Vardian's Epiphany

[Vardian Custodio]

Vardian was flying through the cold, cloudly sky, soaring just beneath the line of clouds that was hovering ominously across te vast expanse of deep ocean. The water moving in fluid waves far below him. His wings beat constantly, and he had been flying to a long time.

"Its not this way," he said to himself with a sigh as he pulled himself into a hover, falling out of the clouds and looking at the dark below him. He couldn't see anything except for some very solid clouds on the horizon. A storm was coming.

He looked again at the large coin in his hands for the thousandth time. Nothing had changed. The rubies still the same, although he had long flown out past the edges of its border. At the moment he was far beyond the reached of any map, and any ship had ever been in history. This was a world that no creature of Tarantara had ever been to. And there was nothing here but the endless expanse of water and cloud.

He held the compass up to the light and studied the lines. They all pointed off in random directions, and Vardain had found that they could be turned around across the face of the compass. Although the rubies would only allow the lines to move so far. And he just couldn't find a way that they all alligned. Although he had found a way that most of them had pointed to, and here he was... with nothing here.

He looked up at the thick clouds again to the horizon, but they hadn't moved an inch. Vardian frowned and looked again at the compass. The lines were all pointing in roughly the same direction, but the other one was off the right. Vardian looked up at the clouds again and stared harder at them. From here they looked almost... solid.

Vardian glanced back at the compass and finally saw the pattern on the face of the compass. Finally it all made sense to him. For so long he had thought that the lines were pointing on the direction of the beast's island. For so long he had thought that the lines were arrows. But they weren't. He wrapped a finger around one of them. They were handles.

He pulled hard and the entire front of the compass shattered off. The rubies and white metal lines falling to the ground in pieces. The entire pearl facing exploded out in tuny shards and glimmered as they fell down. Vardain shook off the remaining fragments and looked in the hollow coin. There was a tiny ball inside and Vardian lifted it out, letting the coin fall out of his fingers and to the sea far below.

The angel was almost surprised to see the ball light dimly and float off his finger. It flitted in the air and hovered a moment in front of his eyes. Vardian was almost entranced by its brilliance before it turned and blasted off towards the solid clouds noiselessy.

"What are these creatures?" he asked himself aloud. They were capable of such astounding technology. What were they?

As he followed the orb, his beacon, he knew that he was right. The solid clouds weren't clouds at all. They were a haxy landmass, torched grey by thousands of fires and blotched by age. Vardian realised with beating wings and heart, that he had found the home of these brutes...

[Vardian Custodio]

Ooc: Okay, obviously I'm proposing that he has just found the beast's lands. Which are located over the seas to the south-west of Tarantara. Not too far, because Vardian wouldn't be able to fly forever. I proposed that it was a barren place, very volatile, but still reasonably fertile so that they could support their own army. I was thinking that the entire island could be like on large fortress... maybe?

Admin's choice...

[Ceriden]

OOC: Sounds good. Ill post with Ceriden too so he can actually be rping with someone. Also, sorry this is so late, i kind of forgot this was here.

Ceriden's flipper was aching; this was the longest swim in the open ocean she had ever done. She could barely keep up with Varidian who seemed to never tire. Luckily, the ocean currents moved with her, and the water was slightly warmer, soothing her achy muscles. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Varidian stopped. Ceriden did not think that he knew she was there, so she popped her grey head above the water and gave a sharp bark, letting him know that he was not alone. As she surfaced, an large chunk of metal rapped her on the head. Stunned, she looked around her, just in time to see the chunk of the map fall down to the deep blue below her. That was not expected she thought to herself as she quickly dunked her head to soften the pain. It was soon gone, and she resurfaced again, looking up above her, waiting for Varidian to see the small form of a seal below him.

[Vardian Custodio]

Vardian turned in the air when he heard the bark and saw Ceriden in the water far below him. He had to supress what might have been considered suprise at her sight, he would not have expected anyone to be able to follow him out this far into unknown territories. Physically he could easily outfly a dragon when he had to, but he hadn't been flying as fast as he could. Still, it was an astounding feat for the selkie to be able to keep up. She must have been an unbelievable swimmer.

He raised a hand to the orb to stop it so far in the distance, and he felt it tug at the force of his mind, willing to fly on, but Vardian held it at bay with his power. The orb hovered in the air about half a league away in the sky, always trying to move on, but held back.

Vardian wheeled and flew down to Ceriden below him. "I must say, you are one of a kind my queen. Its not often a selkie can claim to swim as fast as an angel can fly."

