Author: Talise, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 11:22 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise was in a state of shock but it wasn’t enough to keep the answer to his question from falling out. “She’s earth and she has contacts. I really hate my mother sometimes. This is god damn embarrassing. She knows better than this!”

There were tears at the edges of the poor fairy’s eyes as she looked at Gerard. “Yes, I suppose so… She likes anything really. Handmade stuff is the best. I guess.” She was sniffling now. “I hate my mother so much right now. She is so embarrassing.” Even after three hundred years, it looked like her mother hadn’t lost her touch.

“We are so going to die before this is done.” She rubbed the tears from her eyes. “It means I have to get dressed up… Deal with my dumb sisters.” After a few more minutes of dread, she finally got up the courage to look him in the eyes. “We should get moving if we’re going to meet this dinner party. We won’t hear the end of guilt trips if we’re late…”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 10:08 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

The next moments were a series of shocks to Gerard's system. First, Talise repeated her admission that her mother was actually a goddess–and a queen in Sularia. That made Talise, by default, royalty. Before he could recover, the next shock came hot on the heels of the first. A blonde elf appeared from thin air and said her mother had invited them to dinner. Said elf also happened to be Talise's brother. Gerard blinked slowly trying to process what had just happened. "…What."  

"I just told you to ge– The hell did you just say? He is not my boyfriend!" What. "Take it up with Mother, I have to go and I won't be at dinner. Make sure you are there, both of you. You know Mom can be sensitive." WHAT. Finally his thoughts reconnected with his actions. "WHAT."

He spent the next minutes staring out into the void. When the initial brunt of it all had subsided, he turned to Talise. "Did she–but how–I don't even-" Gerard buried his face in his hands exhaling. "So we're expected…for dinner. …I suppose I will have to bring a visiting gift." At this point he was grasping at straws, scavenging the far reaches of his brain for anything related to guest etiquette. He had never been to another person's house before, normally people came to see him–when he felt like it. Jacintha had once told him decades ago that when in doubt, act courteous. Uncovering his face he asked her dryly. "I think I might have something back home…maybe. Does your mother have any gift preferences?"

He still wasn't processing the part about how someone believed they were in a relationship yet. He was already overwhelmed by the surprise invitation to a family gathering. That meant…people. Lots of people. He wasn't ready at all.

Author: Talise, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 4:28 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise blushed brightly at his words as she was more confident in saying it. “My mother is the goddess Angela, Queen of the Red Court in Sularia. Before all of that she was a healer for Auzial Academy in Sularia, where she created the formula used for Komiteia and Varaz.”

She rubbed the back of her head. “My siblings can be a bit of a pain in the ass depending on which ones you deal with. Mother has an amazing memory for all of us. I can’t believe how she keeps all of us straight without hesitation. Most parents mix up one or two kids.” She chuckled a bit. “Mother never has.”

A chuckle left her lips. “You would have to be a catfish though. Cats really don’t like water like you do.” She closed her eyes for a moment and there was another laugh. “I like you Gerard, first person I’ve held a sensible conversation with so easily in a long, long time.”

“SPEAKING OF SENSIBLE CONVERSATIONS!” A voice came from nowhere as a blonde tall elf stepped out. He had vivid green eyes and at the first syllable, Talise was up with her broom.

“Get out Thyme,” Talise waved the broom with threat. “I have no time for your shenanigans.”

“Mother wants you and your boyfriend to come have dinner with the family. She already set a spot for you both.” Talise ran from the perch she was on and began to whack him as hard as she could. It was so hard the broom cracked, when she cracked it she waved her hand and it fixed itself and she repeated the process.

“I just told you to ge– The hell did you just say? He is not my boyfriend!” Talise was furiously red.

“Take it up with Mother,” he waved his hand at her. “I have to go and I won’t be at dinner. Make sure you are there, both of you. You know Mom can be sensitive.”

“I hate you all…” There was a growl from her voice as she turned on her heel. “I guess… we have a dinner invitation…” She looked defeated. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 11:33 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Her coy answer made him smirk in response. Most people, women included, would be taken aback by his blunt and matter-of-fact speech. She was a bit of a tease, but not overtly so. He never liked people who were too forward and the same could be said about those who couldn't spit out what they wanted to say. Both were equally bothersome.

"Komiteia… I've heard of that one from the larger cities I've frequented. It's the halfling settlement isn't it? I've never heard of Varaz however. If it isn't right along the coast between the west side of Parvpora and the eastern side of Canelux, chances are I've never seen or visited it. Most of my time is spent in the ocean's waters or in the Highlands nowadays, so I never realized that magic was less stable on this continent." He continued listening as Talise seemed to struggle for words. It was like she was trying to say something but was hesitating for some reason. She asked him if he had ever been to Sulaira. "Yes, I've traveled there from time to time. At least twice a year. Usually when I stop by it's to sell raisins and fruit, or shells and pearls collected from the seabed."

