A slight breeze was blowing across the plain and Zayina could feel it cooling her body, drying it but making her stiff. The stranger reached into a bag on the side of his mount and pulled out a towel. "You need this more than I do" he said as he handed it to her. "So what's a young, pretty girl doing swimming all by herself in the most dangerous area on this planet?"
"Aeiroth Agr--" he paused, "actually, my last name is irrelevant."
The man was almost the same height as Zayina with a similar frame. His eyes were a brilliant green and some travel-stubble graced his face. he was cloaked in black garb, exposing only the tips of his dirty blonde hair. If she had to take a guess, he was probably between 18 and 20 years of age. It was no doubt that he was good looking in a rugged sort of way, but he had an air of mystery about him and Zayina couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was somebody important.
"You got a simple name I can call you? Also, what are you doing here?" Zayina asked curiously, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was already starting to like this person, although she knew very little of him.
"Just call me Roth, and I'm here to look for a legend that my friend dreamt about. You see, she's rather ill and not even the best medics could cure her. One night, she had a dream that there were some people that could help and I'm looking for those people. It may be foolish chasing after a dream, but I owe it to her."
He sized up Zayina as best as he could while the mount continued waking slowly, "And you're here to follow your father? How so?"
"In my home, dreams aren't simply manifestations of the subconscious" explained Roth, "we use them as channels for communication. Sometimes we are able to reach out and contact our loved ones who have passed and other times, it seems like the planet itself is talking to us. Dreams, dear Zayina, must be heeded and considered."
Zayina felt tired, wet, cold. Hoping Roth didn't mind she laid her head against him and closed her eyes, then she started to speak again "My dreams ... I don't understand them, but each time something terrifying happens ... can ... can you help me?" she asked "Maybe ..." she started, but never finished as she started to breath slowly, at rest against Roth's body, she had fallen asleep, the day had drained all energy out of her.
She had fallen asleep before he could tell her about all of his abilities, so instead he chose to demonstrate them. He placed his hands o the sleeping girl's head and closed his eyes. The accendo rushed through his fingertips and into her thoughts, conjuring a dream for her.In this dream, it was of the two of them on a plain, not unlike the one that they were crossing. Zayina was tense and worried. Roth appeared in the dream and gave her a relaxing massage, whispering inaudible things to her before letting the dream subside letting the real Zayina enjoy a restful nap.
Zayina awoke slowly and opened her eyes to look around, where was she? She didn't know, but she could remember yesterday, or was it today? The big monster thing that almost killed her, Roth, hadn't he appeared in her dreams? Everything was so confusing ...
It was still light out, but sunset was approaching. They were no longer moving on the mount, instead Roth had found a soft patch of grass and laid her down on it. He was sitting not far away, a pipe hanging from his mouth. A puff of smoke came out, but he didn't seem to notice her waking.
Zayina pushed herself up in a sitting position and stared at Roth, not saying anything yet, just looking at him, trying to figure out who this mysterious person was.
Pipe in hand, Roth was lost in thought. He breathed slowly as his cloak moved slowly up and down. His cloak was... unusual. It wasn't something that most travellers would wear, and as someone who knows what expensive material looks and feels like, Zayina could tell that Roth was clothed in something fairly lavish but also very practical.
Zayina, not wanting to bother Roth, who seemed deep in thought, started to look for what was left of what she took with her from home. Home, she thought, only a day had passed since she left but it seemed like a lifetime. Life in this wilderness was so different from life at home, far more exciting, but also far more dangerous. Yet, with a companion like Roth she felt safer than alone, if only she knew more about this strange person, who seemed, like her, to have enjoyed a luxuous life before he came here.
She had most of her things still, but the majority of them were thoroughly soaked. The pack that Noanna had prepared for her was water resistant, but not totally waterproof. Extra clothing was now in wet clumps and most of the food was too saturated to think about eating.
Roth peeked over his shoulder at the girl, "hey, you're up."
"Yeah ... how long did I sleep?" she asked, as she had no real idea about how much time had passed. She looked at her wet possessions, the clothes would dry but the food wasn't edible anymore so she would have to live on whatever nature could give her now, and about that she was fairly inexperienced. Hopefully Roth could help ...
Zayina walked up to Roth "Do you mind if I come sit next to you?" she asked him nervously, not knowing how he was, or who he was for that matter ...
"I lost track of time a while ago. You've been out for a while" answered Roth. "And you don't need to ask. You can do whatever you want around me. I might be roy--" he stuttered for a moment, "-rather picky about my clothing, but hardly about my company." He pulled down his hood, revealing tattered dirty blonde hair that was unkempt to say the least, but attractive in a rugged sort of way. The man offered his hand to help Zayina slide over to him.
