Western District,
The City of Amaryth
It had been three hours already... Three long hours of sitting as still as possible, in a space too cramped for the human body, drenched and cold, with little distraction and just as little fresh air. Shin was still waiting for the two men that were supposed to have started a meeting an hour ago in 'The Shining Swordfish', a shabby tavern in the Western district that was well past its days of glory. Once renowned for its fresh and well flavoured fish -the host claimed that it still was- these days the place was primarily known for being in an area with a lack of regular guard patrols. As a result, the tavern was often used as a meeting spot for Amaryth's scum. Other than the name suggested, the place was nowhere near shining, and Shin was more than happy that he had already booked a room in an inn on the other side of the city. The taproom was small and stank of smoke, must, sweat and local alcohol and only one old, bearded man and the innkeeper were present. Obviously, the place was nowhere near popular, especially not this early in the morning.
Shin moved his left foot slightly, trying to shake off the numb feeling that had settled in it without disturbing the water that surrounded him. He was starting to think that his informant may have been wrong, when the front door opened and a man entered. Shin couldn't quite distinguish him, but he could hear the door slamming open and shut again, followed by the sound of one pair of boots on the wooden floor, leading towards a table in the back. The same table as where the old man was sitting. After agreeing with the owner, the two were left alone -in exchange for a few gold. The new man sat down and waited until the innkeeper left. After making sure there was nobody else in the room, the two started talking in a hushed tone, barely audible despite them being alone. Judging from their tone, the old man was angry at the younger one for being so late - something Shin agreed on with him.
Moving as carefully as he could, Shin crawled towards them. He admired their cautiousness, but more so he found it interesting. Usually, criminals would feel comfortable in places such as these, but something had these two on edge. Something interesting no doubt. Having experience with cautious men like these -and being one himself-, Shin had taken care that the two wouldn't be able to see him. If he really tried, they wouldn't have noticed him even if he had sat on the same table as them, but being in an unfamiliar city, Shin had decided to take extra precautions. Instead of being in the same room as the two he had to spy on, Shin was underneath them. Waiting below the floor for a few hours in a tavern built so close to the docks that the water reached his thighs, wasn't the most comfortable plan that had crossed his mind, but it was the safest. He had scanned the place the previous evening, but as usual in foreign places, Shin simply stood out too much to go unnoticed, even in such a shady establishment.
With some effort, Shin had manoeuvred close enough to the men to be able to listen in to them, without attracting their attention -thank Yuwhae. Luckily, the planks were placed irregularly enough to grant him some sight and Shin carefully watched the bearded old man as he spoke.
"...should know tha' now. We just can' afford to risk i', no' with a load like this." Apparently, the man had some trouble with pronouncing the letter 't' and Shin tried his best to place the accent. After a few moments, it dawned on him. The man was an Oragossi... or he was missing a few teeth.
"Yah, yah. Yah don't need ta remind me all tha time Thar, I bloody told yah why that is, so get to tha point already would yah? Why meet at such a godsversak'n time"
The old man looked around once more, obviously his nerves were haunting him. He continued on an even softer tone. Only parts of words were audible now. Shin would have sighed in annoyance, weren't it for his lifelong training in the art of stealth. Even a soft sigh in a silence like this would immediately attract attention. For a moment he wished that he had simply relied on his mask and had positioned himself in the room itself. Disturbed, he brushed the feeling aside. Excitement only led to a quick death, he knew that much by now. The logical reason why he had chosen to be here of all places, was that the mask wasn't all that reliable... At least, not at all times... Slowly but steady, he took one step. Followed by another...
When suddenly, the ground gave way and Shin felt himself falling down into nothingness.
He remembered swimming, darkness, bitter cold, a seemingly endless tunnel and then air, sweet air. Followed by an even deeper shade of darkness.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he came to again. It could have been hours, days even. But analytic as always, Shin figured that it wouldn't have been more than an hour, seeing that his clothes were still damp and he was lying in a relatively dry place. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness around him, Shin became aware of his surroundings.
