Awakening ((Open))

[Zerodyne]

510 AV-winter, 22nd

Zerodyne groaned loudly as he hoisted himself to his knees. His mind was spinning and his vision slightly blurred as he attempted to gather himself. What...had happened? He thought as he leaned back onto his legs and placed a hand through his now long brown hair. That's right...I'm in a new body He could not find his voice, only his thoughts would company him while he was disoriented. He could feel now, though he wasn't sure how he had gotten to this place and how he had really performed the ritual. Now that his site was beginning to clear, Zerodyne found himself looking around a small campsite.

He was in a small grove of trees, a tent set up near a fire while a pony strutted around a wooden stake that it was tied to. Zerodyne's features turned a shade brighter as he smiled to himself. New life.. He could feel it now that he was adjusting to the body. Though confusion coursed through and took hold of his mind, he was still able to breathe in and enjoy the new life that he had just granted himself.

Shakily getting to his feet, Zerodyne walked over to a small bag filled with provisions, he looked through them and also noticed a small quiver of bolts and a small weapon near them. It was a weapon designed for ranged combat, or hunting, the crossbow was handmade and seemed to know much use. The small blade that rested, unsheathed, next to it seemed to know the same as some kind of animal's blood stained the metal. After looking over the items he now owned he stood to look over the horse.

"Nice condition.." The voice that spoke was soft but held a strong tone to it, it was now his voice. Zerodyne looked over the horse while the beast seemed to eye him, almost sensing some kind of strange behavior from it's owner it moved away from his touch. Giving a shrug Zerodyne just looked about him, nodding as he was pleased with what was before him. Now he could think, he had to find out how he had gotten to where he was now and who he really was. For some odd reason, he couldn't seem to remember anything about himself at all!

[Niahara Erskine]

Niah walked alone, a double-bladed dagger twirling around her fingers as she absent-mindedly wondered where on Mizahar was she going. She had had an argument with her mother, not really her mother, more like it Ara's mother when she said she didn't want to stop chasing the bandits that had kidnapped Ara as a child and held her for ransom. Normally, when mother had found out of her incursions in the forest she had been upset, but understood Niah's need for loneliness. That was until she found out that Niah was actually training with the sword and dagger to make the bastard pay... "I wish I could talk to Niah." Mother had said casually earlier that day and Niah answered from within the shadows. Gently taking over from Ara she had a lengthy conversation with mother until she was forbidden to go bandit hunting unless she had a backup with her. After explaining that she hadn't actually went to hunt any bandits, rather she merely practiced her squills mother had let Niah go and spend her time however she wanted, keeping Ara asleep a little more. Now Niah was walking outside the gates of Syliras, gazing at the Cobalt Mountains that appeared in front of her eyes, tall and looming and wondering what exactly was her purpose. She thought she had to avenge her nanny Rose who had fallen prey to the bandits and Ara's ruined childhood, but now she didn't know anymore. Suddenly the light of a fire startled her and she understood she was approaching a campsite. A man with dark hair was walking here and there inspecting his weapons, probably making sure they were in top shape. Thinking not to disturb him, Niah turned around to leave. However she did not notice the twig that lay on the ground and stepped on it. The wood split in two parts making a loud CRACK. Niah turned around to see if the man had heard her.

[Zerodyne]

Zerodyne smiled to himself as he shrugged and grabbed the flint from within the bag. He might as well start the fire and get cozy while he tried to figure things out. After finding some dry timber among the ground he dusted off a light covering of snow upon the campfire. How long had he really been out? He can't be unconcious but....how? Shaking his head to try and calm himself he started the fire after a few attempts.

Sitting back as the heat of the fire raised into the air, making lines upon the white snow that was in Zerodyne's view. He smirked to himself then closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "To live..is a great thing" He said to himself. Enjoying the sound of his young voice. Somehow he thought he remembered himself being in an old body just recently, but he still couldn't remember anything at all.

How had he gotten here? Where had his old body gone? Why had he switched bodies to begin with? Had his old one been dying? More questions popped into his mind as he stared at the fire and the heat waves rising from it. His brought the cloak he wore about him and huddled. Though he was something of an undead her could still feel in this body.

Then he heard something, the snapping of a twig brought him to his feet. He turned and pulled the crossbow as though he had done it many times before and aimed it shakily at where he had heard the noise. His body was hesitating and filling with adrenaline, most likely from being young and inexperienced.
"Who goes there?" He shouted towards the empty looking woods before him.

