SlashInfinite

The Realm of Men

The Town of Lowburg

A cold shiver crawled down Eliana’s body, as the crimson fluid streamed down the chest of the young boy. He collapsed again, but this time ever so lifeless. His eyes had stiffened, staring off into the horrible nothingness. The knight retracted his blade, wiping it once again. Jonius jolted his hand into the girl’s side, signalling for her to remain silent and be off. He did not wish for them to be noted, not like this. Interfering with the business of knights was a dangerous move, especially for anyone trying to blend into the crowd. It was common sense. The shadow of the courtyard had spread to the rest of the town. A storm had brewed up, along with the dawn of the night. A gloomy mist had snuck into the streets, emptying them on its way through. The pouring rain had wetted the young woman’s almost golden hair. A few strings of her hair had fallen unto her face, running over her eyes. The teacher had already gotten up, preparing to make his way out of the cloudy alley.
Eliana wiped away the hair, taking in a deep breath and making her way up. Her feet failed her horribly, when they refused to cope with the muddy ground. She slipped back unto the mud, slamming unto the ground. The brown mud splashed up on her clothes. One of the knights immediately turned his head towards the alleyway. He drew his sword, marching towards Eliana and Jonius.

Jonius turned around, running towards the girl, harshly grapping her arm and forcing her to her feet. He almost dragged her along, the knight closing in on the two, though his plated attire slowed his approach. A shot of adrenaline streamed into Eliana’s veins, quickening her heartbeat. She kept her gaze on the hooded runner in front of her, cutting out the shouting behind her. Luckily, the rain and the wind drowned most of the knight’s roaring. They turned at the corner, by the end of the alleyway. Jonius crossed the street, and then took a right. Eliana completely lost her sense of orientation, and struggled to see her surroundings. They had ended up in a back street, with limited space, due to the closely placed houses. Eliana stopped along a wall, leaning her head against it, trying to regain her breath. Her cold breath created an almost frosty cloud as it left her mouth. She turned around, looking down the dark and rainy pathway. She could hear a faint shouting in the distance, but it seemed they had outrun the knight. Eliana wrapped her cloak around her, trying to keep the cold wind away. But she was shivering. The cold were beginning to dig into her skin, as a thousand small and icy spikes.
“We need shelter. Follow me.” Jonius spoke out, wiping the water away from his forehead. Eliana had always been fascinated by his ability to keep his head cool. It wasn’t the first time they had been chased, but she was still trying to get used to it. As an Elder Walker, Jonius had learned the trait of being a nobody. It was all about being noticed as little as possible, but still being noticed. Though obvious, people would take note of someone causing trouble, but also someone being unusually ordinary.

Eliana peaked around a corner, leading back to the main street. The storm got worse. She nodded her head, before darting off. They searched around, trying to make sense of the hanging signs in the violent rain. A lonely shadow hid in the dark, observing the town, and the fools who dared to go outside in the night. A sly smirk crawled forth on his face, as he almost faded into the dark alleys. Eliana slammed up the door, and the innkeeper looked up, raising an eyebrow at the two. Jonius approached him sternly. He exchanged a few coins with him, before waving Eliana over. He took a few steps away from the innkeeper, leaning in to Eliana.

“Have him make something to drink. Second room on the right, I’ll take care of the ritual.” He whispered, before moving up the stairs. Eliana was barely able to nod, before moving to the innkeeper’s counter. The inn was almost empty. A few drunken souls sat by their own table, and a single man had entered since Eliana and Jonius had made their entrance. “A cup of tea, if you’d be so kind.” She smiled to the innkeeper, before continuing; “Oh and, for the room you just gave him. Second on the right.” She nodded, smiling at him and handing over a few coins of bronze material. Eliana went up the stairs, finding the mentioned room, the second on the right. She carefully entered, looking down at her teacher. Jonius sat down, on his knees, his palms rested on his lap. From his eyes, a waving line of some blue essence carefully withered away, and disappeared into the thin air. His eyes were completely blue, lighting slightly up. Eliana silently closed the door behind her, taking a seat on a chair. She observed him for a few minutes, until someone knocked on the door. She got up and opened the it only a little. The innkeeper handed her a cup, filled with a golden liquid, having a scent of honey and some berries she couldn’t quite make out. He wasn’t smiling, but seemed mostly interested in just getting his night sleep and perhaps a mug of ale. She quickly accepted the cup, closing the door afterwards.