"My mother is Angela, The Goddess of Life and Earth." When he heard that he almost choked. "Wait…what?" Recollecting his composure again he looked at Talise with a mixture of confusion and shock. "Could you repeat that again?" Did she just say that her mother–the legendary healer she was speaking of–was actually…a goddess? 

In spite of how shaken she was to meet the same group of hunters that had caused her so much grief, Talise was still able to joke about herself. The ideas of bringing honor to one's family name and continuing tradition were completely foreign to him. Maybe it was because of his background, but the merfolk who had helped him acclimate to the customs of land-dwelling society never gave him the same prejudices that native inhabitants of the continents had. Whether it was hunting animals or hunting people, they were all the same to Gerard. In the seas creatures hunted not for profit or gain, but out of necessity and survival. Sharks only ate their fill and fish did not hoard items for themselves. But unlike animals, people had options. They could choose how they made a living. The hunters weren't doing it out of self-defense or because they needed to.

As she spoke of one of her sisters who had been created from the earth, it brought to mind a story Jacintha had told him once. "That reminds me of a tale I once heard where an enchanter created a woman from clay. He had crafted it into the likeness of a beautiful statue, and breathed life into it. I suppose that if one was created from a tree, they would still hold memories as plants are living beings." He mused, mulling over the idea. It should make sense: plants themselves were alive and could move, albeit slowly. The earth was different. Inert, stationary. It did not grow, it did not change unless wind and water or the hand of others altered it.

As Talise did her best to understand, he himself tried searching his memories again. The sea… All he could remember was the sea. 

"A hundred siblings… Must be quite a row whenever everyone has a family reunion. I marvel at how your mother can keep track of all of them. But then again a mother would know each and every one of her children by heart." He at most could imagine a large gathering of people like the city streets on a busy day, all talking, laughing, crying, spending time together. Eventually Talise came to a topic that he knew well. "I can relate when it comes to the loneliness. It's a difficult conundrum. Sometimes you want to be around people, but other times it becomes draining. People have a tendency to be bothersome and troubling when they're present, but when they're needed sometimes they aren't there. With a few exceptions, I've found that keeping to myself is easiest. People ask too many questions, particularly humans."

Gerard frowned, crossing his arms. "I've never considered having pets before, but I suppose cats would be more suitable for me. Perhaps in another life I was a cat, a particularly moody one. We have much in common." The joke wasn't quite as humorous as Talise's, but it was a start. He hadn't held such a long, in-depth conversation with anyone before.

Author: Talise, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 4:28 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

There was a chuckle that left her lips as she looked up at him. “You know I could make you not hear anything at all if you wanted. Imagine how good of a rest you would get if I made you deaf for a little bit.” There was a wink from her as she thought about her wind magic.

Her fingers drummed on the steps where she sat. Thoughts raced through her head as she tried to figure out just how to answer Gerard’s question. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of or been to Komiteia or Varaz but… A long time ago there was a healer who came up with the alchemy solution that they use as a barrier since magic is so easily disrupted here in Parvpora. That person was my mother.”

She hesitated for a moment. “From what I know about that… It was a test and not long after she completed it…” The words were a struggle for her. “Ever been to Sularia? That’s where my mother is from. My mother is Angela, The Goddess of Life and Earth. It’s pretty big shoes to fill honestly. She goes around doing all these amazing things and… Well, I can’t even stop a group of hunters in the forest.” A pathetic laugh came from her as she doubted herself for a few moments. “But she does things that regular people like us can’t. That’s what it means to be a god I guess.”

When he brought up the group of hunters she mused for a moment. “It’s because hatred breeds more hatred. Violence breeds more violence. Father passes it down to son… and that son passes it down to his son. Sure you can break the cycle and some people can but a lot of them especially humans don’t. Think they are honoring their family traditions or bringing fame to their surname when in reality they are breaking apart families for lousy gold and silver.” Her anger spiked for a moment or two before she took a deep breath. “Those people are the real monsters in this world. Thinking what they are doing is alright just because they view us as livestock.” To break how moody the moment was she looked at Gerard. “I mean do I look like I moo to you?” She cracked a smile to show she was alright in that moment at least for the time being.

For a moment there was chuckle as she listened to him. “Honestly you sound like Foxglove right now. She’s one of my sisters but not truly in the same sense as the others. My mother created her from the earth to be her eyes and ears… She can’t remember anything before she was created and she never had a childhood or anything like that. Mother created her at around I guess the same age you said you first remembered. Sure she has Ma but it’s not the same thing for her. She has wants and desires, she wants to know what it was like growing up but she can’t remember who or what she was before my mother created her. Which is odd because my mother has created a woman from a willow tree before and she could remember everything since she was a sapling but not Foxglove.” She gripped the step’s edge and turned her head up to Gerard.

