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Post by zarikrahia on Jan 2, 2007 22:04:52 GMT -5
Zari returned to her room, picked up the scroll, and with out breaking stride, sat down on her bed and scanned the scroll. 'The sunsphere is closing in.' 'The sunsphere? What the-?' 'What haunts the castle may be what we call Ilfer. When any person sees it, they are confronted by their greatest and most horrible fear. I myself saw Liiah, Xora, and my other friends abandoning me.' 'Ugh...I shall research.' The brunette sat down and pulled a book out of thin air and pressed two fingers to the cover. She did the same to five more books. 'Lets hope we have enough people to beat whatever is coming.'
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Post by KitClairvoyance on Jan 3, 2007 15:38:28 GMT -5
Kit stood in silent contemplation as the other knights dispersed back to their quarters. Try as he might, he just couldn't shake the feeling that things would take a turn for the worse; if they hadn't been already. He listened to the sound of the grass rustling beneath his feet as he paced the courtyard. The whole thing felt like one nightmare waiting to happen; he could almost feel the silent cloak of darkness undulating over the castle as everyone prepared for the ceremony. An involuntary shiver found its way down his spine.
Paranoia.[/b]
Nothing felt worse than the uncertainty of life. Even more so to Kit who had become accustomed to knowing what will happen in advance. Divination was an art, not a science. It was vague and never exact. And that frustrated Kit more than anything else. There was no such thing as a perfect reading. Everything he foresaw was full of 'if's and 'maybe's. It was like looking through a severely warped lens. That was not to say it was wholly unreliable. It was like finding one's way through a maze with a shredded map. You'd recognize bits and pieces in your surroundings, and from there you can place together a somewhat useable picture of your location. Divination was no different. More often than not you'd be given flashes, glimpses into the future, not necessarily in the right order; from there you'd have to put together a workable scenario of what will happen. Gathering the pieces is the easy part. Placing them together properly was where most divinators fail.
Solitude.[/b]
Being alone in a world full of people could be depressing. Being forced to be alone could push one to the edge of the cliff of suicide. The echoes of his footsteps surrounded Kit in a wordless chant as he stepped into the empty corridors of the left wing. Divination and demonology tended to be more of a curse than a blessing to the practitioner. Kit counted himself lucky to be among the ranks of the knights. At least here he could use the full extent of his gifts to help others. He had seen other practitioners of his art shunned so badly they devoted their life to the hatred that consumed them. It was no wonder that the majority of divinators and demonologists were evil. Kit could only be thankful that he didn't end up like them.
Fatigue.[/b]
Having to carry the burden of the present was bad enough, what more the burden of the ever-changing future? Kit scanned the scroll that had been pinned onto the door of his quarters, his only response was a 'Tch' of irritation as he opened the door and made his way in. His quarters were almost as bare as the rest of the left wing, the only furniture being a wide table, a wooden chair, and a simple bed where he slept. The central floorspace of the room was the site of his rituals, some unearthlier than others. Currently, it was occupied by an intricate pattern, drawn in red ( blood? ). One of the more complex summoning patterns, it was used to call upon demons and shadows. Summoning them was one thing, getting them to obey was another.
Insomnia.[/b]
Being deprived of rest is one thing, being unable to rest is an entirely different thing altogether. Kit hoped Shino knew what he was doing by postponing the ceremony. Given a choice, Kit would rather have the ceremony continue as planned. Granted, the postponement meant that they would have more time to prepare, but it also meant the enemy would have more time to gather their forces as well. Also, the closer it got to nightfall, the stronger the creatures of the dark would become. The only good thing Kit could get from that was that his tarot-demonic spells would also increase in effectiveness. Still, he would rather face the dark during the day than during the night.
"..I wonder if Maya has found anything.."[/size]
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Post by Kat on Jan 4, 2007 7:38:00 GMT -5
After her bath and selecting a nice enough gown that would also accomodate a sheathed sword in its sash, Kat twirled around once before the full-length mirror beside her four-poster, canopy bed.
She decided to wear a long, strapless, silk purple gown that only brushed the floor with its lacy lavender hem, which was patterned with tiny rhinestones that were arranged in such a way that they looked like waves on a sea, or gusts of a breeze. Her velvet sash was darker, and was tied up into a bow at her back. Her sword fit neatly on her left side. The gown fitted her figure and yet left some room for her to breathe, and saved her the trouble that came with huge, wide skirts. Kat's bare shoulders were draped in fine, lilac gauze, and her arms were covered in fingerless gloves that extended until her elbows, and were in a very light shade of violet. The Purple Knight, truly living up to her name in her gown, slipped her shoes into amethyst slippers with two-inch heels, each bearing a gold star on the toe.
