Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on May 24, 2023 7:33:39 GMT -5
Standing in the darkness, Taki centered herself and immersed her senses into the surrounding rock. It was a strange sensation to be so isolated from the usual magic and spirits of the world, so she tried to reach out where she was. Attuning herself to the thick stone, she softly whispered in druidic, a simple mantra to help her concentrate. She could feel they were deep within the earth, the rock thick and unshaking with age. Whatever ancient magics were in place, they'd withstood time and disaster.
She could sense primal spirits, ones with voices that took years to speak a single word, and a lifetime to fully express an idea. Outside this, she felt a liquidy warmth churning. It ebbed, flowed like a river within the world and kept it's surface warmed from within. Being this close to the heart of the world, enveloped in heat, the shaman entered a trance. Drawn into the nexus of magic and spiritual energies, Taki lost herself in what felt like a single breath and an eon at once. The earth itself spoke to her, cradled in it's unyielding yet malleable warmth.
'Ssshhhhaaaaaammmmmaaaaaannnnn...' Spoke a gravelly, rumbling voice, heavy with the weight of age.
'That I am great one.'
'Whisssssppperrrrsss tooo thee Eaaarrrth... Tooonggggue of tttthhheee oooolllddd onnnees.'
'You mean the mantra?'
'Mmmmaaaantttrraaaa... Prrriiiieeesssttsssss... Nnnooonnneee have sppppppoookkeeeen... fooorrrgggoottteeennn... ssssspppeeeaaakkk... ssssiiiinnngg...'
'As you desire.'
Taki clutched one hand to her chest, feeling the heavy thumping of her heart. Her body was warm and felt more solid than it had in her life. As her heaving lungs calmed themselves, she drew upon an old tale from her childhood. With her strange hissing accent, she sang the story in druidic. Soft, slow and melodic, the shaman let the song fill her spirit. About half way through her performance, a thunderous shuddering sound shook the chamber.
Her stomach dropped, the world falling away for a pair of the longest seconds of her life. With a heavy clang, the motion stopped. Taki found herself standing in a cage, made with techniques lost to time itself and imbued with arcane symbols. Simple yet effective, there were spells for material strength, fire resistance, and magical isolation. Looking around, the enchanted construction was suspended over a huge pit of magma that bubbled and boiled below. To her right, about 50 feet away, dangled an identical cage with a familiar purple figure.
Before she could speak, a wave of hot air washed through the chamber and the majestic phoenix soared through the massive pit on it's eddies and updrafts. Between the cages was a wide column of hewn rock, which the fiery bird perched itself upon. The entire chamber rumbled gently, just enough to send a few lulled waves of magma washing through the chamber.
Outside
Ryu, Shuna and Yukina stared at one another for a few minutes. The pair had vanished in a rainbow of flame, were somewhere unknown, and there was no real telling if they were going to reappear here or elsewhere. Yukina nudged Shuna, who sighed heavily and resigned herself to being carried down from the steepest part of the mountain.
The trio dipped over the edge, dropping down at a much greater pace than they'd ever been able to ascend. The mountain became a speckled grey blur, their speed increasing as the group dove through the sky. Spotting the ornate traveling wagon and it's occupants, the group landed on a nearby building. Their best bet was to wait with the others, and hope that the pair returned safely. Whatever was happening, a soft tremor rumbled beneath the ground, kicking up motes of dust and rattling decrepit windows through the ruins.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on May 25, 2023 16:45:29 GMT -5
“What the-?”
The mechanism that had shut the door behind them left Morrigan plunged in darkness, a horribly familiar feeling that made their heart drop out of their chest. The sensation of being trapped, walls closing in around them, made the charlatan pause. They whirled around, staring at the door they’d entered from. “What the hell? Let me out! Do you know who you’ve trapped in here? Some test this is-“
Stone rumbled and ground together with a roaring sound that echoed in the silence of the chamber. Morrigan’s feet dropped out from under them, and they fell, into the deep dark abyss. The charlatan gasped, writhing and wiggling in the air, their wings leftover from drinking Beistmild’s transmutation tonic beating in a frantic attempt to keep them in the air.
And then -
They landed with a CLANG in the basin of a metallic cage, one that was inscribed with runes that they could not begin to understand but felt shimmering in the air all the same. Heat seeped into their core, more intense than anything they’d felt before. Morrigan stood, feeling like they might melt if they simply continued to lay down and allow the heat to reclaim them. Bright red light pulsated below them. With cautious movements, Morrigan stepped closer to the bars, wrapping their hands around the metal, surprised to find it was cool. Magic thrummed in the air.
Magma simmered below them, bubbles popping on its surface. Even suspended in a secure cage with a metal chain supporting them, Morrigan still felt themselves suppressing a shiver. There was no way in the world they’d be able to recover from a fall like that…
Their hands felt clammy against the metal.
Movement in the corner of their eye caught their attention - they glanced over, surprised to see an identical trap to their own dangling a good distance away, one that seemed to bear a familiar reptilekin.
Shitakibo was here too… that meant that this wasn’t a trap, but perhaps the next test. What was it that the inscription on the door had said? Give something up? Not to save yourself, but to rescue the other.
How in the world was that a proper test? It didn’t give any assessment of their bravery. Morrigan wasn’t sure what they’d expected from this place, but it sure as hell wasn’t… this. This assessment of kindness and honesty and compassion. These were all just signs of weakness, not something a Phoenix would ever have need of! No wonder others had trouble clearing these trials in the past. They didn’t test anything worthwhile. It just seemed cruel and unusual punishment, designed by someone who was long dead, no doubt laughing at them from heaven with all of his perceived righteousness and greatness.
Morrigan glanced at Shitakibo, unsure.
She was a kind woman, but they hardly knew each other. Surely, she wouldn’t go as far as to sacrifice one of her mortal possessions to save Morrigan from this prison. She wouldn’t, and Morrigan couldn’t bring themselves to give something of theirs up. It was every man for himself out here… wasn’t it?
They weren’t about to be the one to make the first move. What was she going to do? What should they do?
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on May 28, 2023 19:03:31 GMT -5
Gently swaying in the heated chamber, Taki pondered the inscription. A sacrifice of some kind would set the other free, something she wasn't fully sure Morrigan understood. She pulled a magically enchanted scroll from her pack and held it reverently. The scroll contained the magic that had allowed the shaman to summon Kurobe to her side, a sign of her ability as a Beastmaster. The loss of her companion had brought about many personal questions, ones she hadn't had much time to contemplate or discover as of yet.
"Thank you for your gentle presence my dear friend, all you've done will carry on in my heart Kurobe. May your spirit rest peacefully." She knelt on the bars of the cage, held the magically infused parchment between her hands and said a small prayer. It held many memories, a few adventures, and represented a discipline that had helped her connect with animals more thoroughly. Focusing her spirit, she had considered this path many times in the last day.
"My sacrifice great spirits, the scroll of a fallen companion, as well as my own pursuit of the Beast Master discipline." She took a deep breath, her hands rattling gently. Taki let the scroll fall, watched it slip between the runic bars and fall into the inferno of the magma chamber. In ignited almost the moment it passed the field of magic, burning as it swayed in the air currents below. Watching the swirl of smoke and flame spiral down until it had burned up, the shaman stayed knelt and fixated.
When she looked up again, Morrigan was gone from her cage. Even if she was trapped here until the last of her days, Taki would mourn her companions, reflect on her life. She sat down on the cool floor, closed her eyes and tried to relax. Either something would change or she had come as far as she could. She felt a strange sensation surrounding her, the runic magic around her glowing brightly.
Jaunted from her body, her spirit fell through the cage. Instinctively, she tried to cover herself as the pool of magma rushed up from below. Expecting a heavy, searing slap against the surface, Taki stared wide eyed as she passed right through the molten rock. She tried to twist around and look up, but her body wouldn't respond. It was only then she realized there was no sense of heat, no rush of motion or inertia.
She drifted along, pulled deeper into the earth. Passing through layers of history, stone and age of the world. Coming to rest within a deep, darkened cavern wedged between layers, Taki felt the presence of a powerful and ancient spirit. It was strange, a presence she had felt while near the mountain, but only faintly. Now the shaman understood why, this spirit was old and lived deep within the earth. The walls of the cave started to glow faintly, inscribed with primordial runes.
"SSSSSSHAAAAAMMAAAANNNN..."
"Great one... you called my spirit here?"
"TO BLLLESSSSS, REWARRRRDDD..."
"You humble me, Great Spirit, I hope I can live up to the expectation"
"LLLIIIVVVEEE AS YOOU HAVVVVEEEE, LLLEARRRRNNN FRRRROOOMMM OTHERSSSS, UUUSSE YOURRR GIIIFTTTS WISELY..."
The runes within the chamber grew brighter, pulsating rapidly in a spiralling pattern. Taki felt her spirit, her magic growing. As the light grew blinding, she felt heavy and warm, like a stone heated by the light of the sun. Enveloped in primordial magic, her spirit was propelled back to her body. She opened her eyes wide, taking a deep breath and shivering. Something drastic had changed, her senses felt sharper, and her magical connection expanded.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on May 31, 2023 19:52:02 GMT -5
How long was Morrigan trapped in this place, with no hope of escape? It could have been hours in that cage, dangling above the lava that would consume them if the chains suspending their trappings could no longer hold their weight? Even with the cooling enchantments upon the bars, Morrigan felt a caged bird, waiting for either their master’s mercy, or their cruelty.