“I often wonder if people like you can’t remember because something horrible happened… or if you are just shutting it out. I couldn’t imagine not having Da at all. The time I had with him no matter how short was precious to me. I was only allowed to come with him after I turned four and I don’t really anything until really I was five closer to six. I knew him and this forest for three years before they took him from me. I wouldn’t change that for the world even though I lost him I still got to have him. I wouldn’t be the person I am not if it wasn’t for everything that has happened. For better or for worse.”


There was a curious look in her eye as she tilted her head and looked towards Gerard. “I think I’m still figuring myself out even after all this time. You would think after three hundred years I would know what to do with myself.” She laughed more now and shook her head. “I’m sorta just swimming with the current that life has me on. I go where it wants me to and I don’t complain about it. It’s lonely though being by myself all the time. I stop home and I see my siblings and Ma but to be honest it’s a brood. Got over hundred siblings, all different… It’s a madhouse when all of us are together. I suppose I wouldn’t trade that for anything either. It may be a madhouse but it is my madhouse and I can’t put a price on that.”

She leaned over and began to pull at grass as if it were a habit when she was deep in thought. “The sad part is? I dislike most people even though I’m lonely. I suppose that makes me a grumpy old lady.” She laughed for real this time and shook her head. “All that’s missing are the cats… though I’m pretty sure that they would be almost as big as I am.” She made fun of herself now to lighten the mood once more.

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 2:54 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

"I've always been sensitive to sound. It'd be no surprise that I'm a light sleeper." He said, taking a jab at himself to lighten the mood. "It does make little things less convenient however. Something that would grate on a person's nerves becomes amplified at least threefold for me." Stretching himself, he looked up at the tree's boughs as she talked about her family and the history behind her house. Talise spoke of her mother, how she coped with her father's passing, and more. She then showed him the place where her father had been buried, a grave he almost wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't pointed it out. 

"Your mother must be a great woman. Healers were always people I held great respect for. They're willing to devote themselves to helping others selflessly, without tiring of their work. It takes a special kind of person to choose that path in life. Many people know how to heal, but few can truly show the heart for it." He was curious about the medicine she had given the sylph, but expected it to be some kind of super tonic that a legendary healer would naturally know how to make. The comment on how Parvporans thought Talise's mother was a myth left him puzzled. "Why would they doubt her existence? If she is known in Canelux, then surely it would be the same here." Perhaps she rarely came across the sea to Parvpora. After all rumors had wings but even so most wouldn't believe unless they saw it firsthand.

He had learned a few things in his time, and one of those were the existence of deities that presided in the world. It was a common saying that Parvpora had no gods, and he had come to accept the fact without much thought. But now he was wondering why that was. Why did Canelux have gods, while this continent did not? It was a burning question, but Gerard chose to save it for another time.

"Hearing you talk of all this, admittedly I am surprised too. To think a group like this could manage to exist after such a long period of time…It makes one wonder how." Unfortunately his next thought moved on to: 'How many fairies were hunted and ravaged for the same reasons?' But he held back, keeping it to himself. It wasn't a pleasant subject to bring up, and unfitting. 

There was a stiff silence as he grasped at straws for what else to say. He wasn't particularly known for initiating conversation, at least not well. Folding his hands together, he leaned on his elbows as he looked down at his feet. "…I find myself at a loss for what to say. Here I see most people, talk about their parents and siblings and extended family–but I can't say a word. I've never known what it was like…having a family. In fact, I don't know where or when I was born or who my parents were. My oldest memories only reach back to when I was less than fifteen years of age–give or take. Even now I'm not entirely sure. I remember Jasumin Lake, but before that maybe I was near Baltil or somewhere south of the lake's shores?"

Recalling it was difficult, as there wasn't much for him to bring to mind. He had met the water nymphs at the lake before he had reached adulthood. Exactly how old he was then, he wouldn't have known. Jacintha was one of those who had known him since then, and she was well over a century. If so, then that would make him at least a century's age too. Gerard didn't like talking about himself much for these reasons. Now the atmosphere would sour and fall into a sullen silence. It was much easier when he was being sarcastic; people could always choose not to take him seriously.

Author: Talise, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 2:02 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise had three hundred years for the wounds to heal. She had been given a network of siblings to love her and care for her. She was among the first born to the Goddess Angela but still, it was all of her siblings that held her together in the middle of her suffering. It was Angela who rampaged and destroyed everything she got her hands on and brought her father back home to be laid to rest. Her mother was a monster in disguise of a caring woman and Talise looked up to her for it. She could never destroy entire places to get revenge, she was strong but she wasn’t like that. Revenge meant very little to Talise, she couldn’t get what she lost back but she could at least make sure no one else lost people like she did.

The half fairy took care of the father while Gerard gave the little ones back to the mother. It made her heart warm in a world that generally so very cold. It reminded her that not all people were hopelessly evil especially when she watched the mother love on her three children. It reminded her a lot of when her mother had held her after her father’s death.

