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Post by Widdershins on Jul 7, 2006 7:22:43 GMT
Eliana walked disdainfully past the dirty lump of rags at the corner of a building, knowing perfectly well that a human being lay under those rags, and judging from the once fine material of his clothes, he was merely a man who drunk too much to get all the way home. Not such an unlucky fellow, she decided, seeing that what was left of his clothes had indeed denoted power. For a moment she paused, and reckoned that he'd already been looted - but not killed, not yet. Pondering for a moment, Eliana decided that some fun was in order, so she wove an Illusion around the man, creating a number of wild dogs that barked with foaming mouths, but did not actually touch the man, and she herself hid behind another Illusion wall.
As Eliana predicted, the man woke with a start from the noise, and looked around, an expression of terror crossed his normally gruff features. Eliana's shoulders shook ever so slightly in repressed laughter, smile wide. After a moment, she steered her Illusions to come closer, sending the man sprawling in his hurry to get up and depart as fast as he could. With a slight flick of Eliana's wrist, and one of the dogs made a playful snap at the man, at which he yelped, even though he hadn't been touched. She left an opening, and the man took it, bolting out from between the dogs. The Illusions promptly followed, chasing the poor soul on and on - until her Illusion would wear off, Eliana decided, knotting the spell so that she was no longer in control of it.
Sighing, Eliana let the wall disappear with a wave of her hand, and continued down her original path, walking around to get the feel of the town. It wasn't an awe-inspiring place for sure, and more than one tavern she'd passed promised all sorts of trouble. Once or twice she even felt as though eyes were following her, and it was almost a norm that her danger-sensing rock in her pocket was hot to the touch, signaling that something dire was afoot. She knew she could defend herself well enough - as if to prove this to herself, she telepathically searched out in her mind and lifted an abandoned and broken canopy up that had been left in the street for taking - nevertheless, she didn't want to deal with such trivial matters, she'd much rather ensure the safety of her burden. Dropping the canopy - which promptly omitted a horrible crack - she continued her way, feeling just a little bit safer. Her moves were as silent and as swift as the night in an instant, and she even wove darkness around herself, taking off a little of the edge so it wouldn't be so profound. Merely too shadowed to be able to see anything clearly. Now that felt even safer - but she wasn't about to place Illusions on her mind as she had on everyone's senses who looked her way without knowing she was there, she was never safe while she had the stone. She couldn't let paranoia drive her to err, however.
The night before had been just as uneventful as this day, up to a certain point. She did, however, find an assassin waiting for her in her room - which frankly didn't surprise her. The man evidently thought that he could surprise her, but she'd dealt with far too many assassins before him, and knew that he would most likely be there, judging from what her intuition told her. The man was cleaver, and it was a pity to have to kill him, but she couldn't risk leaving him alive. It was so easy to fool the man - obviously he had potential, but he had killed too few foes who weren't easy game. The positioning, even the dueling was all right and denoted his skill - but not against Eliana.
Concentration back on the street, Eliana shook herself slightly, reprimanding herself for letting her thoughts wander. Dead assassins were immaterial, what she needed to do now was keep moving, get the lay of the land, and know exactly what and who she was dealing with.
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Post by Verius on Jul 7, 2006 13:13:10 GMT
As was common for this street it seemed, another pile of rags lay to the side of the road, though this particular pile seemed to be somewhat smaller than if there were a human lying underneath... however, the rags stuck up as if something held them their in curious angles. Small white points seemed almost visable out from the edges of the rags, but it was hard to tell, as much of it was hidden by shadow. The pile didn't move, though it stuck out curiously, because there seemed to be an absence of... anything around it. It looked almost lonely, as there wasn't even any kind of debris around it, as if nothing wanted to be near it.
