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The world tonight
Posted: Mon May 23, 2022 9:39 pm
by Arkash
53rd of Glade, 4622
It had been a good few days that the foreign noble and the human-shaped Rath had spent exploring the streets of upper Nivenhain. For all intents and purposes, Arkash had done nothing but explore the finely crafted, snowy streets of the city's most privileged district, window-shopped, and feigned marvel at the snow. It had been apparent that the Kindred already knew of their relationship before they had even disembarked, so Arkash painted the narrative that they were on vacation as lovers, which was taboo in the limits of Daravin.
Quite deliberately, Arkash had posed themselves as nothing more than tourists to the land, to the point that Degare might have began to worry that it might have been Arkash's plan all along. Even so, their time together was spent sweetly with various gestures of affection and the like offered at most every opportunity.
The towering spires of darkened stone, the paved roads, black iron lamps, arched windows, and iron decor that littered almost every building's face were all quite refreshing to look at after the time he'd spent in Daravin. The villas and the flat rooves were charming in their own right, but it wasn't in his element, not like the bitter cold he'd grown up in. There really was nothing like Nivenhain's architecture, nothing that compared to the largest city in the world.
But that was their false holiday, the excuse they'd formulated when they first arrived in Nivenhain. Arkash had stuck to it to the letter until their fourth night, and the whole time was spent researching the area, of which he wasn't familiar. He tracked the rooftops and located several manholes through the district's limits.
Ever the romantic, Arkash had even taken the time to formulate an easier escape route; a path that Degare would be able to follow with his limited experience in navigating the city as he often did.
All his plotting and research were done under the watchful eye of Gerard, their delegated spy.
The human was pleasant by any standard but was meant to deter them from committing crimes within Lorien's borders. A mage, he imagined, could cause catastrophic damage to a populace that was without magic if left to run free. And so, Degare's presence as an Entente mage was heavily monitored. Arkash had even gone as far as to assume that every moment they spent together was monitored by the Kindred.
So, painting the airtight narrative that they were merely there to sightsee and shop was paramount to the success of their escape.
The next most pressing need was that the Kindred's numbers had been stretched thin enough by the Pact Covenant that they didn't have time to monitor the likes of two tourists for all hours of the day.
Some hours into their retirement for the night, Arkash opened his eyes and looked to the window of their assigned room. His focused stare was maintained for a moment, just peering through the pitch darkness of their otherwise lavish accommodation.
Wide, shining eyes then turned to settle on Degare's features as he rolled over to face the older man. Quietly, Arkash lifted his head a bit to peer at the gap under the door, where the electric lighting of the hall illuminated the shadow of a posted guard outside their room; it was as it had been for the past few nights. With a slight squint, Arkash directed his attention to the elf then quietly moved his hand to cover Degare's mouth.
With magic forbidden, it was unlikely Degare was very deep in his sleep, if asleep at all. So, when the older man woke, Arkash would motion to his own lips with a finger in a gesture that was intended to hush the elf.
He stayed there just a moment for the elf to orient himself, then quietly lifted the blanket from his form, leaned in to press a quick kiss to the elf's lips, then motioned the man to slowly, carefully follow his lead to the window at the far end of the room.
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 12:08 am
by Degare
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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Part of the reason trips to Lorien were so rare for the Veir was that magic was so heavily regulated. Even prior to Daravin and Lorien becoming hostile to one another, the elf held little interest in travel here for precisely this reason. He held many gripes against his home country, sure, but spending much time anywhere that had magic banned was not something he had any real desire to do.
Usually, his trips were political in nature. This time? Such was not the case. With his newfound lover serving as a guide, he knew that his purpose here was to acquire a Resonance mark– though he didn't know from whom he would receive it nor did he know precisely when this would happen. For the past few days, the two of them had spent their time as if they were genuinely Daravinic tourists. Though he was unused to the cold and often felt that it would freeze him solid, he found the city itself to still be beautiful…and he was so very fond of spending time with Arkash that he almost forgot why he was actually here in the first place.
