Completed The Circumlocutory Path Home

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

There was a lot more to discover then previously thought, in this city above the clouds. Alleys and corners that almost seemed to shift, ever so slightly, as the day dragged on. The dismal veil clinging to the walls would slip, and reveal a walkway never traveled, or at least never traveled by Lhavit's newest Inartan resident. It was absolutely captivating.

Of course, it would be foolish to believe that all of these roads lead to someplace beautiful, someplace safe. It would be foolish to find Lhavit solely in what you could see.

Narifa had followed one such hidden path. It had turned out to be a lovely day, one where the fog had let up and allowed the sunlight to reacquaint itself with the ground. The irony was not lost on the young traveler. The day before had been dreary, the people overcome by feelings of fear and distrust. After all, it wasn't often that mangled bodies were tossed into the street, nor was it particularly common to find your home invaded by one of the things you hated most. Those feelings had yet to disperse, causing the very air of this diamond city to become tangible with their poignancy. It left an awful aftertaste on Narifa's tongue.

And yet, despite the rumors of Zith hiding throughout the mountain tops, Narifa was still too much the wanderer to stay within the confines of her rooms. The Solar Winds desk attendant had become familiar enough with her curious tendencies, and when she sauntered across the foyer this morning, he only made an effort to tell her to be wary. So she had departed, and found herself on a road she'd never noticed before. It spit her out in the embers of a market square, where just the dedicated and the poor remained open with their wares. Either way, Narifa needed a new wardrobe, as she couldn't hope to keep comfortable forever with her meager Wind Reach fashion and single traveling cloak.

The strange weather currently afflicting Lhavit was throwing her for a loop, however, and as the 13th Bell chimed in the distance, and the traders came back from their noon rest, Narifa still hadn't figured out what to choose. The earth was cold, but the periods of intense humidity could leave her clammy if she was too overdressed. She would definitely need one of those long coats that most of the citizens possessed. Perhaps a flowing gown and a light overcoat, as well. The secretary she'd made all those days ago in the Cosmos Center had been wearing something similar, and she'd looked stunning...

Narifa opened the door of the first place she could see, a ringing overhead signaling her entrance to whoever was manning the register.

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

Up and down the square, doors opened and bells chimed, and it wasn't until she'd completed one whole circuit around the market that Narifa ended up with what she was looking for. Into a basket went a lovely llama wool and fur-lined cloak, something she was only justifying as a necessary expense for the cold. She would keep her lighter traveling garb folded in a knapsack for the duration of her time in Lhavit, thereby freeing up space for more practical wear. Alongside that cloak went a set of Lhavit interior fashion items, and Narifa carried that basket happily back up towards where she thought the little hidden path had ended.

But now that she was actively searching for it, the road was nowhere to be found. It had been absorbed back into the thickening fog, as the sky steadily blackened and the sunlight faded away. Narifa didn't worry too much. She could always ask someone for directions, but she was confident that she knew the general way back to her current quarters. And what a surprise! Another gloomy corner loomed in front of her as she backtracked. A single rusty sign groaned in the wind, and when she peered into the darkness, not a single flickering light made itself known. But it was going the exact way she needed it to go, so the Inartan straightened out her attire before slowly disappearing down the road. Zith be damned, she would not be barred from a warm fire and a cozy bed, not on this night.

The stillness of the alleyway was interrupted by the muffled flapping of clothes on laundry lines, and the echoing click of doors being locked for the night. A few moments into her walk the path began to slop upwards. Narifa dragged her feet to the top and paused to fix the basket slipping down her arm. Then she heard it. The distinct scrape of leather on stone, falling evenly behind her.

The young woman started again, picking her way down the hill's slope, thinking nothing of the noise. It was probably just a resident on their way back home. At the bottom the pathway forked in two, so she took the road to her right, still headed towards the direction she figured home was. Over the sound of her clothes swishing against her legs, she could still hear the feet. They had even picked up their pace.

Wary now, Narifa allowed one hand to fall to the dagger strapped to her waist. She'd purchased it as a precaution back in Wind Reach, to have a safety in place just in case, even if she only had the most basic knowledge of what to do with it. In true anxious fashion, the girl also picked up her pace. Better to be safe than sorry.

