Not Gone Yet (Septimus)

[Viper]

Winter 47th, 512 AV

Vipers eyes snap open and he instinctively pulls his knife and sits straight up, quickly searching his surroundings. A soft breeze blows through the trees, and the only other thing that could be heard is the accasional chirp of a cricket nearby. He sees nothing in the early morning darkness, except his own trusty strider Aeyan still sprawled out on the ground not far from him. Aeyan looked over lazily at Viper for a moment before returning to his own peaceful slumber.

He let out a long sigh as he realized there was nothing there. Just his imagination playing tricks on him in the night. Unable to "sleep", he gets up and begins to stir the fire which had long since died sometime in the late evening hours. After placing a couple logs over the hot embers which still remained, he took a seat again. Trying to get warmed back up, his eyes glanced over to the sword which had belonged to Septimus. A frown darkened his countenance as he yet again began to run through the events that took place in the "void" as she had called it days before.

Coward, traitor, deserter. These were the only things he could think of about himself as he came to the end of the conflict every time. True she had ordered him to run. But Viper wasn't hers to order. There wasn't anything he could really do. But would it not have been better to die with her than live with this disgrace? It was her last request... He could not think of a retort for that. And it was about the only thing that gave him comfort. Still he couldn't help but feel a debt to that brave woman. At least he could return to her fellow knights, the sword which had kept her alive threw so many of their battles.

Viper leaned over and drew the swrod towards himself. Looking over the craftsmenship of the weapon, he began to wonder about these knights. Who were they really? Were they like the storied he had heard? Were they all like Septimus? Or was she a breed apart from the rest? A rarity which allowed the stories to continue being told, but by no means the norm? Leaning againsts a boulder, he rested the sword in his lap as he began to aimlessly stare at the small but steadily growing fire.

Seven days since he had managed to escape from that hell hole of a place. He wondered how many more days it would take to reach his destination. His minds began to ponder the few things he had to do to prepare for the days journey. At this point, the first sounds from song birds could be heard breaking the silence of the night as the darkness was slowly but surely being turned away by the suns coming light. Procrastinating a little longer, her simply continued to stare into the fire and enjoy these last few moments of peaceful rest before another long day of travel...

[Septimus]

She had fallen asleep again and it was what she least expected this time. It was the same rolling green hills with the coniferous forest patches scattered out and about when she had looked out the arena door. Or rather this is what Septimus saw for she was gasping for breath as she sat up from the cold ground, breathing rapidly or at least what her previous alive form did as breathing. She looked at herself, picking up her arms and hands and placing it in front of what she supposed were her eyes. What she saw was frightening at first. She was opaque and translucent, but she was there.

She had died though, she remembered, she had died fighting to save Viper and herself. But Viper had made it, the door was beside him, she was sure he had made it. He'd had to escape to this place, to this same place where she had blasted the door open to for there was only rolling green hills and trees for as far as she could see with the occasional stream of course. Septimus stood up, looking down at her transparent self. It took her a while, only to realize she was a ghost, a simple projection of her soul. Never again (in this dream) to switch into a horse again.

The trinkling of water running over rocks in a continuous rhythm soon got her attention as she became more aware of her surroundings using all senses. She touched the grass to make sure she could still feel it and to her surprise it still felt cold green blades. But the question was, why was she here again? Why, in her dream, had she not reincarnated? But there was a simple answer, anyone could guess it. She was determined to seek revenge on the demons, to stay with the Knighthood, and perhaps more than that. No, there was more than that to say the least.

Septimus began hovering as she moved towards the sound of the stream. She didn't like hovering and instead, trying to retain any bit of her old self as possible, began walking. A beautiful sound indeed it was, and she was glad she could still hear the stream. She didn't like this feeling of being, not herself. It was out of the usual. Septimus saw the stream within a few hundred yards of walking up and down a hill and she used her new blinking technique and instantly found herself at the stream. She bent down to touch it, and the cool running water ran through her fingers.

Again, she began walking but after awhile it deemed useless and she began hovering once more. Floating and drifting to whichever direction she felt like drifting towards, up and down rolling green hills underneath a sun slowly raising into the sky, beginning to illuminate the darkened world in which she dwelled currently; the moon slowly being tucked away, being saved for the coming night. There was dew on the ground and she couldn't feel it. There was the soft grass below and she chose not to feel it.

