[IC] The Hand of Fate

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

"So you have no name."

The young one's voice trailed off in disappointment, but the beast in all of its divine, animal glory seemed to take no further heed of this. It was but fact and fact enough that it had no need for a mortal name, its title and implications derived thereof were all it needed to convince those who came to witness it what it was. There were few other myths it could be mistaken for - fewer other predators or prey of the land that wielded the will of divine nature as easily as it wielded its senses.

"It will be difficult for me to address you if you do not have a name, Sir..."

Great mane and head alike nodded in gentle reply under the moonlit night, aware that the girl could "see" it despite being robbed of her sight. She continued on a breath later, "May I call you Heru? In the Solar Woods it means lord."

"So long as you recall that 'Heru' is a title and not a name, you may call me by it." The large jaws parted, speaking these words to her with as much firmness as a father speaking to a child. It was not out of lack of compassion, not in the slightest, but it was clear the sovereign beast took itself most seriously for it was indeed a living lord; a noble line of a noble realm and commanded that respect.

Watching her clasped hands, filled with excitement and joy that she was permitted to address the wild paragon in her own way, the golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Her innocence and pleasure at this, even in the threat of darkness, was some hope. Hope that the powerful animal mystic would need more of, namely in the days to come and from the hearts of many, many men, both those weak and those strong. She, Sabriye as she called herself, continued her inquiry, to which the feline figure drew up a paw; a silence to her questions as he gently interrupted her.

"Settle."

The paw set itself back to the impression it left among the softness of the forest's floor; the freshness of the night's air was still and silent, as though it too had been commanded.

"The heart of the darkness is where we need journey, but it is no matter handled swiftly..." The neck of the powerful feline figure turned, looking into the depths of the forest, seeing out the direction they would need travel for quite some time. "You are young and bold, small one... but this endeavor will test you in ways even I do not know..."

@Ojo chan 42

[Ojo chan 42]

Sabriye stopped with her waterfall of questions when she felt a movement coming from the mighty beast. Slowly she tapped her feet on the ground 'seeing'that the beast had moved its paw as a sign for her to stop talking.

"Settle." He said stern but gentle, and placed back his paw on the ground.

"The heart of the darkness is where we need journey, but it is no matter handled swiftly..." The mighty beast turned his head looking into the forest, probably towards the direction he wished to travel "You are young and bold, small one... but this endeavor will test you in ways even I do not know..."

Sabriye thought about the words he had spoken, for indeed they were more than true. She felt like a sheltered bird, released from its cage. The first time he fly's he is happy and wants nothing more than to leave, deseparte to reach te sky. But soon it will realize that he cannot live without his owner, and go back tot he cage. Sabriye also knows that unlike the bird, she could not go home no matter what. She knew that if she did she would be locked within another cage, guarded and treated as if her handicap stopped her from being anything else than a pretty doll. White eye's staring at nothing with a soft but forced smile, waiting for her day to be transferred to her new cage, that of her fiancee.

'' If I was not prepared to overcome some problems or get into trouble during my first flight, I would not have taken off at all. Instead I choose to go and fly, and maybe I will fall'' Sabriye as well turned her head towards the direction the mighty beast was looking at, following his gaze in her own way. Unfortunatly anything pas 100 Meters started to fade a bit sos she could not see what he was looking at.

''So if it is no problem for me to accompany you on your journy, I would love to journey together Heru''

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

"If I was not prepared to overcome some problems or get into trouble during my first flight, I would not have taken off at all. Instead I choose to go and fly, and maybe I will fall." The Great Beast's rounded ears cupped toward the sound of the woman's voice as she explained herself in further detail yet, adding nothing beyond what it was she had said; it needed not to provide any further emphasis. Both she and the divine agent knew the consequences of failure and there was nothing more to that. It then turned, ever so slightly moving its leviathan shoulders, speaking to her once more in this shrouded forest while preparing to depart.

"You may, small one." The grand jaws parted, air rumbling again at its words.

