(Katshika Falls) A Days Practice (Open)

[Aiven]

Timestamp - Season of Spring, Day 34, 511 AV

The roar of Katshika falls was deafening, and the surrounding area was nice and flowing with everything else that dwelled here. Sitting on the ground, legs crossed and eyes shut, Aiven was practicing her breathing, since she had already stretched, before she started her Acrobatics practice.

She enjoyed this. It had been a long time since she had left her rooms. It had only been recently that she tried out her Archery again, meeting a new person while she was at it. It felt nice to be active again, and not just sulking around her room. The loss of her Eagle was heartbreaking, but she was still alive, and she knew she needed to go on.

She opened her eyes again, focusing hard on her surroundings, before taking a deep breath. Suddenly she sprung forward, and stood on her hands. She smiled. 'I'm doing it.' She began to walk on her palms for a few steps. 'I'm actually doing it.' Her arms started to feel tired, and she was finding it harder and harder to keep her balance. 'Not doing it! Not doing it!' And with a loud splash, concluded the Acrobatics practice for a frustrated Endal.

[Ulric]

NoteThe Gasvik can only be seen/heard by Ulric or a Wind Eagle

“Giarl am wewk awk nelma?” “No, and that’s final,” Ulric growled at the Gasvik. “If you want to eat one of their petching eagles, go right ahead. But don’t expect me to have your back.” “Acen ku luem?” “Not the riders, either.” “Jawkn petch weim aen wo jwnae,” the Gasvik gesticulated wildly. “Awoem wen unf ewk wemwen. Ipmeo wneh petch.” “What do you want me to do, leave?” Ueam wkm awnen qwnf aldo wej aweij. Bdadk weok an wuqdf u qnwn padle, eewkmf qwnfa xsjo ghsu ej adm qwun daomda. Heaving a sigh, Ulric picked his way to the water’s edge, not certain whether the Gasvik spoke words of great wisdom or folly. He might only understand a bit of its alien tongue, but through their unspoken bond he’d become adept at figuring out the gist of what it was trying to say. If there was one thing he was certain about, it was that neither of them wanted to be here. “I’m sorry, but we can’t leave this place,” he said, staring at his reflection in the shallows. “I can’t risk having her try to compel me again.”[/b] “Uka weok petch laikad han,” spat the Gasvik. It snatched up a handful of pebbles and threw them, sending ripples across the surface of the water. For all the hardships they had endured, there was no place for them here. They are afraid of us because of her, Ulric reflected sadly. They know what I am capable of doing. The eagles see the Gasvik grow with every passing day, and they fear what we shall become. Ulric strode along the shore. He felt empty, as if his soul had been scraped out, leaving only a husk. He wanted to scream, but what good would it do? The die was already cast. The only thing he lived for now was killing. Flee this place, you fools, he thought, watching an eagle soar above a distant peak. Go and cower in your tunnels, for when gods begin to die, your kind will be purged along with the other weaklings. “Patience, my friend,” he managed a thin smile. “Petch,” replied the Gasvik, baring its fangs. Son they came to where the lake’s murky, tepid waters cascaded over the falls, casting a fine spray into the air. Nearby, a girl was sitting on the ground. Is she meditating? Ulric studied her more closely, observing only that she was short, red-haired, and reeked of pride. He already hated her. “Wen awk nelma.” “No, we’re not going to eat her,” he snapped at the Gasvik.

[Aiven]

Aiven lifted her head from the water, completely ready to never do that again. "Well, wasn't that..." She stood from the water, and trudged onto the grassy side, before saying bitterly, "Refeshing." Reaching her hands up, she rung out her hair and clothes, not liking the weighted feeling the water was giving her.

She walked over to the spot she had been sitting at, at the beginning of this horrible attempt to practice acrobatics, and sat back down, legs crossed. Shutting her eyes again, she began to focus once more. Realizing now, one other presence intruded on her practices.

Her golden eyes glanced up at the top of the waterfall.

[Ulric]

Ulric watched every movement the girl made, his feverish eyes glittering, not knowing what to make of her. “Why doesn’t it fly, my darling?” he crooned to the Gasvik. “Why doesn’t the little bird fly away from us?” He was intrigued. He began to close the distance between them, noting how skinny she seemed in her sodden clothes. Children. They are all children. “Uadj oaddn!” Ulric shoved away the fingers that clawed at his arm, forcing the Gasvik to one side. I just want to stare into her eyes, he thought, vainly trying to suppress a giggle. I need to see what hides in them. Eyes. They were always hiding something. Only when you pried them out were they were free of deception. Only death could purge this world of deceit and depravity. Halting just short of the girl, Ulric giggled again. “Hello, little bird,” he spoke softly, almost in a whisper, his words bearing a hint of menace. He thrust his bundled cloak into her lap. “You’re all wet,” he said, his words carrying the dark, seductive strains of his rapture.

