Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:35 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

The barmaid smiled and took their orders, before wandering off.  Hiro turned his attention back on his new friends.  Fen asked about what mead was.  "She has the right of it.  It's an alcoholic, adult beverage made with fermented honey, instead of say grains, or grapes and such.  Wine's made with fermented grapes, for example.  It's an adult drink, because it contains alcohol, it can have powerful effects on people, it can . . . loosen inhibitions, some people can get mean, or sad, or overly friendly, depends on the person.  It can make a person sick if you drink too much of it.  It was invented when people couldn't drink water found in rivers, before people could figure out how to get clean water.  You can try alcohol when you're older.  It tastes good, gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, but it's not for children.  I'm not going to drink too much so that it hurts me or such.  I learned that if you drink it slowly, and eat food between drinks, you don't get affected as much, and I can 'handle my liquor' well enough,"  Hiro explained to the young lad. "You don't have to worry about anything bad happening to me with alcohol."

"I don't know where that owl came from, could have been just a regular owl, or maybe something magical. I think they tend to usually stay away from people, so for an owl to stay near people like that is unusual," Hiro noted, shrugging, his shoulders. Hiro gave the idea of giant enemies like the so called Titans from the other world. "Well, the world I came from is gone. Everything that existed there disappeared and was destroyed. I was able to bring my father to Revaliir because he got separated from me, and ended up in some other world, as part of some rich guy's collection. I didn't get to explore the world he got stuck in, but we staged a 'jail break' of sorts. So I approached lady Moliira about finding my father. She was able to open a temporary portal to this other world, using my connections to my father. She was able to track him down using some powerful Godly magic.

The two of us entered the portal, Moliira had a Priest stay behind to mind the portal. We ended up in a large building filled with display cases or glass cages, protected by some kind of magic power. All those cages were filled with all sorts of people, and creatures from different worlds. We were able to find a cage that contained my dog, Ember (I should show her some day, she's adorable) and we were able to locate my father, Sabishii, who was stuck in a fire proof cage. We started opening cages, releasing my father, and any other people who were trapped there. This alerted the guards, which came to stop us. Me and my father were there, Lady Moliira was guiding the escape, while me and Father fought off the guards, they had weird projectile weapons, similar to crossbows that shot arcane energy. There was also some woman there, who was either the lead of the guards, or the person who owned the facility. We held off the guards until everyone else managed to escape, with Father being the last person through the portal. I think he would've liked to have torn the whole building down so that no one would ever be forced to be trapped in that hell hole again. " By this time the food had arrived, along with the drinks.

Hiro took a drink from his mead. "Very good." Hiro could smell the delicious venison, the scent wafting up through the air. He cut off a piece of meat and took a bite, tasting the savory meat. It was delicious. "Mmm, everyone, dig in. The food here is delicious!" Not much was better than sharing good food and drink with great company.

Author: drbuck, Posted: Mon Jul 9, 2018 1:24 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Despite being the one to voice all of the questions in the first place, Fenriz was presented with a lot more information than he was initially prepared for, his young mind still having a particularly difficult time comprehending another world. The day he had been forced to strike out on his own, and begin his ongoing search for his parents; that day this world had suddenly become much, much bigger. And it only continued to grow, as his travels continued, as he experienced new things, and met new people. So when the newest acquaintance of his explained that he wasn’t even of this reality, the concept was both a fascinating and intimidating one. Enthralled in the Knight’s tales, the boy had momentarily forgotten about the strange owl, or the bizarre rabbit that had brought them to Sidhiel in the first place. In their place was thoughts of other realms. giants, Gods, and titans.

Needless to say the number of questions Fen had increased exponentially, however all of his inquiries had to be put on hold as they entered the tavern. Fen was familiar with inns and taverns. More familiar than someone his age should be. But this one was a bit different. Much less oppressive, much less… violent. The three of them took a seat at a table, a table that was very visibly not meant to host someone of his size. Even in the seat, his crimson eyes were only barely of a high enough elevation to peer over the table.

Another woman had come to take an order from them. Both of his companions ordering food was a somewhat unwelcome reminder of his own feeding needs that had gone unfilled since they arrived. But he could certainly last a lot longer without feeding, and there were more pressing issues on the small vampire’s mind.

“Mead? What’s that?” To most this question would be a far cry from the weight of his earlier questions, but to Fenriz it held equal importance. Despite his inquiry being directed toward Hiro, it was actually Raziel that provided his answer. At first he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. Seemingly yet another thing that his age would prevent him from experiencing. But when she finished, true to her word, Fen was pretty convinced that he wanted nothing to do with it. But suddenly, a lot of the things he had seen while sneaking around inns and taverns made a lot more sense.

“Can I have some water, miss?” he requested of the barmaid with a smile. Though he did still enjoy the taste of food, his actual appetite had essentially disappeared since his transformation. The barmaid wandered off, and Fenriz returned to his thoughts.

“Do you think that rabbit is from another world? Or that owl?” he asked, two ideas slowly becoming one. Whether or not he was correct, the focused look on his face showed how much thought he was putting into this theory He turned his attention back to Hiro “You don’t think… the titans could come here, do you?”

