Hunting

[DarkStorm]

"Father, what's this say?"

The warm library was dimly lit by golden candlelight which didn't seem to shine in the darkness, so much as bleed across the table's surface to the book he was studying. The corners of the room swam with shadows, the meager illumination of the tallow candle insufficient to brighten much more than its immediate surroundings. The air was filled with a dusty, gritty quality that made Aiden wonder about the wisdom of keeping so many books there. Then again, so far as he knew, it might have been the books causing the air to feel that way. He rarely ever went to libraries. He rarely ever read, for that matter. Lifting his head, the man smiled at his son.

His youth not yet showing the full height that Aiden was sure he would possess in a few years to come, Chance's hair was cut short and wild, and the color of a sandy beach in the middle of a hot summer day, a stark contrast against the pale shade of his icy blue eyes. His clothing was simple, green stripes moving from his neckline down his shoulders, to the end of his sleeves near his elbows. The rest of the shirt was white, save the random specks of dirt and dust that distained the soft fabric. His pants were a light brown color, and his shoes white.

"Why are you asking me? You can read." Aiden said.

"Yes, but not that word." Chance pointed toward the first word of the title.

"Crystal." Aiden said, loud and clearly.

"Crystal? Crystal... man...ip...lation?" Chance recited, his brow turned down in a youthful scowl of concentration.

"Manipulation." Aiden corrected, smiling. The boy had come a long way in such a short amount of time. It had only been a few months, and now he was reading as if he had been doing it for years. Aside from the occasional slip, such as this one, he read with a confidence and speed that his father could only envy. Pride burned as hot as a star in the man, not for himself, but for his son.

"Let's see what you've got there." Aiden said. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on either side of his son's ribs, and lifted him into his lap. Looking over the boy's shoulder, he nudged the book open, and began reading silently. His eyebrows raised slightly in fascination. Behind him, the door knob twisted, and the latch unlocked. Without turning, he spoke.

"Hey Lillian... come here. Check this out."


(whoooo for short, crappy posts. Closed to Nec... The person posting after me. <.<

Oh yeah, Another Note: I am rping both Aiden Darkstorm, and Chance Wintersent equally in this thread. They are both my characters, and will hopefully both receive the same amount of spoils/exp... or similar... right? God, I hate being a confused noob. >.<)

[Ataraxis]

“That’s a bit easier said than done!”

Truly, she had never met such an inconsiderate man! For at least a minute she had been struggling with the brassy knob, mouthing hapless pleas through the wooden panel, but Aiden had not even noticed the jittering of the door nor had he paid heed to her supplications. When the accursed contraption finally budged open, she lost her poise and bumbled into the musty alcove, all in tiptoes and staggers; but by some miraculous feat she managed to hold onto the heaps of voluminous tomes that were precariously balanced upon her willowy arms. “Thank you, you’ve been such a great help!” she spoke in repressed snarl, periwinkle eyes looking daggers at the man before finding the strength in her heart to dismiss his utter lack of concern.

How could she possibly stay mad at him? When she caught a glimpse of Aiden and Chance, browsing the yellowed pages of a leather-bound book with that jovial glint in their eyes, she could only let her heart melt under the warm ambiance of that perfect picture. Paying attention to his son rather than my very embarrassing ordeal is good enough a reason, she told herself with a weak and compliant smile. With a mellifluous softness, she spoke, almost regretful that she was interrupting their time of bonding. “So, what have you got there?”

Dropping the pile of books onto the table in a soundless motion, she sidled back to stand behind the two, leaning into the wan candlelight for a peak. “Crystal Manipulation? That’s what Kylie can do, isn’t it?” Taking note of the respondent bobbing of his dreadlocks, she tilted further to the front, but was glad to see him bring the book closer to her ken. “The process involved in the molecular manipulation of crystals is complex, and requires a honed affinity to the energies that both fluctuate within the earth and are generated by the crystal’s structure. A Fae has the ability to tap into these fluxes to reshape any and all crystalline matter through sheer will by influencing the variations of the fields within it, in a manner analogous to geomancy, yet much more intricate and requiring minute control over the conflicting waves within.”

