Broken Rainbows (Lyall Gaius)

[Liriah]

43rd/Spring/513 A.V. Broken chains and jagged mirrors Fallen trees and hidden killers Toyed by fate and pulled by time I can no longer bear the weight of eternity Rain are my tears The fire, my emotions The earth my anchor And the wind my oceans Without this land I will no longer be Lost with the tides and the weight of eternity A song for me and those lost in memories A tune for lost moments and unfulfilled regrets A melody for broken hearts and shattered souls A requiem for the future in black Allow this hymn of mine to bring dreams To knit broken and old seams Allow it to guide those who are lost Let their joy become my cost Once more, I guess. Liriah was still far from becoming a master at playing the flute, having forgotten all of the fingering techniques and notes, as well as the sounds that was associated with each, and had to rely on the flute itself to make the music work. Today, she was taking her long overdue vacation from her cottage. Neroll has been nagging her to leave for the outside world more than usual, and she had no choice but to comply, relishing her small, and rather pitiful, victory over Luma by going to the Rainbow Falls. That hardly counted as a vacation, but Liriah did it nonetheless, not truly ready for the rest of the world, just yet. So, taking shade underneath a large tree beside the stream's bank, Liriah played her flute, trying to recall and capture the melody accompanying the poem in her dreams. With a sigh of defeat, Liriah began to play the original melody of The Weight of Eternity, a haunting melody that never left her, even after centuries had passed. It was a slow, mournful tune; descending from the flute's usual crystalline notes and down to the rarely used dark, richer sound. Lost in a musical trance of crystals and darkness, Liriah completely forgot that she was in an oft visited area. She was no longer even aware of the stream, her mind solely devoted to the melody, and was doing anything but avoiding others.

[Lyall Gaius]

OOCI feel so terrible for doing this to you again, but could you switch the date to the 43rd? I gave someone else the same list of dates I gave you before you picked, and I guess you both decided to meet me in the Rainbow Falls on the 42nd. I'd ask them to change it, but this actually gives me a sort of good idea, so... Please and sorry?

This was the second time Lyall had been to the falls since his journey to Lhavit, and this time he traveled as a man. A sun bleached pack rode on his back, threads frayed and cloth torn; containing all of his worldly possessions. The gentle thrum of the falls sounded ahead of him, and his head lifted, eyes lighting with a feline intensity as he increased his pace.

Lyall was itching to forgo the shirt wrapping itself around his torso -literally. It itched- He didn't like the way it rubbed against his skin, soaking up sweat and trapping heat. As he all but raced to the lakes edge, the ever constant crashing of water against stone gave way to something much more haunting and lovely. A dark melody twisted through the Rainbow Falls, calling to Lyall's inquisitive nature. His eyes lingered longingly on the waters rushing surface, before he slowly turned away and continued walking down the path, towards the music.

The song was a faithful guide, and as the Kelvic made his way further up the trail, he was stopped in his tracks by the sight of a pretty young woman resting beside the stream. For a brief moment the suns rays lit up the mist hanging in the air, and colors danced across her skin. All the while, a flute was pressed tenderly to her lips and her fingers worked tirelessly, flying across the instrument. His head tilted to the side slightly, hiding his eyes in a mess of dark hair, and quietly, he waited for her to finish her somber tune.

[Liriah]

Wavering, the last crystalline note shattered, the melody ending for the last time. The air still thick with the song's unspoken story, Liriah eased herself from her woody support, rising to her feet. Walking the few steps to the stream, Liriah placed her flute into its liquid embrace, pooling the cool water into her cupped palms only to splash it on her face. Releasing a shocked gasp as the welcome cold stung her cheeks, Liriah took a brief moment to take in her surroundings. She was no longer preoccupied with playing the flute and so was able to afford to do so, taking note of the flora and fauna that dwelt within and around the stream and the Rainbow Falls. Something was out of place despite the seeming normality and serenity of the scenery. Liriah couldn't quite identify it, however; the trees and flowers were in bloom, the rainbow trout were defying the waters flow, and the burbling music of the stream was present. What could be missing? Watching the birds in the sky, Liriah felt a shiver run along her spine, creeping across her skin. Realization dawned upon her; the birds weren't singing. When did the birds stop singing? Joining in the chorus of raw nerves and sensations creeping around her skin, Liriah turned in the direction of the feeling of predatory eyes. There, on the trail leading to Liriah's current resting place, was a handsome traveller. The traveler's presence was the least of her concerns, however. She has been spotted. Her music had been heard.