In reality, it was only minutes - minutes for Shitakibo to decide that the memory of her companion was worth Morrigan’s freedom, in turn. Not even her own. Morrigan’s. The charlatan had no way of knowing what she had sacrificed, or what had transpired in that cage. All they knew was that one moment, they stood in the middle of their cage, and the next, they were free, standing upon a stone cliff overlooking the lava-filled chamber. From this position, Morrigan could see the cages below, where Shitakibo stood stone-still in hers, and their own, newly empty.
Shitakibo had freed them.
… Shitakibo had freed them!
Morrigan leapt into the air with a cry of joyous laughter. Ginma, they hadn’t expected this, but they apparently lucked out by taking this journey with one of the most selfless people in Charon - selfless enough that she would be the fool to free Morrigan without expecting anything in turn! She’d done the brunt of the heavy lifting thus far, but now Morrigan was free to make their way to the Phoenix without worry that she would steal the spoils! This was too good to be true!
Something clicked and shifted behind them. Morrigan turned to watch as a stone door slid open behind them, leading to a darkened room they couldn’t make out from here. But Shitakibo’s sacrifice seemed to have done the trick - she’d opened up the pathway to the next trial. How much longer did they have to go? It felt like it had been lifetimes already, ages of vulnerability and work until they were scraped raw. No more. It was time for them to claim the prize that was owed to them.
Morrigan raised their fingers to their forehead, a respectful salute to Shitakibo. “Many thanks for your sacrifice… rest assured that it will not be in vain! The phoenix will be freed!”
With that last parting, they turned on their heel, dashing into the next chamber. Darkness engulfed them, the heat from earlier dissipating as they descended further and further into the depths. The corridor gave way to a staircase, leading deeper and deeper into the chamber, bringing Morrigan ever-closer to their prize…
Their footsteps crawled to a halt.
Morrigan stopped, standing in the precipice between the next trial and the last.
“Damnit!”
They weren’t really sure why they turned back around and made their way back up the stairs, all the way to the cliff overlooking the lava pit, where the cage containing Shitakibo still dangled from the chain. She looked oddly still… almost like she’d passed out from the heat.
… She was going to be okay, right? They were going to let her out when Morrigan went on to the next trial?
And what did it matter if she didn’t live?
Morrigan swallowed the thought like a bitter pill. Gods, they couldn’t let her actually die down there. They just wanted to use her to get to the end of this trial - they weren’t a monster. But what could they do? There was nothing that Morrigan had on them that they could, or would give up to get her out of there. Maybe they just had to bullshit this. Morrigan reached into their bag, reaching for something, anything, at random. Their hands wrapped around the hilt of something solid… their sickle.
A weapon Morrigan hadn’t touched in ages.
This would have to do, right? Morrigan figured that if they made it seem like this weapon carried some sentimental bullshit, then the spirits would accept it, right? It had to work. Morrigan held the weapon out in front of the lava. “Oh, great spirits of the volcano, and ageless phoenix spirit… accept this offering of my will and my blood.” They uttered, running the side of the blade across the palm of their hand. Lavender stained red, pain lancing up the nerves in their hand. Morrigan winced, dropping the blade into the lava. This had to work… didn’t it?
But nothing happened.
Morrigan threw their hands in the air, exasperated. “Oh, come on! That wasn’t good enough for you?”
The silence, the nothingness, seemed answer enough.
“What should I do, what should I do…?”
They needed her to get through the rest of the trials, they rationalized. They needed her to pass through these tests. Frantic at this point, Morrigan shuffled through their bag, searching for something that might appease the spirits more. Their fingers brushed against something soft… something fuzzy.
Their old jacket.
The circus was something unfamiliar to Kaivalya -
Morrigan.
Morrigan Moonweaver.
The circus was something unfamiliar to Morrigan. Oh, they’d seen the shows, spent nights in the audience watching scenes of grandeur, miracles brought to life. But the backstage was something entirely different. One might have thought that seeing the process behind it all would disenchant the teen from the novelty of it all, but Morrigan was even more enthralled, if that was even possible. Even now, as they trailed behind their new mentor, Madam Medb, through the backstage where they kept the costumes. Staring at the sparkly costumes and the bright leotards, they could only muster up a sense of inadequacy. They tugged at their ragged tunic with a clawed hand, face turning a deep purple.
Madam Medb turned to gaze at them with a cool eye, as if she could sense the insecurity. “Stop that.”
Morrigan bit their lip, waving their hands at the menagerie of colorful clothes. “Sorry. I just feel so…” Not pretty, next to everything. Back at home, these were the kind of clothes that the merchant caravan would sell. It was difficult to believe that all this was just stuff that the circus people were allowed to wear. Kaivalya would never have been allowed near things like this in a million years. It would have been gray and moth-eaten by the time the hand-me-downs made it to them.
They scowled at the thought.
Madam Medb swatted at them, as if to knock that look right off their face. “Enough with the pity party. Why do you think we’re here?” She was a stern woman, even when putting on a show. Morrigan couldn’t help but feel awestruck at her demeanor… she was really strong. She didn’t let you see what she was really thinking. She was harsh to Kai - Morrigan, but in the way that she was harsh to everyone. Morrigan didn’t get any special treatment. “You said you wanted to learn under me. If you’re going to do that, you’re going to need a costume, no?”
Morrigan’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, ice-blue sparkling under the dim glint of alchemical lights. “You mean…”
The wrinkled old prune might’ve cracked a smile.
“A fortune-teller’s apprentice needs clothes befitting of the part, don’t they? All this stuff is second-hand, no one will care if it goes missing. Pick out whatever you want.”
Morrigan didn’t wait for her to finish to dash through the maze of cloth. What would they pick? There were elegant dresses, jackets of any cut and shape and style from the past few decades, all with shining buttons and clasps that Morrigan ran their fingers over in awe. All of this…? Something for them? They stopped, turning back to Madam Medb with an uncertain look on their face.
“I don’t know if I deserve this.”
“Deserve?” Madam Medb barked out a harsh laugh. “It’s not about deserving, child. Do you think you did something to deserve being born a poor, powerless wretch? No, but that’s the unfortunate lot that life gave you anyways. When you get a shit hand, what do you do?” She leaned forward, intense gaze making Morrigan feel smaller than they ever had… and larger, somehow. “You cheat. You take what you want. It’s not about what you deserve - it’s what you’re owed. Understand?”
Morrigan stared her down, something deeper resonating within them. In lieu of an answer, they reached over and plucked a purple, fur-lined coat from the rack. It was covered in the faintest traces of glitter from their last show. If they were to put it on, it would be just too big for them, reaching somewhere between their waist and their knees.
It was perfect.
“… This.” Morrigan nodded, satisfied. “This is the one.”
They spent that night with a sewing needle and patchwork fabric, sprawled out in the back of Madam Medb’s tent with only the light from one of her candles to guide them. Their stitching was clumsy, clearly done by amateur hands that had been left with no shortage of needle-pricks on their fingers, but Morrigan was satisfied. They weren’t just building a costume - they’d built a promise to themselves, something greater than they currently were. And by the light of the candle, they raised the finished product up into the air, a makeshift mural depicting magic and alchemy in tandem.
The Wizard of the Wastes.
Morrigan smiled. The Wizard didn’t exist quite yet, but they would, given time and influence.
It felt good. It felt right.
The charlatan ran their thumb along the nervous stitching, a pattern that had been made by a fifteen year old with visions of grandeur so long ago. Despite the situation, they cracked a smile.
“Man, you really were bad at sewing, weren’t you?”
But, oh, the dreams they’d held. Spending their nights so excited they couldn’t sleep, their mind filled with nervous thoughts of the future. For once, they actually had one. Morrigan had worn this jacket faithfully for so long, up until the point that… well, why had they stopped wearing it? It had been torn up in that fight with Kasra back in the World’s Crown, but Morrigan had fixed that. Perhaps it was the fact that they’d actually begun training with the blade, and learned that such clothes were impractical and got in the way of combat. They’d shrugged the jacket off then, tucked it away for special occasions.
But Morrigan never could quite bring themselves to get rid of it, could they?
It was just a thing. It was one of Morrigan’s things, but for some reason more than their other possessions, something horrible threatened to claw its way out of their ribcage at the prospect of letting it go. Was that what sentimentality was? It was an utterly dreadful thing, Morrigan decided. They wanted nothing more than to stick a hand in their chest and rip this sickness out. But they couldn’t, no more than they could bear to get rid of this single article of clothing.
Something stirred below - Shitakibo. She was still alive.
“Damnit.” Morrigan hissed between clenched fangs. They knew what they had to do, but that didn’t make this task any easier. Morrigan squeezed their eyes shut, releasing their hold on the coat. It fluttered into the lava, evaporating until it left behind nothing but smoke. Only when it was gone did Morrigan release a shuddering breath.
“I’ll still be the wizard without it.” They whispered. “I don’t need it.”
They didn’t need it.
… Seconds passed. For a moment, Morrigan wondered if the volcano had decided even this wasn’t good enough, until the air around Shitakibo’s cage shimmered, and she was freed much in the same manner that Morrigan had been. One second, she was down below, and the next, she was back up by their side. Only once they were certain that she was safe did Morrigan reach out and clamp their hand over her wrist.