The Veir didn't complain about how they spent their time, but now it had been about four days into their week-long stay and he'd begun to wonder when they'd actually accomplish their original goal earlier in the day. However, he didn't yet question anything– though Arkash often appeared to be reckless, sometimes thoughtless, with some of his decisions, the gravity of their situation implied that the younger man had to be planning something. He wasn't stupid, at worst, he was naive; in their current predicament, Degare had complete faith that the Rath had a plan of some kind…and much as he wished to be privy to it, he didn't inherently mind just following the other's lead.
It did amuse him, though, that he was pretty sure the Rien delegate the two had definitely figured out that the pair were lovers. Arkash, too, got the impression that those watching them figured this out…so they ceased hiding this aspect of their relationship. Honestly, for the Ferrier, this was a relief. The trip was genuinely much more enjoyable purely because they could freely display their affections for one another. He truly loved the younger man and it was always more comfortable when he didn't have to withhold or tone down his feelings in this regard.
This night, like the others, when the sky darkened and the two returned to their hotel, Degare had laid down beside his lover without questioning anything about the other's plan. He trusted his partner, especially in this case; not getting him this mark would honestly be self sabotage on Arkash's part.
It wasn't uncommon for the Sil'Norai to have trouble falling asleep. He always struggled to quiet his mind in general, and for years he'd often used his magic to bypass this. As a result, he had become somewhat dependent on it– if only due to the fact that he was entirely unused to falling asleep unassisted by this point. They hadn't been laying down for long when he felt his lover stir beside him…repositioning and the like, he thought.
While his eyes were closed, Degare hadn't yet fallen asleep. So when his lover placed a hand over his mouth, he opened his eyes with an inquisitive expression reflected within. Arkash motioned for him to stay quiet, and while he was confused, he figured that the other wouldn't be doing this without a reason. Without a word, the Dranoch kissed him and withdrew the blanket from their forms. The elf softly smiled at this little display of affection, watching his partner's movements as he rose and moved across the room towards the window. Before he followed, the Veir opted to silently put on several layers of clothing…he'd simply die in the cold if he didn't. Afterwards, however, he made his way to his lover's side and granted him a curious look along with a tilt of his head, as if to ask, what are we doing?
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Raillen Tongue/Speech"
"Silvain Tongue/Speech"
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Fri May 27, 2022 6:46 am
by Arkash
Moving quietly was second nature to Arkash. The amount of control he wielded over the step of his legs yielded little to no sound, his coordination when dressing in the lowlight of the room was as precise as his wield of the scalpel and didn’t so much as rustle as he dragged the fabric over his bare skin.
At the window, with Degare in tow, Arkash pulled the soft leather of his gloves over his hands while he watched the Veir’s expression; the inquisitive glare in his eyes that came when he joined the Rath in the moon’s pale glare.
Again, he lifted his gloved finger to his lips, then looked to the glass pane. The winds were almost visible in the way they carried the chilling frost of the air; flecks of ice swept through the razor-sharp gales as they billowed freely around the moonlit rooftops below them. His eyes then darted to the doorway, the crack beneath for which there was no insulation. His brow furrowed.
Quickly and quietly, Arkash swept the quilt of their provided bedding from its resting place, then tucked it at the foot of the door with the utmost care. The intent of such was to provide insulation for the cold of the night and the sound of the wind as it howled.
With the potential for failure guarded, he returned to the window, then took hold of the handle at the middle, undid the latch, then held its weight with both hands as he gently pulled. The ferocity of the wind took advantage of the leverage and immediately threw its weight into both the doors of glass, but couldn’t break the support of Arkash’s strength. Carefully, he let the windows open all the way and furrowed his brow as the freezing air bit the skin of his face, and squinted as the frigid lash of frost stung his eyes and chilled his lungs.
