Completed Fallen from Grace (Matthew)

[Sagitta]

The sound of crashing waves was still loud behind them, reminding her that they might still have a lot of ground to cover in order to reach civilization. She tried not to think about it, instead focusing on the fact that they might have to trek the woods. When he held her hand again, Sagitta winced internally, cringing at the sudden pain – she did not pull away though. It was good to hold on something right now.

“I think so,” replied Sagitta hesitantly. She was not sure of anything really. Even if they did find some plants that looked edible, there was no way of knowing whether or not it was dangerous. There might some she should recognize from her previous travels but her mind was not in the mood to cooperate. She doubted either of them had enough knowledge of the wild plants to be sure they won’t accidentally poison themselves. She didn’t point that out loud though – they had enough depressing facts to deal with. “But maybe not the traps. I can’t really build one. Or know how to use one in that matter.”

She let him lead, weighing the fact that he might know of the place slightly better than she did. Their feet crushed the dried leaves under them loudly, probably alerting anything that cared enough to search for prey. The ground was rather uneven and scattered with gravels, making it difficult for her already-aching feet. Again, she was too exhausted to really care about such details. The trees around them was standing quite tightly, making dark shadows everywhere. She could not shake the feeling that something was lurking under the shady leaves.

When they finally broke into the clearing, Sagitta knew they had reasons to worry. In front of them was what resembled some very old ruins. There were ghosts of structures that had long since forgotten, left to rot in the middle of nowhere. It seemed to be undisturbed for a very long time. It was not a good sign. It would mean that no one comes here. Despite that, a part of her brain screamed shelter. And it was right. Her eyes spotted a few places that might act a place to slip inside. “Well, I suppose that this is our best chance so far. I mean, we don’t need to build anything for now – I doubt our hands would work well for now, but I think we should take a look around. Maybe find that water source, wherever it was?”

Sagitta didn’t really what for his answer, her hand tugging his as she walked pass him. The water sounded some way off, but maybe not too far. The noise was to inviting for her to leave alone. Her lips were dry and she brushed her tongue over it quickly. There was water, and she was about to get it. She made sure they skirted around the piled stones and wood, not ready to see if something was hidden inside. She headed to the general direction of the source of the sound, hoping that was enough to lead her to it.

[Matthew]

He kept his eyes out as they made their way through the ruins, glancing the blue gaze back and forth. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to see anything, but it was probably best to at least try. An idea crossed his mind, and he took a deep breath, swirling magic within his stomach. He churned it a little before breathing again, sucking the circling Djed up his throat and through the roof of his mouth. He felt it flood through his brain, almost intoxicating, and gently caress into the back of his eyes. For a moment the blue darkened and sparkled, and for a moment he could see. His hand tightened on hers just a tad so he could be sure he was still following her, and he looked. Auras popped up around him, randomly spawning in thin air, lighting up different parts of the scenery. There were so many, all crowding together and overlapping each other, making it confusing to pick anything in particular out. After a few moments of trying to find anything living within the mass of color before him, Matthew gave out, expelling air and the Djed in his eyes along with it. He was doing something wrong. He was trying to focus on all the auras at once. He needed to learn to narrow his focus, to ignore everything and stare beyond to look at the one he really needed to see. Biting his lower lip in frustration, he returned his gaze back to where they were headed. The low growl that leaked out from one of the overturned pieces of rumble completely eluded the distracted man. They broke through a small line of trees to a crystal clear pond, water trickling into it from a little stream that carved further into the scattered woods. His medical mind briefly considered the dangers of putting cut fingers into foreign water, but the transparency of the pure water enticed him just enough to overcome any doubts. A small smile crossed his handsome features, and he gently let her fingers slip from his, going to the stream to dip his hands in. The water stung at first, but soon began to clean through the blood and grime on his abused fingertips. Washing his hands, he glanced around, the small amount of medical training he had once studied now coming to mind. He was hoping to find a bandage of some sort for their minor woods, but realized that they didn't have any way of knowing if any of the leaves or bushes were safe. Frowning to himself, he glanced over to the girl, nodding his head toward the water. "Wash any of your cuts, just to keep the wound clean. I have a little bit of medical training, enough to know just a tad of first aid. We should probably wait until we absolutely need to drink before taking water from a source in the wild." He cast an eye back down to the water, pulling his dripping hands from it. Checking for any sort of odd looking creatures or rocks, he slowly made his way into the water, pausing at about waist-height depth. He quickly splashed water onto himself, making sure to clean all the little nicks and scrapes on his flesh, mind churning as he continued to scan their surroundings. "So, quick break back in the shade of the ruins, and then we move on? We could follow the stream, if you like. It heads in the opposite direction we came from, so at least we know we won't be going in circles." He had no idea if this was a good idea or not. It was all completely off the top of his head, but what else did they have?