“Why?” They demanded, their voice echoing in the silence of the chamber. Their grip remained a constant on Shitakibo - not meant to reassure her, but to keep themselves steady. They needed to know. “Why? Why would you give something like that away? I don’t understand!”
Why are you so good?
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 1, 2023 0:27:56 GMT -5
For a brief moment, she was still sitting on the floor of the cage. A myriad of questions ran through the shaman's mind. Had Morrigan left her? Had her jaunt to the spirit realm broken the magic that would let her body out? Before those thoughts had even finished, she was sitting on a warm stone platform, the cage vanishing before her eyes. A moment later she was sitting next to Morrigan in another chamber. The fellblood gripped her wrist.
"Why?.... Why? Why would you give something like that away? I don't understand!"
The question caught her off guard, and it took a few moments of just staring at Morrigan for Taki to even process what was happening. Her mind still felt distant, sluggish, as if someone had caused a fog to roll over her thoughts. She was still connected to the spirit realm... but how? A storm of emotions swam across her face as she fought against the soupy sensation in her own thoughts, like the air was too thick, like syrup. She was still caught up in the surge of magic she'd just experienced and had a great deal of trouble pulling herself together.
While it was only a few moments of real time, to Taki, it felt like an impossible amount of time. Her skin would be hot to the touch, her body felt like it was full of the very magma below them. She wanted to scream, to claw her own body and mind to pieces for those few terrifying seconds. As it finally started to fade, she took a heaving breath and backed away from Morrigan. The fog slowly began to clear and she steadied herself as she stood up.
"For the last day and change, I have been suppressing the incredible grief of losing Kurobe... while this loss itself hurt, the overwhelming feeling I've been on the wrong path was thousands of times more soul crushing. No one could have predicted what happened, and Kurobe made their own choice... but it still filled my mind, my spirit, with a dark and daunting question of doubt. If I let it consume me, I would be frozen in that moment forever... Plus, there are other forces here in this place. Your majestic friend is taking refuge here, but the mountain is home to a much older spirit. One that apparently has encountered Druids before. I chose to sacrifice something that was dear to my heart, but risked becoming a weighted chain upon it... because I understand that letting go is the first step with loss... because I made a choice Morrigan: To do something for another without expecting anything in return so they might succeed in their goal."
She stretched, shaking the heavy sensation from her muscles and looking about the chamber for a moment. This must be the start of the next trial. As she moved, she noticed she could sense the room in a different manner than before. The stone itself seemed to carry every tiny vibration, from the sound of their voices echoing off the walls to the miniscule movement of the pair standing there. Fighting to keep her thoughts and emotions focused, she walked slowly around the chamber for a few moments. The spirit of the mountain had blessed her... but she wasn't fully sure what that might have meant. She ran her hands over the stone, as if it were the first time she'd ever encountered the material.
"Fascinating..." She whispered to herself, marveling at the extension of her senses. Taki would have to try and research this phenomenon, but they had to get through the trials before any of that was possible. She looked around the room again, finding a single door with another runic inscription.
BEAR THE WEIGHT OF YOUR SORROW, AND UNSHACKLE YOUR HEART OF THE BURDENS TO CLEANSE THE SPIRIT AND SOAR BEYOND
She turned to Morrigan, wondering what thoughts were racing through their mind. What sorrows and guilt did they carry? would they be able to oveercome it? There was no way of knowing if either of them would have the heart, the spiritual strength to face their greatest failings and deepest regrets.
"Whenever you're ready Morrigan, we will go together this time." She said, standing beside the hingeless, crafted door.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 2, 2023 15:35:00 GMT -5
Shitakibo’s skin felt warm to the touch, almost feverish. But Morrigan’s curiosity and confusion burned brighter than the flames and the lava around them. They had to know. And yet, Shitakibo remained agonizingly silent, unmoving, still burning, burning, burning -
And then she ripped herself away from them, regaining her composure. Mana seemed to crackle in the air, more powerful the deeper the duo descended into these ruins. But Shitakibo especially seemed… different, somehow. More. Her presence was deeply rooted in this place, as if something ancient had come and rooted itself in her very soul. And standing next to her, there was nothing Morrigan could feel but empty.
Empty, as always.
For once in their life, the charlatan seemed to have been stunned silence by Shitakibo’s assertion, calm and confident, that she’d done it simply because she wanted to let go of the past. Simply because she wanted to help them. And there was something in her tone… she knew. Whether she was cognizant of it or not, she’d helped them knowing that they were likely to leave her for the sake of their goals.
And yet, she’d helped them despite it all.
Sacrifice.
Morrigan’s shoulders slumped, an odd expression flickering across their face - they’d dropped their usual persona, but even Shitakibo wouldn’t be able to read the emotions brewing in their chest. A complex cocktail of hatred, bitterness, shame, and envy. Shitakibo really did embody everything that the Phoenix wanted… courageous, honest, selfless, wise. Morrigan had come here with the intention of following Shitakibo to the end, riding on the coattails of her success until they made it to the end. But it was beginning to dawn on them that even if they did make it to the end, the Phoenix wouldn’t choose them. They’d only given up an article of clothing for her because they needed her to continue progressing.
Damn it. Gods damn it all.
Morrigan huffed out an incredulous laugh, digging their nails into their arm. “I don’t… I don’t believe you. No one is that willing to give up their life for another without expecting something in return.”
Yes, Morrigan thought, that was it. Shitakibo hadn’t truly done this out of the good in her heart, had she? People used one another for their own gain, took what was owed to them. That was how the world worked. Hell, the shaman herself had admitted to letting go and connecting with the powerful earth spirit slumbering in this place - she had an ulterior motive! Morrigan clung to that thought like a child clutching a firefly in their palms, the insect desperately trying to escape their grasp, taking the light of hope with them. And when it was gone, they were only left in the dark, with a single cold realization.
Shitakibo had given up something special to her simply because she wanted to help Morrigan find the Phoenix. And she’d freed herself that weight, on her own terms.
They shook their head, suddenly quiet. “I don’t understand you, Shitakibo.” They admitted, the soft sound echoing through the chamber. The heat made their head spin, revelations burning in the forefront of their mind that they were too afraid to name. They felt sick. “In a place like this, it ought to be every man for himself. And yet, you’ve come all this way… and you’d be willing to give that up to allow someone else to take what you’d worked so hard for. How do you do it?”
Their voice was quiet, almost childish. The concept of giving, friendship… it wasn’t something they were used to. The charlatan understood the world in transactions, in give and take - and oh, how they were used to taking. They stole what they believed they were owed. And here Shitakibo was, a paragon of wisdom and self-assuredness, far more worthy of the spirit of the flame.
All of a sudden, they were fifteen years old again, standing in Madam Medb’s costume trunk. I don’t deserve this.
What might Shitakibo have said if she was there instead of their mentor, Morrigan wondered? They didn’t linger on that bittersweet thought for much longer. The past was in the past, and one thing was readily apparent - Morrigan didn’t deserve this. Shitakibo did.
There was no secret as to who was worthy of wielding the Phoenix’s power.
And she’d saved them nonetheless.
“Alright.” They breathed, forcing the words out of their throat. “I… appreciate your help. If you hadn’t parted with your friend, I would have been stuck in that cage for the rest of my life.” And if she hadn’t, Morrigan doubted they would have been willing to consider the same. “We should keep going. No point dwelling here.”
They set off to the next door, where the next trial was laid out in front of them. Morrigan remained silent as they reached out and ran their fingers over the inscription. It was clear that Shitakibo’s words and actions were still bothering them, no matter how desperately Morrigan had attempted to push those thoughts aside. They were used to casting aside what they didn’t want to acknowledge, and yet, this had stuck. What the hell is wrong with me today?
Shitakibo had said something to them. Morrigan hummed, trying to collect their scattered thoughts and return their concentration to the task ahead. The other riddles had been straightforward, but what in the world could this one possibly mean? Bear the weight of your sorrow… it could translate to any number of challenge.
But whatever this room held, surely it couldn’t be worse than the first trials had offered. Morrigan turned to Shitakibo, attempting to muster some semblance of their regular self, plaster a smile on their face. It felt strained on their face.
“I’m ready when you are.”
And as the door slid open, as if sensing their resolve, the two stepped into hell together.
…
FWOOSH
a single torch next to them lit up with flame, as the braziers were wont to do here. Morrigan and Shitakibo watched as around them, in this chamber, lanterns lit up one by one, bathing them in a soft light. Morrigan blinked, adjusting to their surroundings. There was no lava in this chamber, but the sweltering heat had not left them. The air in the chamber seemed to ripple and simmer with a heat, pouring off of every visible surface.
The grand chamber was larger than the last had been, and surprisingly, was not devoid of furniture. A large scale towered in the back of the room, glimmering with gold and the same type of amber they’d seen back in the Phoenix’s resting place.
Morrigan’s sandals echoed against the stone floor as they took a step forward, mouth agape. “This place…”
It was different from the other rooms. Those had been tests to see what they would do when placed in an awful situation - this was a place of judgement.
But who was to be their judge?
Morrigan’s question was answered as the door slammed shut behind the both of them - and from behind the scale, two figures stepped out. One that Morrigan didn’t recognize, and the other, someone who was so intimately familiar that Morrigan moved to clutch the golden ring on their finger on instinct. No, there was no way he was really here, was he? Morrigan’s eyes must have been playing tricks on them.
