Born from blood anew - TT Jygust 31st - Open

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:28 pm

Jygust 31st - Mid Tradetide
The Blue Parrot

Smack dab in the middle of the always busy merchant quarter hides a little oasis of rest in the form of this unlikely inn which doubles as a bathing house and resting place for the less fortunate.

The door of this middle class establishment is - not surprisingly - decorated with a blue parrot. Inside the air smells vaguely of cinnamon once the curtain is pulled aside. Only a few people are sitting inside, the entire establishment not too big and most simply overlooking this delightful little place.

It holds the charms of a larger home with a cosy fireplace and the counter hidden around a little wooden corner. The walls sport paintings of differently coloured parrots in various acrobatic stands, hanging and perched on exotic branches. Sounds and voices are slightly muffled by the lowered ceiling.

A curtain on the other side hides the three bathing rooms where several kind Adhiel servants are ready to help the customer to a completely relaxing experience.

The Blue Parrot is owned and operated by an Adhiel named Loff'ta Klew'kin.

Callara awoke, her head pounding, her body on what appeared to be a bed inside an unfamiliar room. She sat upright, feeling a lot better than she had expected after the fi...

No wait.

Memories started to return to her. This was not shortly after the fight. Her encounter with Terrel had been what...one, two days ago now? She had spent a day walking around doing...what exactly? Images, conversations, figures came back as she cleared her head, breathing in to center her mind, breathing out to focus the flow of information. She had lost her memories for a time. She had lost an entire day because that asshole had tried to crush her mind.

A smile formed around her lips.

But he had failed. "You have killed a man. You were brought to me." She had killed Terrel. That, while she still walked around. He had been much stronger than she had took him for. Perhaps she was lucky she still drew breath.

Perhaps luck had nothing to do with it.

She recalled the boy, Ushuaia, Sun and what they had done. But more over she recalled that her schedule was severely messed up because of this. By now the Council of Nine would have had a lot of time to consider their options. She would need to take action immediately if she was to gain back some of the momentum lost during her lapse of conciousness.

Callara got up, trying to gain some perspective of the room she was in. She sensed no blood close by, which made her wonder where the Nether she would find herself this time. Maybe she was in the Summer Palace.

"Sun? Sun? Where are you?"

She padded her hands around the surfaces of the room, looking for her staff. Then remembering she had dropped it in the arena. Her blade was also gone. The smell of her clothes reminded her of the fight. Dried blood clung to her cloak and tunic. She breathed in deeply and tried to focus. To get out of here she would need to find a door.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:42 am

Sun didn't immediately respond. The hyperactive being didn't seem to be nearby or around at the moment, although as Callara focused and regained her senses, she could feel recent blood in the next room. There was a lot of it, and it couldn't have been more than a mark or two since it'd been spilled. There was nobody in the building at all. At least, nobody who was alive and giving off an aura. The smell of death and feces was evident, and it almost overpowered Callara's extremely dirty body's scent. The mindcrafting woman could probably use a bath- although that may or may not be one of her concerns at the moment.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:37 am

Callara realized she had to do without the help of her wisp-like friend. So instead she tried to tune her vision to the Aether, like she had done on several previous occasions. Everything had an energy. Everything except the most recent of buildings, since the dead material did not yet contain the energy of those it had housed. Ushuaia and she had, on several occasions, practiced her attunement to those energies. To view the Tether as a blanket of interwoven currents. Doing this allowed her the ability to view the world in at least a crude fashion. Superficial details like faces were lost to her in this way. Yet what was hidden from common sight, emotions, thoughts, were as plain to her as the nose on...well, you get the point.

The feeling she got of recent blood spilled, enforced her focus. That, along with the fact the whole building seemingly was abandoned save for her, made her think that something was sorely amiss. If she was still in Roque, which she hoped to find out as she tuned into the Aether, then her presence along yet another corpse, or even her potential incarceration...Who knew where she was after all, did not bode well.

She extended her "sight" beyond the walls of the room, trying to gauge where she was and what her situation was. She'd worry about moving more after she had gotten an idea of what had happened here.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:51 pm

In the next room there was nothing but blood. There were no dead bodies, and there was a trail of several bloody footprints that led out the door. There were several large foot tracks, following a small pair of footprints, and there was nothing alive or dead in the building. Something terrible had happened. The door was to the right of Callara's bed, and it was shut but unlocked. There was a bath in the other room filled with hot water; water was actually still dripping into it from a pipe extending out from the boiler room.

