Cards of Fate
01-25-15, 08:57 AM
The wind blows softly through Leona's blonde hair as she stands at the helm of the Arial Ace, a large galleon class airship owned and operated by the Tarot Hierarchy. The turbines whir softly as they push the behemoth sized ship through the air at a leisurely pace. Aleran science mixed with the studies and magic of her Hierophant have made this ship possibly one of the most formidable members of the Aleran Air Fleet. Below her the ocean shines like rubies in the light of the setting sun, obscured only by the occasional passing cloud. She smiled for the briefest moment, not worried entirely about what the future might bring for once. The worst of the Hierarchy's trials have passed, and for now there is a gentle peace. Her cards have scattered in the wind, free from their responsibility for a well deserved break.
Up ahead she can see her goal, a small floating island hovers well above the water bearing but a single tower. A smile plays across her lips as she motions her hand for the ships second in command to take over. "Prepare us to dock." She shouts in an almost deadpan. It has been too long since she has paid this island a visit. She looks forward to seeing it's master once more, seeing as he has not graced her presence in well over a year. The modest crew of the ship scrambles to ready themselves as they work their hardest for their captain. The time between her relinquishing the helm and the docking of the ship seemed like ages, but finally the ship was firmly anchored to the island and a rope ladder dropped.
"Your order captain?" he second in command asks saluting her. "I'm going ashore, watch the ship for me while I'm gone. All hands should take a break for a bit and relax. Crack open a keg or two of ale from the stores and celebrate. We won't be leaving for a day or two." She orders not making eye contact, one of her many quirks. She shimmies down the ladder onto the soft verdant grass surrounding the tower and takes a look around. Aside from the tower a few flowers have grown in the field of green and glow softly in the increasing darkness. Above the sounds of celebration can be heard over the howling winds. She steps forward and seized the knob of the mahogany portal into the tower and pushed it open to reveal a simple lobby with naught but a set of spiral stairs. leading upwards.
Tracing her fingers along the smooth brick of the wall she ascends slowly, each footstep echoing in the silence. She shudders in anticipation as her visions of the future seem to grow fuzzier and fuzzier the higher she climbs. Finally she reaches one last mahogany double door, an owl carved into one side, a mantis in the other. Gripping both handles she takes a deep breath. Limited omnipotence simply makes the moments of uncertainty that much more frightening. She throws open the doors and suck in a deep breath in suprise. The walls are lined with images of the nighttime sky, blown up to larger details. Before her the heavens are brought low for her to see. Swirling lights of greens, blues, yellows, and reds dance along the walls. Whole galaxies dance, and in the middle lying motionless is her Hierophant.
"Vincent." She mutters calmly, as if the display had not effected her at all.
"Leona." The man responded not bothering to even look her way.
"It's been awhile." The seer remarks as she strolls into the room. A glance upwards reveals that the roof too is covered in images of the night sky. "I see you've taken an interest in astronomy?" she asks attempting to make small talk. She is used to having the upper hand in this sort of situation, however ever since a certain accident Vincent had become a bit of an enigma to her. The woman turned her gaze to her trusted adviser. His once dirty blonde hair had dimmed to a light brown with the occasional streak of gold. His face was now lined with a short, brownish blonde beard that he kept well groomed. His blue eyes seemed tired as they gazed up at the stars, his eyes bloodshot.
"They say space is the final frontier..." Vincent replied.
"They did say that back on earth..." Leona replied striding across the room to close the gap between them. Peering down at his face she grins slightly. "However there are still blank spaces on our maps..." she says teasingly. "Why are you already looking to the sky?"
"Because if I do not there will not be another one to stand as my equal in knowledge for another century or so." he replied grinning back. Leona plopped down, crossing her legs as she sat right above the Hierophant's head.
"You could put a station in space if you worked with Alerar." She stated calmly.
"Yet to do so would be a disaster." Vincent replied cooly. "It does not take a seer to realize that. Society and technology are interwoven Leona. One evolves and allows the other to thrive which in turn evolves and returns the favor. Society and technology must advance in unison." Vincent spoke his words as if they were a well practiced line in a play, his mind was elsewhere.
"You act as if we've had this conversation before?" Leona asks leaning back to gaze at the stars.