But then the figure stepped into the light, and Morrigan’s heart stopped.
Kvasir Sigurros stopped ten feet in front of Morrigan, displeasure etched in his ethereal countenance. A look that made Morrigan’s gut curl with shame. Kvasir should never look like that. Like Morrigan was nothing more than a cockroach under his boot.
Despite themselves, they shivered.
Morrigan opened their mouth to say something - anything - but Kvasir beat them to the punch.
“Hello, my dearest enchanter. How lovely it is to see you here.”
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 3, 2023 1:59:23 GMT -5
Morrigan's questions hovered in the chamber for a few moments, before they decided to move forward. Taki wondered about the fellblood's life, and what kind of brutal reality they'd had to face to have come to such conclusions. If they wished to confide in Taki, she might learn those details, but she didn't want to pry into the matter. As they approached, the door before the pair slid into the stone with little effort.
Entering the chamber, it was a grandiose affair compared to the others before it. The torches ignited, shedding enough light to illuminate the entire chamber, which was accenting a large set of scales. Broad enough to support the phoenix as a perch, the shimmering feature of the room refracting and reflecting the light in a myriad of patterns. She had a few brief moments to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship that it had taken to create.
The back of the chamber was shrouded in shadow, and from that materialized a pair of figures. The one facing Morrigan was unfamiliar, but the one standing before her gripped her heart with a dark and powerfully emotional feeling. As the imposing sillouette stepped into the light, she let out a deep and guttural hiss. Of all the challenges to be faced, this was beyond all possible expectation.
"Daughter." Greeted the figure's voice. Her father stepped into the light, his deep green scales shimmering in the torch flame. Standing well over 6 feet, he was broadly shouldered and covered in thick muscle. While his attire was sparse, the man was covered in tribal war paint and wore a crown of bone, fangs and claws. His four thickly corded arms crossed over his chest, and he stared at the shaman with an infuriated expression.
"Father..." She hissed in return, every instinct telling her to bury her blades in his heart. Her emotions were running away with the revelation of the man appearing before her. It took her a moment to settle down, to remember that this was not possible. Her father had died when she was a youngling, out on a hunt with the other warriors of her tribe. The suspicion that someone had betrayed the man and used the trip to make his demise seem accidental was intense, and much of the tribe had changed with his passing.
"You've abandoned your people, forsaken our ways... I should tear your skin from your bones and make a new cape of it for squandering your gifts."
"Your body was still cooling on a stone slab when the other leaders were accusing me of your death. Even your own brother and sister both joined in... You know nothing, nor did you have to endure the lifetime of pointless ridicule and ignorant nonsense that followed. You didn't have to face your own brother demanding my body as a child or challenging me to a trial of combat when I refused to accept his disgusting advances. I have made my own life, because your tribe would not accept me for who I am. No father, you get no say... for it was your own family, your own siblings who used your death to make my life worse than hell until the day I was banished. Go ahead and judge my now all your spirit pleases, I hope it comforts your spirit to look down your nose from the afterlife to be the same narrow minded, gullible fool you were in life. Judge my heart, my life and spirit all you please. Even your love was riddled with conditional hoops, your heart blackened by the pride and impulsive coldness of your so called council."
The man stared hard at her, and she met his gaze with a stony glare of her own. Her body felt that heavy, solid heat again as the past was forced to light. He unfolded his hands, sighing heavily and looked down at his feet in shame.
"I... didn't know. I couldn't know... How did my own tribe become so petty? My own brother..." His voice trailed off as he turned back towards the shadows. As he touched the edge of the shadow, his body vanished in a rainbow of flame. She let out a heavy sigh, and collapsed to her knees. As the emotions settled, she took a deep breath and collected herself. This interaction had been so jolting she had barely noticed what was happening with Morrigan, as if the world itself had vanished from her senses under the strained situation.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 4, 2023 15:08:14 GMT -5
“Kvasir.” Morrigan breathed his name like a prayer.
What was he doing here? How was he here? For a moment, Morrigan was too blindsided by the foxfolk medic’s appearance that they completely forgot where they were. Morrigan rushed forward, wrapping their arms around Kvasir’s shoulders. “What’s going on? Are you here to free the phoenix, too?” Kvasir was never the type to seek ultimate power or glory - but he would always be there to help someone in need. It made complete sense to the charlatan that he would put himself through this danger to rescue such an ancient creature from its trappings…
But something wasn’t right.
Morrigan paused where they’d been wrapping Kvasir in an embrace, confused. They were usually quite liberal with physical contact - grabbing Kvasir’s hand, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, braiding his hair, nudging him with their tail, pulling him in for hugs. Gentle touch that the medic obviously wasn’t accustomed to, but allowed it nonetheless. Never before had he been so unreactive… so stiff.
Morrigan’s brows furrowed as they pulled away, staring up into his face. There was none of the familiar sunlight’s warmth in his single eye, staring down at the fellblood with disdain dripping from his gaze, forest green tinged with venom. Morrigan’s gut curled, joyous greetings dying on their lips.
For a horrible moment, Morrigan was forced to wonder if this wasn’t Kvasir at all - but no, his eye was the same singular green, barely infected with traces of molten gold. No, this was Kvasir Sigurros, in control of his own faculties, and staring at Morrigan with a silent disappointment that made shame curl in their chest for reasons they couldn’t understand.
Their nails dug into the sides of his arms, staring intently into his face.
“Kvasir? What’s the matter?” They asked, searching for anything - any tell - indicating that something was wrong. Was he possessed? Had he encountered something in this temple that had upset him?
And then Kvasir’s lips curled into a sneer.
“I don’t know… why don’t you tell me, Wizard of the Wastes?”
Morrigan froze.
“What?”
“You heard me right.” Kvasir’s voice was cold with anger in a way Morrigan had never heard before, the sun shrouded by dark storm clouds. So entirely different from the haughty, godly disdain that Kasra carried himself with. And somehow, Kvasir’s anger stung more than any purity bolt or holy magic. What in the world was going on? As Morrigan stood there, frozen still, Kvasir brushed their arms off, like he couldn’t even bear to touch them. Morrigan’s arms hung in the air, shocked at this cold shoulder, until Kvasir continued.
“It’s unbecoming of you to play dumb, enchanter. I’m sick and tired of all the lies and games. Well, guess what? You don’t have to make a fool out of me anymore.” Kvasir’s ears flattened down over his skull, tail bristling in anger. “I know.”
Morrigan didn’t have to ask what he knew for their world to crumble around them.
It is a difficult thing, really, to construct a house of cards stable enough to last. You could play it safe, and build something stable and low to the ground. Make a foundation that will last, and call it a day. But Morrigan had never quite been satisfied with playing things safe or careful, had they? They built their house of cards taller and taller, piling one after the other to reach newer heights. Each honeyed word they offered Kvasir, each excuse was another five of hearts or ace of spades added to the pile, without a stable base. And the longer they grew closer to him… Morrigan should have known that it was only a matter of time before that house came crashing to the ground.
They hadn’t been aware that falling could hurt this much.
Morrigan straightened, something resigned settling into their very bones. They didn’t do him the indignity of denying anything. They simply asked, “How?”
“How, what?” Kvasir repeated, mocking. “How did I find out, or how did I allow myself to be so stupid as to believe anything you said in the first place? Really, it wasn’t hard to figure out. Despite what you may think, I’m not so smitten that I would take your words at face value. How long did you think you could go without casting a single spell around me?”
Morrigan flinched - Kvasir hadn’t slapped them, but he may as well have.
“It’s not my fault. Do you think I chose to be born like this?” They asked, their voice small, but gaining volume the more they spoke. “I don’t know what you want from me, Kvasir. That’s the lie I tell everyone, and it’s the lie I told you when I met you. It’s not personal. That’s just survival.”
Kvasir barked out a harsh laugh. “I don’t believe you.”
Morrigan hissed, gritting their fangs. “I don’t know what you want from me, Kvasir.”
“The truth!”
“What? But… but that is the truth!”
“I don’t care about any of that.” Kvasir stepped forward. “I want to know the truth about why you decided to continue to lie to me, after everything we’ve been through. I bore my soul to you, Morrigan Moonweaver. So tell me, did you decide that you would continue to string me along before you learned how tenebrous my grip on reality was, or after?”
“That’s not it!”
“Or did you plan on conning me from the moment we met in the Lantern Light Woods? Keeping me around, feeding me sweet lies until you learned how malleable my mind was?”
“I would never-“
“Oh, but I don’t know if you would never, do I? I thought I knew you better than I knew myself. You asked me to put your faith in your hands that day in Bleakfort when I could not even trust myself not to put an arrow through your neck. Tell me, enchanter, how long did it take you to realize you could use me after you learned of my memory problems? Days? Hours? Minutes?”
Morrigan’s tongue got caught in their throat, so choked up they couldn’t even bring themselves to speak. What the hell was wrong with them? So many times in the past they’d been confronted with their lies by others, called out for being a charlatan and a con and a hack. None of that mattered before. None of that hurt like this. Why did it hurt so much? It wasn’t Morrigan’s fault they were born like this, couldn’t he see? They hadn’t done anything wrong except do what they needed to in order to survive?
It’s not my fault.
It’s not my fault!