Author: Raziel, Posted: Tue Jun 5, 2018 3:20 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

True to his nature, Fen erupted with more questions, which Hiro readily explained. Her mind nearly twisted itself with thoughts and concepts that sprang forth from his replies.It was hard to imagine great monsters being stronger than a god, having previously believed that the only thing greater than a god was that which granted them their powers. Though… They were from another realm. Do the gods here even fight alongside heroes, champions, and other adventurers?

Raziel wasn’t sure that there were even monsters here strong enough for such combined efforts. Lately, the gods were either against each other, or other old deities. Sometimes, they held events for the people of Revaliir. Keeping her thoughts to herself, the angel silently followed, and eventually sitting in her chair with an elegance that belied her blindness.

”Oh, um, some chicken and vegetable soup if you have it? With fresh bread, and I’ll take some mead as well. Thank you Hiro.” While she sat there, hands folded neatly on the table, Fen asked about mead. ”Well, it’s an adult beverage, made with honey rather than fruit favored by wineries. If I told you the process, you might think it was bad, and in some sense, you’d be correct. Though for you, choose something else. With your age and size, you might not feel well afterwards. Many sometimes drink too much, and often makes them act differently. Violent, mean, rude, among other reactions”

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 5:48 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Hiro thought that the story she told that he was allergic to pollen, and there was a lot less pollen during night hours, sounded like something that she made up.  He didn't believe it.  They could just live somewhere in the desert, or somewhere else without a lot of plants, or maybe there was some magical solution for that.  Some magical device that would filter out pollen that he could buy from some wizard, or an alchemist or some such.  Not to mention the boy's response to the word Vampire.  Regardless, he wasn't going to call her out for that.  She's probably just protecting the kid from any would-be vampire hunters, if that was the case.  He couldn't blame her for not fully trusting him.  They just met, after all, and he was a knight, the type of warrior that would typically go around slaying vampires and other undead and denizens of the night.

"Is that right?  I apologize for my accusations, then.  I was mistaken," he said, simply leaving it at that.  He wasn't going to press the issue.  The lad asked him what he meant by other worlds and what he meant by a Titan.  "There are other worlds that exist, they have their own Gods separate from the ones we have here, they have their own world trees, or not, I'm sure there are worlds that exist that do not have world trees, who knows?  Anyway, there are other completely different realities, worlds that exist, and normally do not interact with each other, but it can be possible to transport between them, through great effort through portals through the void.  My father and I, came from another world called DaeLuin, and that world ended, it completely collapsed.  It was the literal end of the world.  We somehow got separated as apocalypse unfolded, a bunch of portals were somehow opened up that lead us to Revaliir, but somehow father ended up in a completely different world, and Lady Moliira, who was a Goddess here at one point, she was able to find him, lead us into the world he was trapped in, and we retrieved him."  He remembered well the venture they went on.

"While a Titan is basically a being that's a force of nature, on par with, or even stronger than a God.  The world we came from, they would occasionally rear their ugly heads and try to destroy everything.  It's a monster, I never faced one, and hopefully none of those beings like that exist here.  My father fought some, but he wasn't alone.  He was joined by other Deities and many other adventurers from across the land.  It took a combined effort to defeat monsters like these."  Hiro started leading them towards the aforementioned tavern.  "We can discuss more once once we've arrived and sat down.  I can tell you about the time I fought a Fire Giant."  They arrived at the tavern, it had various people eating, drinking, and an overall friendly atmosphere.  People were enjoying themselves.  They sat down at a table, and an elven barmaid came to them to take their order.  "I'll take some venison, and some mead.  You guys want anything?  My treat, since you've been so kind to me."  Hiro smiled at his new friends.

Author: drbuck, Posted: Fri May 4, 2018 10:31 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

It probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Just based on his stories alone, Hiro was likely well-traveled. Fenriz probably was neither the first nor last vampire that he had he'd meet. Or at very least, he should have figured Hiro was a considerably perceptive individual. Yet the moment the word vampire left the Phoenix Knight's lips, Fenriz through his hands over his own, stifling a gasp. Despite having worked out a plan previously, he found himself too tongue-tied to respond. Fortunately his more level-headed companion was able to speak in his place, telling the agreed upon story, while he absentmindedly nodded in corroboration.

Raziel standing was his cue to do the same. As if it had been rehearsed, he rose to his feet and instinctively took the elbow he was offered. He offered her a smile, though the smile was short-lived, as he lost himself in his own thoughts. On the surface nothing seemed out of the ordinary about their avian visitor, but there was still something strange about it that Fen couldn't put his finger on. Combined with the magical rabbit he had now reminded himself of, that meant there were at least two unusual creatures out there to find. Perhaps the thoughts were juvenile in nature sure, but they were the ones that were on his mind.

Yet his elders felt that the owl at least should be left alone, a stance he would concede to without argument. At least aloud.. Uncertain as to where Hiro would lead them, he offered a silent hope that they might stumble across either of them en route.

"Mister… err… Sir Hiro?" he spoke as they started walking, stumbling over what was actually the proper way to address him. "What do you mean when you said you were from another world? And what are Titans? Did you ever fight a Titan?"

Hiro had agreed to tell the youngest of them about his past exploits, an agreement Fenriz was likely going to make him regret, albeit unintentionally. He recalled back to his story, mentally running through the list of questions he had stored in the back of his mind. In a rare show of tact, however, he expressly avoided asking about his father's death, even if that was, in a morbid way, what he had the most questions about.