Jonius was already on his feet again, and held out his hand for the cup, rubbing his forehead slightly.
“The boy was gone. I found the father, however. He got there safely. “ He sighed and took a sip of the tea, sitting down by the edge of the. Eliana crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. “He was gone? You couldn’t find him?” she asked, her voice being lowered and speaking in a careful tone. Jonius simply shook his head. “Might’ve run off to his old home or something. He was scared. I’ll try again tomorrow, you’ll come with me.” He nodded, taking a few more sips of the tea. Eliana sighed, moving to a bookshelf, scanning the titles. She raised an eyebrow. “Why keep books, when most of the common people can’t even read?” she pondered. “Is it just common courtesy?” She kept on looking at the books, muttering the titles for herself. Jonius was teaching her to read , though she struggled slightly with the words. “Jonius?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Her eyes enlarged. The cup dropped to the floor, smashing into a hundred pieces. Jonius slammed unto the wood, almost being caught by Eliana’s arms. She rushed to him, turning him around, desperately shaking him. From his eyes ran a green liquid, continuing down his cheeks. The skin around his mouth had swollen up, veins on the brink of popping out. His eyebrows twitched slightly, along with his hand. Eliana slapped her hand on his cheek, almost hyperventilating. A lone tear ran down her red cheek, as she started sniffling. She muttered his name, over and over. When she didn’t receive a response, she tried again, lifting him up. “Come on! … It’s just a bad dream. You’re-… You’re all right. I’ve got you. Don’t worry…” she whispered, stroking his hair. She begged, pleaded and almost shouted his name again and again. She felt the lifelessness overtake him, but not once did she stop rocking him, trying to control her breathing and wake him up.

The Realm of Men

The blonde woman sat passively and adjusted the strap on her leather glove. The leatherwork was rather neat. The glove was of dark leather, tightened and slightly reinforced by the knuckles. Nothing fancy, just a little toughened on the front. She nodded to herself, leaning back in the chair, scanning the inn for the Elder Walker. Three knightly looking men had entered the inn. All without their helmet on, but rather strapped to their waist. The first one stood tall, with short brown hair, ending just above his two ebony eyes. He rested his right hand lightly on the hilt of his longsword. Eliana kept her eyes locked on the man. She eyed him from top to toe, looking for a sigil. However, the knight interrupted her almost rude stare. He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a rather neutral look. Eliana calmly turned her head to the guests. They stopped the dancing, turning around to the knights. A steady silence filled the room. The knights took heavy steps into the gathering, their eyes darting around the crowd. Jonius stood by the counter, looking over his shoulder, getting a good view at the knights.

Eliana crossed her legs, laying a hand in the other, and resting them in her lap. Despite her former nervous behaviour, she managed to stay rather calm. She simply observed the tincans, having a faint feeling of the reason of the sudden appearance. The large innkeeper shuffled out form the counter, wiping his hands and walking towards the three men. They exchanged a few words. As the smalltalk went on, the innkeeper’s face turned more and more pale. He nodded a single time, looking towards a man and a young boy in the crowd. The first knight jerked his head towards them. The two other knights swiftly went towards the man and his son, grabbing them by their arms and dragging them along. A panic spread in the inn. Eliana froze in her place, blinking at the event, as an unknown number of women started screaming. Several men tried to stop the men, shouting that it was a misunderstanding and cruel. The walking bulwarks shoved them away, roaring the peasants away. Eliana got up, walking in a swift pace towards Jonius. The sea of people flocked outside the inn. Rain poured down ruthlessly. Eliana stormed outside, squeezing through the gathering. The man and his boy had been forced to their knees.

The two knights had drawn a shortsword each. The tower of a man turned towards the crowd and scoffed. He shook his head and turned towards his companions.

“Bring them outside the gates, with the rest of the bodies. Get a bonfire going when the rain has settled.” He waved them away.