A concerned glance was cast to Degare before the Rath extended a burning claw from the tip of his glove and crudely cut away the drapes to create a couple stretches of lengthy, quality fabric. Without a word, he handed the scrap to Degare and then motioned to the length he held before he instructed the older man on how to wrap his mouth, nose, and ears.
It was a makeshift scarf for each of them, something to retain and recycle the warmth of their breath.
Fully prepared, Arkash took the lead and stepped over and saddled himself on the windowsill, half entering the cold of the night. One hand held on to the interior while he leaned over to peer at the face of the wall, then shifted his leg to land properly on the protruding, decorative stone jut. Once he was secure, he adjusted the hold of his hand to clutch the windowsill, and deftly lifted his other leg outside to land his other foot on that same ledge. There was a mere two inches of walkway; it wasn’t something that was meant to be accessed in the way that Arkash had practiced, but still served its improvised purpose.
Quickly, frost accumulated on the fabric of his clothes and curtain scarf while he brought his front close to the wall, and shimmied along with fingers dug into the cracks of the bricks large grey bricks. A glance to Degare and a motion of his head beckoned the Elf out of the fleeting warmth of the room, and into the gnashing cold of the moonlit night.
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 11:34 pm
by Degare
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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For a second, the Veir's gaze drifted out the window and caught on the shimmering zephyrs, only made visible in their moonlit dances from the glittering frost they carried. For a land sorely lacking in magical freedom, it almost made up for this great tragedy with its ice-bound beauty…almost. Much as the cold brought the elf discomfort, he had no shortage of admiration for the city in terms of its aesthetics.
His lover's next movements snapped his attention away from the icey gales and back onto the younger man as he slunk through the room, using the duvet of their bedding to block the drafts of cold wind from giving away what they were doing.
The Ferrier watched him move in silence even as he returned to his side and began to open the window before them. As soon as he was exposed to the biting gusts of the outside air, Degare visibly flinched. Though he had many layers and a hood on, what he wore didn't actually directly protect his face very well. He held his eyes shut for a second before adjusting, and when his eyes reopened, he saw that Arkash had cut a bit of the curtains to protect their faces. While he wasn't entirely sure how they'd explain why they did this, he was at the very least grateful that whatever they were doing wouldn't involve going outside barefaced.
Once the both of them were sufficiently prepared, Arkash silently climbed out the window and shimmied along a thin jut of stone below. The fourfold mage blinked, at first confused, then stunned as he realized at the other's motioning that he was…supposed to follow him?
Degare felt anxiety begin to tie his intestines in knots, but nonetheless attempted to obey. While the man always moved with some degree of grace, it was obvious he was nervous in this scenario. He was not one to typically engage in activities of this nature…for any reason. The elf managed, somehow, to very slowly mimic the movements of his lover. The whole time he was rather terrified to losing his grip, but there was at least enough space for him to get by for now.
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Raillen Tongue/Speech"
"Silvain Tongue/Speech"
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 8:11 am
by Arkash
To relay a plan without written or verbal communication was difficult. So, instead of running through a pantomime of charades, Arkash merely performed all the steps of his plan before the older man, right up until he’d stepped out into the cold.
From the tightrope ledge, Arkash motioned with one hand that Degare followed him, and the elf obliged.
In order to escape the watchful eye of Gerard, their delegated spy, they had to take risks. What noble would ever in a million years risk death by falling just to venture into Nivenhain unsupervised? No noble would. He couldn’t imagine Degare had ever dreamed he’d be escaping this way.
Once Degare was on the ledge, Arkash extended on his tiptoes and reached up to pull the window shut. The latch clicked, sealing them out of the safety and warmth of the lavish hotel, and trapping them outside in the blistering cold that was Nivenhain’s heights. “We’re not going back!” Arkash called over the wind.
Fingers dug into the brickwork, he took Degare by the hand. “Stay close to the wall! Come on! This way!” Preventing the formation of a gap between one’s chest and the stone bricks meant that the wind couldn’t worm its way under them, and blow them off the building. So, glued to the brickwork, Arkash carefully shimmied his way along and gave careful tugs to lead the noble further in his direction. “Keep your eyes on me! Don’t look down!” He called over the howl of the gales that belted them, muffled by the wrap of curtain around his mouth. “One foot at a time!”
