Mighty mouse. ( Evalin)

[Ximal]

Xi stood amongst the burning and crackling flames theri heat now washing over him as he noticed her still have two orbs of fire remain...So she wasn't out of power yet, however Xi could feel his chest throbbing and now was doing his best to focus. Xi leapt back widening the gap between them a little more, just to give himself some time to think about how to continue things, it appeared that she wasn't going to be able to stop herself. Xi shook his head lightly and focused on her. The world slowing and losing it's colour again. Xi took a slow breath and watched her start spinning the two orbs ion a concentric circle. The bright burn of the flames retaining their orange glow, everything but Eva faded from colour. He could feel the adrenaline pumping back out and coursing through him again the pain in his chest began to eas and the lactic acid had begun to build up now, Xi had only a very small chance of getting through this. Xi moved his weight in time with the swirling of the orbs as she called out again that word..."donmai" possibly meaining launch or release. Xi didn't know and he'd figure out later, But shortly after they had been released Xi felt something odd and saw it a gaseous res around them compacting them until "hakin". Xi watched the fiery coating of the two balls strip away and form a condensed blue streak cutting across the air and screaming towards him the tails growing longer by the second, Xi slid back and down to the side completely clearing their range or so he'd thought., No he was wrong the very air around them was sharp and cutting. As Xi cleared it he felt the air slicing and couldn't pull out much further and so he suffered a small cut across his upper left cheekbone. Not deep but definitely scarring. Xi clenched his fist and bre the pain as he rolled over his shoulder to try and get out fo the way as the twin bolts of lightning bore their way deep into the thick wall behind him. Xi remained crouched for a split second too long. And already her twin snakes of flaming vengeance had entrapped him. Ensnaring him in a almost perpetual ring of twirling and twisting fire. Xi started cursing inwardly. and looked aroudn him trying to vy for an exit...There wasn't one...Xi took a slow breath and looked around him at the twirling and encircling fire. So this is where i die huh? ...Well...It's been a good run but...i ain't giving up yet! Xi watched the snakes rear thier heads and pre-pair to smash into him like the walls they were and could become. Xi waited, held and then as they lunged at him he took a swing and then... Poof. The fire vanished and Xi's strike cut nothing but air, he glanced around and the portal on the ground had vanished and the two hunks of charred meat remain ad evalin was on her back. Though that floating orb held as a floating pyramid before him. Now speaking in a common tongue at him.Telling him that the orbs master was no longer able to continue. Xi flexed his fingers and spoke back to the now floating blue orb the world slowly pulling back to colour and the pain in his chest and face now biting at him. Xi felt him self falter a moment before re composing himself. "So you can speak, i was mildly wondering...Also Why the petch didn't you jump in sooner ?" Xi huffed and stepped over to her leaving his still smouldering old cloak behind him before scooping up the childlike evalin over one arm and holding her like a child. Xi lifted up her staff at the seam time in his other hand, the stem of minor blood now clotting across his face a few fallen beads had pooled on the collar of his shirt and wetted his beard. " Is she ok ? I know i almost got roasted like 3 times ther and i thnk you for your help...whatever your name is, but is she alright? This was only meant to be something to test her strength so, that's why I'm concerned." Xi held her on one arm as he carried her and her staff back towards the hostel.

[Evalin]

Her body would not respond. She could not move a finger. Could not blink, nor move her lips, and yet the whispers continued, having lost on strength. They bore down on her, compressed her, ordered her to stand and fight, to burn all, consume all... yet now Evalin had not the strength to even utter a spell.

She felt strong hands lift her and carry her, like a child she thought. Outrage, embarrassment, indignation... all locked within a lifeless shell that could do nothing to change the world around her. She saw Tsenrika floating over Ximal's shoulder, and she could see the man's lips moving yet she could not make out the words. The whispering... the whispering was so loud it drowned out the world. All she could do way lay helpless, like a child who could not defend herself...

*****
OOCTaking over as Tsenrika now

The Irylid floated around Ximal's head, having returned to his normal size and shape. He took up his usual position as he would with Evalin, just over the right shoulder, bobbing slowly as he match pace with the giant of a man.