A girl stepped forward, her eyes red and her face covered in uncontrollable tears. She cried out at the knight, shouting incomprehensible swears and cursing, leaping towards the man and slamming away at his breastplate. She had already been covered in mud, her clothes being splashed and torn. The knight simply threw his backhand at her, easily hurling the small girl to the ground. He looked back at the crowd.

“Lerman Smith and his son had been found guilty of performing demonic arts in the very heart of our nation. In the name of the King Leofric and the Realm, they will be sentenced to the sword. That is a mild punishment for what they’d do with our own!” the knight shouted, keeping his voice at a calm level however. He gracefully cut a small rope by his waist, letting a small pouch drop to the mud with a metallic sound releasing from inside the leathery container.
A pathetic soul limped forward, picking up the coins and stuffing it in his pouch. With a nonchalant turn, the knight took his leave.
As soon as they had gathered, the crowd disbanded.
The cold air rushed through Eliana, leaving a cold sensation throughout her entire system. She took in a deep breath, stuffing her arms around herself. The price for being accused of magic was harsh, in the entire Realm. Not just the Northlands. She grabbed her wooden staff, planting it in the ground, before setting off, Jonius steadily walking behind her. Her staff was engraved with markings and symbols, whilst having a dark and brown colour to it. It was crafted from Elderwood, an incredibly sturdy and tough wood, found outside the Realm. Crafted by a weaponsmith within the Spiritwalkers, it was imbued with an ancient figure, placed in the wood itself.
Eliana sped up. She ran along the houses and buildings, keeping the two knights in sight. She looked over her shoulder for her teacher. However he was nowhere to be seen, whether or not this was intended, remained a mystery to her. She crossed the muddy ground in a light jog, stopping by a large wall on the other side. Quirking her head around a corner, she saw the four individuals heading into a court covered in the nightly shadow.

She took light steps along the wall, kneeling down before the opening of the courtyard. Once again forced to the ground, the father had now gone silent. The knights still had their swords out. The cold blade calmly connected with the lower chin of the father, lifting his chin slightly up. With a swift and cold thrust, the knight danced the blade through the throat of the man. Eliana quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening up. A faint cloud of thin blood squirted out of the back of the man’s neck. The boy cried out, collapsing unto the ground. Though dragged up by one of the knights, his cries became desperate screams. The knight pulled out his sword, giving it a hard jerk, to wip some of the blood off of it. The boy was locked down.
Eliana rose to her full height, about to charge forward. But a hard force knocked her down, keeping her down and covering her mouth. Jonius, stared into her eyes, shaking his head.

She turned her head to the scene again, just in time to see the blade darting forward again, and releasing the familiar scarlet cloud.

The Realm of Men

The Northern Border

A cold wind sailed across the land. The few remaining leaves blew with the breeze, slowly descending to the stiff and frosty ground. A boot stepped lightly on the ground. A hooded figure stood by a lonely tree. Covered in cloth and leather from top to toe, only leaving its eyes uncovered, it stood there and waited. The young woman observed the land with a steady gaze. She closed her eyes and breathed in the refreshing air, nodding steadily to herself.

A distant sound stopped her moment of harmony, causing her to spin about on her heels rather quickly. Whilst narrowing her eyes, she scanned the abandoned landscape. Her eyes widened by the sight of another lonely figure. With a swift pace she made her way towards the wanderer.
As she neared him, she slowed down. The lonely figure was a fair height. A man, most likely in his late-forties, firmly struck his staff into the ground. He gracefully bowed down to greet the girl. She returned the gesture a bit hastily, pulling down the cloth covering her mouth.

“You’re worried.” The man calmly declared, inspecting the expression on her face. She nodded a few times. There was no reason to attempt to lie to him; he knew her far too well.

“Very well.” He started again. “Let us go then. No time to waste.”

The two set off in a solid walk towards the forest. It was empty. It wasn’t just a loss of animals, but colour. Eliana grimaced. She had never been fond of the sight of the dead forest. No leaves, no life, no nothing. Her teacher, Jonius turned his head, eyeing her. Without a word he simply returned to his careful walk. After many wordless minutes, they came to an end, an opening in the forest. The two stopped. Their eyes almost examined the horizon simultaneously. Long, endless marshlands waited ahead of them.