"What other kind of stuff have you fought? My dad fought a bear once. He said it was pretty easy" he puffed his chest out slightly, vicariously proud of his parent

Author: Raziel, Posted: Wed May 2, 2018 9:50 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

It seemed she and Hiro had something in common. He had lost his mother, she was losing hers. Instead of spending the final moments with her as Raziel had anticipated, she was on this wild goose chase! Though it wasn’t all terrible. The angel got to meet many new people, and learn so much about everything outside her frozen beloved Cradle. ”It’s fine Hiro, just pass me a message if you hear anything that might help my search.”

His reaction to the allergies was somewhat comical, but something didn’t settle quite right about the fact of not caring. While Raziel giggled with him, she waved it off. ”No, nothing like that. He can’t hardly breathe due to pollen in the air. Most pollen dispersing plants slumber with the moonlight, thus it’s easier for him to breathe at night. Poor thing has to sleep buried deep under several blankets just to keep the stuff filtered out.” Better to play it safe than sorry for now.

Raziel took several deep breaths, centering herself. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was somewhat nervous heading back into the main throng of the city, into a public place to disorient her once more with this new ability. Still, a kind smile was given to Hiro as she stood. ”Lead the way, Sir Hiro. If the owl desires to follow us, that is his prerogative.” Once more, she gently pushed her elbow out, ready for her vampiric friend to take it and guide her. Even with this new ability of magical vision, this was a century old habit, and it was not about to be broken in a few minutes.

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:34 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Hiro listened to her story.  A dying mother, a life suspended until they find two people by name only.  That was truly sad.

"My mother was lost too, she was in the other world I came from, and she disappeared when it ended.  I don't know what happened to her.  I'm sorry to hear that, Raziel.  I wish I knew how to help you with that."  The mood in the area had sank to an all time low.  She said that they stay up at night because of Fen's "severe allergies."  That confused him.  What kind of allergies came out during the day only?  "What?  Is he allergic to sunlight?  Is he a vampire?  Not that I care, really.  As long as he's not hurting people, I don't care if that's the case.  I don't care if you were a lycan, vampire, a combination of both, or a bloody unicorn."  He shrugged his shoulders and managed a laugh.

"I guess I can stay with you guys.  I don't mind.  I don't know much about historic landmarks, but there's a tavern down the road that has some good food and drink."  He looked at Fen and smiled.  "I guess I can tell you stories about my father, or about myself, I've done my fair share of deeds, though not quite on the par of my father.  And what's this about an owl following us?"  They were focused on some owl that flew away.  "If it's a wild animal, it probably would want to be left alone.  But I'm no druid or beastmaster or animal empath, so whatever.  I'm nothing like that."

Author: drbuck, Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 1:59 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

An unusually somber silence overtook the otherwise talkative youth as Hiro spoke. Focused though he was, there were parts of Hiro's story that he didn't quite understand, But what he did get, did not make him feel happy in the least. When the knight finished, Fen found himself at a continued loss for words. When Raziel spoke out about her own mother, despite the fact that he already knew that tale, he was overcome with remorse. Although he meant well, his misunderstanding had seemingly drummed up a wave of unpleasant memories, including some of his own. Silently, he echoed Raziel's apology, unable to bring himself to respond verbally. Yet mixed in there was a sense of kinship. At least he wasn't alone in his parental troubles.

Although she hadn't given him any reason to worry, he still felt a sense of relief and gratitude when at Raziel not spilling his condition. Yet he also felt guilty. Guilty that he was still keeping a secret from Hiro after he had told them so much. But it was better this way, or so he was convinced.

Fen continued studying the owl with an intense focus, studying the bird with a slightly agape jaw. He reached a hand out, as if to touch it, but he refrained. After its brief visit with Raziel, it flew away, and Fen sent it off with a smile, watching it disappear in the night's sky before turning his attention back to his two new companions.

"It was white, mostly" he explained. With the owl gone, he retook his seat next to the wolf, planting himself on the ground with crossed legs "Do you think we should chase after it? I bet with Mister Hiro's help we could find it!"

He turned his bright grin to the Phoenix Knight, remembering his comments from earlier. Subconsciously trying to make up for his earlier faux pas, he added cheerily "I bet you know all kind of neat places! And I'd love to hear more stories about your father. He sounds amazing! I-if tha's okay…"

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:10 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

It made sense that the Phoenix Knight chose to refrain from his magic. Untamed fire was not a good idea in any sense, as the greedy, hungry force of nature consumes all in its path. Yet, she listened to his tale of his father. Raziel could relate, and a tear began to roll down her cheek. Absently she wiped it away. ”My mother is dying. The angels have… suspended her life for not, until I can complete the task she gave me. I must find two people I don’t know anything about except their names. So… I’m sorry for your loss, Hiro.”

Her thoughts began to drift to her mother and the tales she had spun about her own father who had been absent her entire life. Fen’s voice registered, but she made no comment in response. However, Hiro’s account of being lonely drove home to her. Until she met Fen, her travels off the mountain was very lonely. Raziel had never been alone for so long, so she could not imagine two years of it. ”No, we stay up at night because of Fen’s severe allergies.” If he pressed, she already had a story lined up, one she had already passed by Fen. When the moon rises, flowers tended to close, since they lack the light they feed from. Closed flowers cannot disperse pollen, and thus, it was safer for him to travel at night. This way, they could keep his vampirism a secret until they know how others would react.