"You wanted to say royal, yes? Don't worry, because my clothes might be all soaked right now, but they too, are expensive. I don't know you, but I know you come from some royal house, and so do I, you shouldn't be ashamed of your background." she said as she sat down with Roth's help, she was very nervous, a slight blush became visible on her face when she took Roth's hand, but she was also curious, she wanted to know more about him. She looked around the wilderness they where in, somehow she felt attracted to it "You know" she started "I might have had a life of great wealth, but somehow I feel more attracted to this wild natural world, then to the world where only wealth and your look counts. My parents understand it, partially, but still they held me back from the dangers of this world. But now I went away, and the encounter with that, what was it? That creature that attacked me, it gives me a bit of understanding of this world, how wild and untamed it is, but still I know very little, other than that I find it both exciting and frightening. But from the look of you, you have out in this wilderness for quite some time, right? Can you tell me more?"
Pointedly ignoring her comments on royalty, he tells her about the wilderness, "the Dead Zone is in a constant state of evolution. With each passing day, the creatures become more adapted to their environment. Sometimes this makes them bigger and stronger, sometimes it means their eyesight change... nature is in a constant state of rebirth here. I can return to a place after a few months and notice that the entire vegetation has changed. It makes the wilderness hard to navigate, and the landmarks I'm looking for could cease to exist within hours. It's tough out here, especially when you're alone, but it's liberating at the same time. If you haven't noticed already, the accendo is different here, too. At home, there's a constant flow of accendo powered by the multitude of people's emotions. Here, there's less people and only Disegreth's natural accendo can be found, blowing across the planet like a sheet in the wind..."
He stopped, realizing that he'd been rambling, "sorry for babbling on and on." He offered her his pipe, "you smoke?"
"No, thanks." Zayina said as Roth offered her the pipe "I never got to like it." she looked at him as if to unravel secrets about him that she knew only he could tell "You know ... I like it here so much more than at home. There I just sit and talk and stuff, but here it's wild, untamed, everywhere you see things you've never seen before, and sometimes that is a very fun experience. Yet, I know nothing of you, can you tell me about yourself? Or don't you want to talk about that?"
He gave her an uncertain look before puffing on his pipe and taking a deep breath, "Well I'm pretty important where I come from, but I hate the fame associated with being the next ruler of Enfir*. There's always people trying to offer you things and girls fawning all over you. My father is a ruthless and iron-fisted leader whereas I care more about providing for people than asserting my command. Even though nearly everyone on the island would cater to my will and any woman would bed me if I wished, I really only have one friend. She's the only one who will yell at me if I'm being a jerk and the only one who wants to get to know me without wanting to sleep with me. It's refreshing, but now she's ill and that's why I'm here."
"I know how it is, because I have lived such a life too, and I hate it probably as much as you do. That is why I went away. I used this whole war as an excuse to get out of there and find a little bit of peace. My father is a famous person too, and a very rich one. At home I can afford anything I want, anything I ask from someone will be done. Anyone who doesn't will get punished by my father's guards, who he almost always sends with me when I go out into the country. Somehow ... it might sound crazy ... I feel at rest in your presence ... you're like Noanna, my maid, a very friendly person, someone different from those common people who just behave like obedient dogs, doing whatever you want." Zayina told, still very nervous, and she almost couldn't believe what she had just said, but it felt like a rock, that had pinning her to the ground, was lifted off her, that she could finally breath again.
Roth stared at her in fascination, wondering how it could be that someone who he had just met understood him so completely. While he still missed his friend at home, Zayina's presence was comforting to say the least.
Looking away, he tried to find out more about her through an assumption, "and I'm assuming someone as affluent and beautiful as you has a husband at her beck and call."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
The man was almost the same height as Zayina with a similar frame. His eyes were a brilliant green and some travel-stubble graced his face. he was cloaked in black garb, exposing only the tips of his dirty blonde hair. If she had to take a guess, he was probably between 18 and 20 years of age. It was no doubt that he was good looking in a rugged sort of way, but he had an air of mystery about him and Zayina couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was somebody important.
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
He sized up Zayina as best as he could while the mount continued waking slowly, "And you're here to follow your father? How so?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Roth peeked over his shoulder at the girl, "hey, you're up."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Zayina walked up to Roth "Do you mind if I come sit next to you?" she asked him nervously, not knowing how he was, or who he was for that matter ...
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
He stopped, realizing that he'd been rambling, "sorry for babbling on and on." He offered her his pipe, "you smoke?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
(*See geography thread)
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Looking away, he tried to find out more about her through an assumption, "and I'm assuming someone as affluent and beautiful as you has a husband at her beck and call."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226