“Jonius.” Eliana whispered carefully. He looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow before nodding steadily.

“It isn’t safe. The Northlands despises us. They have eyes and ears everywhere. They’ll know what we are the second we step inside a town. We’ll be dead before sunri-“ Eliana bursted out, almost shaking in her voice. But before she could continue, Jonius interrupted her.

“So will they. The north won’t hold out against the increasing attacks. The living is dying, and the dead is rising. The souls do not gain rest as they should.” Jonius looked towards the distance, spotting the top of a building. He straightened his back, and clasped his hands behind his back. “You feel it.” He proclaimed. “The souls, the injustice, the unrest, the hunger, the rage and the frustration. All of it.”

He turned around.

“You have nothing to fear, least of all death. You have already seen it. Our kind knows what’s beyond. They do not, that’s why they’re afraid. It isn’t of death, but of the unknown. We have to be the torch in the cave, you see? We have to lead the way for them. That cannot be if we do not travel into the heart of danger. They may not see it as we do, but nonetheless, we must do what we’re here for.” He took in a deep breath, and spun around again before she had a chance to speak a word.

“Come now. We have a long way ahead of us.”

The two trotted off into the distance, towards the town.

Later

The town was a fair size. Build with a smaller wall around the town; it kept the unwelcome at bay. Eliana held a firm grip on her wooden staff, doing her best to remain calm.
Next to both sides of the large gate, two tall watchtowers stood proud. A guardsman stood up, looking down at the two.

“State your names and your business!” he shouted.

Jonius stepped forward. “We seek rest and refugee before the cold night arrives! Me and my niece here are in need of shelter! We have coins to pay with!”

The guardsman leaned on the edge, before firmly shouting again.

“Your names!”

Eliana’s view shifted from the guardsman to Jonius. They weren’t known nor hunted, but rumours could spread faster than fire in a dry forest.

“Jonius and Eliana Baker!” he finally announced.

The gate opened up, as the guardsman wrote down the names of the two in a small book. The gate closed behind them. The young woman saw several banners in the town. All of the same colour and sigil. The elusive King Averheim.

Jonius scoffed.

“The King’s men are in town. Watch yourself.” He said as the two trudged down the streets. “Remember, your name is Baker.”

She nodded, but a shiver went down her spine. She was uneasy. The Northlands were new to her. And they had never stood with open arms to magi, or Walkers.
They headed towards a tavern. Mildy busy, the two snuck inside. Eliana pulled down her hood, running a hand through her hair. She peaked around in the room, letting out a sigh. No knights, no officials.

Eliana went ahead and found a pair of chairs. The mood was good. People were singing, drinking and dancing. But she still kept an open eye. Jonius had gone off to fetch them something to drink. Eliana looked towards the entrance, narrowing her eyes.
She shook her head. Nothing. She opened up her bag, searching around in it. She had always kept very her things in order. Jonius had taught her so. No time to be searching for all your things when you’re in a hurry, he’d say.
But again Eliana looked up. A sound of metallic boots could be heard outside the inn. She stiffened. They had not spotted any of the king’s men on the way in. Not yet, at least.

The Realm of Men

Currently Involved:
@Ryan
@Wagon
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The Realm of Men

Name: Eliana Metilius
Age: Mid-twenties
Gender: Female

Bio: Eliana's connection to the Afterlife was discovered of an early age, whilst still unknown wether or not she could be taught the arts, or do so hidden from the opposers of magic. The Elder Walker, simply known as Jonius, took her in before she had passed six winters. Barely ever meeting another Walker, Eliana was taught by Jonius. However, due to the state of the Realm, and the general feeling towards magi, the studies took long. Jonius often shifted into the world between the living and the dead, known as the Void. Here, in the grey and darkened dimension of the Realm, spirits would wander aimlessly, unless led to the Afterlife by a Spiritwalker. As Eliana grew older, she was allowed to travel with him, even though the sight of the lost and wandering souls could be nightmarish.
Title: Spiritwalker Asipirant