[Sagitta]

When they stumbled upon the pond, Sagitta nearly cried out in excitement. Finally, water. There was a little stream flowing down, bringing in the precious liquid. She needed to drink and nothing else occurred in her mind. The water was clear and as far as she could the plants were living from it just fine. It should be safe, right?

She followed his lead, cleaning the torn skin of her hands. It stung, but the cool water made up for it. Her feet felt the muddy, soft ground under her. The blood washed off, revealing her ruined fingers. It did not look pretty but she was sure it would heal quickly. Unable to stop herself, Sagitta stepped into the water. All of her scrapes and cuts flared to life, reminding her of what she just went through. A part of her cringed at the thought of slipping into the water, considering a different body of water had nearly succeeded in ending her life earlier.

“Wash any of your cuts, just to keep the wound clean. I have a little bit of medical training, enough to know just a tad of first aid. We should probably wait until we absolutely need to drink before taking water from a source in the wild.”

Unfortunately, she absolutely needed to sate her thirst. All she had drunk since last night was salt water, which did nothing to help hydrating her body. Her hands scooped up some water, bringing it to her mouth as she took a mouthful. She rolled the liquid inside her mouth, trying to taste anything odd about it and found nothing. Maybe she was too thirsty to judge, but it was enough reassurance for her to swallow the whole thing.

With a mouthful of breath, Sagitta submerged herself fully into the water. For a moment, she panicked. She reminded herself that the pond was nothing like the sea. It would toss her or drag her against her will. Besides, she could simply straighten to get all the air she needed. Relaxed, Sagitta ran her fingers through her hair, washing off the sand that might’ve stick on her hair when they reached the shore. It felt nice, cleaning up. She stood up, coming out of the water as she inhaled more air.

After she was satisfied, she dragged herself out of the water, holding on to Matthew’s oversized pants. It was weight down by the water, dripping wet and threatening to fall off any second.

“That sounds good,” she answered his earlier question. “It’s probably not a great idea staying at the ruins for long. Who knows what might live there?” She let a short silence stretch between the two of them as she leaned on a nearby tree, enjoying the refreshing surge from the quick dip. “Do you think we’ll get out of here? I mean, honestly. We both don’t know where we are or where we’re heading. We’re both half-naked and beaten up, with no food, no supplies, nothing.”

[Matthew]