”Stay with us awhile, Hiro. You obviously know the city some, and this is our first time. You could show us some landmarks, or historic place? We could get food, or something.” Before anything else, however, something landed on the bench so unexpectedly that she jumped. As it landed, there was that brief expansion of her new sense, gone as quickly as it came. It wasn’t just any bird, it was an owl! She had heard of them, and while they were common in Zets’Ki’s Cradle, she rarely ever touched one. The angel was afraid to move for she didn’t want to scare it away, but she wanted to feel its feathers. ”I saw it, but only when it landed,” she whispered.

Its flat face turned toward her and upside down with a soft “hoo”. Slowly, Raziel moved her hand so it was palm up next to her leg, resting against the bench. After a moment, the owl put it’s head in her hand, allowing her to touch and feel its feathers before spreading its wings and taking off. ”I have a feeling we’ll see more of that owl, Fen. What color was it?”

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:21 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Hiro listened as the woman explained that she was blind, but had developed some other way of sensing things around her using sound.  She explained that the child he assumed was hers, was just a friend that was helping her.  He could tell she was blind now, as she was not staring into his eyes as she was talking to him.   "It's a pleasure to meet you two, Raziel, Fenriz.  I too have noticed some disturbances in the flow of mana around here lately.  I'll refrain from doing anything magical unless I need to, since most of my magic is fire related.  If it goes awry due to any fluctuations in mana in the area, it may not turn out well."

She explained that she can't see colors, but hear outlines of things briefly when they make sounds.  "I can hear a bird flying around here somewhere.  That's weird, but it makes sense why you were basically overloaded with sound, from a sense that just developed for you."  Hiro's answers seemed only to bring up more questions from the inquisitive lad.  Though he had some wrong assumptions along the way.

"T-that's not the way it works, Fenriz.  Being a Phoenix Knight does not allow you to resurrect, unfortunately.  He's .  . . not coming back.  It feels like only yesterday, but it's been about 2 years since he died.  It . . . was rough, because I was there when he died.  It was during the time when two of the Gods started afflicting people with the Seven Deadly Sins.  We went to the tower of the Gods, we fought our way to the top of the tower, and we asked them, Dalaesca, and Xunatar, to stop what they were doing, we implored them to stop, and it came to combat, we were separated from each other by some barrier.  When the barrier dropped, my father, he was burning to death from Dalanesca's hellfire.  H-he tried to take her out with him, but . . . the whole immortal thing.  I barely was able to escape alive.  But I couldn't help him."  It was a long two years since it happened, but the wounds felt fresh still.  He resolved himself to get stronger, he trained on this island, but it still hurt to lose him.  "I worshiped my father.  He was the strongest man I knew.  He told me tales of his youth.  Tales of Gods and monstrous Titans; we came from another world, where Gods were often at odds with mortals, and there were Titans, powerful beings that rivaled the Gods, like powerful dragons, or beings that were made from raw elemental energy, like a force of nature.  He was once one of them, he was a Fire God in the old world at one point, and he fought other Gods, Orcish armies, battled these dragons and titans, undead hordes, all kinds of things, and I wanted to be like him.  But now he's gone, and it hurts a lot."

Hiro sighed, it'd been a long time since he told that story, he didn't know why he started explaining it, maybe because it was so long ago that he lived through it, or had someone to talk to.  He kinda sequestered himself into training and being alone all this time.  Like an exile.

"I'm sorry, if you need to find somewhere to rest for the night, you can go.  I've been mostly keeping myself company camping in the outdoors in a cave, going back to civilization for supplies sometimes.  It's been .  . . lonely."

Author: drbuck, Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:26 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

After flagging down Raziel, he listened to Hiro answer his avalanche of questions, which only served to spawned even more questions, to be tucked away for later. It wasn't long into his response before he had the boy's rapt attention, listening with wide eyed adulation at the information he was being told,. Even the second mention of Raziel being his mother went over his head. He would maintain this concentration until Hiro mentioned his father. The bright grin that Fen wore slowly faded, only partialy listening to the end of Hiro's explanation of his profession. 

"I'm sorry about your father" he started, breaking eye contact to instead stare at his own feet "I know it's not a lot of fun. I don't know what happened to my parents since the last time I saw them. But I guess that kinda gives us something in common, huh?"

He offered the Phoenix Knight a smile, although a sorrowful one. Though it wouldn't be long before another thought would entire the boy's mind, a much more positive thought that he was quick to share with his newfound friend.

"But you guys are phoenixes, right?" he exclaimed beaming much more genuinely now "I bet he's going to be reborn any day now. Coming back to life probably just takes a long time. I wouldn't even worry about it. You're probably gonna see your dad again any day now!"

In his decreased attentiveness, the boy had merged Hiro's explanation of phoenixes and Phoenix Knights into one. Whether or not he was actually correct on the matter, the boy was confident that his assessment of the situation was an accurate one. He smiled a wide, toothy smile, absentmindedly exposing his fangs to the world. He would greet Raziel with this same prideful grin when he felt her hand on his shoulder. The only thing that wiped it from his face was the angel explaining to Hiro that he wasn't her child. He would blush a bit, slightly embarrassed that he hadn't corrected Hiro's assumption before that point, but also slightly embarrassed that much like a mother might, she ended up having to introduce the both of them. Fenriz made a mental note to apologize for not offering his name as Raziel launched into her own evaluation of the situation.

