[Sunset Falls] Suffering the Undertow (Jaeden)

[Jilitse]

OOCTell me if anything is off, and I'll get around to fix it.

Suffering the Undertow 70th of Fall 510 AV Sunset Falls We're not really going swimming She had lost friends that night. Ever since the Nuit was filled with grief that she did not know how to deal with. The burden in her heart could not be easily lifted, the unbearable weight of guilt in her mind was pulling her down. It was an emotion so foreign and complicated to a Nuit who had lived without so much as a need for anger or desperation for centuries. Jilitse had recalled Jaeden's words the last time they met. He gave perfect reasons for battling against slavers, logical explanations why people kill with intent. He was someone who could better interpret what she went through. There was a lot more that she could learn from the man, if only Lhex would allow them to meet again. It was almost hard to get in touch with Jaeden Kincade, apparently his patrons haven't seen him for quite a while. It took Jilitse a little bit of asking around - and even that was hard. There wasn't really anything special about a Nuit looking for a specific man in the Soothing Waters, but the man she had been looking for had a certain kind of reputation. The Jaeden people knew was one of the best employees of the bath house; the Jaeden Jilitse knew was a man of the wilds. Someone even had the false notion that the kind of service the Nuit was looking for was related to what Jaeden was known for. "Why would I need a bath from that man?!" And that was totally awkward! She had dropped him a message, she had requested that they meet one day because she required his help. She never passed on what exactly did she need from him or where he may find her. If they will meet, they will meet. It was by chance that Jilitse had dropped by the Windmount Stables on the morning of the 70th of Fall. It was a fine day to take a breathe of fresh air, not that Jilitse still did any breathing. She wanted to take a little time off away from Syliras and everything it was to her. The Nuit wanted to go for a trip outside the walls: somewhere quiet, somewhere different. Too bad she couldn't do it alone - she didn't want to travel on her own on a forest path. She wasn't looking for a horse, she certainly wasn't considering riding one. But she was going out for a little ride out in the wilds and she thought it would be neat to see if there was a steed that didn't have qualms about the undead. She had a new body now. It will take a little explaining to Jaeden why she looked different, but the man would have certainly known that Jilitse was a Nuit that decomposed and jumped bodies every now and then. She'll just have to tell him that. Oh, but how different she looked now! She even wore a new dark royal blue cloak, cowl covering half of her face. And there was Fortunado. No mistaking it. Nuits were gifted with eternal memory, and Jilitse was quite sure that the horse a few stables away was indeed the horse of Jaeden Kincade. She sluggishly looked about, trying to see if the horse owner was around. No sign of the man nor his fox kelvic. The person manning the stables might approach her anytime. Maybe she'll take a look at some of the ponies.

[Jaeden Kincade]

As Jilitse stood near by Fortunado, inspecting him to see if he was indeed the horse that Jaeden often had within his company, the large Nightwalker slowly turned it’s head to peer who hand approached. Looking over Jilitse, Fortunado then just gave a slow, gruff exhale before lowering his head to continue eating at a small bin of hey mixed with oats. Fortunado’s saddle was still resting by, and his hair had recently been brushed. Jaeden’s gear laid not far off in the corner, indicating that he was about to go out into the wild once again. Whether this was due to him having clients, or some other reason, Jilitse couldn’t be certain.

Jilitse then found a trace of shadow, and a sudden sound of wings flapping before a screech from it’s source revealed a large, black hawk as it came to a perch along the gate of Fortunado’s stable. The hawk stared at her for a moment, small squeaks echoing from her beak as she stared at Jilitse for a long moment, as if studying her. Then, the hawk jumped from her perch, her wings spreading once again as she flew out from the stable and into the light Syna cast into the stable’s entrance. The hawk soon found a different spot to land, it’s talon feet gripping along a layer of padded cloth laying over a shoulder covered in leather. The figure stood tall, almost imposing, at the entrance of the stables, his front shadowed like in silhouette, bathing in Syna’s light from behind. The hawk squeaked in his ear, nipping a little at his hair just behind his ear as the figure continued to walk forward. A fogged breath escaped his lips, indicating the colder weather and the coming winter season. All that seeming majestic glory of the setting laid before Jilitse’s eyes was soon cast aside when the figure finally said, “I don’t know who she is, perhaps a perspective client. Stop nipping at my hair.”