[Aiven]

Aiven locked eyes with him, never letting her gaze stray. They were set intensely on him, but if she was scared, it was not visible. She stood, body facing him in an alert fashion. He gave Aiven an odd feeling. His words were laced with sly intent, and Aiven did her best to hold down her smirk. She was one who played well with words.

"Thank you, sir." Turning her body three quarters away from him, she slid on the cloak, which barely clung of her body, before skillfully removing the clothing underneath, not the least bit embarrassed of her body.

She returned her stare to his eyes. They pulled her in. Something that gleamed behind those dark orbs set her curiosity aflame. For a long moments, she stared into those eyes, before removing her gaze, and walking over to her bag that had been resting under a large tree, which she put her clothes in.

"I don't recall ever seeing you in Wind Reach, sir. You are unfamiliar to me. What is your name?"

[Ulric]

Ulric waited for the girl to remove her sopping clothes, not bothering to avert his eyes. Why does it turn its back on us? he frowned, reaching out to pluck at her hair. Doesn’t it know what we are? He didn’t know why, but this one intrigued him. Some children did not fear him, especially when they were on their eagles, and other pretended not to, but never, never expose their backs to him. Go on, wring her neck, urged a whisper at the back of his head, but Ulric pushed it aside, making low, keening noises as his body suffused by its warmth. The world began to swim and distort before his eyes. “Didn’t see us? Did you hear that, darling? She doesn’t see us.” He smiled again, moving closer, ever closer, until his breath was hot on the girl’s face. “We don’t like to be seen, he crooned softly. “We hides in the deepest, darkest caves, where nobody can see us. Nobody can disturb us. We waits, and we watches.” Her eyes deceived him. He reached for her hair again, confused. Ulric, my name was. Prince of the Damned,” he giggled. “No need to bow, little bird.” Beyond the darkness in his gaze, there was a gleam of naivete, as if a child’s mind resided in a man’s body. He did not stare at her, but through her. He did not understand. “Why not embrace your weakness?” he gestured at where she had been practicing.

[Aiven]

Aiven stared at him for a second, but did not back away from his closeness, though she did think it a little odd that he was suddenly so close to her. "I don't tend to embrace things I do not like, sir. It's my nature, but...I shall try again tomorrow, and hopefully gain something from it."

For a moment second something cold swept over her, sending chills down her body, but shook it off. No need to make a scene. She smiled at the man, "So, Ulric is it. What brings you to the falls this fine evening?" She felt his breathe carress her skin. He was oddly close to her.

Her eyes scanned his face as she waited for his reply, but found themselves staring into his eyes again. Those dark eyes...

[Valadi Liana]

Valadi skillfully maneuvered up the steep cliff face, his hands easily finding purchase on the slick rocks. The hood of his cloak was pulled up to protect his face from the spray coming off the top of the waterfall, and he was nearing the top as he heard a conversation going on. Something about a little bird and some pompous fool claiming to be a 'Prince of the Damned' or some such nonsense.

Not caring to get involved, but wanting to see, or at least hear, how it turned out, Valadi decided to remain beneath their line of vision, and remained clinging to the rock face, his ears straining to hear what they were saying.

[Ulric]

Ulric frowned when she spoke of her struggles. “One does not gain,” he spoke cryptically. “One merely loses. To gain, you must steal from others – suck out their resolve, beliefs, souls – suck out everything until all that remains is a husk.” He began to smile, but his brow creased in confusion. He was forgetting something. “Why am I here?” he spoke aloud, his eyes wandering, distant. To kill, was the first thought that entered his mind, borne on the subtle strains of his madness. He was a weapon, after all. But that wasn’t the question. The question was why he was here at this place and time. He wracked his brain, trying to think of why he had come. “I think … we wanted to see the water,” he said hesitantly, not wanting to meet her gaze as memories began to pour through his head. “We used to catch fish, but no longer. The dark waters beckon to us. He began to pace around, distracted. “Lawk petch uand woen qwun od qwubl ewin adoufn,” warned the Gasvik, forcing Ulric to return to reality. He cast a terse, angry glance at the falls. “Nasty, filthy spiders,” he spat. “We leaves it alone for now. Let the eagles feast on its eyes.” Then he turned back to the girl. “What have you lost, little bird?”

[Aiven]

Aiven looked him over, "Nothing of importance to you, sir." Her epression became a little colder. "To take from other's is a gain to a loss, useless when it's stolen effects backfire. They often tend to backfire, I'm afraid. I just, try again. No need to steal from other's, when I can just expirience the madness for myself." She gazed deeply into his eyes, "But you would know about that madness wouldn't you." She shook her head, "I apologize, I am not used to socialization with people, it has been a while."

She stepped away from him, walking over to her bag, and slinging it over her shoulder. She adjusted the strap, keeping her eyes on him, "The roar of the falls does not conceal one's presence," She looked back up to the top of the waterfall, "There is always someone watching."

With that there was a loud eagle's cry, and at a graceful speed a small eagle took perch on the tree behind her. "Would you like to join me on my walk into town, Ulric?" She cast him a kind smile, passing off his earlier words and...strangeness.