Open [Shadows]Of Things Lurking On The Edge

[Claire Lexi'lya]

Late Afternoon
7th Day of Winter, 517
Rookery Park

Two days.

That was how long it had been since Akajia—a goddess the Kelvic had just learned of—announced to the whole of Riverfall that her shadows had grown out of control. The whispers of disappearances and the sporadic appearance of those who had suddenly lost the color from their sight in the medical center suddenly had weight. A weight that seemed to be sitting heavily on her neck and shoulders. Short of work, the bird hadn’t found herself capable of thinking of much else in her free time.

The notebook that was open and blank with a charcoal piece resting in the spine was proof of that. Claire had come to Rookery park with the intent to draw—or attempt to at least—the beautiful blue birds she often harassed in her raptor form. But the birds were hardly cooperating with her. They were far more skittish than past visits, flying at the first sign of movement through the park. Perhaps the shadows stalked all living things and not just the residents of the city, or maybe it was the lack of winter. Despite the way things were already blooming throughout the city, everything just rang out wrong without the chill in the air that would signify the coming of winter.

Resting next to her notebook was the simple blue dress she had worn to the park. After countless attempts at sneaking up on the animals—and failing—the Kelvic had simply undressed and shifted into her raptor form. The afternoon was spent in the air, caught in Syna’s rays far above the city where no shadows could touch her. Light glinting off the sea and a sharp current of air beneath her wings kept her occupied for well over a bell before her wings began to tire. They were not meant for long periods in the air like other raptors, so she had landed on a Syna facing cliff side and merely soaked up the warm air as though it could disappear at any moment.

But that time was beginning to draw to a close.

Syna’s rays were beginning to stretch her rays closer to the ground as she inched towards the horizon. The shadows had begun to pull across the ground and while the Kelvic had yet to spot an actually ‘shadow’ on the loose, the mere sight of them growing left her uneasy. With a firm flap of her wings, she lifted herself straight up, sending several hidden gulls into the air as well. Blue feathers scattered around her as she continued to push her wings beneath her until she could reach the ledge closest to the bench she had left her items on. Sharp talons spread out beneath her as she did her best to grip the rock below her. The moment she touched down, however, there was a gust of wind, something on the air that made her feathers across her neck flair as though she sensed danger. It was entirely instinctive as she had no clue as to where it came from. It was enough to stall her from her shift, head bobbing from side to side as she tried to find the source. It took her a chime or two to realize it was a feeling she had been aware of before. The feeling of being watched.

She hadn’t felt it for a few seasons now, seeing as her self-proclaimed half-brother had given up the idea of following her wherever she went. She had wings and he was no Kelvic. Her ability to span a distance between them—once she was aware of his eyes on her—was too easy. Tristan had given up during the summer, instead deciding to put an effort to spend time with her rather than following. Now, however, was that familiar tell-tale sign that someone was watching her. With a huff, she pushed off the railing to the bench and let the shift pull over her. Another gust of wind moved up over the cliff face as she unfolded her dress and pulled it over her head, but this time she swore she heard something carried with it. Words she couldn’t make out. Both heard with her ears, and yet seemed to echo deep in the back of her mind.

“Hello?” The short girl frowned as she formed the question to thin air. Much like before she scanned the area, and again found no one within the vicinity of her. There was still the ever pressing feeling of being watched however and the raptor stopped tying the front of her dress and frowned as she glanced at Syna just beginning to dip beyond the edge of the horizon. Even the barrier that marked the edge of the cliff had a shadow that began to stretch towards her and Claire noted her time on the cliff face was truly over. As she gathered her notebook and charcoal into her bag lying on the ground behind the bench, Claire was certain she heard it again. That whisper that pulled at the back of her mind and made the air on her neck stand on end. Narrowing her eyes Claire glanced at a line of trees and bushes along the edge of the observation deck, a line that would follow her down the stone steps leading back to the city.

“Seriously is someone there? Because this isn’t funny.” The girl scowled but got no reply. Rolling her eyes she did her best to push the feeling away. It wasn’t the first time she had felt such a feeling and likely wouldn’t be the last. Her nerves were wrecked only with the news of the shadows. It wouldn’t be long before her mind started to see things that weren’t really there—if she let herself. Grumbling under her breath she threw her backpack over her shoulder as she started towards the stairs. It was only the slightest tug on the bottom of her dress that drew her up short. Glancing down the girl spotted nothing out of the unusual, but there was no denying her dress had been pulled. The loose ties along her neck had been tugged further up along her collarbone. Claire frowned deeply before glaring once again back at the trees as if they had deeply offended her.

