Roadside Encounters (Cale)

[Eris]

4th of Fall, 510 A.V.

Eris yawned for the third time, Rhine’s gentle gait rocking the woman to sleep. She hadn’t managed to get a good night’s rest for the past two days. Her night at the inn was spent trying to wrap a pillow around her head tightly enough to keep the ramblings of the very drunk man next door from reaching her ears. The next day, she hadn’t found a good enough spot to set up camp and as a result had stayed up most of the night, trying to discern some threat hiding between the trees. Dozing off in the saddle hadn’t worked, as she managed to jolt herself awake every time she thought she heard a suspicious noise. It paid to stay alert most of the time, but at the moment, she would have given anything for a good rest or at least a good stimulant to get her body working properly again.

Be careful what you wish for – a foolish saying by Eris’s standards. After all, it wasn’t as if someone was going around granting overheard wishes. Right then, Rhine let out an irritated snort, startlingly Eris out of her daze. Eris looked up from the mare’s neck to the road in front of her. There wasn’t anything there as far as she could see, so she nudged the horse with her foot to get her going again. Rhine only snorted again, throwing her head back in a way that usually signaled disgust. Eris couldn’t see anything that would elicit such a reaction from the animal until she turned her head to the side of the road.

There, hidden partly by shrubbery and dried branches lay a body. Eris’s eyebrows jumped upward in surprise. She was no stranger to corpses, but she wasn’t used to seeing them just…lying there. She slid off the horse’s back and made her way to the now obvious source of the disgusting smell.

As she got closer, Eris could see why Rhine had been so revolted. With the horse’s sensitive sense of smell, the scent of decaying flesh must have been twice as pungent. Glad to be rid of the weight on her back, Rhine edged away from the road, finally ending up a few meters away from the her rider.

Eris stopped a few paces away from the corpse. Her insatiable curiosity told her to inspect the corpse further; her common sense screamed at her to leave. Just as she took a few hesitant steps toward the body, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise - a sure sign that she was not alone.

[Cale]

Green. Blue. White. Yet these colors only partially explained the things before him. Why he bothered with simple things such as words was beyond him. Memory was so wearisome. Scratching at the back of his mind. He needed to remember something. When did 'he' become a 'he' anyhow? Hardly constrained by physical boundries, it often seemed out of place to refer to oneself as a... he. Yet, that was his title. No. He had... something else. A name? Yes, that was it. An unnecessary association with a past life. A life he was still paying for. Time held little sway, and it passed uneventfully as he made his way down the winding roads. Wood. Grass. A fallen log here, a flower there. All was laid before him. Yet, it was something else that caught his eye. It was a thing, yet it had once been a who. The corpse lay along the side of the road, partially concealed by brush. For a long moment he tried to imagine the circumstances following this fellows death. A single arrow protruded from the back. Yet, it was the clothing that caught his eye. Leather jerkin, with torn pants, and a black bandanna covering the lower half of the face. However, there was little time to dwell, as a horse was approaching. Not entirely sure what kept him, the being was among the trees as a beautiful redhead came into view. She looked much like he felt. Tired, worn, yet vigilant. Staying on the horse seemed a rather intense activity for her, and when she jolted into wakefulness, he eyed the horse. It was looking right at him. Snorting at its master, the animal quickly shied away as she dismounted. Yet, a single eye followed him as he circled the scene. Not entirely surprised, the being wrinkled its nose. An old habit. Yet one that locked firmly into place a reality that he had long been trying to ignore. For Illiam Cale was He wasn't sure when he started walking, or even when he became visible. Yet, here he was, approaching the woman from her left. He probably made a rather interesting sight. Appearing as he mostly did, the five and a half foot individual hardly seemed imposing. The long black hair fell about a white tunic. The tunic did little to hide the lithe, and worn frame underneath. Scars, ribs, and various other bits poked out here and there. The lower half was adorned with a pair of ancient boots, and ragged, torn pants. The arms swung as he walked, seemingly independent of their master. As he approached, the man scratched at his jaw, while simultaneously eyeing the horse, and the woman.

[Eris]

Eris did not turn around. As soon as she felt another presence nearby, a list of options rattled itself off in her head. Fight, run, speak. Fight, run, speak. The voice sounded remarkably like that of her old teacher, Joel. Funny how the man managed to get into her head during her moments of panic. Settling for the third option, Eris turned towards the presence to her left, her hand brushing the concealed dagger at her belt – checking that it was there, making sure the first option would always be available… What she saw left her staring.

