Mending Memories

[Mari]

Amari shook her head as he held the stone out toward her. "No, I wouldn't know how."

Jake seemed to light up at her refusal to play his game. "Oh, that's ok! I can teach you if you like?"

Again, Amari shook her head. "No." Jakes smile faded and his elvish ears drooped slightly. Amari sighed, she wasn't sure how to act so carefree. She wasn't sure what he expected of her. "I'm not good with....this sort of thing Jake." Amari confided as she gestured toward the babbling brook. "This? What exactly does it accomplish? Throwing rocks into a river?"

"I find it relaxing." Jake said in simple earnest as he positioned himself to a seated position on one of the boulders that surrounded the pond. "How can this not relax you? Looking out over the water as the sun reflects off of it... the smell of the fresh air... Amari..." He turned his face toward her, "I'd think this would be the type of thing you'd love."

"Red." Amari corrected halfheartedly as she took a few precarious steps till she stood on the same boulder as he. She turned her attention to the view, only now paying any sort of attention to it. Earlier it was just a background that needed as little descriptors as possible. It wasn't important, it was simply there.

Amari allowed her gaze to linger on the scene before her. The waters shimmered beneath a high sun, on the other side sat a forest, too far away to see any real details but when Amari drew in a deep breath she could smell the faint scent of the greenery.

"You... " Amari turned her gaze back to Jake. "Shouldn't get another horse. Its too soon." She shifted the conversation back to him, if anything to avoid admitting that he had been right and that she should have just taken a moment to appreciate her surroundings.

"Jake, I don't think you understand what kind of person I am. I'm not that naive noble girl you met a decade ago. I'm not someone you should be friends with."

[Jake Narmolanya]

"Perhaps not," Jake mused, sitting cross legged and enjoying the warmth of the rocks, "but perhaps I'm someone you should be friends with." He patted the boulder next to him, inviting Amari to sit down, but the red haired woman shook her head. Jake shrugged and dug three round stones out of the ground. He juggled them from his seated position, green eyes shining with focus as he added a fourth stone to the dance, and then a fifth, and then a sixth. At first the rocks rose and fell in uneven patterns, but then they became a single loop, circling above Jake's head as if chasing one another. The half elf was lost in thought as his hands worked with incredible speed to keep all the stones in the air. He pitched one into the pond.

Spe-lunk! Jake pondered Amari's statement as he kept the remaining five rocks dancing. Perhaps she was right... Jake had an awful lot of friends. He didn't particularly need Amari, but he did like being around her.

Spe-lunk! Another stone sank beneath the surface, and Jake was left juggling four. The half elf could not explain the phenomena, not even to himself. The sun seemed to shine brighter with Amari around, and despite her prickly nature Jake's spirits felt lifted by her presence.

Spe-lunk! Three stones remained, and Jake juggled them one-handed while scratching his neck through his scarf. It would be too easy to walk away from Amari again. He had done that twice, out of circumstance, but nothing was forcing him to leave this time. The last three stones flew into the water in rapid succession, their muted splashes sending ripples out in growing circles.

"I will wait to get another horse then," Jake said somberly, "perhaps when the time comes, I'll find one of Fallieni lineage. You know they say a steed from the desert continent can go three days without food or water? Imagine that..." The breeze tickled the locks of loose hair spilling from beneath Jake's cap. It reminded him of riding Gunner, and for once he smiled instead of frowning. He had many good memories surrounding his parted steed. No need to dwell on his friend's death anymore. He looked down at his clothing, feeling slightly silly for being dressed in black all of a sudden.

Jake stood up next to Amari. "If you want me to leave, I will," he said earnestly, "but only if you wish it. I feel as though we both could use a friend right now. Whether we should or not is for the Thaynes to know. But now that I know you're well... I don't wish to bother you." He shrugged, feeling the weight of his cased bow on his back. An idea struck him. "Would you like to learn to shoot?" He asked, patting the quiver of arrows on his hip.

[Mari]

Amari watched as Jake started to juggle the rocks, her tri coloured eyes focused on the mesmerising movement. She hadn't seen such a feat before and it was almost like magic, course, she knew that wasn't it. Amari opened her mouth as if to question him on it, but stopped herself, her mouth pressed into a thin line and she steeled herself further away from him.

Jake prattled on about horses, mentioning lineages and the like. Things that Amari didn't know about nor choose to seek an understanding in, she merely commented on his remark. "imagine it? Jake, I've lived it." Amari realised how crude her comment must have sounded and quickly attempted to poorly sugarcoat it. "I mean, living on the streets and all - it wasn't that bad." She wasn't sure why she was bothering trying to make him feel better. He seemed to be doing well enough on his own without her interference.

