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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 27, 2023 19:45:36 GMT -5
The sun was low in the sky and evening was fast approaching when the platinum blond-haired justiciar in darkened plate finally found a reasonable place to bed down for the evening. Sylvari's veil was affixed to the upper half of her face still, a precaution she had taken upon meeting some traveling merchants along the road to hide her pure crimson eyes, a sure mark of her cursed heritage. Her little undead dragonling [Necromancer, Undead Servant], Noe, was only just reemerging from his hiding place to join his mistress as she placed her pack against a nearby tree and leaned against it, sighing deeply.
Today's travel would set up tomorrow's training. Moonglade always housed impressive and exotic beasts, making it a favorite natural dojo for the justiciar. Her foes seemed to just get stronger and stronger, and thus, she could only fulfill her mission by improving herself alongside the world.
Noe, for his part, seemed to have no interests past enjoying the closeness with which he was able to cuddle into Sylvari's arms, crossed over her chest. She smiled at the little creature; her servant always seemed to cheer her up. And given recent events, Sylvari relished any opportunity for joy.
While the vampiress had little need for sleep, she had walked for several days without stopping, and thus her body was aching from exertion. What I wouldn't give for a drink right about now. I have my emergency vials if I should get desperate, but there are enough magical beasts in these woods that I should be able to sustain myself.
Contented to settle in for her role as a perch for her dragonling, Sylvari finally began releasing some of the pent-up tension from her journey, as the stars overhead began peeking out, unmolested by the sun's fading rays.
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Post by goldie on Nov 28, 2023 10:41:59 GMT -5
It was getting late. In no way, would Guardian Angel promote this activity at this time. But here she was, dragging the dead deer back to her home. It was a large male deer that would provide a good meal. She had set up a trap and it bleed to the ground. Goldie made her way dragging the deer to the best of her ability. It was a slow travel, very slow, but it'd be done in time. Goldie was hungry. Deer meat wasn't her favorite, but it was a Moonglade forest. Fortunately, Goldie didn't run into any supernatural beasts. That'd be more of a workout than just dragging the dinner home.
Goldie was unaware of the vampire girl in her vicinity. That is until she passed through one of the many trails in Moonglade.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Excuse me!" Goldie naively began to pass in front of Sylvari with the corpse. She knew nothing about the woman. She was young and beautiful, but Goldie didn't lay eyes on her for too long. The cursed Astralblood felt something sinister about the woman and did not lay eyes on her for too long. Goldie didn't take note of what Sylvari was holding. If she laid her eyes too long on Sylvari, maybe she'd risk a weird reaction.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 28, 2023 11:52:38 GMT -5
Sylvari raised an eyebrow beneath her veil. She was not expecting to run into anyone out here, this far from civilization in dangerous woods, let alone a young girl dragging a buck carcass. What's more, this girl had red eyes and tiny feathers growing out of her at odd intervals. Despite that, she cut a lovely figure, and would have been more expected in some noble court than the dark woods of Moonglade. Sylvari could detect a wisp of arcana about her [Chaos Touched], of the light domain, but it was clear she wasn't very practiced in the art. Still, the encounter was so unusual that it set Sylvari on her guard, as she rose to her feet warily.
Noe, it seemed, had no such reservations and happily bounded up to the newcomer, beginning to brush up against her leg affectionately. It was a cute gesture, if it wasn't coming from a tiny undead abomination: admittedly an acquired taste. Sylvari was so taken with embarrassment and sympathy that she forgot her caution entirely. She darted forward to collect her little hellion, bowing low as she began to speak.
"My deepest apologies about that, dear. Little Noe here still needs to learn a thing or two about personal space." Sylvari gave a placating, close-lipped smile as she continued. "Did you hunt that beast yourself? It's an impressive specimen. I'd be happy to assist you in carrying it where you need it. It is my holy oath to assist any in need to see that justice is done. My name is Sylvari, but please, call me Sylvi."
As Sylvari looked at the girl, she felt a surge of strange familiarity within. Perhaps it was her own astral heritage, or perhaps it was her new connection to the divine from her celestial patron, but it was clear the heavens had touched this girl in some way.
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Post by goldie on Nov 28, 2023 12:40:28 GMT -5
Maybe she wasn't as sinister as she thought. The woman was friendly and so was her undead pet. When the beast companion came to her leg to greet her, Goldie immediately flinched and stepped away from the random approach. Seeing it was trying to show love rather than attack she settled down. There was no need to kick it or scream. Goldie, however, instinctively was the type to freeze rather than fight.