The man before her was – was… well, blurry would be the best way to describe him. He was there and yet he was not, reminding Eris of a hallucination more than an actual human being. For a single terrifying moment Eris wondered if she was stricken with the same madness as her dead mother. It was when she thought of her mother that Eris realized what the man was – a ghost. She had heard of them many times, usually as parts of tall-tales told by weary travelers. More importantly, she had heard of them from her mother. In her lucid moments, the woman had spoken of a ghost coming to visit her. Once, Eris had even glimpsed the ghost herself.

This one, however, looked very different from the peaceful spirit that had visited Arlaine. This man was covered in every scar Eris could imagine; his ribs seemed to protrude from his body at rather unhealthy angles and his arms were terribly burned. The unmoving corpse in the bushes was forgotten for the moment as she stared at the walking one before her.

Finally regaining the ability of speech, Eris cleared her throat and said, “Hello.” How is it she had never learned the etiquette of speaking with ghosts? “I am called Eris. Who are you?” Introductions were always the safest way to go, she figured. Gather information and then decided on the course of action – Joel’s voice rang out in her mind. She pushed her old teacher’s advice away irritably. She doubted the man had ever had this sort of encounter.

[Cale]

For as long as the woman studied him, Cale returned the favor. Giving her a glance that could only be described as 'predatory' he seemed to look over every part of her. He must have noticed her hand touch her belt, because his gaze lingered there longest, before finally returning to her eyes. "You h've beautiful eyes." The statement seemed independent at first, but it could have been directed at the previous questions. It was hard to tell. As soon as he was done speaking, the man's arms seemed to blur, a black wispy substance rising from the wrists and elbow. If the ghost noticed this he gave no indication. He turned, and nodded to the corpse with a sort of smacking of the lips. "I anvy, those who get release." The more he spoke it was obvious this man had a thick accent, it was almost indecipherable. While it was evident he was referring to the corpse, what he actually meant where open to interpretation. Moving suddenly, one arm shot up, scratching at the chin as he leaned forward, squinting at the woman before him. "Ah wut? Hallo. I go by...." He paused, obviously trying to remember, or making something up on the fly. Sucking on his index finger, the man looked up absently at the sky. The next word was more whispered then spoken, and then, just as fast, repeated with a look towards Eris. "Cale." For his part, the man didn't know what to make of this woman. Something had anchored him here. Something had drawn him out of his wanderings, and kept him in this immediate vicinity. Probably the corpse. Although the woman was attractive too. Then again, when was the last time he had seen an unattractive woman? Maybe all women where attractive? Or... he just wasn't picky? Throwing a predatory smile at Eris, the man turned to the body. "Which donnae' explain why you be here." It wasn't clear wether he was talking to the body or Eris.

[Eris]

Eris blinked, thrown off by the compliment. Should she feel flattered? She remained silent, wondering if the man was avoiding her question. She was used to people being reluctant to give out their names, but that didn’t seem to be the case with the ghost. He appeared confused and a little lost, parts of him blurring in and out of existence. It was strange to watch him hunt for his own name. In that moment he reminded her of Joel when he had been drunk – dazed and confused, desperately trying to grab on to a piece of reality. It was hard for Eris to make out what he was saying. He appeared to be speaking a distorted version of Common, though she could not place his accent.

Eris tilted her head at Cale, trying to make sense of his words. Was he asking her what she was doing here? Eris bristled at that a little. She didn’t have to explain herself to anyone! However, after a few seconds of looking at the ghost, her temper subsided.

“I was riding by when I saw the body,” Eris offered with a shrug. “Apparently, I just can’t pass by something dead.” She smiled slightly at that, as if sharing an inside joke with herself. It was as if it was necessary for her to be around death at all times; whether it was she who delivered it didn’t seem to matter. She hadn’t killed in a long while and the corpse by the road must have been making up for that – reminding her what she was missing.

“Why are you here?” Eris countered. The question was double-edged. She wasn’t sure whether she was asking why he was here at the moment or why the ghost was still in this world in general. Eris was surprised to realize that she was curious to know the answers to both questions.