"I don't have friends." Amari said simply, unmoved by the dismal admittance, her thoughts briefly rested on Fenn, but the fae boy was nothing more than a man child who had all too easily left her in hopes of 'fixing her' not considering her own will and desires in the matter. Amari's expression soured. "They get in the way."

"I think you're wrong, you just haven't met the right ones yet." Jake said in an optimistic reply.

Amari tilted her head as she mulled over his words. "I don't think that's the case." She mused. "I've met plenty of 'nice' people, but they've either met an unfortunate end or fucked right off when shit got difficult. That's the thing about humanity Jake, it's inherently selfish and I'm no different."

Jake suddenly stood and Amari had to take a few steps back, her foot landed on the edge of the boulder and she teetered to and fro to get a better footing once more. Amari shot Jake an annoyed look which he returned with a smile as he offered to teach her the bow.

"I'm not very adept with weapons." Amari said cautiously.

"It's ok! I'll teach you." Jake said as he reached behind his back and unclipped the bow. He handed it to Amari, "It'll pass the time, right?"


Amari hesitated before grasping the bow. "Right..." She said in an apprehensive tone, she wasn't sure how well she'd fare with a bow and arrow. "I've always relied on using myself as a weapon, something like this is foreign to me."

[Jake Narmolanya]

"Let me see that a moment," Jake said, taking his bow back and drawing an arrow from the quiver. "Watch me first." He searched their surroundings and sighted on a large, dead oak tree. Over the years insects had eaten away at its insides, making it hollow and an ideal target. The tree stood some fifty yards away, at which range Jake could shoot a small coin virtually every time. He slapped the arrow to the outside of his recurve bow and took aim.

Thock! Jake loosed casually and the arrow sprang from bow to tree trunk. The half elf drew another two arrows and fired them in rapid succession, placing them on either side of the first.

"There," he said, handing the bow back to Amari with a fresh arrow, "aim for the middle one."

The Salvic woman nocked the arrow and lined it up on the outside of the bow as she had seen Jake do, but when she tried to pull back the string she ended up bopping herself in the forehead with the bow's top curve. She dropped the arrow and turned, frustrated.

"Jake I don't think this is for me-"

"No no, try again!" Jake insisted, "here, I'll help you." He picked up the arrow and showed Amari how to clench it between her fingers while laying it alongside the bow. "There, that's better," he encouraged, "firing from the outside of the bow is a little trickier, but much faster once you get the hang of it. Keep both eyes open. That's right. Keep your left arm straight- not too straight mind! Roll your shoulder back when you draw, and bring your elbow up. Good! Now aim and loose!"

The arrow missed the oak by a yard or more and disappeared into the woods. Amari opened her mouth to protest but Jake was already passing her another arrow.

"No one hits the target their first time," he assured her. "Try again!" The red haired woman fired off a half dozen more arrows under his direction before scoring a satisfying hit to the edge of the oak.

"Great shot!" Jake whooped, "now it's just a matter of practice and steady hands. We can stop any time you want," he added, noticing the beginnings of a blister on Amari's finger.

"It doesn't bother me," the woman said, following his gaze. She plucked a projectile from the quiver on his hip and lined up another shot, "let's keep going."

[Mari]

Amari had shot the bow a few more times, almost emptying his quiver till she finally hit her mark. The arrow wobbled as it sat embedded in the oak tree just above his first shot. She turned to him with her lips quirked into a smile.

"That's excellent! You've really improved, we could set up lessons and in no time at all I'm sure you won't even need my help anymore." Jake said excitedly.

Amari winced at the notion of a scheduled gathering with him. She didn't mind his company but she was concerned for his well being. Her feelings of pride and accomplishment faded and with it her grin. Amari handed him back his bow.

"Here." Amari then gripped Jakes' wrist and pulled him off the rock and back to the edge of the pond. "I'll show you what I'm capable of." She let go and turned her back to him as they headed closer toward the forest. Jake made quick work of putting his bow away and joined Amari at her side.

"W-what? Where are we going Ama...ah..Sorry...Red?"

"This... is different, what I do - it's an extension of my soul. It's dangerous, I'm still learning to control it properly so I'd advise you to be careful." Amari glanced to Jake to gauge his reaction, he simply offered her an earnest smile and a nod of acknowledgement. Again, the red headed woman struggled to comprehend such simplistic innocence. He had dealt with the grief of his fallen steed, and Amari knew he was not ignorant to the darker dealings of the world, he had taken lives with his own two hands, and yet he still managed to hold such a lighthearted demeanour.