“Tristan is that you? Because this is a very poor joke if you ask me.” Silence answered her and raptor wrinkled her nose in annoyance. Powerless was the first word that came to mind and it took everything in her not to flee straight down the steps. “Trist?”

Common | Isur

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

Salara walked through the evening-lit gardens of Rookery Park for the first time Not focused on how tasty a treat each little bit of fluff might be. This time she actually trod the paths for the reason many folk typically did – for the bright colors that flitted and flicked in the foliage and through the sky as the birds were preparing to roost. Maybe if she strained hard enough past the glamor on her vision she might actually be able to see and appreciate color like she never had before. Damn the deities and their not all-powerful efforts. Apparently another goddess had let the ball drop on responsibilities. Wasn’t there anywhere in the world that wasn’t effected by them? She almost didn’t want to know anything more about any of them. There was Eyris and infanticide, Morwen screwing up the seasons, and now Akajia and her Shadows. In her mind it seemed only Kelwyn gave true expectations. A lost cause was a lost cause after all. For her the loss of color wasn’t as drastic as it was for the humans and others. As a cougar her sight was already muted so she couldn’t see rich, vibrant hues. In her fur most colors appeared more blue, gray and yellow so walking these paths in her flesh to shades of gray wasn’t so different. It could have been worse though as she’d heard some folk had disappeared after running across the Shadows. Still, if she could get her color sight back… As she walked another sense picked something else up. A buzzing of wasps nearby tickled her ears and pulled her steps to a stuttered stop. Irritated she lifted a hand to whisk the insect invaders away but the insistent hum continued and then subtly changed. Whispers. Head cocked sideways one way to the other she tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Attention fully focused to hear the words more clearly it seemed they overlapped sporatiacally in her own head, “When When Shadows Shadows……Rise Rise.. Eat Eat….Gnash Gnash Their Teeth …. Night Night…Wrongs Were Never Made … Torments Torments Awake… Itch Itch For A Vicious Fight. Take They Will Your Will Take They Will Your Will…..And….” ‘…This is a very poor joke if you ask me.’ Salara startled to hear true words spoken outside of her head. ‘Trist?’ Looking up the steps she noticed a thin, dark-haired girl looking indignant, puzzled, and maybe even slightly scared all as the same time. An impending sense of danger caused her to rest her hand upon the hilt of her dagger, which was sheathed to the hip of leather trews below the hem of a white linen blouse. Calling up steps she asks, “Hey? You ok?” As the girl turned, Salara’s gaze drew first to the black mark across her brow and cheek then to the sharpness of the girl’s features; and felt that, for the first time, she had encountered a fellow Kelvic.

[Claire Lexi'lya]

To Claire, it seemed Syna was suddenly falling beyond the horizon much faster than the norm. Logically she tried to tell herself it was her imagination brought on by fear and nerves, but logic did little to settle the unpleasant curling feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach. Whether or not it was truth or imagination it still meant the shadows around her grew. Stretching and twisting ever closer and the Kelvic realized belatedly that the park was one of the few places that the guards had not lit further to keep the spread of the shadows to a minimum. It made sense, as the park was not a vital part of the city during the evening hours—but it also meant that she needed to get out of the park… now. Pushing away the thoughts of shadows to the back of her mind the girl turned to start down the stairs. It was only ticks later however that she got an answer to her question, though not as directly as she had intended.

“Hey, you ok?”

Immediately sharp eyes fell on the woman several stairs below her, drawing her descent to a halt. Despite the failing light, the Kelvic could easily pick up on the stance of the woman. She looked taller than herself, though it was hard to judge given she was currently towering over the woman with the help of stairs. It wasn’t so much her height that caught her attention, however, but her stance. Fingers at the ready over a weapon resting on her hip and the Kelvic couldn’t help but wonder if she had gotten herself into trouble, or if she had startled the woman. It wasn’t hard to do anyone as of late. Rolling her tongue around her mouth for several ticks, the raptor tried to decide if it was better to approach the woman or let her do all the work.