He stood at the far end of a long tunnel, some might even have argued it to be a hall, which led down, deeper into the earth. It appeared to be manmade as Shin was able to easily walk with a straight back without touching the ceiling, and even a second man could have walked beside him. Moreover, the stones felt unnaturally smooth under his feet. Deciding that it had no use to go back, seeing how Thar and his buddy would have no doubt heard him splashing around, and he had planned on checking the tavern more thoroughly either way, Shin continued onwards. Perhaps he had accidentally stumbled upon the hiding spot of a band of criminals.
At that thought, Shin instinctively reached for his side, to the empty place where his twin blades usually hang. A soft grunt of displeasure escaped him, when he remembered that he had chosen stealth and speed over strength for this mission. He had left the swords behind in his room, hidden and safe, but of no use to him now. The only weapons he had on him were a few knifes as well as his abilities. Shin's hand reached up to his face. Touching his mask always gave him a sense of focus and security . After all, one cannot hit what one cannot see. The next moment, Shin's figure disappeared. He had draped the little shadows that could be found as a cloak around him, hiding him from the view of any who could possibly be watching.
Not too long after, the tunnel reached an end and turned into a large grotto. A single beam of light reached down, illuminating this wonder of nature. The roof appeared to be even taller than the palace of Amaryth and it stretched out further than Shin's trained eyes could tell. In the middle of the beam of light, stood a tall statue. The thing piqued Shin's interest, and as he walked closer to it, he could make out more details. It was a very realistic statue of a man, and judging from his somewhat alien eying armour and the expensive looking pendant around his neck, the man was a lord of some kind. With his 6 feet, Shin felt dwarfed by this giant of a man. Then again, perhaps the sculptor had exaggerated somewhat to please his lordship. His attention was drawn back to the armour the man wore. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, and in his years, Shin had seen a fair share of armours. The helmet covered the figure's face and the whole armour was blacker than night itself and obviously meant to intimidate people. As if that hadn't been enough, the sculptor had decided to add a massive shield and flail. A smirk formed behind Shin's mask as he pictured the sculpture. Trying his very best to impress his lord, he had added details that weren't right. Nobody would be able to carry those things. Then again, a man of this statue might just be able to do so.
As his eyes were drawn back to the pendant around the figure's neck, an odd feeling of foreboding came over Shin. That necklace... It had the colour of silver and a green gem in the middle, but the gem was shining too bright to be made out of mere stone like the rest of the statue... Moreover, it somehow didn't match the figure itself, as if it was a real necklace that had been put around the stone neck. As the feeling turned into something close to panic, Shin took a few steps back. Gods, why hadn't he checked for traps the moment he arrived? Quickly, Shin grabbed one of his knives, took off the glove on his left hand and cut his ring finger. Any hint of pain was hidden by the mask on which a smear of blood appeared as Shin stroked his finger across it. A soundless prayer crossed Shin's lips, as he felt the effort of using two of the mask's powers at the same time weigh down on him. Calming his thoughts, he took a few moments to focus on the figure as he felt the pressure of his mask against his face. The world turned black, with the exception of-
"Fen's face..."
On Shin's retina, the 'statue' was glowing in a bright bluish tint. The statue was no statue at all, it was a living being. An evoker.
Blackness. An endless void of rolling blackness, and the Baron was at the center of it. Days, weeks, years, centuries, He couldn't be sure of how long he had been trapped here in the infinite black. He wasn't even sure what any of it was... Truly, his imprisonment was cruel in one of the worst ways imaginable. An eternity of... nothingness. Though still conscious. Nothing but himself and regret... He wondered what had become of the heroes that had stopped him. They had become kings or lords no doubt, they were always of the greedy sort... And this blackness, his own soul, perhaps? Or maybe even something darker...
It was then that he had... felt something. He had not felt in centuries. Or was it hours? He did not know... Slowly, feeling returned to his fingers. Of course, it was good that the intruder had discerned that he was actually alive, or he might be much more frightened at the statue's fingers starting to move. He felt... cold. Slowly, he felt his body return to him. Stone had begun to flake off the statue as he took several slow steps forward. His movements were sluggish, as if his limbs had all fallen asleep. Thankfully for him, 'forward' wasn't towards the invisible being. So at least the man wouldn't get violent... maybe.
