[Flashback- Stone Garden] Memories for the Dead (Caedeserus)

[Zlakalia]

(24th of Winter 508AV) Zlakalia wasn't sure what she was still doing in Syliras. She meant to leave the city late Fall, but an early cold front held the caravan off she had been traveling with and Zlakalia missed them before they left a few days later. 'The gods are keeping me here,' she figured, 'so there has to be a reason to stay.' Zlakalia had heard tales of the stones here, the meaning behind every stone that was placed, and was glad to be here in this miniature glory graveyard. She brought with her a smooth stone and a nail, though she kept them hidden below her cloak. Under that cloak, Zlakalia's body had returned to a humanoid shape ever since she started reading of Gnora. Her hands were large and her limbs twisted and long, but at least her form looked human again and not like the monstrous beast it had been just a few short weeks ago. Her legs still were split into the long limbs of a spider, but the cloak kept them and their continuous movement hidden. Zlakalia went to the edge of the wall, making sure she was out of sight of any guards as she stood above the ground. At the very edge of the wall she planted the black stone, not as smooth as the rest but much harder, digging into the ground with the nail to get it deep enough. Once it was deep in the ground , just the smoother black top of the stone barely visible above the dirt. She took a step back to look over her work and make sure the stone wasn't obvious unless you were looking for it. "Goodbye..." Her voice was soft and loss seemed to fill her. Her thoughts were in the past, back in Zeltiva and Sunberth. Zlakalia pulled the cloak tighter around her, the sadness threatening to consume her mind. 'She's gone.' She knew the pain should have hit her before she even left Zeltiva but it was just obvious now. 'She's gone forever.' Zlakalia stepped back towards the stone and pushed the nail into the top of the stone. Moving slowly the nail was carved tightly into the stone, leaving the thinnest groove in its surface. Once she pulled the nail out a single letter remained: Z. 'Z for Zlakalia, my innocence, my past. She's gone now. All I have left is my future.' Zlakalia starting walking through the Stone Garden again.

[Caedeserus]

The ghost was watching the pycon putting a stone with others. Living for so long the ghost has never gotten one of those for himself. Envy filled him since he will not allow himself to pass from the world, yet he is already dead with nothing left but that sword. No stone will ever be put for him. Even the person which he has spent time with for a few of those years would be a doddering old man now if he was able to keep up with their perilous lifestyle. But what are their adventures compared to the glory of knights? Both will not remembered in the way the knights are.

But he was curious that the figure before him was definitely neither a knight, nor a squire. Why would she be putting a stone over here? The soulmist around him collected to make him seem more...real. Making the form of a weakly, ragged man. With messy, whitened hair and sunken eyes to match. Then the ghost went up to meet the pycon.

"Are you sure that the stone belongs here? This place is only for the strong." the man asked. Looking expectantly for a good answer.

[Zlakalia]

The old man startled the pycon, who raised the nail defensively. Zlakalia gave the man an angry look, eying his haggard and sunken appearance. He looked skeletal, reminding her of the weird unchanging bone structures of other species. She could almost see the pale white of his bones, imagine them tickled red from the sharp nail. It was a nice thought. Zlakalia gave the man her nastiest scowl, one that literally shifted her face with anger as she looked at the guy. "This stone absolutely belongs here. If you'd think otherwise then I beg you to prove me wrong." Her hand pulled tight around the nail, clamping around base threateningly. As she spoke Zlakalia took some slow steps on the stone, her long limbs feeling the ground below. "And what of you, old man? Would you have a stone when those old joints fade away?" There was something odd about this man, something about teh way he stood against the stones. She couldn't figure it out.

[Caedeserus]

If the ghost still had a throat and wanted to give up its ruse, it would have given a low rumbling laugh there and then. This one had spirit with an attitude to match. Seeing the nail being fingered, he knew that this little thing in front of him is a pycon. Tiny, little clay people which can regenerate. A weaklings technique for sure but at least it keeps them alive.