With one huge paw lifted before another, it set off with incredible silence in the cool night, leading the way but never daring far. It moved with enough urgency that the young woman was not without need to keep up her pace; a walking speed, but one with purpose and direction. It traversed the woodland, stepping over fallen trees, rocks and streams with no issue, only ever slowing as it listened to its companion overcome the same obstacles in her way. It never departed her otherwise except when it came to eat, speaking nothing more upon the matter than that it would return later - to which it always did.

But when it did at last return, the young blind woman knew dawn was upon them and that their travel had been hastened. There was something unseen the regal feline had done, a power she had felt in the air around her, a sensation that was unclear and indistinct but obviously some work of magic. It had allowed them both to move with incredible speed and means between the forest, overcoming days of travel in mere hours; as though the distance between the two points had been reduced. Whatever it was, when its effect ended after the predatory figure returned, the reality set in again that time was behaving normally once more for them.

They were in a foreign land now, far, far from her home and only somewhat closer yet to the edge of the shadow that crept upon the land.

@Ojo chan 42

[Mr Rage]

The Dwarven highway ran straight and true for a long while before it finally began its labyrinth like twists and turns. All of the true light from the sun had long sense faded from existence. The dwarves could see in some sort of spectrum that was beyond what even elven vision could provide. Ein could see in near perfect dark. As long as there was some sort of light source, no matter how faint or distant, her elvish eyes could pick up the most subtle differences in the light and make sense of the shapes into the world around her. However, without any light she was just as blind as a human down there. Fortunately, Zeke gave off a slight glow from the live magma that swirled below his obsidian crust and an occasional flame licked out from around one joint another as he moved, providing plenty of light to allow the young elf girl sight. Zeke, however, was perfectly fine. In fact, the semblance of a face on Zeke was just for the convenience of onlookers. To tell the truth, Ein really had no idea how Zeke navigated the world, or listened to her prattle on. All she knew was that he could and did.

The first day continued on without incident. The group ate and drank while they moved. When Ein got tired, she climbed aboard Zeke's shoulders and slept against his warm body as he continued following the Dwarves. She took the first watch that night because of it, but nothing interesting happened at all.

The second day started the same way that the first had gone on. Lots of walking, not much talking. Though at one point the Captain and one of his men had a disagreement about which way to travel down the dwarven Highway. Once they had settled the debate and started on their way again Ein asked one of her guardians why the tunnels were so jumbled up. "Well Lass," He started, "Each tunnel leads to another part of the Dwarven Kingdom, which is the largest kingdom by area in the known world. It runs deep below the forests and the mountains, even north to the frozen depths below the ice. Sjorgen's folks came from the northern most city of Deep Ice. Weird folks come from there, I blame it on all the drippin' and droppin' of freezin' water, the sound'll drive ya batty it will, but some of the best tastin' water you'll ever experience comes from there ice mines. Or it used to, anyway. The tunnels, though, they have to wrap around each other for structure and support, you know. Besides, it helps keeps intruders confused, makes it harder to march an army in to the capital." Ein nodded knowingly, but she didn't really know, not really.

Later that day she felt as if she were being watched, but when she turned to see what was lurking behind her, she found that there was no one there. She urged Zeke to keep up closer to the group. Only his low stony rasp of a voice came in response as he took a few larger strides to close the gap between he and the dwarves. Soon the group fell upon a small crop of Wilde Mushrooms. They were edible, but they caused major and lasting hallucinations nearly as soon as they were ingested. The group of Dwarves gathered them up, just in case. "They might drive ya a bit crazy for a while, but most Dwarves get over it after a while... Not sure what they would do to an elf, not sure if one has ever eaten a Wilde Mushroom. Better stay away from them, just in case." The dwarves had a small reserve of food beyond the rations, just in case, but Ein didn't.

Night fall came and went, or at least that is what she thought of when they laid down to rest. She was meant to take the last watch, but she was never woken up until the captain shook her awake. "Hey, what in blazes are you doing, Lass?" He whispered angrily, "Where is Sjorgen, what're you doing asleep?"