"In my head, yes." Vincent replied. "I play out these conversations in my head when I get lonely." he states, a trace of emotion flashes through his eyes for just a second. Is it sorrow? Regret? He can't seem to place it. "Sometimes it's the only time I will ever hear some of them speak to me ever again." His words slice through both of them dredging up old memories.
"Do you blame yourself for what happened?" Leona asked curiously.
"Do you?" Vince retorts. Leona pauses, his words harsh. She had seen all of their fates, had known everyone's destination and the path they would take to get there. More often than not she had guided them from the beaten path of their fate to accomplish her goals, more often than not she had altered their fate. For the better, or the worse.
"Some more than others I would presume..." she responded after several moments of silence.
"That's what I admired about you..." Vincent began. "You could be so...cool about things. Almost cold. When the time came for your cards to start dying you did nothing to save them. Even when I myself walked into what we both knew would be the death of me...you didn't try to stop me. But unlike the others you came to say goodbye to me..." tears seem to be filling his eyes. "You and I both knew what would happen when I went on that mission." he muttered between ragged breaths.
"And yet it seems like you fooled the fates did you not?" Leona replied sitting up. She could feel her Hierophants distress. "Jormund had made a plan for you, to die serving the cause you had devoted your life to. Yet in that explosion of Tap magic you refused to play into her hands. Instead you came back to me changed, a well of untapped energy waiting to serve our cause once more." she said as she leaned over Vincent, staring into his eyes.
"It should have been someone else..." The words barely managed to escape his lips as tears steamed down his face. His face was stoic, yet his eyes betrayed him.
"And yet I would not have it any other way...'' Leona replied cupping his face in her hands. "Because you are my Hierophant."
Vincent sat wordlessly for a moment pondering his bosses words. The seer's pale face smiled down on him, face slightly wrinkled from stress, her blonde hair forming darker streaks. Here emerald eyes staring back at him kindly. He was glad she had found him all of those years ago in a dusty bookstore in the middle of nowhere.
"It's nice not knowing what's going to happen next when I'm around you..." she begins breaking the silence. "It's like I'm actually alive." Vincent pondered her words for a moment before speaking.
"I'm glad I'm still useful." he replied, his lips tightening into a frown.
"You will always be useful." she says looking hurt at his accusation. "And not just for you company or charm." she continued grinning.
"I am the best scholar Althanas has ever seen." he replied.
"Humble to boot." Leona chimed in. The two chuckled for a moment and returned to their star gazing.
"I wonder if earth is out there somewhere." Vincent mused aloud.
"Same."
Up ahead she can see her goal, a small floating island hovers well above the water bearing but a single tower. A smile plays across her lips as she motions her hand for the ships second in command to take over. "Prepare us to dock." She shouts in an almost deadpan. It has been too long since she has paid this island a visit. She looks forward to seeing it's master once more, seeing as he has not graced her presence in well over a year. The modest crew of the ship scrambles to ready themselves as they work their hardest for their captain. The time between her relinquishing the helm and the docking of the ship seemed like ages, but finally the ship was firmly anchored to the island and a rope ladder dropped.
"Your order captain?" he second in command asks saluting her. "I'm going ashore, watch the ship for me while I'm gone. All hands should take a break for a bit and relax. Crack open a keg or two of ale from the stores and celebrate. We won't be leaving for a day or two." She orders not making eye contact, one of her many quirks. She shimmies down the ladder onto the soft verdant grass surrounding the tower and takes a look around. Aside from the tower a few flowers have grown in the field of green and glow softly in the increasing darkness. Above the sounds of celebration can be heard over the howling winds. She steps forward and seized the knob of the mahogany portal into the tower and pushed it open to reveal a simple lobby with naught but a set of spiral stairs. leading upwards.
Tracing her fingers along the smooth brick of the wall she ascends slowly, each footstep echoing in the silence. She shudders in anticipation as her visions of the future seem to grow fuzzier and fuzzier the higher she climbs. Finally she reaches one last mahogany double door, an owl carved into one side, a mantis in the other. Gripping both handles she takes a deep breath. Limited omnipotence simply makes the moments of uncertainty that much more frightening. She throws open the doors and suck in a deep breath in suprise. The walls are lined with images of the nighttime sky, blown up to larger details. Before her the heavens are brought low for her to see. Swirling lights of greens, blues, yellows, and reds dance along the walls. Whole galaxies dance, and in the middle lying motionless is her Hierophant.