She shook her head up to Gerard. “I’m fine, it takes a lot more to tire me out. I’m only half fey, the other half of me is still ready to go.” She chuckled a bit and brought him outside so his back wouldn’t hurt. She sat on the steps and patted the seat next to her. “You’ll hear them coming, at least you made yourself seem like a super hearer.” She chuckled as she leaned against the trunk.

“My mother didn’t want me to come back here after it happened to my father. I stayed with her in Canelux for a long time. She asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I told her that I wanted to go back and help out the people who needed it. This is my home too. There aren’t any gods here to protect them. No matter how cunning us fair folk are… Humans are disgusting enough to get to us.”

She frowned a bit. “She gave me a burr berry seed.” She pointed up to the purple poisonous fruit. “Told me to plant it wherever I wanted in Feeorin. I’ll be damned if it didn’t sprout in minutes… into a damn house. I’ve always wanted to be like my mother. She’s a legendary healer over here in Parvpora. People don’t even realize she exists for real,” Talise for some reason was comfortable telling Gerard that. “The medicine I gave him was from her. Potent stuff but it should work without the need to actually call on her. The last time I called on her in this situation… she destroyed the entire outpost that hunting group had. She brought my father back to me. He had already passed but it means the world to me.” She turned her head and pointed softly to the side to a little grave. It was decorated but the stone itself was centuries old just from looking at it. “I planted it by where I buried him. So I could remember why I was here.”

She had been shaken by it after all and she let out a nervous laugh. “I just didn’t expect to see the tattoo of the group that took him from me. Not after all these centuries.”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 1:46 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

He carefully took the children from Talise and held them in his hands. They were so small and fragile, like little snowdrops in the dead of Glaciem. He would make sure that they would be safe and sound, and told himself that their parents would be alive. Watching Talise as she inspected the hunters, he was brought face-to-face with something that he probably wouldn't be able to handle on his own. The fairy said one of the men was the same person who killed her father. Gerard was stunned, speechless. She had been saying that she knew what it was like for the little sylphs and what they had went through, but to meet her father's murderer again after all those years under the same circumstances? How could she keep herself together? It if was him, he would've ended their miserable lives without another thought while making sure they knew who he was before they gave up their last breaths. Talise was strong, in more ways than one. 

She found another trail and they came to a tree bearing a small hollow. When she called out, his heart was relieved when the voice of a small fairy answered in reply. His worst fears had been dispelled. The children's parents were alive. The mother looked distraught and came to tears when she saw her children were safe. She must have felt the same sense of relief as he did just now, knowing that her dear little ones were alright. The father was injured badly, with one of his wings missing. Nevertheless, he was still breathing. Following after Talise she brought them to a tree-house. Built into the trunk, it was a bit of a tight squeeze to enter into with the low doorway and ceilings. He had to hunch over to avoid hitting his head on the top of the frame. The injured sylph male was given medicine, and the cough worried him. However Talise reassured them all that the medicine would heal whatever injuries he sustained in fleeing from the hunters.

Handing the children back to their mother, Gerard looked on as the family was reunited. It was a tender moment, with a warmth that he couldn't put into words. He tried not to think too much of it, as he didn't want his own personal history to sour their moment. It must be wonderful to have family who loved and cared for you. "Of course I'll keep watch. You've done most of the work in bringing them back together, it's only fair that I take my turn." He replied in response to Talise's request. "I'll see to it that nothing comes within a three-meter's span of this house. You should take a rest yourself. You've been running back and forth for the past hours. There's enough moisture in the surrounding area for me to utilize at a moment's notice. Should anything cross the perimeter, they'll be given a final warning." 

Author: Talise, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 1:15 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise paused when he did and nodded as she followed directions. If it wasn’t for the little ones in her arms she would have been right there with him. Fairy hunters were the worst. They ripped families apart and for what? Magical components, she felt utterly sick as she huddled with the little ones for now. She didn’t want to watch but more so hide from her own thoughts. Though soon she would have to come to terms with what was going on.

She took a large breath as he called for her to come out of her spot now. When she came out to where Gerard was she looked at the bloody sack and got sick to her stomach. “Can you take them?” She motioned to the little ones asleep. “If we’re careful they will stay asleep.” They were so tangled up in her hair but she was swift and gently as she moved them into his arms. Taking a moment to look at them she started to look around the blood bath.

Spotting a mark on one of the men she shook her head. “It’s the same hunters that butchered my father. Mind you they are human so they don’t live as long as we do but… It’s the same group. Humans are disgusting and they never change.” There was a strong dislike in her voice as she finally found another trail. “This way,” It was a little nook in a tree. It looked more like a large owl home than a place where fairies would hide. “Are you in there?”

“Please help, he’s hurt. My husband, they took his wing and I barely got him here.” There was a tiny voice in the tree. Talise fluttered up just a bit as she reached inside the nook.

“We have your children,” Talise said gently as she pulled out a small bloodied male. He was bleeding from his back and soon a smaller female sylph was out with them. She looked at her children in Gerard’s arms and started to cry. “We’ll get him fixed up before they wake up… Follow me. I have some medicine and healing ointments back home. It will work better than any magic.”

