Author: Lou, Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:00 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox gratefully took the second bowl from Caius when he offered it and a spoon. The soup was thick and filled with chunks of food. She was looking forward to eating it and smiled at him. She walked a little way over and carefully straightened her legs beneath her. She set her soup bowl down for a moment so she could take off her armor. She put the pieces of metal to the side, allowing herself to stretch out some, before coming back to the soup. She ate it slowly as she took in the sunset. She bent her knees and flopped onto the ground, leaning comfortably on her right side.

She flicked her ears back as Caius asked her a question. She turned to look at him and gestured to a smooth stone next to her for him to sit with her. She waited for him to settle in before speaking.  "I was sent to the island by a group of researchers to look at the city," she said between bites of food. "I've always had an interest in research and have been involved with a few research groups in the past. It's a relatively cost-effective means to get to exotic or out of the way places, that, and I get paid to be here and collect samples. Though, I can safely say I've been to more dangerous places than this before."

With a sigh, she watched the sun fall below the horizon of the sea and disappear. "What about you, Caius?" she asked him. "How did you end up here? Not many people choose this area to visit." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, true to her equine heritage, she took slightly longer than a person to adjust to the dark or bright light. In a moment, she'd be able to see him in better clarity, though tinted as was usually typical when it was night time. The colors would become muted and the shadows would be more pronounced. They'd have to be more careful now, the place had a strange feeling about it at night. She wouldn't tell him right away, he seemed like the nervous anxious type already. 

Still, even without saying anything, her ears swiveled back and forth, betraying her unease as she focused on all the nearby sounds. She stood up and extended a hand to take his bowl. Picking her way back to the fire, she poured some water out of her canteen and washed the bowls and spoons, putting them on a warm rock a short distance from the fire. They'd be clean and dry come morning for when they would eat their breakfast. She added some more wood to the fire and looked at Caius. "I think we should be getting ready to sleep, we'll have to be up early tomorrow." She slipped into the tent and pulled her spare bedroll out of her saddlebag. She rolled it down on the floor on the other side of the tent. She didn't know if Caius had brought extra supplies with him, but the rocks here weren't the most comfortable to sleep on. Quietly she went and laid down on her blankets on the opposite side of the tent. She turned and rested heavily on her side and waited for him before falling asleep.

Author: Caius, Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:37 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

The knife was placed deep enough into the potato to cut off the skin but still would not cut through the vegetable. With every movement, Caius worked carefully but efficiently. Soon the potatoes and become bare, ready to be cooked. Caius placed the potatoes on his bag and set up a pot of water on a medium sized fire. He returned to his rock seat and continued with the vegetables. His hands moved swiftly as they began slicing up the potatoes into neat little cubes which fell into the pot of water. The water hadn't been too hard to find. Since clouds were made up of water, he was able to find a smaller piece of cloud and drain it. The water started boiling. He added some spices and mixed up the stew well. Soon they had some delicious soup to have for dinner. 

Despite his calm appearance, Caius was well away of the danger. He had chosen not to think about it. This wouldn't be the first nor the last time that danger lurked in the shadows. A smile was on his face as he stirred the pot. The jewelry maker's thoughts wondered from place to place. When one thought left his mind, there were thousands more to come and replace it. He continued stirring until he finally noticed that the protection surrounding them was almost done. Paradox had done well to fortify the area. Almost too well. Although he did appreciate the protection, he also became slightly concerned about the fact that it would become more difficult to flee. Then again, they were on an island in the sky. Fleeing wasn't exactly the best option. 

"Thank you Paradox." Caius softly responded with a small smile. 

Paradox  walked closer so Caius set out two bowls with spoons. Picking up her bowl first, he poured her a good amount of soup and handed her the bowl. Her eyes had been drawn upwards to the sky. Caius looked up himself and spotted the radiant beams of warm colors blasting through the sky. The clouds had turned to shades of pink, orange, and yellow. The sky had transformed into a mixture of purple, blue, and pink. Whomever came up with the designs of the sky ought to have been proud, for it was a masterpiece. After the lovely viewing, Caius returned to pouring himself some of the soup. 

"Paradox, if you don't mind my asking, why did you want to come here?" He asked, "I mean what makes you interested in the city?"

Author: Lou, Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 1:50 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox smiled down at the jewelry maker as he stepped forward to help with the food. He had more food in his pack that could be used and he seemed to have the better fine motor skills between the two of them. Slowly she stood up on the broken ground, careful of the sharp rocks and handed him the supplies from one of her saddlebags. It was the last of her foodstuff for the trip. She trusted his judgment on cooking. She wasn't a big cooker anyway, if she'd had her way about it, she probably wouldn't have even started a fire. But she was aware that people were especially susceptible to the cold, at least compared to her kind, so she felt like it would be polite to have one if he felt the need to get warm.