He couldn't help but wince a bit as he saw her chugging down the foreign water, but he really couldn't blame her. Who knows how long she had been floating out in the ocean like that, and the salt had a way of completely draining the moisture from ones body. Peering cautiously at the water himself, he mulled over his options, realizing he had no way of knowing how long they would be out here. If they were going to be wandering for multiple days, was it wise to pass up a clear-looking source of water? If they did manage to find their way to Syliras here shortly, then he could just have himself checked out if anything bad started happening. He took a breath, holding it, bending forward to dip his upper body into the cold liquid. He drenched himself, washing most of the dirt off, quickly pulling his body back above water. For a brief moment, the harlot put on a small show, running long fingers down his toned and soaking wet muscles. He practically chased the beads of water as they carved down through the maze of his muscles, flexing and stretching to cause each one to move. He had this way of automatically making the most natural of movements just a little seductive, simply because he had trained to do it so much. He had actually practiced his stretches many times in the mirror, making them as alluring as possible. It was second nature now. He cupped some of the water in his hands, and gingerly took a couple of swallows, just enough to deal with his current level of thirst. Splashing the rest onto his face, he shook his head a bit and then slowly climbed out of the water. His undershorts hugged his hips tightly, the gold belt of Yahal peeking out on his V lines once more. He glanced over at her, noticing that she was having a hard time with his trousers. Once again, it was noticeable how un-excited he seemed by her bare wet body. It was no offense to her, it was just a simple mindset. He briefly considered this, brow furrowing. Each time he thought about it, the idea of being numb to such things bothered him even more. He wasn't sure why yet. "Perhaps we should switch clothing? My undershorts are a tad tighter around the waist, so they may hug onto your figure a bit better." He stepped toward her, stretching again, momentarily enjoying the feel of the sun on his now-cool skin. He could enjoy the wildlands for the moment, even with all the horrors he had heard about them over the years. Holding his hand down toward her, not wanting to waste any time in getting back to the ruins, he pondered her question. "I don't know. The wildlands aren't safe. I was taught that when I was young, experienced it when I was a bit older, and stay out of it now that I am an adult. They can be dangerous and kill you in mere moments, or peaceful and guide you along your path. So, I suppose it is sort of hard to tell? For all we know, we could be only a couple of steps away from Syliras itself." He smiled politely, shrugging his broad shoulders, blue eyes holding her gaze as she looked at him. "If it happens, it happens. I'm sure I'll be a blubbering mess if my life is about to end. But for now, I like to try and keep an optimistic view. I am a logical sort of man, but my logic fails me in a random situation such as this." He stated the facts as plain and simple as he could. His logic had abandoned him at this point, so he really had no other idea of what to do than stay at least a little optimistic about things. He would deal with potential death when it came to rear its frightening head.

[Sagitta]

For the first time, Sagitta noticed that the man in front of her was good-looking indeed. It never occurred to her and her mind probably brushed it off as irrelevant. What did he say he do for a living? A pleasure-giver? Well, she could clearly see it. Still, her eyes wandered away from him as a memory tugged at her mind. Her grey eyes glazed over, unfocused as a different man stood in front of her. The sight alone seemed to twist her beating heart with longing. Dark hair, warm brown eyes, a laughing mouth. He was saying something, something she could not understand. Just as fast, he was gone, leaving her with a hollow feeling she couldn’t explain. Sagitta didn’t even know who he was. How could she feel like her heart had been wrenched out by someone she did not even know?

Matthew’s voice brought her back to him, blinking in confusion. She barely caught his question but it was enough for her to answer. “Sure, I think. It should be slightly better.” She tried to recall the man of her imagination, anything her mind could conjure about him. But there was nothing. Slipping behind what little cover the trees offered her, Sagitta took off the wet mess of fabric. She grabbed the white underpants he was handing to her and tossed the other to him, changing quickly before returning to his side.

Unthinkingly, she took his hand as they walked back towards the ruins. She was not really expecting an answer from her question, really. She simply wanted to spill it out, to layout their situation to herself. And Matthew’s answer made her feel better. He didn’t tell her that everything was gong to be fine – which they both know was not true. Everything would not be fine, at least not for now.

She felt like she needed something to distract herself, and talking seemed like the closest thing to a distraction she could get right now. “What’s Syliras like? Have you been living there you whole life?” The words barely left her mouth she realized, what if he asked the same thing to her? What if he asked her where she came from? She could not answer that because she didn't know where she had came from. How could she tell him she remembered nothing of her own life?

