Hunter of Dreams

The Accomplished

I'll try get a post up today, had to work all weekend so I wasn't around much.

The Accomplished

Also in favor.

The Accomplished

Malaena had to give a mental nod of respect to the guards, they were quite well put together despite the start she had given them, settling down quickly and professionally after the initial flurry of surprise. Even now, while still faintly suspicious they seemed to believe her words about having been invited, their rigid stances relaxing ever so slightly as one of them requested to see her invitation.
Handing the ragged piece of parchment over Malaena's interest was piqued by the surroundings.

The Keep appeared to be built to stand the tests of time and the harshest of elements, while still retaining a grand elegance that was often found lacking in many castles these days. The courtyard was no doubt just as grand as the fortress, but that was left to the imagination, as it lay under a thick blanket of snow, the likes of which were quickly becoming mangled with frenzied activity as the entire place was thrown into an uproar at the arrival of so many guests all at once. Shadowy figure rushed about in the midst of the snowfall, someone hastening toward the drawbridge, then shortly after a whole group of dark riders coming into view and dismounting just around the corner. It was all fairly interesting, but Malaena's study of the fortress was interrupted by the sound of fluttering wings as another figure joined the small group of guards.

Despite how they may have been meant to come across, the words and general air of the winged woman did little to intimidate Malaena, a finely curved eyebrow arching at the less than friendly rebuke. The expression on the other woman's face was merely a formality, the type of smile that said 'Killing you would be but the smallest effort, little bug, but since I feel generous you may kiss the ground and thank me for my mercy'.

The guards hadn't even blinked an eye when she joined them, which meant she had either gotten here before everyone else and was given admittance, or she lived here. Either way it was of no consequence, no matter how much it might be expected Malaena wasn't going to cower, nor was she going to offer an apology.
Instead she opted for a route that had the potential of escalating the current scene enormously, garner a fresh enemy, or simply diffuse the situation entirely. There was always a fairly good chance that it would turn out to be the worst option of them all, but it also tended to be worth it, no matter the outcome, for such unpredictable paths lent an unexpected curve to life that kept things from becoming dull and meaningless.

"You poor darling, what ever happened that gave you the complex that you must dress to disappear into the background? You should not think so lowly of yourself as to feel that hiding is the only course of action available. You should be proud to stand out and show how unique you are." Malaena's words dripped with sincerity toward the woman, seemingly not at all ruffled by the accusation that had been directed toward her.
"A few singed edges would help marvelously to lend some much needed contrast to your current wardrobe, but if you are adverse to such a thing I guess I shall simply have to avoid every last glimmer of white next time I'm out for a leisurely glide. Oh wait . . . "

Her timing was perfect, glancing upward just as a fresh wave of swirling snow burst over the top of the fortress walls. Returning her gaze to the woman Malaena shrugged, not bothering to finish the sentence, assuming everyone was bright enough not to need her to spell it out.
She didn't wait to see if there was a rebuttal coming, choosing instead to simply walk away from the little group to see what was happening around the corner.
But, before she dropped the matter entirely, there was one more thing that needed saying and she did just that, words floating over her shoulder as she continued to walk away without so much as a backward glance.

"Oh, and next time you're off on a jaunt, since you are right on top of being entirely aware of your own surroundings, it might be advisable to get out of the way when flaming projectiles are headed in your general direction."

She almost wanted to stay and see the reaction, for the woman did not strike Malaena as being the type to leave things lie that easily, especially if she hadn't been the one to have gotten the last word in, but there were simply too many other things going on to ignore them all in favor of a heated discussion.

The chaos was almost amusing, a confusing tangle of voices and bodies that made it hard to decide what to watch first. There were the black riders ordering around people not under their command, a couple rather eccentric looking men rushing to find shelter indoors, guards attempting to gain the upper hand and sort things out in an orderly manner, or the tangled group of people currently bottle-necked down by the drawbridge.
Yet in the midst of all of that, there was something else even more intriguing.

A faint vibration had begun to roll underfoot, far too evenly spaced and steady to signal a distant avalanche or earthquake of any sort. Tipping her head slightly toward the sky Malaena listened intently, focusing on the vibrations and tuning out the commotion in front of the keep. Before long she was quite certain she could hear a sound to accompany the disturbance. A steady rhythm that very much sounded like footsteps. Very, very large footsteps.

The Accomplished

@RabidAnubis She doesn't have much control over fire in bird form, but unless she's furious (which will increase the volume of flames along her wings) she wouldn't set anything on fire by landing or taking off or things like that.