He looked over his shoulder then, and squinted at the approaching ledge the further along they moved. Again, he returned his gaze to Degare. “Easy! Almost there!” he called again. “You’re doing great! Just a bit further!” That was - just a bit further until the hard part.
At the end of the ledge, Arkash stopped the Veir. “Okay, this next bit’s a bit tricky!” He called. “We’re at the corner! We have to climb around it a bit further down! We can climb the waterspout here!” He wasn’t entirely sure how much Degare could hear, so he spoke slowly and clearly, throwing his voice against the roar of the wind.
“We’ve gotta climb down a bit! Keep THREE POINTS OF CONTACT-! -With the pipe!” He instructed as loud as he could.
With all that said, he gave a brief nod to the elf. “I’ll go first! FOLLOW MY LEAD!”
Carefully, he let go of the elf’s hand and watched him for a moment, eyes shining with the light of the moon. Carefully, he turned back to the pipe, inched his legs as close as they could get, and then reached around with his left arm to hug the water spout from where he stood. The lead was freezing, glazed with a sheet of frost. With his arm secure, he reached around with his left leg and saddled the bridge of his boot in the bracing bar that kept the pipe attached to the brick wall. From there, he moved his right hand to grab the same brace as his left, then moved his right foot last to saddle it in a similar fashion to the left. Arkash was suspended entirely by the load-bearing capacity of the braces.
“Just like that! See?!” He called at the elf once he was settled completely off the stone ledge.
An extension of his hand was offered to the elf, gesturing him closer. “Shimmy on over, one foot at a time!” He called. “I’ve got you!” He flexed his gloved fingers in a motion that told the elf to come.
One might notice that there were several braces on the waterspout with greater frequency, several more than what would be necessary closer to the ground. With winds as intense as they were from as high as they were, the structural integrity of the waterspout was at greater risk for being flung off, and for many, a large lead pipe falling that far meant instant death on impact. To keep such from happening, extra safety braces were added to keep the pipe steady in even the worst weather conditions.
“Watch me closely!” He spoke closer to the elf, then lowered his body at the hips and knees while he maintained the grip of his hands. His left foot unsaddled itself, then lowered to the next brace, and his left hand followed once it was secure. Next came his right foot to joint the left on that same brace before his right systematically followed.
“Three points of contact!” Arkash reiterated after displaying his technique.
He descended a little further to show Degare once more, then gestured to the braces above him with his head. “Come on! Just be careful!”
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:27 am
by Degare
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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This situation was…precarious. Climbing atop buildings was not something that the Veir was remotely familiar with, much less with weather like this. Though he followed his lover's lead, each movement of his was slower, shakier, less assured.
Not only did he lack experience with things of this nature, but the snow and ice added an additional layer of risk. Much as doing this in general was dangerous, Nivenhain's lovely weather made it far easier to slip or lose one's grip. Degare felt his fingertips slide against frozen-over bits of the wall; his progress was slowed further by painstakingly taking the time to check for ice beneath his feet as well.
Being that he was a master Ferrier, one with a mutation that caused him to self produce ashes at that, he did have a fail-safe should he slip. Equipoise– a skill he'd learned years prior that allowed him to make use of ashes in order to levitate, save himself from a fall, or enable riskier escapes where he'd have to make leaps of faith, so to speak. Though he had this ability, he really didn't want to be forced to use it…especially since he imagined that it would mess up whatever plans Arkash had regarding their travel that night.
As these thoughts crossed through his head, Arkash maneuvered over to close the window above them. He seemed alarmed at this, especially so with the added words. Not coming back? What explanation would be offered for this, then? The elf really didn't want to end up in a predicament with Lorien's legal system…because it's not as if either of them could really leave the country without going through customs, so to speak. If they were caught, running would be a rather precarious option.