((Yup... it's short, but I'm trying to be mysterious... wooo woooo~))
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 7, 2006 13:22:12 GMT
Eliana walked on, and soon noticed yet another pile of rags. Her mood somewhat spoiled by her paranoia, was slowly transmuting back into glee - another lost soul to torture, she figured. What has become of me... she reflected for a moment, but dismissed the thought quickly, eyes set on her next prey. Her shadow deepened, until she was no longer visible in the darkness, and then she wove.
Her next Illusion, she decided, would be birds. No ordinary birds, however, but fierce predators. She was careful to weave them behind a building before they came bearing down on the lump of rags, screeching horribly, tallons ready for the kill, but swerving off just before reaching their destination. They pecked, but did nothing.
In the darkness, Eliana allowed herself a small smile. It had become one of her favorite sports to simply test the morale of this town - and it was not in good shape, she knew.
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Post by Verius on Jul 7, 2006 13:32:17 GMT
The beaks clacked off of what was beneath the haphazardly stitched rags, though nothing seemed to stir. However, an edge of the rags rustled slightly, as if air was pushing them, before they sank back to their normal position. Nothing further came from the strange pile, except for a very faint, almost ethreal sound... the sound itself was undescernable, however it seemed to be coming from all directions, (so it's hard to say that it came from the pile of rags itself) the sound seemed common in this area, but you couldn't tell that there was even a sound, if you didn't concentrate on it, else it was just a small buzzing, a sound that most wouldn't be able to notice.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 7, 2006 13:40:04 GMT
Eliana was startled at the sound. She suspected that it came somewhere from the rags, but she couldn't really tell. Nevertheless, she held up one hand, holding off her Illusions, and boldy, mysteriously, stepped out of the shadows, letting them be chased away. Her Illusions held in check, she didn't want them to go yet. As if sensing that they'd still be needed, her Illusions looked at her curiously, but Eliana, for the moment, ignored them, and gave no explanation. She approached the rags, ready at any moment to yank her dagger out and call the birds to come in front of her.
"Who are you?" she asked, almost letting slip 'what' instead of 'who', since that unearthly sound could in no way be human. Although... it resounded like a human's voice did. She suspiciously prodded the lump with a stick that magically appeared in her hands.
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Post by Verius on Jul 7, 2006 13:52:20 GMT
The pile rustled just slightly, at first seeming as though it was going to take no action, and continue to just lie there without any motion. The air seemed to stand still for a split second, before the earth beneath Eliana's feet started turning rapidly to mud.
At the same instant the rags rustled, and something resembling a human spine snaked out of the edge, and wound itself quickly around the stick Eliana was prodding the lump with.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 7, 2006 14:03:07 GMT
Motions a blur, Eliana suppressed her cry, reached out in her mind and brought a slab off the wall, not caring what it would do to the building, and brought it soaring under her feet as she jumped up and levetated high, pointing the birds to do their worst. She had immediately let go of the stick, somewhat horrified at what came out to grab it, but in an instant, Eliana was gone, along with the slab, bathed in darkness.
Eliana did not, however, recede, she waited in perfect and utter silence, hovering above the air, one part of her concentrating on the slab beneath her, and the other on this odd lump of a creature, whatever it was.
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Post by Verius on Jul 7, 2006 14:11:32 GMT
The spine pulled back, the muscles between the bone contracting. The spine lingered in the air near the rags.
"What is it that you want...?" The voice came slowly, and with an audible airy-ness that made it sound rasping, the voice seemed to faintly repeat itself in odd tones. The mud that had appeared under Eliana raised up into the air in long tendrils, they seemed to waver in confusion.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 7, 2006 15:23:04 GMT
Eliana stared down at the rags, wondering whether or not to reveal herself. She went even higher, and finally dropped the darkness, to stand far above the reach of the creature.
"I'd just like to know who you are... I mean you no harm." She frowned internally, though she knew her words to be perfectly true. Had she wanted to hurt him, she'd have gone for her Nennas bow and simply shot at him, and not merely evaded his... attack.