A couple more steps forward and the figure’s face, covered in a short beard now, became illuminated by the torchlight of the stables revealing it to be Jaeden. His head slowly turned as he looked to the hawk that rested along his shoulder. “No Tasha, I’m not going to try and get you to have a threesome with her,” Jaeden then said, appearing to speak to the hawk, “last time we tried that with Red, you freaked out and fainted.”

A small fox then came pawing her way past Jaeden, her head slowly looking up to Jaeden as a small yelp was given in passing. Jaeden soon looked down to her, rolling his eyes. “It wasn’t my “size” that caused her to faint that time Red, that's what happened the first time she saw it. It was you asking her which one of you would get the first reach around.” Jaeden then said, looking to the fox. “For two Kelvic ladies that I‘m bonded to, I think you ask these questions just to get a rise out of me sometimes. In fact, I know you do.”

Jaeden’s hands then rested along his hips, looking to Jilitse finally as his gaze moved up and down her frame. “Hi,” he said as he brought his hand to rest along the gate of Fortunado’s stable, “I’m Jaeden Kincade. You looking for a guide, or something else? If it’s the ladder, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t work at the Bathhouse anymore.”

[Jilitse]

Having overheard the things Jaeden and his kelvics said, Jilitse turned to face them. There was a blank stare in her face, totally unfazed. Were she an ordinary woman she would either be disgusted or mildly aroused. Being neither, she lifted her cowl and smiled to them thinly. Jaeden had another creature with him this time around, and could it be possible that he was also bonded to it? More than two bondmates? A tickle in her mind: could mages have more than one familiar? She shaved the musings from her consciousness and spoke, "Hello Jaeden. I had been trying to catch you, but my work had been consuming too much of my time. The women in the Bath house say that they have not seen you for a long while. Taking a break I presume?" She spoke continuously, without breathing, and spoke to him as if they have been acquainted before. Her hair, hazel where it once was dark black, softly bounced along her shoulders. It wouldn't really take Jaeden long to recognize that she was undead. "It is I, Jilitse. I hope you remember me from last season? You were on your way to search for your Master," her memory recalled the name, "Olevar. I hope you found him well." She continued talking, not really giving him time to answer, "I see you still have Red with you. And a new companion?" She referred to the hawk, "Pleased to meet you as well," she said to the animal, even if she was unsure if it could understand her words. "Forgive me, I forget my manners. I was hoping to see if I could get you to travel with me to a place called Sunset Falls? I am leaving Syliras soon, and I wanted to look around a bit..." She looked away, face suddenly melancholy, the first emotion that registered upon her face. Slowly, her smile turned into a sad curve. Jilitse was surprised to find herself speaking more words than she had ever said for the last nine weeks. Maybe her mind, having recalled her encounter with cheap bandits last season, remembered that she had shared quite a few philosophical things with Jaeden. He was one of the people she could remember best, partly because he had a good body (only she remembered it for different purpose, ie, body jumping and not body humping). He was also one of the few who did not discriminate, who may have been a little bit distant but not exactly unreachable. The Nuit could not contain the loneliness she had been suffering. She needed a companion, someone to talk to, someone who will listen. Jilitse couldn't admit it, and even if she realized it was so she would probably deny it: She made the trip to Sunset Falls as an excuse to meet Jaeden again. "I will pay, of course." She told him when she got hold of her tongue, "Last time was a favor that I was only able to repay with spoken gratitude." She hinted, asking indirectly how much he would be charging for a trip there and back again. Jil looked around, thoughts pacing faster than Jaeden had seen her last. She spun, her blue cloak spinning with her. Perhaps it was the new body that allowed her to move with agility this time around. "I have been thinking if I should rent a pony for our travel, but I do not know how to ride." She glanced at Fortunado's way, "Most of them shy away from the undead, you know what I mean? It's as if they could sense death, and maybe they fear it as well." "Forgive me, where are my manners." She said upon realizing that, "I have not even asked if you would agree to join me." Her voice was chilled and monotonous, but there was something in the way she tried to pierced Jaeden's eyes with hers that tried to persuade, almost beg, the man to say yes.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden took a lean along one of the horse stalls, his other hand falling to his waist as he looked to the woman. “Hello yourself.” Jaeden said as he gave a slow rub to his chin for a moment as he quirked a brow. “More like a permanent leave of absence from the Bathhouse, with the option to return if I do get tired of being in the Wild. Have I met you there before or something? Because I usually have a thing with remembering faces.”

