Where it all Began (Solo)

[Aello]

12 Winter, 510 AV Aello had returned to the building in which she had met her first ghost upon arriving in Ravok. The same ghost that had asked her to do a favor for him. The ghost whose letter she dropped through an open window, whose knife she left under the sill. The same knife that never left her side for long. It always returned to her. Aello had managed to slip inside the old abandoned building rather easily, due to the fact that the front door hung off its hinges. When she had walked upstairs and looked around the room where it had all began, Aello realized that the building was the same as when she had left it- boarded up windows that only let in a soft trickle of light. Cobwebs clinging to the corners, keeping company with the shadows, a sheet of dust sweeping over each of the remaining pieces of worn, wooden furniture that adorned the room like a woolen grey blanket. The air still stank of mold. Aello was sitting with her back against the wall. Her bow and her bag were resting up against the wall to her right. She had pulled two glass jars out of her bag a few moments before. They were resting on the floor by her side. One of the jars was empty, the other, filled halfway with an off-white gel; the soulmist she had made the day before. Aello pulled the jar containing the mist onto her lap. She opened the lid, wincing as the cuts on her hand stung with the touch. "Well that's what you get for being a total and complete spazz," she scolded herself, the memory of her having hurt her hand while practicing the use of her dagger remained an unpleasant one for her. All she wanted to do now was test the quality of her soulmist. She had heard it said that one could infuse armor and weapons with soulmist, and thus either safeguard themselves against spirits, or provide themselves with something that could injure a spirit. Aello couldn't help but wonder if her soulmist was strong enough yet. Aello put the open jar down on the floor for a minute before she leaned forward slightly so that her back was off the wall, reached her right hand behind her back and gingerly lifted a peacock feather tipped arrow from her quiver. Aello brought her hand forward slowly, carefully maneuvering the arrow around the side of her face, so that she wouldn't poke her eye out. When she had brought the arrow to the front of her body, she lightly placed it into her lap. Aello then lifted the jar off the ground, and held it tightly in her left hand as she lowered her right hand into the glass jar. The air in the jar was unnaturally cool, and Aello found it nearly impossible to tolerate. It was simply too cold, and the tips of her fingers were growing blue. Aello sighed, "why does this always happen?" she whispered as she dipped the tips of her fingers into the mist. Her fingers felt like ice as she scooped some of the gel up, and then brought her hand out of the jar. Aello put the jar down on the ground to her left, and then picked the arrow up with her left hand. Aello's fingers were trembling both with anticipation and the cold as she slathered the mist onto the tip of the arrow. The mist seemed to stick, and cause the arrow to glow and off-white color before fading a bit. Did it work? Aello's brain whispered as she held the tip of the arrow before her eyes. Or was it a failed attempt? Was her magic good enough yet? Aello wondered as she slowly got to her feet. She couldn't wait to test the arrow out, and see if the soulmist held to it when she fired the arrow from her bow. OOCThis is going to be like the caveman version of spiritism. *Giggles*

[Aello]