It was only the twisting of another shadow that settled her mind. Neither of them could remain here much longer. Heaving a sigh, Claire hiked her backpack up higher onto her right shoulder and let her fingers wander to the ties of her dress, pulling them taunt and twisting into a loose messy knot as she made her way down the steps. She halted for a moment, only just realizing she hadn’t even answered the woman’s question. Clearing her throat nervously, she cast a quick look behind her before shaking her head.

“It’s nothing… just things making themselves known.” The Kelvic snorted and motioned with her left hand to the stairs leading further down. “We probably shouldn’t remain. I’ve heard enough stories already to know they are not pleasant.” She hesitated for a moment, as though waiting for the woman to react before shifting her weight and beginning to walk down the stairs further. There was something about the woman that just… irked her senses. A deep down unease that Claire couldn’t put her finger on. A different type of danger than what lurked just out of sight. It was difficult to place, so she did her best to ignore it. Instead, it was an acute focus on each step downwards she took, refusing to look behind her as craved to reach the bottom of the stairs before Syna completely disappeared from view.

“My brother… is known for popping up in places unexpectedly.” The raptor called over her shoulder, unaware if the woman was following or not. It was the best explanation she could give—especially since it had seemed as though she had no intention of answering the question in the first place. Outside of her job she wasn’t actually known to be overly social and Claire was beginning to feel it at the moment. She had no idea how to start a conversation with a complete stranger that didn’t begin with ‘So tell me what you’re here for today?’

Well… she could probably ask that, but it was a public place.

Any ability to form words suddenly came to a screeching halt. If she hadn’t been staring so intently at the stairs she might have missed it completely—the shadow formed behind a wall that cut off Syna’s rays. Resting just before the stairs where a torch was lit, it seemed to float and yet remain still all at the same time. It held no particular form, in fact, it never held a shape for long before it shifted. It almost appeared to be the shape of a person, but then it seemed to just echo the straight line of the wall.

It drew the girl up short, halting so quickly on the stair she almost stumbled over herself. Instantly a part of her told her to shift and fly, but with the dark closing in fast her eyes wouldn’t be able to see in the dark, as it was she was beginning to squint in the fading light.

“Petch…” Claire grumbled low. If she moved would it come after her? Or if she did nothing would it simply take her to be an easy target? Too many questions and no answers…

Common | Isur

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

The sharp-featured girl seemed a bit out of sorts to Salara’s concern, perhaps self-conscious in her suspicion of a trick. ‘It’s nothing… just things making themselves known. We probably shouldn’t remain…’ The Kelvic watched the girl’s indecision as the waspish litany began to buzz again more clearly in her mind as a single voice or harmony between several… 'When Shadows Rise And Eat The Light Those Sentient Gnash Their Teeth And Flee The Night Ancient Wrongs Were Never Made Right Torments Awake And Itch For A Vicious Fight Take They Will Your Will And Your Beautiful Colorful Sight…' …the final verse widened Salara’s eyes in dreadful alarm. She had thought she’d stared into the forge’s fires too long causing her damaged vision and had expected it would return after healing time but now she knew it had more to do with those Shadows at the blacksmith’s. ‘Take Your Will,’ what did That mean? ‘My brother… is known for popping up in places unexpectedly,’ the girl’s utterances coming from another direction again broke the spell of distraction the words in her brain had caused. A disoriented blink followed the realization that the girl had passed her upon the stairway without her noticing. Worrying her lip between sharp teeth she wondered if her will had just been taken or was there more yet to the verse? Salara stepped quickly down after her in warning, “I don’t think this is your brother’s….Ooooof.” She bumped awkwardly against the girl who had stopped dead upon the steps with an oath. Reaching out she grasped the girl’s elbow rather tightly in an attempt to support them both. Training and habit allowed her mind a moment to notice the young lady was quite pretty, seemed slightly younger (it would be difficult to tell age if she really was Kelvic as Salara suspected), shorter, much more thin but her arms held a wiry strength. She looked past to where her companion was staring so intently, at what had caused their abrupt halt, and also saw the unnaturally pervasive shape near the wall. “It’s a Shadow and I think I can hear more than one. Can you hear them?” She turned to look back over her shoulder up the stairway without seeing anything other than what was natural. Shifting the girl about for a chance to see her eyes, Salara’s reflected golden in what little of Syna’s light remained. It appeared that the girl squinted through the growing darkness as many without night vision did. “Listen, my name is Salara. These Shadows have already taken my color but I can still see in the dark. I might be able to help get you to the light or at least provide a distraction. The ones I encountered were quick. Can you run?”