There was something heavy tied around Callara's neck. It was a necklace, with a solid silver pendant on it. The pendant was drenched in blood, and the etchings were visible to Callara. Her focus wasn't quite vigorous enough to make out the colors, but she could see a carved Sunrise on the frontside. Painted on this sunrise was a green hillside, with a black circle peeking over as the sun would. Streaks of crimson extended out of the dark sun, and on the other side of the pendant there were three initials engraved: 'MRD'. Of course, perhaps she didn't care to look at the pendant at all. It certainly didn't belong to her.

The pungent smell of her body mixed horrendously with the smell of blood and defecation, and she was likely to gag at the grimy scent.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:50 pm

The first thing Callara noticed, and was extremely thankful for, was that her vision had returned to her as she recalled it. She remembered the day of darkness she had spent before this new awakening. She recalled the fear and uncertainty of not knowing who she was, combined with feeling completely helpless due to her blindness.

Now, she was back. Her mind was clear. More so than she recalled it to have been in a long time. A weight had somehow been lifted, though she could not quite determine what weight it had been that was removed. She sensed the blood, both living and dead. Where before living blood had been all she could see, now her vision was extending even beyond this force of life to all things that contained an inherent energy. And what she saw, did not please her.

She pushed the urge to gag aside, rather focussing on the information she was presented with. There was blood in the next room, footsteps leading away from it. The building was entirely devoid of life of any kind. She could distinguish size in the footsteps. Callara could not help but smile at the acuteness her senses had regained. After a day of fear, it felt good to feel empowered once more.

And then she noticed the bloodied pendant...Callara did not recall having it or getting it, so she chose to remove it from her neck. Her fingers tracing the subtle images which were carved into it. The blood on it giving it some measure of visibility. She followed the lines of the sun and the hill, and then on the back the letters...MRD...

"Malachi Ronald Darkrise."

She shot up from her bed. "Gods DAMNIT! That little fucking PEST!" With the return of her memories, she had not lost what she had experienced shortly before this moment. She recalled the strange appearance of a dark aura in the tavern. She recalled the boy talking about strange things happening around him. And she had been stupid enough to allow him to hang around.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance..."

A wave of anger flooded her mind for a mere flicker, but rather than releasing that rage she channeled it into her awareness, into her magick like she had been taught. She felt like destroying something, like throwing the little kid out the window. But he was not here. Logic dictated that all signs to whatever had occured in the next room pointed to him, and the pendant around her neck was a direct implication that she had something to do with it. Not that she minded being implicated as a murderer...she was one after all. She didn't like being set up like this though.

Her hand went for the knob of the door, her eyes seeing without seeing, seeking the path down. She tucked the pendant away for later study. Right now she needed to get away from here, get organized once more and find the little critter so she could deal with him properly. "Another kill to add to the list..." She let out a sigh.

"So much to do and so little time..."

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:08 pm

As she opened the door, there was nothing in the room before her. She was in the bathroom, and there was a tub filled with water to her left; there was also a door hanging off it's hinges ahead of her. The floor was still soaked with undried blood. Though it was marks old, there was so much, that atop the caked on filth, there was nearly a centimeter of still wet blood, and the smell was intoxicating. The water in the tub was still clean, as was the curtain pulled to the side, but everything else was acrid and rank. The room ahead of her was the Tavern, and the footprints were leading out the door, into the road- and there just outside, the footprints stopped by the wall and a dried puddle lay there. With her newly regained abilities, it was a bit much, and she began to grow dizzy.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:11 pm

"This is not real."

It did not make sense. There was no logic in what she saw. The water was too clean, the curtain was too clean. Even with her changed perception of the world, there should have been blood in the water and on the curtain. Unless someone had poured out a few buckets full all over the floor, but that seemed either unlikely or very, very strange. The empty inn was also a sign that something was wrong. Even if there had been a crime committed...there would be people around. Guards, the innkeeper, curious onlookers. But there were none.

Her head grew light and she had to step back and sit back down. "If this is an illusion, a vision...then what is it telling me..." She started talking to herself like she did when she was thinking. "If this is not real, then I might wake up from it soon. A residual effect from the fight? Or is that kid playing with my head now?"