"I'm sorry myself!" Goldie managed to get out after the interaction between her and Noe, "Uh.....OH! You want to help me! Yes, I would appreciate that very much! Uh, it's very hard to trap something so big. I feel as if I got very lucky with this one. Yes ma'am." Goldie exclaimed and then nodded. The compliment made her smile, "Oh thank you, thank you!"
The woman gave her own name, "My name is Goldie. Nice to meet you Sylvi!" The angelic being gently dropped the carcass and gave a clean hand to her new friend. After the shake, if it were to be done she'd speak again, "We are only a bit ways from my home. Would you like to come and share dinner with me?"
Goldie was friendly enough to give Sylvi and Noe some meat. With that being said, Goldie picked up one end of the carcass and let Sylvi pick up the other end. In whatever direction Sylvi wanted to stand she'd let her do so. Goldie then proceeded to make her way towards home.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 28, 2023 13:36:12 GMT -5
Sylvari smiled again as she clasped Goldie's hand. She had a good, strong grip, telling a story of working hands, used in daily chores and perhaps even combat. Sylvari tried to hide her grimace at the prospect of a meal. Mortal food, even if served bloody and raw was invariably foul to her palate. Given mundane wildlife's relative lack of arcana, it was likely to be low in nourishing power besides. Still, Sylvari figured that offering to share a meal after receiving a favor spoke well of the girl, and she was admittedly curious to see this little home in the wilds.
"That is most generous, Goldie. I can't speak to having much of an appetite, but I would be glad to share a meal with you." Sylvari hauled up the back of the carcass. With her wiry muscles possessed of unnatural strength, a product of both her cursed blood as well as her years of training, Sylvari would have been easily, if awkwardly, able to carry the deer by herself, but she dismissed the idea straight away. It would be unusual for a woman of her size to possess such strength, and she didn't want to provoke fear or suspicion in her new companion. Besides, there was a certain dignity in pulling one's own weight, and Sylvari wouldn't willingly deprive anyone of it.
As the pair walked, the deer between them and Noe trailing behind, Sylvari found herself curious about whether Goldie would be willing to share details about herself.
"So, Goldie, have you lived long in these woods? It's a rather inhospitable place by my estimations: I only came myself to train against the fierce creatures of this place. How are you able to be at peace with ferocious nature?"
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Post by goldie on Nov 29, 2023 23:09:56 GMT -5
There they went. Two new friends had been made, just like that. Sylvi accepted her offer and would assist her in taking the deer home. This caused a breath of relief to come from Goldie. Doing this was very tiring for her. As they walked along the trail, Goldie was asked a question. Sylvi was taking the initiative to guide the conversation and control the topic. That was perfectly fine for the nervous girl.
Sylvi decided to ask Goldie a general, yet very personal question. Well, it was personal in her own perspective. Goldie was pretty angelic in terms of her appearance- beautiful glowing tan skin with golden hair. There was something very supernatural to her. Oh, wait! Did Sylvi glance at the feathers she needed to pluck? Yeah, that was careless of herself. Goldie gave a frown, although, Sylvi could much take it personally. It was meant for herself, not her new friend. But quite naturally, it could be taken as an unpleasant alarm for Sylvi's eyes.
"Uh. I have lived here my whole life. I don't know much else. I'm 21? I think. Maybe 20? Uh, I forget sometimes......" Goldie didn't really have some sort of way of telling time other than an old sundial she placed near her home. Looking at the skies and where everything lay in position to give herself an estimate, was helpful knowledge too, "We'll go with 21.....What about you? Did you live in the forest for 21 years too?"
What a very odd thing to say. Goldie was trying to make conversation, but it was obvious she did not socialize with others much. Why would you ask someone if they lived in the forest for 21 years by yourself or with one other person? That's a very atypical lifestyle for most.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 30, 2023 0:37:04 GMT -5
Sylvari's eyebrows knitted together in concern seeing the frown on Goldie's face. Did I say something wrong? Perhaps the poor girl doesn't much like talking about herself. Sylvari noted the slight self-conscious movements that Goldie made to make less of herself, motions the justiciar herself had used often in the past when she was first cursed. She wanted to reach out and give her new friend a hug and comfort her, but there was a deer and a world of unfamiliarity between them. Thus, Sylvari contented herself with merely averting her gaze respectfully but making her listening to Goldie's next words readily apparent.