Then she came across from what she saw was a horse laid out all across the ground, sprawled out. Not too far away she saw what was a man with white hair in which reminded her of her comrade that she had gave her own life for. But then with further thinking, wasn't Viper a Drykas? Was this possibly him? She closed her eyes and blinked again, and she was a good thirty yards from him. He had a fire going, and she stood behind a tree to make sure, and yes it was him. She looked down at her wounded and tore up arms then sighed as the indecision came. Flee and let him go peacefully without him having to see her tore up, transparent, and blurry, or let him know she was still well, her soul, was still alive and seeking vengeance.

She stepped out from behind the tree, a sorrowful look upon her face with a forced smile "Viper."

[Viper]

The faint glow of her form managed to catch the eye of Aeyan, who raised his head to look at her for a moment. The action caused Viper to look toward his horse. But after seeing Aeyan remain calm and soon look away from whatever it was in disinterest, he returned his gaze toward his small fire. His thoughts mercifully drifting to nothing as he continued to procrastinate from getting up. The quiet of the early morning was suddenly broken by the sound of his name being softly spoken from behind him. His eyes widened, and his grip around her sword tightened instantly. He rolled away from his position, quickly rising to a defensive stance, her sword drawn toward the direction of the sound.

His mind was an instant storm of thoughts. Who in the Miz could have snuck up so close to him without him hearing...or even his seemingly useless horse warning him as it normally did when someone approached? Despite the softness of the voice, his normal reaction to being surprised out in the wild was prepare to fight and sort out friend and foe later. A neccesary habit after living for so long in the Sea of Grass. What he then beheld though, was even more of a shock than someone sneaking up on him.

His mouth opened slightly in shock as he once again beheld Septimus. Her beautiful form though, still bearing the scars and wounds she received apparently from their struggle in the Void. He slowly lowered her sword and rose to stand up straight. His look of disbelief held firm for a bit longer though. Only eventually giving way to a warm yet equally sorrowful smile like the one he could tell she was forcing now.

"Septimus...?" His smile faded some as he obviously realized how she was still here. It was interesting, because a couple times he had pondered what he might say if he had seen her again. But never gave it too much thought since he never actually expected it to happen. Now that the moment was here though, he didn't quite know what to say. "I..." He closed his mouth and simply remained silent for a moment. "It's good to see you again." His tone was sincere, though it was obvious it wasn't really what he wanted to say.

Another forced smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he gave a small bow and gestured for her to approach the fire and join him...

[Septimus]

Septimus though about hugging him at first, but thought against it. She had heard a ghost's touch was cold and unpleasant and even her dream self would have thought against it. She examined the sword, her sword, in his hand in which he was holding defensively then looked at his Strider beside him. It appeared at though he had been traveling but to where? She had blinked and seen nothing as far as she could see.

"Yes, Viper. It's me. Well, not exactly me but, well, me." Septimus swallowed hard or at least appeared so to say the least. They both knew how she got there, they both knew she was dead. Well, her body was dead, they had both seen it previously some other time being overtaken by the demons tearing at her flesh. Her ripped clothing and pieces of armor still remained on this form however as well as the wounds. It was all there and just a reminder she was dead for no one could survive it.

He spoke, in which she nodded "The same reciprocated," she sighed then joined him by the fire in which he indicated. With the heat that came from it, Septimus more then likely would have been perspired but she was simply a projection of her soul and no such thing happened likewise. Septimus sat down on the ground, crisscrossed posture with her back straight up, staring into the flames. She said nothing a good chime or so and only thought over her condition or where she was now.

"I see you followed orders and are alive and well." Septimus smiled, not a sorrowful forced smile but a friendly warm smile that only a ghost could do in such a time, then directed her gaze at Viper for a few seconds, only the glance at his Strider then back into the fire. "You listen, and do as told. You should consider joining the Knights." Septimus chuckled, her voice trailing off into something like a hum that quickly faded away in silence.

She needed to change the subject and direct it away from what had happened, from what had caused her to be in this state; state of being as well as mind. What had happened that day was over and she hoped never to relive it. Never in her dreams, never in life, never. She wished the same for Viper and any and all who were good people. She didn't like the feeling of being helpless and alone, cast out into some Gods forsaken place with no help, only to predict your fate from the beginning.