[Cale]

The ghost rolled his eyes to the sky as he looked past her to the corpse. He spoke slowly, trying to enunciate his words. He also punctuated his words, wether out of spite or to make himself better understood was unclear. He seemed to reiterate one of his previous sentences. "I. Envy. Dead." Then he realized she may have been referring to his current existence. What is it with people and asking why he was still around? He had never asked any ghosts why they still hung around. It was just accepted. The way things where. Eyeing the woman, ghost gave a sort of haughty pout, followed by a grimace. Frankly, he didn't feel like explaining himself. It always hurt to do that. Plus, she probably had no idea what hardship was. She certainly didn't look like anything hard had happened, or been near here in a while. Chuckling at his own mental joke, the ghost gave a dismissive wave, while tilting his head at Eris. "I'm what 'appens to little boi's when they bad." The smile dissapeared, and in another instant, Cale was on the move.... towards the corpse. He didn't really have a high opinion of the woman. Then again, he didn't really have a high opinion of anyone who was still living. Eying the fallen figure, he realized it was male. Much as before, he could make out the ratty clothing of someone who was impoverished. Beyond this, it was hard to tell. The smell must have been foul, since the corpse was in the early stages of decay. Upon further consideration, he turned to Eris. "Whea' are we? I don't know this area. Are we near the... port city?" His moods fleeting, the ghost decided he liked the woman. She reminded him of someone. Her expression, the way she carried herself... her rather shapely outfit... A grin as he looked to the sky while awaiting an answer. As he did, it became increasingly obvious that he was starting to fade. Wisps of black smoke now pouring from the shoulders and arms. With the long hair dissapating in its own way. Eris hadn't quite been able to pinpoint it earlier, but she could feel something. Almost the moment the ghost had appeared. It was pain. A deep, unrelenting pain, filled with regret. It was easy to guess where it was coming from.

[Eris]

Eris felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. There were many times when she had entertained the notion of dying, but never to this degree. The man’s voice was tinged with so much bitterness and pain, Eris could almost feel a cloud of his emotions envelop her. There really was envy in his voice – envy for the corpse that was lying at their feet, a bloodied arrow sticking out of his back, his flesh already starting to rot… She refused to think what one must have gone through to truly envy death.

Cale seemed to flit from one mood to another – there was bitterness, carelessness, some warped humor… He always appeared to be snapping out of a daze, grabbing back onto reality only to start fading again. Eris almost missed his question, so intent was she on trying to decipher the man. She had always liked doing that – deciphering people, that is. It helped to look at everyone from a detached perspective, a casual observer at all times, except when she got so close she could taste the fear on a person’s breath.

“Yes, we are near Zeltiva – a two days’ ride away,” she responded, her gaze fixed on Cale’s fading form.

She felt a coldness settle in around her. It was the same coldness she felt after a kill – no matter how justified - or when remembering her mother. She could only identify it as pain. But it was not her pain this time. Strange how emotion seemed to be rolling off the ghost in waves, making Eris fee empathetic of all things. When was the last time she empathized with another human being? Except, he is not human. Once again, you find it easier to relate to the dead than the living. The sarcastic voice in her head had hit the nail on the head once again.

“Why are you fading? Can’t you keep yourself grounded somehow?” the question flew from her lips in a rush, driven by curiosity and a desire to keep the ghost here. She had heard stories of ghosts that remained in human form for long periods of time. The ghost that had visited her mother had been able to do that. So why not Cale?

[Cale]

Cale blinked. Then he sort of eyed the woman for a long moment as if trying to understand what she was saying. Or... he was just oggling her. It was hard to tell. Giving a sort of nod to nobody in particular, the ghost rewarded Eris' questions with a dignified shrug. "Eh? Ah. 'Tis hard. I could stay." He had never really bothered with the living. Not after his death anyway. So it was a small surprise that this woman seemed intent on him staying. However, it was hard to convey what he was feeling. Almost like being tired, yet not able to lay down. He could only remain for so long. Without experience, or even training, his time with the living was rather short. He'd never bothered with.. well.. trying to stay long. It didn't serve much of a purpose did it? He couldn't love, kill, steal, rape, lead, or even till the land. To even try would only bring aggravation. Don't anchor yourself. Not entirely sure where the thought had come from, Cale pushed it to the back of his mind. "Zel, I am close. I have.. business with mage." Cale gave a bright grin to Eris, coupled with a waggle of the eyebrows, as if this facial expression explained everything. Then he was standing again. His 'fading' had started to cease. The black wisps and strands slowly melding back into the whole. He knew it time it would start to hurt, and staying would be unbearable. However, now was not that time, and he found himself studying the woman's hair. It was... well, Alahean more then Suvan. Yet, redheads had never been... common during his time. Or maybe they had? He'd spent most of his time out in the wilderness, wandering from battlefield to battlefield. The life of a mercenary didn't really leave time for picking and choosing ones' women. Which may or may not have been a blessing depending how one looked upon it. Another brilliant smile, and a question. "Yae' donna look like any of the .. ah... ladies I used to know. Where are you from?" He moved a bit closer, or maybe he was trying to get away from the body. As he did, he gave the horse a quick appraisal. "Very nice animal yae' goot. Watcha do?" She didn't seem overly keen on questions, or... well.. him in general, so he decided to give a little about himself. "Ah'm from Treval. 'was a mercenary during the wars."