When she introduced herself an expression of realization crossed his features and Jaeden soon gave a nod and smile. “Oh, well look at you. Walking in the new body model.” Jaeden then said, pushing himself from his lean as his arms folded over one another. Jaeden’s energy then faded a little when Jilitse mentioned Olevar as he fell silent for a moment before releasing a quick exhale. “Well, that’s a bit of a story, one that can wait for now.”

Soon, as Jilitse began asking Jaeden about traveling to Sunset falls with her and Jaeden noticed a bit of her apprehension in her body language and facial expression. He couldn’t be certain as she never displayed much in their last meeting, but Jaeden almost thought he was detecting emotion from her. As Jilitse finally finished asking and offering payment for services, Jaeden’s head lowered for a moment before he looked over to Red and Tasha. “Why don’t you two head out? See if you can find Aella, she still has my undergarments.” Jaeden asked the two Kelvics before Red gave a quick yelp before turning and beginning to head for the Syliras’ gates. Tasha herself gave a quick cry before jumping and flying off with Red as well before Jaeden slowly looked over to Jilitse. “So, Sunset Falls then right?”

Jaeden gave a slow pat to Fortunado then. “I’m not an expert rider myself, so I can’t give you many tips when it comes to riding itself.” Jaeden said as he looked over to his Nightwalker. “You can rent a mount from the stables here and we can take it slow. Otherwise Fortunado here can bear both of us on his back if you wanted to just save some coin.”

Jaeden then grabbed his saddle from nearby, hoisting it upward as he laid it along the railing of Fortunado’s stall. “And don’t worry about payment,” Jaeden said as he looked back to Jilitse. “Looks like we could both use a little bit of an outlet on this trip.”

[Jilitse]

OOCCan I ride on your horse so I can hug you and then through Ranuri you have no other choice but to listen? Haha! Your choice, really.