“It’s not my fault!” Morrigan hissed, tail thrashing wildly behind them. “I didn’t fucking ask to be born like this, Kvasir. You know me… most of me. Sure, I don’t have magic, but everything else-“ The promise to banish Kasra, the vows they’d made to keep him safe and record his memories, the nights spent on the road under the stars, or sharing drinks in the Desert Rose, laughing in one another’s company, as if nothing else mattered- “That’s all real, trust me!”
“Trust? How can you throw around such lofty words like you understand them? If you trusted me, you would have come clean. If you trusted me, you would have leaned on me the way I thought I could lean on you.” Kvasir shook his head.
“I don’t really know you at all, do I?”
Morrigan closed their eyes, chest burning. He couldn’t seriously believe that he didn’t know Morrigan at all, did he? No, they’d bared their soul to him, more than they had anyone else. Tried to do the impossible to heal him when they thought he was injured, laughed alongside him, met his family. Kvasir, who’d held their useless heart in his hands and said, ‘this is beautiful to me’. No, no he couldn’t truly think that. It just wasn’t possible.
“You know me!” Morrigan cried, desperate. Desperate to be heard. “You know the important parts. I’ve never lied about anything important to you, I swear.”
“I don’t.” Kvasir countered. Cruel words that cut Morrigan to the very core. “I don’t know you, Morrigan. I know a facade that has been presented to me… one I gave my very being to. My heart, my soul, my everything. And you took it all, just like you take everything. You played with my heart.”
“No! No, no no! Shut up, you know me! I haven’t lied to you, I haven’t!” Morrigan denied, snaking their fingers into their hair to tug at it, do something, anything with their hands. This was wrong, this had to be a dream, this wasn’t real -
“Then prove it! Prove to me that you didn’t rip my heart out of my chest and stomp on it, Morrigan Moonweaver!”
“I didn’t do anything wrong…” Morrigan shook their head, a child’s cry echoing through the chamber. “I didn’t do anything wrong! It was just what I had to do to survive! You could never understand that!”
All at once, Kvasir went slack.
Morrigan paused, forcing the tension out of their shoulders, desperately trying to relax. Hurt turned into alarm, worry. “Kvasir? Kvasir, what’s going on?”
His body was frozen stiff, posture rigid, as if he were a puppet whose limbs had been pulled taught. His mouth hung open, a voice pouring out of his lips that was not his own. “You, Morrigan Moonweaver, have failed the trial of reflection.”
“… What?”
But Kvasir didn’t answer, as all at once his body began to melt into the clay and stone below, and Morrigan realized they hadn’t been talking to Kvasir at all. Green turned to brilliant gold, the amorphous mass shifting and twisting into something before it began to grow… bigger.
Morrigan was forced to take a step back as the shape expanded in size, larger and larger until it stood at about twenty feet in height, beautiful gold glimmering in the reflection of the candle-light. A homunculus of gold and earth and alchemy, leaving golden petals where it trailed in its wake. In its hands, a scythe took form, raising the weapon above its head. A roar tore from its mouth, so deep that the foundations of the cavern itself shook.
“You refuse to free yourself from the shackles of your past, charlatan.” The voice sounded an awful lot like Kasra, booming through the air as it stared down both Morrigan and Shitakibo. The shaman had passed her trial, opening the door at the very end of the chamber… but if they wanted to make it to the end, they’d have to pass this towering obstacle, an artificial being formed from the ancient magics of this underground temple that was intent on killing Morrigan, no matter who it had to take out in its way. Even if that meant slicing Shitakibo apart, too.
“Offer your life in penance for those you have wronged.”
“No…”
Morrigan’s eyes blurred with tears as the construct brought the scythe down upon them.
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 5, 2023 1:31:26 GMT -5
As she was beginning to recover from the shock of seeing her father again, she noticed Morrigan arguing with their own specter. While unsure how long exactly things had been going on like this, the shaman could tell that they were struggling to understand why they were here. Taki wished they could reach out, could speak to the very spirit of the fellblood and offer guidance through their trial.
“You, Morrigan Moonweaver, have failed the trial of reflection.”
“… What?”
“You refuse to free yourself from the shackles of your past, charlatan.” The figure said, melting into the floor before rising again as a huge gleaming golem of gold and flame.
“Offer your life in penance for those you have wronged.”
“No…”
The golden golem swung it's massive scythe, uncaring if it swept the shaman up in it's attack. While her mind took a moment to understand what was happening, her instincts and body were sharp and acted. Her hands shot out to either side, gripping the air as if it were a massive boulder. Her hands swept up, body filling with heat and magic. As the spell completed, a Crystalline Shard burst from the ground between the charalatan and the golem. The shaft of the scythe collided with the the pillar and deflected overhead, ringing out like a strange bell.
The blade struck the wall, burying itself nearly the width of a man within the chamber before raking across the surface and showering the room with dust and shrapnel. The golem groaned, leaning back and tearing the massive weapon from the wall. Surprised at her own magic, she stared in amazement at the sparkling pillar for a brief moment. The scythe was no easy thing to wield in an open field, let alone in a confined chamber such as this, yet the construct twirled it about as if it were no more than a walking stick.
"GO DAMN IT!!! GET OUT OF HERE!! RUUUUUNNNN MORRIGAN!!" Shouted the shaman, who was fixated on the golem's next attack. Taki had little idea if such a creature would have a weakness, but that didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was making sure her friend left this room and the golem behind. Her resolve hardened within, her spirit becoming as hard as stone and as hot as flame.
As Morrigan started running towards the door, the shaman took two steps and was into a full sprint towards the golem. Letting out a guttural battlecry, she ran up the side of the pillar and flung her body into the air. It swung the gleaming blade once again, aiming for Morrigan's neck. Before it's strike could land, the shaman summoned a new strength from within and called forth a second pillar of crystal. This one slammed into the golden figure's pivoting hip and sent it's swing wide.
Another deep gash swept across the side of the chamber, showering the fellblood in more stone and dust as they cleared the last bit of the chamber and stepped through the door. It slammed shut behind them, leaving the shaman to square off with the golem alone... or so she thought.
As the door closed, the room groaned around them, it's magic wavering thanks to the golem's heavy strikes. The world wavered, the air around the two figures shimmering with an angry red hue. An instant later, the pair were standing within the ruined church, ejected from the trial's many chambers. She blinked, looked around for a brief second to get her bearings, then located the golem. Still swinging it's scythe wide overhead, it toppled over as the inertia carried it off balance. Crashing into one of the many pillars inside, the ruined building shuddered, kicking up motes of dust and rattling the walls.
Taki came sprinting out of the building, surprising her companions, as well as Morrigan's. She let out a sharp whistle, calling her companions to action. Behind her, heavy footfalls pounded against the ancient floor. A moment later the entryway exploded outward in a spray, the gleaming golden construct charging through it without missing a stride. It spotted Taki as it cleared the hazy cloud of dust, skidding to a halt.
Bright, angry flames gathered along it's wicked blade, which it swept across the open air. A massive ball of fire tore from the weapon and hurled itself at the shaman. She felt the heat welling up behind her, throwing herself flat against the ground. The projectile roared overhead, slamming into a nearby building before erupting outward in a blaze of embers. Taki wasted no time, rolling aside and gathering her footing.
Overhead, Yukina and Ryu came soaring in with Shuna in tow. Owl and feline split off from her spirit companion, taking up positions near the battle grounds to assist. Ryu came down to Taki's side, both surprised and relieved to see her again.
"I'll explain later Ryu, but it's great to see you all are okay."
"Likewise, let's do this."
Taki drew her bow and made ready just as Morrigan's apprentice mage came running into the clearing.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 5, 2023 12:55:06 GMT -5
There was a horrifying moment where Morrigan’s whole body locked up, unable to dodge the hangman’s scythe as it bore down upon them. How long they’d run, run from their past and their crimes with no repercussions. Morrigan had been scamming others since they were fifteen, feeding lies and fake products to anyone that was naive enough to buy. They used whoever they wanted with wild abandon, not a second thought for those they’d wronged. Yes, when they’d met Kvasir, even the medic had been on that list… until Morrigan got to know him better. Until they came to know the man’s kindness, his humor, his tenacity. No, Morrigan knew that they couldn’t scam this man. But they couldn’t tell him the truth, either, not when he looked at Morrigan with such adoring eyes and murmured, “my dearest enchanter”. Not when Kvasir depended on the Wizard to help free him of Kasra’s divine influence.
And as they listened to not-Kvasir speak, vehemently denying every poisonous word he spit from his mouth until the point where that animosity grew into this vicious beast, Morrigan found themselves paralyzed with the horrible realization that every word he’d said was right.
And that Morrigan deserved this.
How many people had they made feel like this? They didn’t care about strangers - they took what they were owed. It was them or the others, and Morrigan would choose themselves every day. But this… there was no more running from this. They closed their eyes, a gesture of acceptance -
But no blow came.
And then the earth burst in front of them and a wall of crystal protected them from the wrath of the spirit’s judgement, the scythe bouncing against the magical protrusion with a strange sound that almost resembled windchimes. Morrigan’s eyes shot open, in shock, disbelief. A second later, Shitakibo cried out to them, urging them to run. Even despite the spirit’s judgment, Shitakibo had deigned them worth saving again.
That single thought, and the sight of the golem ripping the scythe from the wall like it meant nothing, jolted Morrigan back into their body. What were they doing? This wasn’t even Kvasir. Those weren’t even his words! Perhaps he would hate Morrigan if he ever learned the truth, but this wasn’t Kvasir’s judgement. And that was the only one Morrigan would truly accept - because Kvasir’s word was the only one that mattered, not some figment of him.
