Completed Leaving Corruption To Retrieve Light

[Xavior Silhouette]

Winter 2nd 512AV Snow floated lazily down from the darkened sky like ash from a cataclysm. The ice flakes coated the ground in a mix of brown and white, nothing seemed to be pure in Sunberth not even that which was made by the heavens. It coated Xavior’s robes as he stood perfectly still, his antler-like horns were slightly frosted by moisture, the ornaments that hung from them began to collect the light snow too. Xavior was faced toward the moon even though he could not see it beyond the trees. “Heavenly Leth, hear my prayer. May you grant me the strength to carry on and rid myself of impure feelings. True I live among the mortals that are ignorant to your voice and their poison has swayed me. Please rid my veins of alcohol, revenge, and rebellion for personal gain. Heavenly father, I pray for my sister Star. Please guide her back to you and out of this monstrous city, guide her away from the sale of her body and slavery or give her the strength to change those around her to become more powerful and not just some rat who scavenges for a piece of rotten, soggy, bread. You have been good to me and I return my undying love to you.” The fire popped and sizzled as snow melted like a moth to a candle. The wind blew and caused the snow that had accumulated over night to fall from their frail branches. It thudded dully onto the ground and sent light powder into the air. Despite the bone chilling air, that whipped the flags about wildly in the dark, Xavior continued to stand and move with the moon like a sunflower during the day. His arms outstretched as if to receive a hug from a parent, a smile on his face as he felt the energy of the moon re-invigorated his body. “Father, today I work to change a city, an entire town full of misguided people. I do not appose those who worked for their status and have gained such power through manipulation, deceit, murder, and general rebellious actions. No, those are the ones who have earned their place in this kingdom of their own creation. No, father I look to those below them, unable to make it on their own, without parents or guidance, without a way in life. Those I would like to save and show them your light, I want this area to be sanctuary to all those that give themselves to you.” Xavior could feel the warmth of the moon’s light begin to fade as it touched the horizon. His arms finally moved downward at rest. Snow fell in piles from off his robes, the bottom of the fabric seemed to had froze and was stuck to the ground. He moved back to the fire and began to warm himself up, the warmth from the moon no longer a viable means of warmth. “But I fear, I am too weak of spirit, of body, of mind, to establish such a place. Such defiance of strong people would I have to make, it would surely make them angry. But I feel the need to do this, help me in my travels through this season as I return to your temple for guidance and a blessing. Then I shall return, much stronger and capable to make this fleeting fancy a reality.” Xavior moved to a log and sat in wait for the sun to rise. The moon long gone below the horizon.

[Xavior Silhouette]