"Huh?" Ein said rubbing her eyes, trying to find focus in the dark, "Oh, Uh, I don't know. He never woke me up to take my watch..."

"Seven blazes," The captain said, he started shaking everyone else awake, one at a time he made his way around the small group until they were all awake, "Sjorgen is missin', he never changed guards with the Lass. I suspect we've got a Cave Vampire on our hands. No idea if they are still watching us or not, but we need to move quickly, and quietly. Come on, then, pack it up quickly, and lets get a move on it!"

The remaining guards were quickly packed up and ready to move. There was a chill amongst the group, an urgency, a fear that wasn't there before. Suddenly every shadow held knew potential for terror deeper and darker then they had held previously. The captain gestured the directions and the group set off quickly, making no more noise then necessary. It didn't take too long before they found Sjorgen, or before he found them. Even in this world of lightless shadows Ein could see just how pale he was, even the thick brown mat of hair that made his beard seemed to be drained of color, except for the red glow in his eyes and the two red dots on the side of his neck. The captain shook his head but hesitated no further, he signaled for one of his men who stepped forward with his crossbow at the ready. He loosed a bolt and knocked the colorless body of their former companion to the ground. The captain moved quickly now with his ax in hand and moved to apply the finishing blow, removing his bearded head from his short and hairy body, but the bolt had not been as true as the captain had thought, and it took less then a moment to realize as Sjorgen's hand clamped around the Captains throat that there was no saving either of them now. Sudden chaos broke out in the tunnel depths and the group all scattered. A small host of trained Dwarven warriors was broken that quickly by the death of a friend and his reanimated corps killing their captain.

Ein was left with little choice but to run. But to where? She had no idea where she was going down there below the surface. She had little choice but to run the direction they had come in. She could follow the signs of their travel and get back to the surface somehow. Go back to the smith in the mountain and she could stay with him until his mission was done and return with him. Perhaps someway that didn't include these tunnels. She and Zeke ran for a long time, until they came up to their first intersection. What way was it? She looked around the stone floor and walls, hoping for some indication that they had come this way, and which way to go next, but it was no use, there just wasn't enough light for Ein to be able to track the group. Left, she decided left, and quickly she and Zeke continued on their hastened way. Suddenly Zeke let out a wall shaking yell and lunged in front of the princess, shoving her behind himself, the low grumble continued for a while when the glow of four sets of eyes peered through the darkness at her. They moved suddenly in a single attack, hoping to evade Zeke and at least one of them making it through to Ein. They did not anticipate Zeke destroying the support in the wall to cause a collapse. But then again, neither did Ein. With a thud, a rumble, and the heart wrenching sound of rock tearing apart, the tunnel collapsed before them, sealing the four sets of beady eyes below the rubble. "Thanks Zeke," Ein said, patting the rock form on the back. She pushed on down the tunnel the only other option available to her now. It took a long time, but eventually the tunnel did straighten out and start a gradual incline, similar to the one that she had experienced when she first entered into the darkness below. It took another whole day of sleepless travel before the pair finally reached the door way to get out of the tunnels.

When finally she pushed her way through the door she was stunned by the light. It took her the better part of the day before she could comfortably look out of the cave, once that finally happened Ein traveled out to see where they were at. As she stumbled out of the cave with Zeke lumbering behind her she came into a clearing in a forest, happy to breath fresh air again and feel the sun directly on her skin again, not to mention hearing the songs of the birds and the running of a stream, that she failed to notice that she was not alone in the clearing.

Zeke did not, however, as he once again released his low rumble warning to Ein and pushed its way ahead of the young Elvish girl.

[Ojo chan 42]

Sabriye followd the mighty beast during their travels together, She felt truly blessed to be traveling together with someone. Her shoes dangled on her bag as she had stepped out of them a long time ago. Sabriye had experianced that walking barefoots was much easier for her, she could follow The mighty beast better.