About to let her mouth reel as quickly as her mind, Lillian suddenly realized how she had babbled on, and stuck out her tongue to hurriedly stem the flow of words, ending her sentence with an awkward 'blmph'. “Sorry. Oh, but look: there’s something about Synthesizing. In summary…” She made an emphatic pause, wherein she let an embarrassed smile show. “You can combine specific materials using an athanor – a furnace, if you will – to create completely new ones with specific properties. Crystals that increase your dominion over an element, bags containing an infinite amount of space… and this can all be done in Cearnaigh Criostal! This is just outside!” she said as loudly as she could with a murmur.

“Should we investigate?” she queried, rasping the hulking man’s shoulder with and expectant smile splayed across her porcelain face.

[Chance]

Chance had turned around to look over his father's shoulder, his face screwed up into a youthful expression of confusion. "Moleklar fields... what?" He turned to look at his father. "What did she say, dad?"

Aiden didn't bother looking up from the book he was still perusing. "I have no idea, son. Something about Kylie and geomancery and Popsicles, or something. She seems excited, so I guess it's a good thing."

Closing the book and handing it up to Lillian, Aiden picked Chance up and set him on his feet, and stood. Knitting his fingers together, he lifted his arms above his head, and turned his palms towards the ceiling. As he stretched, he felt his sore muscles begin to relax amid the slight cracking noise, as several of his joints popped. They had been sitting for hours. It still amazed him how Chance could sit still for so long, his nose buried in a book. He had been the reason why they had come here earlier. Aiden glanced out of the window. It was quickly approaching dusk.

"I vaguely remember telling you that I only wanted to be here for an hour or two. And now it's nearly night time." Aiden lifted an eyebrow at Chance. "Now what have you got to say for yourself?"

Chance cocked his head to the side while looking up at his father. "... if I had a watch, I'd be able to keep time better?"

Aiden sighed, and covered his face with his hand while shaking his head. His mane of dreadlocks echoed the motion. "How many times have I told you? We can't afford one of those."

Chance frowned sullenly.

"I told you, I will get you one when I can pay for it." Aiden told the boy in a softer tone, then turned to Lillian. "You wanted to investigate? The book says a lot of materials are required for this manipulation stuff. We need a bag."

Aiden gestured for her to lead the way, then knelt down, his back to Chance. Smiling, the boy walked to his father, and wrapped his arms around Aiden's neck. Standing up with no difficulty, the boy still clinging to his back, the man looped his arms around Chance's legs and followed Lillian from the room.

[Ataraxis]

With a victorious outcry, she clapped her hands, but then fumbled to catch the twirling book before it slammed into the dusty flagstones underfoot. “I left my rucksack outside the study niche – that should be enough, since I left all of my books at Kylie’s house. There’s only a change of clothes and one half of a broken pencil in it.” In truth, there was one more article inside her trusted bag, but she wasn’t about to proudly declare how she still schlepped around a week-old snack. I should really throw that out.

As she took to the exit of the library, padding along the dim outlines of glass cases and rosewood shelves, Lillian flipped through the burnished pages, their flutter sounding clear in the hollow corridors, until her thumb stopped on the embossed back. “Done,” she finally exclaimed, on time to set down the book on a return chariot she had noticed on her way in, a few hours ago. “How nice of the author to give out the general locations of the most popular ingredients! That will definitely save us the downtime from asking directions.”

With their egress from the stuffy atmosphere of the library, their senses were assailed by the damp aroma of the rainforest that hung over the Fae Capitol like a soothing blanket. Drinking in the unwonted purity of the air, Lillian exhaled nigh ecstatically, enjoying every aspect of the marvel that was Donnalaich. As opposed to the cold plasticity of most architectures, the buildings of the ancient city were erected in an asymmetry that made each and every edifice unique, evocative to even the most negligent eye.

Each step down the gleaming roads subjected her to an array of ever-shifting luminescence, the intricacies of the picturesque gravures, the elliptical carvings and the meticulous details of the towering arches given an ethereal life by the iridescent crystals that had so harmoniously mingled with the architecture, and even the rocky cracks and gaping fissures gave the aged city this timeless wisdom. Lillian was particularly enthralled by the elegance of the Faes, who drifted so serenely over the streets with their diaphanous wings, reflecting soothing colors that seemed ever so foreign.