Aello picked her bow up off the ground. She held the grip tightly in her right hand, as she leaned the bow against her right leg. The bowstring was closest to her face. Aello then thread the knock of the arrow onto the string, clicking it onto the serving. The mist seemed to hold thus far. Aello then lifted the bow after having switched out her hands so that the left was holding the grip, and her right hand, the bowstring. She aimed down the arrow, but only pulled back a few inches, hardly to her smile. She wasn't so sure she intended on shooting the arrow across the room. "Helloooo," an otherworldly voice called to her. Not another ghost! Aello's brain cried, as she jumped up slightly, and her heart started to race. She never could get used to their entrances. Her hands trembled, and then she let go of the bow string. The arrow flew across the room, headed directly towards the ghost that had just materialized. Aello's eyes grew wide. "Look out!" she cried; but it was too late, the arrow had already pierced the ghost's left foot. The ghost cried out in pain. "Sorry," Aello said as she winced. Well that wasn't exactly supposed to happen, her brain whispered as she dropped her bow and crossed the room to the ghost. When she looked up at him, she realized that she had seen him before. She had met the ghost a few days ago. The middle-aged ghost that towered over her, at approximately six feet tall. The ghost with the washed-out features, skin tone, clothing. It was the ghost with the square face, wide jaw and five- o'clock shadow, as well as a beard and mustache coming in. The one scar- a bright red line that cut diagonally across his right cheek. Something Aello knew had been left by a blade. Pained, pale blue eyes were gazing down at her. They seemed to be glazing over, and then filling with tears. It was so strange to see such a tough looking ghost tearing up, she thought. That, and the fact that he still smelled of fresh blood, and was wearing the same things. Usually ghosts changed their attire every once in a while, more out of habit than anything else. But unlike before, he wasn't floating, he was walking along the floor. Perhaps that is why you hit him. Aello looked up at the ghost, her apology for hurting him resided in her eyes. "Sorry," she said again, anyway. "Just try not to move too much, and I should be able to get it out for you." Aello bent down, and placed her left hand around the arrow, as though she were going to brace herself, or perhaps the ghost's foot for what was about to happen. But all that Aello felt was inordinately cold, and the hard floorboards beneath her hand. She simply passed right through him. She ignored that fact however, and grabbed as close to the point of her arrow as she could with her right hand. Using the same technique she always had when removing an arrow from something, Aello startled to wiggle the arrow, and then gingerly, she pulled it out of the wound she had made. When she had finished, Aello stood up. "There you go," she said, as she did her best to ignore the soulmist that seemed to be dripping out of the wound. It was tinted red. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just testing the level of the soulmist I produce, to see if I could infuse weapons and what not yet... they seem necessary now that I meet more and more of you, and not all of you are nice." Aello gulped. She hoped the ghost would forgive her, because apparently her mist was strong enough now. It was something her brain would not quit reminding her of. "Anyway," Aello stammered, "what are you doing here anyway? Did you need help with something else?" Aello asked. The ghost simply stared. "Well, I nooooticed you had carried out my wiiishes." Aello simply nodded, "of course, it was a simple, and reasonable enough request." The ghost nodded, "but it seems as though I have been called tooooo yoooou again." Aello furrowed her brow. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked, as she tilted her head to the side, ready to listen intently to whatever it was that the ghost had to say. "Whatever rests on yoooour right calf calls tooooo us," the ghost said simply. "Us?" Aello inquired. "You mean ghosts?" "Yes," the ghost replied. "It is like a beacon of light in the night sky. Much like the stars." Aello nodded. She had heard it said of her newfound dagger before from Cassandra's ghost, but, it still made little sense to her. How could a knife attract spirits in such a way? How could it seem to draw them to her? Call to them? Was it some sort of magic? Aello wondered. "Well, is there anything you need from me? Or would you like to see it?" Aello asked. "The thing that calls to you?" "The thing that calls to me..." the ghost's voice trailed off as she pulled the dagger from concealment. It seemed to glimmer, to glow. The blood that stained it seemed to brighten. "This," Aello explained, as she held it out, so that it was clearly displayed. The blade rested on the open palms of each of her two hands. The ghost's eyes grew wide, and it looked as though IT had just seen a ghost. "Something wrong?" Aello asked. She was startled and confused by the ghost's reaction to her newfound dagger. "Nooooow where did you get that cursed thing?" the ghost asked. "It was in the pile of your belongings. I took it with me along with your letter," Aello stammered. "Although I don't know why I did. I put it under the sill you guided me to, only to find it always returned to me. As though it were tied to my essence in some way. No matter what I do, how often I leave it somewhere... it always finds its way back eventually. And even if you scrub with all your might, it never seems to get rid of the blood." "Put it away," the ghost said angrily. Not knowing what else to do, or why the ghost seemed so upset with her, Aello did as she was told. The dagger was returned to its resting place, and the ghost's eyes never seemed to leave it. "There," Aello said, "it's all gone now." "It still calls," the ghost replied simply. Solemnly. The pair were quiet for quite some time. OOCThis knife is like Lady Macbeth in object form. Seriously.

[Aello]