He indicated with his hand towards the tiny glowing orb in the distance, "I fear that I might have just discovered this isle of these beasts. I am going to see what it is, will you accompany me?"

[Ceriden]

Ceriden smiled in a way only a seal can when Vardian finally took notice of her. She watched as he stopped some sort of orb midway in the air, and then he swooped down to her. Knowing that he was not so good at deciphering her seal language, she decided to keep things simple and answered with a happy bark and a nod of her head. The thought of reaching land was very appealing to her, where at least she could find a little rest when she transformed into her human shape. She would be ready to figure out what these creatures were up to, though, wether she was achy or not.

She dunked her head back into the water, letting the coolness roll across her back as it arched across the surface. With a quick flip of her tail she was off, heading in the direction that the now- stopped orb was going. She knew it would be easy for Vardian to catch up to her, because he was barley winded from the trip here, and she was huffing and puffing. A stream of bubbles flew behing her, and popped near her tail. She swam near the surface, so she could easily breath and check on the progress. In a few more miles, they would reach the shore, where unknown wonders and horrors would greet them.....

[Vardian Custodio]

Now that he thought about it, Vardian was glad for the company. And he couldn’t really think of any other creature he’d rather have at his side than Ceriden right now.

He swooped low, taking her body language for approval, following her across the water, his wing tips kicking up tiny splashes as they brushed the swelling water with each beat. With a motion of his hand, the orb was released of its bonds and it shot off again. Shakily at first, but faster once it regained itself.

”I wonder if that is a living creature,” he thought aloud as he watched the orb in front of him, but he wasn’t sure if Ceriden would hear him beneath the waves. ”It would explain its sense of perception.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the shores of the island, and it looked far more unsettling up close. The land was cracked and tortured to a steel gray. Whatever plant life grew there was dark and twisting… dead-looking. He guided the Selkie towards a sheltered bay where they could enter the island unseen.

He landed as silently as possible on the black sand, thicker and coarser than normal, and waited for Ceriden to emerge from the water…

[Ceriden]

The deep rythem of the seas muffled all sounds from above, a compleatly different world. She could see the shadow of Vardian on the shallowing water below her, and the pair entered a small bay, where the water was only about 15 feet deep. The visibility was good in her seal eyes, but to a human, the water would be murky, and had a brownish tint. She changed to her human form quickly, and surfaced, her clothes dripping slightly. She stuffed her seal pelt in its usual hidden pocked and swam easily to where Vardian stood. Her wet shoes were becoming cumbersome, so she took them off, also putting them in her pocket. She could walk more silently barefooted than shoed anyway.

"Well Vardian, does this little orb lead us anywhere else, or shall we explore on our own. Maybe we can find these Ancients that Lakeith was talking about. What do you think?" She said, her voice still puffing slightly after her long swim.

If these people could fight the beasts effectivly, it would be essential to find them, and learn what they did. But would they help them? She looked around at her suroundings, the barren lanscape scaring her eyes. She was used to the lush life underwater and on the Nirrodian Islands, and this was the compleate opposite. She and Vardian were total strangers here, and the Natives might not react to them as well as they could hope for.

OOC: Ok, we still have to name this place, I'll leave that honor too you, because you are the one who nitially found this place. If you want, you can have one of the creatures or ancients that they meet say the name, so Vardian doesnt have to make it up. But its up to you.

[Vardian Custodio]

ooc: I’m sure I can come up with something

Vardian looked up at the sky, but the glowing orb was nowhere in sight. Last he had seen of it it had been hovering just off shore, but now it was gone. ”I doubt we can rely on that tiny creature any longer.”

He peered up at the sky, estimating that they had about a quarter of a day’s worth of light left before night fell on them. ”We have to keep moving if we want to find these Ancients. Especially if we are to make any progress today.” He looked around, trying to see a landscape marking they could aim for. Off in the distance he spied some particularly high cliff faces, and figured that was better than nothing. At least they would have a good view of the surrounding area.

”I can’t fly here. I would be seen too easily.” So with that he set off on foot towards the high cliffs. ”Ceriden, If I may ask, if this comes to war, how are the Selkie’s prepared for it? The Men have armies upon armies which they’ll summon at the first whisper of an enemy. I’ll add that they have as well.”

“Lakieth and the beasts should easily be about to amass a force, faster than any other I would imagine. The Dwarves, Goblins and Herena however are more difficult to predict…” They had quite some walking left, and this was a better topic than most others…

[Ceriden]

Ceriden followed Vardian's gaze to the cliffs, noting a small but very steep path that may bring them to the top. They would have to climb part of the way, but it was mostly strait foreward.

