The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Jad learns of both a new friend, and a new enemy.

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy roleplay forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Postby Jadlin Hayes on January 28th, 2015, 3:26 am

Image

32nd Day of Winter, 514

The city-wide fear had presented Jad with the best scenario for the retribution he'd been delaying. It bothered his sensibilities somewhat that he saw the recent disaster as having any sort of upside. But if he could pull some good out of the situation, why should anyone begrudge it? It was not as if he was responsible for the obelisk's awakening, or the destruction which had resulted.

There were two different aspects of his motivation that he felt offset the sense that he could be said to be "exploiting" this disaster for his own benefit. For one thing, he himself was not benefiting in any way. Truth be told, there was still a good chance that he'd suffer or die for the foolishness he was planning. It was all for Black's sake that he was thinking of going back to have justice make a surprise visit upon the gang that had maimed her hand.

He knew that her sense of security had taken a dive since the attack. He had only held off up until now because the pain in her eyes when she thought of him going off half-cocked on a mission of payback had always overcome his rage. He couldn't stand to think of causing her any more pain from the burning they had done to her.

But his own feelings could no longer be dismissed. He could hardly sleep at night anymore for the dreams of punishment he yearned to deliver upon those thugs. He knew who they were and where they could be found. It was no small thing that the reason they'd come after her was to send them both a message. He'd had an inadvertent run-in with them, and she'd come to his aid.

He had not been looking for trouble. He had only been checking addresses to find his family for the first time. He had not been looking for trouble, but they had squared off on him with a mugging in mind. He had warned them that he would resist. They had laughed and drawn weapons. He had not been looking for trouble, but at four-to-one odds, he'd pulled no punches or refrained from any tactics. He had not been looking for trouble, but they had insisted on it, and Black had come to his aid. As a result, they had cornered her in an alley later and deeply branded her hand with an ugly "X".

He was looking for trouble now. He would make them wish for a mere burn, as an alternative to what he would do to them. Those that he didn't carve into grim artwork with his skirmish sword, he would Leech right down to their marrow...

Image
The other positive aspect of his intentions was that, if he succeeded, he would be removing one small element that would be exploiting this obelisk disaster for personal gain. With any luck, the destruction and chaos would be over, and the city would be on the road to recovery before some other gang of thugs rose to take their place.

So now he stood, aware that staying motionless for too long would make him conspicuous against the backdrop of rushing anxiety that permeated the citizenry. But that worked both ways. He too, could watch for others practicing such stationary watchfulness. He was not yet within the bounds of the East Street District. But he was only doorways away.
Last edited by Jadlin Hayes on February 12th, 2015, 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
Jadlin Hayes - No Hurries, No Worries...
User avatar
Jadlin Hayes
A Symphony of Synthesis
 
Posts: 172
Words: 187030
Joined roleplay: May 29th, 2014, 6:15 am
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Postby Altaira Readva on February 10th, 2015, 11:51 am

Image


Her feet carried her long after her mind and thoughts had fled.

The dull pain and ache that shot through Altaira's feet slipped from all attention as she allowed her surroundings to fade, her gaze falling to the ground and eyes fluttering shortly shut as shut as she gave herself a moment's reprieve. She'd lasted the bulk of it- the bulk of the deaths and care and work and tiredness. From that day forward her shifts at the infirmary would shorten and return to normal, or so she hoped, and her service could then be more avidly put towards work and worship of her Lady Dira.

Her mind numbly drifted back again to thoughts of work, thinking once more about how she had been taught and told to dress a wound proper. She frowned and worked her memory, near stumbling as she took little care to her surroundings as she revelled in her momentary shut down, and put thought back to work.

'It was not such an unknown thing. Just clean and cover, common sense, no? I knew my herbalism and I knew my tinctures and my salves and my ointments, why did they have to parrot their words as though I were some unpleasant child? Any fool knows not to leave dirt in a cut or graze. Any fool knows that. I am no fool.'

She pretended she did not know the cause, as though the fact that she were unbonded and kelvic were some sacred knowledge that was privy to none.