'' May you sail far, to the fair fields of fortune''
''with diamonds and Pearls, at your hand and your feet''
''and may you need never, banish misfortuene''
''may you find kindness, in all that you meet''
''may there Always be angles, to watch over you''
''to guide you eacht step, of the way''
''to guard you and keep you safe, from all harm'' She sang pure and clear. She had a good voice and the elvish tunes soothed the animals around her Sabriye wondered if the mighty beast also enjoyed her song.

In the middle of her song Sabriye stopped in her tracks.

''Heru, Do you feel that as well?'' She said kneeling down laying her hand on the soft grass. She stood up again and stamped her foot ontop of the ground, tryig to get a clearer 'vieuw' on what she'd seen. She felt it.

Near them was a living being together with ... a mass of rocks... Sabriye couldn't place the last precence and curiosety got the better of her.

''there is something strange in the clearing over there. Lets go and find out what it is'' She said as she carefully ran into the clearing. Indeed there was a living being resembeling a human in the clearing, but Sabriye soon enough figured that the figure was an elf. The thing she couldn't get a clear vieuw on earlier now came rushing towards her, protecting the elf.

scared Sabriye slammed her staff into the ground, raising a barrier.

''tinechor'' she shouted in Solar wood elvish , casting the spell

@Mr Rage@The Harbinger of Ferocity

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

The song the young woman had sung had carried across the land in a phantasmal song - an unseen voice that sang to anything that had been between where the pair had been until now. What a strange thing it would have been for any in between as it would seem the forest itself was singing ever so faintly if but only briefly too. The words, just as so, undoubtedly would have been foreign, with only the animal kind truly understanding them short of the woman herself as elves did not frequent any further than their domain without unimagined need. But the ghostly song came to a halt, not long after the noble animal ceased its manipulation of the places between nature's realm. As quickly as they slowed to reality, so too did the leviathan beast - curious as to why the soothing, gentle song ended.

It stopped as the woman did too, looking upon her from not more than an arm's length away. It lowered its head and listened, ears cupped toward even the most distant sounds of this forested place. It found nothing, at least not at first, but something was off; off enough to beg her to question while she knelt down in the grass, hands caressing the lush natural carpet. She seemed perplexed at first, stomping the earth firmly after she arose.

"Something I have felt and heard..." The low, mighty voice rumbled softly as it drew up its head to look around, scanning the forest about them with a piercing gaze. Nose flaring, it drew in a great breath, but the girl rushed off before it could even begin to assess what it was that had ever so strangely shook air and earth in light.

Running as she was, she made her way to the more open portion of a clearing to come; a place where the grass was thicker, more plentiful. In any case, the mighty animal figure walked silently in spite of its scale among the trees, watching the blind figure hurry off quicker yet. Like the spirit it was, regardless of its fleshy, mortal form, it seemed to vanish amongst the natural camouflage of the woodland, careful to follow the steps Sabriye had left, but not so much as leaving a print of its paws.

It was not long before the figure of the sightless human 'witnessed' a strange creature of stone, its body of obsidian and glowing with unnatural firelight from its burning core. It stood protectively before a far, far smaller body, not close enough yet for either to be hedged out by the magical barrier that now divided the two. The small figure, dusted and clearly fatigued as she was - a young elven girl - seemed mesmerized and startled by being here in this clearing, but only for a moment. The three held a slight delay, long enough for the Lord of the Wild to make itself known from the other side of the clearing. It appeared from the woodland thick, shrouded only faintly now in the forest's folds.

It watched idly, making its shadowed outline known without saying or acting any further.

If there was going to be confrontation, it wanted whoever would be instigating to weight their decisions first. Any animal that size, greater than a martial steed and clearly of predatory keen was not to be trifled with. But it knew better already - the black elemental stood protectively and watchfully over the girl without any obvious harm directed toward her.

@Ojo chan 42@Mr Rage

[Mr Rage]

Everything was happening so fast, temporarily blinded by the light, Zeke taking a defensive position, a magical barrier being cast, and all of a sudden the biggest forest cat Ein had ever seen popped up near by too. Zeke didn't move, not even a shift between the two potential foes.