My Hider

Possible concept art of Eliana.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298715387764796353/sent/?sender=298715525192753884&invite_code=4606987c271d5b7c272a81db673a371d

The Realm of Men

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The Realm of Men

The Realm of Men

The world

Commonly referred to as “The Realm of Men” is one of the few continents, mostly inhabited by humans. The Realm is commonly sorted into 3 parts: The Northern Kingdoms, the Central Kingdoms, and the Southern Nations.
In the Realm, different kings, queens, Lord-Regents and principalities reign.
The north are filled with marshlands and rolling hills, evergreen forests and is grim and inhospitable place. The further one travels south, the more lush the nature gets.

A few islands are found around the Realm, whose views on magic are different than those of the mainland.

Should one be brave (or foolish) enough to sail across the furious ocean, one would find one of the other continents, those uninhabited worlds referred to as ‘The Outworlds’. Here, nothing is for certain. Unimaginable nightmarish creatures supposedly roam the lands, leaving nothing behind in their path. 
The nature rules in the Outworlds, but there are legends of forgotten and abandoned kingdoms of old. 

Magi and magic

In the Realm, magi and magic are almost pure legend. The few remaining magi are hunted down, due to mistrust and accusations from the common people and the rulers. While magic was very much common a long time ago, they are almost extinct now.
A special group of magi, known as the Spiritwalkers, are hiding among the common people. The Spiritwalkers are just as mistrusted as the common magi. Accused of necromancy, demonic arts, and the like, they are constantly hunted.

However, the Spiritwalkers are tasked with bringing the souls of the dead to the Afterlife. Should a soul be left alone in the Void, it will eventually find it’s way back to it’s former body, and rise up again in the world of Living, as an undead. Being able to shift between the three dimensions, the Living, the Void, and the Afterlife. According to rumours, should one murder a Spiritwalker with a heated blade, they would gain their power. Criminals and bounty hunters seek this power, thinking they can use it for their own good. Spiritwalkers are essential for peace, but distrusted for magic.

Generally, magi are considered evil.

Situations

While there are no major conflicts between the humans, the mainland still despises the lonely Island nation, known as Valentus. Valentus supports magi, and lets them use their home for safety.
Undead has become a dangerous problem in the North. Souls are finding their corpse and comes back to life, since death is common in this part of the Realm. Aimless, furious, and hungering, the dead rises and attacks all living along their way.

Due to an earlier conflict with the south, the north harbour a lot of living dead. Wandering the borders of the northern region, trade is difficult and almost impossible.

The conflict also caused King Leofric to construct forts along his borders, to protect his land from any undead or further Southern incursion.

The Living, the Void, and the Afterlife

The three dimensions, listed above, are all variations of the same world. However, the Living is the commonly known world, most people don’t know or believe there is anything else. The Void, is a grey and darkened version of the world, and it is here the souls of the dead wander, unless taken to the Afterlife, or brought back to life in the world of the Living. What exists in the Afterlife is uncertain. Only Spiritwalkers have seen what resides there. But souls of the dead rests in the Afterlife, in their own realm.

A Girl and Her Dragon (SlashInfinite and MurderVictim)

Don't stress yourself ^___^ I've got plenty of time!

A Girl and Her Dragon (SlashInfinite and MurderVictim)

His eyes flew around as they went downstairs. Curiosity stroke the young reptile, causing him to do a few attempts of getting down. When they arrived to the kitchen, he was placed down. The tail slowly starting waving around, as the dragon stumbled around. He started sniffing various things in the kitchen - not moving out of it, however. Whether or not he understood the command, or it simply didn’t cross the young creature’s mind, was unclear.

At the shop…

The shopkeeper sat hopelessly against the counter, barely having gotten any sleep all night. The empty bottle standing by his side, with his eyes staring at the closed door, of his peculiar shop. A small orb laid by his other side, having a faint blueish glow. He had gone to last resort. It frightened him, but compared to what could happen if that dragon grew up-… it was necessary. His eyes were locked straight on the orb, the glow disappearing entirely. While filled with fear, he turned his head.
A hooded figure stood in front of him. It was dressed in a blue trenchcoat, with silver lines running down over it, like a waterfall.

