The Hearts of Men (1x1 with Eternal Chronicler)

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa opened her eyes from meditation nearly two and a half hours later, having had little ability to sleep after such exhilaration and little desire to simply sit fully awake and aware, and she looked over to the cave entrance, still unable to see the light of day.
"I think we should be going now. How long before we reach our destination, Jack?"
She looked down at her dress and rolled her eyes, shifting the majority back to better cover her legs as she stood and leaned on her hand to the wall.

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack looked up from where he was retying his neck cloth slowly and looked out of the cave entrance. "Difficult to say, we may reach it my midday if I am entirely confident in our whereabouts," He finished tying his neck cloth and went hunting for his flask. He found it laying open against the cave wall and sighed, holding it over his mouth only to find it empty. He aroused the stubborn camel and found the bottle of rum, and filled his flask with it before going to Tessa and standing by her. "Shall we?" He asked.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa looked outside again, nodding to Jack's question almost immediately before a puzzled look came across her face. She stepped outside and for a moment her balance faltered, though seemingly without cause.

The winds had shifted nearly straight down on the desert expanses, but had evidently only been held out by a guiding hand through magic.
Tessa smiled, turning back to Jack.
"Wonderful day, too. I can see quite far, given the change in the wind."



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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

"Aye, a change in the winds," Jack said, clicking his tongue so a still protesting William came forth. He got on and held out a hand to Tessa, to aid her in getting on. "You are sure you are well?" He asked. "I didn't bite you again did I?" He asked after a moment more of thought.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

"I'm alright," she assured him, hopping on, "and no, I don't believe you did but still, I can manage."
She looked out across the mountain range, at last able to see without all the sand blowing about.
"Can you describe where we're intended for? I may be able to pick it out from here and navigate."

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

"A tall mountain," Jack said bluntly before revising his words. "A tall, tall mountain with snow at the top, and it always has a mist around it, even at the base," He snapped the reins and William began plodding forwards at a ridiculously leisurely pace. "Damn camel," Jack growled under his breath before gently nudging William in the side and he increased his speed.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

-''-<_,.-'''--Ferathi Orlerretyn--'''-.,_>-''-

So free...

Every moment, every day.

Agility, finesse.

Here I stand,

Here I fly...

The queen of a thousand winds,

Slowly falling...

"Need a lift?"
A voice called from above, as did a long-backed white pegasus. It landed several dozen paces ahead of William and the rider tossed a cheerful glance Tessa's way, then to Jack.
"I can only do so much, but I figured it'd be a shame to let Vanessa have all the fun of watching our little fearbird prance around in this place."

Tessa laughed, but found herself quickly falling on the defensive.
"Ferathi, come on! Do you have to embarrass me like this so much? I could have navigated... although by the looks of it our mutual friend decided he'd rather sleep..."
She looked to Jack, surrendering the decision to him.



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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack chuckled and reached behind him, squeezing Tessa's knee gently before taking back his hand. "Well now, the speed would be greatly appreciated..." William was apparently smitten with the Pegasus as he batted his long eyelashes numerous times. "But I wouldn't think to leave this idiot alone in this passage, I doubt he would last a day. And of the packs..." Or rum... He thought, but doubted that Tessa would want to hear that he was unwilling to go on a flying horse because of the lack of rum carrying capacity. William reached his neck out in front of him as far as it would reach and made a sound in his throat.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

-''-<_,.-'''--Ferathi Orlerretyn--'''-.,_>-''-

So free...

Every moment, every day.

Agility, finesse.

Here I stand,

Here I fly...

The queen of a thousand winds,

Slowly falling...

The Pegasus reared and took a back-legged step behind itself, causing Ferathi to scramble in an attempt to keep her steed calm, and as it lowered she erected her posture almost immediately. She tossed a slight glare at Jack.
"Would you mind keeping your mount away from Gaelitae? She's not exactly the most outgoing of pegasi, sadly."
She turned her head to the mountains in the distance, narrowing her eyes slightly at her refused offer.
"So you're headed to the mountains, are you? I passed by on my way here. Not a pretty sight I'm afraid. Either way Tessa, I trust you know your way?"

Tessa nodded, looking over the mountains and settling on the one closest matching Jack's description.
"I know the way, or at least the quickest way. Thank you, Ferathi. Give my regards to Vanessa, could you?"
She nodded, looking to Jack once again.
"Good day to you both then, and good luck!"
With hardly a moment after it, she had taken to the skies, the artificial wind fading entirely.



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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

"Stupid...camel!" Jack said as William took off after the Pegasus as it rose into the sky and it took Jack a minute to regain control of him as he kept calling out. "I swear, if you weren't so damn useful in carrying r...things, then I would have sold you already and you would probably be camel meat," Jack said darkly, moving him towards their path. The camel grumbled and deliberately slowed until Jack threatened him under his breath again. Then he sped up to a reasonable pace.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa frowned, taking the time to explain the apparent lacking points in their relationship that she suspected would be revealed one way or another within the next twenty hours. She pulled herself up to Jack and leaned against his back, as had become her norm for travel by condition and dropped her head by his ear.
"You remember what I said about you actually knowing what love is, Jack? I think you'll have your chance to prove it, one way or the other today."

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack looked at her by moving his head ever so slightly and catching her eye by a side glance."Really now?" He asked teasingly, reaching over his shoulder to touch the side of Tessa's face with the back of his hand. "Oh do you figure that?" He asked. "I hope you aren't planning on dying on me. that would be...horrifying, for more than one selfish reason, and more for one reason of yours either," He said.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

"That's my secret, Jack Cortez."
Tessa bit her lip, running a small stream of water through herself to keep hydrated. She kept her eyes ahead, hope and dread mixing together in them.
"Please, don't ask about it. All I can safely say is you'll know what I mean before the day is out."

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

"Now that concerns me a bit," Jack said turning his attention forwards as they were greeted by a wall of suddenly appearing mist. Silence pressed down on them as they walked through it, scarcely being able to see anything beyond the camel. Jack kept a hand on his cutlass hilt as shadows danced through the mist, and he took a drink to calm himself.

A large cavern loomed up ahead of them, a black maw with ivory teeth of stalactites and William abruptly stopped, memory allowing him no further. Jack turned back and faced Tessa, his knees touching hers. "How good are you with your senses?" He asked. "The basilisk will ensnare you in its enchantment if you look it in the eye," He pulled out a strip of black cloth and held it out to her. "You still are half man, unfortunately," He said, making it sound like it mattered. It did, considering the basilisk only truly enchanted men, elves, and fae, the latter two to some mild degree.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa nodded slightly, taking the cloth and blindfolding herself, before raising it slightly over her eyes, allowing her the small afforded vision. As she hopped down from William's back, she patted him lightly and looked up to Jack.
"I must admit, the elven blood in me does little to allow me notice of movement across stone, but I should be able to hear... about as well as yourself actually. As for the rest..."
She took a sniff of the air, wincing her eyes close as her face contorted in disgust.
"I can't get past the smell of the surrounding like that. I doubt I'll be much use for alertness."
Her shoulders lowered in shame, though she knew well enough she had sprung this trap far enough that the resulting barrier to her leaving would undo everything she had tried for thus far, and whoever it was behind A'isha's predictions knew also of her mother's fate, or if it had been found.
"Mother..." she whispered quietly, "don't you dare have died..."

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