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 Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:01 pm
(( Time lapse in Shiro's area... >.> Everyone else...continue as you were. *Cough* <.<;; ))
Shiro yawned and placed one last scroll into the cylinder-shaped pack he had kept for the last two years. Strange, yes. However, it meant too much to him to give up. It held to many memories of Hotaru scurrying into its depths to escape something she was afraid of when she was small, like a particularly large rat, or something she did not recognize. Those were funny times.
There was little time to dawdle and think of such memories and walked out the door to see Hotaru basking in the winter sunlight, despite the crispy coldness. It was the day after her second birthday and she had grown from the size of a small chick to the hawk-like phoenix she was now.
Shiro slung the pack over his shoulder and walked over to Hotaru who chirped in greeting. "Good morning," she said and fluttered into the air, allowing the bright morning light to reflect in red and oranges onto the white snow below.
He smiled and answered, "Show-off..."
Hotaru hmphed primly and glided off toward the rising sun, allowing more reds and oranges to dance across the snow.
Meanwhile, Shiro brought Jotyri to a avertical position centered at his front. The mythril staff hadn't changed at all for the past two years. Without hesitation, as he was more skilled at this than before, he ran two fingers down it, bathing it in a beautiful fluorescent green aura. Only inches behind his fingers, it widened and flattened enough for someone to stand on and allowed it to fall to the ground. "Wabyruryem, [Levitation,]" he said just before it collided with the ice on the ground and it halted parallel to it.
Stepping onto it, he mentally forced it foward and off he went after Hotaru, catching up with her and looping upside down and coming back to a right side up position and Hotaru landed on the azure orb that was at the front of Jotyli'i, as the staff was now correctly called.
Hotaru snickered and said, "Show-off,"
Shortly after Hotaru's remark, they came to the ocean, and only minutes passing, over a whirlpool over ten miles in diameter. To the north of it was a complex system of smaller whirlpools that seemed to be spawning from the larger one. "Morphis..." he muttered increasing his altitude as he began to pass over the expanse of it so that the torent of winds would not suck them into the vortex.
"I'd hate for my wings to give out abovet his," Hotaru remarked and Shiro nodded in agreement.
The Morphis Whirpool Field was a failed spell that the Sixth Order of Magicians of Akiko had failed to cast hundreds of years ago. They had attempted to control all the major weather patters between the Akiko and Etsuko continents, but they were unsuccessful. The only result was two indestructable currents being created flowing in opposite directions--the Southeast Akikian Current called Morphis, and the Northwest Etsukian Current called Ephilias.
It didn't take very long to pass over the vortex and they began to see the Etsukian shore and Hotaru leapt from the orb of Jotyli'i and glided toward the beach. He followed a bit behind, feeling his previous apprehension return. He didn't want to return, but he knew they had to. Why prolong what was bound to happen anyway?
"Are we here!?" she demanded.
"No," he replied, "We're almost there though. Our destination is south of here."
It didn't take long to get there, either, since the western edge of the continent was the shortest endge of all. Hotaru spotted the village first--it was the village he had found a small egg that held Hotaru.
"There it is!" she exclaimed and dove into the village and past the gate before he could stop her. How much she was like him, but she was very young, like any person, so she was still a bit naive.
He stopped and waited for her to come back and he supressed a laugh when she came squawking over the gate and onto his shoulder. "Morons!" she sneered at the wall, "Have they never seen a red and orange bird before!?"
"I would think not. Most of the people that saw you were probably humans that don't live for five hundred years."
"It's not that!" she snarled, "A hatchling human came over to me and plucked one of my beautiful tailfeathers."
Shiro caught a glimpse of her memory and saw through her eyes that she hand turned to see a child of three or four walk over and grab at her tail, successfully plucking one of her feathers.
He tried to do his best not to burst out laughing, but was unsuccessful.
"Oh, shut up..."
Shiro lowered Jotyli'i and it automatically transformed into Jotyri at his will. He had Hotaru fly off into the air and onto a roof so they could keep from being seen and he entered through the gate into the village where it all began.