Word Count - 469

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

It was getting harder and harder to see. Over the course of the last few days, Narifa had overheard that this was not at all what Lhavit was like in the summer. The weather was highly unusual, and the temperature fluctuations were a characteristic of winter. A passerby had claimed that it was almost as if someone had angered Zulrav and Morwen simultaneously, and the two divine beings decided to band together to punish the whole of the city. The Inartan was all too familiar with Zulrav. Though personable, and kind, he was also just as wily and dangerous as the storms and winds he called his own. Narifa was a fairly devout follower of the God of Storms, as were many of her acquaintances. She'd had a tiny shrine erected in the garden, to send him prayers every few days, and had partaken in many a ritual to honour his work. Here, in Lhavit, no tiny shrine existed to take her old one's place, and all Narifa could do was speak to him in her thoughts.

But it was not Zulrav that was following her now. She wasn't entirely certain that he had a corporeal form, one heavy enough to make a sound on every footfall. With her hand on one of the walls to guide her way, she could easily feel when another path slid into existence, branching off of the one she was already on. Narifa immediately turned down it. So did the footsteps. Worried, and trembling slightly, she moved into a power-walk, back straight and eyes frantically searching the fog for something that would help. They landed on a wooden door, presumably the entrance to someone's home. Limbs clumsy with fear, Narifa tripped up the three steps in front of it, and threw her fist up to knock. No answer. She tried again, harder this time, ears straining to listen for how far away the feet were.

When she pushed her body closer to the entrance, determined to flatten herself enough to become an uninteresting part of the wall that her stalker would pass over, the door swung open. Surprise knocked the wind from her lungs when she fell inside. Still, she picked herself up and scanned the building. No one was standing at the threshold, and she couldn't tell how far back the room stretched for, just as outside, it was pitch black. Narifa scurried back to the door and slammed it shut, fingers fumbling for some kind of lock. Strange though it seemed, this building had just become her safe haven for the moment, and she was not about to be chased back out there by magic doors and darkness. Her back hit the frame as she sat down on the floor.

There weren't even any windows. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to know when to leave. Perhaps there was a settee, or even a wooden chair, that she could curl up on for the night. Unaware of how much time had passed, Narifa finally pushed herself up to search her current residence. Her hands came away caked in dust. Feeling a bit discouraged, for it seemed nothing had lived here for quite some time, she headed further into the silent room. A careful shuffle propelled her across the area, hands flung out in front of her to prevent any collisions, until...

Word Count - 560

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

Her outstretched arms came in contact with a ladder leaning against the opposite wall. Curious, Narifa grabbed hold of the wooden obstruction and shook it. It seemed quite sturdy, and obviously lead to a second floor, so she put one foot on the first rung. Up she climbed, and when she reached the end she could just peak over a whole in the ceiling. She very carefully climbed the rest of the way into the second room, holding her breath just in case something actually did live here. Alas, this floor was also empty. But across the way stood a single window, rusty with disuse and covered in gossamer cobwebs.

With unrestrained glee, Narifa hurried over to peer into the street below, glancing left, then glancing right. Nothing moved except the cobwebs dancing with the breeze. Her heart was still beating too fast for her to truly relax, yet she still closed her eyes against a wave of dizzy relief. Her body swayed with it. The silence, however, was beginning to unnerve her, so she quickly picked her way across the second floor. Her steps were cautious, though, so as to ensure she didn't accidentally miss the hole and meet an unfortunate end. She had become well-acquainted with the ground one too many times over the course of her time in Lhavit, but stone slabs weren't exactly the same as dirt and grass. A thin strand of moonlight found it's way through the window's grime and illuminated the floor.

Into the hole and down the ladder Narifa went, until she her legs bumped against her clothing basket and her feet reached the first floor once more. Her hands still clenched around the ladder's rungs, the Inartan leaned her forehead against it to breathe. The first words she'd uttered since she left the market square slipped from her lips, riding the wave of air she'd just expelled from her lungs.

"It'll be ok. Everything is alright. Just...step outside, and head home." She almost believed it, too.

But the world was not a kind place. Not for an exuberant soul like the one currently being extinguished by the abyssal summer night. Not for those petite women who chose to walk home alone. And, so it seemed, certainly not for individuals who had never encountered much adversity in their life. Narifa pulled her head away from the ladder, and leisurely went about picking up her basket, patting the clothing to rid it of any dust. She turned to face the direction that she thought the entrance was placed, only to be greeted by a disembodied face leering out of the darkness. A voice so low that its words were almost indistinguishable from a growl shattered the quiet.

"Well, well. Look at what we have here..."

Word Count - 463

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

For a moment, Narifa was pretty sure that her heart stopped. Time slowed. She inhaled, feeling every single speck of dirt scraping a path across her tongue, the cold tinge making her teeth ache. Her gaze swept over the face, cataloging the unkempt head of hair, half shorn beard and dry, cracked lips. The rest of its features were shapeless in the black. She watched a pale hand as it rose up in front of her, heading straight for her person. Time only resumed its normal track, as did her heartbeat, when meaty fingers tangled themselves in her lengthy tresses.