"Here," she said, giving him the pack. "If you can manage the food, I'll start working on fortifying the camp as best I can. We don't have a lot of time before the sun sets. There's some food left in my pack, mostly a mix of things. Take what you like. I'll be over by the buildings getting rubble. Just yell if you need me and I'll come running." She turned slowly, picking her way around the loose stones. This was not a good time to twist a joint or break something by stepping on it wrong. She bent down and picked up some of the larger broken pieces of the building and set to work making a sort of semi-circle around Caius and the tent. This would keep anything from approaching to the rear at bay, or at least hopefully. Like her equine counterparts, her only blindspot was directly behind her, so she made a determined effort to protect the rear as best she could. 

She could see the sun lower in the sky as she worked, though it felt like it disappeared much faster than it should have been. She wasn't looking forward to the night here anymore, after the earthquake she was a bit shaken, in both a physical and mental sense. Something was here and it didn't like them. She didn't know what it was and she didn't want to know, but she had a feeling it would go to great lengths to get them off the island. Considering the island itself floated on a cloud, their options for escape were rather limited. Jumping off the edge, being potentially the only option would result in almost certain death from dropping from such a height. 

She was not terribly thrilled with their odds, but she wouldn't tell Caius, she didn't need him to worry about it. He seemed to be a bit on the delicate side, even for a person, which was fine in and of itself, but she wouldn't go telling him things to rile him up on purpose. Instead, she focused on the task at hand, as she pulled a large stone behind her. It was about her size and she had secured it to her body with some rope. The going was slow and tiring as she pulled it into position with the other rocks. By now, the smell of the stew Caius was cooking was wafting over to her. She looked at her handiwork, pleased with the amount of stone between them and whatever was out there, at least on their weakest sides. She would likely go back and fill in the gaps and weak spots with more stones after she ate.

She walked in the darkening sky back towards where he was crouched by the fire and some cooking utensils. Positioning herself so that she could lie down comfortably and stay out of his way, she folded her legs and stretched her hind limbs out to the side on the blue stone. "Smells good Caius," she said looking eagerly at the stew. Moving the rocks around had ignited her appetite as well as reopened some of her scabs from earlier, but she would get to them later. For now, she wanted to eat. "I look forward to trying your creation." She was quiet a moment as her eyes were drawn upward. The sun was setting, casting radiant beams of red and pink and yellow across the sky. "It is something, isn't it? The sunsets seem so beautiful up here in the clouds, more than it ever seems to be when you're on the ground."

Author: Caius, Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 1:49 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

After the tent was up, Paradox had asked about food. The jewelry maker stood up and walked over to his pack. He pulled out some dried fruit, a carefully wrapped loaf of bread, some dried meats and a couple of potatoes. He looked up at the centaur with a gentle smile.

"I suppose a stew will work. I have some potatoes and a loaf of bread." He explained holding up the food, "Lets go with these first since they would be the fastest to rot. The dried stuff will decay slower. I believe its because of the lack of water that they hold."

After packing up the rest of the food, Caius took Paradox's knife and began to peel the potatoes. It seemed that they would be here for a while, if not the entire night. He paused for a moment and looked at the campsite around them. The campsite had been fixed but it didn't appear safe in any sense of the word.  Understanding that she was physically stronger than him, he decided to suggest something.

"Would you mind fortifying the camp?" He asked, "I think that you are significantly stronger than me. It would be easier for you to move boulders and other stuff for barricading or making temporary walls than it would be for me."

He was a little nervous asking such a thing, especially since she had appeared to be eager to do the cooking. Caius continued peeling potatoes with the knife carefully but his attention was really on the centaur and her reaction. The jewerly maker looked for any sign of anger or any emotion that would display she was upset by the idea. The last thing he wanted was to make her upset.

Author: Lou, Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 12:40 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox looked down at the young man as he spoke. Her ears perked forward as he talked about the vision he had seen. She was partially surprised that it was about herself. She was quiet, unsure of what to say after he finished speaking and walked over to assist him with rebuilding the camp. The tent was heavy and large, big enough for her to sleep inside with room for other companions. They raised up the center pole and reset the remaining poles on the sides. The fabric was torn in a few places, but nothing so severe that it would need to be patched right away. That could be done on the mainland. 

Once they were done with the tent, she set to work picking up items and objects that had been scattered around when the rocks moved. She picked up a few books and vials, dusting them off and shaking off the loose rocks. She set these aside upon a larger stone as she kicked through the rubble. Occasionally she would find an instrument or device hidden underneath, almost always, they were destroyed or damaged beyond immediate repair. It was a shame, but such a thing happened outside of her control and sphere of influence. She didn't think it would be worth the effort to carry such an object with them when they left. 