“Kylie’s so lucky to be able to see this everyday, don’t you think?” there may have been envy, there may have been jealousy; but her heart went to the youthful Fae, carrying with it genuine happiness. And who knows? I might just drop by for a visit in the future. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind! She mused jovially, already planning her next vacation into the city of wonders.

“Here we are. Cearnaigh Criostal!” came her triumphant exclamation. They had stopped on the verdant cliffside, overlooking the magnate square that thrived alongside an immense waterfall, its liquid reflections evoking what a giant crystal would appear like, were it to melt into streams of light. “I wonder where we should start.”

[DarkStorm]

Aiden frowned as he followed Lillian from the room, reaching out with his left hand to snatch the book back up from cart.

Not all of us remember the location of every pebble between here and Salvar, Lil.

Handing the book back to Chance, Aiden took the momentary relief of Chance's loosened grip to rearrange the sword sheath slung across his back. Somehow, the boy had twisted it so that the lower edge was now digging into his left kidney. He smiled despite the pain. He far preferred a bit of pain than the thought of not having his son near.

Following Lillian out into the city once more, Aiden repressed the urge to gasp as he swept his eyes over the city. It seemed that no matter how many times he seen the city, he would never be inured to its alluring beauty. Rainbows of light enshrouded the city like a shimmering, multi-colored veil. He knew that Chance was also taken, once more, with the pure pervasive grace of the Crystal City. Aiden slowed his mechanical stride as he neared a sculpture, and came to a halt.

The figure of a Fae woman stood proud, her hands fisted at her sides. Her back was arched, her chest and bosom puffed out in what was obvious defiance. Her hair flowed down her back in elegant, swirling curls, and her dress flared backwards, caught in an ever gusting breeze. The Fae's gossamer wings were swept open, reflecting light as much as letting it pass through. Her face was written of strength and integrity. The whole sculpture exuded an air of nobility that made Aiden's skin ripple with gooseflesh. For some reason, standing in the kaleidoscopic half-shadow cast by the translucent crystalline woman, Aiden was reminded of ever ill deed he had ever made. The memories shamed him, even though they had shaped him.

"Pretty." Chance whispered quietly, staring at the sculpture.

"Isn't it?" Aiden asked, his smile returning. The woman may have been all that was right and noble, but she didn't have Chance, now did she?

Picking up his pace again, the man swept his eyes over his environment. He took in the waterfall, and dismissed it just as quickly. He had seen them before, in Salvar, and they held his interest only minimally. What seemed hundreds of Fae and Draconians went about their business, just as they were. Some ignored him completely. Others glanced at him, and dismissed him just as he had dismissed the waterfall. Still others watched him curiously, their smiling reflected by Chance. The boy drew more attention than a rabid monkey dancing to a gypsy tune would have, and all of it was positive. Once more, Aiden was at once envious and proud of his son.

"I seem to have a monkey on my back." Aiden said, his voice raised slightly to be heard over the milling mass of Fae and Draconians.

"Hey!" Chance said, his voice at once offended and amused. "I'm no monkey."

"You like to climb trees." Aiden offered as proof.

"But that's different." Chance replied.

"How?" Aiden asked.

"It just is."

Aiden smiled. "So it is."

(Hah! My crappy posts are getting longer. Suffer! SUFFER I SAY!)

[Ataraxis]

”Well, why don't we start by getting our hands on materials that we're sure to need, and that are incidentalyl closest to us?” Lillian enquired to her comrades as she left the shop. While they were inside, twilight had fallen into a quiet night, but though the skies were emblazoned with a jet black ink, specks of light still danced playfully within the various crystals of the square, as though they were imbued with magical properties to shed light. “We’ll first need crystals. How convenient is it that there’s a cave laden with them just behind that waterfall? Just be sure to have something in hand to pry them off the walls. Any questions?”