Amari sighed as they neared the forest, she gestured for Jake to stop as she continued. Once she was approximately several feet away four giant tentacles of light protruded from her back at first they glimmered with a calming golden light but they crackled and snapped as they shifted to a bleeding crimson.

The very grass beneath her withered and dried up and the trees that she stood between buckled and groaned as they began to rot. "This." Amari gestured to the scene around her, "Is an extension of my soul." She spoke with a low voice. "I can destroy anything that dares try to touch me. I can rip flesh from bone, I can shatter those bones." As she spoke the thin black cracks that had previously dissipated began to appear on her skin again, bought forth by the bastardisation of her souls ability.

The tentacles flickered and dissipated, in their place she rose her hands which held the same angry red glow. "I can slowly poison you, cause your blood to congeal and clot, I can stop your heart, with nothing more than a touch and a thought." The light faded from her hands and she offered Jake a wry smile.

"I appreciate your company Jake, but - what you see before you? This rot? This decay? This is what I bring."
Amari hugged herself and pulled her gaze from him as she turned her head away. "The only one who has stayed through it all, and nutured my gifts is my Master - all anyone else does is judge and cluck their tongues."

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake's jaw dropped as death touched the plants surrounding them. Ebony spiderwebs flecked Amari's skin as her voice took on a haunted tone. The half elf's eyes followed her flickering tentacles in horrified fascination. And then suddenly the ethereal tendrils were gone, and Amari stood, almost seeming to shiver, in the middle of the decay she had wrought.

"That's not all you bring," Jake reminded her gently, "I heard tell of how many people you healed in Ettermire." The black clad half elf took a step closer. "Just think of your powers like a sword. A sword can be used to attack folk, or to defend them. It seems to me your magic is two sides of the same coin. Life and death. You control what you do with them." Jake lingered awkwardly for a moment, wanting to hug the woman as she hugged herself but knowing she would not appreciate it. Instead he gestured toward the pond. "Lets go back to the water," he suggested.

They left the decay behind and moved back to the place where babbling brook met pond. Jake plucked several arrows from the dead oak and returned them to his quiver.

"In any case," he said as he rejoined Amari on the warm rocks, "at least you've found someone who cares for you. Two someones," he added, green eyes twinkling. "Don't worry about what others think. They only judge what they don't understand. Just focus on learning from your er... master." Jake had trained under a number of instructors in his life, but none had ever required him to use such a subservient title.

The breeze rippled the water and swirled dust around their ankles. The river prattled on over round stones and sharp ridges.

"I am glad you found someone to help guide you," Jake said, "he must be a good man. I should like to meet this master of yours."

[Mari]

Amari returned to the pond, following Jake silently as she gave herself one final squeeze. "I only helped those people because one of my subordinates requested I do so."

Jake turned to her with his usual smile, "You still chose to help them."

Amari sat down on the warm rock next to Jake. "You know... I keep telling myself that I'm stronger than that, than helping people without reason. All my life I've been taught that I should never do anything without gaining something in return. That it was simply human nature to desire and want things, be it respect, fear, or monetary." She paused, fiddling with her fingers, "but I'm beginning to think that helping someone isn't a sign of weakness."

Amari shifted her weight, falling to the side so her head was resting on Jake's shoulders. She could feel him instantly tense up but she ignored his reaction. "I suppose having a friend won't be the end of the world."

Amari bit her lower lip, her brows furrowed in thought. She felt a little guilty for asking him, especially now but she was curious. "Jake... you can open portals, you said you'd be willing to help me if I ever needed it, but how?" She turned her gaze upward to his, "How would you say, portal to me, or have me portal somewhere if we are apart?"

Jake pursed his lips in thought. "I can only travel to places I can see in my mind," he replied, "today I had a seer show me a vision of you in the cafe, and then I created the portal. I wouldn't be able to portal you elsewhere unless I'm with you. Why? Is there someplace you'd like to go?"

"You did wha-" Amari started in an angry tone as she sat up straight but she caught herself and looked away. "Never mind. There isn't a place I want to go right now, well, I need to return to my Master." Amari gave him a small side ward smirk. "See, I shoulda been back a while ago, but I chose to walk it and take my time. He can get..." Amari paused, trying to think of the nicest way to put it, "Protective, and on occasion comes looking for me."

Amari kicked off her boots then her socks before dipping her feet into the water below. "As for meeting him? That may be a little hard, you'd have to be part of the organisation."

"Organisation?"

The word seemed to pique his interest.

"Mmm, The Crimson Hand, and I'll do anything my Master asks to ensure his vision for it goes above and beyond his expectations. You have to promise me something Jake... "

"Yeh?"