Her silver moon necklace was very visible on her chest, and she even had a black choker with a diamond-shaped amethyst set into the center and bordered in lacy gold. Large gold stars dangled from her ears, this time accompanied by gold sun studs. Kat's black hair was pulled back from her face in a high ponytail with an ornate clip that somewhat resembled a tiara.
Even though she did look good, she had to admit, Kat couldn't shoo away the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Sure, she and her fellow knights could stop it, but would they be able to stop it in time before it damaged anything?
Taking a deep breath, she tried to think positive. They were all qualified knights who passed the tests fair and square. Many of them had other abilities besides exemplary swordsmanship, including herself, not only a knight but also a mage. And pretty soon, she could even become an archmage, if she worked hard enough.
Kat walked out of her quarters, through her workshop and stepped out into the corridors, her shoes making clapping noises on the floor and locking the doors behind her.
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Post by zhunter on Jan 4, 2007 11:45:48 GMT -5
No one had seen or heard from Shino since his message was sent out to all Knights explaining the reason for the delay in the ceremony. He hadn't expected much cooperation with this motion seeing as he wasn't their leader and he wasn't the Lords and Ladies' favorite person. But someone had to take charge. He couldn't help it that no one else volunteered.
He couldn't help it...
But soon...soon they would have a King again. A magnificent leader worthy of the power that came with leadership. And the darkness would be pushed back into the hole that it crawled from. Once and for all, hopefully.
Shino stepped out of his room and straightened his satin shirt. Silk lined the inside and the elaborate dragon symbol on the front of the shirt. His trousers were coarser, but just as elegant. They had to be if he had to jump into action at any moment necessary to protect the King and the courtiers.
His sword wasn't placed, as the traditional way, on his belt, but instead it was on it's sheath and was strapped diagonally across his back. It was a sign of two things. One was that he was the Guardian of Stone. The title was given to him by the last King when he was but a boy. It meant he was to guard all who came from the royal bloodline. Now there would be a new bloodline. A new King. The second reason he wore his sword diagonally in it's sheath was that his ancestors in the East wore it like so. It meant he was always alert and ready for battle.
Of course his ancestors were almost nothing to him now. He looked nothing like them as well to balance that. His family had been mixed so many times that his bloodline nevr stayed the same. He looked about the same as any other man now in the land of Dunburrow. Except for his gold eyes. They were a trait of his ancestors that still remained. Of course those never really appeared anymore because his other family ancestors mixed their eye colors in creating hazel eyes. Ever changing like his moods.
Shino spotted a lady down the hall from his room and realized that it was Lady Kalianne coming out of her own room. "Dragons in the sky..." Shino muttered in bewilderment as he gazed at the elegant beauty that stood there locking her door. She was as graceful and fluid in motion as ever. He was taken with her ever since he had met her. Her looks were indescribable. Her personality, however, could be described as highly intelligent, strong and confident, or wonderous beyond imagination. Her whole self was a mystery to him.
But then, he didn't even try to understand the female mind.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2007 12:59:38 GMT -5
By the time Lord Wolf reached the courtyard, all of the knights but Fenrix had left. Then, she was deep in thought. He had no intention of disturbing her. If the other knights had all left, it was a likely sign that no one quite knew what was coming, so Wolf saw no reason in interrupting Fenrix's thoughts.
So instead, he turned slowly and began walking from the castle, skirting its walls as he left. There was a lake not too far from the castle that he had been taught was the home of a skilled and peaceful enchantress. Of course, such legends were millennia old and if even such a being still resided there, she might not be entirely peaceful any longer.
But nevertheless, after tapping into the rash power of the earth, threading the wind through his veins and calling forth the prowess of a wolf that came to him so easily through his spirit, Wolf met the lake's edge after only a fraction of an hour.
The water, placid and serene, was tinted blue and silent green. No ripples rolled across its surface. No animals drank from its sides. No presence but his own was in sight or in mind. It was peaceful here.
Wolf bent down and lifted a small rock in his hand. it was smooth and gray, somewhat like the sky above was. He stepped closer to the water's edge, the small rocks underneath his feet shifting beneath his weight.
"Enchantress," he said, rubbing his fingers over the rock, "there is an evil force coming. I need guidance, and I need wisdom. I... I don't know where else to turn to. Your presence is a myth, but if you are not a myth, if you are true, please, speak to me now and lend me your assistance."