Slush, it squelched under Xavior’s booted feet as Xavior tightened the robe around his waist. The skeletons of tents past stood broken and in disrepair. Canvas flapped like flags, shredded, the tongues of threads lapped against frozen wood. The trees were bare, dry, grey, and seemed to have no life in them, but when Spring returns it brings life with it. “When Spring returns I will be alive once more too.” Xavior muttered to the trees that softly glowed from the brightening sky. The small, dying, fire crackled pleasantly and seemed to add to the ambiance of the small clearing. However, Xavior noted another sound that he hadn’t before. Just a rustle of twigs, perhaps animals as they began to wake. Xavior moved to one of the old tent posts and stripped from it a bit of the plain fabric from it. “Tsk, memories. I can see this as a piece of fabric and know what it once was. Though,” he looked around at the camp that was once there, “the entire picture to outside observers know nothing of this place other than it’s ruin. Scraps of memories past.” Xavior pulled a bit of scrap chord as well from the broken tent post and brought it with the cloth back to the fire’s light. Darkness surrounded him still yet it was morning, he could feel it in his body. His face glowed in the soft orange light, skin shined as if with sweat, however it was nothing but the unique trait of his divine heritage. He twiddled the bit of fabric between his fingers before he folded it like an accordion. He took the chord and wrapped it several times around the fabric before he knotted it of. He brought it up to one of the branches of his horns and busily tied it tight onto the glossy surface. The ridges of the glass like horns helped keep the ornaments in place. “There we go, to my cloud of memories.” He reached up to a small pinecone that hung at the upper most rung, then down to a sharp looking tooth. “Now we have one more great regret. Gin, it’s piney taste, so sweet to my lips yet leads to horrible outcomes. A tooth from a wild man, a feline who was quick silver and manipulative, I’m lucky to still be here. Then of course the Crimson Edge, killling and doing harm for simple monetary gain. Rape, pillaging horrid acts against the innocent, a point in my life that was not my proudest.” He flicked the bit of cloth tied like a bow tie before moving back to the warmth of the flame. “Tsk, what a silly goal it was back then. Create a rag tag team of nobodies to take on the established kings of Sunberth.” Xavior chuckled to himself as he adjusted a strap over his broad shoulders. The sky, though shrouded in a heavy blanket of cotton grey, began to grow brighter as the sun’s light began to pass through it. The morning rays effected his tall body gradually, he knew by the time he inhabited his Zith form the sun would be over the horizon and it would be time to take flight to the sky, shrouded in the clouds. “Almost time, it is a good thing too!” He continued to speak to himself as his body began to tingle. The sensation continued to grow stronger as more of the sun revealed itself from below the horizon. “At least I’ll have an added layer of fur in this cold!” The horns, like antlers, began to seem to soften and flop over his head. His hair grew longer as his height finally stabilized. A harsh wind began to blow as the snow flakes seemed to be carried toward his person, saved from the corrupting ground of Sunberth. The curtain of ice thickened and concealed Xavior’s robed body only for a moment. It would almost seem like a trick of the light, or a trick of the eye’s peripherals during a double take. One moment, the fair skinned, horned, divine like man stood, the next was a creature that caused great fear in those who have encountered or heard the stories. Xavior snorted and cleared his throat before he brought sharp claw up to dig at something in his teeth. Long, thick, dreadlocks, draped over his shoulders. Beads and his memories that were once on Xavior’s horns were now integrated into the knotted hair. The dark pelt of the zith’s body seemed to have grown thicker with the season. A coat of warming fur covered over his entire body. He spat on the ground as he adjusted the wing flaps in the back of his robes. The large limbs stretched out and almost seemed to span the diameter of the small clearing. He stretched his body out as well and gave a short growl, “Nngh, this is going to be a long flight. I’m not sure what Wren has planned in Zeltiva, but I’m certain it really won’t interest me. Things of revenge not my style.” Xavior’s pointed, bat-like, ears swiveled as he heard a sound come from beyond the tree line. It seemed out of place among the sounds of ice as it snapped tree limbs and crashed on the ground. He heard another sound, perhaps it was a large animal scavenging for food. Xavior thought to himself, “odd I’m not even hidden yet something has approached?” His wings flexed inward as he began to search around. The sound had stopped as soon as he seemed to be in search of the location of the sound’s origin. ”I think I may have a visitor or two.” His nose twitched as he caught a scent that was definitely animal, but a certain sort of animal. One that insisted they were the top of the food chain. His broad mouth swiveled into a wide grin as he reached under his robe to pull out a piece of paper. He moved to the dying embers of the fire and found a piece of charred wood. He used the end