"Who's your Strider over there, Aaden?" Septimus nodded in the direction of the his horse all the while looking into the fire, only to then direct her gaze at the horse. The horse was golden, much like the sun's rays in which she could no longer feel... or see as clouds were beginning to cover to rising sun casting off a gloomy morning feeling. It's mane was flaxen and overall it was a beautiful horse. And only while thinking of that, did she realize she had called Viper by his real name.

[Viper]

He simply listened as she approached his fireside and took a seat. Instead of immediately joining her, he walked the couple of steps toward his saddle and lay her sword down beside it before returning to take a seat next to her. A somewhat sad smirk appeared on his face when she suggested he look into being a Knight for his following orders so well. "Oh I don't know about that Septimus. If there had been even the slightest chance I could have pulled your butt out of that fire...I'd of told you where you could shove that order."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he glanced over to her with a warm smile, before looking back into the crackling fire. Reaching over, he picked up a smallish sort of stick and began to poke at the burning embers to stir them up a bit. Vipers smile soon faded and he looked down. "I really am sorry for leaving you behind ya know... It should have been my wayward self in there. Not you." With a small sigh, he tossed the stick into the fire and shook his head lightly. There really was no point in saying anything further on the topic. It wouldn't change anything. Still, he was glad to have been given the chance to say it. "But anyway...", his voice trailed off as he watched the small stick begin to burn.

Upon hearing the unfamiliar sound of his own name, his eyes widened as his head turned toward her somewhat sharply. A moment later, a small smile replaced the surprised expression he at first wore. He had quite forgotten that he had told her his real name. It was not something he shared with almost anyone anymore. However, there was something nice, maybe even right about her knowing it now, at least in his mind. The feeling was quite alien to him though. Viper had not known her for very at all, yet was quickly viewing her as a good friend. Almost as if they had known eachother forever.

Glancing over at his horse, who himself had sat up from his slumber upon hearing the word strider, he smirked. "Heh, that flee bag over there is Aeyan. He's my best friend. We've been through a lot together. Covered a lot of ground, and still have a lot more ground to cover before we must part ways." Knowing when Viper was talking to him, Aeyan neighed and nodded his head a couple times. The action illiciting another small laugh from Viper.

"Speakin' of which. We should probably get moving. The sun doesn't wait for anyone. And I'd like to make Syliras sometime this season." He stood up and then held his hand out to help her up. The action was quite pointless now that he thought about it. She was a ghost. And quite frankly, he knew she wouldn't need help even if she wasn't. Still, it was an old habit, and he wouldn't abandon good manners just because they were out in the wild.

Once they were both on their feet, he whistled a short tune which Aeyan promptly rose to, and walked on over to where Viper was standing. Viper stroked Aeyans' neck a couple times and smirked. "Good boy." Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a carrot and gave it to his strider. The item being one of the horses favorite treats. As the Strider munched away, Viper saddled him up before stomping out the remaining burning embers of his now failing fire. Grabbing the reigns, he prepared to walk beside Ayean. He gestured toward the road and looked at Septimus once more before smiling warmly.

"Care to join us? I know I wouldn't mind the pleasure of your company at least a lil while longer." He then began to wonder if as a ghost, was she only able to materialize like she was now for short periods of time? Or could she be in this form as long as she wanted? Viper then supposed only time would tell.

[Septimus]

Septimus chuckled with a bright smile at his statement. Of course she was joking, but then again was she? There was partial seriousness to that statement, she knew that much. He definitely had some friendly defiance in that personality of his. Whether or not that was a good thing, Septimus was still quite frankly unsure.

"Well played, friend, well played. Ain't how it worked though, is it?"

She chuckled at this joke herself, despite it being a rather serious matter. But to be honest, Septimus didn't particularly care anymore. She didn't see a reason to care. What's done was done and she needed to accept the choice she made or rather cut the chord and rejoin the cycle. Not now, not in a while (at least in the entirety of this dream). This brought her to the next part of his statement.

"Don't say that. It shouldn't have been neither one of us. We shouldn't had been in there at all."

Anyways was the correct term as he moved on and away from the topic. As Viper referred to the horse as a fleabag, Septimus chuckled again then a bit more as the horse nodded and tossed its head as Viper referred to him almost as if on cue. It was a bond between a Strider and a Drykas in which Septimus respected not only as a human but as a horse. The Striders were treated much like family on a much more personal level. Affection came from both sides undoubtedly and that bond was almost never severed.

It was something which had scared Septimus to bond for she didn't want to be left behind and alone while the other cared no where to the extent she cared for them. Needless to say, she was coming around, the fear slowly dwindling.