Sylvari was surprised to learn that Goldie was so close to her own age, given the air of innocence and naivety about her. Then again, as Sylvari thought back, she hadn't been so different when she was first exiled. World-weariness has a way of aging travelers like nothing else. If Goldie had truly never left this tiny slice of forest in her life, being 20 or 200 wouldn't have made much difference in her apparent worldliness.
Rather than laugh at Goldie's nervous and likely embarrassing spoken misstep, Sylvari merely smiled with all the kindness she could muster and answered earnestly. "That makes me only around a year older than you, dear. As for how I grew up, the Crescent Isles aren't so different from Moonglade. My home was more flat grasses than trees, but it was a fairly similar environment."
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Post by goldie on Nov 30, 2023 23:31:01 GMT -5
The lights were growing dim. The nighttime was coming. The air started to feel more chill. The sun was sinking as they walked. Goldie hadn't said a word after Sylvari's last statement. She didn't respond. It was not as if she didn't want to continue the conversation, but in her mind, they needed to get into the shelter. It wasn't in any way to seem mean, but more intentionally come across as having a goal. That goal was that two women didn't need to be in the forest by themselves. Goldie was unaware of Sylvari's truly strong capabilities but that did not prevent her from wanting to seek safety. The beasts could come. They could run into a gang of thieves. Anything was possible.
As Goldie walked through the expansive forest, Sylvi realized at some point(perhaps) that Goldie was looking at markers. She knew the ins and outs of this area. That was 100 percent sure. As they were no longer on a trail, Goldie would pass through trees that were chopped down. Several stakes had blood on them. That's how she knew there was a tendency of criminal activity in a specific area. This completely caused Goldie to realize they were going in a direction that was not safe. She immediately would go in the opposite direction and backtrack. Eventually, they even went to a pond. Around the pond, traps were waiting for other animals or luckily- beasts. They were all empty. She'd have to visit tomorrow.
Other than chopped trees, bloodied wood stakes giving indications of thieves in an area, dugged-out massive holes that had to be walked around, food traps, and even some sort of colored stains on boulders- Goldie knew where she was going. She only had to backtrack once, and once was enough for her. Goldie understood where they were without needing to be on a trail by all these absurd nature marks they passed by. She would not let her and Sylvari be attacked or get lost. They would not make it to her home this night so, Goldie made other measures.
"This isn't really a home of mine that we are going to. It's more like a small shack, a station. It's like one room. I'll probably stay here for the night. We'll rest and eat here."
Guardian Angel's little religious place. That was what Goldie referred it as. An incredibly small church, one story, two rooms. One for feasting and storage and the other was for prayer. It had very few windows and was pitch black from the inside. There were wooden tables around the back perimeters for feasting outside. It was very plain white and dark cherry wood. It looked boring to be fair with no other purpose for congregating.
"Guardian Angel's little station. We are here at last," Goldie stated giving a sigh of relief.
Goldie dropped down the deer with Sylvari on the grass, "Let me take a look around to make sure no one beat us here."
With that Goldie, with her palm and light, began to circle the perimeters. Yes, this place once was overthrown by thieves. Guardian Angel swept them away, but you could never be too sure. That was only a few months before her death.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Dec 1, 2023 0:19:12 GMT -5
The longer Sylvari followed Goldie through the darkening forest, the more certain she became that such woods were no place for a young girl on her own. She worried that she would spook her new friend if she brought her new worries to light before they were secured for the night, however, and thus resolved to keep her thoughts private until they reached their destination. A few times she nearly faltered in this directive, seeing bloody wooden stakes marking violent gangs in the area, but Goldie at least had the wherewithal to track back and avoid such paths.
As the pair finally came upon a little church, which Goldie referred to as 'Guardian Angel's little station' Sylvari was unable to hold back her worry any longer. She quickly placed her fingers over the spots in her veil which held her eyes, covering them with darkness and allowing her to see in the dim light [Ebon Eyes]. She hurried to catch up to Goldie, leaving the carcass on the doorstep of the church.
"Goldie, do you live alone out here? I must admit I'm a little worried for your safety given your... neighbors."