to scribble something across the piece of parchment making a large show of it. Once finished he shucked the stick back in the fire and kept the paper in his hands as if to guard the information. He began to fold the bit of parchment but what he really began to do was focus on the djed that flowed through his body like invisible blood. He began to focus on his soul, his identity, his unique djed and tap into the stream that he felt was what made him a kind and personable person. He directed some of this djed to his lungs and mouth. All the while he thought of the suggestion, “it is okay, it is safe. It is okay, it is safe.” He repeated it several times all the while he continued to fold the paper at a gradual, purposeful pace. He continued to focus on his body as he began to impregnate even more suggestion into virgin Djed. “Watching is boring, I’d rather be asleep. Watching is boring, I’d rather be asleep.” He began to recite it over and over making his suggestion stronger before his mouth opened for the first time. “Tsk, I guess I’m being paranoid,” Xavior closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. It was an innocent movement, however with his strong, boisterous voice carried with it the first of his suggestion. Any in the area would certainly hear his voice and through hearing each spoken word would receive the seed of suggestion through their ears and into their bodies. “This is nothing but a broken place,” More suggestion was fired like a cross bow as it is loaded with a deadly bolt. The suggestion continued to ride the waves of his voice with each word spoken. With every word that washed through the air came with it more and more of his suggestion. Like stacking dominos, he began to layer his suggestion. Even if the hidden spies thought there feelingss were odd, it wasn’t odd enough to bring alarm to whoever heard his voice. Xavior paused as he seemed to walk the perimeter of the clearing. His wings brushed branches and snow, knocking each onto the ground below. To whomever or whatever may be listening in on the Zith, or an unexpected voyeur to Xavior’s most cherished secret in Sunberth, it would appear that the creature was merely pacing. However, Xavior was doing much more than that. With the initial seeds planted in the invisible minds that may or may not be hidden in the forest, Xavior decided to attempt something quite different. He focused on his djed further and began to move it toward his skin. He could feel the djed as it tickled and caressed his nerves as he began to chant within his mind. With each chant changed the nature of his djed that began to spread from his skin like an odor. “It is so boring to watch this creature, it almost makes me want to sleep, but I can‘t unless I‘m told to. It is boring to watch this creature, it makes me want to sleep, but I can‘t unless I‘m told to.” Xavior continued to walk about as he began to focus the suggestion and lace it like poison in the aurora he began to introduce into the air, into the forest to be inhaled or absorbed like a bad feeling through one’s skin. “I can’t sleep, unless I’m told to. But this is so boring. He just walks back and forth, makes my eye lids heavy.” On and on Xavior continued to add more and more suggestion. He began to tap the paper against one of his palms almost attempting to imitate the sound of a clock. “Tick tack, each second passes and you feel even more tired. Yet you can’t sleep without being told to do so.” Each movement was subtle in implanting a trigger phrase into the spy’s minds. Each wave and layer of his suggestion began to condition their body to give into great boredom and great tiredness when given the command to do so. It was almost like a balloon, some air was blown into it, little at a time. But soon that bit of stomach or bladder begins to stretch and grow larger until it bursts in a loud report. This is what Xavior intended to do using only the basic practice of suggestion. A minute of pacing dragged onto to two, and soon three. Xavior didn’t bother to keep track of time, only the careful control of his djed. He knew through experience that it would only take a small amount released into the air to have the needed effect. Each wave of suggestion wasn’t meant to cause a direct impact on whomever spied on him. No, it was only the careful, surgical, insertion of a time bomb into their heads. It was a dance, a very complicated one that went far beyond the slow pacing Xavior’s body made. “You can only sleep when told too. But you are so tired, you are sure that you’d fall asleep once told to.” The half hour moved to an hour and Xavior could feel a bit of mild fatigue. He knew he could go on for several more hours if needed, however he needed his strength for the flight to Zeltiva. He stopped once more at the middle of the clearing and looked to his left and then the right. He did this to stall as he focused the last bit of djed he was willing to use back to his lungs. He would make these the heaviest and most powerful of suggestion. “You will sleep, when told too.” “Okay, I guess I better leave!” Each word was like a tsunami, loud, boisterous, and commanding. He paused and relaxed the internal grip of his djed to allow itself to settle out within him once more. Xavior dropped the paper in his hand onto the snowy ground. His wings flexed wide as he flapped them powerfully. His boots left the ground as he began his ascension into the sky.