As they began walking, Ceriden listened intently to Vardian's question. "Our numbers are very few, I have not seen any of my subject since our last gathering, and that was a few years ago. We are mostly solitary from each other, but when it comes time for us to rally, we band together. As humans on land, we are perhaps not the greatest of all warriors, but we can fight if we have to. But, in the sea, where we belong, there are not many things that can stop us. We have figured out that these creatures can go in the water, and we could probably fight them effectivly if we were prepared." She paused for a second, realizing how weak her numbers were. Glancing down at her bare feet, which were covered with dust and sand, her mind wandered slightly to the meeting two years ago. There was no less than 50 selkies left in all of Tarantara, including whatever regions had not yet been discovered by man. Her race seemed to be slowly dieing, and she did not know why.

"We still have some sea creatures that would rally with us, if they felt threatened enough. But the sea is it's own world, and it is mostly left untouched by the land's qurrels. To be honest Vardian, this war would devistate the selkie's already dwindling population. That is why I came with you to find these Ancients. If they have a way to fight these beast with a minimum of casualties, I want to learn it. If the selkies go to war without it, I fear that our numbers may never recover." She sighed deeply, a sudden melancholy coming into her manner that was compleatly uncharacteristic.

They had reached the bottom of the cliffs,and she reached up with her hand, grabbing the first handhold and pulling herself up to the steep path. Almost imidiatly a small boulder blocked her way. With a leap, she scrambled atop it and waited for Vardian.

[Vardian Custodio]

Vardian climbed up beside Ceriden on the cliff face, and reached up to grab another hand-hold. ”I remember when the Selkie’s were as numerous as Men. Back then they were far less solitary creatures, and they moved in large families, not alone.” He sighed as he used a quick push with his wings to grab a high ledge. ”Time changes so much.”

He leant back to the ledge, lending a hand down to Ceriden to make the jump. ”Whatever Ancients may be here, I doubt they will have the power to destroy these creatures without a war. However I cannot deny that their power may be invaluable, whatever it may be…”

Ascending was easier than the angel would have believed. He wasn’t used to it, obviously, seeing as he could fly, but the rocks were so battered and cracked that everywhere you looked there was a perfect foot hold waiting for you. When they were about half way up, he turned to look at the view. It wasn’t as far as it would be at the top, and the sea-side was blocked by enormously tall and dead-looking trees. ”It would be interesting to see how advanced these brutes are in truth. If the map is any indication, well then, I’m not looking forward to finding out.”

”Do not fear for your kind yet, dear Ceriden. They are more resilient than most other races in this world…”

[Ceriden]

Cailen smiled slightly at Vardian, glad for the compliment on her race. Those troubles had been pressing on her mind fo a long time, and she was glad to tell someone about it. And who better than an angel?

"Yeah, it will be interesting. That sphere and map were pretty advanced." She agreed heartily with Vardian, and though she was excited to see what wonders of technology thius land held, a deep sence of foreboding had sparked in her heart. There was something about this land that was not welcoming. It was not so much the stark barrenness of the land, but the cloud of hostility that seemed to hover over the two.

She had to admit though, the view was stunning. The land may be barren, and the sea murky, but just beyond the coastline, the sea sparkled in the bright sun, and a few lazy clouds had drifted into the sky. But she soon tre herself away from the veiw and continued her assent. A few times the rocks below her weakened and she lost her footing, but the grip in her hands was true, and she did not fall. She soon fell into the technigue of climbing, adf made a habit of testing each and every hand and foot hold. This method soon brought her safely to the top, and she sat down, her feet dangling over the ledge.

The bottom of her right foot had a slight cut in it from a stray sliver of rock, but it was very minor and did not inhibit her in any way. She gazed around her while she waited for Vardian, scanning the flat horizon for any signes of habitation.

[Vardian Custodio]

Vardian reached up with his hand for a hold, and pulled his weight up with it. But not a second later, the rock crumbled under his hand and fell away, throwing his balance out. He slipped down the face, his left leg clamoring along the stone for a purchase, and losing his grip with his other hand. He failed and started to hurtle down towards the earth far below.

The angel sighed and spread his wings, cursing his clumsiness, and flew the remaining height up the cliff face, being sure to keep close to it. He landed beside the Cheiftainess and quickly folded his wings down to avoid detection. ”Somethings wrong here,” he noted aloud as he looked across the vast view. ”Look Ceriden, there are no settlements at all. No cities, no forts, no brutes… theres just… nothing.”