[Niahara Erskine]

Niah held her breath waiting to see the stranger's reaction. She quickly pocketed her dagger in order to avoid complications should he be a trustful person and waited. Soon enough the man grabbed a crossbow and shouted in her direction. She thought about simply walking away, but should she make any noise he might get startled and shoot. "I'm sorry." she stepped put in the open raising her hands in surrender "I didn't mean to startle you. I was unaware someone else was roaming around here." As she walked closer to the campsite she was able to see the man who called out. He was young, at least the same age she was, if not younger, but his brown eyes were circled by deep bags as if he hadn't slept in some time. He stood armed and prepared, yet something in him seemed to hesitate. Probably the idea of shooting blindly in the woods. "I mean no harm or anything." Niah added and laughed at her choice of words. What kind of threat could she possibly bring?

[Zerodyne]

Zerodyne blinked as a women appeared out form between the trees. He noticed her beautifully colored hair and slim features, but what caught him was her icy stare. Her eyes almost seemed to size him over and yet when he made eye contact they seemed to tell a story he could not comprehend. He smirked to himself, somehow he felt he had seen no one living in a long time. Where had he been?!

Blinking again he lowered the crossbow but only slightly. No harm? he thought curiously. What would someone be doing out here unless they where 'traveling' like himself or a cutpurse. Sizing her over Zerodyne finally got the nerve to speak. "Who are you and why are you wandering the woods?" He asked getting to the point, not particularly in the right mind to talk with another being at the moment.

[Niahara Erskine]

Niah watched as he measured her from head to toe. There was something off about him, something not quite human, yet she couldn't figure out what. He looked human enough when he snapped at her about her wandering in the woods. "My name is Niah Erskine." she said using her full name for the first time. "I am a violinist..." Not exactly true, Ara was the violinist even though Niah could hold her own should she need to. "I live in Syliras... it's an hour away from here. You probably didn't notice you've traveled so far. I was simply enjoying a walk outside the city gates." She was being oddly sociable, but something told her it was better than being antisocial as usual. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you..." Niah looked at his crossbow pointedly hoping that he would totally lower it. She didn't want to risk it going off by accident and injuring her. "I can leave if you wish me to do so."

[Zerodyne]

Zerodyne listened as she spoke and cocked his brow at hearing she was a violinist. What was a violinist doing so far un-protected? Unless...she was something more? He lowered the crossbow as she kept eying it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Niah...you don't have to leave, it's quiet chilly...." He added the last part and sat back down upon the rock he had placed there. there where a few dry places around the fire that he slightly motioned to, though he wasn't exactly sure he wanted company, but it would give him a chance to find out more about his surroundings if he was to talk to another person.

After placing the crossbow down, within reach, he looked up at her and again found himself staring at her eyes, his own would not be so fixating or fascinating. Her spirit seemed so full of life, life he knew he now owned, at least for a short while. He wanted to find out what really happened to him, but for now he would have to just adjust to his current situation. "I'm Zerodyne..."

[Niahara Erskine]

She slightly relaxed as she lowered his crossbow and sat back down on the rock, near the fire, motioning her to join him. She wasn't sure she wanted to join him and she was weary of this particular stranger. However she decided to take her chances and took a seat on a flat rock next to the fire. The weather was indeed chilly so she huddled in her crimson cloak. "Pleased to meet you Zerodyne." she added after hearing his name. "So..." Niah started uncertainly "Were you heading to Syliras or did you loose your way around here in the woods. As I said you are pretty close to the citadel."

[Zerodyne]

Zerodyne hesitated slightly as she asked him where he had been heading. He really wasn't sure why he was here to begin with. Though he would have to attempt to make something up or avoid the conversation, already he was regretting letting her stay. He eyes though....he couldn't seem to get away from them. The first person he had seen since waking up and already he found himself captivated by someone.

Shaking his head he just looked at the fire and shrugged slightly. "I'm just heading in any old direction, I don't really have any place to go to or any place I need to go to." Though it was the truth he DID in fact have someplace he needed to go to, though he wasn't sure where yet. He HAD to find out who he was or well, who he had been really.

Zerodyne rubbed his dark rimmed eyes and just stared at the fire, almost unblinking as he waited for some kind of response form her, he wasn't really sure of how to make a conversation.

[Niahara Erskine]

Gazing at the fire Niah nodded at what Zerodyne had said. Not having a place to belong to must be both good and bad. On one hand there was no one to bother you should you wish to be alone, no one to annoy you... still there was no one to talk to you or to wait for you whenever you were gone. "Well..." she hesitated. Perhaps he didn't care all that much about Syliras, he could simply walk past the citadel and head to Zeltiva or even Avanthal. Were was he coming from anyway. She decided she didn't really know what to talk about with this stranger. She absent mindedly took her dagger and started twirling it again as she did every time she was thinking about something. She gazed around curious to see if he was walking by foot wherever he was going or perhaps he had a horse. She wasn't sure with the abundance of trees, but she thought she spotted something in the woods. "Wherever you're heading the weather is getting awfully cold. Do you have a horse of some sorts to use in your travels?"