She noticed the sky was starting to darken as the camp was slowly becoming orderly again. Carefully, she picked her way over to where she had had her campfire the night before. The remains of wood were still there and she added a few to the stack before scraping her two front hooves together to create a small streak of sparks. The fire slowly ignited and the campsite was soon cast in a warm glow. She'd have to get up again and get more wood soon, but for now, the fire would do. She looked up at Caius. "Is there anything you had in mind to eat?" She had several food items left in her pack, they would probably be alright cooked over the fire or potentially thrown together into a stew of sorts. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 1:13 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

After receiving her approval, he stepped closer and began cleaning the injuries she had acquired. The ones that cut through the skin had to have the tiny bits of stone taken out. The bruises needed to be cleaned too but he had to be careful to not cause her more pain. Caius listened to Paradox as he worked. She explained her worries and told him about the beacon that she had sent. He placed down the rag and went to the box, pulling out instructions for what to do next. The jewelry maker knew how to clean things but the rest of it was out of his league.

Fortunately, all healing kits came with a small paper with instructions and pictures for anybody trying to use it. Pulling out a bottle with clear liquid, he walked over to her and began to pour the medicine on her open wounds. The clear liquid would sting for a few seconds. Referring back to the instructions, he learned that he needed to use the strange bandages around the injuries. He plucked the bandages from the kit and wrapped up her leg that had a medium sized cut. The injury wasn't deep enough to cause problems but it was able to be bandaged. Caius placed the bandage back into the kit and packed everything else up. 

Looking up, he saw the centaur hand him her dagger. A smile was on his lips as he took the dagger. Yet he already knew that he would not use it. A dagger was meant to be used by somebody who knew how to use it. Caius was not a warrior. Not now, nor would he ever be. Besides…he had his own weapon secreted away within his clothes. But the centaur was clearly worried about him. He took the dagger and put it in one of his empty sheaths at his belt. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset anybody. Even if it meant carrying around a useless weapon….perhaps he could find a use for it. Cooking, cutting objects, working to make a shelter. There was a list of things that one could use a dagger for that did not relate to fighting. Paradox asked about his vision. 

"Well…" He said thinking of what he ought to tell her, "It was relating to you. A future vision of some sort. I don't believe it will be an event coming soon, although its hard to tell. But if a child hands you perfume…don't trust her. Especially if you are in a living room." 

He would not say anything more. What many people didn't realize about the future was that it could change. The future was not set in stone. It was like thousands of streams of possibilities. One thing blocking the path of a leaf travelling down the river could cause it to cascade into a different river. It was best to only say what was necessary to protect the people around him. Anything more might cause disasters. Standing to his feet, he took a look at the camp surrounding them. It was somewhat destroyed. Caius decided to work on it. Walking over to a fallen over tent, he began to put it back up. It would be a while before help came. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2019 11:52 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox saw the jeweler start to stir and walked over to him as he woke up. She hovered near him until he regained complete consciousness. She felt a sense of relief as he sat upright and spoke to her. He was a seer of sorts, one who received visions of the past or future, likely both. She had read of such people in books, they were usually rare but their abilities were quite powerful, some of which being able to predict and prevent disasters and tragedies. Her ears perked forward in interest at his sudden movement as he reached for his pack and stood up. He stepped towards her and she turned her head to the side to watch him. He sought to help her and she nodded, giving him permission to assist her. Her supplies likely hadn't survived the devastation anyway.

As he worked at her side, her ears flicking backward to listen to him while her eyes remained focused on their surroundings. "I have a bad feeling about this place," she said quietly, cocking a hind foot against the other. "The earthquake we felt shouldn't have happened. We are on a cloud, it's physically impossible for such a thing to occur without outside interference. It's like an omen almost." Her ear twitched and her skin flickered under his touch. Like horses, her flesh was extremely sensitive to the pressure, even though he wasn't hurting her. It danced under his hands unconsciously.

She looked back at Caius for a moment before returning her attention to the buildings around them. She didn't know what she was looking for, but something didn't seem right anymore on this island. "I sent a beacon while you were asleep," she said. "With any luck, hopefully, a ship will be here tomorrow to pick us up. I'd rather not stay here any longer than necessary if at all possible. If there are forces strong enough to rock the entire city, I would hate to see what else they can do on a smaller level. If we can make it until dawn, we should be alright." She turned firmly this time to hold his focus, she wasn't joking around anymore. They upset something on the island, she was sure of it, and it was making a hard effort to kill them off or scare them away. They'd have to be on alert at all times now until the ship arrived.

She thought a moment before reaching down and undoing the belt at her hip. Attached to the belt was the sheath with her small dagger, she handed this to him, seeing as how he was unarmed. "Be careful with this," she said giving it to him. "It's freshly sharpened. I might not be near to protect you, so you have to be able to protect yourself. Use it if you have to. I don't know what we're up against, but I'd feel better if you had it with you. My bardiche would be too difficult for you to use here and I don't have anything else."

When she felt that he was done with her wounds, she turned around to inspect his work, rather pleased with his work. She gave him a soft smile. "You have a healers touch, Caius. That could prove very beneficial to us in the near future." She was quiet a moment before asking her next question. "Speaking of the future, may I ask what you saw in your vision?" She tilted her head and looked at him curiously. She hadn't met a seer before. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2019 3:42 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

The shaking stopped and Caius dropped his hand. Magically drained, he was aware he could do no more. His body stiffened and the black of his eyes turned to white. That vision that he had been fighting took over his mind. His face was relaxed and appeared as though he was in a dreamlike state. Caius was unable to understand anything around him as his powers overtook all of his senses.