Their conversation did occupy her and soon enough the were back in the clearing. She spotted a place that looked more or less suitable for rest, not to deep inside the mess of maze of stones and wood, the structure leaning in such a way that offered some shade of protection from the the burning summer sun. “Should we stay here?”

[Matthew]

The sudden glazed look in her eyes concerned him, and he reached out with his other hand, about to brush fingers against her face in an attempt to see if she was still with him. Before he could manage to touch her though, she blinked, apparently coming back to life. The girl was an odd one, with so many little mysteries about her. He didn't really have any business in asking, so he left it alone for the moment, allowing questions to pile up in the far corners of his mind. He frowned to himself, mulling it over as she rose and went to change her clothes. He turned, giving her the privacy he needed, stripping off his own undergarments freely and holding them out behind her to grab. He put on the ones she had traded with him, wiggling his hips a bit, getting used to the slightly loose wet cloth now clinging to his hips. It was a little different, but still enough to keep him clothed.

Their hands wrapped again, and they walked quietly beside of each other, heading towards the ruins. He took some small amount of comfort in the touch, knowing without having to look that there was someone with him in this little adventure. It was a comforting thought, and the held hands kept that thought on the forefront of his mind. He would hate having to handle all of this alone, and her merely being there was something he considered a blessing.

He glanced over at her, pausing for a moment to think, then slowly answered. "It is crowded. You can rarely see the sky. It is a massive castle, constructed to protect from everything outside. It is ruled by a large band of Knights, who I believe were the first ones to construct the place. It can sometimes be tight and strict, but it is a home. It is a safe home." He missed Zeltiva sometimes, especially since he had been able to simply glance up and stare at the sky. One didn't realize how much they missed it until it was covered up for days at a time. "I originally lived in Zeltiva, a sea-side city with plenty of shipwrighting business and a large University. I actually went to school there for a little while, but left to pursue my calling in Syliras. In my mind, it was the best place to start my endeavors." They broke into the clearing that contained all the little scattered ruins, and he nodded at her suggestion, guiding them to it and sitting inside. Getting the weight off of his tired legs was a boon, and he let out a sigh, flopping back into the shaded grass to let his poor muscles rest and relax. He could fall asleep here. He had only woken up a few bells ago, but he was already feeling like he needed another full night of sleep.

He turned his crystal eyes to the girl, studying her, turning over the thought of asking her a few questions. "What about you? Where are you from?" That should a simple enough place to start. He groaned, rolling over on his side a bit, touching a few fingers to the bruising muscle on his back. He had forgot about it until now, and the aching of where the ocean rock had hit him suddenly blossomed to the forefront of his mind. He grimaced, then slowly returned to his back, laying there underneath the dark shade.

[Sagitta]

Syliras. Castle. No sky. She had been there. A long time ago. With someone. Someone important. Her head throbbed just by thinking about it. Yet, memories probed through - enough to taunt her, but not nearly enough to be discernible. Every word Matthew uttered brought something, but it was gone just as fast. Like swimming upward, tasting the air, only to be pulled down again. His talk about Knights, Zeltiva, University - all of them she had understood once upon a time.

"What about you? Where are you from?"

Sagitta looked away, unsure how to answer that question. The girl couldn't quite meet her companion's eyes, worried what he might see there. Now that they were resting, she had no apparent reason not to answer it. Where did she come from? Or to be more precise, where did Arivia came from?

The Ethaefal noticed the man cringing as he settled on his back. She had forgotten that he had been practically thrown into rock earlier. If was not mistaken, she was sure she had glimpsed something like bruises on his back. Instinctively, her hand reached out to touch his arm. "Matthew, you alright?" Anyone with half a brain could see that she was avoiding his question.

That was when she noticed something glistening under the sunlight, just a slight reflection from something she couldn't identify. When she blinked, it was gone. It was there, through the crevice of toppled structures. She must've been imagining it. Yet, something told her she needed to check it out. And to be honest, it was also a good way to avoid his questions for now. Maybe a little walk will clear her head. Even if it's risky. Shouldn't be much of a problem, should it? She had been playing with risks the whole day.