Amari turned and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him close, till their faces were mere centimetres apart. "Never seek my Master out without me by your side. He is a man who demands respect, and fear. Understand?"

[Lye]

"Who is this?" called a velvet voice from the forest shadows.

With no indication of sound in his footsteps a man about six feet tall with a draping mane of sliver hair emerged from behind a tree. Both the pristine emerald and fogged jade of his eyes fixed upon the elf as Amari pulled away. Falls of thick, black fabric cascaded around Lye's form. The leather of his attire and glint of his weapons showed through the narrow opening in the front. Both of the man's hands remained out of sight.

"A friend," Amari replied sternly. She met his invasive gaze and managed to pull it away from Jake.

"I wasn't aware you could afford the liberty of friends," Lye added. He came to a stop beside the redhead and faced the elf. His gaze sized Jake up thoroughly and without tact.

"I wasn't aware I needed to tell you everything I do," Amari snapped. The groan of Lye's leather gloves creaked beneath the shadows of his fabric.

"How much does he know?" Lye's body remained tense, and an air of ill intent exuded from him in wafts.

"Nothing, I haven't told him--" The assassin's arm shot from beneath the folds and purchased a firm grip around Amari's jaw. Jake moved to intervene and found the razor's edge of a blade at level to his line of sight. With a studious gaze, Lye stared into Amari's shattered eyes. They traveled over the blackened cracks on her skin and after a moment, he let her free.

"Well that was fucking unnecessary!" Amari retorted with a hand around her neck. Lye directed all of his attention to the elf at bay by his blade.

"I want you to forget about this woman." The rigidity of his voice carried command. "She doesn't have the time, nor the luxury to be wasting her afternoons with... your kind."

Lye sheathed his blade and snatched Amari by the wrist. He turned from Jake and began pulling Amari away. Jake moved forward with a grasp toward Amari.

"Don't bother," Amari warned. She looked back to him as she staggered forth.

The elf halted and his fingers grazed gently against the wisping red of Amari's dress.

"I should not have wasted your time. Goodbye," she stated. Her body jerked from another pull from her master. Then, through the brush and low hanging branches, they disappeared from sight. The angered voice of Amari lingered on only briefly before silence.

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake remained frozen to the spot, cold sweat trickling down his spine. He recognized the platinum-haired man from the memories Amari had shared with him. He was the one who had tortured her. He was the one who had changed her from the sweet young girl Jake had known into an agent of death. And he was... her master?

The half elf wanted to race after them, to draw tonfa or bow and do battle with the alabaster assassin. But he knew it would be of little use. Jake trained with some of the finest swordsmen and warriors in all of Corone. He knew how to spot the sleek gait of a killer, of a man whose weapons were as much a part of him as his haunting green eyes. Jake trained with such men... but he had yet to reach their level. Throwing himself after Amari would have meant his death as surely as throwing himself off a cliff. Besides, even if he slew her master, the Salvic woman would probably never forgive him. She was entranced with the white-haired man; Jake had seen that from the way she spoke about him.

I found her this time, Jake told himself, I can find her again. Later, when I'm better prepared. The half elf knew what he must do. To challenge a killer such as Amari's master, he would have to seek out the strongest instructor he had ever studied under. And he would have to hunt. The half elf had stolen his portal-making ability from a demon he'd slain. Who knew what other abilities he might garner from other Haidians? He would travel to the fiery underbelly of Haide itself if necessary... but most likely he would find some lurking around the slums of Corone. Like rats, demons tended to gather in the seedier parts of large cities.

Jake picked up a stone and threw it into the pond, watching the ripples extend away from the source of the spe-lunk! Yes, the demons would be easy to come by... they always were. Finding his old instructor might prove more difficult. Last Jake heard, the demigod had moved to a mountaintop village in Akashima. But Jake would find him; he could find anyone when he set his mind to it. And he knew in his soul that Joshua Cronen would be willing to train him anew... they had always gotten on well, and the Breaker liked having a portal-maker around.

Shrugging his shoulders beneath the weight of his cased bow, Jake turned and trudged back along the path toward the small town where he'd found Amari. It was always easier to create a portal where he'd previously made one. Although a heavy weight seemed to press the half elf's boots into the ground, a dangerous gleam shone in his emerald eyes. For the first time in what seemed a long time, he had a distinct purpose in life.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Mari receives 1410 EXP and 145 GP!
Jake receives 1235 EXP and 135 GP!
Lye receives 235 EXP and 20 GP!

All amounts are inclusive of Alerar's regional bonus. Mari's GP is further inclusive of a 10% GP bonus due to her Noble Commerce ability.