Instead of smelling the clouds or dust from ancient stones, a powerful perfume hit his nose. A little girl was holding up a bottle of perfume up to the centaur. The girl had golden blonde hair and bright sparkling blue eyes. There was a big smile on her face as she held up the crystal glass bottle filled with lavender liquid. The room around them was a small living room with a few furniture pieces. Despite the child's innocent appearance, there was something strange about her. The centaur shook her head and pushed the bottle away, instead reaching for a weapon. A high pitch laughter jumped from the girl's voice as she formed into something else. A monster or some sort of beast.

The vision appeared to be short, however the jewelry maker could never be certain how long he had been in the vision. It might be only a few seconds for him but it could be an hour or more for the world around him. Caius blinked several times as his body relaxed again. The white of his eyes returned to black. Regaining his sight, he looked frantically around to try to figure out what had happened. The sense of touch returned to his body. He gripped the soft blankets underneath him. Caius regained the rest of his senses as he pushed himself to a sitting position. Paradox! He spotted her quickly and let out a sigh of relief. She was alive. Looking around, he could see a partially destroyed campsite. The earthquake….skyquake….the shaking must have caused the destruction. 

"…Sorry." He said quietly, "I'm fine. I just had a vision into the…future I think." 

He spotted the scratches and bruises on his friend. The drops of blood sent him into a slight panic. Caius snatched his back, rummaging through it until he found a medium sized wooden box. He tore the lid off of the box and plucked out a soft rag. Taking the canteen from his supplies, he poured several drops of water onto the rag to make it damp. Turning to Paradox, he took a step towards her then stopped. 

"…..Do you mind if I help with your injuries?" He asked awkwardly. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2019 1:17 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox braced herself as best she could. From above, she could feel the rocks raining down upon them. They pounded her back and shoulders, the hard stone banging loudly off the metal armor. Sometimes the pieces would hit her flesh and she couldn't help but grind her teeth and wince. It was like being pelted with rocks. Beneath her, she saw Caius move and extend his hand, creating a spell. Around them a portal opened up, sucking in the largest of the stones and saving them from being thoroughly flattened into the ground. Large chunks from higher up the building rained down, some of which were larger than her, these were promptly sucked into Caius's portal before they could reach them.

In no time, she felt bruises and welts from across her hide as the fragments continued to fall and at last slowed to a stop. She waited a moment before unfurling herself, careful in case any remainders were above them and hadn't yet decided to fall. After a bit of time, she stood upright, stretching her stiff muscles as Caius's portal disappeared around them. Slowly and painfully she turned her human torso to look at the damage on her back. The portions of her back where the croupiere and criniere didn't protect were covered in various bruises and knicks, some of which were starting to bleed. She gave a sigh as she made her way gingerly over Caius and turned around to look at him. He hadn't moved from they were, even though the shaking had stopped.

"It's okay, Caius," she said, trying to reassure him. "The earthquake's over, we're okay." She stretched her back legs, noticing stinging cuts along her thighs and shoulders too. No matter, she could fix herself up at camp. She turned back to Caius, growing concerned now that he wasn't moving. "Caius?" She walked towards him, standing over him and bending at the waist to look at him better. She was shocked to see his eyes go white and his body become tense. She felt a chill go through her as she reached out to touch him. He didn't respond. "Caius?" she asked again. When it was still nothing, her concern heightened. Was he hit by a stone? Was he having a stroke or seizure of some kind? Was he dying?

She hoped he wasn't suffering from any of the previous. Unsure of what to do, she carefully picked him and his belongings up in her arms and made her way slowly back to her camp. The going was difficult, the earthquake had severely damaged what was left of the city, the streets were now littered with rocks and other debris. She had to be careful, with each step, she could easily twist her leg between some heavy stones or get caught on the wreckage. By the time she'd gotten to her side of the city, she could hardly recognize it. What remained of her camp were only a scattering of supplies, some blankets, and some of her research and samples she'd collected over the course of her stay. As gently as she could, she laid Caius on the blankets and searched quickly through the remains of her supplies.

At last, she found what she was looking for, a round metal orb, about the size of a small ball. It fit easily in her palm and she could wrap her fingers around it. Pulling out her small notebook out of her saddlebag, she flipped it open to a page she had dog eared. Scanning the text, she found what she was looking for, and glancing at Caius, whispered it into the small metal orb. After a second, she threw it as hard into the air as she could. It flew high above them and disappeared in a green light. The scientists, when they had everything set in motion for her trip, decided to have an emergency beacon put with her supplies, knowing that the island was dangerous. If she needed help, she only needed to speak the spell in her booklet into the orb and it would send a message back to the mainland. With any luck, a ship would come for them in the morning. She felt they weren't welcome here anymore and the sooner they got off this cloud the better. She'd explain it all to Caius when he woke up. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2019 4:46 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Plucking a stone off of the cloud ground, he admired the beauty of the stone. Would it look better as a necklace or as a bracelet? Other forms of jewelry were still more complicated than what he was capable of doing at the moment. Even with all his passion and experience, he had more to learn about his art. He placed the stone into the pouch filled with other stones. Although the jewelry maker didn't say anything, he deeply appreciated the company. Just knowing that there was somebody else with him seemed to improve his mood. Loneliness still echoed in his heart but the hole closed slightly. Caius continued working as his focus slowly became wrapped entirely around the work. He wanted to gather the best and most amazing pieces without destroying the buildings. 