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 3:11 pm
Turning, Matthew cocked his head at the stranger, resheathing his blade. "Exscuse me sir, but where is everyone?" He asked curiously. A cvillage of this size should be bustling with people... Yet it is almost empty despite that fact... Pulling his hair behind his ears so as to keep it under control, he approached the newcomer and his phoenix. Phoenixes... The people of this land are so smitten with them...
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:29 pm
(( Eh... >.> Shiro's phoenix went elsewhere before they entered the city, so you wouldn't know he had a phoenix. ))
As Shiro entered through the gate, he stared off to the left and saw a small child of three or four with a small red feather in his hand and he chuckled. "Let's hope he doesn't keep up with that feather..." he muttered, enabling the statement to cross over the mental link, but not exactly speaking to Hotaru.
He had only take a few steps forward through the crispy snow when he was approached by a man who pushed his hair behind his ears.
"Oh, my, that was rather unexpected," Hotaru said with a snicker and he heard her flapping her wings overhead to a roof across from the one she had been on before.
"Oh, be quiet."
"Well..." he said, looking around. It seemed exactly like it had been two years ago. "Since it's winter, I suspect that they are all inside, toasting theri toes to their fires."
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:40 pm
((Ack, didn't see that whee ))
"Oh..." He replied knowingly. Pulling his cloak a little tighter around his shoulders, he looked around again. "Hard to believe all this world destruction stuff is supposedly going to happen when you see places like this..." Sniffing to clear his nostrils, he gave his tail a flick, heading back outside the gates. "Well met stranger."
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:09 pm
((Eh, I'm not entirely sure if you guys are in the same city that Aiya and Shreya are in... sweatdrop I'll just modify it if I'm wrong))
Aiya was awoken by a hard beak inserting itself painfully into her ear and emitting an ear-shattering squawk. Get up, lazyass! Hotaru's back!
Aiya fell onto the floor with a dull thud, groaning and pulling the blankets around her, trying to stay warm. She did the best she could with the thermostat spell, but mornings were still a b***h, especially when she had to change her clothes. Wha... Oh, shut up, Shreya. I'll go look for them later. I've got plenty of time. Sighing, she got up anyways, stumbling over to the food box and grabbing a hunk of bread for breakfast and she struggled into layers upon layers of coats and scarves. Aiya hated the cold.
Still angry at Shreya about last night's comments, she ignored the phoenix's indignant cheeps and locked her in the apartment. Shreya would probably burn a hole through the door and follow her, but right now the demon didn't care.
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:37 pm
((I think I am in the same city as you guys. biggrin ))
The eyes of the girl opened as sunlight beamed into the crimson as it bursted red. She slowly stood back up and sighed. "I guess I have another day to fail by not finding one of these phoenix's. She slowly walked along down the road as a stand of fruit being selled was at her side. She glared wonderously down at the redish with a slight yellow and orange apple as she then looked at the merchant that was staring at her wide eyed. Yoshiko grinned as she snatched an apple and tossed it in her mouth as the merchant started to chase her down the street. She made a sharp turn into an alleyway. "Heh, heh.." She walked along the alleyway not knowing where she was going but not caring. She bit the apple and chewed. The alley was dark and gloomy but as she got out she felt a cold breeze go under her nose as she sniffled. She dropped her hand to herside which held the apple and looked down on end of the road. She let a shrug as she continued to eat her apple and walk down the road on the search of the wielders of the phoenix's.
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:56 pm
(( o.o Hmm... What's this with Aiya and Shreya? >.> This is strange; it's never happened to my character before. This could so totally be a manga. xD ))
Shiro nodded to the stranger as they parted and he continued down through the town. He was a bit surprised that everyone he knew seemed to know about the prophecy.
"Do you really think that we were the only ones who heard the disembodied voice two years ago?" Hotaru said, wanting to flick him on the ear with a talon.
He allowed a chuckle to escape his throat. "Stay in your own mind for once," he told her, but he didn't really mean it. He disliked it when they severed contact. It felt as if there was something missing when it happened.
He stopped momentarily by particular street leading toward the castle where the phoenix eggs had been kept when they were found. A few feet to his left was where he had been standing at the age of fifteen. It was where Hotaru's egg had tapped his big toe and stopped.
"How interesting how we seem to find things different and similar simultaneously after returning to them after a long period of time," he muttered aloud without realization.