A shooting pain started on the side of her head that the hand had chosen to land, as the masculine being tightened his hold. Narifa's own fingers flew up to pry his off, to no avail. He yanked, hard, pulling her away from the ladder and throwing her to the unforgiving ground. Her basket rolled off into the dark room.

"Now what's a pretty little thing like you," The man began, his breath hot and stinking like molding meat, "Doing out on the back roads so late at night?"

A rhetorical question, of course, asked as a way to bring Narifa closer as she struggled against his grip. Her fingers continued their fruitless attempt to get him off, and her legs tried their best to kick his shins.

"Ah, ah, ah. Feisty, aren't you? I shouldn't have been so worried. You'd certainly be able to protect yourself with these lovely legs." His words washed over her as his other hand made it's way towards her calf, "They'd certainly look wonderful in the air."

While his attention was diverted, however, Narifa whipped her head around and sank her teeth into his arm, jaw pressing down as hard as she could. Caught by surprise, the man tore his arm away from her with a pained scoff, letting go of his grip on her locks in the process. The Inartan moved to scrabbled backwards.

She had only served to anger him. Her palm shoved itself against the stone beneath her, but slipped in an effort to push her body away. Another spark of pain registered in her head, and she just knew that if she looked at her palm, she would see dark red blood slowly seeping from a scrape. The attacker stomped over the two feet of space that had appeared with her little display of aggression. His bitten arm came up and, like a swinging hammer, slammed itself into the side of her face. Narifa's head was thrown in a way that a head should never move, her neck letting out a loud crack as it followed suit. Her vision blurred and her face pulsed with a dull ache.

Unbearably afraid, the young woman curled in on herself, her elbows crossing to protect her upper body from another hit. Instead, the man planted a leather-clad foot in her side. More pain flared up. He ground his toes deeper under her ribcage, and snarled, "Women should just stay complacent."

Narifa gagged. Finally, she attempted to say something, anything, to get him to stop.

Word Count - 518

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

"Wh-why are you after me?" Narifa managed to stutter, forcing the question past clenched teeth and paralyzing terror, "Wh-why are you-"

"Shut up. You may want an answer, but you're not going to get one." The man paused, thoughtful,"No, here's an answer-" He wrapped both hands around her jaw, squeezing her cheeks and dragging her face closer to his. His hands were disgustingly sweaty, the combination of dirt and natural oil rubbing off along her cheekbones.

"I'm doing it because I want to." He whispered. When he drove her frame against the wall, the ladder dug into her shoulder blade, grinding against the delicate bone. Narifa whimpered.

"Stop. St-stop, please, stop." She cried, eyes prickly with the beginnings of tears. He didn't even entertain a response to her plea. Instead, he reached for her legs once more, one hand moving from her cheeks to settle around her throat, the other caressing the underside of her right knee. As her periphery began to sparkle with blue and yellow spots, Narifa remembered the one object she'd forgotten in her desperate flight down the alley path. It was by sheer strength of will that the woman stopped fighting the man off. She let her figure go limp, acquiescing to his hungry touch. Slowly, ever so painstakingly slowly, Narifa began to inch her fingers towards her waist. Her dagger had lain discarded in it's sheath, minuscule in size and unassuming in decoration. In the blackness of the building, it had remained hidden beneath her traveling cloak.

The attacker's hand had made it's way up her outer thigh, steadily working towards her midriff. The girl grit her teeth as his hand tightened on her neck, a surefire way to leave bruises on her fragile skin. If she managed to make it out of this intact or, better yet, just alive, her body would look like a painter haphazardly splattered blue and purple over a blank canvas.

Word Count -322

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

Narifa knew she wasn't the brightest girl. She was a bright red apple that may or may not have fallen a little too far from the tree in that respect. She was aware that she was more than a little bit gullible, and that her endlessly amiable demeanor might guide her into troubling situations. But the Inartan woman also knew she was a viciously quick study. Years of people watching often did that to a person. So when her fingers finally wrapped themselves around the hilt of her dagger, and the man inched his thumb onto her waist, Narifa understood how to deter him. She may not know a lick of how to successfully fend off a threat, but she did know how to watch.