[Xavior Silhouette]

“Has that monster left?” A small voice spoke to Chuck who had moved into the vacant clearing were Xavior once stood. “Yeah, come on out! Did you see that man vanish and become a zith? No wonder dad described the Crimson Edge as dangerous vermin.” An older voice called to Danny who was hidden in the forest. They both moved together in the clearing and searched about. “This used to be the Crimson Edge’s place. Curse their name, I recognized that witch! The one with the horns. He used to hang around that Wrenmae guy, they are both witches.” The older brother spoke to the younger one as they moved through the snow with more confidence. They searched the grounds for anything that may be of use to them, information about the witch that had just left. “To bad he left before we could alert Dad. We could of killed him and brought him to Mr. Dalagner for some coin.” The Danny said a bit solemnly. Chuck seemed to only grunt as he moved to the point Xavior had took off from. His green eyes scanned the ground and found the piece of parchment left on the ground. “Yeah, we could really use a bit of fresh bread. Hey Danny, come over here!” Danny rushed through the muddy slush, “what is it brother?” “I found the paper he played around with. He held onto it for a long time after you stepped on that branch. Perhaps there is information on the Crimson Edge, like a drug drop like father makes!” Excited both of the young men crowded close and slowly unfolded the parchment. Both eyes grew wide as they read what was written on the bit of paper. The simple phrase of, Go To Sleep written in the black lettering of charred wood. The phrase triggered Xavior’s implanted suggestion, their subconscious was bombarded with his suggestion, it wouldn’t matter if it was their own thoughts or not. Their subconscious was slammed with the an assault of suggestion compelling and tricking their mind into believing they were tired and bored of the subject. The hour of suggestion override’s their mind as it attempts to keep up with it all. So much information slammed into their heads in a split second. Danny’s eyes soon closed as his body collapsed into the snow. The older one succumbed only a moment after, however he continued to stir and was not in as deep of a sleep as Danny. Xavior’s red eyes observed from the shadows as the two as they proved his little experiment as being a success. He began to approach the two as he spoke out loud, “Go to sleep. What a simple command, it makes me wonder just how far this technique could go. But for now time for some damage control.” He jumped when he heard something heavy fall from the trees and into the snow near him. He turned on his heels and moved toward a snow pile. He looked into a crater and found a cat had fallen from the trees. Its body was still, but it’s tummy moved with life giving breath. Xavior only grinned to himself and picked up the cat. “Hmm seems this power effects many different minds. Though,” Xavior lifted the limp cat’s head in his arms and let it go to allow it to flop back down into place, “it seems to effect others more effectively than most. Maybe if my spies were not kids it wouldn’t have been as successful?” He moved to his pack and pulled out a blanket before setting the cat down on it. All the while he spoke to the animal. He focused on his djed again, drawing off his compassion to strengthen the next bit of suggestion. “Cat, you will feel the need to protect these two boys till death. Every time they stroke your back, your bond to them will grow stronger.” He stroked along the cat’s spine as it arched in it’s trance and stretched its paws in front. “You love to be pet and find comfort when held in one of these boy’s embrace. Follow them,” Xavior all the while channeled his djed through his voice and into the cat’s ears. The spoken suggestion was a different tactic, the djed only there to open a sort of direct pathway into the subconscious. “and familiarize yourself with them. Warn them when danger approaches. Now sleep, and sleep well. You’ll wakeup in about three chimes, feeling refresh and unaware of what had took place these last hour.” Once finished he moved to the two brothers. He lifted the one named Danny out of the snow and brought him to the blanket. When he began to move Chuck though, he stirred and resisted in his trance. Xavior was taken a back by this for a moment before he kneeled and placed his hand on the young man’s head. He began to focus, the djed slowly moved to his hand. “Chuck, can you hear me?” Xavior asked as his djed connected with the Chuck’s own. There was a moment of silence before a low murmur, “y…yes I can.” “You can