She had a noted interest in Jaeden’s words. “I could spare coin for my own pony, I suppose. That is, if we could manage to find one that wouldn’t kick me to death.” And then, “Or else you would have to have me on your back.” She said to Fortunado, and afterwards she was slowly bothered why she had started talking to animals. Jaeden did it, but they were his pets. Could they even understand what she said? That question was marked in her face. She requested Jaeden to get a horse that was “not too high” in fear of falling off. Otherwise, she remarked that she was open to suggestions. “I find it very generous of you to not charge me anything.” He said something about a long story? Well, she had her own long story, and she wanted to tell it to him now, before her mind bursts from thinking about events that happened to her. He could tell his long story after her. Jaeden was in for a long unbelievable story. But, unbeknownst to Jilitse, Jaeden had his own dark fairytale to tell. “Are your friends,” she meant his Kelvic bondmates, “coming along?” She didn’t mind them knowing her tale, of course, but she wanted to prepare herself if she’ll be having company. Three’s a crowd, after all. She waited for Jaeden to prepare for their journey. Unlike her, Jaeden needed his own supplies – pulsers needed conveniences of their own. Jilitse, as a Nuit, just needed to make sure that she came back in one piece. No unnecessary trivialities such as needing food and water. She waited for his riding lesson, memorizing the words he would say. Jaeden gave the best advice when it comes to things related about wilderness. He was a mentor of sorts, she thought, comparing him to her own masters in Sahova. But of course, considering herself as an apprentice of Jaeden would be wrong, and she isn’t really a customer if he didn’t want her to pay. Maybe a friend? Jilitse wondered. And when it was time to ride the horse, she requested Jaeden to assist her to climb. If Jaeden ever managed to touch her cold skin, his Ranuri gnosis would envelop him with uncanny thoughts. A Nuit was very different from a human, not really caring for any immediate need. Jilitse was purposeful; her thoughts filled with loyalty to some undead archwizard far away in Sahova, alternating with the want to be favored more and more by Priskil. But her most pressing concern was to unload burdens of her mind. She wanted to talk, she wanted Jaeden to listen. Nobody else would. As they readied, she started to say, “Have you any news about the Orphanage burning down?” She continued, “I was there when it happened.” Her voice, as Jaeden suspected, carried more emotion that the time that they had first met. It was almost as if she was apologizing that the fire occurred. “I went to Priskil’s Pond last season,” Jil murmured, voice returning to the flat monotone he was more familiar of, “you know that much about me. But the reason I went there is more than just providing a simple prayer to the goddess. To Priskil,” she corrected herself, remembering that Priskil didn’t really like being called or treated like a Goddess, “But that’s just part of the story, and I want to tell you the rest of it. Please keep it a secret.” She would pay attention to any other preparation that they may need, do her own obligation, but she will continue telling him what happened, and why things happened. “I lived before the Valterrian,” she said nonchalantly, “And I was part of a project that was meant to give Alahea the advantage over Suvan. It was called Project ARMED, the predecessor of what will be Sahova. Our kingdom,” she said, as if Jaeden was part of it, “decided to utilize all the magic that we could in order to crush the Suvan empire. But I should not bore you with a five hundred year old tale, most of it is inconsequential anyway. Many have forgotten the war, even the mages in Sahova had stopped caring.” She was one of those who did, deciding to find a different meaning to life. “The Valterrian was history. But is it really? War never changes, and it perpetuates itself through time. Perhaps with a different face, a different name. But it’s as if the world hang upon a balance,” she joined her two forefingers in a tent, “one side pushing against the other.” Jilitse didn’t know if Jaeden already knew Aquiras’ story, but she told him anyway, with the twists this time around. “With the Valterrian the gods themselves entered the battlefield. There was no neutral side, you had to either pick one or be forced to pick one.” Her voice deepened, her face developing into a frown. “It was that bad,” Jilitse tried to allow Jaeden to think about the repercussions of the war. “And then there were those who took advantage of the chaos, those who benefitted from it.” Jilitse stepped back on her tale a bit, “Many do not know the tale of Sagallius, but he played a big part in Alahea’s history. He was one of the brightest wizards that ever lived. Intelligent, cunning. Not many remember, but he was a celebrated savior before he went mad. He was the strongest wizard in all the land and he saved the last queen of Alahea, but then it went downhill from there. I suppose you are familiar with magic? You may have even come across people who have overused magic. They are addicted to it, consumed by sweet whispers, eventually destroyed if they overgive too much.” Jilitse’s magic, Animation, wasn’t the kind that could push her to the limits of overgiving, but she knew what it could do, even to the best of wizards. She knew people who suffered from sweet whispers, and some of them ended up killing themselves than to succumb to the power of magic. “Sagallius was such a victim. He fell to overgiving, went crazy after that. The next thing you know he’s stealing somebody else’s heart.” The story should be familiar to Jaeden. He was in The Game, after all. “That heart belongs to Aquiras, then gods of doors and travel. I could say that I’m working towards the restoration of Aquiras. I could say that I owe my life to Priskil so I’m waging war against the god who stole her lover’s heart. I could say a great many things to circumvent the truth.” “But my story began more than a year ago, in the Archwizard’s office in Sahova. There I made a promise to free him from a Grand Oath, to stop the cycle of his undeath. There I promised to destroy Drainira, the million miza golem. There, I ended my life as a slave to project Sahova.” Jilitse’s voice did not falter, but Jaeden could tell that she was very, very serious about things. There was no room for small talk, for appreciating nature. Suddenly the forest was just a silent listener. “When I left, I took a few things with me, one of them was Marie Suzanne. She was no ordinary book.” A laugh rippled in her throat. “The book was written by the Archwizard’s daughter. But it was a book that was alive. Drainira called it her sister.” She never understood the book’s construct, never really figured out if it was a product of animation, so if Jaeden tried to ask her more about it, she would just end up retelling the undecipherable tales she had read before. “Drainira wanted the book. I didn’t know why.” Jilitse shook her head lightly, “But I didn’t allow Drainira to get it. Althought it was not like she couldn’t… she did in the end.” Hopefully, Jaeden got the point. “They came through a portal, from another world. It was very late at night, and we were caught defenseless.” She did not say it, but Jaeden could figure out for his own that “we” meant the people inside the Orphanage. A blind man named Stitch, and the kids. “I didn’t want to surrender. Do you know the reason why the Welcome Home burned? It’s because I was there.” My fault, my fault, my most grievous fault.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a slow nod, ducking within the stalls for a moment. Jilitse would soon hear short, paced conversation, much of it going back and forth between Jaeden and the owner of the stables. It wasn‘t long before Jaeden soon came stepping back out, his hand holding the reigns to a white horse. It was smaller than most of the horses in the stable, yet looked fully mature at the same time. A white coat of fine fur lined its body in most places with shades of grey in other areas, mostly along the longer hair of the mane and tail. Its hooves fell along the ground with heavy thuds all the same as it stepped in toe with Jaeden as he walked up in front of Jilitse. Jilitse could already see that the horse was fully prepared as the bit and bridle, blanket and saddle, as well as pack and saddle bags rested along it’s back. A bag of feed could be seen gingerly peeking out of the pack itself. “Meet your new Mountain Pony, Jilitse.” Jaeden said as he handed out the reigns to her. “She‘s a little smaller than most horses, as well she‘s more fit for mountain terrain that other breeds as well. Stable manager also said that she‘s fully trained, and has gained a level of calm to being around Nuits like yourself.”