Breathing could then be heard from the man. Pained, deep breaths. He huffed and puffed as he fell to his knees, his gear clattering to the ground. He was nearly fully in control, but seemed in poor shape... He looked around, He did not recognize this place. The last thing he had remembered was suffering an appallingly clichéd speech about friendship at his throne room, and then blackness. He seemed shocked for a moment, and reached to his neck. He seemed to relax as his fingers curled around his pendant. Becoming that statue should have been fatal... "M-mara..." He said to himself, softly. It was odd that such a gentle voice could come from a man like that.
He felt his power next... He could feel the earth again. He tested it, lowing his palm to the ground. He felt everything, every minor tremor... But there was an anomaly. Pressure on the stone, vibrations from slight movements. Tell-tale signs of a man's presence. But there was no man... "Show yourself. I am no threat." He said. His voice was firm and strong, but carried not an ounce of aggression. Still, one couldn't be too careful.
It took Shin a few moments to recover from the shock of seeing that huge statue come to live. That first shock was quickly replaced by a second when it turned out that the man was aware of Shin's presence. Why? How? Most likely, the man possessed a relic similar to Shin's, allowing him to see other evokers. For a moment, Shin considered showing himself and asking the giant all about his relic, but his sense of duty prevailed. A small, invisible smile played around Shin's lips as he realized that he just might have stumbled across a more important secret than any band of bandits in Othea.
More important questions came to him. Who was the man? How had he ended up here of all places? Was he a pawn of Othea, some criminal that had been locked away here or a lone evoker with the ability to turn into a statue-like version of himself? A small voice even whispered that perhaps the man had been sent here to kill Shin. That however, as well as the third option didn't seem very likely, seeing how the man's first words had been a gentle... name? After pondering on these questions and some others, Shin decided to at least respond to the man. If he had wanted Shin dead, he could have use whatever abilities made him aware of his presence, to kill him in one swift blow. However, caution always prevailed.
"Tell me who you are and who you are loyal to, then I will decide for myself whether you truly are of no threat to... me." he stated, while shifting back and forth to disguise the direction of his voice. Almost, Shin had added 'my nation', which would have given away far too much of his own identity and goals. While the words themselves were full of confidence and something close to conceitedness, Shin's deep voice simply sounded calculating, and carried a message of pragmatism. His accent betrayed foreign roots, but judging from the way the giant had spoken, it was quite possible that Shin wasn't the only foreigner in this particularly grotto.
The Baron simply stared off in the general direction of the visitor, awaiting a response. He could feel where the man was, and from the slight shifting in his position, it was indeed a man. He was even considering violent action, before the silence was finally broken. The words were coming from slightly different locations, but he could feel every step the man took. He kept his eyes firmly trained on where he suspected the man was going, turning his head so this mystery man would know that he could 'see' him.
He considered this man's words... He specifically asked his allegiance. He had also taken a pause at the end, before saying 'me.' Now, if he were a normal person that had just happened upon him, he would have asked 'Who are you and what do you want.' or something similar, who cares where he called home? Thus, this man must be a foreigner to... wherever he was. And not only that, but he had a hunch that this man was likely directly employed by some sort of government... but for what purpose, and where? Or was he just wrong? Either way, there seemed to be little harm in answering truthfully.
Isaiah sighed, kicking his equipment towards the man as he slowly raised his arms in the air. "My name is Isaiah Markul. I am loyal to no one." His tone was just as level, and as non-hostile as always. Truth be told, he was a bit worried. If this man had been sent to kill him, or was simply insane, he doubted that he could fend off a skilled opponent in his current condition... "I know not where you are from, ghost. But where I come from we have our conversations face to face. If I had wished you harm I would have attempted doing so by now, so once again I humbly request you show yourself."
When the giant -or rather, Isaiah- turned his head to follow Shin's movement, the Da-Hyuni had to face the facts. After all, being invisible is utterly pointless when the one you're hiding from can still see you. Isaiah's statement that he was loyal to no one was quite encouraging however, especially since he sounded so sincere. Thus, with a swift movement of his arm, Shin dropped the shades, allowing the giant to see him.
