking so he pressed them against his shirt for the time being. With his left, he dug around for a salve. He couldn’t find any, but he did locate a nondescript bottle the size of a shot glass. Its label was written in Monk Script, but he knew its purpose without needing to read it.

“It was a lesson. One I hope you learned,” Tion adlibbed. He rolled the vial along the ground towards Sagitta’s feet. “Drink that. It’ll make you feel better.”

The poison it contained was more than enough to kill most men, but he trusted her instinct would dilute it so it just knocked her unconscious. He looked around for his horse. Jessic had run off the road, but he could see her a short walk away. The challenge would be getting her to trust him again after that scare.

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From a narrative standpoint, I figured if someone drops, we can fast-forward to when they awake, on Intensity's island, having been brought there by the other. The god can mostly heal any wounds that have been sustained. But it's up to you.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

A lesson. Sagitta wasn't sure what she was supposed to have learned, although he had surprised her with the powder. Of course, that had been the lesson. Always expect foul play in a fight. It felt strange, that a god, the one god she had to protect had decided to teach her fighting lessons, but maybe he knew what she cared about, what was important for her. And she definitely had to train how to fight blinded. There hadn't been a need for it so far, but she had been lucky that he hadn't attacked her again. If he had, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to block his weapon. Making a mental note to tackle this sooner than later she slowly knelt on the ground. The fight was over. She could as well try to find her scabbard and take care of her sword.

Coughing again she groped around the area where she had dropped it and then sheathed her sword. Placing it on the ground, she tried to see what Tion had thrown in her direction. Her eyes still hurt, watered and it took her a while to spot the little bottle. It was lying directly next to her left hand and when she picked it up, the glass was cool in her hand. Removing the stopper she lifted it to her lips and emptied it without hesitating. It was from a god after all.

The liquid tasted a little like water, sour and bitter as if someone had forgotten tea leaves and now it was far too strong to drink. Grimacing at the taste she swallowed nonetheless and slowly got to her feet, walked over to Tion. She had to pause after two steps to cough and she moved slowly, not willing to miss a stone or two, but she made it savely over to him. Her head swam a little, she hoped whatever it was, would work soon. The powder really had been some nasty stuff.

Opening her bag she removed a clean dressing and offered it to him, to wrap his wound. Or wounds? Blinking quickly she wiped her eyes, looked at his arm and leg. Wounds, she had hit him twice. Her fingers started to shake when she pulled a second dressing out of her bag, placed both a clean piece of cloth in front of him. The world in front of her eyes started to swim, to move and when she coughed her lunged felt as if they were on fire.

Resting both hands on the ground she tried to stabilize herself, to wait till the dizzyness was over, her arms tingling, her legs starting to hurt. Groaning she fell to the side when the earth jumped up at her and dark spots danced in front of her eyes. Breathing became difficult, as if she was trying the inhale through a thick patch of cloth, and she lifted a hand, clawed at her throat, tried to get more air into her lungs. Pain spread from her stomach, slowly reaching out through her body, like lances impaling a body.

Something closed around her arms, restricted her to a pole, while they slowly pushed the nail into her leg, asking about their defences, asking about her officers. Sagitta shook her head, dizzy from days without food and water, even the pain unable to shake her out of it. A part of her knew that it was wrong, that she was lying on the ground, that sharp stones poked into her back, that there was no tent, no fire heating up another sharp piece of metal. And yet it was the same. She was helpless, at the mercy of someone, something else, unable to do anything at all. Pain made her limbs twitch as if dancing a foreign, weird dance, her eyes open, but not seeing.

Sagitta coughed again, tasted something metallic in her mouth, gagged when it clogged her throat and made it even harder to breathe. Her lips turned slightly blue, spit covering them like a failed attempt at make up. She had always pictured herself to die in a battle, to fight with blood and steel. To never yield and to die with honor. With a fearless heart, filled with pride, with confidence and the will to serve, to do what was right.

But she wasn't on a battlefield she hadn't chosen dying over yielding. She was in a foreign country, deep behind the lines of her enemies. She had betrayed them, betrayed them all in a vain attempt to do what was right. Because she wasn't brave and she had no heart of steel. She was weak and she had been scared. Scared to return, scared to step into another battle. She had been scared of seeing the nomads again, of stepping into the explosion of another shaman, of hearing their screams while they gallopped at their lines with their horses. Scared of ropes closing around her wrists again, of being tied up and carried away. Of endless nights alone in darkness of the stream of questions, of the way she had given up. She was scared of looking into the eyes of those whose names she had spilled and those who had lost someone because of the insights she had given them.

She had sworn to protect her country, to die for her country, for her oath, for her honor.