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Post by Verius on Jul 8, 2006 3:37:54 GMT
The spine curled itself up, in a neat... moribly strange tail-like fashion. The mud twitched then fell back to the ground, slowly turning back into solid earth it once was. All about the lump stayed still for a moment, before it began to rustle pathetically.
An edge of the rags lifted up into the air, slowly revealing what resembled a large clawed dog, or wolf paw. The individual claws, the paw, and the length of the "leg" was covered by what seemed to be a thick, solid, bleached surface. It looked as if someone had turned the creature's body inside out, because the white surface covering the "leg" very much resembled that of the bone structure of a wolf's leg. The rags had been lifted up enough to illuminate the defined areas, and cast shadow into the recesses. There was enough light to identify a gruesome face, it was stretched, much like a predatory canine, although it differed slightly, the nose seemed to be in an odd shape for any normal canine, and the fangs that were visable, were a good deal larger than a normal dog or wolf's might be. The eyesockets also seemed very... deep, as if there was nothing there at all. The face looked very sullen, and decayed, as if it were the representation of a tortured soul. Behind the head, appeared a feral looking mane of unkept hair that seemed to clump together, and spike itself in long strands from the apparant amount of dirt and grime in the hair.
It appeared as if the being was giving a very critical and agressive look to the woman suspended far above him, at the same time it also appeared pitiful, and pleading.
It waited a moment before the same airy voice, spoke, "Why do you not flee like all the others? Why is it that you stay, and seek to disturb me?" the voice again seemed as though the wind... or something repeated the beings words in an ethreal manner.
The being jerked suddenly, as if in pain, before the area around it exploded into the sound bone chilling screams, coupled with the moans, and inaudible words spoken undertone of many.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 8, 2006 16:21:09 GMT
Eliana looked down, intrigued, at this... creature. She wasn't even sure if it was human. In truth, she didn't know why she had disturbed it, and so she had no answer.
"I fear nothing," she frowned slightly, "but I am seeking a safe place to... hide something. Perhaps you can help me there... no one would suspect my asking help from you." Eliana continued, seeking an opportunity in this creature all of a sudden. The thought brought a somewhat wicked smile to her face. "Well, would you help me? I could pay you, if you like." Of course, if it wasn't enough, she would have to weave an Illusion... which meant she had to get out of this town, fast. It would not do, however, to cheat someone who was helping her in hiding something of hers, she realized. Her smile ebbed away, and turned back into a frown.
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Post by Verius on Jul 9, 2006 21:06:24 GMT
The creature paused for a moment, lowering the cloth a little, turning it's head toward the ground.
"You must be desperate to be asking that of someone like me. Why must you hide something, if you make yourself so obvious with those... creations of yours." It said with a hint of distaste in it's voice.
The creature shifted, and put it's leg back on the ground, before apparantly rising to a standing position. It threw it's head back slightly so that the edge of the cloth (that was apparantly tied around it's neck) would not hang over it's face. Shadow still seemed to obscure it's actual appearance however, and the rest of the cloth hung down over it's body, with only the feet, and lower part of the legs exposed. It was a quadrupedal creature, that resembled a large, yet very lame, and gruesome dog. It turned to face Eliana, and began to step forward, as it did so, it seemed to be ascending up into the air, but it wasn't clear what was lifting it.
When it got close to Eliana, the shadows slowly pulled back from it, reavealing how it was rising, small lumps of hardened earth would support the creatures feet, and when it lifted on foot, the earth would become loose and grainy like sand, moving to intercept where the foot would land, hardening again quickly before the foot made contact again. In this manner, it was if the creature was walking up stairs made of earth.
The shadows had also pulled back on the creatures' face, revealing that it was actually an animal's exposed skull. The eye sockets were empty, and appeared as endless black holes in it's face. The legs also appeared to be covered in bones, as if it's bones were on the outside, and it's skin, or whatever it had, was on the inside. It appeared very ragged and gruesome, like a large undead hound, brought back to roam endlessly, attacking anything it saw.