Suddenly, the ground began shaking. At first the jewelry maker assumed that this was normal for a cloud. It was only when the buildings began vibrating that fear began spreading through his mind. The pickax dropped from his hand. Panic raced through his mind. His body couldn't move. Caius was still as a deer that had just been spotted. He couldn't move. His green eyes filled with terror as he realized what would happen if he didn't move. Thoughts in his mind were screaming out. RUN! Something crashed into him. He fell downwards but was facing the body that shielded him from falling stones. His eyes could see the falling rocks.

Pushing his arm out from behind the centaur, magic poured out from the palm of his hand. His fear changed from pure terror to worry for his new friend. The idea of her getting harmed was enough to make him move. Caius was not strong enough to block every stone. But he was able to open a portal underneath the largest. Any stone larger than the centaur would have a portal devour it. He didn't know where the building pieces would end up. Suddenly, he felt his mind become dizzy. No! This was the worst time for a vision. Caius fought in his mind against the vision as he tried to use his magic to protect his protector from the worst of the buildings. Once the earthquake stopped, he would be overtaken by the vision. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2019 1:06 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox walked with Caius as they went into the city. She watched how he went, careful and cautiously, but he seemed to be nervous just the same. He reminded her vaguely of a mouse or squirrel. Smart and capable in their own way, but always on guard for something to happen. It wasn't a bad thing, but she would definitely appreciate his alertness while they worked here in this empty city. An extra pair of eyes and ears were always helpful, especially in unfamiliar and potentially dangerous areas. She had yet to find any source of danger or angry spirits, but she was in no desire to find them and see if they actually existed either.

Caius made his way over to a building, he went towards a small building and gingerly started to tap the wall with his pick. Not terribly hard or loud, but just enough to break off small fragments of the stone for him to store in his bag. She watched him a moment before walking over to another building. Like him, she too was collecting bits of rock and structure from around the city. She didn't bring an axe with her, however, and instead took pieces of stone from the ground and windowsills that had already broken off with the passage of time. It was nice to have the company with her in this place. It had been terribly quiet being here alone.

They spent a good portion of the day chipping away and scavenging the buildings to get what parts they could take without actively destroying the city. She was wrapping up the one building she was working on when she felt something unsettling in her hooves. She hesitated a moment, unsure of the feeling. Her hard feet made it very easy for her to sense vibrations beneath her. She stared at the ground confused, growing frightened and concerned as she saw the small stones and pebbles started to shimmer across the ground. She looked around her, the buildings themselves were starting to vibrate as well. 

Caius! She turned her head and ears frantically looking for her companion. She saw him working next to a building a short distance away. Small bits of it were starting to crumble and cause dust to rise up. Her eyes widened as she threw her tools to the side and raced over to him. "Caius!" She shouted at him, the urgency in her voice. "Run! Get away from the building! It's an earthquake!" Seeing how they were not going to escape the falling structure she jumped towards him, catching his chest against her human half and pushing him underneath her belly. She crouched as best she could, covering Caius and her human half with her armored horse half, and she braced herself as the rocks fell down around them. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Mon Mar 4, 2019 10:09 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Realizing that he had an injury, his hand automatically reached to cover it up. The centaur handed him a pair of thin gloves to use. He had his own pair buried within his backpack but the jewelry maker was not one to deny a gift. Taking the gloves carefully, to avoid getting them dirty, he pulled them onto his hands. Caius reached into the gray back that rested on his shoulders to search for a piece of fabric to wrap around his little injury. It wasn't as good as a bandage but it would work for now. 

"…Perhaps we should go deeper into the city." Caius suggested softly, "There might be stronger stones there."

He took the strip of fabric and wrapped it around his arm, covering the injury. The ground consisted entirely of clouds. Reaching down, he touched the ground and felt the softness of it. The idea of it being able to hold up so much seemed impossible and fascinating. Caius stood up properly and began to walk towards the center of the city. With a pickax in hand, he began to walk towards the center of the city. Each step was taken with care and caution. The man was one of timidity rather than unlimited confidence.