He was clumsy. His swing before had been just a little too wide. He expended too much energy on useless posturing and disjointed movements, a fact that was visibly leading to his exhaustion. His rotten panting had picked up, lungs laboring with every inhale. Thighs that were too far apart to be truly supportive of his weight pressed her lower-body down. The elbow of the hand currently bringing her to the brink of asphyxiation was too loose. It was like his open spots were lighting up in her tunneling vision, allowing for Narifa to all too joyfully take advantage.

And she flailed.

Like a creature possessed, Narifa threw her knees into the air and violently bucked her hips. The hand not on the dagger, sluggish with the lack of air flowing into her body, smacked the side of the man's head. Both limbs found some kind of mark. The attacker was thrown off his rhythm when one knee collided with his tailbone and shoved outwards. His own legs buckled as he lost his balance, figure falling to the side with a grunt. The girl scrabbled up into a standing position, looming above him with the wild rage of beasts in her eyes, throat raw as she coughed. Her dagger glinted in the waning moonlight.

With a lunge, Narifa threw herself at her assailant and the weapon followed close behind. She was holding it wrong, too loosely to jab down like she was planning, however, and her attack was easily blocked by an arm. The man brought his other hand up and snagged her by the blouse. She watched as his knee flew up, becoming bigger and bigger before her face was dashed against it, and the world once again blurred around her. She stumbled away from him to clear her vision.

The attacker snarled. Narifa gnashed her teeth in return. The room settled between them, waiting for the pin to drop.

[Narifa]

26th Summer 518 AV

Narifa's heavy breathing pierced the air. She was positive that the man could hear her heart struggling to escape her chest from where he stood across from her. She swallowed against a sudden pool of bile burning in her throat. Her hand flipped the dagger around so that it was pointing away from her body instead of tucked under her forearm. Sweat was beginning to bead under her hairline.

The man grinned at her.

"What are you gonna do with that toothpick, there, girly? You don't even know how to use it. Here, let me show you how it's done," With every word, he inched forward, closer and closer to her trembling knife.

Narifa blinked rapidly one more time to clear the lights out of her vision, and roared. She flew forward to meet him halfway, dagger slashing down across shoulder. The assailant cried out when obsidian blade met flesh and tore it open. She quickly clasped her other hand around the hilt, taking the chance to overwhelm his stunned form by shoving it into his side. When the weapon sank beneath his clothes and under his skin, she cheered internally at the feeling of sticky blood washing over her fingers.

Once Narifa was able to pull the dagger back out of his body, she didn't even think to check if he was going to live. She grabbed her basket from where it had rolled off, shoved her dagger back into her belt, and hightailed it out of that dark, tiny room as fast as she could. She limped back out into the alleyway, slightly delirious, and picked a random direction. Any way that would bring her the farthest away from that house was the best way in her opinion.

Blinded by the fog and by the increasing pain in her head, Narifa alternately limped and jogged down the pathway. Just when she though she'd gotten lost in the hidden bowels of Lhavit's passageways, she spotted the glow of a lamp, swinging with the breeze and signalling the start of a main road. She burst out into the street and doubled over to catch her breath. Without her realizing, however, the woman had just been dumped right in the middle of one of the busiest streets the city had to offer. Even with the fog, and the threat of Zith on the horizon, the area around Surya Plaza was never stagnant.

Thankfully, Narifa recognized the Shooting Star Inn down the road. The Solar Winds were just a block or two in the other direction. As she headed home, all the Inartan could think of was the picture she must have made. Black and blue and limping, hands crusted with blood that no one knew wasn't hers, mustering all the dignity she could to hold her head up high and swing her basket full of lovely new clothes. She hoped they hadn't gotten dirty in the scuffle.

[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

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Narifa

Skills

• Land Navigation: 3xp
• Planning: 2xp
• Observation: 4xp
• Investigation: 2xp
• Unarmed Combat: 2xp
• Endurance: 3xp
• Persuasion: 1xp
• Tactics: 1xp
• Weapon- Assassins Dagger: 2xp

Lores

• Land Navigation: keeping your bearings through fog
• Religion: Zulrav
• Unarmed Combat: resisting a captor
• Unarmed Combat: wild flailing
• Endurance: resisting pain
• Persuasion: the use of pleading
• Tactics: using an enemy’s distraction against them
• Assassins Dagger: wild slash

Awards & Retribution
A ledger should be written at the end of a post where a purchase has been made so that the graders can neatly account for a PC's expenses in the grade. Don't bother about it now, but please do so next time! In the meantime make sure to add your goodies to your CS inventory and deducted the costs from your ledger.

Notes
Poor Narifa! How dare you do such things to this red headed ray of sunshine. My broken heart aside, you've got a great descriptive style. I'm really enjoying your threads so far, and I can't wait for more!