He cast a thought back, wondering if he had the wrong island. ”Could that map have been a decoy? To lead a pursuer on a wild chase to give them time?” Maybe that was the entire purpose of that brute they had killed earlier had been sent to Tarantara. He walked over to the rock wall, and thought about it harder, trying to find flaws in his logic.

But he found none…

”Damn it!” he hit his fist onto the rock, and it shuddered strangely, booming with a deep resounding thud. He took his hand away, and there was a deep indent where he had punched, but that wasn’t what had caught his attention so suddenly. He put his ear to the indent and listened, took it away and thought a little, putting his ear back to it. ”Oh lord…”

The angel took off and circled down to where he had fell off earlier, to look at his shattered hand hold. All that was left was a gaping hole in the rock, with nothingness on the other side. He put his arm through and felt around the edges of it. It’s hollow! he pulled his hand out, hovering in the air for a moment. The whole island is hollow!

”Ceriden!” He flew back up and landed next to her. ”Ceriden! The whole island is hollow. Theres a massive cavern beneath us! Look!” He waved his hand out to the side and in a flash his gleaming glaive was in his hand. He spun it until the white hot blade was pointing downwards, grabbed it with both hands and thrust it into the rock. It passed straight through to air on the other side, leaving a small hole in the canalled rock. He pulled the weapon out and it disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared.

”That’s why we can’t see any up here! That’s why we haven’t been found yet! They reside beneath the earth, underground!” He looked at the wound in the rock. ”The cavern down there must be massive. Easily able to support millions of the beings.”

He looked again to the view, ”It explains why Lakieth’s Ancients could survive here. They must have found refuge somewhere on the surface, somewhere hidden, away from the brutes. Ceriden, this could make fighting them extremely difficult…”

[Ceriden]

Ceriden swiftly layed down on her stomach, dangling the upper half of her torso of the ledge, peering upsideown at the hole Vardian had discovered.

"By the Kraken's claw... that's incredible!" She said, awestruck. An entire civilization, living below the earth, sealed away from the sun. She had never heard of anything like it.

"Vardian, what should we do? Should we try to find a way in? It would be very dangerous, considering we have no idea of what it is like down there... but I dont knowwhat else we could do. It's pretty clear that there is nothing for us above the ground." She scanned around her, as if accenting her point, and still her eyes only met an orangish brown landscape.

She stood up again, brushing the dust away from the cloth that was wrapped tightly around her. She began to walk the peramiter of the cliff, and the platform they were on was not that large. But, on the far end, there was a boulder, that looked slightly out of place. For starters, the bottom and edges were very smooth, and it was not attached to the cliff at all. Also, near the boulder was scuff marks in the dust, as if the boulder had been pushed. Ceriden stared at it, her big black eyes gazing intently, when it began to move. She jumped back, startled, and look back at the angel. "Vardian!" She called, "Look!" The boulder was now moving steadily, and a black hole apperared below it. She began to back up, looking around her for somewhere to hid, but there was no where to go but down. What were they going to do?

The boulder was suddenly pushed compleatly out of the way, and a slim figure popped out of the hole, a small child, whos shape was human. She had very pale skin, and her hair was almost white. She lept out of the hole, and looked around her madly. She caught sight of Ceriden and Vardian and squeeked in fright. She began to run toward the edge of the cliff, and as she ran, Ceriden noticed a long cape billowing behind her slim figure. Ceriden was about to say something when something else appeared out of the whole.

At first all that could be seen was a copper colored helmet, with twin horns emerging in the front. Then came the rest of the beast, its long scaly arms grabbing the cliffside to pull itself up. It was smaller than the one Ceriden had fought by the sea, but even so, it was huge.

The girl stopped short and looked behind her at the beast, and then, without another word, she jumped off the cliff.

Ceriden cried out, fearing for the girl, and wondering why she would do something so foolish. But her sound brought the beast's head around, and it stared at Ceriden and Vardian for a second, curiosity in its souless eyes.

Then suddenly, it shrieked and began to run toward them, its club raised.

Ceriden turned to Vardian as she ran to the edge that the girl had jumped from. "We must kill it! It has seen us!" She spared a second to look over the cliff, but she did not know why. Nobody could survive a fall like that. But she was surprised to see a thin trail of dust leading away from the cliff.

Ceriden did not spare another second to ponder though, for the beast was charging. She drew her twin viking swords, and ran between its legs, so she was at its back.

[Vardian Custodio]

Vardian watched the girl curiously as she ran to the edge of the cliff, and she stopped to look back, and it was then that Vardian saw the beast pull itself up to their level, emerging from the darkness far below.