There was silence. Wolf let his head down, raising the rock and tossing it into the lake. He turned away as the ripples broke the surface and spread outwards. By the time they had reached the edge of the water and had vanished without repercussion, he was heading back towards the castle in silence and in solitude.
When the voice spoke, "I am listening," he was nowhere near enough to hear it.
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Post by zarikrahia on Jan 4, 2007 14:48:54 GMT -5
After half and hour of mediatation, Zari stood up and stuck her head into her wardrobe 'No, I'd boil...No, It's way too small...Hey, who gave me that?!' a quick two minutes of rustling and Zari took her head out from the wardrobe. Alll my ceremonial stuff is too heavy to fight in.' 'Customize what you're wearing.' said Zaha, grooming her lower back. With out answering the brunette enchantress sat down, her hands glowing. The shoulders of her dress vanished, and the black skirt she was wearing turned dark red. 'Good enough?' 'Ha ha.' Zaha continiued washing. 'No?' Zari stuck her hand under her bed and pulled out a black scarf, which she tied arond her waist. 'There.' The cat looked up, holding an ankh necklace in her jaws. 'Wear it.' 'Wh-' 'Just wear it Zari.' The Fae looked quizzical for a second, then picked up Zaha. 'Come on, we better go.' The Fae walked out her door, thwn turned to face it. The wood shimmered, when flowed into the wall as if it had never existed.
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Post by Ikkin on Jan 4, 2007 18:40:08 GMT -5
Ikkin flew towards the castle as quickly as she could, hoping against hope that she would make it in time for the coronation. The dark blue dragon scale chain mail that covered her arms clinked noisily in the wind as she manipulated the currents above and below herself to allow herself to fly without wings. The castle wasn't too far now... she might make it, if she was lucky.
Normally, Ikkin wouldn't have been out on her own the day of such an important event, but her phoenix Sev had warned her of some strange dark presences in various places throughout Dunbarrow, and she didn't like the idea of just ignoring it. Evil things always tended to get more powerful for being left alone.
Despite Sev's warnings, however, she could find little real danger in any of the places he had sensed darkness from. In one village, she drove out a couple of demon-wolves who were threatening the local farmers' wildlife (easily dealt with; demon-wolves tended to flee from a knight with a fiery sword quite readily), in another, she found a summoned spirit who refused to be controlled (a bit more difficult, but Sev finally managed to convince the spirit that its temporary freedom wouldn't be worth it) - things that probably would have been dealt with even without a knight's help.
So, Ikkin was kind of annoyed as she flew back to the palace. She had to wonder whether or not Sev might have been mistaken about the darkness he had sensed, and considering the fact that Sev hadn't offered to teleport her back to the palace as he very well could do, whether it might have been something he'd done just for his own amusement.
She was grateful about one thing, however. Since she hadn't come across anything really dangerous, her armor remained in perfect condition - and, while women knights were usually expected to wear dresses, she knew her armor would probably be acceptable. She liked it better than her dresses, anyway; the light-blue plate armor shirt, legs, and "skirt," accented by the indigo dragon-scale arms and boots, were both more practical and more comfortable than a long dress, and far more fitting for a knight.
As Ikkin landed near the palace, she saw Wolf walking back towards it. If he's still outside, the ceremony mustn't have started yet... she thought.
She called out to him - "Lord Wolf, how long is it until the ceremony? I've been out all day, and I need to know if I still have time to get ready..."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2007 20:45:20 GMT -5
"Lord Wolf, how long is it until the ceremony? I've been out all day, and I need to know if I still have time to get ready..." -- The words hit him like a stone smashed into his skull and he turned upwards to see Ikkin flying towards him; he couldn't recall, what was her title?
No matter, he recognized her instantaneously as the Indigo Knight. He had always liked the color indigo.
It was...more spiritual than the others, he felt, but in truth, green was the color of his soul, of his aura, rather.
After having met failure at the lake, it took him a moment to gather his thoughts and decide upon a fitting answer. How long was it until the ceremony? Was there still time for Ikkin to ready herself?
He glanced around the sky for a brief moment more, and then he diverted his eyes to the shadows creeping across the ground.
Turning back to the Indigo Knight, he yelled up to her, "The ceremony is this evening, milady, and that gives you a few hours to prepare."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2007 20:48:16 GMT -5
Fenrix turned her head, hearing Wolf yell, her eyes narrow. She sent her breezes to find out what was the matter. They came back in snippets, having caught other conversations. She sighed and groaned, sorting through the conversations. "Chickens are loose......Ceremony......evening.....cabbages smell funny....few hours to prepare..." She grinned, it was just the green knight telling someone about preparation for the ceremony. Who, she didn't know, or care. She turned back to her targets. She needed to be alone.