And she had failed.

 

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Honestly, I have ooc no idea if her instinct can affect poison or not.

Nonetheless Sagitta has absolutely no clue that her instinct may help, nor is she able to use it at will outside of a battle. Long story short - unless miracolously something happens she'll die.

Feel free to do with her, whatever you want to, Archer.

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 20/04/2020 at 1:59 PM, AonEne said:

First relaxed, its figure untensing. It glanced down at itself, then back up at Price, and smiled. “Well! What I need you to do is give me updates on your companions, including the gods, and their well-being, as well as the state of the world in general. Before I leave you, do you have any questions for me?” 

Price held his ledger closer to him, nodding as he stood up. “A few,” he said.

“How do I contact you to give you updates?” He said. “And, uh,”

He hesitated on his second question, shrugging.

“As someone beyond the gods, as a deity, Concept, whatever, can you do anything? Like... grant wishes?”

[AonEne he/him]

6 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“How do I contact you to give you updates?” He said. 

“I’ll just pop in from time to time,” First promised, smiling. At the second question, it winced and shook its head. “No, actually, I’m afraid I can’t do very much. Most of what I can do is less something I actively choose to do and more something that just happens as a result of my existence. I suppose it would depend on the wish - why, do you have one?” 

[I think I am here. he/him]

1 minute ago, AonEne said:

“I’ll just pop in from time to time,” First promised, smiling. At the second question, it winced and shook its head. “No, actually, I’m afraid I can’t do very much. Most of what I can do is less something I actively choose to do and more something that just happens as a result of my existence. I suppose it would depend on the wish - why, do you have one?” 

“I... I have plenty,” Price said. “I guess, I have wishes about myself. Wishes of success, money, intelligence, recognition. But also wishes of a happy life for Tühinine people, a happy life for my mother. I don’t know.” He laughed nervously.

“It’s just... it’s not every day you meet a deity.”

[Archer he/him]

The god of Sensation grabbed Sagitta as she fell. He held her in a loveless embrace, more squeezing than hug. He was mad at her. Furious. Because he knew, had their fight continued, she would have won. Without his magic and his dietic healing ability, his years of training were a waste. If he couldn’t beat a teenage woman in a fight he’d initiated, what power did he have?

He slammed a fist into her chest. It clanged, hitting metal. That hurt. Tion focussed on the pain, let it envelope him. Seated in a growing pool of his own blood, as he watched the rise and fall of Sagitta’s chest become more and more shallow, the god flipped his head back to glare at the sky and let out a primal scream.

***

“Why did you bring her here?”

“I told you. We’re scouting other magic sites.”

“I understand your mission. It can be done alone. Why did you bring her with you to my island?”

“She needs healing.”

“Mm. It is difficult to heal the dead.”

***

Jessic refused to return to him. Tion tried shouting at it, but that just made it run further away. Eventually, he gave up and claimed Sagitta’s horse as his own. She was in no condition to use it, anyway.

From atop his new saddle, he looked down at her body in the middle of the road. It would look like she was robbed, and no one would ask any questions once they saw she was a foreigner. It was a clean victory. Yet, it didn’t feel like one.

Tion inhaled slowly. The air smelled acrid. Against his better judgement, he spared one last glance at the soldier’s body. She’s a fighter. This is how they’re supposed to go. But when he looked at the woman, it wasn’t Sagitta that he saw: it was another girl’s body, the image of her lifeless corpse burned into his memory for reasons he couldn’t quite recall.

Great Gati. The god exhaled sharply in defeat. Then he dismounted his horse and started rummaging about in his coat.

***

“She’s not dead yet. I gave a universal antidote. And she was still breathing when I got her with you. If you’re just going to…”

“Relax. I am continuing the process. But before I finish, I would like to know why I am doing it.”

“She’s one of yours. I thought you’d enjoy the company.”

“Hm.”

“I’m not a killer, Intensity. I couldn’t just let her die.”

“Hmm.”

“What do you want from me? She’s important. I see it in Negation’s eyes when he looks at her. He knows something, or suspects something. I need to figure out how she fits into all of this. Can’t you, I don’t know, check her power levels? Figure out if she’s a threat?”

“The touch of fate is often hard to discern.”

“Well at least make sure she lives.”

“Of course.”

***

Their journey to the sea was quick. Sagitta bounced in his lap as he rode, favouring speed over gentleness. Within a few hours, the god was greeted by the sight of an unmarked boat, a large river barge manned by a mild-mannered crew. At times, his companion seemed close to regaining consciousness, but between the poison, spores, and slash wounds, the fact that her heart kept beating throughout it all was impressive enough.