“You‘ll have to name her though,” Jaeden said as he began making his final preparations for Fortunado, tossing on the large riding saddle along the Nightwalker‘s back, “as she was never given one when merely rented out. She‘s yours though now, paid for in full.”

Jaeden then raised his hand, waggling a finger in Jilitse‘s direction before she could utter and refusal for such. “No takebacks or paybacks, and I don‘t want to hear any “I can‘t accept“ line.” Jaeden said briskly, before once again tightening the strap along Fortunado‘s saddle. “I‘ve got more than enough coin of my own, and no real need of it for short term use. When you can find everything you need out in the wild, generally the material and luxury items tend to not be necessary to someone like me. You‘ll have to get your own tent down the road though if you intend on making any long trips.”

Jaeden then slowly made his way over to Jilitse, helping her to mount the horse. While his hands did momentarily graze over Jilitse‘s body, his Ranuri was still firmly attached to Aella at the time. Though he did manage to pick up hints of her wants and needs before they had been pushed aside quickly by Aella‘s, who was simply desiring a little solitude for the moment. Jaeden then slowly slipped up to Fortunado‘s back, giving the Nightwalker a couple of subtle pats along his neck before gathering up the reigns. “Okay, I‘m not expert in riding by any means, but I can give you the basics.” Jaeden said as he looked over towards Jilitse. “Give your horse a small kick to its side, just in front of the forelegs, to get him moving. You can also throw in small clicks of the tongue when you do so, that way she‘ll recognize the sound with the kick and eventually just move without it. The more or sharper you kick, the faster she‘ll go until she‘s into a full gallop. Don‘t kick as hard as you can all the time of course, but also don‘t worry about harming her. Horses are pretty sturdy, especially Nightwalkers and Mountain Pony‘s. It won‘t case any real damage.”

Jaeden then dangled the reigns in his hands in front of Jilitse‘s vision. “This is your main means of directing the horse where you want to go.” Jaeden then explained. “Leaving it hanging loose, the horse will simply move forward, only turning to avoid obstacles or stopping if there’s a danger like a cliff or something. Pulling either to the left or right will tell the horse to turn in such directions while riding. Pulling back will tell her to stop. I’ll take a small lead, so its likely yours will simply follow Fortunado as the lead horse and there won’t be much need for you to control a lot on your end. If you feel yourself losing balance along the horse, grab a hold of the saddle horn until you get your balance back. And don’t worry, we won’t go to fast.”

As they began riding, Jaeden leading them on a small, simple walk that didn’t go much faster than the average walking speed of most of the humans around the castle city. As they began to travel, Jaeden kept his head slightly turned, listening to her story intently, giving short nods here and there. “I had heard of the orphanage fire from Summer when I came back for a short visit. I was unfortunately deep in the wilds when it happened, otherwise I would have tried to help.“ Jaeden replied before falling silent again. For the most part, he had guessed that he had wanted him to simple listen at the beginning.

They had just began slipping into the thick of the woods, along a narrow path that Jaeden know of that would shave some time off their travel. It was a little more uneven terrain, but such made it less traveled, and clear of the usual undesired, human elements when it came to travel. When those final words of guilt from Jilitse finally rang in Jaeden’s ears, Jaeden gave a small tug on Fortunado’s reigns, bringing the Nightwalker to a stop which caused Jilitse’s horse to stop as well. He soon after gave a tug on the reigns, slowly turning Fortunado around until he faced Jilitse. “Listen, Jilitse,” Jaeden said releasing a sigh as he shook his head for a moment. “the book you carried is likely important, otherwise others wouldn’t be after it. Being hunted for something you carry is pressure enough without carrying guilt on your shoulders.”

Jaeden, leaned forward, resting his forearms along the horn of his saddle before Fortunado threw back his head forcing Jaeden back to an upright position. “I’m not saying that you shouldn’t feel sorry for those who were attacked, you wouldn’t have any emotion if you didn’t, and it’s obvious you do if you feel guilt. I can hear it in your voice.” Jaeden said before he shook his head once again. “What happened to the orphanage wasn’t your fault though. And before you go claiming blame again, let me tell you something, guilt by being in the wrong place, at the wrong time isn’t your doing. Lhex is the one who controls oversees fate. You didn’t plan it, you didn’t execute it. You didn’t light a torch and set drapes on fire. The one’s who were chasing you did, and they waited until you were there.”