Hearing no query, comment or complaint, the girl joyfully rolled on the ball of her heels and began her march toward the source of the rushing waters. However, as she breathed in the crisp and cool air of the night, she turned to the little Chance – who had somehow clambered down of his father’s back – having felt his wee hands tug on the hem of her dress. “Yes, Chancey?” she asked tenderly, trying her best not to show how much he was tickling her thigh. “What is it?” She heard him stutter and mumble, maybe both at the same time. In either case, he was speaking too low for her to hear. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked a bit concerned, crouching slightly; but still she could not make sense of his unintelligible muttering. In an amused exasperation, she dropped on her knees and leaned forward to be of similar eye levels. “Chancey, you’re going to have to speak up if you want people to hear you! I know I had the same problem. Maybe I still do, in retrospect. But still, you should– ”

“You’re pretty,” he suddenly blurted aloud, all teeth showing in a proud grin.

“What?” Lillian looked him quizzically, utterly flummoxed by the declaration that was both sweet and wrong on so many levels. However, she never had the time to voice her concerns, for the young boy had skillfully leaned in without her noticing, pressing his juvenile lips against hers before smacking them, wet and loud. “Hngk!” she uttered, feeling untold volumes of blood rush to her cheeks in shame.

“Father! Father! I kissed a girl and it was gooey!” the boy cried out merrily, as though he had just completed a heroic deed. Perhaps, for the young boys, to steal a kiss from an older woman was a daunting task akin to the slaying of a foul beast; but the comparison was in no way complimentary, and the poor girl found herself twice more disheartened.

“That was my first kiss! Ever! Give it back you rapscallion!” So shaken was she that her sapphire eyes were glazing into watery pools, still shocked by the unforeseen event. Any who watched what a wreck she had so abruptly become would pity her, no matter how endearing were her maiden’s tears. In pain, she pulled herself up, using the rugged Cliffside as a ledge, her knees still shaking from her jumbled emotions. Her gait had the air of an undead’s swagger, and incidentally she began exuding a morbid aura of remorse. With bated effort, she muttered under her breath, dragging herself behind the cascading white veil and disappearing into the hidden grotto. “Let’s… Let’s just go…”

And never speak of this again.

[Chance]

Aiden was lost in the confusion that followed Chance's immature attempt at a mature mating ritual, and Lillian's sudden, unexplainable turn from perfectly composed to perfectly screwy. This time, he felt no envy toward his son. While Chance had turned the woman psychotic in less than ten seconds, he always lasted at least twenty before he caused an irrational outburst in women. He simply shook his head, and watched as Lillian all but stormed off.

Chance had stopped his happy dance, and was now staring off at the girl's retreating back. By the slump of his shoulders, Aiden knew that whatever it was that had just transpired had caused no small bit of damage to the boy's happiness. He tried to suppress the rage he felt at the tears gathering in his son's eyes. Reaching down, Aiden picked his son up and slung him over his shoulder, much like a sack of grain. Ignoring the small grunt that issued from the boy, Aiden reached up with his free hand and began tickling the boy's ribs. Instantly, he turned from near crying to squirming, giggling, and laughing.

If only Aiden's emotions would have faded so quickly. His rage hadn't subsided at all before he caught up with Lillian at the base of the waterfall. Setting Chance down, he looked at the boy with the sternest glance he could muster.

"You stay here, and don't move."

Without a word, he turned and clamped his iron grip down on Lillian's upper arm, and marched her away from the boy a ways. He didn't take her too far, just far enough so that the constant beating of the water would drown them out. Turning to her, his eyes burned with the poignant vehemence of his fury.

"What the hell was that? He's a boy! What would you expect from someone his age? It's been three weeks since we got out of that fucking swamp, and he hasn't smiled once until yesterday, and you so casually stomp on his mood? Should I remind you that the reason he is in such bad spirits is because he went after you, and tried to save you from whatever mess you stumbled into while we were trapped there?" Aiden scoffed.

"I don't know what your little psychotic outburst was all about, but you'd better learn to control it, or skiv off and find your own way. I am his father before I am your friend, and if you would subject him to anything negative, and I mean anything, then you are not the traveling companion I want or need. Is that clear?" Aiden didn't wait for an answer, his tone could tolerate no argument anyways.

"Now what the hell is wrong?" It was evident in his voice that despite his anger, he truly did care about whatever it was that had turned Lillian into a mess so quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chance dancing around impatiently, though the boy had obviously listened to him, since he wasn't straying much from the spot where Aiden had left him.