"I wonder what Cross Fire found."
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Post by Ikkin on Jan 4, 2007 22:45:11 GMT -5
"The ceremony is this evening, milady, and that gives you a few hours to prepare," Lord Wolf told her.
A few hours? Ikkin was almost certain that she was going to be late... had the ceremony been postponed? She decided to find that out for herself, however, since she really needed to start getting ready.
"Thank you, my lord," she called down to him. "I really ought to get going, then." And with that, Ikkin took off for her own chambers to begin getting ready.
The first order of business, of course, was bathing. After flying around all day, she really wasn't in any condition to be seen in front of polite company. She washed up quickly, so she would have time to decide on an outfit - she really wasn't very good at choosing what to wear, especially for formal occasions.
Part of the problem was that Ikkin never liked to go anywhere without having at least some sort of armor, but armor and dresses never really went that well together. She considered using her lateness as an excuse to just wear armor, but Wolf, at least, would have been able to call her on it.
Finally, Ikkin realized that she really wouldn't be able to find something that she'd be perfectly happy with, and decided just to go for the dress alone. After all, what was the chance that something would happen during the coronation, of all times? She picked out a long, indigo dress that was simple, but not too plain, and dressed up. She hung her sword (something more like a pirate's cutlass than a proper longsword, but it was Ikkin's favored weapon) at her side - it was a bit out of place, yes, but it was definitely better than going unarmed.
Ready at last, Ikkin walked out her door, and noticed a note on it that she must have missed before, informing her of the reason for the delay. Suddenly, she didn't think that the dress was such a good idea anymore... but, she didn't think she had the time to change it, so she went down to meet the others anyway.
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Post by KitClairvoyance on Jan 5, 2007 5:11:14 GMT -5
Kit sat cross legged on the stone floor in the middle of his room, surrounded by the summoning pattern; eyes closed in concentration, he had separated his tarot deck into two piles and placed one at the North end of the circle and one at the South. A simple, but effective way of determining circumstances and events. After a period of meditation on what he wanted to find, he reached out towards the North pile-
"The Tower and the Hanged Man." Maya's voice came clearly. Kit looked to see Maya beside him, a shadow of worry clouding her normally sly features.
"Welcome back." Kit flipped the top card of both piles, the North revealing the Tower card, the South revealing the Hanged Man. Not the result he would have hoped to see.
"You know what that means." The meaning behind it was clear, simple and disturbing. The Tower meant that there would be conflict, that he already knew. The Hanged Man however proved a little more disturbing. Under normal circumstances it meant giving up something, or sacrificing something. In this case however, he had the troubling feeling that it was going to be a knight that would be sacrificed in the coming fight.
"I just hope it refers to Lady Ikkin." Kit said half-jokingly. If anyone had to die, at least let it be someone who had a phoenix on her side to bring her back, why hadn't Kiddo become a knight? Still, he had faith that Sev could save Ikkin, albeit a rather forced faith.
"The other knights are getting prepared for the ceremony, shouldn't you be doing the same?"
"It won't take long, tell me what you've found." Kit stood up and deftly shuffled the deck of tarot cards before placing it on the table.
"Lady Ikkin has arrived at the castle," Maya said as Kit pulled out a chest from underneath his bed where he stored his clothes, "..she probably knows something about the coming darkness. Phoenixes have a nose for these things, and Sev is no exception. Both Ikkin and Sev will prove helpful if it comes to an all out fight."
Kit smiled at the remark, he was glad the duo was on their side. Phoenix fire could be a simple, but rather effective solution against creatures of the dark, well all except against fire elementals; and it would be hard to have brought in those without anyone realising. He took out a simple navy coloured mithril-weave shirt; it wasn't exactly silk but was just as elegant. Kit always preferred function over form, and this shirt reflected that. The strands of mithril that had been woven into the shirt made it almost as good as a chain shirt. This way he wouldn't need to wear any extra armour, keeping his movements free.
"Sir Shino was practically drowning in his own drool over Lady Kat.." at this remark, Kit let the cover of the chest close with a loud crash. He swore under his breath, the White knight was more interested in the female members of the knights than the safety of the castle it seemed. "..the personal affairs of the knights aside though.." Kit sighed, he had let Maya get the best of his anger again. He respected sir Shino, he was more than capable of being a knight, just that Kit didn't necessarily agree with his decisions sometimes. Still, he hoped Sir Shino knew what he was doing.