Jaeden grit his teeth a little, feeling a bit of anger thinking about it as the muscles under his jaw rippled a little bit, causing the bristles of faction hair along his cheek to do a little dance. “Listen, you said your attackers arrived by portal. That means they could have done so at any time before you even arrived to the Orphanage. In stead, they waited until you were there, until you were with others, among friends.” Jaeden said as he reached up, rubbing his chin for a moment as he thought. “Fact is Jili, is that they’re trying to isolate you in my opinion. To separate you from those close to you. Especially since you're seeking Priskil. As her follower you would likely be a huge risk to them. It’s a psychological effect in their warfare. They want you to think that by being around others, you endanger them. I thought that way briefly, and let me tell you, it isn’t what you should do. This Drainira may have gotten the book, but that was only half of her attack. Your knowledge of what’s going on, and of what’s at stake, it still makes you a threat to them. If they’re trying to get you to isolate yourself from others, they want to make sure that none will come looking for retribution if they come to attack you, or they may very well try to recruit you. It’s a psychological ploy, something the puppet master is good at I hear. Prove that your will is stronger than they think.”

Jaeden then gave Jilitse a sympathetic look, urging Fortunado a couple of steps forward before his hand raised, falling gently along Jilitse’s shoulder. “Feel sad for Stitch and the Orphanage, angry at the ones who burned it down, but don’t feel like it was your fault Jili.” Jaeden assured, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze. “It was their decision in the end to drag innocents into the crossfire, when they could have just as easily jumped a portal to you before you even got to Syliras."

Windmount Stable PurchasesPurchases: Mountain Pony, Blanket and Hood Medium Horse, Riding Saddle, Large Saddle Bags, Bit and Bridle, Saddle Pack, Bag of Feed
79 gm, 10 cm to be deducted from ledger, items and horse to go to Jilitse

[Jilitse]