"I'll be back. Just stay here. I won't go far." Before he could protest, Sagitta clambered to her feet, slipping between the fractured stones.

Something was calling to her, something familiar and comforting. It was like a soft touch inside her mind, a caress of indiscernible whispers. She knew might have stepped right into somewhere dangerous, but she was not afraid. The skies were bright and open above her, letting nothing lurk inside the darkness. Sagitta saw what might have been a grand stone altar in front of her, etched with words and symbols she did not recognize. Vines covered what little wall that was left standing. Tall, wild grass seemed to almost swallow the whole floor.

Without even turning back, Sagitta could tell that Matthew had followed her after all, his feet crunching lightly against the gravels.

[Matthew]

Her avoidance of his question definitely didn't go un-noticed, but he didn't really mind. While it was mysterious, it wasn't offensive. Everyone had their different secrets they wanted to hide, and Matthew was no exception to that. It didn't make her suspicious or untrustworthy, it just made her like everyone else. If anything, this wasn't a comfort. She did still have mortal aspects and a mortal appearance, even if she had been taking a swim in the middle of the ocean. She wasn't any sort of sea monster it seemed, or so the harlot hoped. He shifted a bit, twitching just slightly when her fingers brushed his arm. He shrugged at her question, blue eyes shimmering as he glanced at her. "I am fine. I am used to bruises. It comes with the trade." One could only imagine it did. He continued to shift a bit uncomfortably, but eventually got used to the irritation of the damage. It wasn't anything that was going to kill him. He would just have to stay off of it and not agitate the already-damaged flesh and muscle.

When she told him to stay and quickly stood herself up, he blinked, instantly disapproving of the idea. Common sense dictated that they stick together, especially when around ruins such as these. He rose to his own feet with a groan, his body creaking, following after her slowly. His bare feet plodded along after her, quietly disobeying her orders, wincing when he encountered a few sharp stones on the forest floor.

While Sagitta was not afraid for some unknown reason, Matthew himself was nervous. His eyes locked upon the stone altar, un-familiar with whatever was inscribed upon it. Why had she come here? Quietly, he shifted to the side, leaning casually against a shaded and crumbling stone wall. He kept his eyes moving, feeling only a little bit more comfortable with the protection to his back. He had only experienced bad things in most of his trips this far out in the wild, and he was not ready to face anything else. Shifting nervously, though his apathetic face didn't betray this, he rose an eyebrow at Sagitta's back and softly spoke. "It isn't safe to wander alone. Did you see something over here?" He glanced around it himself, unable to find anything of interest. There were only the ruins, the grass, the trees, and the vines. Nothing else so far, thankfully.

[Sagitta]

OOCBeen busy with school. Sorry for the slow reply

"It isn't safe to wander alone. Did you see something over here?"

Sagitta looked at Matthew, running her hand through her wet blonde hair. "I know, I just . . . I thought I saw something here," replied her dejectedly. There was nothing worthy of note in the ruined structure. It might resemble some sort of temple in its glory days but it was unrecognizable now, leaving its two visitors dumbfounded about what it was. Nature had claimed this place, devouring it into its wild maw.

A part of her wondered what had happened here, why the place had been abandoned. Rios would've liked to seen this. The thought had came to her so effortlessly that Sagitta did not realize it was Arivia's memory at work inside her mind. The Ethaefal did not even realize that she barely recognized the name Rios. She couldn't but imagine ghosts of figures gliding through the small room, praying in front of the ruined altar.

The girl paced around the chunks of concrete, running her fingers through the dusty, worn etchings on the stones. Leth knows for how long this place had been left to its ruin. "What do you think is this place?"