Then the jewelry maker set his sights on one of the buildings. It was a small house that had probably been once the home of a lower class citizen. However, the stone constructing the building stood strong and tall. It shined and was untouched by time. Realizing it was almost too perfect, Caius observed the building suspiciously for a few moments before deciding that it was safe. He picked up his pickax and began to tap on the corner of one of the building's windows. The taps were powerful enough to cause cracks in the wall but careful enough to ensure that the wall wouldn't fall apart. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Sat Mar 2, 2019 10:04 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox looked out over the water, feeling the breeze come off the sea and blow through the city. Her mane and tail fluttered in the wind. She closed her eyes, savoring the smell of the salty sea air. She didn't come to the beach often, and when she did the trips weren't long. This was likely the longest amount of time she had spent near the shore for a long time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the young man smile. He also seemed to like it here. His green eyes were bright and she could tell he was either daydreaming or possibly lost in his own mind. She cocked an ear in his direction as he began to speak.

Her assumption was correct that he was thinking, and he explained himself well on why he had come to this island. She listened to what he was saying and tried to picture the idea in her mind's eye. Though she wasn't the best with jewelry and trinkets, she could see what he had in mind. It fit the city very well and would likely be a very popular piece. He suddenly turned to look at her and it caught her momentarily by surprise. She looked down at him for a moment before answering his question. She was quiet a minute as she thought about his suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, she just hoped it wouldn't attract the attention of the other beings present there.

She nodded at him. "We can try that," she said. She put a hand on her criniere where her hip would have been if she were a human.  "It's not a bad idea. We just have to make sure to be doubly careful to avoid attracting attention to ourselves. I'd rather continue to avoid the Scratchers if at all possible, I'd rather not run into them if we can prevent it. I have no interest in sparing with a creature that I can't see." She smiled at him and turned slowly on her hindquarters to head back into the city. She didn't trust the edge too much, considering her heavy weight, it would likely take no time at all for it to crumble beneath her and plunge her into the sea. Also something she would like to avoid while she stayed here.

She caught the faint scent of copper and turned to look at Caius again. She furrowed her brow as she scrutinized him thoroughly. She saw him move one of his arms and saw a cut on the back, not deep or severe, but just enough that it made a smell. "I would cover that," she said quietly gesturing to his hand. "If I can smell it, the Scratchers probably can too. Avoiding attention is very important here." She reached into her saddlebag and after rummaging a minute, found a thin pair of gloves. "Here," she said handing them to him. "These can keep you from getting beat up on the rocks."

Author: Caius, Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:07 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Following the centaur near the edge, he looked down at the beautiful ocean below. The calm waters glistened in the sun as a flock of birds searched for something to eat. A soft smile appeared on his face as he watched. His black ebony hair flew gently in the wind. Despite his green eyes focusing on the water, his mind was busy creating thousands of new possibilities. Images imagined in his mind displayed new ideas of what to try. 

"….This is why I wanted to get a few of those stones. Those stones almost capture the sky and the sea in a way that few other stones do. If I try to combine it with a cloud aspect, then I hope to create a piece that would inspire thoughts of this place, even if they've never been there themselves." Caius spoke, deep in thought. 

Turning around to see his new friend, he realized they both were here for similar goals. And that meant….

"Would you like to work together?" Caius asked, "We both are after the same thing. It would be safer in numbers. Not to mention it would be easier to work with somebody else." 

He also didn't want her to get too lonely. The jewelry maker did know that Paradox was fine with being on her own but… He just didn't want to leave her alone. His right hand had a dash on the top. The cut wasn't deep but small bits of blood started leaking out. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:14 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox was relieved when the young man calmed down. She was really glad he didn't decide to run off or something else to draw attention to them. It seemed to be better if they didn't attract attention here. She watched him pick up his bag and straighten upright. She smiled at him understandingly. "It's alright," she said, ducking her head a little and perking her ears. "I wasn't expecting anyone to show up while I was here. But it is nice to have the company." She stood and talked to him. He seemed like an intelligent fellow, young and ambitious. Being a jeweler required both skill and patience, as it was a delicate craft.

"It wasn't as lonely as one would expect," she continued. "I'm used to traveling and going off alone. I don't mind my own company, but it's always interesting to meet someone new. My kind being herd animals, I'm a bit of an oddity that way." She shrugged and picked at her mane. Like her, it seemed he was here to gather samples of the city as well. The city almost had a magnetic quality in how it attracted outsiders to its buildings. She too was intrigued by the stone and its ability to withstand the weather as well as it had, considering the possible age of the city itself. 

She nodded at his last question. "It's very nice up here," she walked slowly towards the edge of the city and gestured out over the water. "It's so neat to be above the birds that fish below. Sometimes I see whales surface farther out and when the stars appear, the reflections make it look like you are the only ones floating in the middle of space. It's simply beautiful. I'm sure when the city was functioning and alive, it was a sight to behold. A treasured city, it's such a shame it was abandoned, though I feel it would have taken a lot to get the occupants to leave here."

Author: Caius, Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 12:52 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Realizing how silly he was behaving, Caius stood up straight with a bashful look on his face. He reached down to the ground and picked up his dropped bag. Only now did he notice that the stranger was a centaur. She had long strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes. Previously the jewelry maker had believed that he was the only one in the city. However, looking at her, he realized that this was not the case.