She tried to shield her mind from outside influences, blocking out as much sensory input as possible, building up the wall of emptiness which would ward out unwanted intruders. She had had enough damage done to her mind for one day, and she wasn't about to allow yet another to play with her, diminish her, make her feel weak.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:36 pm

As Callara calmed down, she may have realized that her perception hadn't been completely accurate. The hot water in the bath had been - and still was - overflowing, which caused the floor to seem wet with blood. The floor was bloody, but it was a thin layer that was diluted from the water, and the steam rising carried the odor of death to her nostrils still. The pipe was aimed at the curtain, although there was no longer a rush of water coming out, only droplets. There was certainly recent aetheral activity here. And... There was perhaps some slight interference from the nether as well - or so it seemed - but it wasn't completely clear to her. The blood, and the vacancy however, was definitely not an illusion. That much she could plainly detect.

No guards were nearby. If there were at any point, there weren't anymore, and the patch of bloody footprints still remained outside the door, ceasing near the wall. If she looked, she would see that dried drops of blood were spattered along the outside wall leading up to the roof.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:38 pm

Callara had no clue what exactly had happened. Nor did she really care to find out. The conclusions she had drawn were quickly corrected after she had calmed down, taken a breather. Her senses were not the same as those of an ordinary person. She knew this. She should not handle rashly.

As far as she could tell, she was still in Roque. Not a lot of other places she knew of had indoor plumbing. Most likely she was still in the tavern she had been in. Something had happened and at least one person, most likely two, had walked away from it. Callara did not really care to play detective. The boy was not around and he obviously had something to do with the whole thing. Should he appear she'd make sure he wouldn't distract her any more.

It was time to go. To go back to the Summer Palace, take a bath and find some clean clothes. Once that had been sorted she could focus on matters at hand. She had no idea about the time of day, but there was always someone at the Broken Blade. She needed to find Jeet-Belan and get him to talk. She needed a lot of answers, and she needed them now...

So she walked down the stairs and out of the inn. Once outside, she went with her memories of this place to discern the path to the palace. It was a shame Sun wasn't here. That would have made finding the way so much easier.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:48 am

Callara's memories had indeed returned, but they were fragmented, and her mind was scattered. It would take awhile before the mindcrafter was 100% recovered from her memory loss, even though she did have them back.

Her attention was somewhat deficit; focusing wasn't easy, but that might have been just because she woke up recently. At any rate, the way to the Summer Palace was a memory that was ingrained in her mind even before the recovery, and the streets were empty as a ghost town. The nearest people were about a hundred yards in either direction up and down the street, and there seemed to be an invisible line they weren't crossing- or at least a line Callara couldn't see.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:50 pm

Callara was uncertain why those people kept so far back of where she was. Their behaviour seemed erratic and ill suited to the city which she knew to be full of nosy and involved people. She also had no idea what she looked like. It must not be a pretty sight though, but if she wanted to get to the palace, she'd need to ask someone for directions. Just to be safe.

She couldn't be entirely sure her memory of the path to the palace was correct, but she took the path most likely to take her there. Undoubtedly at some point she'd run into someone who might be able to direct her.

"Sun! Sun! Where are you?!"

Her mind searched for the little wisp, who appeared to be very clearly absent when she needed it most. Desperation wasn't her thing though. From what she recalled, she had done the desperation thing for the past few tides, and she hadn't taken to it well. So she did her best to keep a focused mind. Her goal for now was simple; to get to her haven, clean up and formulate a plan of attack. She'd need to get to the arena later to gather some of her cronies there and confront Jeet-Belan. But not after she had taken some time to get her thoughts organized.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:56 pm

Callara wasn't able to locate Sun, and the people completely ignored her as she walked past. They did step out of her way when they obstructed her path, but everyone seemed to be quite busy, or quite rude. The mindcrafter's memory served her rather well on the way to the palace, and she made it there in just under a mark, only taking a few inconvenient but minor detours.

The Summer Palace was a much smaller affair than the Royal Palace in Kings Court and did not resemble it in the least. Instead of a fortress it was a building full with glass and light, with big terrace doors opening to the wonderful palace gardens that ended in the d'Avennes at the back, and a nice wide veranda on the front, overlooking the white cliffs that Roque d'Ancourt was so famous for. The building was created out of sandstone, and it had coloured darker at the edges and into the curves, some of the sculptures getting a sinister effect in the dark.

It was a tad larger than a manor house, with two large wings on either side, and yet it could almost pass as the house of a minor noble if it were not for the details on the sculptures, the excessive glass work and the very, very nice location which in itself must be very expensive. There was a large iron gate on a path of gravel that took the travellers up and past the cliffs before approaching the house.