Fen listened to her explanation with as much attention as he could muster, taking mental notes about everything she shared. He kept his eyes locked on Raziel, save for the moment he glanced up at the birds she mentioned. As she sat down, Fen positioned himself near Zander, giving the wolf a light pet on the head before taking a seat on the ground next to him.

"Do you want to find a place to rest for the night?" he asked. He wasn't nearly as worried as he was earlier, but he still couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern. Fen entered another spell of silence, running over his own musings about their circumstances.

He wouldn't be presented with a chance to voice his inquiries, however, as his focus was shattered by another visitor. Not a person this time, but an owl, who had landed on the park bench Raziel was seated on. He stood up, placing his face as close as he dared to the intruding creature.

"Hey Miss Raziel, can you see this strange bird? He just landed here!"

Author: Raziel, Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:07 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

The angel nodded to the boy, rubbing her eye with the palm of her hand. "I've been blind my whole life, Hiro. Still am, but…" Her jubilation overrode her shy demeanor.  Fen's feet painted her dark world as he ran toward the knight, burying him with a mountain of questions. Hiro did his best to answer everything, some of the information she tucked away in case it may be important.

When Hiro spoke of his father falling, Raziel frowned. From the sound of it, he had not lost his father too long ago. Either that, or it was still a tender subject. It was not in her business to inquire about it, and felt empathy for it. Her own mother was dying, being sustained in magical stasis until Raziel could finish her mission that was set upon her by Elithia. Find Rammy and Gabe. The angels of Zets'Ki promised her mother would not perish before the two could be brought to the Cradle. Hiro's last statement dragged the half angel out of her swirling thoughts.

At Fen's request, she made her way to them, and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Fenriz is not my son. He is a friend who's been a major help to me these last couple of weeks. I apologize for my lack of manners. My name is Raziel." As she spoke, her eyes seemed fixated a little low, as if she was staring at Hiro's chest. "Thank you, for your assistance. Magic here seems… unbalanced. I think it woke something inside of me." Releasing the boy, she pound the ground with her staff once more, and used her steps to continue her new sense as she made her way to a blue tree.

Her free hand reached out and felt the rough bark. "I can't see color. It is as if sound is a drop of light in my dark eyes. Briefly, I can see objects as the sound travels… But that doesn't seem to make sense. Those birds, do you hear them? I think they're flying overhead… I can't see them." With a frown, Raziel walked over to the bench and sat back down. "This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. So many people were surrounding us, so much noise, and I was not sure what was happening as suddenly I could see but could not see. It was very disorienting. Still is, actually." She was trying to explain it as best as she could so that Fen could understand as well.

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:51 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

He had no clue who she was, or that she was blind.  He lead them to the park, and eventually she was able to calm down and relax.  He didn't even notice the staff she was carrying.  He was silent as she asked the boy to run somewhere away from them, then she said that she could see him.  Hiro blinked his eyes.  "You're . . . blind?  Or you were blind?"  Hiro asked in confusion.  Did she suddenly redevelop the ability to see suddenly?  Or maybe she somehow developed some other sense, like a kind of sixth sense to make up for her lack of sight.  She had tears of joy flowing from her cheeks.

"Wow, congratulations are in order?"  Hiro smiled, though he didn't know the whole story of what was going on.  Suddenly, the boy came back to him started asking questions.  Lots of questions.  Again, Hiro blinked, staring at the young lad.  "You're very welcome for the assistance.  I don't live here, I've been just staying in the area.  I've been training around the volcano area.  I would say there's magic everywhere around us, the volcano has strong affinity for fire.  I can sense magic, through auras, though I try not to use the ability freely on people.  I don't want to pry into people's auras senselessly, I see it as an invasion of privacy.  I wouldn't say this place is more magical than other places, like an enchanted forest or something.  Uh, I've heard something about a giant rabbit, but I haven't seen one yet.  I didn't heal your mother though, I didn't have anything to do with that kind of miracle.  I don't possess healing magic."  He paused when he asked what Phoenix Knights do.

"A Phoenix Knight . . . is a warrior that uses fire magic to protect people.  The only other one I've known was my father, before . . . before he fell in battle.  A Phoenix Knight serves no king, but serves the people instead.  They worship fire and the symbol of the Phoenix, a great fire bird, a bird that is capable of self-resurrection.  They say the phoenix, before it dies, gathers a nest of twigs and such, and lights itself on fire, burning itself to ash, before being reborn anew from the ashes.  Fire is worshiped not as a pure destructive force, but as a source of civilization and knowledge.  You use fire to cook food, you use fire to forge metal, to light up the darkness, and so forth.  It can be used to burn away dead and diseased flesh, to cauterize wounds.  And I've . . . probably prattled on too much.  I don't think I've been properly introduced to either of you yet."  He scratched his head, not really knowing either of their names, though he had introduced himself.  The woman did call the child Fen, he noticed that.