While both clad in black, the two men formed a great contrast. Shin was short and wiry, where Isaiah was broad and imposing. Shin was clad in (still soaked) dark cloth, while Isaiah wore his imposing armour. Both had covered their faces, Shin's mask and Isaiah's helmet. For this occasion, Shin had manipulated the light to make his mask take on the appearance of a snow white oval, adorned with a narrow black shadow. He manipulated the steady pulse of light that always flowed from the mask, to make sure it wouldn't be a beacon of light but appear like a 'normal' mask.
Slowly, making sure that Isaiah would know there was no threat in his movement, Shin stretched out his arms, showing the other that he had no swords or such on him. To clarify that he had no evil intents, Shin spoke with a hint of a grin in his voice.
"Though 'ghost' might suit me just fine, you can call me Yuu. I believe we are on equal grounds now Isaiah. Neither of us wish to hurt one another." He didn't mention the knives laid hidden in his long, narrow sleeves and boots, but then again, he did not intend to use them.
"Therefore we best attempt to find our way out of this place. We might even make it in time for the opening of the King's festival."
His senses keen on all signs of movement from either Isaiah or a third human, Shin started searching the large grotto for possible traps or exits. His feet placed carefully as always, his footsteps inaudible on the stone floor. Thus far, there appeared to be only two exits, the entrance through which Shin had come and the gap in the ceiling through which cold morning air entered the grotto. Which meant there was only one, highly unpleasant 'real' exit. A chill went up Shin's spine and he became aware once more of the fact that his clothes were still damp. Discomforts such as that had to wait however, getting out of the grotto was a higher priority.
Markul had had to suppress a sigh of relief when the man showed no ill intentions. He wouldn't be dying here after all. He listened to the ghost's, or rather, Yuu's words... and he was slightly confused. "King's festival? Where... where are we?" He asked. He had never heard of such a thing, there weren't any places that had such a thing, except maybe Gozoah, but that was 'Monarch's day.' Were... were they still on Amaryth? Or maybe... maybe he had been gone far longer than he had thought. "Tell me... this is Amaryth, correct? What is the date?..."
Yuu seemed awfully preoccupied in finding a way out, so he did the sensible thing and made sure his attention was undivided. He raised a finger in a 'hold on' gesture and turned towards the center of the room. He stomped, and stone pillars rose from the earth, creating a stairway to the hole in the ceiling. As it was completed, he dusted his hands off, breathing a bit heavier as if he had been winded. He was definitely not as powerful as he was before, such a thing would have been nearly effortless.
Shin's eyes were on stalks as Isaiah stomped a stone stairway out of the ground as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Shin had heard of the relic-geomancers employed by the Kalesian empire for construction purpose, but he had never seen them at work. Despite being out of breath for a while, Isaiah was obviously a powerful one. Remembering the question Isaiah had asked around the time when Shin began searching the grotto, he started putting one and one together. Isaiah was unsure of the time, his armour was alien, he was unnaturally tall -but then again, most Otheans were half a head taller than Shin... presumably they ate better- and he had an accent that Shin couldn't place. How long exactly had the man been a statue?
"So you're a geomancer... Isaiah. I do have to thank you for creating an escape." He made a deep bow out of gratitude and took a few moments to convert the different dates he knew before continuing.
"It's the thirtieth year of King Hrodalf the third's reign. In Oragossi years I believe this year is the 213th after their Dominion. According to Idris it would be 1003 after the Messenger, in Da-Hyun it is 312 in the reign of house Jun. I'm not too familiar with Harran and Kalnachi measurements I'm afraid. I hope any of these ring a bell?" As he spoke, he followed behind Markul on the stairs, leading up to sweet fresh air and sunlight.
Markul smirked under his helmet... though it wasn't as if he could see him do it... Geomancer, yes, the proper term. He hadn't been called that in a long while, longer than he thought, actually. "I do not wish to remain in this... hole forever, do you?" He asked, the closest he ever really got to humor. Still, he got an answer... and it confused him. The dates... he didn't recognize any of it, except... "Idris... I..."He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "More than half a millennium..." He said softly, shaking his head. "It would appear... I have slept for far longer than I had originally anticipated..."