"I was commanded to not interfere, and so I did not." he stated simply, curtly if you would, "Not until her mind was lost was my aid required."

He floated to hover over Evalin's lifeless body, inspecting her as he spoke, "Her mind is consumed by the whispers, and her body has lost its connection with her soul. She shall not die however." very bluntly stated, "It will take time for her to recover her senses, and after that her strength."

Returning to his position over Ximal's shoulder Tsenrika would continue, "If she could have, she would have seen you dead. Why matter it to you if she live or die? Why do you not kill her now as she would have done for you?" Cold and emotionless Tsenrika asked the question, but then again his entire way of speaking was cold and emotionless. Though Ximal did not know it, he was one of the precious few who had heard Tsenrika's voice. To the Irylid, he was giving Ximal a great honor.

OOCLol a bit full of himself it seems

[Ximal]

Xi carried eva in one of his arms like s small chilst the cut on his cheek still there but not bleeding as the blue orb began to float next to him, as he carried her towards the hostel he could hear the blue orb asking him questions. Xi sighed and tried to hold back the pain in his chest mentally as he walked, using a lot of focus and the distraction of the orbs questions he just about managed. The orb didn't intervene because he was commanded not to, not until she was lost to her self...Xi shook his head and continued his slow steady walk. Herr body had lost it's connection to it's soul ? But she wouldnt die...What the heck? It would take time for her to recover...Fantastic so it looked like Xi really wouldn't be able to do much until then...Maybe he should just give her the time to recover. Then came the harder questions as to why he didn't do to her what she was trying to do to him. Xi sighed and lifted her a little higher in his arm as he spoke back to the orb."Because I'm a warrior...I consigned myself to a simple fate long ago, "live free, or die trying" I will live my life my way, and 'll wait for the time that my luck runs out and i can no longer live my life free. When whichever god comes to claim me or no god comes to claim me...It'll be something that i accept, i wont like it, i'll do everything in my power to avoid it...But i'll accept it." Xi thought on his sentiments some more before replying as to why he didn't kill her. "And i didn't kill her and it matters to me whether she dies or not. Every life has a value, very person has purpose. Whether it be gods made or driven by their own will...It's not my right to choose to take that dream from them. That purpose. I'll mow them down if they get in my way, but i will not kill them. And i will not have someone die, when i can do something to help...That's happened to too many people around me...And i'm not having it happen to another." At that point it struck him exactly what he was doing, he was carrying little girl, himself with three possibly cracked if not broken ribs, blood down the side of his face, carrying her towards the hostel with a floating blue rob talking to him...And he was acting nonchalantly? Then he remembered the series of events that had lead him there and the things on the forty-fifth...And suddenly this seemed both mundane and fairly normal to him. Xi shook his head lightly, thinking of something to ask he finally decided upon the obvious. "Mind if i ask, what exactly are you? I mean your probably not something from this world though that's just speculation. So what exactly are you? Also, what exactly is she? You said she had her soul loose connection with her body? So what is she? Because she's no ordinary little girl." Xi closed his eyes and carried her forwards not missing a beat awaiting answers from the floating orb.

[Evalin]

Tsenrika was silent a moment before replying to Ximal's statements, "My master would call you a fool for such thinking. To let someone live who would do you harm without a second thought is... Well it is the folly of a youthful mind." and if the Familiar possessed lips he would have smiled as he continued, "Though you are free to your own opinions of the world, I would not mention your thoughts on life to her. She can be quite disagreeable, depending on the subject." This was a bit of advice that Tsenrika did not offer many, but to Ximal he felt as if the man had earned at least this much. Not many were privy of what may or may not change the mind of the with child, so perhaps Ximal had a leg up over so many who had come before him.