'Wait, a defensive shield, did she say 'Tinechor'?' She thought to herself, but then she repeated the question out loud. "Wait, Did you say Tinechor? Are we in Solar? Crap, I've got to get out of here!"

She turned as if to run, but the predatory cat blocked her path that way, the caves still hidden behind her, but she had no intention of returning to that sunless place, not if it could be helped. She could go the other direction, but it would not take here away from the elf mage who would be keen on capturing the daughter of the former King. Ein was pretty sure there was still a bounty on her head, if nothing else the life-long-exile-punishable-by-death certainly still stood. Her best option was to politely try to talk her way out of it, and when the big cat wasn't paying attention, make a run for it!

"I, uh, sorry," She started saying in elvish, "I was traveling the Dwarven Highway when my escorts were happened upon by a Dwarven cave vampire. I made it out, somehow, but this exit lead me to here, I didn't know it would exit me in Solar woods. I'll just be on my way now, if that is okay?"

[Ojo chan 42]

Sabriye focuesd her ears as the girl spoke. She sensed no danger coming from her and the mass of rock had stopped moving. Not wanting to waste any precious mana Sabriye dissolved her shield, specks of light fluttering in the wind as her spell ended.

Sabruye carefully walked forwards using the tapping of her staff to see instead of her feet. It gave her a better grasp on her surruunding, it helped her visualise the mass of rock she had been curious about. She found at that the mass of rock was not a mass of rock at all but a mass of obsidian. Sabriye recognized that the magic was from the old elven kingdom, but she had no knowledge about its casters whatsoever.

''Eto, foregive me. I got startled when I sensed the mass of obsidian coming towards me'' Sabriye said giving a small bow before opeing her pale white eye's.
''Also, I am just someone from Solar. The actual kingdom lies 4 to 5 days traveling from here, no need to rush to get out of here'' She didn't knew why the elvish girl needed to stay away from Solar, but Sabriye had to as well. She was not really searching for trouble, quite the opposite actually. Sabriye had become intrigued by the mass of magic and obsidian that stood before her. From behnd her she felt the mighty paws of Heru walking ever so softly and gracefull. She had almost forgotten about her traveling companion. She turned her head towards the mighty cat and spoke.
''I am sorry I ran off all of the sudden, but is this not really interesting'' she said the first part apologetic the second part more enthausiast. She pointed at Zeke with a smile on her face, like child who has seen something new.
She turned her head back to The evlish girl and bowed again, with all the geace she had acquired in her years of mannerism training.
''My name is Sabriye of Solar, and who are you?'' She asked, her smile still on her lips.

@Mr Rage @The Harbinger of Ferocity

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

"I am sorry I ran off all of the sudden, but is this not really interesting?" The young woman spoke, turning to face the great figure as it drew closer yet, as quiet as it was ever before.

There it stood back far enough to keep them all out of its reach, mostly to put the girl and the obsidian golem at ease... or as much as it could for a clearly mythic animal that loomed over the young women. Its golden eyes softened for a moment in expression as the divine beast listened attentively, its spark of understanding not even hidden from any who were witnessing this encounter. No matter what tongue they spoken in, it overtly knew the words and was keen to read into the younger's demeanor; she was uneasy, about something. Something more than the surprise at hand of encountering a blind mage and a leviathan animal of legend. For now however, it withheld its words and instead looked upon the earthen being that shielded her still - it being as rigid and relentless in its defense as ever, even now.

The enormity of the beast's jowls parted for a moment as it drew in breath, tensing its paws only briefly in the grass of the warm meadow. It was instinct and desire to know what more was to be said so it held its tongue... for now. There was no doubt that it did not hide its understanding of what was being said, just that it did not yet wish to betray that it mastered all tongues as well.