And they had to live. Live, so they could face his judgment, for real this time.
With that single, internal promise, Morrigan jolted to life. They glanced at Shitakibo, a woman renewed and crackling with power, and the golem in front of them. She was holding her own, but this was a beast designed for execution. There was no way the two of them on their own would be able to survive. But the door ahead of them was open… if Shitakibo could hold this creature off for long enough, Morrigan could get to safety, figure out some sort of plan.
“I’m going to go get help!” Morrigan cried. This was not goodbye, not permanently. They would come back for her. The scythe swung down once more from behind them, the hairs on the back of Morrigan’s neck standing on edge as the large blade leveled towards them with the intent of severing their head from their shoulders, before the ground shook once more and the scythe swung wide, missing them entirely. Morrigan stumbled, barely catching themselves before picking back up and sprinting for safety. Running, as they always were.
Chunks of stone and amber rained down on them, pelting them with debris that sliced at their skin. Don’t look back, don’t look back…
They launched themselves at the door, falling flat on their face as stone slammed behind them. Their skin was scraped and raw and bloody, but they were safe.
Morrigan winced as they pulled themselves to their feet, brushing dirt and stone off of themselves. In this new chamber, they could no longer hear the sounds of battle in the other room, not the golem nor Shitakibo’s shouts… nothing but the quiet.
“Oh gods, oh gods…” Morrigan breathed, frantically searching around for something - anything - to help them get back there and kill the unkillable golem. A sword, or some kind of god weapon, or something! But this chamber was empty, save a large brazier at the very other side of the room. There was no other light save the single fire burning bright in the brass bowl, the edges curling lazily as the color shifted hues. Pink, to purple, to blue, to white… oh, but how beautiful it was. Morrigan was transfixed by its light, the way it moved. Such a simple force of nature, fire. Though as Morrigan regarded the flame, it was obvious that this was no normal brazier. A great, ancient power seemed to permeate every part of this room.
The phoenix. Morrigan wasn’t sure how they knew, but they were as confident in this fact as their own name. They’d found it.
“Fascinating, is it not?”
The voice cut through the silence like a knife, so familiar that Morrigan was shocked, for a moment, that it hadn’t come out of their own mouth. A second later, a figure stepped out from the darkness, shadows from the flame playing on their face. Even after everything they’ve seen today, especially considering this temple’s ability to create illusory figures, Morrigan’s eyes still widened as they saw who was standing across from them.
Themselves.
With each passing moment that did not bring about the return of her master, Ceres Celestia’s nerves only grew. She kept pestering Mariposa every couple of minutes or so, until the minstrel grew tired of her and shooed her away. “Go wander around and see if you can find anything shiny that might entertain Bubbles.” She ordered, mainly in an attempt to get a couple minutes of alone time.
And the distraction worked, for a little bit. At least until the earth seemed to tremble beneath her. Ceres paused, worried that this was another one of those horrible quakes that seemed to be happening everywhere - but it passed as soon as it started. The witch in training relaxed, letting out a deep breath.
And then the Yudraehati exploded.
Ceres shrieked, covering her face from any projectiles, but a hood did little to protect her from chunks of burning stone and rotting wood. She flinched in pain where pieces of the temple pelted her, but the pain was secondary to the shock of what she saw next. Molten gold, wreathed in flames, like an Angel of death. And in front of it, Miss Taki and her companions! Ceres picked herself up, dashing over to the woman.
“What’s going on? Where’s master Moonweaver?” A question she already knew the answer to, but didn’t want to acknowledge. Shitakibo didn’t have time to answer, not with the beast gearing up with another attack. The shaman needed her help! Despite the fact that her legs were trembling and that she’d never battled with a beast this large, Ceres raised her staff, ready to fight by Shitakibo’s side.
It was all she could do.
Morrigan blinked as they stared down the near-perfect visage of themselves. It was practically perfect, though with some minor differences… namely that this version of Morrigan was still adorned in the very same wizard jacket that had been destroyed in the lava only minutes earlier. Their hair was still down, a wicked smirk playing on their features as they spread their arms out - a perfect copy of the Morrigan from a year ago.
Morrigan whistled, giving their copy an appraising look. “Finally, someone here I can talk to! Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, my friend?”
“And you’re not too bad looking yourself!” The copy replied with a wink.
“Thank Ginma you’re here.” Morrigan wasn’t quite sure why there was another version of themselves in this chamber, or how it was even possible, but they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. This was a perfect mimicry of Morrigan, all the way down to the sickle and potions that hung off their belt. It would have to do if it meant getting back to Shitakibo and fighting off that golem together. “I left my companion back there, and she’s currently holding off the creature that was conjured to destroy me. But with your help, we could-“
“Are you serious right now?”
Morrigan paused, turning back to their reflection. “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”
The mimic gestured towards the brazier. “The phoenix lies before you, and you’re asking to go back and save some woman?”
“I-“ Morrigan moved to protest, only to stop in their tracks as they considered the words of their double. Loathe as they were to admit it, not-Morrigan was right. Their first thought had been about going back and helping Shitakibo.
Huh. Why was that?
“Shitakibo is a valued companion of mine.” They formed the words slowly, thoughtful.
“She’s a stranger.”
“She’s saved my life more times than I can count today.” Morrigan asserted, growing more confident. “It’s only natural that I would wish to return the favor.” She had earned their loyalty. Besides, it was a smart move for them to want to stay on the good side of such a powerful woman. It would only be beneficial for them to have her loyalty in the long run.
The mimic frowned, as if sensing Morrigan’s thoughts. Morrigan supposed they could - if this person shared their thoughts and feelings then they would understand the rationalization occurring in the charlatan’s mind.
“Bullshit. You don’t need to go back for her - you’ve got what you wanted, haven’t you? Staying behind to protect you was her choice.”
Morrigan’s resolve faltered. They were right, weren’t they?
“… It’s not good for the wizard’s reputation to run away. If Shitakibo started spreading rumors of my cowardice, it would be bad for me in the long run.”
“How can she spread rumors if the golem kills her?” The other Morrigan countered. “Besides, you brought her here knowing there was a chance of danger. You know there can be only one that claims the phoenix. You’ve known all along, haven’t you?”
“I just…” Why? Morrigan didn’t have a good answer for it - any of it. But this version of them was spouting nonsense. The real Morrigan used people, but they weren’t a monster. They’d never say anything like that-!
Oh. But I would have.
Another time, another place, and Morrigan Moonweaver wouldn’t have even flinched at allowing someone they’d known so briefly die to get their hands on power. What did it matter, anyways? Sure, it was sad if someone died, but it had been her choice to protect them rather than follow them. If it had been only a few months earlier, Morrigan would have reached for the flame without a second thought. So what had changed?
I have.
Everything else was the same. They hadn’t broken the curse on themselves, or undergone through a different life than this other Morrigan Moonweaver. They had the same experiences and memories, and met the same people. The only thing different was Morrigan themselves.
They thought of Cantio in that mineshaft, someone they’d left behind to further their own goals in an endeavor that had utterly failed. Someone they’d used, who’d… somehow forgiven them with a smile. Someone whose friendship and kindness they’d taken advantage of, who had every opportunity to make Morrigan pay for what they’d done - and instead he’d reacted with kindness and mercy. And Morrigan had liked that. It was… a good thing, loyalty. True loyalty.
If Morrigan had the right words to describe that inexplicable, nebulous feeling they might even call it friendship.
“I just need her alive.” They said. “For reasons you don’t understand.”
“You need her dead.” The other Morrigan hissed. “She’s seen too much, hasn’t she? She heard all of your secrets. This is just killing two birds with one stone.”
“Shitakibo saved my life. One good turn deserves another.”
“Oh.” The other Morrigan’s eyes widened in realization before their lips curled into a smile, a shark in the water that had spotted someone vulnerable. Morrigan recognized that look. They’d seen it countless times before in the mirror, after all. “Oh, I see what this is. You’ve gone soft!”
They cackled with glee.
“The Wizard of the Wastes is dead!”
“The wizard is most certainly not dead!” Morrigan protested.
The other Morrigan Moonweaver tapped at their chin, looking the charlatan up and down. “And yet, I don’t see the jacket on you. You gave it up, didn’t you? You put an end to the con.”
Despite themselves, Morrigan went pale. “It’s just a piece of cloth, the clothes don’t make the persona.” They insisted, doing their best to pretend its loss didn’t bother them. A weakness that the other Morrigan was all too ready to exploit, twisting the knife in deeper.
“But haven’t you given that persona up? You’re certainly not acting yourself now. Giving up power to save someone else… that’s what Kaivalya would do.”
“Kaivalya doesn’t exist anymore!” Morrigan snapped. “They’re dead, and I killed them!”
“Really? Because right now, I look at you, and that’s all I see.”
Morrigan seethed, ice in their eyes as they glowered at the other them. “You’re wrong. You’re wrong, and I’ll prove it. I’ll go save Shitakibo and come back and free the phoenix. I can accomplish both.”
But the other Morrigan only shook their head, clicking their tongue. “Not possible. The door opened because one of you passed the trial. Leave, and the path here closes with you. You won’t be able to return.”