Ximal's next question was one that Tsenrika knew Evalin would not wish him to answer, and yet Tsenrika could not say he was completely hers to command. Unlike Evalin herself, Tsenrika possessed something of a conscience that saw fit to answer truthfully, "I am of a race of familiars known as Irylids. My home world is Fyrden, a terrible place, desolate and nearly without life. I made a contract with my master to escape that world and come to this one, which is a sort of paradise for me and my people. Those of my kind are valued for what we can see in this world, and we do not lie unless commanded to do so." He said it simple, matter of factly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "As for my master, the answer is not quite so simple. Do you mean to ask who she was, what she has become, or what she will be? All are questions that may describe WHO she is and what she is. As reward for your victory, you may choose to ask one of the three questions. Do you wish to know what she strives to become and accomplish? Do you wish to know what she has done to become what you see? Or would you prefer the simple answer of what she is now?"

[Ximal]

Xi shifted eva's position in his arm not sure of the pain in his chest. Shaking his head he listened to the floating orb. He had a point he let her live and he could be considered a fool but then again Xi sighed upon the being free to have an opinion. "The choice as to whether she lives or dies is not mine to make, i wish to have no such control. All in the search for freedom. I am free from her decisions as to what may have happened to me, and as such she is free from my choices. I cant say whether she will die or whether she will live. It depends on those with higher powers. I'm not a massive one for the gods but i cant renounce their import upon th world. And as such i won't go making a decision for a god." Xi felt the slow trickles of blood begin to harden and slow on his face as he carried eva listening to what the irylid had to say. He was a familiar. frteed from the place he considered a nightmarish world and into a paradise of sorts. But was that the whole truth ? Was he truly free of one nightmare and not simply thrust into another ? Xi shook his head and glanced at the irlyid when he called eva his master. Before he could continue a spark of anger shot through Xi again. "If she is your master what does that make you then? All beings are equal, no-one is above another. There are simply those who bend to the wills of others and those who state their will. And from how i've been listening to you you sound like one who'd rather speak up than stay quiet and tight lipped...figuratively of course." As the irylid continued after Xi interjected Xi glanced down at eva hearing the orb speak again saying he was free to ask one question. Would he rather know about her past her present or her future? Xi took a moment to mull this over. "It doesn't matter what she's done, not what she is now. All that matters is what lies ahead. Look at the past to learn your mistakes but step ever forwards at a steady pace. If you dwell on the past the future will pass you by. So i wish to know about what she wishes to become or ratehr do whichever is easier for you to explain. As she stands now she seems...headstrong and sure of herself. I almost lost my life there and more than likely would have if you had not interjected." Xi then let something rattle around his head before flocking his eye's over to tsen. "On this planet fyrden, there wouldn't happen to be other kinds of familiars would there ? It's a full planet as you've said so my assumption is that there are other kinds of creatures there. And no the fact your from another place doesn't scare me, frankly nothing much scares me after the events of the forty-fifth...Still i would be most appreciative if you could answer the question. And you can try and lie to me but i will know." Xi smirked and blinked once slowly feeling the pain in his chest jump through him sparking like a jolt of pure thunder.

[Evalin]

"Whether we are equal or not holds no bearing upon the contract. She is my master, and I am to serve her. Such were the terms of our agreement." The orb said simply, just as cold and monotones as always. It truly was a trifling matter to the Familiar, this concept of equality. All it served was to create conflict and strife within an ordered arrangement, at least as far as Tsenrika was concerned. One is meant to lead, the other to obey without question. This was the way of the world. The order of leadership, however, Tsenrika knew could shift at the most sudden of moments.

Upon the man's choice Tsenrika would offer no opinion, nor words as he kept his counsel to himself. Ximal wished to know what he wished to know, and whether or not the Familiar felt he had chosen correctly would not show as he began to speak, "Of what she will become, that is still yet to be seen. What she sees, however, can be spoken of quite clearly." He floated over his Master's head, her mind still lost in darkness as he spoke, "Of Fire and Ash, destruction and utter calamity. That is what is to come of her. The tearing down of all, the breaking of the pillars of this world, to make it all crumble to dust... So that she might raise it all again. She is the Darkness Between the Stars, the all consuming flame that shall engulf this world, and cause it to arise anew from the ashes left in its wake." Tsenrika floated closer to Ximal, and if he had a face it would have been turned toward him intently, "She might one day bear the title of Destroyer, yet in her heart she seeks only the title of Healer. To take away from this world a sickness, a disease that it is not even aware that it possesses. That is what she will become, what she wishes to be, yet she will forever be hated for her wish to right the greatest wrong of this world."