The face was darkened, though a few strings of brown hair lay out through the front of the hood, by the shoulders of the figure. The arms were crossed, and the head bend down towards the shopkeeper.

“I-… it could be anywhere. But… it’s gone. I know what it means to you, I truly do. It’s-… it’s why I called for you.” he dared not to make eye contact with the figure, merely staring down at him.
Within a few seconds, the hooded figure turning it’s head; looking out through the open door.

The voice was low and careful, a hint of fear hidden within the words.
“It’s out there then? Do they know?” the voice of a young female asked, returning the attention back to the shopkeeper, shaking his head.
She nodded at him, before continuing.

“They still don’t know of me, then? I’d like to keep it that way. You know exactly how they feel about my kind - our kind, I suppose it is now. With the egg gone from the hands of a magi, it must already have hatched.” she shuddered, burying her arms around herself.

“I’ll look for it. If it discovers -… when it discovers it’s abilities, I’ll feel it, surely. It’ll lead me to it, I hope… It pains me that this is the fate of the only other one of my kin-…” she sighed, before being interrupted by the shopkeeper, who had a frown on his face.

“You told me your -kin- did not wish to be compared to the kin of the egg. You said they were considered enemies -“ he rushed in his words, now being interrupted by the woman, who seemed to be raising her voice.

“It was centuries ago! When there were -more- of us! I know what I said, but I cannot speak of myself as a higher being than him. If he grows up, becomes a full-grown dragon, I’ll stand no chance. His fate is sealed. If we do not prevent it, he won’t just be the end of me, but of everything.” she leaned down, kneeling down to the shopkeeper.

“The dragons of Cairmere made a deal with the Aspect of Corruption. Eventually, the aspect will know of his existence, and continue the deal he had with the ancient dragons of old. His mind will be destroyed - and his powers greatly increase.” she rose up, pulling down her hood and revealing a young female face, with thing brown hair running down to her shoulders. A light-blue emblem sat upon her forehead, with a pair of small wings, and swords crossing over them.

“There only so much us of Nellewair are able to do. I do not know the ways of my ancestors - the dragons of Nellewair - but I know enough about those of Cairmere. Unless there are more dragons hiding like me, hidden in your society-… The man you work for, the one who fights against all dragons - he cannot know of me. He does not realize that you cannot simply hunt a dragon. You -need- me. We both do.”

She paused again, the shopkeeper nodding several times at her. She spun around, facing the outdoors again.

“I pray that we won’t be too late.”

A few years later, back at the farm.

A series of tables were lined up, almost like a little airstrip. It was a clear day, the animals walking happily outside. The farm was left to Grace and the dragon, as Grace’s father was out to some farming convention.
By the end of the tables, the dragon stood ready. His body had grown - quicker than a normal animal, but he was still years away from being fully grown. Over the year, he had been attempted to be trained. He was almost capable of even saying a word or two. It was more a mix of a roar, and the actual word; rather than a proper pronunciation.

“Morghnm!” the dragon blurted out, wagging his tail happily around. He even jumped in his place, before starting to run quickly over the line of outdoor tables. Almost stumbling along the way, soon being by the end of the tables, he attempted to take off. He jumped off, spreading his fairly small wings out.

For a short second, it seemed like he was going to actually fly, but after not flapping his wings even once, he fell unto the ground again with a loud thud, growling in annoyance at his failed attempt.

A Girl and Her Dragon (SlashInfinite and MurderVictim)

I'll take care of it. Like, a couple of years, or what?

EDIT: So... I started working on the post, and decided to introduce another character. Also the post will be quite long, as I took the opportunity of doing some background on the dragons. :3 Hope you're fine with it! My idea was like;

She'd be a dragon as well, but been hiding from anyone interested in killing dragons, and be an acquaintance of the shopkeeper, wanting to prevent any disaster Archillius might cause in the future, being able to assist the shopkeeper in tracking down Archillius and Grace - since she'd know of the whole fate of the him. While the organization that the shopkeeper works for, wants to eliminate all dragons - good or evil.
If you wanted to, you could take control of her later, when she was present again. If you don't like it, we won't do it :3