Author: drbuck, Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:06 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Fen let out a mental sigh of relief when the man spoke of the park. Were it up to either of them, finding a quiet place would have likely been a challenge to say the very least. Though his "suggestion" that she shouldn't walk was seemingly rejected. Although he disagreed, a part of him understood, and he kept his concerns to himself as he obediently stayed by her side. Their new friend had introduced himself as Hiro, and while that was a normal enough name, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly a Phoenix Knight was. He tucked that question away with the ever growing list of them that he had, saving them to bombard anyone who would listen to them later.

As they walked, several inquires would fade in and out of his mind. About Raziel, about Hiro, about this city, and even this so called magic rabbit that they had originally traveled here to find. Hiro had mentioned that this was a volcanic island. Fenriz wasn't completely sure what that meant, his knowledge on volcanoes being limited, but what little he did know wasn't positive, and the thought did little to set his mind at ease.

His eyes darted across everything that surrounded them, changing directions with each step. This yielded two observations, the first of which being that to his surprise, none of the people seemed exceptionally interested in them. A pleasant surprise given the circumstances, though a surprise none the less. Still, he walked with a slight hunch, doing his best effort to keep it that way. The second thing he noticed was the sky. It hadn't really occurred to him earlier, but it wasn't as dark as he was accustomed to. For as far back as he was capable of remembering, the young vampire had never been outside during the daylight hours, having only been told that it was told that he likely wouldn't live through the experience. Whereas other people might enjoy the daylight hours, he couldn't help but be thankful of the approaching darkness.

They arrived, and Raziel took a seat at a park bench, seemingly feeling at least a bit better than she had previously. This, in turn made Fen feel much less anxious himself. With the brief respite, he sought to turn his attention to Hiro, several questions for him still weighing on his mind, but Raziel would preemptively put a stop to his inquisitive barrage. At random, she had stood up and started running. Before he could protest, she instructed him to do the same. Though uncertain why, something about her facial expression told him that she had her reasons for asking. So he obliged, indiscriminately choosing a tree before sprinting its direction.

Here he would wait, until he felt a small hand on his shoulder. He jumped and spun and hastily spun around, only to let out a large sigh when he saw it was just Raziel. It took him a moment before what she said to him clicked.

"Wait, you can?" he exclaimed, his apprehension melting into jubilation. "That's great! But, how? A-and why? Can you see Mister Hiro, too?"

Remembering that they had received help up to this point, Fen ran back over to the man that had assisted them up to this point. It was his turn to be on the receiving of Fen's question barrage.

"Thanks for your help, mister!" He said to Hiro, looking up at him with a giant smile "You're from around here, right? Is this island magic or something? I guess it would have to be, with the magic rabbits running around, right? Have you seen one yourself? Or maybe… did you heal her? Is that what Phoenix Knights do?"

He would barely wait for a response before shouting back to Raziel "Hey, do you think you can make it back to us?"

Author: Raziel, Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 12:35 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Fen suggested a quiet place. Perhaps that was all she needed? If all went well, then she wouldn't be so overwhelmed and she could figure out what was happening. "Just keep my elbow, Fen," the angel whispered. Hiro introduced himself, and Raziel shook her head against being carried. She was blind, not disabled, and still held her dignity. There was a sense of pride in the ability to maneuver oneself with the lack of sight to guide her, which most everyone else benefited from.

Each click of their feet sent more ripples across her normally dark vision. She could see the boy next to her without looking at him, his messy hair, worried expression, even the buttons on his clothing. Zander's tail dropped, ears alert, as he expressed his whining concern and desire to protect her from whatever was near. Hiro was tall, armored and his cloak flowed behind him, wanting to play in the air currents he created and his feet at the same time. How could she make sense of all of this when she was blind?

As they neared the park, things got significantly quieter, as did the constant flux of images from their surroundings. Fen helped guide her to a bench that Hiro found for them, onto which she gratefully sank, gripping her staff against her forehead. Of course, the tall one was musing speculations as to what was happening. During the lapse of silence between them talking, her world went dark again. Mutely she nodded to Hiro's question, melting into an almost relaxed state. Curiosity began to peek through as she calmed down.

Lifting her staff an inch, Raziel pounded it against the ground to hear a thud. Once more, an image of the sound rippling over everything flashed across her mind. With a sudden burst of energy, Raziel stood and ran a few steps, stopping and turning toward the boy with excitement written all over her face. "Fen, run to a random place here but don't tell me where you're going. Like, here in the park." When he did, Raziel lifted her staff and pounded it against the ground. In short order, she walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I see you." A wide smile was on her face as tears began to fall from her eyes. She didn't mean to ignore Hiro, it was primarily the excitement of this discovery that was running her attention.

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:56 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Hiro wasn't sure what was going on exactly, but from the way she spoke, she was having sensory overload.  There were too many people around her for her own good, maybe.  The lad asked if they should go to a quieter place.

"I agree, we should go somewhere quieter, less people.  There's a park over in this direction we can take her.  Not many people there, just trees and grass.  This island is a volcanic island, not many forests here, but there's places like the hot springs and what not.  Name's Hiro Kouen, Phoenix Knight, by the way.  I can carry you, if you'd like."  The woman shook her head though, preferring not to be carried around.  "All right, I can just lead you then.  Let's go this way."  Hiro started leading the woman and her child through the city until they reached a small park, with a few trees and benches sitting around.  It was quiet, and he didn't see many people around.here.  The last vestiges of sunlight were dissipating, the sky turning a beautiful shade of gold, with darkness beginning to be seen behind it.  The sun was slinking down behind the horizon.  He lead her to a park bench to let her sit down and catch her breath.