She beckoned Gerard to follow her. It was a house but it was almost a tree. More like the tree had grown into a house. It was one of the glowing blue trees and the doorways were shorter than regular houses. “Be careful coming in, you’ll hit your head,” Talise warned Gerard before opening the door and going in. Luckily the ceilings were but it was cozy. The house was clearly only made for one person as Talise laid the sylph down on the bed.

She rummaged through some things and it was like she struck gold. “AH HA!” She pulled a flask made of gems out from a hiding spot. Taking it to the male she put his lips and made him drink the whole bottle. He was coughing bad but Talise looked at Gerard. “He’ll be fine now, I can’t do anything about his wing but at least he’s alive. It was a close call if I didn’t have this flask of healing potion… Especially this healing potion, in particular, we might have lost him.” The mother sylph went towards Gerard and put her arms out for her children.

“You all can stay here tonight. This is a very safe place. If they show up here I can at least kill them… I’m sure Gerard will help keep watch for the night. That’s if he wants to of course.” Looking down at her clothes she was now covered in the father sylph's blood. There was an annoyed look on her face but it wasn't towards any of them. "I dislike it when my stuff gets ruined." She sighed softly and reassured the mother it wasn't their fault. "Hunters are a plague of this world. As far as I'm concerned it's their fault. Get some rest with your kids. In the morning, he should be as good as new. If not, I know someone who can come look at him."

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Sun Aug 6, 2017 11:39 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise had found something, and soon he saw what it was. Blood… Hopefully the fairies who had been injured weren't mortally so. He was ready to follow the trail when he heard the same voices from the lake. Louder, but the pitch matched. His dark brown eyes hardened into a steely glare as he slid his dagger into his hand in position, ready to be put to use. He wasn't too concerned about using this particular one–anyone who was cut by it would never bleed. It was then he motioned to Talise and whispered to her. "I can hear them, the hunters are right ahead. It'll only be a moment." Ducking through the foliage he crept quietly until he saw the men in view. They were dressed in armor of leather and mail, with bloody trophies in sacks they carried at their sides. When one man had his back turned, Gerard sank the knife's blade into it without hesitation–even running it through in and out a couple more times. The man jolted in alarm, but not without blacking out after.

"Wh-!" Down he went, and Gerard was already moving on to the others. One of the hunters noticed his fallen cohort and went over, leaving the third alone long enough for the nokken to shiv him in the front. Stepping over the man's unconscious body he lunged at the last one, sounds of screams and struggling carrying on until he he found an exposed spot. "How's it like to taste a bit of your own medicine, you bloody butcher?!" The blade went into the jugular, and he retrieved it once the glassy dullness of sleep's stupor took hold. Then, silence. Gerard called out to Talise and the children. "I've dealt with them, you can come out now. Let's see if they have any leads to where the elder sylphs are." He lifted the bloodied bag of what the hunters had found and set it aside. The entire thing made him feel sick to his stomach. He had let them off easy by knocking them out. If he was feeling more vindictive, he'd leave them to rot in a pit or put them on ice permanently. He confiscated whatever weapons he could find on them, and left the rest to Talise. 

Ambushing the hunters like that was quite the rush. Normally he didn't resort to brute force, but in times like these it was wholly justified. He looked around to see if there were any other traces of fey blood he might have missed in his scuffle.

Author: Talise, Posted: Sun Aug 6, 2017 10:27 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

The little half fairy could tell she brought at least some comfort to Gerard. She could read people rather easily, at least thanks to her age and how many people she had met over her lifespan. She was so dead set on saving those children and hopefully finding their parents, she could tell that Gerard was too. They needed to find their parents alive.

“I imagine that they would have gone as far away as they possibly could from the children in hopes to keep the children safe.” That was what a good parent would do, that was what her father had done. She looked at the purple dagger and nodded a bit. “That is a good idea, as long as I am holding them like this I can’t use any magic.” She could fly away and get them cover but she imagined the hunters would have something to bring her down without a problem. “Flying will be useless if they have crossbows…” She mused to Gerard.

Talise nodded towards Gerard as she took him deeper into the jungles of Feeorin. She pointed her nose to the wind and beckoned him to follow her. After a while, they came across a tiny trail of blood. “This is fresh and fey blood.” She wrinkled her nose a bit. “The good thing is… That it is still fresh so there is a chance they are still around here somewhere. Let’s try and follow it, see if we can’t find at least something. I am worried now more than I was before.”

Her eyes were sad now as she held the children closer to her. “If we are lucky they are just wing poachers. If we can find the bodies, I know healing magic. They won’t have much of a life but at least they will live and the children will have their parents.” It was what she hoped for in the deepest pits of her heart.