"S-sorry. I wasn't expecting anybody to be in the city." He admitted, "My name is Caius. It's good to know that I'm not alone in the city."

Instead of shaking her hand, he opted to wave instead. His powers and abilities were still in training. If he continued to get to know her then he would eventually have to have a vision. However, at the moment it seemed like a poor idea to have a vision so high up in the clouds. Especially if there was invisible dangers around. Caius had heard many warnings about the city being haunted. Which was why he was so….startled by Paradox.

"Three days? That must have been a bit lonely." Caius said with slight concern, "Oh, I'm here to gather samples. Partially to give away in exchange for information. Partially because I'm…well I'm a jewelry maker. These stones have lasted for so many years. I wanted to try to figure out how they were preserved. Is it…nice up here?"

Not wanting to sound overly paranoid, he opted to try a vague discussion. Perhaps she knew something about the strange things happening here.

Author: Lou, Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 11:20 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox followed the young man through the city. Like her, he seemed to be a scientist of some sorts, taking samples of the rock and putting it in a bag. He was careful not to take any more than he needed. He seemed to be making an effort to not cause the building to fall, and for that she was grateful. She'd rather maintain her low profile here, she didn't need to go attracting the attention of anything that might have still been lingering here. She'd heard the stories but fortunately had yet to encounter any kind of mischief or trouble. She'd like to keep it that way if she could help it.

She saw him put a few samples in his bag and was debating on walking forward to introduce herself. It was then he swung the bag over his shoulder and turned around. Rounding the corner, he stopped just shy of her chest and let out a shriek before ducking away. She pinned her ears and balked at the sudden noise, quite unsure of what to do. After a moment, when her nerves had calmed down and she remembers that he was just a man, she stepped forward and peeked around the wall. He seemed very nervous about her, more so than most people when they first met her, and she was quite calm and civil compared to the rest of her kind.

Quietly, she heard him ask if she was a ghost. Her ears perked forward and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. A ghost? That explains the scared look. She'd probably look the same way if she saw a ghost walking about it. She gave him a smile. "I'd like to think not," she said. "I've been this way my whole life. I'm a very physical ghost if that was the case. Look," she said pointing behind her, "I even leave tracks." She stepped towards him again and extended her hand. "My name's Paradox. I've been up here looking for stone samples too. I'm working with a group of scientists out on the mainland."

She slung off a saddle bag and showed him the little bottles with different sized fragments inside. After a short time, she put it back on and secured it over her criniere. She gestured for him to walk with her. "So what brings you here?" She asked, trying to start a conversation. "I haven't seen anyone up here in the days I've been here. You're the first living thing I've encountered in the better part of three days. It's relatively dead here, nothing alive, not even the grass and plants. It's painfully quiet at night."

Author: Caius, Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 7:03 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Nobody else but Caius had decided to stay. He was alone in the city…or so he believed. Pushing back his sleeves, he took his pickax and swung at the corner of the building. His swings were cautious but firm. Enough to break off pieces but not enough to cause the whole structure to collapse. Despite having a thin and elegant appearance, Caius had muscular arms. Nothing like what a knight or soldier might have. However, years of gathering raw materials and working at a forge to make jewelry resulted in an athletic appearance. A piece of Azure fell to the puffy cloud ground. He plucked it up and held it in the sunlight to have a better look at it. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw the shining blue stone. 

"Beautiful." He said to himself. 

A stone that could last for a long time. Anybody would be interested in having an ancient stone as a piece of their jewelry. The idea that it came from the sky city would also attract attention. However, the thing that Caius wanted to have the most was to figure out how it lasted for so long. He had heard rumors about people getting harmed or disappearing when coming to investigate. Instead of staying for a long period of time, he decided to try to take some of the material and send it to some alchemists and scientists. In exchange, they would tell him the secrets of long lasting stone and he would keep bringing them samples. The jewelry maker took out a small pouch and dropped the Azure stone into his bag. 

He decided to try to find some tougher stone in the center of the city. Caius figured that it would be good to get a sample of outskirts of the city, middle of the city, then at the very center. That way if scientists wanted to, they could test each stone to see if there was a difference between material. The stones that he would gather would be small. Taking too much might damage the city. Only taking what was necessary for him and the scientists was important. Swinging the bag over his shoulder, he turned and began to head back where he had come from. When he went behind the building, he almost ran into Paradox but stopped himself. 

"EEP!" Caius let out a small shriek.

Then he ducked behind a building. What did he see? All he saw was a person. It could have been a ghost! Or something of the undead variety! Caius peeked his head around the corner to see a centaur lady with strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes. This still could be a ghost or ghoul of some sort. 

"Are you a ghost?" He asked cautiously. 