[Ataraxis]

Seldom had Lillian ever been at such a loss for words. When she had only wished to move on, to proceed to what task they had first set out to accomplish, Aiden pounced back with a vengeance, dragging her back into a hell of emotions with the pull of his arm. At the feet of the mountain, the pounding of water raging on in the backdrop, she watched the brazen man berate her with a vehemence she had never experienced in her life. There, slowly soaking with the myriad of wispy drops that pittered and pattered, she felt as despicable as an ant crushed under a titan’s foot, and with every word he spat her heart would skip a beat, stung by the derisory nature of his harangue. She was already crestfallen to begin with, but now he was effectively pummelling her when she had fallen down, at her most vulnerable. Whatever mess I stumbled into? He’s saying it’s my fault we almost got killed? Disbelief was gnawing at her insides, crawling up her guts like a swarm of maggots. Psychotic? The word echoed in the recesses of her mind, and every time she would feel herself slip further down, on buckling knees. The falling water and his spit had mingled upon her face, and in this helpless, wrecked state, she only awaited for the coup de grace.

Not the traveling companion I want or need.

How strange. She wanted to cry, so badly that her chest felt bloated with acrid tears. Wheezing, sniffling, gasping for a saviour breath; no matter what she did to break the dam, it stood undisturbed, blocking the only outlet she had ever known for her emotions. All she could do was stand there, soaked and pathetic, paled lips quavering and swollen eyes glazing, staring at the stranger that stood so high above her. Maybe her eyes were pleading, pleading him to take back those hurtful words. She hadn’t heard him when he questioned her, she couldn’t – she could not bear to. Her mind had become a field of sorrow, where she, alone, armed with nothing but her sanity, fought the onslaught of her every emotion, of every pain and every hardship that had struck her in the back. She could never forget the things she saw, the things she heard, smelled; but worst of all, she could never forget the horrors she felt. For years, her mind had managed to keep the build-ups in check, but in this instant of weakness, her will had finally fumbled.

“I envy Chance.” Lillian had finally spoken; but her eyes were empty of that eerie blue glow, of that childish joy. They were only pools of a dead shade, reflecting the streams of white that flitted down. She couldn’t hear herself anymore, yet she went on, as though driven by her darkest secrets who cried out for that one sip of light. “His father cares for him. He truly does. When I see them together, I know it’s for real.” Blue voids glowed in the watery shadows, like luminous orbs of hollow glass. “It was nice to have a father,” she sighed in remembrance, but her memory could only grasp the blurs and ghost of his presence. Was he ever there for her? Where was he now? Dead. Dead with my mother. Just dead.

The dam gave way, but instead of collapsing into tears, she had collapsed into laughter. Light chuckles shook her frail body, made her soaked hair dangle from side to side. She didn’t know. She didn’t know what was funny, why she was tearing up from this unnatural hilarity. “Aiden…” she muttered in between tremors. “Aiden, please…” Her pristine chuckles and turned into sobs. Chest heaving, eyes puffing, mouth puckered into a crying pout. She was crying. “Aiden, please don’t say that… Please don’t leave me too. I’ll be a good girl, I won’t make you mad anymore. Please, Aiden…” She had regressed into her childhood, and was now reliving, ever so vividly, the day her parents left her to die alone in that barren house, in the middle of the desert – she was reliving that slow, senseless death. Not knowing what to do, she grabbed onto the man, sobbing warmly into his shirt, her arms cinched tightly around his back. And her eyes, those empty, dripping wells, were staring up into his, begging him not to make her die a second time, begging him not to abandon her, too.

“Ah…” Suddenly, she unlatched, stumbling back a few feet, lilywhite fists raised in confusion. Then, seeing the limp and idle form of Aiden, she felt a force grow inside her heart, and let out what little remained brooding over it. “You’re a hundred years old and you can’t even understand girls? You’re a lost cause, Aiden! And I’ll have you know that it’s because of your weird, libido-stimulating blood that the monster went crazy and really put all of us in danger to begin with!"