trust me Chuck,” Xavior replied. “N…no I can’t. You are bad person,” Chuck replied. Xavior began to change his djed to give his subconscious a direct suggestion, one of comfort and compassion, trusting, and loyal. “You can, I’m not going to hurt you Chuck. You are only sleeping and in time you’ll wake up and not remember this occurring.” “I…I’m asleep? How?” Chuck began to stir slightly. “It is okay, you like to sleep. It makes you feel nice, it gives you good dreams. Let my voice take you to a deeper sleep. This is all but a pleasant dream,” Xavior paused as Chuck seemed to settle and listened to Xavior. “Hmm, I know his father is a drug dealer, perhaps he is neglected?” “In this pleasant dream your father is wealthy and he loves you. He likes to play with you and Danny, taking you out in the wilderness for safe fun and play. Showing you how to make a fire, stack the wood, and gather kindling. Can you see that Chuck?” “Mmmhmm,” was the drowsy response. “You can feel the warmth of the wind as it whistles through the trees,” Xavior began to change use his djed as more of a channel now and not so much as a tool of manipulation. “You take several steps into the forest and with each step you find yourself relaxing more and more. One step, two step, three step, four, each you grow deeper and deeper into relaxation. You find it pleasant and enjoyable, five step, six step, seven step. As you become more relaxed, this wonderful dream becomes more and more real to you. Yet you find your body becoming more and more relaxed.” Soon Chuck’s body was as slack as the cat’s and Xavior was able to shuttle the boy to warmth. He sat down beside the two boys and pulled out his pipe. He packed in the tobacco and reached for a stick to set a flame. He took in a few deep breaths as he calmed himself and attempted to become more in tune with himself, mind, body, and soul. With a stick a flame he brought it to the pipe and took a few puffs of the sweet scented tobacco. “Danny, Chuck is on a hike with father. What is your dad’s name?” Xavior took another puff before he set the stick into a mound of snow. “His name is Jarrod and he is the best dad ever,” Danny lazily said this as Xavior moved to put a few more logs on the fire. “He is isn’t he?” Xavior completed the task at hand and reached over to place a finger on Danny’s forehead. “Danny, you really love your dad don’t you?” Danny nodded. “Do you love your brother as much as your dad?” Danny paused this time before he shook his head no. “That is a shame, brothers are like dads you know? They are to be looked up to, he loves you so much. In fact, Jarrod and Danny are on a hike through the woods. Why don’t you join them, they have their hands outstretched for you Danny.” Xavior puffed on his pipe as he kept the ember glowing. “Chuck’s hand is closest, take it Danny. When your hands touch, you’ll feel a flood of good feelings. He is your center of the world now, you have a bond to him to be loyal to him as brothers should.” Xavior finger left Danny’s forehead and began once more to direct his Djed toward his mouth and lungs. Very little of his own djed was being used with such a simple form of hypnosis, yet the duration of it was beginning to prove taxing. “Danny and Chuck, you follow your father through the forest and decide to take a path that isn’t the one laid out by your father. Go ahead take a step away from your father, you two are together. With each step you feel freer and more refreshed, with each step you’ll feel more independent. Chuck, you will feel almost like a father at this point and care for Danny like never before. You’ll want to protect him and let him live in a different path, one not taken by your father. That path grows darker and even scarier in your minds. But the path that you are on now ends with a cat. Danny, you’ll want to keep that cat and Chuck you’ll allow him to. Danny, you will call this cat,” he paused and then thought of his motives. [I] “Ahh, I know the perfect name for that cat, Wrenmae. That’ll really piss Jarrod off,” Xavior smiled to himself inwardly, “not to mention encourage the boys to live another path whatever that may be.” “You will call this cat you find, Wrenmae. When you name this cat, you both will feel the need to stick up for each other and not cause harm to others. You will still be able to defend yourself, but harming others for monetary gain isn’t the reason. You work hard, and the harder you work the better the feeling you feel now becomes. You can find wives, have kids and raise a family a family that you haven’t been able to experience. With each of your accomplishments through life, you will feel better about