Even though the wind was pushing on the sail, the god insisted that the crew row as well. They made good time to the island.

***

“You were just here, Sensation.”

“It’s been five years. Do my knee next, it’s bleeding again.”

“No time at all really. Nothing much has changed.”

“Her rapier found me again.”

“Mm. And the memories?”

“Dreams now. Rare, but resurfacing. I don’t suppose you could…”

“Perhaps. The splitting of your soul may present a small challenge. There is a chance that it would reject my attempts to soothe away your troubles.”

“That’s a no then.”

“Try to flex your foot. Doesn’t that feel better?”

“Much. Now, what if I was having the opposite problem? Forgetting stuff that I wanted to remember. Would you intensify some thoughts for me?”

“It would easier to let them go. Unburden yourself. You should relax for a bit.”

“I think my other half would disagree. I need to-”

“Your body needs time to heal the rest of the way. Sit. We can discuss this later, I should check on your companion, Miss…?”

“Sagitta.”

“A lovely name. Have a drink, I will return in due course.”

[AonEne he/him]

16 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“I... I have plenty,” Price said. “I guess, I have wishes about myself. Wishes of success, money, intelligence, recognition. But also wishes of a happy life for Tühinine people, a happy life for my mother. I don’t know.” He laughed nervously. “It’s just... it’s not every day you meet a deity.”

First laughed. “No, for most it is not, you’re right. I could arrange for some of those things, perhaps. Anything else?” 

[+Sorana she/her]

"Come one, just hurry." The girl's voice was excited while she hopped up and down, waiting for her older brothers to walk down the steep cliff leading to the little pier. Impatiently she watched them another heartbeat and then turned around, ran towards the shore of the ocean.

"Tia, wait!" her brother called out, but she ignored him, pretended she hadn't heard his call. Instead she jumped from rock to rock, next to the path leading to the wooden contruction. The boat waiting for them was already there, but she didn't spare it a thought. Squating down on a larger boulder she looked down into the water, tried to see a fish, or maybe a beautiful plant, or - her eyes widened in delight when she spotted the jellyfish. It seemed a little haggard, but it was beautiful. Red and transparent and shiny. Slowly she laid down on her stomach, reached out for it, touched its huge ovel body. It was squishy, moved away from her hand and she pushed herself forward, to be able to reach down into the water and try to grab it with both of her hands.

"It will burn you, if you do that." she yelped in surprise, quickly pulled her hands back from the animal. "But it's beautiful." she protested and poked down on it's head again. "And it doesn't burn me, see." Her brother only raised an eyebrow, stepping backwards. "Go ahead. Take it in your hands." Happily she turned around again, only to pause when she noted the challenge and the resignation in his eyes.

"It will burn me." she stated and he nodded. "But I'm not doing anything. It has no reason to. I don't want to eat it." He squat down next to her, ruffled her hair and she moved away, shook her head. "But how can it know that you won't eat it?" he asked her and she fell silent, sucked on her lower lip while she considered his question. She had no idea, but her brother liked if she at thought about his stupid questions. They were always so complicated. It had to know that she wouldn't eat it, because she didn't eat jellyfish. With a sigh she looked at it a last time, bored by the situation.

"Catch me!" she called out to him and jumped towards the pier. She liked jumping it was fun. You simply gave yourself a little push and then you were flying. She reached out for the pier, her fingers closing around the wet wood, slipping off. With another yelp she fell, dropped into the ocean. Her surprise turning into awe when she realized that there were other of the beautiful jellyfish, red and slightly glowling in the sunlight. She swam towards the surface, waving at them cheerily, a burning pain racing through her body when one of them wrapped around her leg for a moment. Her next move made it tumble away, but instead she felt something thouch her back, burning. Screaming she flailed around with her arms, vaguely could hear someone shout, several voices, loud voices while she waved her arms around wildly, tried to get away from the burning things.

A hand grabbed her arm, pulled her out of the water, away from the pain, away from danger.

Thirst. Her throat was dry, felt as if she had spent days eating nothing but sand while screaming as loud as she could. Sagitta tried to swallow, but failed, instead concentrated on breathing. She could breathe she realized and the pain was gone, the resistance she had to fight against was gone as well. Slowly, carefully she opened her eyes, tried to get a feeling for her surroundings. The world was swimming in front of her eyes, nothing but vague shadows, patches of color in front of each other, some moving a little, others staying where they were. Instinctively she reached for her sword, her hand twitching a little in response and she felt fear creep into her heart and soul.

Move. She told herself. Your foot. It twitched. The other one. Another twitch. Hands, they twitched, head. It moved as well. Relieved she allowed her eyes to fall shut again, listened into the room instead, tried to discern if she was alone or not.