"Vincent." She mutters calmly, as if the display had not effected her at all.
"Leona." The man responded not bothering to even look her way.
"It's been awhile." The seer remarks as she strolls into the room. A glance upwards reveals that the roof too is covered in images of the night sky. "I see you've taken an interest in astronomy?" she asks attempting to make small talk. She is used to having the upper hand in this sort of situation, however ever since a certain accident Vincent had become a bit of an enigma to her. The woman turned her gaze to her trusted adviser. His once dirty blonde hair had dimmed to a light brown with the occasional streak of gold. His face was now lined with a short, brownish blonde beard that he kept well groomed. His blue eyes seemed tired as they gazed up at the stars, his eyes bloodshot.
"They say space is the final frontier..." Vincent replied.
"They did say that back on earth..." Leona replied striding across the room to close the gap between them. Peering down at his face she grins slightly. "However there are still blank spaces on our maps..." she says teasingly. "Why are you already looking to the sky?"
"Because if I do not there will not be another one to stand as my equal in knowledge for another century or so." he replied grinning back. Leona plopped down, crossing her legs as she sat right above the Hierophant's head.
"You could put a station in space if you worked with Alerar." She stated calmly.
"Yet to do so would be a disaster." Vincent replied cooly. "It does not take a seer to realize that. Society and technology are interwoven Leona. One evolves and allows the other to thrive which in turn evolves and returns the favor. Society and technology must advance in unison." Vincent spoke his words as if they were a well practiced line in a play, his mind was elsewhere.
"You act as if we've had this conversation before?" Leona asks leaning back to gaze at the stars.
"In my head, yes." Vincent replied. "I play out these conversations in my head when I get lonely." he states, a trace of emotion flashes through his eyes for just a second. Is it sorrow? Regret? He can't seem to place it. "Sometimes it's the only time I will ever hear some of them speak to me ever again." His words slice through both of them dredging up old memories.
"Do you blame yourself for what happened?" Leona asked curiously.
"Do you?" Vince retorts. Leona pauses, his words harsh. She had seen all of their fates, had known everyone's destination and the path they would take to get there. More often than not she had guided them from the beaten path of their fate to accomplish her goals, more often than not she had altered their fate. For the better, or the worse.
"Some more than others I would presume..." she responded after several moments of silence.
"That's what I admired about you..." Vincent began. "You could be so...cool about things. Almost cold. When the time came for your cards to start dying you did nothing to save them. Even when I myself walked into what we both knew would be the death of me...you didn't try to stop me. But unlike the others you came to say goodbye to me..." tears seem to be filling his eyes. "You and I both knew what would happen when I went on that mission." he muttered between ragged breaths.
"And yet it seems like you fooled the fates did you not?" Leona replied sitting up. She could feel her Hierophants distress. "Jormund had made a plan for you, to die serving the cause you had devoted your life to. Yet in that explosion of Tap magic you refused to play into her hands. Instead you came back to me changed, a well of untapped energy waiting to serve our cause once more." she said as she leaned over Vincent, staring into his eyes.
"It should have been someone else..." The words barely managed to escape his lips as tears steamed down his face. His face was stoic, yet his eyes betrayed him.
"And yet I would not have it any other way...'' Leona replied cupping his face in her hands. "Because you are my Hierophant."
Vincent sat wordlessly for a moment pondering his bosses words. The seer's pale face smiled down on him, face slightly wrinkled from stress, her blonde hair forming darker streaks. Here emerald eyes staring back at him kindly. He was glad she had found him all of those years ago in a dusty bookstore in the middle of nowhere.
"It's nice not knowing what's going to happen next when I'm around you..." she begins breaking the silence. "It's like I'm actually alive." Vincent pondered her words for a moment before speaking.
"I'm glad I'm still useful." he replied, his lips tightening into a frown.
"You will always be useful." she says looking hurt at his accusation. "And not just for you company or charm." she continued grinning.
"I am the best scholar Althanas has ever seen." he replied.
"Humble to boot." Leona chimed in. The two chuckled for a moment and returned to their star gazing.
"I wonder if earth is out there somewhere." Vincent mused aloud.
"Same."