yourselves.” Xavior reached into his pouch and once more packed his pipe carefully. He again relit the stick and began to light the tobacco, which cracked and popped in the heat of the flame. He blew a large plume of smoke between the tusk like teeth before he continued. “As you continue on this new path, full of energy and potential, you instant forget what your father has told you about Crimson Edge, heck with every step you take the name becomes simply nothing to you. The man with the antlers who turned into a Zith, gone. Fading into a fog as you continue to take your steps on your own path. There was never a man with horns, he was nothing but a con artist, he is dead and that is all you know of him. Keep taking your steps and with each step breath and grow even deeper into relaxation. Enjoy your journey down your path boys and in a few chimes you will begin to feel yourself wakeup. With each step you begin to feel more and more energized, but you will find that you can’t remember how you lost track of time. You simply fell asleep near a fire in the woods.” Xavior took another long draw of his pipe. The sweet, woody, smoke licked at his tongue before he exhaled the thick cloud. “You are on your own now, enjoy your journey and live a great life.” Xavior stood after he curled the blanket they were on over their bodies. He went back into the forest after he tipped the ash out of his pipe. He felt short of breath for the moment and breathed deeply to catch it. It was a long session, but he knew that he wanted to use his power for that reason, to help guide people to more promising lives while still allowing them to make freer choices. To live life to its fullest and enjoy. The snow continued to fall as Xavior walked through the slightly hazy forest. Soon his body vanished into the grayish white, the sounds of his wings as they flapped the only indication that he had finally left. “Nothing but a ghost, a specter in the snow. Kind of poetic or am I being melodramatic again?” Xavior chuckled to himself as the wind howled in his ears. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The snow had stopped when the brothers and cat began to stir from a long rest. Their bodies had been tightly coiled together under the warmth of a blanket. The fire had been rebuilt and crackled gently casting warmth on their bodies. They seemed very disoriented as they stretched their young bodies. “What happened Chuck?” Danny asked the older boy. Danny jumped as the cat poked it’s head up from under the covers. The wild cat seemed quite docile, as if it had been domesticated from the beginning. “I don’t know Danny, I remember we were watching someone and then they left back toward the city. Maybe we got bored and decided to take a nap?” Chuck attempted to piece together information. “Must have been a long while. The sun is almost past the middle of the sky now!” Danny pointed with his fingers up at the sky. “Father will be worried!” Chuck stood up as something bothered him at the back of his mind. How could they have lost track of such a large amount of time? “Nah, he never really cares.” Chuck said dismissively and then turned toward Danny who held the cat in hand. “Can we take the cat home?” Danny asked as he clutched it to his chest. “Sure, but I don’t see why not. Dad isn’t home often enough to notice really anything. .” Chuck stood out from the covers. His mind was torn, something didn’t feel right. But the more he questioned it, the more he didn’t seem to care. “Yeah, you are right brother! See he likes me!” Danny said excitedly as he stroked the cat’s spine. Chuck only smiled warmly and began to usher Danny out of the blanket to leave, “what are you going to call it?” Danny followed behind, “I think I’ll call him Wrenmae.” Chuck, froze for a moment and turned toward Danny as if that name was like a dagger to his heart. His green eyes looked over his brother for a long moment before his mouth squirmed into an innocent smile. His mind didn’t want to let go of that name for some reason, but he dismissed it as he saw the look of glee on his brother’s face. “That is a wonderful name, Wrenmae. We‘ll have to share that with father!”

[Paragon]

Character Name

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Philosophy	2
Rhetoric	1
Hypnotism	4
Stealth	2
Observation	1
Subterfuge	2

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	In Leth's Name
•	Hanging Memories
•	Inducing Sleep with Hypnotism
•	Wrenmae the Cat

Legend Becomes Reality

Very nice solo, with a really good level of intricacy too it. Interesting use of hypnotism, I enjoyed this one! If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can work from there.