"I’m sorry that I overreacted, I really am! I didn’t want to make Chance sad, and you know it! You know how much I care about him!” In a huff, she picked herself and strode toward the boy, who was still staring from his rather conspicuous spot. Dropping to his height, she leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss, on the forehead. “For the first time, it’s that, or the cheek. And next time, don’t trick the person into it, okay?” Smiling sheepishly, she ruffled his hair a bit, taking him by the hand. “I’m in your debt, Chancey so I’ll protect you too, now; and Aiden, you know damn well that I can. So let’s go get those crystals already!” She cried out energetically as they walked into the cave, their strides falling into a military cadence, their lively chuckles sounding from the dark. However, as comforting as it was, this sudden change of heart had left in the man a worrying revelation.

She remembered nothing.

[DarkStorm]

Aiden stood dumbstruck, his already frail disposition collapsing in a rather awkward tumble. He had fought this feeling for so long now that it had become a friend to him. The sheer presence of this emotion was a comfort, even as it beat him into the ground under its brutal force. It was the emotion of pure hopelessness. He lived now for Chance, Fate, and Alaina, even though he hadn't seen the his daughter or wife in nearly four months. He lived and breathed for them, but he had died so long ago. His hope had died with Sere.

He loved Alaina, Chance, and Fate with all his heart. He loved them more than he had loved even his first family, somehow. He would never have thought it possible, but Alaina completed him in a way that Sere never had. Fate and Chance seemed so much more alive than Aistan and Istan had ever been, so much more vibrant and loving. It was not that he loved his old family more than his new- it was simply that with their death, he had learned the hard, harsh nature of reality. The bubble of safety that had surrounded him had been pricked and destroyed.

Now, every day that passed, he feared for everyone he loved. The fear that Alaina and Fate had met some bitter end tore at him like a predator at it's prey, shredding. He feared, uncontrollably. It was like a constant siren blaring in his mind, and the horrid revelation that eventually, everyone he knew and loved would die was a nagging, painful sting that kept injecting its toxic, confidence devouring poison into his heart.

It wasn't that he didn't understand women, though that was certainly true. It was everything. He didn't understand women, men, children, he didn't even understand the world around him! All he understood was his sword. He could still remember the words Sere's mother had spoken, dripping with venom and hatred.

If killing is your only talent, then that is your curse!

He could feel the spray of the waterfall on his face, covering his beard in tiny droplets, and causing condensing streams to run down his face. His clothes were already soaked, and the cold breeze of the night bit deeper now. He didn't feel it, at least not in the traditional sense. It was there, and steadily numbing him, but to his fogged mind, it simply didn't exist.

Looking over to the now happily bouncing Chance, Aiden beckoned to him with his hand. Skipping merrily to his father, the boy smiled widely and waited for whatever it was his dad wanted to tell him. Leaning his back against the cliff's edge, Aiden slid down, his drab yellow trenchcoat pooling at his booted feet. when he was face to face with his son, he spoke quietly.

"Go in there with Lillian. Help her get the crystals. And be good. And careful!" Aiden said.

"What about you, dad? Aren't you coming with us?" Chance asked, afraid.

"I'm just going to sit out here for a bit, buddy. No worries. Go on." Aiden shooed the boy toward the cave mouth, smiling his encouragement. When the boy's back was turned, and he was happily moving to the girl's side, the smile faded from Aiden's cracked and dry lips.

He trusted Lillian, rather she knew it or not. That was why it had enraged him so much. He knew something was wrong with her, but he also trusted that she wouldn't harm his son under any circumstances.

Aiden lay his head back against the stone that was only half as rough as his own attitude.

[Ataraxis]

“Hey.” The sound of picks and a sandy grit came as a garbled jumble in her mind, as if she was submerged in the depths of the oceans, listening to the humanity as it whittle the earth way. “Hey!” The noise seemed to be oddly closer, and so had the isochronous tapping. “Lily, I think we have enough.”

“Hum?” The twinkle of Chance’s voice had trawled her from the depths and back into the glistening cave. “Oh, I was drifting off. I’m sorry Chancey, what were you saying?” He gave her that inquisitive look that children always had when they failed to understand a person’s actions; but Lillian did not have the heart to speak her mind in earnest twice in a single day. Even if she wished the share her broodings, she would not even know where to begin, for she was, herself, oblivious to the oddities or her mind. This was similar to the state of confusion she had been in, four years ago in the Brokenthorn Forest of Scara Brae. Back then, she also had the nagging feeling that she was no longer the sole owner of her body.