@Ojo chan 42@Mr Rage

[Mr Rage]

Hearing that they were not in the woods of her childhood, she immediately relaxed a little. Zeke did not, at least until Ein spoke to her guardian in hushed tones. Perhaps the great beast heard her words, but it did not matter, simply a word of dismissal. She allowed herself to come closer to the girl, though still keeping a cautious distance between them, as the girl said her name. She looked the other girl over, she appeared to be near the same age as Ein, but yet her name did not ring a bell in the least. Elves, being so long lived, that they pretty much all meet each other eventually, and judging by her manners, she probably was raised near court, yet Ein did not know that name.

"Oh, me? Well, most people call me Ein, this here is Zeke," She said gesturing to her obsidian companion. "You said you were of Solaire, who might your parents be, if you don't mind my asking?"

There were obvious nerves and anxiousness emanating from the small elvish girl's frame. The beast could sense it, beasts always can, but if Sabriye could see then she could have seen how pale she had gotten through the soot on her face and hands, she probably could still hear or otherwise sense the quickened heart beat that rattled through her bones and through her skin, down through her boots and into the very earth that Ein had only moments ago escaped.

[Ojo chan 42]

Very faint, the heartbeat of Ein sped up as she spoke of Solaire.

''my parents...'' Sabriye said soft grabbing her own arm.''well, they are the rulers of Solar, and close friends to the royal family''

Sabriye did not knew if she had done right revealing whom she was. But Sabriye did not wanted to lie to an elf, and they would figure it out sooner or later.

''And what about you, wich kingdom or city are you from? I guss from someplace really amazing, judging from your abilety to create someone like Zeke. How is the outside world?''

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

There came a subtle rumble from the leviathan creature's jaws as it appeared to look over the three, aware that there was more to this than it appeared and that the youth was doing her best to detract from it; her body spoke volumes in its demeanor, a language one could not easily hide without great care in doing so and even then only for a time. All mortals had means to tell their tales, but more than anything the scent of their unease or often outright fear betrayed them. But for all of this the grand animal form did not worry itself too much about the girl before it and her expertly crafted earthen guardian; in fact, its beguiling stare drew away for a moment, allowing its blind companion to continue speaking - its body as relaxed as before.

It at last decided to intervene, its celestial voice - deep and reverberating - moving the aura of distrust away as best it could manage.

"You need not be afraid, small one." The wild paragon began, looking to the blind Sabriye first while addressing Ein, "Fate would seem to have it that you met us in our pursuit of the shadow."

The dimly lit golden eyes washed over the youth as it stood before her, head pulled slightly at an angle and its splendid fangs of pearly ivory revealed even fuller until it finished its words. Whatever voice the girl of Ein truly heard it in, the outsider knew well that she would quickly realize, if she had not already, what the beast actually was; some thing of another world and time altogether - ancient and primal beyond reason. It was not angelic, not a being of the great heavens, but something vaguely similar in its otherworldly quality; the words themselves rang almost mentally as it was.

"There will be time for inquiries, but for now, where do you foresee yourself off to?" It said, knowing she was hasty before.

"You seem troubled, fatigued and stained by your travels."

@Ojo chan 42@Mr Rage

[Mr Rage]

A ringing went through Ein's ears as she heard the response given to her inquiry. It was worse then she thought. She couldn't speak, for the rage welling inside her had to be completely contained, and no words could be spent without it. She couldn't move save for the clenching of her fists, hard, and tight, they first with beat red and then faded to a ghastly white as the blood trapped in her hands was finally released.

It was with extreme effort that Ein wrenched her focus away from the girl when she was spoken to by the great beast. It should have surprised her, but then something in her already knew what this beast was. Through a strained jaw and a forced string of words she responded to the ancient spirit, "I was en rout to the Dwarvish Capital via their labyrinth of tunnels they call the Dwarven highway. I was accompanied, or rather I was being escorted by several Dwarven guards, but we were attacked by something. Uh... one of the dwarves called it a, uh, a Cave Vampire. It was thanks to Zeke collapsing a tunnel that I we were able to escape. I was told by a Dwarven smith that it was imperative that I go to the capital at meet with the Dwarven King. I do not know why I was being sent there. And now I no longer know the way, as my guard is surly dead."