Arkash's hand gripping his own pulled his focus back onto the situation at hand, and though panic and anxiety would be clearly visible in his eyes as well as his brows, he did his very best to follow his lover's instructions. This endeavor was very unpleasant overall…but the other's words of encouragement genuinely were reassuring. Pressing himself as close to the cold stone of the wall as possible, he followed his partner's words and movements as closely as he could manage.
However…when his partner stopped, he would find no relief. For when his lover spoke again, he realized that the two of them would have to climb down the building's lead piping. Degare had half a mind to simply jump from the side of the building and use Equipoise to stop his fall, but frankly, he didn't actually know how far down Arkash wanted him to go. Partway so that they would end up on a different part of the roof? Or all the way down? If he chose wrong, he wouldn't really have a way of getting back up.
Thus…he had no choice. He took every word his partner said into account and watched as the other man moved. The elf noted every little motion he made, trying to grasp at the smallest of minutiae. He really didn't want to drastically screw this up.
For a bit, the Veir would almost appear as if frozen in place. Finally, his trance broke at the beckoning of the other man. His own movements were rather stiff and evidently nervous, but he did his best to do as instructed. Keeping three of his four limbs on the pipe at a once, he struggled with the concept of not looking down. One at a time, he moved each hand or foot to descend after his lover.
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Raillen Tongue/Speech"
"Silvain Tongue/Speech"
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 6:57 am
by Arkash
As the two navigated the icy walkway, Arkash took deliberate steps to root himself with his left foot, then scrape his right along to clear any clumps of ice that might catch Degare off guard.
From as high as they were, it wasn’t easy to tell just who walked the streets below them through the fog. For that reason, Arkash wanted to evade the main road as their landing point as much as possible… Even if it meant taking them a harder route, missing the Knighthood’s delegates was crucial to the success of their escape.
He did take note of Degare’s hesitance when he declared that they weren’t returning, and resolved to address it once they’d escaped the wind’s assault.
But until they did, Arkash taught the older man the importance of safe climbing techniques and led him to the pipe. From there, he descended to allow room for Degare’s mounting of the frozen metal.
From there, the descent was steady. Arkash kept his eyes up to watch Degare, only occasionally did he look down to find the next brace, then promptly returned his gaze to the elf as they climbed further and further down.
As the shapes of the pedestrians on the street began to grow ever closer in the district’s dim lamplight, Arkash gave pause to lean over to the left, and spied the ledge they were meant to climb around to; another decorative thing, built with just as much precision and quality as the ledge they’d escaped their room from. “Hold on,” Arkash said with median volume without the shrieks of gales to clog the background.
“We’re crossing here,” Arkash explained as he moved his left leg around the building, and followed up with his left hand to grip the brickwork. His right leg and hand followed one after the other, safely dismounting the pipe. As he clung to the frosty wall, “keep three points of contact either with the wall or the pipe when you come over, and try not to make too many sudden movements… We don’t wanna rattle the thing and pop off anyone down there,” Arkash explained as he shimmied along the edge with his chest flush to the stone, then reached over to invite Degare with his gloved hand.
The drop below them led to a tight alley, veiled in darkness by the adjacent building that supported a lower rooftop of keeled tiles, sloped upward in directions both facing the main road and away from it.
Once Degare had joined him on that side of the building, Arkash would lead him lower with just as much care to the ice that caked the ledge as he’d had before, then took a pause to lower his curtain mask, and exhaled a steamy lungful of condensation, which billowed and dissipated in the night sky.
“Alright,” Arkash said, comfortable with their distance from the public. “Next, we’re gonna turn around so our backs are to the wall. Bring your feet close together and hold your center of gravity on the ledge. From there, just move your right leg to be on the other side of your left, crawl your right arm in close, then let go and turn to put your back to the wall. Lean into it and keep your back straight,” he instructed as he followed through the motions, deftly navigating his form to turn around with their limited space.