The same two attendants were present from the last time she had been there, and one of them seemed to be jokingly conversing with what looked like a small blue canary that perched on his spear. As Callara drew near, it flitted away, and the guard cleared his throat and looked around, to make sure nobody noticed his slacking off on the job.

"Oh, welcome back miss. Did you and that boy find a nice place to eat? You certainly did take your time." His voice was chipper as always, but he drew back when he noticed her aroma. His companion guard was about twelve paces away, dutifully staring out into the distance- and probably daydreaming.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:37 pm

OOC: Welcome back

Unsure if everything she saw was as she thought it should be, Callara was of a mind to let the guard know exactly what she was thinking. But it did not seem appropriate nor required at this time. As she walked home, she still had the distinct feeling things were not entirely as they should be. The guard talking to the bird only emphasized these thoughts. Then again, even if reality as she had perceived it might not have existed in the first place. Her way of seeing the world had changed dramatically several times over the past few moons. Who was she to argue with everything the world threw at her.

Matters needed attending to. She turned to the guard who had just spoken.

"The boy will not be returning. Should he wish to enter the palace, detain him. I am certain some of your colleagues will wish to ask him some questions."

"As do I, but that is of secondary importance."

"Also, I want you to send a message to your commander. I must speak with him at his earliest convenience. I have a proposal for him."

"That is two down...now for the last little tidbit."

"That having been said, I will be going out soon. Make sure to let no one in. I don't wish to be disturbed. I am in serious need of a bath and a change of clothes, as your astute senses already determined. Trust me, I am just as unhappy about my current state as you could possibly find yourself."

Had words been able to kill, they would have. In Callara's case ofcourse, they had that potential. But this time, aside from the cold business-like tone, she refrained from adding more punch to her words. She needed these men alive to do what she wished of them.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:51 am

"Well, he's just a kid... I don't uh... well okay we'll hold him at the door for you if he shows up. I don't think criminal treatment will be necessary for a child though." The young guard was stubbornly loyal to his chivalrous and courteous tendencies, and he shuddered at the thought of forcefully detaining a child. That is to be expected for new recruits however, and in time perhaps some cold logic would replace his compassionate views.

"I will have Norb alert the commander of this proposal. He's a veteran and darn trusted. If this is truly important, he can see to it that you get the soonest audience possible. Right Norb?" The more seasoned of the two guards snapped back to attention, and simply continued to look around dutifully for signs of danger. "Eh... He's a little uptight, but he's a good soldier..."

"Noone will enter these gates without authorization." Norb said gruffly in response to Callara's final statement. He didn't bat an eye, but merely carried on his caricature of the stern and zealous guard.

Callara · Post by **Callara** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:37 pm

"See to it."

Callara didn't think it would be neccesary to waste more time with these men. She had wasted two days already. Who knew what plans and preparations had been made to ward off any further attacks by her towards the council.

She continued along the path to the mansion house and entered it through the side door as she had gotten used to. The big front doors were nice for entertaining guests. Had she had a staff to speak of, she might at one point use them herself. For now the manor stood empty and quiet in the sun of tradetide. It was good to know her way around again, and she continued up towards her room swiftly. Once there she relieved herself of her filthy clothes. She peeled off the layers of clothing, which were really far more suited to a fall or winter season than a summer. They were smelly and felt heavy as she dropped them on the floor, stepping out of the pile and in front of the mirror.

Then she realized mirrors were rather pointless.

It had been so easy to look into a mirror, once, now a good moon ago. Back then she could see herself in one. Now they were just vague outlines of frames, containing blank plaques of glass. She breathed in deeply and searched within herself for recent damage done. The wounds from her fight with Terrel she knew of. Those would heal over time. Her hands caressed bare skin in search of bruises and aches, going over the bump on the back of her head and trailing down along the outlines of her hands, her left one covered in the remnants of scars, pains of cuts she had not been able to heal, or which had not yet healed fully.

Even having shed the dirty clothes she felt filty. She knew where the bath was within the house. She still trod carefully towards it, snatching a fresh set of clothing from her cupboard before seeking a means of filling up the bath. She cared not it the water was hot or cold, only that she might soak in it to wash the blood out of her hair and cool her aching muscles and relax her head, if only for a mark.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:54 pm

Locked for skilling.