On that fateful day, a mystery had been roused from its sleep, one that ostentatiously called itself the Welkin Body. She had needed to burrow deep into her mind, to delve into untouched corners of her soul to find its mythic hiding place, a realm inside her body that transcended her common understanding of the universe. It had awakened her to her dormant powers, but concomitantly, it had tangled her in a destiny that tautened around her skin with every passing day. This sentient entity had since then entered a sleep from which it has not yet woken, but she dreaded the day it would beckon her once more. If only things could stay as simple as this. Just roaming about the world, seeing and trying new things.

“I said I think we have enough! Look!” The boy shouted excitedly, pointing at the little heap that had formed before her. “I got them all by myself! All this pile is mine! Yours is kinda small, though.” Angling her hazy sight to the area he so skittishly pointed, she was amazed to see the opalescent shine of dozens upon dozens of little crystals, holding up larger and much more impressive gems. Then, with a cursory glance slightly to the left, she saw three puny black jewels, with only two other crystals of decent size that she had pried out of the gritty walls with the tip of her dirk, though there was a gleaming little marvel, lying in the midst. “They’re puny! Puny!”

“A little bit braggart, aren’t we?” Lillian remarked, a mischievous smile forming at his utter lack of understanding. “It’s not good to brag! If you do it too much, it’s going to come back to bite you in your tender parts!” she said with exaggeration, jerking suddenly forward to scare wee little Chance.

“Waaah? Really? How?” he muttered, bouncing back like an inflated ball, scattering the pile of gems with a jolting left foot. “Aww, no!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll just need the bigger ones anyway,” Lillian suspired, picking up the three of larger blue crystals and the two largest black ones, placing them into her knapsack with gingerly care. Then, she plucked the most notable gems from the little glistening mounds, ending up with a handful of ambers and quartz, as well as a pocket full of rubies, jades, amethysts and a single kunzite; though, in her daze, she had picked up other well-sized crystals without minding. Sadly, though Chance had pried out a substantial amount of gemstones, he could only exert so much finesses with a blunt stone he picked up from a corner of the cave. “Let’s leave before you break every stone here. There are other people who are counting on the resources of this cave!”

“Okay!” The youth hopped to his feet and scurried back to the entrance, finding his father slumped against the ragged stone walls. “We’re done! I found a lot but Lillian was Jealous and she only took a few of mine, but that was still more than the two puny ones she found! And I learned new words: Bag Tart!”

“I did not teach him that!” She interjected, giving the boy a chiding look. “And he broke most of the crystals, but I concede that he found more than I did.” Not daring to look the man directly into the eye, she went on, trying her best to sound chipper. “What do you say? Should we wander around a bit to find whatever we can get, or should we find a shop and ask for a list of what we actually need?

Spoils:

2 Onyx Crystals (black), 2 Moonstone Crystals (white), 1 Diamond Crystal (rare clear?), 1 Kunzite Crystal (pink), 1 Drusy Crystal (rainbow), 1 Schorl Tourmaline (black).

And, if possible, whatever amount of gold little me was worth ._.

[DarkStorm]

Aiden glanced questioningly at Lillian for a second, a smile on his lips, contracted from his joyous son like a contagion, despite his formerly foul mood. The smile nearly slipped away again when he realized the young woman was refusing to make eye contact with him. He hated this. He hated feeling as if he had betrayed Lillian.

But it was the truth. He was Chance's father before anything else. If it came down to it, and he deemed it necessary to protect his son, he would run her through with his sword in the blink of an eye, without hesitation. That was the kind of monster he was: protect his loved ones by murdering any who got in the way, or threatened them. He would die for Lillian, but if it became necessary, he'd kill her himself.

As the thoughts floated through the umbral shadows of Aiden's bitter mindset, he felt a great ping of sadness for Lillian. The kid deserved better than she had gotten so far in life. The knowledge that he could kill her without pause sickened him, and made him hate himself. But as his eyes drifted back to his smiling son, he felt eased, although no less distressed.