He took a moment there and flexed his frigid fingers to keep the blood circulating to his extremities. “…We’re gonna jump,” he declared, finally at what he believed to be the hard part. “It looks like a long way down, but it’s okay! We’re gonna get on that roof across from us, then drop down to the alley from there. After that, we’re free,” he spoke simply, matter-of-factly.
“It’s easier than it looks,” assured the Rath. “Don’t lock your knees and land at an angle on the roof, you’ll cushion the fall and shouldn’t break anything.”
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:00 am
by Degare
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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Frankly, the Ferrier had no wish to look down. As a result, the movements of his legs were notably more cautious and delicate by nature since every time he stepped downwards, he was doing so by feel. Regardless of how long this process actually took, internally, it felt like each moment was eternal. Each step felt as frigid as the air around him.
Every muscle in his body felt tense. He'd focused so much on his own movements that when his lover spoke, the other's voice almost caught him off guard. Degare's movements ceased at Arkash's word. With walls of thick stone around them now, the howls of the wind were much quieter.
Apparently, the Dranoch intended for them to cross over here. The Veir didn't much move or respond, but he did wonder when their haphazard journey would end. He simply wasn't built for this…nor did he have any of the skills one should for something of this nature. The only reason he'd even managed thus far was because he was walked through it so very carefully by his lover– else, he thought, he'd have fallen by now and either be dead or have had to rely on magic to save himself. Which…normally that'd be fine, but if anyone spotted him here? He'd have to use much more than Equipoise to cover his escape.
Much as he was loath to do so, he glanced downwards towards Arkash so he could visually see what the younger man was actually doing. Relying on guesswork or just the words would ultimately be a mistake, he thought. The elf needed as much help as he could get.
The Ferrier waited for his lover to fully move off of the piping and onto the adjacent wall, then he climbed further down the frozen piping himself to make it easier to actually maneuver over to the other wall. Degare didn't favor strength in any part of his body, so after a second of hesitation, he decided to move his limbs in the same pattern Arkash did. Left leg over, then left hand, though he did opt to take his lover's offered hand for assistance. Right leg, then right hand. His movements lacked confidence of any sort, but somehow, he managed to complete this task without falling.
The elf noticed, this time, that the drag of the other's feet was because he had been clearing snow and ice from the ledges. Underneath his mask, he smiled. Arkash really was going out of his way to make this arduous process as easy as possible for him. It was a sweet gesture…and one that he definitely appreciated.
The concept of turning around was a bit nerve wracking, given the limited space that the pair had to work with here. He listened as carefully as he could to the instructions given and then watched as the other man moved before he attempted the motion himself. While it was nice that the walls around them blocked most of the wind's bite, his extremities had begun to feel stiff from the cold on top of his nerves. With slow, deliberate movements, the elf managed to copy his lover's instructions exactly.
Granting the Rathor a nervous glance, he didn't have to wait long for the other to declare their next task. Finally…it was the last thing. After this, the two of them would be back on the ground. Once his lover had finished speaking, a thoughtful look knit itself across the brow of the Ferrier. Moments later, a glint of realization reflected from eyes of amber.
Taking a deep inhale, Degare pulled his mask down with one of his hands. On his exhale, a cloud of coruscating ashes billowed from the Ferrier's lips and at control of his ether, clouded around his feet. Oddly, the ashes resembled the flecks of snow all around them. One would be hard pressed to tell the difference at a glance.
Once he did this, the elf took the nauseating next step of peering down towards the dark alley below them. His own ashes now prepared, he readied himself and jumped. Now was no time for hesitancy.
The sensation in one's stomach from falling is…most unpleasant, but thankfully, it never lasts long. While a fall from this height should be disastrous, in the final few feet of his descent, his collected ashes and those from the ground collected into a large cloud around the lower legs of the Ferrier, slowing and finally stopping his fall. Jumping twice sounded more complicated and more likely to fail than simply relying on Equipoise, something he knew he was more capable of doing. He levitated there for a few seconds, heart pounding in his chest, before letting himself drop to the final few inches to the ground.