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Post by goldie on Dec 4, 2023 23:14:53 GMT -5
Goldie completed her analysis on the outside of the property. She peeked her head through a window to make sure there was no movement inside. None. The two women were safe to go inside.
"Give me just a moment. Let's take the buck inside and we can talk in there." Goldie dismissed Sylvi as politely as she could, "I don't want us to be killed out here." It was said nonchalantly and not in a mean way. She wasn't scared. After all, she grew up in this area all her life.
Goldie went and grabbed the carcass and assuming Sylvi- would help, brought it inside the church. Goldie, with her light, would begin to make their way passed colorful walls and the pews. As they walked passed the room used for service, Sylvi could tell how dark it was. But it'd be ok, Goldie had been here before, and they were safe. Well, for now. The glass was colorful. The pews were dusty and old. Goldie never knew how old this place was or why no one used it other than thieves and her. Guardian Angel always said it was older than her and that it had been abandoned a long time ago.
Goldie made their way in a corner. In the corner was the size of a small office. Cabinets were everywhere. It was fairly large and elaborate. Old papers and books were some of the few things shown outside of the cabinets. A few chairs, some cloth furniture, two tables made for sitting at(one with an old-styled game made of wood pieces), and a pile of hay in the corner were the only other things that stood out. Goldie dropped the buck gently and made her way to some cabinets. In one, were matches. She lit a few candles and it gave out a small orange glow- the equivalent of several nightlights in a room.
She sighed as she could now see Sylvi and her cute partner in a safe environment.
"We made it. Finally."
Then she realized how much information this girl knew about the forest, and this small place, and most importantly HER, "You aren't going to hurt me....are you?"
Goldie had completely forgotten about Sylvi's earlier question and the small exchange they had.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Dec 5, 2023 14:51:38 GMT -5
Sylvari followed Goldie as she went about her methodical check of the premises. She was exacting and precise, leaving no stone unturned, no shadowy corner unsearched, as if she had done this countless times before. She was so devoted to her task, single-minded in her fervor, that she didn't seem to hear Sylvari question, or the several that followed.
"Goldie? Are you quite alright, dear? Do you expect to find someone here? Is this one of your safe places? How long have you been alone?"
No matter how Sylvari probed her new friend, she was met only with Goldie's frenzied search, so she finally decided to settle in until Goldie was ready to talk again on her own. She was not ready for the question that came from the young girl, however.
"Hurt you? I would never dream of doing that. You invited me into your home and offered to share a meal with me. You seem to have a good heart: you're a good person, and I protect good people. You don't have to worry while I'm here. No one will hurt you."
Sylvari's assurances trailed off as she considered her next words. She didn't want to send the poor girl spiraling into fear, but she needed to get answers about her welfare. Finally, Sylvari spoke, her voice as gentle as she could muster, "Dear, Goldie, how long have you been living in these woods alone?"
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Post by goldie on Dec 12, 2023 22:32:51 GMT -5
"This is a place I go to when I feel I can't reach home at night. Guardian Angel told me to come here if I can't make it home. I see this church as a station for me to come safely. She cleared thieves from this area years ago. Every person in a 3-mile radius was wiped. However, you never know if the thieves returned. That's why I made sure no one was inside." Goldie explained to Sylvari the reason why she searched the perimeters of the abandoned building.
"I think I've been here out in the forests all my life. Wait, you mean by myself? Just 2 months so far. I'm doing ok. I think I'm making it work."
Her friend seemed very concerned about her. Was her new friend more powerful than she thought? Why did she think she was capable of protecting her? Goldie was tempted to ask how good Sylvari was good with magic but that was not her business, "I don't think I need protection. I want to thank you for offering me it though."
With that, Goldie began to setup taking good use of the buck in terms of meat and fur. She was a little odd. She wasn't dismissing Sylvari but the animal needed to be taken care of. After all, you can't leave your prizes from the hunt for nothing. Goldie began to start her job with her tools, her back facing Sylvari as she crouched down on the floor.
She turned her head around after a moment and gave Sylvari a smile, "I'll be ok!"
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Dec 13, 2023 10:56:41 GMT -5
"Guardian Angel...?" Goldie's answers left Sylvari with yet more questions. Who was this Guardian Angel person? Was she a celestial, even as her own patron, Ellyria, or merely someone that had helped the young astralblood out? What did Goldie mean when she said that this angel 'wiped' everyone? What happened two months ago? Why was Goldie so assured of her own safety, despite knowing how dangerous these woods could be?