From the moment of Fate and Chance's birth, his goals in life had shifted. Everything had turned to one simple goal: Be the best father he possibly could for his children, and he intended to.

Climbing to his feet, he wrapped his hand around Chance's, and began walking away from the waterfall that had showered him, but had offered protection from the world for a short time.

He could only hope that Lillian realized what he had done. The simple feat of trusting his son into her presence alone had been near impossible. Every second that passed, he had waged a brutal war with himself, wishing to burst into the cave to protect his son. But in his heart, he believed that Lillian would not harm the boy, and so he had been able to resist it.

"Let's head back. We can decide where next in the morning."

Overhead, the moon hung in the sky like a gravid fruit, and the stars reminded him of a thousand diamonds strewn across a sheet of black. Somehow, he knew that Alaina and Fate, wherever they were, were looking up at that same sky. He knew it, and was comforted by it.


Requested Spoils... I've no idea what would be appropriate here, so...

Chance: 3 Amber Crystals, 3 Sapphire Crystals, 3 Quartz Crystals.
Aiden: 3 Jadeite Crystals, 3 Amethyst Crystals, 3 Ruby Crystals.

And any gold I am worth. <.<

If that is too much, sorry. >.>

[Skie and Avery]

As a note, DarkStorm, EXP is based on how many posts you make as a character. You made 4 w/ DarkStorm and 2 with Chance.

Welcome to your Althanas judging. I'm your host, Manda.

Story

Continuity: 4 - I had alot of questions that weren't answered by you guys. Who is Kylie? How'd Lillian and Aiden meet? What had Aiden done that the statue reminded him of? What happened in that blasted swamp?!!! While these questions did help my interest in the thread and I read it rather ravenously to find the answers, the answers didn't come. Treat every thread as if the person reading it had never read anything else you've done. I'm not saying to make a historical synopsis, but little hints are good. An example of something you guys did right was telling me about Aiden's last family. A few sentences and I got the picture.

Setting: 6 - You started out strongly here, but it began to peter out when you left the library.

Pacing: 6 - Why did you end it there? You guys were doing so well here, everything moving along smoothly while still letting me see significant character depth. It was interesting and holding, and then it was over. I see what you're doing, with splitting up the quest into separate parts, but I felt like this was not the place to end this section. It wasn't even a proper cliffy.

Character

Dialogue: 8 - The only problem I had wasn't really a problem. Chance just didn't seem as inquisitive and talkative as your normal 6 year old. I, however, blame this on working in a day care and taking care of 10 kids at a time, having to constantly hear "Miss Manda! Miss Manda! What's this! What's that? Miss Manda, he's staring at me! Stop staring at me!" so I didn't deduct points. Just mentioning that children at that age won't shut up! Then again, the children I take care of don't see the everyday horrors that Althanas kids see, so...... uh... nevermind.

Action: 6 - Not really much action here, but the actions you did take seemed to make sense for your characters. Lillian is obviously on her period, tho. Seriously, yo. Talking about that kissing scene, tho, Chance was wonderfully in character. 6 year old boys are little hos. They like kisses.

Persona: 9 - This is definately y'alls strong point.

Writing Style

Mechanics: 8 - A few spelling errors here and there, but only three that I counted. All in all, very nice.

Technique: 6 - DarkStorm, when you write under Chance Winterset, the posts should really be in Chance's perspective. I noticed that when you switched, it was still written as if you were logged in as Aiden, with insight into Aiden's thoughts on Chance. If you're going to do that, there's no need for the separate account; it's as if he's just an NPC.

Clarity: 8

Wild Card: 5 - I did like this very much, but it was so dissappointing in where it left off. It just feels so unfinished, and not in the "I can't wait for the sequel" kind of way.

Total: 65

DarkStorm receives 400 exp and 50 gp
Ataraxis receives 475 exp and 50 gp
Chance Winterset receives 250 exp and 50 gp

The requested jewels are received on the following stipulations:
+++ If used in quest, they are to be used to the benefit of all three characters present in this thread.
+++ If they are to be sold, they may not be sold for more than 10 gold each, unless a quest where they are polished and refined into jewelry grade gems is completed and judged. AND all profit made from them is to be split between the three characters present in this thread.

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!