Stumbling as her foot snagged on something, Sagitta paused, looking for what had caused it. The slight glimmer between the wild weeds sent her kneeling down. Her hand reached out for the jewelry lying on the dusty stones. It was half-hidden between the growing plants, so it couldn't have been what she had seen earlier. It was a delicate necklace, made purely of gold. Carefully, she picked it up. A pendant in the shape of a crescent moon hung down from the thin golden chains. Beautiful, it was utterly beautiful. Sagitta held it in her hands, wondering if it was some sort of sign. The symbol of Leth. Her patron god. Her lips purse together, her thought wondering if it would be alright for her to take it. Maybe this place was dedicated to Leth. It might be cursed, for all she knew. Yet, she believed it was simply an ordinary, ancient trinket. What a coincidence if they had stumbled right into a place such as this right after she had fallen from His realm.

Sagitta straightened all of the sudden. She had heard some scuffling noises, finally noticing that they might be a target in the closed space. Her grey eyes darted nervously, eager to leave now that she had found what she had looking for - sort of. "Let's get back," she proposed, fingers clasping the jewelry tightly.

StorytellersThe necklace she found acts as a heirloom

[Matthew]

Matthew was the sort who had no interest at all in seeing what had happened here. Time and time again he was reminded of how secretly terrified he was of the Wildlands, though he would never admit it to the mysterious girl. He sometimes wondered if this qualified him as a coward, but he was usually quick to discard the notion. He just felt that he was smart. If anything, better to be smart and a coward than brave and stupid. It was easy to figure out which of those people would die the quickest, at least to his mind. While she explored and touched fingers to the etched stone, he stayed put in his position against the wall, blue eyes still darting from opening to corner. He didn't pay much attention to the ruins at all, mostly just the spaces were something could appear from. When she asked what the place might have once been, he didn't even glance at her while shrugging his shoulders. The harlot's imagination was having way too much fun thinking up the sorts of monsters that were lurking around. "A church? A temple? Some sort of cultist location? I don't really know." He did pay attention when she stumbled though, his blue eyes darting to her and his body moving forward an a quick step. He held out a hand as if to catch her, then noticed that she had righted herself and spotted something. Following her gaze as she knelt, he noticed the slight glimmer. Once again his mind screamed monster before treasure, but he resisted the urge to tackle Sagitta and protect her from the evil shimmering. Best not to look like he was nervous, after all. Thankfully, it was only a pendant. He stared at it suspiciously at first, pondering why something so precious would be out here. He was about to ask when he too heard the scuffling noises, his head whipping around towards the source. Nodding quickly in agreement to her suggestion, he reached for her hand and would then quickly move back to the little shaded leaning structure that they had found. "That sounds like an excellent idea." Halfway there, he would notice something that he hadn't before. A single blood-stained white feather was caught in a small bush to the side, the only true sign of wildlife that he had noticed so far. Leading Sagitta over towards the bush, which was only a little out of the way, he plucked the feather and held it up to a beam of sunlight. He twirled it a bit, only pausing to let them both look at it for a few seconds before continuing his pace back to their temporary shelter. "Do you know what sort of bird this would be?" He was hopelessly uneducated about these sort of things. The feather was at least six inches long though, which made him worried that it was a big bird. And then the blood. Had the bird been killed by something, or had the bird killed something? He chewed his lip, worry flickering in his eyes. They reached their little lean-to, and Matthew quickly flopped down again. He briefly stared at the pendant she held so very tightly, but didn't bring it up. She had a lot of secrets and oddities about her, and this just seemed like another one. He instead went back to analyzing the feather in his fingers, twirling it around a bit more. It was then he noticed some of the blood was still a bit fresh, sticky clots of it having stained his fingertips. He instantly stopped twirling it, staring at it for a few silent moments before glancing over at his companion. He wasn't sure if she had noticed it or not, so he tried to keep the worry from his voice when he spoke. "We should get moving soon. Let me know when you think you are ready." His body still ached, but with the feather calculated into the current situation, he was pretty sure he could deal with it.