Amused this one has made the ghost curious thus getting the attention of the ghost. Would this little pycon still be so brave and spiteful once she finds out that a ghost now stands before her? Smiling, he would see if this little amusement will turn interesting.

"Prove your strength on me would you? As you can see, I am only so weak. Useless it is." stretching out his arms to show himself to the pycon better. Hearing about a stone for him set something off in the ghost. Giving a cold, harsh reply in a mix of two tongues as he immediately snapped back at the pycon without thinking. "Abastrandjaqit! Put for me, no stone will."

[ooc=OOC]Lol, actually wanted to make the pc talk in a mix of ancient tongue and common but forgot about that in the previous post XD

[Zlakalia]

This human's words were cryptic. And annoying. Even when he cursed out a magic phrase Zlakalia did nothing but scowl. 'He has to be a wizard or cleric, and both pairs of wisdom is not likely to be as sagely as this old man thinks.' This skeleton of a man posed no threat to her, even if he had tried something. "What do you seek, old man? I am in need of no magic nor god's wisdom. Tis the gods that force me here to plant this stone." Zlakalia started walking slowly through the layers of stone around her, paying no attention if the old man were to follow. He was likely to, she believed, the elderly believed themselves to be correct and justified in their opinions as often as the 'oh-so-powerful' gods did. Her steps were light as she examined the weaving patterns of stone colors before her. This was just another appeasement, a cry to the gods to protect their reincarnated dead. Quietly she muttered, "Humans and their wasteful decadence."

[Zlakalia]

Zlakalia was surprised when she didn’t hear the pitter patter of the older man following her. ’Who did that dying relic think he was?! Who was he to question the intentions of a stranger! Probably a nosy magic-user! They were just as bad as the gods, using their powers to meddle with the normal lives of others.’ Zlakalia glanced back, but was even more surprised to find the old man missing. “Good riddance.” She wrapped her cloak tighter around her, heading for the exit. The illicit stone now buried beside the path was as hidden as she could make it, Zlakalia felt peaceful. She didn’t know where it would be discovered, when some fool would remove her landmark. It didn’t matter. She was not burying the stone for the physical memory. It was a symbol, a symbol of everything she had lost. Is that what the gods were all about? Needless symbolism! It almost sickened her. As she left Zlakalia just let her mind go. Images flashed through her, and her mind turned back to that night. She could still see the eyes of the man before her, the cruel smile on his lips. Her skin crawled, literally shifting itself. She could feel the man’s hands on her clay, like he was here again. His raspy voice in her head… She shut her eyes tight, stopping her quick walk for a moment. It hurt to think. She just wanted the memory to leave her, to stop vexing her at every turn. She wanted it GONE! Zlakalia threw the nail down. She just wanted to curl up into a ball, so did so. The cloak now was suffocating her round form, perfectly spherical as she just lay against the stones below. She rolled herself out of the cloak, a round ball of clay next to what appeared to be a bit of cloth and a nail. Rage built up inside her anew. Zlakalia wanted to rebel, wanted to show the world she wasn’t a weak nothing. She was important! She melted herself out of the shape of the ball, stretching her arms and head from the round form. Zlakalia just realized she had been shifting her form. It was a relief to be able to freely change again, she’d felt so stuck. But the relief was mixed with the crushing sadness and bitter rage. Her head cloudy, Zlakalia stood up still with spider legs below. ‘These legs… feel… right.’ She grabbed the cloak and nail, and left. oocIn case you’re curious, Zlakalia was having a form shifting block. I couldn’t make it as clear as I wanted because this thread was cut short. Nothing physical was wrong with her, it was merely a mental block which she just overcame.

[Templar]

Zlakalia: Sculpting: 1 – Observation: 3 – Rhetorics: 1 Lore: Encounter with the dead - Caedeserus: -None- Lore: -None- Additional notes: Not going to lie, this is one of the stranger threads I have read. Entertaining, but still. Strange. I awarded what I felt was justifiable, but if you think I missed something obvious, feel free to PM me!