"Yes, how interesting," he heard her agree and then he felt the familiar feel over her talons on his head. He barely realized what she had done when he ducked behind a dark and gloomy alleyway, nearly throwing Hotaru off balance.
"Are you insane!?" he demanded, looking up at her as she bent over and looked at him through upside-down yellow glowing eyes.
"Mayhaps ou are too para--"
Shiro startled as an angry merchant ran past the entrance to the alleyway, screaming something about a thief. He hastily backed against the wall to avoid being seen, but he put too much force in his steps and caused the fragile piles of snow on the roof to collapse. Hotaru managed to flutter away from the avalanche, leaving Shiro buried in his knees in the white fluff. He cried in surprise as the coldness hit him.
"Why me...?" he asked.
"Because you are the unluckiest person on this planet," she replied humorously and chuckled a beautiful chirpy chuckle as Shiro began to brush the snow from his shoulders and head.
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:51 pm
((Well, they're like two rams butting heads, really. 3nodding It's hard for the two of them to keep secrets from each other and they hate it. But they still have that bond))
Aiya felt the copper coins in her pocket, gloomily realizing that she'd have to get a job soon or get kicked out of her nice, warm apartment. Sighing, she adjusted her glasses, which were basically a pair of frames with smoked glass in them because, after she'd broken the last pair, she hadn't been able to afford new ones. She could have gone without them, but then there was that thing about people staring at you because of your weird eyes... it was better this was.
However, it did kind of make it hard to see things, and Aiya just barely managed to dodge a girl who barreled by, then had to step aside hastily once more as a shouting man chased her. Hm. Well, what will be will be. Aiya turned, trying to remember the way to the Broken Spear, where she could probably find some mercenary work, when she felt a chill go down her spine.
It was the alleyway where she had tripped over Shreya's egg two years ago. Aiya winced; she'd lost her job that day, too. And...
"Shiro? Hotaru?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 3:09 pm
Reaching into his haversack, which he'd tied around the tree branch he now sat up in, he pulled out a meager piece of jerky, the wrinkled piece of meat looking as though a dog had already gotten at it.
Ignoring this fact, Matthew stretched out comfortably across the branch, placing the jerky between his teeth to hold on to as he pulled out a continued reading an ancient, brittle scroll.
An Ancient Writer Now the time has finally come,
The final ring of beating drums,
The world's day slowly comes to end,
It's lands and seas will never mend,
The seas will dry with fiery wrath,
Prosperity of lands, no...
To use the fire birds will be his plan,
The twilight then comes very near,
Filling many creatures with anticipated fear,
To morning or night or terrible blight,
And so the war will...
Scouring over the scroll for the hundreth time, despite the fact he could recite the part he'd just read by memory, he bit into the tough meat, pondering out what the rest could say. War... Will this war be starting, or ending? Twirling the wrinkled meat in his mouth, he drew the flavours off the item.
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:21 pm
((*Le gasp!* >.> That's just like Shiro and Hotaru. They're like...same, yet opposite. o.o Analogy! Like two sides of the same coin. xD I'm going to try to get someone to draw the prequel into a manga. o.O ))
Shiro had begun to brush the cold white fluff from his brown pointy hat when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He attempted to turn around, but he was knee-deep in snow, so he wasn't as successful as he had hoped. The fluff caught at his leg and feet and he turned awkwardly from his waist up and toppled over face-first into the snow.
"Hotaru! Fly away! Hide!" he frantically sent across the mental link.
"You moron..." she replied and he heard her flutter over to the person.
Shiro stood and proceeded to brush the fresh snow that had stuck to his face after he fell and blinked as he saw Aiya and he stopped. "So, history repeats itself."
"Aiya! Hello!" he said, straightening his brown pointy hat and attempting to remove the rest of the snow from his clothing. "How've you been? ...And where's Shreya?"