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Sun Aug 6, 2017 10:17 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

It must have been obvious that he was upset, as Talise was quick to address his concerns. But thankfully Talise did have a few starting points from which they could begin their search. It was a long walk when she stopped at a large nettle bush. With their size, it was lucky of them to have hidden here. But if Talise hadn't been there and the hunters had, he doubted the bush's thorns would have deterred them. The sylph children were asleep and resting so peacefully that it lit a fire in his heart when he thought of how anyone could bring themselves to hurt them. If their search wasn't successful, they would have to face the hard truth. It wasn't fair, the little ones didn't deserve to suffer like this.

There were no obvious signs of where any larger sylphs might be. Slowly breathing in to calm himself, when Talise offered to track them by scent he agreed. "Yes, let us do that. In a situation like this they would naturally want to be as far away as possible to avoid being spotted." He drew a compact, dark dagger with a purple hilt from his overcoat. Looking to Talise he explained. "–In case if we should run into said hunters on our way there." There were children present, he reminded himself. He had to keep himself together. Feeorin was filled with poisonous plants and potential hiding places, but a slash from a blade or flicker of flame would render that natural defense useless. Focusing his ears he listened for anything out of the ordinary. Running, sounds of a struggle, shouts, anything that might clue him in on the hunters or other fairies.

Towering over Talise, he placed his hands behind his ears as he did so. What was that adage again? 'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst', was what he was thinking of. For the time being, they would keep their hopes up unless it was disproved. He wasn't sure if they would even find the parents, but he wanted to be wrong. When he could find nothing, he looked down at the petite fairy. "I will follow after you."
'

Author: Talise, Posted: Sun Aug 6, 2017 7:55 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Almost mother like was her hold onto the tiny children in her arms. Her violet eyes had turned to a soft purple, almost like the edges of an iris’s petal. It was almost odd walking at Gerard’s side, she was used to the fair folk here but she was reminded of just how small she was whenever she went home or even met someone like him. Her white hair swayed as she walked and she used some of her loose curls to entertain the small children she held. “No, I am afraid that I came across the children after they had been split up.”

Tilting her head she thought about it. “We could start at where I found them… Maybe there was a point of separation near by. Please do not beat yourself up too much if this becomes a long normal search. I understand what it's like to not be able to figure this out… My sense of smell is more heightened than most and I would be able to find them if only I had met them beforehand.” She offered a solemn smile before looking back down at the tiny sylph who were blissfully unaware.

Getting back to the point where she had found the tiny beings she showed him the bush they had been in. “It’s a nettle bush but they were small enough and smart enough not to get hurt in it. I would bet that their parents aren’t much bigger than I am or even smaller.” One of the sylph children had wrapped herself up in Talise’s hair and fallen asleep like it was a blanket. “They have no idea…” The words left her lips as her eyes stayed glued to the children now. “How lucky they were… and the impending heartache if we cannot find their parents.”

Her lip twitched a bit down into a frown. “I was lucky because my mother is not from Feeorin. They will not be so lucky if the worst is to be found.” She felt so bad for them as her eyes turned back up to Gerard. “The scent of the hunters is all over, I bet I could follow it to where their parents might have been… If they got away we can at least get to the end of the trail.”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Sat Aug 5, 2017 2:07 AM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

He kept quiet, allowing his silence to be his agreement. It was difficult for him to do otherwise; he had never known what it was like. To be frank, he wasn't even sure if he had a childhood. All he could remember when he reached as far back as he could, was swimming in the ocean around the northwest side of the Baltil Mountains. No memories of family, no memories of home. He didn't even know when he had been born, or who had borne him. He swam in the currents, living life no different from the fish in the sea until he eventually made his way to Jasumin Lake. From there he had met the water nymphs and merfolk who became the closest thing to a 'family' he would have. His memories were clearer from that point forward. Gerard watched as Talise comforted the little sylph children. He did his best to smile as she reassured them. 

Soon enough the subject was moved to finding the children's parents. "Let's go. Do you know where they might be? At best I can track the hunters by sound, but unless I know the tone and pitch of the sylphs' voices I fear there's not much more I can do outside of normally searching." It was frustrating how limited his ability to help seemed. If it had been another, they could perhaps use dowsing or other means of precise location. With the number of magical creatures in the forest, it would be difficult to narrow things down. The exception were the hunters, as they were the only thing causing discord in an otherwise cohesive harmony. Seeing the little ones looking expectantly at him, he couldn't show any sign of unease or uncertainty. He put on a brave face. Bluffing was almost second nature for someone who had to rely on words and persuasion.

Author: Talise, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 11:57 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

“Please, the pleasure is all mine. I wish it was under better circumstances.” She offered a sad smile to him as they talked about the state of affairs in Feeorin. “You have to be observant to live a long time. The dumb die young.” There was grim chuckle from her lips. “I suppose since you gave me your full name I shall give you mine, Talise Rose. Beautiful Water is the meaning of my name.” She gave him a graceful little bow.

“My father died to fairy hunters centuries ago, he put me in a tree where someone came and saved me. I know what it's like for the little sylphs to be scared.” She made her way to a tall tree. “It’s alright now you know.”