Unstable and uncomfortable from the rush of the fall, he wobbled back a bit before leaning against the wall. As he steadied his breath, he returned his mask over his face and glanced upwards towards his partner.
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Raillen Tongue/Speech"
"Silvain Tongue/Speech"
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 6:42 am
by Arkash
Patience wasn’t something Arkash was particularly known for; it wasn’t often he acted with such a calm, collected demeanor toward another, but Degare was in many cases an exception.
Without urgency, he gave directions for dismounting the pipe and guided Degare through the motions. Next came the turn, and Degare completed such under Arkash’s guidance too. The distribution of one’s weight was largely what impact their ability to navigate those narrow walk ways, the individual’s control over their core strength.
Degare had surely never scaled the urban landscape as Arkash often did, and so he walked the older man through at a pace that Arkash felt was relatively comfortable, one movement at a time.
There, at the edge, Arkash gave his next direction. They were meant to leap to the neighboring rooftop to make the descent onto the concealed alleyway easier. Though Arkash did his best to assure the elf that they would be fine and that he was capable of managing such an impressive feat, he wasn’t entirely sure his own words were true.
Degare too didn’t seem to fully believe him, that, or the elevating of his heart had escalated due to the innate risk of their situation.
“You’ll be okay,” Arkash assured as Degare took a deep breath. “I won’t let you f-” he paused when the elf exhaled what appeared to be snow, but Arkash recognized as ashes. “Degare?” He asked, uncertain as to what the mage was planning as those ashes accumulated at his feet. “Degare,” he asked again with a little more weight to his voice as the elf peered down into the darkness. “Degare, what are you-?”
He jumped.
It was all so quick, but the split second in which Degare leaped from the edge seemed to stretch for minutes, the image of Degare purposefully plummeting to the street below was burned behind his eyes.
At once, Arkash threw himself from the wall and kicked forward with turbulent velocity to sling his weight at the building across from them. Purposefully, he planted his feet at the edge of the rooftop with his durable legs to absorb the momentum of his leap as he bent at the knees to crouch. The momentum was reversed as Arkash kicked hard into the edge of the roof and threw his head back to guide his weight off the rooftop and into the alley. In the split second at which Arkash backflipped into the alley below, he caught the sight of Degare’s form in the alley, hovering from the ground with those ashes he’d breathed at his feet, mixed with the snow.
As Arkash stuck the landing in the ankle-deep snow, the icicles from the rooftop he’d disturbed broke on impact with the stone beneath the quilted frost.
“I wasn’t ready,” Arkash spoke gravely as he straightened his legs and brushed himself off. “You scared me half to death!” He scolded as he kicked through the accumulated snow on his way to the older man, then shut his eyes as he brought his form close and wrapped his arms around the taller man’s waist where he leaned. “Should’a told me you were just gonn’a mage-jump off the building, we could’a done it ages ago.” He said with a slight shake of his head.
When he unwrapped from the elf, he took Degare by the hand and began to lead him deeper into the Alley.
“We’re not going back; it takes too long to get from here to lower Nivenhain; the sun will be coming up before we even pass the wall. We won’t be able to leave by ship, but we might not have to when we find Fayeth.” There was the matter of his Necromancy kit in addition to the other consequences for escaping Lorien’s regulations, but who would think to look for a noble in the slums of Lower Nivenhain? Much less in the Delve.
With he belief that they were safe, Arkash led Degare through the darkened walkways between buildings, using his powerful senses as a means of navigating around the detection of other night lurkers.
Re: The world tonight
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 12:14 pm
by Salen
Arkash
Lores
Teaching: Climbing
Teaching: Acrobatics
Teaching: Easier on a subject you're especially knowledgeable about
Teaching: Level the playing field for practive
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[PC] Degare: Can fall from high places without hurting himself
[PC] Degare: Followed you out the window of a tower
Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Points: 8
Comments: Great Thread, let me know if you have any questions about your rewards.