[Lyall Gaius]

When the music halted and the crystalline instrument left the woman's lips, she knelt at the waters edge, cupping water in her hands and splashing it against her face. Lyall couldn't help but notice how on edge she seemed, with long fiery hair swirling around her and burnished golden eyes darting along the path. When they landed on him, he froze.

"That was beautiful." He stated honestly, certain she would know what he referred to. Lyall had never known music could sound like it had today. There were no words, but there was a story, and it was tragic and lovely. Unfortunately for the Kelvic, his knowledge of the common language wasn't skilled enough to convey his thoughts, and so he called it beautiful. "I'm sorry if I scared you." He added almost as an afterthought, taking in her shocked features and biting his lip apologetically.

All the while his sharp green eyes remained locked on her face, searching for some hidden mystery there. Lyall had suffered his fair share of history, and he recognized the look it left in a persons eyes. A look that herself possessed, and he wanted to know her story.

[Liriah]

Staring at the ruggedly handsome man, Liriah swiftly recovered from her initial shock of being overheard, his words registering in her mind after a few moments of silence had passed. It was just a man who caused the birds into silence, not some death mongering beast. There was nothing to be so stiff about. With the genuine compliment hanging in the air, Liriah was inclined to smile, her eyes softening in gratitude. The honesty of the man made Liriah instantly warm up to him, her fear of being seen forgotten. Liriah didn't want to be seen, but what is done is done, it was no longer one of her concerns. The song was the melody of her soul, and this stranger's acceptance and appraisal for it made her happy. Responding to the man's apology with a wider smile and a shake of her head, Liriah analyzed the man; taking note of what he was wearing, his grooming, his features, and his mannerisms, body language. As her eyes lit on the man's battered and worn looking backpack, the final piece of the puzzle locked into place, identifying him as an explorer well versed in the ways of the wild and survival. Returning her eyes back to his face, fluid gold met crystalline green, their eyes made contact. Liriah could feel those inhuman, emerald eyes searching for something, probing and trying to make sense of whatever he had seen in her eyes. What she could see in his eyes, however, was all too familiar to her. It was the eyes of one who is haunted by their past. "What is your name, friend?" Liriah's Common was always blunt, despite Neroll's numerous attempts to correct it. Not waiting for a response, Liriah began to make her way down towards the stranger, ignoring the warning signals flashing throughout her mind. Offering her left hand to the man, Liriah studied the man in detail. "You are not human," what seemed to be a question was, in fact, more of a statement "are you?"

[Lyall Gaius]

After a moment woman seemed to soften at his words, and a smile spread across her lips, lighting up her features, and she returned his gaze with equal intent. Whoever she was, her gaze burned into him, causing Lyall to run a hand through his hair nervously. It felt like she could peer into the depths of his soul with those molten gold eyes. Honestly, it was nerve racking.

He wasn't sure how to act. Over the past few weeks it was true that he'd interacted with more people than he was accustomed to, but he had rarely felt so out of his element. She seemed so wise, despite her youthful appearance. When she spoke, her voice was as crystalline and pure as the notes of her flute, softening the affects of her rather strait forwards greeting. Besides, few people cared less than Lyall about social expectations. He'd given up trying to meet them himself.

"My name is Lyall." He bit his lip, fighting the urge to reach out and touch a strand of her fiery red hair. It was long, cascading around her, and he couldn't recall having seen anyone with hair so vivid in color. He took the hand she offered instead, shaking it gently in his own. The woman seemed to study him more closely as he reacted to her strange presence, and Lyall could almost hear the moment that the facts clicked in her head and she voiced her next question.

A small smirk crept onto his face, and Lyall shook his head. "No, I'm not. What gave me away?" He asked her curiously, tilting his head slightly.

She was very observant, Lyall noted, and she seemed to have realized quite a lot about him. She on the other hand was still a complete mystery. He frowned for a moment, before glancing back up at her. "By the way... What's your name? I told you mine." He could settle for a name, after all her own race had been given away the moment he saw her hair.