Morrigan bit their lip, turning their attention back to the rainbow flame. To the phoenix slumbering within. To save Shitakibo would mean giving up this chance entirely.
“… Oh.”
The other Morrigan smirked, extending a hand outwards for Morrigan to take. “Come on. This is everything you’ve ever wanted, isn’t it?”
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 11, 2023 9:02:52 GMT -5
Soft, magical light wrapped around the limbs of her laminate bow, then enveloped the drawn arrow [Magic Blocker]. As she exhaled, she let go of the taut string and sent the projectile soaring. The gleaming construct didn't see the arrow as a threat as it slammed into the creature's torso. As it geared up to fling another fireball, the magic fizzled out. The shaman was already moving, trying to draw the golem into Ryu's aura of influence to sap it's strength and slow it's attacks further. It chased her, hellbent on it's prey and not paying much mind to the others. Heaving itself forward, the construct struck the edge of Ryu's aura like a wall of water.
It seemed to move in slow motion, as if the very air around it had become thick and soupy. Taki skid to a stop on the ash covered streets and concentrated. She tapped into the new sensation of the Earth's magic coursing through her body, her senses extending through the area once again. If she could keep the golem confined to the auras of her Guardians, perhaps she and Ceres could unmake this gleaming, molten construct. Shouldering it's scythe, the automaton swiped at Ryu, who deftly avoided the sluggish blow.
"Ceres, if you've got any offensive magic, now would be the time... Questions later."
"On it Miss."
With an arcane word and a gesture with her staff, Ceres flung a whip of thick, spiked thorns that lashed around the creature's leg and pinned it in place. As it reared it's golden weapon high to slash at the vines, Taki completed the spell she was calling forth. Another Crystalline Shard slammed into the creature's back, sprouting from the earth below. It pitched forward, tried to right itself with an unnatural lethargy and started to topple over. Whistling sharply, Yukina and Ryu both slammed into the creature's chest and shoved it backwards.
A mass of glittering gold fell over backwards, skewering itself on the sharp spike of crystal. It made strange, gurgling sounds and grasped at the protrusion through it's chest as if to pull itself free. Without wasting time, Ceres bombarded with bolts of flame, while Taki unleashed a flurry of steel from her Shurikens as she approached closer. The pair blasted and stabbed at the golem from a short distance as it struggled to free itself from the multifaceted assault.
A deep groaning emanated from the mass of molten gold, impaled and straining. With a shudder, it reached one last time for the huge blade it dropped as it fell. As the tips of it's golden fingers wrapped around the haft, it deformed. Distorted, swelling from within, the golem burst like rotten fruit tossed against a wall. It showered the area for a brief second before the magic animating it's body drew the mass back underground. Only the broken entryway, scorch marks and deep gashes of it's attacks, and the sharp pillar of crystal remained of the battle.
"Finally... whoever created such a thing was a nasty individual."
"What was that?"
"A guardian of the trials..."
"Trials?"
"Let's head back to your wagon, rest and recover our strength for what might lie ahead... I'll tell you and the others all that has transpired."
"Alright... it's good to see you're alright."
"Likewise, and thank you for your help. This wouldn't have gone anywhere near as well without your magic."
Ceres looked flustered at the compliment for a moment, before turning to lead the shaman and her companions back to the wagon where the others were resting. Covered in dust, soot and other debris from the fight, Taki took a few minutes to clean up as best she could and cool her body down with some fresh water. As she fed herself and her companions from her pack, she relayed all she knew about the Trials. She left out no detail, from the climb to the moment the golem came bursting from the cathedral.
"Fascinating, and frightening... you're lucky to be alive and away from that place."
"True enough, though it is not my own life that should be concerned with... Morrigan went forward, and perhaps is facing a trial that would make all the ones before it pale in comparison."
"It's Master Moonweaver, they'll be okay somehow... I think."
Ceres did her best to sound confident in the statement but her expression was one of great concern. All the group could do now is wait, and hope for Morrigan's success.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 11, 2023 13:11:21 GMT -5
Morrigan stared at the gently flickering flame for a long time. It felt like an eternity of thinking… though it was probably only for a few seconds. Their true thoughts were indiscernible for anyone that might be looking at their face. They didn’t look at the mimic Morrigan when they finally spoke. “This Phoenix. Do you think it’s capable of curing this curse?”
The mimic shrugged.
“Who knows? A great ancient spirit, capable of resurrection and possessing great healing properties… anything is possible.”
Morrigan pursed their lips. They were beginning to realize that they were a maddeningly unhelpful person to deal with. Then again, considering this was a manifestation of themselves conjured by this place, it was likely that Morrigan Moonweaver didn’t know the answer for certain, either. But even just the slightest chance of breaking this stupid curse, that was what they’d come here for… wasn’t it? They’d desired the phoenix’s power to grow their own. Hell, that was the reason they’d joined the mage’s guild in the first place - if there was any chance to repair what was broken inside them, they would take it. But now Morrigan wasn’t so sure if that was even possible.
“Does that even matter?” The other Morrigan cooed, as if sensing Morrigan’s own thoughts. “Either way you’ll have what you want - a beast under your control that will do your bidding. Imagine the respect you would command with a creature like that!”
“You’re right.” Morrigan replied, their voice small, as if in a trance, tail flicking behind them. The other charlatan’s face lit up in a pleased smile, until Morrigan turned their attention back to them. “Who knows what I could accomplish with that much power?” At that point, snake oil scams would be too small. “There’s so much I could do. And you know… that’s exactly why we’re not worthy of it.”
The fake Morrigan’s brows furrowed, like they’d been presented with a chemical reaction that they couldn’t parse out. “Who cares if you’re worthy? This is what you’re owed, isn’t it?”
“The phoenix cares.” Morrigan countered. “Why do you think these trials exist? They’re meant to ensure that someone like us, with selfish motives, don’t survive.” Hell, Morrigan had already failed the last trial. It was only Shitakibo’s selflessness, her desire to make sure that Morrigan survived overriding her desire to release the phoenix from its trappings, that allowed them to be here right now. This was a farce. Oh, but the mimic Morrigan Moonweaver was right - the temptation to reach out and simply take what they wanted was overwhelming.
Which was exactly why, Morrigan knew, the creature would not respond even if they tried.
“That doesn’t matter! It is right here, for the taking, and you should be taking it! Not worrying about some goody-two shoes shaman who was too naive to understand that she was trusting the wrong person!”
Morrigan closed their eyes. “No. She’s not the one making the mistake.”
They were.
Morrigan had done this once before. A mineshaft, a thoughtless choice. They’d put their goals in front of one of the few people that had ever given a damn about them, and nearly lost his trust forever. They’d done more than just stealing an artifact - they’d stolen his chance at getting into the mage’s guild, and for what? They’d gotten nothing out of it, except for a couple of bruises and scratches, and an inexplicable shame they could not explain.
“She said she helped me merely because she wanted to. There was nothing that Shitakibo could gain from freeing a self-obsessed charlatan, and yet, she did it. I could have left her to rot in that cell until the lava claimed her. I almost did.”
“Then whatever debt you’ve cooked up in your head is repaid, isn’t it? There’s no need to delude yourself into thinking you’re some self-righteous martyr.”
“That’s not it.” Morrigan countered, feeling less unsure than they had before. Perhaps they didn’t have the words to express this feeling, but they didn’t need to understand it to know that they’d liked it. It had been a relief when Cantio Von Lumen forgave them for what they’d done, and it had left them with this strange sort of desire to foster that relationship. And this… allyship with Shitakibo made Morrigan feel the same. “I’ve just decided that stealing the phoenix isn’t worth Shitakibo’s life.”
“You’ve gone crazy.”
“You know, you’re not the first person that’s ever said that to me.” Morrigan’s brows furrowed. “Or, I’m not the first person that’s ever said that to me.” The logistics of this scenario was confusing. They were speaking to themselves, but not themselves at the same time. Someone who held their darkest sentiments and desires, the devil on their shoulder. And these were all things that Morrigan coveted. “I’m beginning to think they’re not entirely wrong.”
“Since when has the opinions of others ever mattered to you?”
“They don’t.” Morrigan shrugged. “It’s just eye opening, being able to see what an incorrigible douchebag you are with your own eyes. Which is quite confusing for me. I’ve always considered myself to be sweet and charming.” They leaned forward, ice-blue eyes frigid with hate. “I don’t have time for this. Shitakibo is in danger, and I’m not going to let her die if I can help it.”
“Help her? What do you think you can do on your own? You’re weak.” The other Morrigan spat. “Something has softened you. I don't know exactly what it is, but it matters not. If you won’t claim your prize, then I will.”
Silence. Deadly silence, as both Morrigans stared one another down, neither one willing to move. Behind the fake Morrigan Moonweaver, temptation flickered brighter. Behind the real Morrigan, the door that would lead them back to Shitakibo.
They’d already made their choice.
“Weak?” They arched a single brow, taking a step forward. A word that might have once sent envy curling up their spine and rooting its way into their chest - but right now, Morrigan felt nothing. “Weak? I scaled a mountain this morning. I’ve defied the very gods, slain monsters and saved people, all without the use of a single spell. Just me. I don’t need magic to be great. And I certainly don’t need you.”
Morrigan Moonweaver opened their mouth to say something, but their words were cut off as Morrigan raised their arm, flexing the muscles on their bicep to trigger the hidden blade. With a metallic SHINK the mechanism triggered, piercing the other Morrigan right in the heart. The facsimile’s eyes widened in shock, their mouth hanging open. They tried to produce a sound - no noise came out. Morrigan was grateful for that.