The Accomplished

Malaena

Pale moonlight filtered through expertly carved latticework of the covered walk, throwing intricate patterns of silvery light and bluish shadows over the ground, broken only by the powdery snow that danced across pale stones.
Steady, clipped footsteps broke through the howl of the wind as a slender figure emerged from the darkness, sweeping through the airy structure and up to the great black door of the first Spire.
A blast of icy wind and snow coursed through the foyer, leaving a bitter chill in the air as Malaena shoved the great door shut before turning to study the pathetic being that had blown in on her heels. She did not recognize him to be a resident of the city that sprawled beneath the shadow of the mountains, but that was hardly surprising. While she kept a close enough eye on the city and its population, she was not necessarily on such intimate terms as to know the name or face of every single soul to dwell within the walls of Heshaar.

Judging by the crust of ice that crackled and shattered into jagged pieces as he pulled himself to an unsteady stance, he had been hunkered down on the doorstep for quite some time, left to be beaten by the elements. His young face was raw from the cold and wind, eyes puffy and red as he squinted into the darkness, attempting to focus on anything other than the burning pain in his limbs.
Questioning him in his current state was obviously going to go nowhere, and Malaena heaved what could have been perceived as a long suffering sigh, stepping closer to catch his wandering attention.

"Come along then, since I've let you in you might as well stay and dry off before I send you back out." Gesturing briefly with a languid movement of her hand she swept up a flight of marble steps, disappearing around the first curve in a matter of seconds. The lad gazed after her with a vacant look, his frost numbed brain failing to keep up with simple things, such as interpreting verbal directions and movement. Eventually, however, he managed to stir himself into a painful shuffle, stumbling up the steps in a dazed sort of stupor.

The library was dark and silent, not a single torch or lamp having been left burning during her absence, leaving the vaulted room to be lit by what natural light could seep through the tall, narrow windows. Upon entering Malaena did not even glance up, weaving through the maze of columns with a practiced ease, snatching bits and pieces of parchment, quill, and ink from various shelves before settling behind the desk that sat in the middle of the room. Light seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought, a small flick of her fingers sending a faint ripple through the air, great iron chandeliers instantly flooding the room with a warm golden glow.
After all, she supposed she would have to properly thaw her visitor before he would be able to make much sense of anything.

"So tell me, what were you seeking on my doorstep in the middle of the night?" Malaena lifted her eyes from the worn pages of an ancient text to fasten the youth with a level gaze. It had been hours since he had finally drug himself into the room, bits of slush and and ice trailing up to hearth where he had collapsed. In that time his appearance had improved slightly, awareness creeping back into bloodshot eyes, a faint cloud of steam hanging about him as his damp clothing continued to dry.

"I was sent . . .m'lady, bearing a dispatch of an urgent nature. I t'was instructed to deliver it straight to your hands." A fit of sneezing prevented further explanation, and once it had passed he had forgotten whatever it was he was to have said next, instead setting to rummaging about the pockets of his cloak until he drew forth a crumpled, soggy piece of dirty parchment.

"Good heavens, they sent you all the way up the mountain for this?" Her tone was faintly amused as she accepted the dispatch, seemingly unaffected by the poor boy's fit of chills and running nose.

Parts of the letter were so blurred and distorted it was beyond ability to decipher what had once been written, but even so there yet remained enough legible lines to piece together most of what it had said.
A call for assistance was not a new experience for the woman, indeed, it was something that had gotten quite tiring in times long passed. This, however, was the first 'official' acknowledgment of her existence since returning to the Spires.

Several Days Later

Volatile winds screamed in anger as the form of a giant bird surged through snow laden skies, dipping and spinning in an effort to use the unpredictable air currents.
While any recognizable landmark had long since melted into the landscape the black mountain had been easy to spot, standing out harshly against the swirling mass of blinding snow. Slightly less obvious were the faint smudges of dark shadows creeping across the ground, all appearing to be heading in the same direction.

Joining those on the ground was a viable option, but it was not the most appealing idea ever, considering there was a good chance that personalities were going to begin to clash even before entrance to the Tower of Gold had been given. There would be enough time for that later.

Shifting directions the bird soared upward, ghosting over the top of the walled fortress and coming to land in a flurry of feathers and black shadows. Wisps of vapor lifted to reveal a cloaked woman, hands raised in a token, nonthreatening gesture as a group of guards advanced in her direction.

"Despite my rather unorthodox arrival, I was actually invited."

The Accomplished

Oh that's fine, I'm in no hurry, it's just that my character will most likely prefer flying herself to the top and avoid the whole tangle of gathering people at the bottom.

The Accomplished

Is the entrance to the keep attached to the underground passage? For instance if someone were to opt out of the conventional method of the drawbridge, would there be another way in?

The Accomplished

That is brilliant!!! I shall have to remember that :D

The Accomplished

Thank you @RabidAnubis! :) I half expected to have to change things, such in-depth character sheets aren't a strong suit of mine and I wasn't sure if her rise to power was too vague or fractured.

@The New Yorker I agree! It's so much fun to read through all these character sheets! You all are really talented, the characters look amazing!

The Accomplished

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