OOCI... don't... can't... Thank you. A gift horse? She was surprised, taken aback even. The surprise sent her to silence, and she merely accepted with great amusement and deep gratitude. "I don't know what to say," she spoke her thoughts out loud. Did Jaeden mean it as a joke, giving her a living creature? But the thought flew away as soon as the man requested her to name the horse. He was really giving her a horse. An alive, breathing pulser horse! "But I deliver my sincerest appreciation." She stared at the horse, conflicted. She would react to this surprise gift later, when the she had thought the event over and again in her head. She accepted the gift, and that was that. Jil was prodded to give the thing a name. She stared at the horse, a little baffled. She had not really owned anything that was alive, not counting the countless golems that she had been with. But golems and animals were far too different from each other, there were inumerable complexities that separated them... And how exactly was she to name a horse if it wasn't the same as naming a golem? She called the catalog golems as catalog golems, overseer golems as overseer golems, messenger golems as, quite obviously, messenger golems. The Nuit was confused for a long while. The horse may or may not have felt this, but they, rider and mare, froze quietly. It followed that Jilitse was familiarizing herself on top of the horse, balancing herself upon the saddle. The Nuit considered that she could fall anytime, so she tried to center her body shoulders stiff and arms tense. The saddle was very uncomfortable. The horse's warmth radiated in her legs - it was such a novel feeling to be riding a living animal. She tune din to the wilderness man word's as he taught her how to condition the horse's instinct. Instead of tongue clacking, Jilitse hummed two clear ascending notes as she forced her shin against Mountain Pony. She held the reins gently, slowly pulling it back to halt MP from moving. She tested her ride, guiding the horse to the left, and gently brushing its mane with a hand, before giving Jaeden a nod that she was ready. Mountain Pony was kind of polite, though not exactly instinctive of Jilitse's needs. Throughout their trek the Nuit had to take short stops, adjusting her seat by holding the saddle horn. When she was comfortable enough she began her story, and by the time it was Jaeden's time to respond, she seemed to be getting the hang of moving forward with the horse. Their relationship was far from being intuitive, but at least the mare did not gallop forward. "Guilt." She whispered it, repeated it to herself when Jaeden told her the word. She was guilty of what? Of betraying Stitch? Or not being human? The emotions were blurred, faded. She weighed Jaeden's words, and, upon finding logic in them, accepted them as an explanation for what she felt. This was exactly what Drainira would have wanted her to think! That she was easy to defeat, easily brought down. But she had courage now, and she will never again be caught unaware. "You have quite the mind, Jaeden Kincade. One would think that you have lived longer than most mortals upon hearing you speak. Or, maybe you have just been through a lot. Wisdom in matters of the heart is very rare among pulsers, few are capable of interpreting things in a positive light. You have it right, I suppose. I have been lucky enough that I have managed to last this long since the day I left Sahova. I wouldn't have survived if Stitch hadn't helped. That day we first met? I wouldn't have gotten out of the wild lands if I didn't come across you. A life of solitude is behind me now," she declared. "If I am alone in my endeavors then I will never realize my strength. You see, in Sahova, the wizards are exactly like that. Never really needing each other. And I have gotten used to being alone, I literally didn't have the heart that would have allowed me to understand Stitch, or humans in general." "I made choices that day, choices that he felt I should have regretted. When given the choice between the life of a child and the value of a magical book, I chose the book. I guess I am heartless that way, I didn't think of life as important." She laughed lightly, as she always did when in realization about how much jaded she had been with existing. A few centuries of undeath could certainly skew one's moralities. She paused and looked at their surroundings, memorizing the track they took. "It could get frustrating. That would be my word for it. Frustrating. I don't trust you to understand, but really, sometimes I feel very empty. I no longer feel emotions instantly, sometimes I wish I did, but most of the time I think it's better that I didn't." When she found the right pace, she urged Mountain Pony to keep up with Jaeden. She no longer trailed behind if the path allowed, instead riding right by Fortunado's side, so that Jaeden didn't need to look behind him when he spoke to her. She was slowly learning how to sit properly upon a saddle, without putting too much pressure on her dead body. Jil didn't want to lose her pelvic bones, and it wouldn't be nice to have her butt beaten up by a saddle. Mountain Pony seemed to be holding up well, inspite of having two dead legs dangling on her side. The mare didn't mind whenever Jilitse would softly brush her coat. She didn't like it either. She'll get used to it. "Thank you for the horse. I will see to it that Mountain Pony is taken care of." She blurted out after a long moment of silence. "Stitch and the kids had a white pony in the garden, almost similar..." She brushed the mare's mane. Maybe the Nuit really did want to bring him to see the Sunset Falls for a breath of fresh air - not that Jilitse needed air, nor breathing. Maybe it was a time to reminiscince what has been lost, and between the two of them, a time to mourn. The excursion took her mind off the memories that gnawed at her, nature provided her with great reprieve. The colors of Fall provided her a full view of the season's myriad of colors. "The wilds look very different, the forest had already left summer behind. And it welcomes the cold of winter, icy as death," she blurted all of a sudden, "But first, we make our climb." The jagged paths had steadily been inclining at a noticeable angle, though not too steep for Jilitse to find it hard to climb with MP. It took a little goading for the horse to climb the path, but each stride was well placed, hooves clacking a good, slow but steady, rhythm. And when did not talk, she just hummed an old tune. "I would oblige should you need rest." Jilitse told Jaeden, "I know you will eventually have to eat, and I doubt such a task would be comfortable while we're bouncing on our horses." How very considerate! She thought to herself. Jilitse knew Jaeden might bring up stopping eventually, but she wanted the human to know that she wasn't exactly insensitive of the needs of her companion. She was now slowly backing out of being the story teller, biding her time before she let out more unstrung emotions and wayward thoughts.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gaze slowly rose to the sky, peaking through the breaks in the forest canopy to check for signs of weather as Jilitse spoke. A shrug of his shoulders was given when she complimented his mind. “I simply speak from what I can discern. It’s not always right, but in the end I only imagine what I would feel if I were in such a position. While I haven’t been, I’ve been in similar.” Jaeden said as his head turned, looking to Jilitse as he guided Fortunado around a large tree that separated the two of them for a moment. “Just remember, someone alone could be seen as strong, but they’re still alone, and even if they accomplish everything they set out to do, they’re alone in their triumph. Someone with friends, with loved ones? Well, they could often be seen as unstoppable, because they won’t have to bear everything alone. They can rejoice and share in their joy making it more meaningful several times over, or find the will to move on in their grief when they would otherwise lay down and waste away if they were alone.”