”Ceriden!” He swung his arm to the side and his glaive was in his hand in a heartbeat, gleaming strongly. He spread his wings and immediately began to shine so much brighter than before. He looked back to the cliff, but the girl had dissappeared. He bolted over to look, but she was nowhere in sight. ”No!”

”Ceriden! Duck!” As the Selkie dodged the beast and jumped through its legs, Vardian turned and advanced on the beast from its front with terrifying speed. As it turned to look at where Ceriden had gone to, the blade of his glaive drove straight through the beast’s chest, passing through with little resistance, and sticking out the other side, black blood dripping off the tip.

He pulled the spear out and swung it around, knocking the brute to the ground with the shaft. ”The girl! Where did she go!?” But there was no time to answer when, with a shock he saw three more of the beasts come out of the hole towards them. ”It’s a scouting party!”

He looked around, and made a decision of what to do, ”Ceriden! I’ll be right back! Fight well my queen!” he charged at the beasts and one dodged to the side, but the other two raised their massive shields. With a resounding pound which echoed across the cliff the angel smashed straight into them both and the three of them went careening over the edge. For a sudden second they were all floating there in mid-air, the brutes roaring in fear, and Vardian was just about to take flight when one grabbed his wing and dragged him down through the air with him.

”Release me foul brute!” he swung around, his glaive falling through the air above him and directed a punch right into the brutes face. The first punch was pretty much ineffective, and it was traded with a kick to Vardian’s stomach. He recoiled in the air for a second, and then grabbed the brute by the neck, his hands burning the flesh where they held it. He punched the beast again, and again, and again and after the fourth strike the helm smashed inwards along with its nose and jaw. Again and he heard the skull crush. One more and his fist went straight through.

With a lurch he broke the wrist which held onto his wing and disentangled himself from the gruesome sight. The other beast which was falling beside them died not long after when it slammed into the rocks so far below, bones breaking horribly.

Vardian looked back up and saw that he had fallen so terribly far from the summit. Ceriden. His wings pounded in the air, his glaive shooting back to his outstretched hand through the air.

Vardian hoped to god that warrior queen was able to handle herself until he returned…

[Ceriden]

The confusion of the minutes unfolding seemed to isolate everything, and give Ceriden a sort of calm. She stopped behind the beast, and it turned swiftly around, raising its maul. Staring up at it, she made a mental note to get herself a sheild. She had no protection aginst this beast. Then, suddenly, it uttered a shriek, at the tip of a galive appeared through it chast. It collapsed to the ground almost instantainiously, dead before the dust stirred.

She rose her head to thank Vardian, when three more creatures appeared out of the hole. She backed up slightly, positioning herself in the middle of the cliff, and raised her twin swords. She charged the one at the end, as all three charged her, but she did not have to dealwith the other two. A flash of white wings, and the two and Vardian careened over the edge, plumeting swiftly down. She managed to keep calm, knowing that Vardian could fly himself out saftly. Hopefully.

The creature was momentarilly immobalized by the sudden departure of its two companions, and Ceriden took advantage over this distraction. She rushed up, and with a swift side-sweep, she cut near the top of the stomack, taking off the first layer of scales. The creature turned toward her, geowling in surprize. It raised its maul, and simultainiously reached down with its free hand, trying to grab the selkie. But she was too fast for it, and quickly swung around it leg, to the back. Before it could turn around, she slammed all her weright into the joint behind the knee. The weak spot brought the creature instantly too one knee, and Ceriden was on him in a flash.

She clambered onto his shoulder, and stabbed down hard, her blades imbedding themselves deeply into the chest cavity. She felt slight resistance as one of her swords hit a rib, but she twisted the hily, breaking the bone. The creature cried out in agony, and Ceriden pulled her bloody swords free. The creature was now fully on the dust, and Ceriden went over to it's jugular vein and ended it's misery.

Panting slightly, she jumped back down to the ground and walked to the edge, where Vardian and the two beasts had plummeted. She peered over the edge, her bare feet knocking some loose stones to the drop-off. She could just makeout the bodies of the two beasts, and she could catch sight of a pair of white wings beating against the air. She glanced up at the horizon, and could still discern the faint line of dust stirred up by the girl. She was moving quickly.

Deciding that it was essential for them to find this girl, Ceriden began her dissent, jumping down to the first ledge. Going down was by far harder than going up, and Ceriden found herself frequently having to make risky leaps of faith. She stopped for a second to catch her breath, and she looked up, seeing if Vardian would vome back, or head after the girl.