"Anything about the enemy?"
"Two words. Wraith residue. There wasn't much and it was scattered very thinly across the dungeons, but it was there."
"So the threat is real, and is demonic. Sounds very much up our avenue." Wraith residue had only one use, it enhances the demonic properties of an area through the sacrifice of a wraith. This could mean that they would be up against anything from a simple zombified army to a vampiric legion. He really hoped it was more of the former and none of the latter.
"Also, there's something else. The shadows are slightly longer than they should be. The difference is very, very small. I don't know what it means, but you know that extra shadows aren't a good thing."
Kit sighed, Maya was right. Still, he had to prepare for the ceremony. He slipped his chain shirt and overshirt off and placed on the navy one. He decided to keep to the dark grey trousers, metal greaves, leather bracers and silver cloak. Simple, not the best outfit in the land, but at least he could fight in it.
"Let's go. The others should hear of what you've found, and of the reading." Kit headed for the door and made his way down the corridor to the main hall.
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Post by Frozen on Jan 5, 2007 6:02:17 GMT -5
[glow=teal,2,300]Frozen's journey back to his quarters was rather uneventful, save a message he found tacked onto his door. He squinted to read the handwritten gold lettering.
"Huh, evil? In our castle?" the blue-haired knight thought. "That is... unnerving. Our defences are one of the best in the land. We'll need to be careful."
Frozen removed the message and retreated into his room. The knight began cleaning his armour and blade with an old cloth.
((OoC: Sorry, I've been busy.)) [/glow]
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Post by Kat on Jan 5, 2007 6:14:52 GMT -5
She heard someone in the corridor, and after the cylinders in the lock clicked and told her that her doors were securely barred and the security spell was in place, Kat turned towards the source and saw Shino standing there, staring at her.
"Is...anything wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked mildly, shrugging and adjusting one of her gloves. Sinking into a curtsy as much as her gown would allow, the Purple Knight stood up again and walked over to her fellow knight, trying to look as dignified as possible despite wobbling slightly in her heels. Her crescent moon pendant began to shimmer again with a dark purple light, but she didn't notice, as she was too busy trying to keep her balance and making a fool of herself in front of Shino.
But when she finally stood beside him, she glanced down to check if anything was indeed wrong with whatever she was wearing, and saw the silver moon tinged with a very dark shade of amethyst - as if someone decided to add black and overdid it.
Kat sighed. "I wish I had a better way of knowing what the exact danger is," she said. "I'm not a clairvoyant, not a seer. I can only sense, but not see, ominous signs of magic. Let's find out what the rest have got about this mystery, and see if they're all ready."
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Post by zhunter on Jan 5, 2007 13:03:43 GMT -5
Shino quickly closed his mouth and stood at attention in front of the femal before him. "No! No, my Lady Kalianne, nothing is wrong with your outfit. Quite the opposite in fact." He hoped his answer pleased her and tried not to notice when she looked wobbly.
"I'm sure we have found the source of the darkness already, Lady Kalianne..." The White Knight said as he looked down the hall. "Sir Kit, one of our best Knights in that area, will have definitely found something by now. About two hours till the ceremony." As he said these things he wasn't entirely sure about them. He knew that Sir Kit was extremely gifted and skilled. Once hew had even predicted the future to help with a battle. He was obviously wise. But Shino had this nagging feeling in his gut that something was amiss. Or something was too good to be true. And he almost always trusted his gut.
Shino now took on a serious expression and an almost worried stance and looked directly at Lady Kalianne. "Would you care to come to with me to Sir Kit's quarter's, Lady Kalianne?"
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Post by Shadaras on Jan 5, 2007 13:17:54 GMT -5
Silirshadi! Silirshadi! Shade, absorbed in her book, didn't notice Lisengyre's voice until he said Fine. Shade! Wake up! She marked her spot in the book, closed it, and said, "What is it, 'Gyre?" I was keeping an eye on the auras of the castle, and saw a flare of power in Sir Kit's room. I went to investigate, and saw him talking to a minor Dae about the evil. I couldn't hear what they were talking about very well, as I didn't want the Dae to sense me, but at the end I saw Kit heading out the door to tell everyone about what he found.
Shade thought about what Lisengyre had found and at last said "Thanks, Father. Please continue to keep watch." Rising, she put the book back, and activating shadowsight, went to intercept Kit and hear what he found.
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