Finally, the ghost broke the silence. "Can yoooou dooooo sooooomething else foooor me?" it asked. Aello nodded, "as long as it is a reasonable request." "Yoooou already knooooow that the one who killed me stabbed me oooon my way hoooome froooooooom woooooork," the ghost began. Aello nodded. "My booody fell just a few feet before my hoooome. If Clarissa had been by the windooow, she would have seen him." Aello simply nodded. "When the man whoooooo did this hid my booooody and my belooongings, I followed him after I overcame the initial shock and realized that I had died." Aello simply nodded, she didn't want to seem rude by interrupting the ghost, or asking questions. Things such as: What did it feel like to follow the man who killed you? Do you think he knew you were following him? Do you know why he killed you? You said it was in cold blood, but what do you mean by that? "He dumped my body into the lake, so that no one would find it, and then I watched him deposit my belongings in that barrel," the ghost continued. Aello nodded. "My wife... her hands on that letter, was supposed tooooo be enough, but it wasn't. My heart longs foooor answers, and revenge." Aello shifted her weight uncomfortably from her left foot to her right as she listened in silence. She was silently praying to any god or goddess that would listen that he didn't ask her to kill anyone for him. "Then what is it you want?" Aello asked, finally breaking her silence. "I want to knoooow why he killed me in the first place, for his face is not familiar. I alsoooo wish him dead," the ghost replied. "Naturally," Aello said, "he did kill you. But, killing another is not something I'm up for. Best not to bloody my hands any further, not to mention, if one is still alive when they finish attempting to commit such acts, and are caught in them, it is unlikely that they shall live to tell the tale." The ghost nodded. "That changes noooothing. His death would set me free." Aello nodded solemnly. "If he is ever alone, consider the deed done. If he will not be drawn into the darkness, he shall live. Does that sound fair enough?" The ghost nodded. "Yes, just see if you can get the answers out of him first." "Which answers?" Aello asked. "Why this all happened...." the ghost's voice trailed off, and he never finished his sentence. Even so, Aello knew what he meant. The ghost wanted to know why he was a ghost. Why his life was ended that fateful day as opposed to anybody else's life. His neighbor's perhaps. "So why now?" Aello asked. "Why didn't you ask last time you came for a visit?" The ghost looked at Aello quizzically, as though wondering why she had brought it up. "The letter should have been enough." Aello's eyes narrowed a bit. She hoped that he hadn't noticed her rising suspicions. Things simply were not adding up. He could have easily asked her before, but he didn't. He didn't trust her, did he? Aello thought as she returned her eyes to their normal state. The first quest had merely been a test, to see if she were truly trustworthy, hadn't it? And now he was back because she had passed with flying colors. "But it wasn't enough, and so you ask for another favor. Should be... interesting," Aello commented. "Interesting... yes..." the ghost mused. "The man who killed me, I believe his name is Charles. Sometimes, I still follow him to see what it is he is up to, and to keep him within my sight." Aello nodded. "He frequents the Silver Silver, and sometimes talks about me with his friends. More and more he has been doing so, talking about the body he left, and everything." Aello simply nodded. "Bragging, he has been," the ghost said angrily. "And you know for certain he spoke of you?" Aello asked. The ghost nodded. "He described dumping the dagger you now hold in great detail. The shape of the blade, the blood. My clothes. It is he who killed me, and he often speaks of me." "Fair enough," Aello commented. "Now what would you have me do about him?" Aello asked. "Simply asking around the bar if anyone knows a 'Charles' would more than likely lead no where." "The man is little older than you. Perhaps twenty-two years old. His skin is rather pale, lighter than yours. His eyes are a deep sapphire blue, his face far rounder than yours," the ghost explained. Oh please don't say Aello is supposed to kill the fat guy. The fat guys are the difficult ones to dispose of. She'd probably have to roll his behind into the lake. "He has a big nose, and a fat neck. The man is muscular, and always wears dark green tunics, with brown pants, and brown boots." "What weapon does he carry?" Aello asked. "A single dagger he keeps tucked into his boot, and an axe he straps to his back," the ghost replied. "Lovely," Aello commented sarcastically, as the ghost began to fade. He must be running low on soulmist, she thought. "You may be able to find him at the Silver Silver if you go now," the ghost replied. "And walk very quickly." Aello nodded. "Just remember to keep yooor prooomise," the ghost called as it continued fading rather swiftly. Aello knew she hadn't promised him anything. She merely said she would try. But she wasn't so sure she even wanted to do that. Why would she put herself at risk for a dead guy? Especially after what had happened with Cassandra's ghost only a few days before. "I will be watching yoooou," the ghost said, "just be sure to keep yooour proooomise," it said just before it faded away into thin air. Well that was rather creepy and unexpected, Aello's brain whispered as she crossed the room to her belongings, and put the arrow she was holding back in the quiver with the others. She then picked up her quiver, strung it onto her back, put the glass jars back in her bag, and then tossed her bag onto her left shoulder. Her bow was the last thing she picked up, she held it tightly in her right hand, before she straightened herself up. "Well here goes nothing," Aello whispered as she took a deep breath and walked down the stairs, looked both ways, and then headed out of what little remained of the door. Aello turned left in the direction of the Silver Silver Tavern. She would be doing some preliminary work today, if nothing else. Well... if she could find the Charles the ghost spoke of. OOCSorry if the fat joke is offensive to anyone.