(( >.> How ironic that the reunion is in the alleyway they met in. xD That was totally unexpected on my part. I was actually trying to get the attention of that other character as to make the interesting pick up. o.O ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:37 pm
((Yes, I know. I thought it would be funny. wink ))
Aiya removed her glasses so that she'd be able to see the two better and grinned, sweeping the two of them a dramatic bow. "Master Shiro... Lady Hotaru... we meet again." She went over and helped Shiro brush some of the remaining snow off of him, then all of a sudden laughed and flung her arms around him, hugging him hard and then stepping back and looking at them both. "I'm so glad to see you again! It's been lonely for the past two years, and I know Shreya will be glad to see you both..." she stopped and frowned for a moment, but shook her head and continued, "What are you doing back in Etsuko? "
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:17 pm
(( -cough- << placing Shikyo an Mia within the town as well...<<;;..;;>>..))
Upon being reintroduced to her older brother in a rather untimely situation, Shikyo had left those whom she was helping along with Mia. The two had been in secluded training for a few months now and just recently returned to a civilized area.
Crouching on the roof of the Inn there, Mia perched on her shoulder; eyes aglow as she scanned the town. '...my sisters are here...' she spoke quietly within the other's mind.
'Yes...I know, I sense the mage.' her voice was cold as usual, eyes narrowed. Her hair had grown somewhat since her last encounter with the others, though she had recently cut it when arriving. "If they sense you, they'll come look for us.." she spoke aloud as Mia simply nodded.
~~~~~
-Unknown-
Screams of the tortured echoed within the great halls of the Forbbiden Halls. A black pheonix opened its eyes to reveal ruby emiting from their dark surrounding. 'Father..why do you continue to postpone your plans.' the quiet voice spoke; it seemed to echo within the room.
'All too soon to ask .. besides, as long as my sister lives while wielding my twin..' with this he lifted the sword in which was strapped to his waist. '..until the two are united under one master, I am in some what of a jam. Wish to continue and question me.' his voice was cruel as usual.
He strolled out from the opposite end of the hallway, glancing to Kaze who was perched upon the high chair opposite him. 'so like you. Putting things off with some lame excuse. Procrastenator.' she spoke with a cocky tone, ruby eyes gleaming in the light.
'Watch your tone.' he retorted.
'Or what? You'll roast me. Ha, you NEED me. As well as my pitiful siblings.' with this Raziel simply turned and left completely flustered.
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:23 pm
Walking slowly through the snow in the forest, hands invisible underneath his cloak, Matthew kept his eyes focused on his surroundings. Perhaps there is something to find out here... A displaced blade of grass could stir the butterfly to flap its wings, generating the start of the wind that shall bring the tornado swooping down on the village... Silver hair blowing gently about his face, the boy thumbed the hilt of his longsword, eyes flicking hither and thither.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:27 pm
Shiro blinked, surprised by Aiya's sudden action and his cheeks turned slightly red. However, it was simply from landing face-first in the snow--no, really, he would swear that it was because of the collision between his face and the snow on the ground. He could sense a bit of amusement from Hotaru's end of the mental link, but it 'mysteriously' disappeared.
He quickly regained his composure and said, "Hotaru has been quite anxious for the past two weeks, and it was obvious that she was in need of someone of her own kind. Moreover, I knew it was inevitable that we would return to Etsuko with what the prophecy said and all."
Hotaru suddenly flapped away and glided away toward another building, joyous emotions washing over her and over him through the link. "Another sister, another sister!" she trilled, flappling happily through the air. She effortlessly swam through the air until she landed on the edge of the inn roof and chirped happily at Shikyo and Mia.
"Oi..." Shiro said as he rubbed his forehead. "Why don't you act before you think?" he asked and sighed.
"I only take after you," she retorted primly.
(( This is rather ironic. xD ))
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:45 pm
Walking silently back into town, haversack slung over his shoulder, gripped by a black-gloved hand, Matthew looked about for a place to spend the night. If the snow keeps coming down, I'll be a pup-sicle by morning... Giving a slight shiver, he kept walking calmly through the snow, his other hand invisible underneath his cloak.
Sliding his tail about, he wrapped the furry appendage around his arm for a little extra warmth, his silver wolvish ears twitching faintly with the wind. Definitely not a good afternoon to be outside... The night will be horrible... Flicking his silver hair out of his eyes, he strolled to the center of the small town, casting his gaze about still for some sort of inn, or at least tavern that would accept a minor.
As he pulled off his mask to rub at his icey blue eyes, he could have been for a split second mistaken for a puppy left outside in a snowstorm.
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