The Rude Docking [Solo]

[Graffius]

60th -75th of Summer, 511

Sleeping was a concept that he had long been lost to him, the need to close ones eyes, the satisfactory sensation of climbing into soft confines and the need for such things. But still, contradictory to all he had known for countless years, he slept. It was far from an easy task however, his body refused to lay in perpetual unconsciousness and quite often he found himself staring up at the boarded ceiling of the ship and listening to the sounds of creaking boards and dripping water. Yet ironically, they drew his concentration away, and his eyes closed once more. -- Then, an explosion roared, shrieking throughout their quaint dwellings and his eyes snapped open in response to a surge of adrenaline. Something was wrong. “Lie…” As quickly as he could speak her name and usher his spindly limbs to stand, his body was thrown backwards with an alarming amount of force. The entire wooden world around him trembled spastically and throughout this, Liel was nowhere to be found. It was funny, the yearning in his heart that urged him to find the young Konti, was it love? Or maybe, it was the fear of loneliness and of a lack of companionship. She had been with him now for a week and had offered him company which, regardless of how he portrayed disdain for it, he enjoyed. “LIEL!? He yelled once more as water began to seep through the boards beyond the stairwell to the main deck, overtaking his ankles. There was no time; he had to save himself, less he become a rotting corpse at the bottom of the ocean. His first reaction was to frantically ascend the stairs to the main deck and beat the door down with the brunt of his shoulder, but alas it proved ineffective. Reimancy would have been handy, yet the foreboding sensation of over-giving kept him in check. He had to find another way. With a racing heart he ran back down the steps, his golden orbs hastily jolting around the vicinity of the ship, logic escaping him as there seemed to be no solution. Maybe the door, maybe the door could be broken with a few of the barrels. No.. The vents above..? Iron.. The… Like a thief in the night, blackness struck his eyes and his mind was swimming in a sea of nothingness.

[Graffius]

“Liel?” Graffius spoke with a fever which was only subdued by the cold surface of rocks beneath his head. He still hadn’t opened his eyes yet. They felt glued shut to his face, swollen and pained. “Liel..?” Searching, he was searching for her, even now in immobility. There was a voice though, which answered his call, but it wasn’t Liel’s, it wasn’t even female in tone, quite the opposite, it was raspy and aged with a companion of phlegm. Slowly it became clearer and clearer until he could make out exactly what the disembodied voice was saying. “There’s no Liel here, only Denub.. Denub has been here. Alone. Alone. For a long time.” He could feel droplets of water dripping onto his hot forehead before a cool wet wag brushed over, combating the heat of his fever. He wanted to speak and to ask questions, but his body refused. Was he dead, or dying? “What… What is this place?” Straining, his eyes opened and his pupils dilated to adjust to a lack of surrounding light. Around him, he could make out stalagmites, water dripping from their pointed ends and a dull light in the horizon which crept, before dying within the area. In the distance, far away behind him, he could hear the sound of powerfully rushing water which echoed clearly, amplified by the tunnelesque passages around him. It was a cave. “Hush. Don’t speak. Denub is helpful, yes? Denub is helping you. Healing.” Wordlessly he averted his gaze to the side to get a better glimpse at who exactly what nurturing his wounded body. It was man, aged, old and grey with a receding hairline of silver wispy long locks, dressed in a dilapidated robe of red. His nose protruded well outward from his face, but his eyes were kind with a lack of color. The man was either blind, or close to it. Somehow, he trusted him. “Open your mouth child. Open wide.” Denub commanded while rummaging through various bottles and canisters. So, he did. There was no room for arguing anyways, not I his current state. Denub would drop something into his mouth, a wet and spongy texture which a bitter taste. “Swallow. It will heal you. It will help.” With shaky hands, he brought a brass cup to his mouth and tilted it forward, letting water spill into his mouth. Graffius swallowed, letting it was away the bitterness that coated his tongue. It was probably some sort of useless medicine, traditional, hedge-magic of the sort; but he was taking any help offered. The other route was of course, death.

[Graffius]