As he held out his hand, Septimus hesitantly took his hand as she 'pulled' herself up then released her hand, looking down. Surely he would understand why she was being so hesitant and reluctant for with the touch of a ghost brought a deep feeling of cold and uncomfortableness then she smiled.

"Yes, I do believe I'll be joining you. Good thing about being a ghost, we don't exactly get tired."

[Viper]

The erie feeling he got when Septimus 'took his hand' caused the hairs on the back of his neck to raise for a moment. The sensation messed with his mind since it did not fit the person that stood before him now at all. If anything she was the exact opposite. A fiery, somewhat brash person person perhaps...but certainly not cold and empty. Her pleasant smile only served to fortify this opinion. Although he rolled the thoughts in his mind for a short time, his expression gave no hint that he even noticed much less cared about the sensation which her touch now gave. And in point of fact, he really didn't. He still liked her for who she was, no matter what form that may now be.

And for now, he was simply glad to have her company. Upon hearing her comment about not getting tired, a smirk graced his countenance. "Ah yes. Well I guess in that much, I'm a lil jealous of the new form." Continuing to walk in between Ayean and Septimus, Viper turned toward his Strider. "Right Aeyan? Must be nice to travel all day and not feel the slightest bit tired." Viper smiled before looking out to the long road ahead of them.

It was then his mind began to drift back toward his final destination. Remembering Septimus was from their he decided to see if he could get a bit of information about both the place and maybe even her fellow Knights. "Say Septimus. Any chance you could tell me about Syliras? I mean I have been there twice...but really just passed through. I never stayed long enough to really explore the city. I mean, like what might I need to expect from the Knights when I saunter in there carrying your sword?" A small amount of concern began to enter his mind as he started to think his plan through more thoroughly. He was worried they might not give him a chance to explain.

[Septimus]

"Blessing in disguise then, yes?"

Septimus chuckled slightly then began walking over to Aeyan where they supposed would be where they embarked on their journey.

"However, I would say the negatives outweigh the positives."

Septimus let that sentence trail off without any explanation because, quite frankly, she didn't feel like repeating the mess she was in. She didn't feel like explaining that she couldn't feel things right, that she couldn't interact the way she wanted, she couldn't spar anymore like she wanted, and that the only thing of her wasn't blood and flesh, but rather a projection of her soul. And the fact that she was stuck with the images of these wounds on her. Plus, she could no longer shift to her horse form.

Then, when Viper asked about Syliras, Septimus smiled. Not a forced smile, but an actual smile of pleasure. The thoughts that flooded back in her mind made her think of happy thoughts as not once had she encountered something in Syliras that made her despise the city. Even though for the most part, it smelled of sweat and a large amount of bodies, it was home. Not just a quarters or where she slept.

"I think if you didn't have a ghost to accompany you as proof, there more than likely would be quite the amount of eyebrows raised, that's for sure. Probably be taken in for some hard questioning but I don't suppose that'll be a problem, like I said. Just be respectful and stay honest and whatever you do, just do not bring up summoning or anything of the kind. Your ass will be gone."

Septimus recalled what she had managed to hear about summoning and how it was definitely not welcomed at all. Septimus hated summoning. Actually, Septimus hated magic all together. She believed that magic was something like cheating your way to your goals while people should work towards them. Of coarse, somethings with magic she liked. For one, she being a Kelvic wouldn't be where she had gotten or was without Marcus Kelvic. Second, she wanted to somehow see those Watchtowers work someday. Surely they worked on magic somehow?

"Otherwise, the Knights are pretty good and easy going. They have their own ways and tactics of training individually and they each come with their own personalities so they're not all exactly the same. Some are patient, others are quick to think. But some are like me, which are the Squires. We pretty much follow around a Knight or Patron and they show us the ropes to see if the Knight life is what you want. Pretty much something like a Knight in training. You earn your way to become a Knight."

[Viper]

He pondered what she said for a moment in all seriousness, before breaking out in a wide smile and a slight chuckle.

"So let me get this straight...I'm not to mention anything about magic or summoning, which fortunately i know nothing about anyway. But I am not to mention anything like that, but walking in with a ghost is fine...?"

He cocked his head to the side as he looked at her qith a questioningly raised eyebrow. "I don't know Septimus, your bunch sounds a little confused as to what they want." He teased playfully followed by a small laugh.