[Aello]

Aello pushed through the throngs of people that crowded the busy streets of Ravok. Few if any of them bothered to pay any attention to her as she weaved her way in and out of the streets, and down narrow alleyways. She walked silently for about fifteen minutes, before she spotted the increasingly familiar sign that marked the entrance to the Silver Silver. Aello quickened her pace, and soon found herself in front of the door. She breathed deeply, and whispered, "here goes." She turned the knob and pushed the door open. Aello stepped inside and let the door slam shut behind her. Very few people turned to see the new arrival. Aello smiled shyly as she glanced around the busy tavern for an open table. She finally spotted one in the far right hand corner of the bar. "Good as any other seat," Aello mumbled as she stepped around crowded tables and drunken patrons and headed for the empty seat. When she got there, she put all of her things on the table, pulled back one of the wooden seats and sat down. When she had gotten comfortable, a maid walked over and asked if she wanted anything. "No thanks, maybe in a few minutes," Aello replied. The maid gave a curt nod, and then turned on her heels to go and wait on another table. Aello looked around the bar, no one seemed to fit the description the ghost had given her. Perhaps he wasn't here yet? Aello thought, as she waited in silence for a few minutes, her eyes constantly glancing back and forth over the room in search of a face she may have missed. Finally deciding that it was unlikely Charles would show, Aello grabbed her things in order to leave. Just then, a man who fit the description the ghost had given her pushed open the door to the bar. He was flanked on either side by dark-skinned, rather tall, muscular looking men. They seemed to be chatting merrily and paying little attention to their surroundings. Aello instantly sat back down in her seat. Her eyes were glued to them. But she was concentrating mainly on Charles, and not the men she saw him with. She was breathing in through the nose, and slowly out through the mouth, when she first saw it: a dark pink mist swirling around Charle's body. The mist was transparent, and most highly concentrated around his hands, which Aello found rather strange. Usually, the greatest expanse of one's aura could be found around the head. Black spots were splattered here and there throughout the aura, although they could most commonly be found around his heart. Aello closed her eyes, and the aura disappeared. Her eyes felt heavy. She felt tired. All she wanted to do was sleep, despite all the noise that surrounded her. The smell of ale, piss, and burnt food. It should have been nearly impossible for her to sleep in such a mess. But to her, it felt like it would be the easiest thing in all of Mizahar to do. Aello kept breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth. She was trying to keep herself calm, collected, with it. With each inhalation, she'd hold her breath for five seconds, until her lungs felt full. Then, she'd slowly let it all out of her mouth with a low sighing sound. She repeated the process ten times, before she began to envision a sphere of pale blue light floating above her head. The sphere was perfect in every way shape and form. The color was not so bright where it hurt the eyes to look at, but not dark either, where it would seem muddy and impure. The sphere was rotating slowly, and turning towards the left. Twirling around and around in perfect balance, and slowly growing faster and faster in its movement. Aello held onto her feeling of exhaustion. She allowed herself to be flooded by it. She gathered all of those feelings- her heavy eyes, her weary body, to gather in a dark black sphere in her brain. When she was certain that every ounce of her exhaustion had been contained, Aello breathed in one last time through the nose, and then out through the mouth. She breathed in, and imagined the pale blue ball absorbing all of the black, tired energy out of her brain. Slowly, it seeped through her skin, and floated up to the pale blue sphere. Aello breathed out, and then in. She continued to imagine this process, and her eyes felt lighter. The pale blue ball was growing larger, darker. It wasn't swirling as perfectly anymore. It wasn't as perfectly shaped. Dark black sparks seemed to hang around the edges as it grew. Aello breathed out again with a loud sigh, and then breathed in. When she was certain all of the tired energy had left her mind, she imagined herself tossing the new ball of energy across the room, and getting rid of it entirely. When she had, she let out her breath again, and silently counted to three. When she had finished, she opened her eyes. They felt lighter now, but exhaustion still lingered around the edges. The bar was the same as when she had first closed her eyes. Nothing seemed to have changed- the drunks were still there, the drinks, the foul-smelling food. Aello's mind was now clear enough to translate Charle's aura. Black spots around his heart suggested a sickness that was concentrated there. Whether or not the sickness was emotional or physical was a mystery. Perhaps the man had recently suffered a broken heart, or perhaps it was merely weak and he suffered from a cancer, or a heightened risk of a heart attack. The dark pink portion of his aura signified a dishonest and generally immature nature. Could this really be her guy? Aello wondered. He didn't seem too intimidating to her. Aello sighed. She pulled her quiver off the table and strapped it onto her back, she slipped her bag onto her left shoulder, and picked up her bow. She held it tightly in her right hand. Aello pushed against the ground lightly with her feet, and inched the chair backwards, it scraped across the hardwood floor. But no one seemed to care. Aello stood up. The only way to do this, to make sure it really is him, would be to go and introduce yourself, she thought, as she crossed the tavern to the other side of the bar, where Charles and his friends had situated themselves at another one of the wooden tables.