It stopped before it reached Eliana, turning it's head again to give it a critical eye. "What is it that you ask of me...?" He asked in a doubtful tone.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 9, 2006 22:45:29 GMT
Eliana frowned. "My creations are mere folly, they have been created for my amusement, and nothing is more suspicious than a mage who doesn't do what she usually does." Her nose went up ever so slightly as she huffed, but quickly brought it back down, smiling again. Master of intrigue and of disguises, she made herself appear as a quite friendly, but mistrustful personality. "It is true, I do turn to the likes of yourself with desperation," she said, widening her eyes slightly, inwardly feeling smug that her manipulations, as always, was perfect, "but I assure you that I have a noble cause. I have... taken something from an evil mage, who I've confronted once too often, and now I think I can put a stop to his evil ways. But I cannot keep the actual item, because the first person they'd look to would be me. We are... bitter enemies."
Upon seeing the creature's advance and seeing his face properly, Eliana supressed a curious, but somewhat horrified look that tried to surface, but could not break her barriers of perfect self-control.
"I merely ask of you to hide it, somewhere, or even on your person, just... somewhere safe. And from then on, you don't know me, you have nothing... and no one knows you, completely free of risk. My persuers would probably look to my allies first, to see if I hid it there, or some official, they would never think I'd leave it with a complete stranger."
Of course, Eliana didn't intend to leave the creature unwatched. She couldn't afford a betrayal, it would mean her demise.
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Post by Verius on Jul 9, 2006 22:58:16 GMT
"Just what is it that you're really planning?" He quirked his head to the side. He took a step backward, keeping his focus toward her. The spine that had grabbed Eliana's stick before, rose in the air behind the creature, it was clear that it was his tail, looking at him now. It pointed the sharp end of the tail toward Eliana, cautiously.
"Why do you expect someone like me to help you? Do I look anything like that to you? For all you know, I could be planning on killing you right here for bothering me... and if you don't want whatever it is you need hidden to be found, then I'd suggest you stop making yourself obvious by lingering here in the air with some freak dog infront of you? It'd be a simple matter for anyone to spot you."
He waited a moment before speaking again, "Show me what it is that you wish to hide, and I'll consider it." His claws dug into the floating earth beneath his paws. "No tricks..." He added, calmly.
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Post by Widdershins on Jul 10, 2006 11:00:29 GMT
Eliana smiled wryly. "I wouldn't recommend trying to kill me. I live by killing numerous assassins who are hot on my trail... the most skilled cannot defeat me. I've dueled with respected and powerful mages before, and none of them could defeat me." She meant her words only as warning, not to boast, and her tone made that perfectly clear.
"Obvious?" Eliana's eyebrows rose and she smiled slightly, amused. "I am never obvious." She gestured around her, and made it clear that the area around the two wasn't dark without reason. "I have created enough darkness to fend off unwanted curiosity. Its edges are lined with fear - I've seen many brave warriors cringe from my darkness. No one can see me outside of it, only those inside." Celebrating her ingenious spell creation for a moment, she decided that it was time to take this conversation to another level. Thus, she let the slab on which she stood hover to the ground, and stop just milimeters from touching it. She did not release it in her mind however, still mistrustful of the creature and his apparent ways with the earth. Making sure that her movements were slow, she made it obvious that they were not meant to be hostile. Her advantage was considerably lessened on the ground, seeing the creature's way on it, but at least that showed a level of trust. Inwardly she smiled - she loved intrigue.
Reaching deep into one of her hidden pockets of her blue cloak, revealing a thin line of her wool vest and satin blouse, she produced a magnificent gem, deep red in color. Deliberately not looking at it, merely at the creature, she showed it up to him. It's enchanting depths too captivating, Eliana quickly covered it with her hand again, so as not to mesmerize the creature. Of course, she had already placed tracking spells on it of her own special design, so that she shall always know where it was, and if it got back into the hands of the enemy once more.
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