Talise held out her arms and three very small sylph children came out. “Miss Talise we’re really scared.”

“Yeah, they were going to kill us weren’t they,” they were filled with sniffles and tears. For once Talise’s rather stoic face softened and she pulled them up so she could kiss each of their heads. “You are alright. Mr. Gerard and I are going to take care of you until we get to your parents… You have nothing more to fear.” The three little sylphs looked over at Gerard and nodded before they buried themselves into Talise’s rather modest bust.

“They are very young, they got separated from their parents when the hunters came.” Talise blew a bit of wind down at the triplets and looked back up at Gerard. “They can’t hear us now. I worry that their parents are already gone… We should make haste to see if they are alright… If not, I will have to find a foster family to take them. They are too young to be off on their own…”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 11:26 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

"…Touché." Admittedly, he wasn't expecting her to make that kind of remark. Her frank yet saucy retort was refreshing, and it was enough to make him crack a smirk. She had a touch of mettle in her, he liked that in people. She then went on to explain what the sounds he had heard were. Fairy hunters. He wasn't particularly familiar with them, due to spending most of his time on the coasts. He himself had no wings and looked no different from a human otherwise. These hunters were no better than the average slavers or cutthroats, like the fishers who caught sharks only for their fins. The heartless brutes! Even as dangerous sharks were, did they ever know what happened when they threw the still-breathing, bleeding bodies into the water? They either bled to death, or were eaten alive by their own kin.

"Heartless monsters. No better than common murderers." Gerard set his lips into a hard line, arms crossed. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Talise. You are quite observant. Indeed, it as you say. I am Gerard di Vervaine, however just 'Gerard' will do." He went over to the cache box to retrieve his clothes, and began putting on his fitted trousers and shirt. Straightening the collar, smoothing out the wrinkles, and having his shirt fully buttoned; he then put on his black overcoat. Dress shirt aside, he was wearing all black. The embroidery on the cuffs and lapels were simple but elegant. Nothing too ostentatious. It was clear she must had been using whatever means she could to draw the hunters' attention away from the other fairies. It took more than just cleverness and tenacity to pull off such a feat. 

He nodded a yes when Talise asked him to keep the family of sylphs safe. "You needn't ask again. Of course I'd be more than willing to. It doesn't matter why they are here, kidnapping and brutality have no place here. And I certainly won't stand for letting a group of armed brutes harass those simply living their lives." The last notes of his words bore the sting of spite. People like them wouldn't just stop at ripping off wings. If the forest and witches didn't stop them, they'd move onto ravage Vila. For all of Feeorin's dangers, they were the land's form of self-defense. And if the hunters chose to return, he would make an example out of them.

Author: Talise, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 9:43 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Talise stared at the man for a long time. It was obvious he was an older soul, it was his eyes that spoke to her. Whether that meant just as a personality type or if he really was older she didn’t know but she gave him a smile the best she could. “Would you rather I poked you in the crack your mama gave you? Not that I mind, of course, it would be unfitting of a lady but if it made you more comfortable…” She made a face that she was just joking.

She stood there in silence and fluttered her wings when she was bored. However, she was patient as she waited for him to speak first after their initial encounter. “Fairy hunters. They were here killing our young and taking their wings for mages in Iria again. I made sure they got the message that they were allowed here anymore.” Her voice had a lot of threat to it as she looked back at the trees. “I’ll kill them if they do it again, I don’t give second threats.”

Just a moment more and she pushed herself a bit closer to the taller man, quite taller actually he had over a head on her now. “My name is Talise. You must be of the magical sort being able not to drown like that. I’ve seen many your kind in my centuries of life.” She was being kind for now, she was tired that could be seen from her eyes. She had used up a lot of magic making sure to hide young ones as she ran.

“I don’t know if they will come back but I was able to hide the Fir Family from them… They live in the trees as tiny sylphs. They would have been easy pickings for such greedy humans… Would you help me keep watch over them? Humans shouldn’t come here… They are destructive and rude.”

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 9:32 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Gerard was in his swimming costume, and at first he thought a particularly cheeky siren had tried poking him with a reed before swimming off. Eventually the peaceful stillness he was enjoying had been disturbed and he rolled over to see who had prodded him so. He poured water out of his ears as he swore he heard the sound of screaming on the wind. There was a girl standing there, hands on her hips. She seemed like someone who lived here, from her head to her feet. The delicate wings were a dead giveaway. A long silence followed until he looked at her quizzically. "…Did you just poke me in the back?" His waterlogged hair clung to the sides of his head like damp sea grass. His nicer clothes were stowed in a concealed cache partially buried in the ground under a bush, a little secret he had found back when he first came to visit Vila. 