[Aello]

When Aello had reached their table, she rested her bow up against one of the guy's legs, and smiled sweetly. "Thanks," she muttered as she leaned into the table. The half of her arms that spanned from her hands to her elbows were resting on the table, her chest was leaning into that, exposing her cleavage, and her hips were resting against the side, her butt was sticking up in the air. "I hope you don't mind my joining you," Aello said with a shy smile. "It was getting a little lonely on the other side of the bar." All the men simply grunted in response, except for Charles, who for whatever reason, didn't seem to interested in her. "And what's your name mister?" Aello asked as she inched her chest upwards and extended her arm to give Charles a light tap, before she returned to her former position. "Charles," he replied, without turning to look at her. "That's a nice name. Charles," Aello replied. "And what's a guy like you doing in Ravok?" Aello asked. Her eyes were glimmering playfully. How rude, he won't even look at her. If she wasn't trying to figure out more about him, we would certainly give him a piece of our mind... and perhaps a whack upside the head or two! "Just drinking me ale," Charles replied, as he lifted his glass off the table. Aello was eyeing it. What if... Aello stood up straight, and then reached for Charle's glass of silver ale. "Mind if..." Aello was cut off by the fact that she had lifted the glass to her lips, and was tipping it over. The ale slid towards her mouth, but ended just before. Charles was looking up at her, somewhat expectantly. A hint of annoyance lingered around the edge of his eyes. Aello lowered the glass, and handed it back to him. "You're not the type to share are you?" Aello giggled as she pulled an empty chair over to Charles' table. Aello's eyes were flashing playfully as she picked her bow up, and placed it in her lap. "Thanks for looking after that for me," Aello said to the man whose leg she had propped it up against. The man merely grunted. "Well aren't you lot a talkative bunch," Aello commented as she inched herself closer to the men's table. Her chair scraped across the floor. "Ohhh, don't tell me you don't like girls," Aello laughed. There was no reply. "Oh... well, gays are cool too. Got nothing against 'em," Aello commented nervously. "We're not gay!" Charles roared as he pounded his fist on the table. His face was growing red and he seemed rather angry. "Sorry," Aello stammered as Charles pulled a few coins out of his pocket and placed them on the table. He grabbed his glass, lifted it to his lips, and drained it before slamming the mug back down. "Lets go boys," Charles said, as he pushed back his seat, and his men followed. Well that went over well, Aello's brain commented. It was always stating the obvious. The rest of the men nodded and got up. One of them turned to Aello and winked before he slunk out the door with Charles. Aello watched them go. Think we should follow him? The left side of Aello's brain asked. No, the right side replied. We'll let him go for now. It is not time to chase him, or finish the ghost's business... yet.

[Seth]

Aello: +1 Shortbow XP +1 Spiritism XP +1 Auristics XP +1 Interrogation XP +1 Meditation XP Lores: Applying Soulmist to Arrows, Questioning Ghosts, Using Meditation to Resist Stress, How to Fail at Seduction, How to Analyze Simple Auras. The Method behind my Madness : It all should explain itself fairly well. You get the point in Shortbow for firing the arrow. The Spiritism XP was for applying the Soulmist. Auristics XP was awarded for checking out the Aura of Charles. You get an Interrogation point for questioning the ghost so much, and a Meditation XP for your unique way of releasing stress. <3 Oh noes! It looks like Aello is going to murder a man! How exciting! <3333