Jaeden’s gaze dropped for a moment, his ears picking up Jilitse’s words about the book. There was a tickle on his brain as if he knew something more, but couldn’t remember it at the last moment. As if some subtle tune ringing in his head blocked out his ability to fully remember it. In the end, he would just chalk it up to Jilitse’s new body. “Sometimes it’s difficult to make the decision. Was it wrong to make the decision you made?” Jaeden sudden posed rhetorically. “Not necessarily. Stitch thought so because of his perspective. The book you mention, I feel like I’ve heard of it before, but can’t quite stick my brain to remembering it. Still, considering who was coming after you and the means with which they were doing so? It’s obviously an important book. Stitch was looking at the present, and no one can blame him for thinking the decision was wrong. Many books give the most dangerous things in this world, however. That’s knowledge. Knowledge itself isn’t inherently good, or evil. What people do with it is, however. The way I see it Jili, while Stitch looked at the present, you were looking towards the future when you made that decision. I know of Drainira, at least through rumor and lore. It’s likely that whatever plans she conceives isn’t going to be good in the eyes of most. It’s a difficult decision, but it wasn’t the wrong one.”

“And true enough, emotion is a powerful thing.” Jaeden continued, taking a draw from his waterskin before a soft scratch was giving to the thin beard along his face as he looked to Jilitse again. “There are times I wish I couldn’t feel them, but you have to understand that even with all the intelligence and skill that someone had, without emotion you would be no more an individual as a doll would be when it is being tasked to move and perform duties via Animation. Emotion will be what will help you to grow as an individual. Fueled by others, it will drive you past limits you didn’t know you could push beyond. It’s what will help others to defeat beings like Drainira. Some will hurt, some will weigh heavily over your body and conscious, but getting through them and moving on, is what will make you stronger. It will be a part of you that doesn’t let you give up.”

“it’s a matter of perspective. Mine comes from a combination of things Jili.” Jaeden’s hand slipped into a pouch at his waist, slowly withdrawing a chunk of cooked meat that seemed as though it had been cooked a few bells ago. “My first being despair. My family murder, myself alone, starving and chased by all manner of dangers. So young, completely unskilled to survive on my own? I’m surprised I had made it over a few days that I had before finally curling up into a ball and waiting for Dira to come claim me.”

Jaeden then took a large bite of the meat. It took him close to a chime of chewing to finally get it down, suggesting that it had been dried out a little. “Then came another part of that combination. Olevar.” Jaeden continued, shaking his head when Jiliste asked if he wanted a break to eat. “I told you the last time we met that Olevar was my mentor. In the end, he was more than that. He found me in that curled up, broken state of hopelessness, and he picked me up from it. He, for all intents and purposes, was my second father. He raised me, gave me my skills, shaped me into the person I am today. The only thing that was lacking from him, was life experience. Since he’s introverted, he sent me away when I turned eighteen to get that myself.”

Jaeden then slipped the last of the meat into his mouth, chewing down the rest of it before taking another draw of water. “And I did get that.” Jaeden said as he hooked the waterskin to his belt, looking to Jiliste once again. “When you mention I’ve been through a lot, I can say with some comfort that such is putting things mildly. I’ve seen more than most in my travels. Save for Falyndar, I’ve been from one end of the giant land mass to the other. I’ve encountered many races, lived through many dangers and battles. I’ve loved and I’ve lost. I’ve met Gods and Goddesses, been marked by one, given a gift by another. It sounds like bragging, true enough, but I don’t consider it to be myself. I consider it living my life to it’s fullest. Our experiences shape us as much as the influences of those who raised us, taught us or befriended us. If I ever get sent to that reincarnation line, I want to be able to look back on the life previous and consider it a life that wasn‘t wasted. There will always be bumps in the road along the way, but getting over those bumps are what will truly determine where we stand in life.”

Jaeden fell silent then, looking over to Jilitse for a moment as a timid look washed over his face in the form of a smirk. “Am I getting a little to philosophical and professory?”

[Chevalier]

Jilitse

LORE

• Dealing With Negative Emotions
• Getting a Horse to Move
• Manipulating the Reins

EXPERIENCE

Skill	XP Earned
Investigation	1
Rhetoric	2
Persuasion	1
Storytelling	1
Riding	1

Jaeden

LORE

• The Fate of the Welcome Home
• Drainira Wants Jilitse’s Book
• Project ‘ARMED’

EXPERIENCE

Skill	XP Earned
Interrogation	1
Rhetoric	1
Teaching	1
Riding	1
Philosophy	1

Storyteller Notes

Secret :

Alright Jil, make sure to add the items Jaeden had purchased to your character sheet, and Jaeden make sure to reduce your money by the appropriate amount and make a note in your ledger.