A sigh of contempt slipped from her lips, and she half wondered if an early would have been quite so horrible- for words and whispers and 'known' truths were the ease in which one of kelvic kinship could learn once bonded. But it was the other little things that haunted her- the other little implications of bonding, the likening of the kelvic to the human. Altaira liked who she was, she was proud and true and strong. Bonding was not something she wanted, but it was a guilty need that shot right through to her gut. Her innate yearning for companionship was not something that could be sustained on the worship of Dira alone, and she near hated herself for it.

The kicking of a stone underfoot snapped her back to reality, and it was with a narrow gaze that she regarded the homes and businesses that lined her left and right. Familiarity shot through her, and a breathless giggle and hum rolled from her lips - it seemed as though her feet were taking toward that gods forsaken tavern again. She half fancied the idea of bonding with some stranger, to see if she could enlighten them to Dira as she was, but she new it was not something that she could do, now. She was too old, too experienced, and wise - as she liked to think - to allow such a ritual to occur with so little care and consideration. No, no. She'd need to find a willing man or woman or Dira if she ever wanted to bond, for no less would suffice.

Caught in her own thoughts, she didn't truly notice the man until she'd passed him several paces over, and it took several double takes before she could figure the place and meaning that the resemblance the man struck. 'A past patient?' It was the most possible of the cards on the table, but it didn't ring true. The parts of the man she recognised were not of the points that she would recognise on patient, for in the case of an injured man or woman it was always their expression that was etched into the kelvic's memory. The way the man before her, however, struck her reminded her of a sweet child, and her gears of her memory worked and shuddered until face was put to name.

"You... she sought a string of words to proper bring her thoughts to life, acknowledging quite openly that she herself had given the man too many confusing glancing to continue her walk as though she'd not noted him. "You were the uncle to the sweet child, no?" A genuine lack of certainty iced her words, "He does well, I hope." She didn't try to sugar coat her words, or pretend that her nature was any less forward or cut and dry as it was- the question she was truly asking was 'Is the little boy dead?'
User avatar
Altaira Readva
I can wait.
 
Posts: 305
Words: 279063
Joined roleplay: October 22nd, 2013, 6:39 am
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes

The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Postby Jadlin Hayes on February 12th, 2015, 7:30 am

Image

'Speaking of rising to take someone's place...' Jad thought to himself, 'I wonder if they will really move to kick the Lord Council out?' He was against such a rash action, as he'd stated at the rally a few days earlier. He hoped some of his words had sunk in, those few that had even been heard anyway.

His aches and pains had been aggravated, and he was not so sure he was in any condition to be seeking out thugs. It seemed like he was simply destined to live with cracked ribs and sprained joints, bruised bones and scabbed lacerations. Since arriving in Zeltiva, more than half his time had been embellished with a variety of injuries. It was more that was wanted to spy out the area and see if he could catch the thugs one at a time.

His mood turned grimly humorous. "Well, they haven't killed me yet. They'll have to try harder, I guess." he caught an inconsistent lack of movement from the corner of his eye, where someone had just passed him by, and thought he'd end up having to explain his comment to some nosy citizen. He sighed and focused on the figure that was apparently focusing on him.

She was familiar somehow. He didn't just feel like he ought to remember her, he remembered remembering her from before. She had been at the rally. That same one where the cry had gone up for the Lord Council's head.

He wondered if she had heard him playing Evil's Advocate, and was going to scold him the way many of the others there had done. She approached with a simple "You..." and his mind filled in the predicted - 'You're the bastard that told everyone that Ignotus was doing a good job and not to kick him out! You're the one that thinks it's okay for the city leaders to rob and ignore the poor and the sick! You're the...'

His defenses rose to clarify his stance on such issues as anarchy and rebellion as he imagined the scolding to come. He wanted to counter it quickly before others joined in. But she beat him to it. He steeled himself for the initial accusation... "You were the uncle to the sweet child, no? He does well, I hope."