Now right-side up, he crossed his arms while holding onto his boots. He wasn't too concerned; they were the pair he used when working in the vineyard. The couldn't be more of opposites appearance-wise. The girl was petite with silvery hair, rich dark complexion, and flowers adorned her long tresses. The nokken's short black locks, lighter skin, swimmer's build, and black swim suit made him the one who stood out more. Having soaked enough, he came up out of the water and began meticulously wringing out his hair. Turning his boots upside down he shook out the remainder of the lake water that didn't run out earlier. As he did so, he was trying to figure her out. Using a bit of hydromancy, he removed the excess moisture from his boots and flicked the water back into the lake. He began drying off his swim suit next.

"Where is that noise coming from? I could've sworn there was shouting." Were the witches starting a catfight again? It wouldn't be a surprise if that was it. 

Author: Talise, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 8:47 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

It was sorta fun acting like she had no way of protecting her. Wild white hair flew everywhere as she trampled the blue forest floor. The sunlight that peeked through gave her dark skin a gleaming look like glitter almost. Her wings made colorful pictures on the floor as sunlight filtered through them. She gave heavily elevated breaths to simulate that she was scared.

The towering humans, of average size she noted, were chasing after her. “Come here you bitch we’re going to sell ya wings for money.” Fairy hunters were common in Feeorin. They thought they knew the forest. They thought they were prepared for the creatures that lurked. They had no idea that fairy wings cost so much because it was so dangerous.

Violet eyes looked back and she imitated fear. “No, please not my wings! They are precious to me!” Such a good actress. “Please! I’ll do anyt– What?” She came to a grinding halt as she saw a body in a river.

“Are you daft you dumb fairy you can–” They began to scream now as they were stuck in a vortex of wind.

“Hush, stupid filthy forest stompers. You know… There are easier ways to kill yourself in Feeorin,” it was more of an amused jest as she summoned a broom and lightly poked at the man in the water. “You must be enchant blooded if you can sit there like that.” She finally got enough of the screaming and released the men. “I’m done with you… No longer are you amusing… Please be gone your screams are agitating my poor ears.” Her elvish ears twitched lightly at the new found silence.

“We’re not going to leave until we get yo—”

There was energy built up in the broom and she was fast as she hit all three men with enormous strength. “That’s a record!” she watched as the men flew up into the trees. "NOW GET OFF MY TREES FILTHY HUMANS! Ya dirty up everything you touch." The broom disappeared and she put her hands delicately on her hips. She was wearing a soft purple dress with gold details, definitely nobility from the looks of it. There were large and small purple roses and lilies that were intertwined up and down her hair.

Author: Vibrato, Posted: Fri Aug 4, 2017 8:14 PM, Post Subject: Sink or Swim [P]

Treading lightly through the blue-tinged grass, he stopped when a lake wide and calm like a perfect mirror came into view. Slipping off his boots, he took a deep breath before falling in. As the waters of the lake embraced him, he opened his eyes. It had been years, decades since he had been in Vila Lake. It was a wonder how time could fly. Drifting down, he saw the city down below. With his boots in hand, he allowed himself to continue sinking downward. It was so easy to swim here, for both merfolk and land-dwellers alike. Sirens with their gossamer fins and shining scales darted to and fro, exchanging greetings with him as they swam past. He remembered some of them: Margaret, Meridia, Darya–to name a few. Entering through the side gate carved from mother-of-pearl, he came up from a small pool onto the smooth stone floor. He spent the next hours reconnecting with old faces and learning new ones. Not many visitors came by lately as the witches and forest enchantments made finding the lake more challenging. One of his old friends Jacintha was there to welcome him. 

"Gerard, good to see you again. Did you lose your way through the trees? I haven't spoken with you in ages." They embraced, a rare show of familiarity and friendliness from the nokken. The siren had known him before he had begun living on land, back when he was young and alone. Jasumin used to be more lively in the past, before most of the water nymphs and merfolk left for new waters. "It seems time has washed away my memories of the area. I don't remember the witches having their huts so close to the lake's outskirts." He looked to the side apprehensively, at which Jacintha reassured him: "She isn't here today, relax. You'd notice if it wasn't so quiet around here. We have quite a bit of catching up to do. Have a seat, I'll bring you some mint and lemon tea." When it was time to part, she handed him a small parcel wrapped in a piece of silk. Inside was a beautiful pin, made with silver set with pearls and crystal. It was perfect as a lapel pin, or as a decorated clasp. The time he had spent felt so short today.

Back on the lake's surface, he floated on his back looking up at the sky through Feeorin's enchanted haze. Basked in an eternal twilight and phosphorescent blue, the magic f the fey was strong. The air here was soothing, like a calming stupor in comparison to Jasumin's idyllic fields of gold. Turning over, he looked down into Lake Vila's depths trying to make out the outline of the sirens' city. If he could, he would stay here for a decade or two. Eventually he would have to return across the turbulent Nyella to the Highland estate he called home, but that could wait. The nokken wanted to steep himself like a satchel of tea in a kettle of cold water. Closing his eyes it was as if all his worries were drifting away. From above, it looked like a body was bobbing up and down on the lake surface. Not that it would be out of place here, where almost everything could and would kill you.