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since his first arrival in Denub’s cave, and still he didn’t know exactly what had happened previously during that frightful moment aboard the ship. All he knew is that he was alive, Liel was nowhere to be found and as of now, his fever had subdued and he felt energized, alert and restless from lying so long within a dank, damp cave. His host had been kind though to tend to his wounds and to nurture him to health, but now he wanted answers. Graffius would grunt, sit up, rub his forehead and look around. There was no one in sight. There was only a campfire which burned steadfastly over a boiling pot of iron, a makeshift bed, trinkets and makeshift furniture. He had lived impoverished his entire life, it was curious how he felt at home here, even if everything was foreign to him. Where was the mysterious stranger that had assisted him though? He’d take it upon himself to figure out just that. Placing his hands behind him, he pushed off from the ground and stood, stumbling momentarily due to a weakness in his limbs while he brushed his achromatic locks of hair away behind his ears. “Old man?” Graffius cried out, his voice resonating through the stone passageways of the cave, echoing back to him. He yelled it once more. “Old man!?” Turning his head behind him and casting a glimpse at the sunlit entryway to the cave, he took a deep annoyed breath and began walking deeper into the cavern, his fingertips brushing against the damp limestone walls. He wouldn’t get far though and after only what seemed like a few steps, the embrace of a hand upon his shoulder jarred his body and he turned on his heels to behold whatever entity touched him. It was the hermit, Denub. “Feeling better are we?” Denub smiled warmly and gesticulated for Graffius to follow him. “Come here; let’s have a drink together, shall we?” Turning, Denub began walking down an adjacent passageway that branched from the main tunnel and silently, Graffius followed behind him as was asked of him. A drink would be nice and would be an appropriate place to ask his questions. He was led into a small room lit by torches that casted an eerie light, flickering across the walls. At the very front of the room, there was a table with two chairs and various unmarked bottles made from Limestone and to the right, another table with what seemed to be numerous alchemical equipment strewn amongst weathered books. Denub took a seat in the right chair and ushered Graffius to take a seat in the left as he gripped a small iron cup, took one of the unmarked bottles and poured a strong smelling liquid into it. “Drink up.” Denub pushed the cup to him with a cracked smile as he poured himself a drink. “How did I get here?” Graffius spoke with curiosity, opting to not drink just yet. “Straight to the questions are we?” Denub lifted the cup and took a large gulp of whatever was in it. “Denub dragged you here. Denub found your body on the rocky shoreline, there was a shipwreck..” “A shipwreck…” Graffius ran his finger across the surface of the table, his eyes staring down in thought. “And I was the only person you found, there was no one else?” The corner of his lips turned downwards grimly. “No…Denub did not find anyone else. You’re in Sahova and it is unsafe, Denub lives here alone in Sahova but knows these woods well. You are fortunate to be found by Denub.” The old hermit took another drink and set his cup down on the table. “Denub wanted a child, a pupil to teach, to have company. You will be this for payment, yes?” The choice of words Denub chose casted an unsettling aura over the entire situation. Here was a hermit living in a hostile environment who ultimately seemed to be a tad unhinged and he was seeking companionship, but so much so that it was what he would ask for payment? Graffius apprehensively looked upwards towards the man. His face was kind, at the very least. “And what if I refuse to be your…Companion and I take it upon myself to leave. Would you stop me? How would you stop me?” The hermit didn’t seem threatened by this and instead laughed deeply. “Oh you are free to go! But you would not survive. The wilds of Sahova are not to be taken lightly, you are in a natural prison without me! You want to take your chances yes? You think that you are strong. But you are easily broken, not by Denub, but out there, you are easily broken.” The hermit extended a single boney finger outwards towards the exit of the cave. “Out there..” “Stay. If you stay, I will show you how to leave, Denub will guide you. But without my guide, you are a dead man.” Graffius remained silent, but for some reason, he believed the old hermit, his voice harbored enough of a conviction to appear truthful. He’d say, for now. “Very well, it seems I have no choice hermit.” And that, was that.

[Graffius]

Time with Denub was boring to say the least yet there were some interesting moments speckles in between the mundane life of dwelling in a cave with an old hermit. It was mostly a collage of studying, eating, getting food to eat and talking with a mug of ale in his hand and the worst part about it was that he felt no need to eat or drink, it was all for Denub. Admittedly though, the ale had grown on him a bit and sometimes he found himself drinking more than he had anticipated during one of the hermit’s long sermons about magic, witchcraft and tales of the beasts which lurk in the wilds of Sahova. After such a long time, he had even grown acquainted to the old man’s company, and enjoyed it, partially. -- “So you see Graffius, Denub is knowledgeable yes and the time to learn is coming soon.” Already both himself and Denub were engaged in one of their usual conversations with a belly full of ale, yet this one seemed to be deviating from the rest and taking a more interesting turn. “Come with me Eth, I want to show you something.” Graffius spat in displeasure. “This isn’t another slug you’ve captured or a tree you found, is it old man?” His words brought a smile to Denub’s face and as the old man stood, he laughed before coughing into the back of his hand, beginning to walk towards the entrance of the cave. “No nothing like that, this is something important, something I promised you early when you arrived, you remember, yes?” The hermit continued walking, kicking renegade pebbles out of his path before emerging out of the mouth of the cave and into the blanket of trees which laid outwards. Graffius followed behind, slowly. The wilderness of Sahova was eerily quiet, unlike other places that he had had the fortune, or misfortune of venturing to in his past; he had grown accustomed to it though, like all things, but when he first discovered how dead the beautiful island was, it sent a chill down his spine. All of it seemed unnatural. “So dead trees, is this what you wanted to show me?” Graffius said mockingly, crossing his arms over his lithe frame. “No fool. Where you see death, I feel life. Life is all around us, even amongst these dead trees.” Denub extended his arms out as if he was presenting something grandiose to Graffius. “All of this has life. You can’t feel it, you lack the gift… But it is there, pulsing under their dead bark.” Denub paced back and forth as if in deep thought. His usual expression of careless mischief was replaced by one of stern brooding. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and turned to face Graffius. “Now this is the end Graffius of your stay with me, you have given me all your gold, have stayed for a month and have kept me good company. What I offer in return is the chance at power, true power. I won’t lie, Denub never lies. This is dangerous and you may die, or you may live, but if you live, you will find yourself with something new. The ability to draw life force from Djed. You can either accept this gift, or I can show you the safe path to civilization, it is up to you.”