Sylvari sighed. Inquiries continued bubbling up from her mind, but she didn't want to overwhelm the poor girl. It was apparent that she hadn't had much social interaction recently. Considering this, she had been remarkably forthright, but Sylvari was amongst the weak and downtrodden enough to know how quickly that could change. If she were to corner Goldie and force her to answer these questions, even from a place of concern, the girl would shut her out, in the best case scenario. Even more likely was the possibility she would flee into the dangerous woods and get herself hurt.
Therefore, Sylvari resolved to have her curiosity go unsated, at least for the moment. Above all else, she wanted to protect this girl, despite her protestations that she didn't need assistance. The best way to do that in this moment was to simply be present and pleasant. Sylvari knelt down next to Goldie, retrieved a small skinning knife she carried, and began working alongside the girl to dress the buck. She offered Goldie a kind smile, looking over at her as she worked.
The work of skinning and preparing an animal was well-known to the vampiress, despite her not having done it in several years at this point. Growing up with her nomadic people on the Crescent Isles, whenever they did not eat with the villages they served, they would hunt the wildlife. No person was exempt from any work of the tribe, and so Sylvari began preparing such kills even as a young girl. Years of experience guided her hand unconsciously as she moved with smooth, steady motion to split off the skin without disturbing the muscle, removing the organs that would cause sickness, and slicing off portions of the meat into more manageable portions.
Sylvari looked again to Goldie, who was likewise hard at work. "Goldie, there is quite a bit of animal here, far more than we could eat in one week, let alone a single night. Would you like me to get a fire going so that we can dry the meat we don't use? Don't worry, I know how to select kindling that will produce no smoke."
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Post by goldie on Dec 21, 2023 19:43:53 GMT -5
"Well, it's personal you know," Goldie started her first response in regards to being questioned about Guardian Angel. At first, Goldie didn't want to look at her past. Although, Sylvari seemed to want to know about her and who she was mentioning. She continued to prepare the carcass to make use of tonight for supper.
Goldie proceeded to get lost in her thoughts heavily. The first few were happy thoughts. However, it shifted to when she found her caretaker passed away. Her face shifted to a frown. It was then she tried not to cry. The rushing of mental pain remembering Guardian Angel was never good. Deep down, Goldie at that moment the question was sad the question was brought up. She tried to listen to good memories but staring at the deceased animal in front of her- even though it was supper, made her remember seeing Guardian Angel in bed dead.
But Goldie then decided to open some. She began to reflect on her past and the memories of Guardian Angel.
"I don't know what she was, or who she was. I just knew she was a powerful woman with magic. She rescued me. I have a curse. My tribe abandoned me for dead when I was 7. I fainted after a while. I remember my mother's and grandfather's faces as they announced to exile me. I will never forget it. It makes me depressed to the core. Guardian Angel didn't care about my curse. She had no interest in the fact my biological mother left me for dead. In the end, Guardian Angel was my mother- my caretaker. She just wanted to make sure I was ok. Guardian Angel was my protector, but now that she is gone I am my own. I will live here til' I die probably. I don't know much else about living in the forest."
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Dec 21, 2023 20:08:38 GMT -5
Sylvari froze in her motioned of peeling back the skinned portions of the buck, like she was stunned, at the revelation of Goldie's past. She hadn't been explicit with her curiosity, but perhaps her feelings radiated to powerfully as to be felt, even unspoken. She listened with rapt, if pained, attention as Goldie described her curse and exile, a story eerily similar to her own.
It was clear the girl was lost without her caretaker, and equally apparent that she had resigned herself to death without the oversight. She was cast adrift, purposeless, much how Sylvari assumed she would have been without the ironclad strictures of her mission to direct herself. In short, Sylvari saw herself in the girl, and that only made her empathy all the stronger.
"Goldie... I want to show you something. A secret of mine, you could say. I promise I won't hurt you." With her words, softly spoken, Sylvari reached up to slowly remove her half veil, revealing her pure crimson eyes. At the same time, she smiled fully, for the first time for the astralblood, revealing her pointed fangs.
"Curses only inhibit you as much as you let them. You're a strong girl, dear, resourceful and with a good heart, I would like to think. I can't take this curse from you, but I can show you how it needn't define you. Will you trust me?"
The vampiress extended her hand to the girl, a gesture of hope in the odd little chapel.
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