"It's quiet here, that's good.  I imagine the bustle of the city was too much for you?  Anxiety or something maybe?"  He thought out loud.  Or maybe something else was going on.  He did not know these two, so he did not know their circumstances, but when he saw people in distress, it was his instinct to act on that.  Maybe an ordinary person would mind their own business, but he was no ordinary person.  "You feel better now, Ma'am?"  He smiled warmly at the pair.  That was his nature, warmness.  It was in his blood.  Warmth flowed through his veins, figuratively and literally.  His father was a former Fire Deity from another world, a fire adept and Phoenix Knight who became more than human, closer to a fire elemental, and his mother was a former demon who became a fire elemental herself.  The warmth came naturally.

Author: drbuck, Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:48 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Fen leered at the man who had approached them. An unfriendly reaction though it may be, it was one of instinct. In a different scenario, he might have gone on the defensive, doing anything in his power to convince him to leave them be. Failing that, he would most certainly attempt to flee. Yet, even if she wanted to Raziel was in no condition to run, and given how little he knew about her ailment, their surroundings, or anything regarding their current situation, he was left with few options to trust the man.Fortunately, the man's inquiry into their well being seemed genuine enough, although being addressed as Raziel's child made Fen's nose scrunch a bit. His initial reaction was to correct him, but he caught himself before the words came out. Even he was able to recognize that this was fairly low in priority, all things considered. Instead the young vampire returned his attention to his ailing friend, as she begun to speak. Her fragmented speech made it clear that talking wasn't the easiest thing for her in present condition, which in turn only filled Fen with an uncomfortable mixture of remorse and helplessness.Yet he wasn't caught up in his own feelings to miss some oddities in what she said. What did she mean by images? The bystander who had come to check on them likely wouldn't find this particularly out of the ordinary, at least in comparison to the overall situation. Yet Fen, knowing what he did about Raziel couldn't help but wonder. Had something about her condition changed? Unfortunately, the only person who might answer that question would be Raziel herself, and it wasn't likely he would get a satisfactory response out of her if he tried. And even if she was capable of replying, he feared what toll it might take on her health.Too much sound, however, was a complaint that made perfect sense. A quick survey of their surroundings showed that it was far too populated to provide any immediate relief from the noise. He considered his next move carefully, or at least as carefully as he was capable of, before turning to the man that had joined them"I think… we should move her" Fen told him. A good listener could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn't entirely confident in his own plan. He looked back up at the man, though this time not with an expression of suspicion, but with pleading eyes "Do you know a quieter place to take her, mister?"He would then scan his immediate surroundings once more, hoping in vain for something that immediately suggested silence, before facing Raziel once more."A-are you okay to walk? Or should this guy carry you?" the boy asked, inadvertently volunteering the stranger's assistance.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:59 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Unable to answer his questions, Raziel shook her head slowly with a slight humming through her lips in the disagreement tone.  Hopefully, whatever this was, it would pass soon. She doubted this, of course, with the fact that every single sound seemed to ripple around their surroundings. There were so many people, too many boots, a cacophony of voices enveloping the odd pair.

In all honesty, the angel wanted to scream. Yet, while trying to make sense of this new sensory ability, they were bumped into, or did they bump into him? His voice was mature and young. If she had to guess, which Raziel was not in the mood to do, she would have put him as a young adult. She was getting relatively good at basing ages on voices and mannerisms, or so she thought. Whoever they bumped into inquired after her health, and assumed that Fen was her own offspring.

Under better circumstances, the lavender haired angel would find the thought amusing. However, with her shyness, would she even act upon it? Fen emboldened her, so the chances would have been good. As it was, Raziel shook her head, more frustrated with this new thing than anything. "I'm… not sure. My head… So much… images… Too much sound." But that wasn't what it was at all. It wasn't the sound that truly affected her, but the vibrations of everything through the ground beneath them.

Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:33 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

It'd been two years.  Two whole years since Hiro had lost his father in battle.  For awhile he blamed himself, he wasn't strong enough to protect his father, to stand beside him, to aid him in battle.  However, after awhile, he realized that this was not the case.  They were separated during the battle, which was probably too much for them to bite off in the first place.  They had sought to stop two Gods, and their rampage across Revaliir.  Neither of them were strong enough to stop one God, let alone two.  Yet, his father had talked him into going with him, to stop them, to make a stand at least.  He was willing to die to protect his world, to protect his son.  It took Hiro two years to step into action once more.  He spent the time training near the volcano around Sidhiel.  He tempered his body by the flames of the volcano.  He absorbed its strength.  He was going to get stronger, and not wallow in sorrow that he lost his father.

He would surpass his father, and make sure nothing like this happened again.

He would protect the ones he loved.

Hiro was within a port town in Sidhiel, he had been resting in town when he had heard musings of a giant rabbit running around the island.  Madness, he thought.  Why would a giant rabbit be running around the land, though honestly, he'd been out of the loop for awhile.  He hadn't talked to anyone about much of the news, that this was tied in with Lady Angela's pregnancy or anything.