He fell silent then, floating back to hover over Evalin once more, Ximals last question lost in silence, either ignored, or unheard.

[Ximal]

Xi raised an eyebrow at the orb next to him. Whether or not he was equal held no bearing to him ? Xi shook his head. What was the point of trying to argue with it? What she would become was still yet to be seen? Well Xi could have told him that the future is an uncertain. Though the orb began to speak in a ring of prophecy, a roundabout way of saying that she would become more than she was and end up razing creation to the ground. Xi smirked and felt that glint of pain in his chest. Xi now was calm enough to attempt this. Closing his eye's for a second he pulled his djed down around his body down to his chest like he was taking stock of his insides, then he saw it or rather felt what was wrong, one broken and two cracked ribs on his left hand side. Shyke, looks like i'mma have to head to the infirmary. Least i didn't get hit by that big pegly petcher. Though as the orb continued Xi missed a lot of it but caught that she wanted to changer how things were unfolding. Bearing the title of "destroyer". If that was wat she would become she'd need to be strong enough to shoulder it and strong enough to take the title. She would be hated for wnating to right the greatest wrong. Xi smirked and sort of understood. " "No man is free." Tht's a phrase i use often, no man is free, from anything, obligation, money, people, even gods and fate. If what you say is true she wishes to right the greatest wrong, then she may be like me. Wanting to make the world free from it's chains. I know i'm but a speck in this world, but to free the world...That's the difficult part, to stop the threads of fate and sever the largest chain around this worlds neck. She want's to write a wrong. And i want to set people free. From everything." Xi paused for a moment before glancing up at the orb. "i'm going to leave your master in a room at the hostel. Then i'm going to head to the great infirmary, to fix the broken and cracked ribs in my chest. Then i'll return to check on you and her. She may be older than me, and she may be well somewhat heavy burdened. But everyone could do with someone to give then a hand. " Xi smirked and then made his way to wards the hostel, to do exactly what he had said.

[Balderdash]

Delicious rewards! Happy days and jubilation!

Ximal :

Skill	XP Awarded
Observation	2
Intimidation	2
Flux	2
Unarmed Combat	2
Acrobatics	2
Tactics	2

Lores: Something Ominous This Way Comes, Not Looking Where Your'e Going, Mistaken For A Monk, Bitchin' Eyes, Imitation: Sincerest Form of Flattery, Diverse Ain't Got Nothing On Gregor, The One That Shuns Syntax: Water Blue!, Near Death Experience: Giant Fire Snake of DOOM, A Warrior's Morals, Men are from Mars, Irylids are from Fyrden, Darkness Between the Stars Evalin

Items and Consequences: Your character has a bruised rib! Ximal's eyebrows, and any hair on his arms, have been burnt off. In addition, his skin, expecially that of the face, will be extremely tender to the touch for a week. Repute: Northern Quarter +2

Evalin :

Skill	XP Awarded
Swearing	1
Rhetoric	3
Subterfuge	1
Persuasion	2
Summoning	1
Tactics	2
Reimancy	5

Lores: Hating On Management, Mortal Insult: Ximal Bumping, Mistaking For A Monk, Found Out, Reimancy Technique: Vaknuizapatl, Near Death Experience: Reimancy Overgiving, Hearing The Sweet Whispers, Saved By Tserinka, A Warrior's Morals

Items and Consequences: Overgiving: Physical- The individual hairs on Evalin's head will, at random, burst into flame and "vaporize." While uncomfortable, the other hairs will be unharmed. This effect is permanent.

Evalin now suffers from light hand tremors. Occasionally, her eyelid may twitch. This effect is permanent.

Overgiving: Mental- Evalin and Tserinka will always feel uncomfortably hot, no matter the actual temperature. This effect is permanent.

WOAH! The start was perhaps a touch slow, but once this thread got going... Wow. Just... Wow. I was actually on the edge of my seat! Excellent work, the both of you!

If you have any questions or concerns about this grade, please PM me. A happy you is a happy Balderdash!