[Eris]

“Oh? What kind of ladies did you know?” Eris asked, an amused smile playing on her lips. “I was born in a small village on the edge on the borders of the Sylira region. I suppose it’s gone now; it was being picked apart by bandits last time I saw it,” Eris said with a nonchalant shrug. She did not much care for her home. It had brought her nothing but grief when she still lived there. What was the point of lamenting its loss?

Eris turned her head slightly to look at Rhine, who was glaring at the ghost with her nostrils flared and her ears low to her head. The horse snorted when the ghost’s gaze settled on her and edged away a little further.

What did she do? She always dreaded this question. It usually required a fair amount of lying and the ability to keep her face straight as she explained that she was a seamstress or some other such nonsense. This time, however, she found no need for an elaborate story. It wasn’t as if the ghost could deliver her to the Knights. “I am an assassin, I suppose, though it’s been a long time since I killed. It’s more mercenary work that I do now; escorting travelers, retrieving documents from behind locked doors and the like.”

“Treval?” Eris echoed, racking her brain for any knowledge on the city. She was sure she had heard the name somewhere. Joel had mentioned it a long time ago when they were setting up camp. He was telling her a bit of history... Something about the Valterrian. Eris’s eyes grew wide. Treval was a city that stood before the Valterrian. Cale had been alive before the cataclysmic wars? It sounded as if he had fought in them to, seeing as he had been a mercenary. “You were there before the Valterrian? You must have been around for hundreds of years!” she said, staring at him in wonder.

The wounds running across his body made sense now, as did the waves of pain that cascaded off him. He had been a mercenary, he had killed… That fascinated Eris. She had always wondered about death, her death specifically; had wondered if she would be unable to find peace due to her many crimes. Was this the answer to her question? Would she end up like Cale? The possibility of that frightened her.

Eris cleared her throat, unsure of how to phrase her next question or even if she should be asking it, “Did you die in battle?”

[Cale]

Cale smiled as he looked back, his eyes taking on a rather dreamy state. "Mhmm, not many I dinnae' know." Only two had swore revenge and tried to murder him. Happy times. As she mentioned her own home, Cale eyed her. He watched the facial expression. It was something he had done during life. A necessity when dealing with potential employers or clients. She didn't seem to mind the village's destruction. Which was a bit off. Shouldn't she be mourning the loss of her home? Those happy childhood memories? Maybe it hadn't been so happy. His sure hadn't. When she declared her profession, the ghost looked visibly shocked, and did a small double take. "Yae' ainna' kill me are ya?" The act was dropped as he gave the woman a wicked grin. Sizing her up, he started to lean to the left, and then to the right, trying to gauge her overall size, and demeanor. In the next second, he sort of blinked. Then, leaning closer, he looked directly at her chest, and anything that may have taken residence there. "Ah' must say, donna' look like 'ee kill people for a livin'." Oggling complete, he smiled at her, and before she could fluster up, he continued. "Ah' mean to say, you got more then enuff' looks to make an 'easy livin. Men, and women in my line' o' work, tend to be downtrodden. Forgotten, and cast aside. Soldiers in wars, abused children, discarded lova's. Don't see why'in you cannae' just drag some poor sap into the sack, and use' what thee' gods gave ya' to your advantage." He seemed genuinely curious, but as the woman continued, the face seemed to cloud, physically, and emotionally. "Aye, I was around during the glory days of the empires. Fighting fo' both sides during the wars." "I died, as I lived. In the years that followed, I have... wandered." It was beyond explaining. He couldn't quite describe how it was. To float mindlessly. A butterfly without wings."I woos' alive long before the endless flame, and died near its start." He paused considering, while looking Eris in the eyes as she spoke. As she was done, the only thing he showed was a tangible regret. "I did manae' thing for money, sometimes I killed. I killed one to many, and another sook revenge. There is always ... someone better." Casting his eyes to the ground, the ghost hoped this girl could take heart, but he knew she wouldn't. Looking to the sky, he blinked, as if checking the time. "Yae' are a nice thing. Not many stop to talk." Another grin.