The young Phoenix Knight stood in town, watching the people come and go in the town, heavily in thought.  He was a tall, muscular young man, wearing a suit of crimson armor, covered by a long, dark red cloak.  His hair was black, with streaks of red running through it.  His eyes were a deep, striking sapphire blue.  He had a blade sheathed to his side, covered by the cloak.

Suddenly, he felt something bump into him in the crowd, snapping himself back to reality.  He had to look downwards to see the person who bumped into him.  In actuality it was two people who had bumped into him.  A woman holding her head as if in pain, and a child clinging to her arm, looking worried.

"Excuse me, miss, you look in distress, are you and your child all right?"  He made the assumption that he child was her own.  She seemed to be a young woman traveling with a child.  It wasn't an unfair assumption.

Author: drbuck, Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:46 PM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

Anyone who met Fenriz before and after he met Raziel would almost think them different people. This Fen had someone that allowed him to indulge in his more talkative, inquisitive nature, no doubt putting his angelic companion's age and experience to the test. This Fenriz also seemed to worry less, moving and carrying himself in a way that was less guarded. One could say that travelling with others allowed him a chance to actually be… a kid. It wasn't all perfect, of course. For starters, Fen felt a bit of guilt that she had to change her sleeping habits just for him. And although his new situation meant it wasn't an immediate concern the thought of his still missing parents continued to nag at the fringes of his mind. In the brief moments in which there was nothing to distract him, those thoughts would seep in like a fog, causing him to fall into a silent spell until any other thought snapped him back into his youthful, cheerful self. Yet despite these two drawbacks, the pros far outweighed the cons.

Anyone else who was asked about a magical rabbit would rightfully be a bit skeptical. Yet when they caught wind of it's existence, it became Fenriz's greatest desire to see it with his own two eyes, and little objection was given when Raziel expressed the same want. While his greatest desire was prone to change with the direction of the wind, he maintained this enthusiasm the entire way there, at least until they boarded the air ship.

When he had first met Raziel, he was visibly disappointed in her inability to fly. Yet the feeling and knowledge that the ground beneath him was not attached to… more ground, made him uncomfortable in a way that he certainly was incapable of explaining. The takeoff alone sent a foreign feeling through his stomach. Though he would attempt his best not to show his discomfort with the situation, he spent a large portion of the trip with his eyelids pressed shut, and unintentionally kept a bit closer to his companions than usual.

When he exited the ship, he was struck with several emotions in rapid succession. The first was relief. Relief that the ground beneath them hadn't vanished in their time in the air. The second was excitement. For at least as far back he could remember, he had never been in a large city like this one. Though this eagerness came mixed with a healthy amount of trepidation. After all, cities meant people, and people rarely meant good news in his experience. Even though he had become particularly adept and not drawing attention to himself, crowds still made him uneasy. Yet, even that feeling was quickly overtaken by the one that followed. 

Fen hadn't immediately taken notice of Raziel's condition, his initial attention having been captured by the sprawling sights before him. Only when she called his name was he made aware. She instructed him to take her elbow, a command to which Fen would oblige. He would move her out of the parade of attempting to disembark the airship. Once successful, he would keep his hands on her arm, giving it a small shake as he spoke

"Miss Raziel, what's happening? Do you need anything?" he whispered, hopefully loud enough for him to be heard. He would glance around at his surroundings, no doubt wearing a pitiful expression on his face as he debated on whether anyone looked trustworthy enough to ask for assistance.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:49 AM, Post Subject: Curiosities Abound [Pm to join/Event]

After befriending a young vampire, the pair traveled together. There wasn't much of a change for Raziel, except the whole needing to change her sleeping schedule. Yet the pair worked together to keep each other safe. It was beneficial for both of them. With Zander sleeping lightly nearby, the odd mix slept safe and warm through the day, when Raziel could sleep, without fear of any harm befalling them. At night, Fen was able to guide her easily over the terrain.

Both got much needed companionship. For the angel, there was nothing better than to have someone to hold a conversation with. It didn't matter how young he was. Fen was still young enough that he had a thousand questions, and she had almost as many explanations or stories to answer him with. When they had heard a rumor of a bunny traveling south to Sidhiel, she wanted to go. While she couldn't see it, there were still ways to experience such things. She wasn't sure how, but if there was a will, there was a way. It was what her mother had always told her.

Little effort was given to convince the child to go. Who wouldn't want to see a magical rabbit? So they made their way to the nearest air port and boarded an air ship. This was literally the closest to flying Raziel would ever get. All in all, the trip to Sidhiel was uneventful, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. However, what was truly the most troubling of the whole thing was actually the disembarkation.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary as they took their first steps off the ship. Each step seemed to echo loudly in her ears, exploding into an overly detailed image in her mind. She could see the ship behind them, the boy and wolf next to her, and a crowd before them. Buildings neatly arranged. As soon as the image came, it disappeared, only to happen again with the next step. Raziel's head spun with the influx of information. In a desperate attempt to still everything, she grabbed her head, fingernails digging into her scalp.

"Fen!" But there was nothing he could do. This was all inside of her own head. What was going on? People were pushing against her to continue their way into the city. "Take my elbow… I'll be fine." Raziel lied as she held out one elbow for him to cup into his hand, the other hand moving to grip her staff. Even then, fisted fingers were also pressing against her head. It was the easiest way for someone to lead the blind. With their similarities in height, it was easy for him. Zander whined, concerned about his mistress.