[Graffius]

He’d tilt his head upwards to look at the sun wile thinking about the curious proposal extended to him from the hermit. It wasn’t a mystery as to what was being offered to him, it was the initiation into Leeching which in truth, was a rare opportunity, but also a dangerous one. He had researched into it before and knew very well of the effects such a vile form of magic would have on a physical body, but it was also power, true power and something most forms of mages dared not touch. The price of power afterall was decay and rot, he already felt dead inside anyways however, Syna had betrayed him. Yes, he died a long time ago. “I accept your proposal hermit and would like to undertake your gift.” Denub nodded solemnly, the corners of his mouth dragged downwards in a grim fashion. “Are you sure Eth?” “I’m sure.” Denub would lead Graffius back into the cave yet this time would not turn towards the familiar “drinking room.” Nor towards the disgustingly filthy place he called a kitchen, instead he would continue forward towards the sound of rushing water in the distance. It was the one place Graffius had never been during his month here, he supposed he could have wandered there if he liked, yet somehow up to this point, he simply never thought of it. The both of them would continue onward for some time, ignoring abandoned natural paths throughout the cave while walking in a straight line. Eventually, a large wooden door came into view with two extinguished torches on either side, the fire long gone from ages of neglect; no one had been here for some time, not even Denub. The hermit placed his hand on the door and slowly opened it. Graffius spoke. “What is this place?” Denub cleared his throat while opening the doors, exposing a monolithic cavern with a rushing waterfall in the distance that spilled into a subterranean lake. It was breathtaking. “Haven’t you ever wondered where I get my drinking water from Eth? Surely not the ocean?” He chuckled, stepped through the doors as Graffius followed. He was lead downwards across a natural bridge of limestone and dirt towards a small elevated patch of land in the center of the cave, the cool damp air of water saturated winds grazing his pale face. Denub stopped on the plateau of land and took a deep breath. “I suppose this is a fitting place to begin. If you survive you’ll be screaming, trust me, they always scream and it’s far enough away for me to be bothered.” Denub, apparently, had done this before. “Plus isn’t it a queerly fitting way to begin…Or atleast hopefully if not to die, in the middle of a large cavern suspended over a lake?” He laughed deeply, Graffius on the other hand, didn’t find it so amusing. “Now lie down and stare at the ceiling, and try not to move around…Just, if you can, listen to the sound of the waterfall yes?” The hermit nodded and of course, Graffius listened with anticipation that surged through his veins like ice. He lowered himself to the ground, on his back and closed his eyes, letting the mist of the waterfall and its calming sound overtakes him. Soon after, Denub knelt next to him, and placed his hand directly on Graffius’ belly. “Be still.” Those were the last words he heard before suddenly, the cave was alive with a torrent of violent screams as djed was siphoned from his body through Denub’s frail hands. The only thing he could see, think or feel were flashing reoccurring feelings of the same imagery. Death, die, let me die, despair, sickness, hopeless, nausea, nothing. He writhed back and forth, screaming, his body tensing and his back arching, swallowing saliva as a piece of wood was placed in his mouth for him to bite. “Don’t swallow your tongue.” Denub spoke while leeching from the Eth. Then, it was over and Graffius lay in a pool of his own vomit on the ground, moaning and then, crying with deep sobs. He couldn’t move, paralyzed with weakness, but at the very least, he was breathing and as if by a thread, he was alive. Death however, would be comforting to the pain which pulsed through his body and once again he began screaming as Denub spoke. “Now, you will lay here. You have lived, congratulations. I will return daily to feed you and carry you to the sun.” Denub turned and left, walking steadfastly out of the cavern and shutting the large wooden doors as Graffius continued screaming, something he would do all night until drifting off from weakness.

End of thread: Upon awakening and after roughly four days of recovery, Graffius finds that his presence is needed elsewhere, mainly do to the hostile environment of Sahova, including its citizens. Disgruntled, he asks Denub for safe haven and for his way to be bought back to Sunberth so he can continue his travels, in-stead of traveling to the citadel. Denub agrees and later that day they travel to the docks together, Denub showing an unsavy way of preserving their safety from the monstrosities that lurk in the wilds of Sahova on the way, more than likely due to his knowledge of the environment.

Upon arriving, Denub barters with an old dock worker and Graffius can deduct that they are perhaps friends, or atleast old friends. They arrange safe travel for the Eth and as a last token, Denub lets Graffius borrow a small book upon the basics of leeching, thankful of his gifts, Graffius boards the ship. The ship continues to travel back to Sunberth, setting sail the next morning.

[Archelon]

Grading Approved by:Columbina Thread Award "..." And the Results!!!!: Graffius : SkillName 1-5 How/why? Swimming 2 Interrogation 1 Leeching 2 to start you off. Lores: Denub(basic) Being Initiated into Leeching Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? : Dice roll on survival... you passed... by one :3. Basically leeching initiation takes several minutes sometimes and potentially weeks of recovery, not really four days.