Author: Lou, Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:27 PM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

Paradox was sent up here by a group of scientists to do some research on the rocks here. There were rumors of treasure and such things, but she had no interest in those. She was getting paid enough that the money wasn't a big concern for her. The buildings here were different than any of the other cities she had seen. Onnen as she made her way through the country, was a very unique place indeed, filled with wonders she'd never seen before on Canelux or Parvpora. This city, for instance, was made entirely of blue stone and sat on a cloud high above the ground. She felt it was very old magic at hand, especially considering there was no one in the city present or alive that could be able to sustain it for so long.

She walked slowly along the road made of blue stone. She clutched her dagger at her hip and was reassured when she turned to check her saddlebags were still present and intact upon her withers. Her long bardiche was also still strapped securely in its sheath that went down the length of her flank. It bumped gently against her shoulder as she moved. As a suggestion by her fellow scientists, she was urged to bring some sort of protection in case she stumbled onto any danger here. At their insistence, she wore her metal leg bracers, and both her croupiere and criniere to protect her hind and forequarters respectively. Overall, her horse half was effectively protected if she ran into trouble, which so far hadn't happened in the two days she'd been here.

After spending most of the first day wandering the city and just sightseeing, she concluded that there was no one alive in the city with her. She had heard the rumors of the place and was cautious, but gradually became more confident as the place proved to be completely empty. She started her research the second day, gathering samples from the various buildings, roadways, and such like. She carried several other instruments on her person to measure the various levels of magic, the temperature, barometric pressure, and other things. The scientists would take this information from the instruments and journal she kept in her saddlebag and put it into something more scientific and official. Possibly even a textbook about the place so that others could study about the city for themselves. It was a nice idea anyway and kept her motivated.
As she was making her way carefully around the edge of the city a noise caught her attention. She stopped for a moment and flicked her ears back and forth in order to tune in on the sound. It was from an airship. Curious she walked towards where it would likely land, stopping just before she reached the landing site. It was true, there was an airship coming in for a landing. It was only there for a short time and she took it in with wide eyes. The scientists weren't supposed to send for her for another two days or so, it was too early for her departure craft to arrive. Just as quickly as it landed on the platform, the airship lifted off and flew away. She watched it go for a moment before walking briskly to where it had just been.
She walked carefully, seeing the imprint of the landing gear in the light blue dust. A pair of other shapes caught her attention and she walked over, surprised. They were footprints of someone walking away from the airship. She furrowed her brow in slight confusion and dipped her ears slightly. Someone got off? Here of all places. She looked up and followed them with her eyes to where they turned and walked behind a building. Hesitantly, she followed them, knowing that where the footprints stopped, the person would be there. This place was dangerous, she had learned that in the short time she'd been there. There were things she couldn't explain and that was why the scientists had sent her to look into them, to try and solve the puzzle. It wasn't safe for whoever it was to be out here alone and she felt a gnawing need to find them. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:52 AM, Post Subject: Azure Skies [P]

"It's dangerous up there yeh know?" A sailor warned, "And not just cause its in teh air. Dark magic er somethin causin folks to get scratches."

Caius didn't respond and instead kept gazing up at the blue sky. The sailor sighed heavily then walked off, muttering about how people needed to get their heads out of the clouds. White clouds danced around in the sky as the ship traveled to its destination. Airships typically avoided the cursed city but the captain was a family friend, so this one time the jewelry maker was able to get a free ride to wherever he wanted. Folding his arms over the railing of the ship that kept people from falling overboard, he set his sights on the city they approached. He had come prepared. His long black hair was tied up in a bun, he had chosen a deep blue tunic with long sleeves and white trousers to blend in with the sky, and a gray backpack filled with all of the supplies that he would need.

The backpack had food, water, a tinderbox, gloves, his journal, mining tools, a net, a pouch, a map, a lantern, rope, a tailoring kit, a whetstone, and a few eating tools in case he got hungry. Two weeks before the journey Caius had learned and practiced a new spell called Gate Travel. It would allow him to travel from one place to another with portals. The jewelry maker was still cautious using that spell. During one of his practices, he had sent one part of an apple into a well and another part to a volcano. He'd gotten better with the magic but was nervous about performing the magic for himself. Caius enjoyed having both halves of his body. 

A hand slapped down on his shoulder, making him jump with surprise. 

"We've landed." The captain said, "Caius…are you certain that you want to go into the city? That place is dangerous. Even for me or my soldiers." 

A small smile appeared on Caius' lips. 

"Don't worry sir." He said softly, "If I run into trouble, I have a spell I can use to get me out." 

Unconvinced but wanting to let him try anyway, the captain simply nodded and went off to yell at some lazy sailor. The airship stopped and let all passengers for the city get off. Some of the sailors waved goodbye as the airship began to leave while others just headed back to work. Turning towards the magnificent city, Caius realized one simple thing. He was terrified. Thoughts of dying, falling, or being attacked flew through his mind as he walked around the city. But he soon became distracted by the beauty of the city. Its sky-blue stone buildings stood mightily despite the passage of time. The Azure material of the buildings fascinated him the most. Caius began to walk to a building with weaker structure and took out his pickax from his backpack to take a small sample.