They pulled the blade out, but no blood accompanied the wound. Whatever this Morrigan was made from, it was no different than the golem back in the other room. Artificial.
Morrigan felt no remorse as they shoved the fake into the flame-filled brazier.
Rainbow burst to life, filling the chamber with smoke and light in a brilliant flame before it died down entirely, leaving Morrigan alone in the dark. No mimic, no phoenix, whose presence no longer filled the brazier. Just the charlatan.
Just Morrigan.
They’d wasted their chance.
Morrigan’s chest heaved as they attempted to catch their breath. Everything ached, for reasons they couldn’t place. But their job was not done. Not yet. When they recollected themselves, they cast one last glance at the brazier. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the one to free you. But perhaps, with luck, there will be someone better that accomplishes the task.”
With that, they pushed the door open once more, unsure what they were going to face, but uncaring. The danger didn’t matter. Shitakibo needed their help, and they would have to face down their mistakes or die trying.
…
To their surprise, they did not find themselves in the chamber of judgment, but rather, the basement of the Yudraehati. The flames, here, had been extinguished, plunging Morrigan in the darkness. Shit! They’d failed, and been brought back to the beginning, and Shitakibo was still stuck inside. Their heart hammering in their chest, Morrigan made their way back up the stairs. They’d have to make their way back up the mountain, brave the trials, somehow, but they couldn’t leave her alone -
They slowed to a halt when they made their way aboveground, finally noticing the destruction around them.
“What… happened here?”
The entire temple was in shambles, nothing more than a mess of scorched wood and melted stone. And at the very end of the destruction was a familiar wagon - Morrigan’s own, where Shitakibo, her menagerie of animals, and Mariposa were conversing in hushed tones. Ceres Celestia was deep asleep, curled up on the ground in a nap. But they all looked otherwise fine, if not exhausted and scratched up.
Morrigan jogged up to the others, confusion painted on their face.
“Thank Ginma you guys are all okay!” They gasped. “But I don’t understand, Shitakibo, how did you- where is the-“ They glanced around, looking for the golem, but there was no sign of the creature. She’d vanquished it on her own. Morrigan’s shoulders slumped, their energy and adrenaline finally fading out of them. “I’m sorry I left you to deal with that thing alone.”
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 13, 2023 18:19:56 GMT -5
Ceres and Taki spent the intervening time discussing Earth magic. The former did her best to help the latter learn about her new found abilities. Not only could Taki call forth pillars of crystalline earth, but she could create a pair of simplistic golems she could manipulate with a bit of magical input. Her other abilities were less flashy but no less impressive, being able to take solid stone and turn it to dust in a small area and sense anything that was touching the ground as it moved about. She thanked Ceres for her help and expertise, then sat down with her and Mariposa to wait for Morrigan's return.
Slipping into another meditation, she relaxed and reached out with her spirit. Once more she felt the tug of the earth, only this time the sensation didn't overwhelm her. Instead, embracing the sensation, Taki's spirit drifted deep into the earth. Warm, solid strength filled her spirit as she slipped deeper. It wasn't long before she found herself back in the rune scrawled chamber where she'd been given her elemental gift.
"SSSHHHHHAAAAAMMMAAAAANNNNNN"
"Greetings great spirit, thank you for the audience and your blessings."
"MMMIIINNOOORRR ISS THISSSS BLESSSSING, YOURRR SPIRRRITTTT WILLLL GRRROOOWWWW FFFFUURRRRTHERRRR INNN TIIIIMMEEE"
"I understand, I'll train to my fullest to give thanks each day."
"VEEEERRRRYYYY GOOOOD, WILLL YOU SIIIIINNNNGGG ONNNNCCCEE MMMOOORRREEE."
Taki nodded her acknowledgement, and began to sing a saga from her childhood in Druidic. Her body began to sway with the tune, even though her spirit was far away and deep within the earth. As her song drew to a close, she felt herself drifting back to her body. She let out a deep breath, blinking as she returned to the waking world. A gentle smile crept across her face. She looked up and saw Morrigan standing there, alone and with a concerned, questioning look.
"Welcome back, you missed your apprentice bombarding the poor golem with fire after I impaled it on a spike, it was quite the spectacle of flame and sorcery." She responded to the look, though she wondered where the phoenix might be. Her concerned expression turned to Morrigan and seemed to peer into the depths of their very soul.
"And you? What became of the final trial? Tell us, without embellishment if you don't mind." Said the shaman, after staring at the charlatan for a long moment. Taki held no illusions that Morrigan was anything but a schemer, though whether that extended outwardly, inwardly or both she'd not learned enough to know yet. Had things gone any differently, she might still be trapped in the magical cage hovering over a pool of boiling magma and melting stone.
|
|
Golden Consortium
IS OFFLINE
17
Renown
Zeinav Desert
Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
718 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 20, 2023 9:02:56 GMT -5
“Impaled… what the… what?” Morrigan murmured, incredulous. The last they’d seen, Shitakibo was struggling to hold the golem off. It hadn’t occurred to them that she might be able to handle the creature with minimal effort - that she might not have even needed their help at all. And that very much turned out to be the case here. Not to mention that their own apprentice had handled the creature with no problem where it would have killed Morrigan…
They tried not to feel too bitter about that.
They were the one that had denied themselves a chance at power, after all, like a fool.
Morrigan wrinkled their nose, deep in thought when Shitakibo asked the very question that lingered on their mind ever since they’d left that temple. Why in the world had they done what they just did? It was a spur of the moment impulse decision. It had felt right. But now… Morrigan stood here, feeling quite like they were the only one that had come out of this venture worse off.
Unfortunately for Shitakibo, brevity didn’t seem to be in Morrigan’s vocabulary.
“I…”
And yet…
They didn’t seem to have the words now.
“I failed.”
Morrigan shrugged. “The Phoenix was right there, in the palm of my hand. I could have gone to grab it, but I wasn’t looking to grab the Phoenix. I told you that I was going to look for something to come back and save you from the beast that I summoned.” Besides, they’d already failed in the trial of judgment. It was obvious that they would never have been deemed worthy by the spirit in the first place. But no, that hadn’t been on their mind, either.
They didn’t mention the confrontation with the other Morrigan in the temple. It didn’t feel necessary. But from the hard set in their eyes, confusion that had not yet melded away into surety, even Morrigan was not sure what to make of their choice. But something in them felt… different than it had only moments before. Older. A feeling as uncomfortable as it was reassuring, that Morrigan had not left that chamber unchanged. Killing the double had left them feeling more alive than Morrigan could remember feeling in recent months - as if a lead weight had been removed from their chest and they could finally breathe again.
But they couldn’t express that to Shitakibo.
“So, no, I did not free the Phoenix. And I suspect that if I were to try again, I would not be able to.” They would only see the same results, these harsh reminders of their own shortcomings. Morrigan thought they could lie and cheat their way through those trials, but the phoenix had seen better into their own heart than Morrigan had themselves. They weren’t worthy, and in this case, that was something they had to accept.
They flashed a wry grin, one that lacked any real humor but attempted to capture it nonetheless. “Terribly sorry for wasting your time, Miss Shitakibo. I’m not capable of passing the trials. But I will be satisfied with the fact that I repaid my life debt to you.” Or at least, they’d tried to.
As they spoke, the ground seemed to tremble underneath them - barely more than a tremor that lasted only a few seconds before it died down, but there was no surprise where it had come from. The Yudraehati was destroyed, but the basement that Morrigan had come from where the phoenix was still sealed was still completely intact. Morrigan turned to the shaman with a grin that one might describe as resigned on their face.
“Well, I suppose I should apologize to the spirit for failing… and destroying her home. You are welcome to join me if you so wish.”
|
|
Mage's Guild
IS OFFLINE
28
Renown
Crescent Isles
634 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Shitakibo on Jun 20, 2023 10:05:39 GMT -5
She sat listening to the tale with her full attention, though the pause concerned Taki for a moment. Something important was left out but the shaman wasn't sure it was her place to pry the information from Morrigan. It seemed they had gained something in those final moments, or perhaps finally let go of some great burden... she couldn't be sure but there was a definite change to their demeanor. She felt the earth rumble below, though she could tell this was a natural consequence of the active volcano resting a stone's throw from where they were.
"No time was wasted Morrigan, and there are no debts to be paid or owed with me. There won't be in the future either... I don't feel that way of thinking is healthy for any person. Help should be a choice one makes without thought to recompense or reward, for the deed is reward in itself. I will accompany you to the end of this journey, as I have since we met here."
She unfurled from her spot, instructed her companion to stay beside the wagon while her guardian accompany them in case of ambush. The pair strode through the wrecked and battered ruins, clamoring over fallen stone works and battered furniture until they reached the chamber that spiraled down into the earth once more. Without hesitation, Taki slipped below with the grace of a cat and waited for Morrigan to catch up before proceeding down the winding tunnel back to the chamber. The journey did not seem so long, without the nagging feeling of an ambush around every bend or crevasse. They reached the open pit, with it's rainbow spewing flames and wide perch suspended over the center. Taking a look around before entering, it seemed to be quiet and empty, but she knew all too well the great spirit could be anywhere and swiftly overtake the pair if they chose to do so.
|
|