Image
He was briefly disoriented by the lack of rancor, but quickly embraced the subject, eager to feel a sense of warmth for a change. If only to lighten the overall grim state of everyone's situation. "He does as well as anyone can hope. Better than many I suppose, thank you truly for asking." he smiled. "I honestly thought I was going to have to get into another political debate."

He shrugged pointedly, "I don't think my point of view was too popular the other day. I'm just not a proponent of anarchy, I guess. These people all think that throwing this Ignotus guy out of office is going to solve all their problems. I mean, how can they think he's responsible for the preachin' harbor freezing? Or those monolith things setting off all these disasters?"

He realized he was going off on the very subject he'd thought he wanted to avoid. He gave the woman a sheepish look, "I'm sorry, you were at Martin's party weren't you. Yeah, that same guy was there too. That Ignotus guy they were all shouting about. I don't know...He seemed a decent enough fellow then."
Image
Jadlin Hayes - No Hurries, No Worries...
User avatar
Jadlin Hayes
A Symphony of Synthesis
 
Posts: 172
Words: 187030
Joined roleplay: May 29th, 2014, 6:15 am
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Postby Altaira Readva on February 18th, 2015, 12:43 am

Image

32 Winter, 514AV | Speech

A sigh of relief rolled from the kelvic's lungs at the mention of how well the boy was - even if the uncle himself did not seem too optimistic.

"Good, good."

A another deep breath was taken, before her brows furrowed and her body stilled. For one who spoke of wishes to avoid a political debate, it almost seemed as though the gentleman was keen to begin one. From there his words began to knit a further familiarity. For one whose eyes were better than her ears, it was rarely voice that she took the most note of, though as mention was made to his own affiliations and conduct at the recent demonstration was made, Altaira found herself further and further in an unpleasent mood.

'It was you.'

The kelvic's lips pressed into a fine line as she regarded the man, her gaze falling from head to toe as she sought a place and point to begin. "I am afraid that you'll find no comfort in my own words," she sighed. She wished that she could lash out and sway his mind- to once and for all make due case that nuits were an abomination and to allow one to lead a people was scoffing in the face of both Dira and Kihala.

"I am one who does not believe that corpse stealers have any place among those that draw breath, let alone lead them." It was more of a tired plead than an argument that was in its full gusto. The days had worn the woman to oblivion and back, and there was little within her that had the will to fight a losing battle. "Life is precious because it ends- how can you expect one who can not see the value of life cherish or protect it, or do anything that will do anything but cause rot and infestation."

A hand moved to the kelvic's forehead, and a sorry gaze struck the houses around her, an old mention Ignotus suddenly striking her. 'Where was the Denvali Quarter, again?' "Apologies, apologies, I should watch my tongue," she breathed, waving off how zealous her words were wearing. "My work has not been good as of late - I've tended to more in need of healing and care that I thought I would in a lifetime." With that, her head then lifted to the heavens and a short prayer slipped from her tongue, before her eyes were fixed once more on the man himself.

What was his name again?

If only she knew his name- or his inclinations or his opinions. If only she knew more about the man, then she could finally appeal to him from an angle that she knew might work. "May I ask, out of curiosity, your opinion on the ways of hypnotism?"
User avatar
Altaira Readva
I can wait.
 
Posts: 305
Words: 279063
Joined roleplay: October 22nd, 2013, 6:39 am
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes

The Enemy of My Enemy (Altaira)

Postby Anuk on March 3rd, 2018, 5:20 pm

Image
G R A D E

Withheld due to inactivity



Jadlin Hayes

Click :
If you return to Mizahar don't forget to update your CS then feel free to PM me or resubmit this thread to the grade queue for your grade!


Altaira Readva

Click :
If you return to Mizahar, please amend Altaira's skills according to this announcement, then feel free to PM me or resubmit this thread to the grade queue for your grade!

  
User avatar
Anuk
Player
 
Posts: 51
Words: 13460
Joined roleplay: December 25th, 2017, 1:01 pm
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests