From the Ashes

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kel'han

The Elocator
How long had it been? What century was it? these but were only two of the questions Kel'han asked himself as he awakened from his magically enhanced slumber, deep within a cave just outside the former region of Maer Durnim. He growled deeply to himself before slowly rising from his stone bed. He cursed himself for being so foolish as to trust his brother. All was going according to plan before he allowed his sibling to place a few " protective" enchantments upon him. Now, centuries later, Kel'han had awaken. Revenge was the only thing his mind processed at that moment. " RYLTAR!!!!!" Kel'han road in protest as he tentatively placed his weight on his bare feet. his long sleep had rendered his muscles nearly useless, but the Dark Elf knew that this was a trivial matter at best, and with a little time he would gather his strength back.
It was several days before the Drow was able to move freely without aches and pains. Still he hadn't bothered to leave his dimly lit domicile. He rather liked the security of his cave home. How much had the world around him change while he was asleep? That question finally urged him to see for himself. Under the stone alter, on which he had lain for so long, he found his steel serrated broad sword, and traveling clothes. The dark elf winced realizing that his precious armor had been taken. Growling deeply and cursing loudly, Kel'han donned his tunic, breeches, boots, and traveling cloak, then retrieved his blade and strapped it across his back.
He waited until nightfall to start his journey. Kel'han stride was light, all of his past accomplishments meant nothing now yet he felt as if he could start anew. He nearly laughed at the prospect of changing his former pleasures of slaughtering anything that stood in his path. This time it might be wise to take a different approach. He still didn't know how much the world around him changed and until he educated himself of the current happenings, he would remain docile. He continued westward through the forest once known as the " Emerald forest" toward the former Kingdom of Valshurr. He once had allies in that region and he meant to check on on the possibility that one or two still might be alive.
 
Last edited:
Awakened

Her eyes snapped open at the same time she took in a deep breath. An assault of coughing soon followed. Once she'd managed to draw a decent breath without feeling like she was dying, she started to look around. Everything was covered in dust. Including her. Silence was in the dark room. Dust, the only decoration. She started to move and winced with the pain, but slowly, as her body became more awake she moved to a more seated position. She placed a hand to her head, trying to recall what had brought her here, but no memories presented themselves. Instead she was only left with more questions. She looked around lazily, then down at herself. She looked much the same as she had before she slept, but she felt different. Something felt different. After what seemed like a while, she moved to stand up, though her legs did not want to function like she had thought they would. She spent a while getting back to her feet, leaning against the stone for support. Her eyes looked around the room again, spotting a door, yet she did not quite have the energy nor the confidence to leave the room just yet. As the fog lifted a tiny bit she recalled that she had the gift of magic. Her hand lifted and she concentrated, a ball of flame being her reward. She let it go a moment later, satisfied that she wasn't defenseless. But she was going to need food soon. After a few days of moving about, though hungry, she managed to have enough strength in her legs to make her way outside to seek food. Her eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, but when she was assaulted with the sunlight she shrank back into the darkness. Where was she? What was going on? Who had put her here?
 
Days passed by with Kel'han shielding his eyes from the burning sun with the cowl of his traveling cloak during the day, and hunting wild game during the night. His last hunt proved quite successful, so the drow carried several days rations worth of dried venison. The forest hadn't changed much during his incapacitation, so navigating through the foliage proved rather simple. On one particularly bright night, Kel'han stepped clear of the thicket and into a massive clearing. A feint grin swept across his ebony face as memories flooded his mind. "Elves" said quietly to himself. In his youth, Kel'han took part in several raids upon this location. Centuries ago this particular clearing was a village of sorts. Ahhh what glories he found here. blood ran freely during those splendid adventures. The dark elf soon freed himself from his thoughts and pressed on. Somewhere near to this place was the ruined temple of Kor'inthyan, the elven God of nature. It was his particular squad of dark elf raiders that sacked the temple, and slaughtered the clerics within. Morning came and with it the burning ball of flame high in the wretched sky. Kel'han cursed aloud as he pulled the cowl back over his head to shield his sensitive eyes. He was beginning to to feel as if he had faltered in his course when he stepped through a particularly thick brier patch and found the ransacked temple. Kel'han nodded to himself and sighed with relief. " perfect camping site" he said to himself before moving deeper into the area. Finding a decent sized stone, Kel'han removed his sheathed blade from his back and placed it leaning against the stone before seating himself. He reached into his traveling pack and retrieved a hand full of dried venison. the drow leaned back against a ruined column and chewed of the ration while enjoying the memories of screaming elves, and blood stained blades.
 
She slowly moved through the corridors, coming to understand that she wasn't in a cave, for the stonework was too precise. It wasn't until nightfall before she was able to explore more of the place. She'd never seen this place before, the designs, what she could find, seemed elven in make, but none like she had recalled seeing before. Her stomach grumbled with the concept of food. "Oh hush." She hissed in her native tongue. Her voice felt thick and dry, obvious from its lack of use. She eventually came to find her way outside, happy to see the night sky. This she remembered, and it was still the same, still beautiful. She felt stronger now, her legs carrying her with a more fluid nature, more like what she was used to. Her ashen charcoal frame was covered in a white simply made dress and her hair was in light waves down her hips. Her feet were covered in slippers, and she didn't recall them being hers. But there was nothing else that she had at the moment. She had to find something to eat. It was doubtful that there was anyone nearby that could help her at all. "Hello?" Stupid, she told herself. There's no one here. She sighed and continued to make her way out, finally seeing enough outside to see the forest for the first time.
 
Long pointed ears twitched as they were suddenly assaulted by foot steps. Instinct kicked in, and the drow stood up gathering his sword and quickly calculating possible angles of attack. How had he been so foolish! He let his guard down only weeks after his awakening. With movements as silent as a shadow, the agile dark elf ran toward a tattered wall. As he reached it however, the Drow leaped, completed a full somersault, and landed lightly in a crouching position on its ridge. Pale white orbs narrowed toward the direction of the intruder. His eyes suddenly went wide as he herd the female speak. "hello?" that accent....Sudden flash of anger assaulted the drow violently as memories of endless torment at the hands of his female kin rushed through his mind. Slowly, Kel'han pulled his blade free from it's sheathe and crept along the ruined wall. It was all he could do to remain silent as he scaled the remains of the temple and perch himself on the other side. The female was now in full sight. His head tilted to the side as he studied her. Although she appeared unarmed, he knew very well that any female of his race was strong in Will and could more than take care of herself. " Your a long way from home priestess." he assumed her title. Most females attended the cleric college to become enlightened servants of Lloth.
 
Her jumpiness from her sleep as well as the surprise of someone actually being here, made her take a quick step back. Out of instinct she threw up her hands and concentrated, a flash of light emanating from her hands. Her head turned away then and she ran back into the ruins, stumbling as she went, her body not used to the exertion. She made for the room she had woken up from, but found quickly that in all the twists and turns she had taken, she couldn't recall where exactly it was. In a near panic she quickly ducked behind a wall, sinking to a sitting position, hoping against anything that whoever that was wouldn't find her. He looked about ready to kill her. Her mind swirled with possibilities but they were so fast that she couldn't lock onto any of them. Who was he? Why had he called her a priestess? Why did she run? What had happened to her? There was an explanation, and it was highly unlikely she'd find any answers here. But now she had to deal with this elf, whoever he was, that was trying to kill her. She had to find a way to escape him and this place.
 
The sudden burst of light brought cries of agony to the drow and sent him falling backwards off the ruined temple to curl in a ball on the ground. His hands held firmly against his throbbing orbs as the drow cast curses in several tongues through clenched teeth. Growling, Kel'han stood up and let his hands fall from his still burning eyes. He blinked repeatedly until his sight eventually came back to him. He quickly gathered his sword and sheathe from the dust covered ground and secured them into place before making his way into the temple. His once pale white orbs now glowing brilliantly as his anger arose. " Oh come now Priestess. It's not very becoming of you to flee from a mere male!" He grinned devilishly as he gathered his psionic focus, pushing all random thoughts aside and bringing himself into a state of mental awareness. " Are you here to retrieve me for sacrifice? I am sure Lloth would be pleased!" he called out to her as he moved through the corridors of the temple. " I am afraid to tell you that it will not be so easy to get me to return with you m'lady!"
 
She squinted in thought as he called out to her. She wasn't a priestess. Why did he keep calling her that? She looked at her attire, seeing only confusion. She never wore white. If he was smart, he'd understand that priestesses did not run from males. Nor were they ever without their whips. She was beginning to think he was bereft of his senses, but yet she had been left in these ruins, asleep for who knows how long and no idea how she came to be there, only to find herself running from a dark elf that wanted to kill her on sight. This was turning out to be a glorious day. She slowly stood up and listened for any sign of him. Her amber eyes glowing brightly in the darkness of the temple as she looked about, searching for some kind of escape route. Slowly she crept from the room she had been hiding in. Surely she could make it out of the temple without crossing paths with him. She hoped, but a nagging feeling in her gut told her she wouldn't be successful in that venture. He would find her. She knew he would. Would she live to find any answers?
 
Now having complete focus, Kel'han watched as the material world seemed to be striped from his eyes, leaving behind what he had come to call " true sight". The basis of everything in existence, living and inanimate, Pure energy. Walls became mostly transparent though leaving apparent outlines in a fuzzy shade of blue. Kel'han was quickly able to seek out the female. Through his eyes, the female drow seemed a matrix of intertwining lines of pure life force. He tilted his head and frowned slightly. She was no priestess. He could clearly distinguish between arcane chakra and divine power. Kel'han visibly relaxed as he continued to study her. " It seems that i was mistaken" he said as he came around the last bend and entered the room she was now standing in. He shook his head and willed his power back in its dormant state. " You are clearly as much as an outcast as i am...." he hesitated" if not more so.
 
She scrambled back into the room when he came into view, looking much like she wanted to find any kind of escape. When he seemed to relax, her gaze went from the need from escape to a confused but wary expression. Her small spurt of adrenaline having run its course, her legs started to shake, then gave way, making her fall, though she caught herself enough to sit rather than be sprawled on the floor. Like it or not, she had no way to fend off this stranger should he choose to cause her harm. She had to admit that she'd just woken up only days earlier, and she'd had nothing to eat. She was in no condition to do much of anything. She placed her hand against her head. "Who are you? What do you want?" Her voice sounded pained, her head pounding. She slumped down further, then unable to take more, she fell to the side, her world going black.
 
The dark elf arched a single brow and tilted his head to the side as he watched her crumble to the cold stone floor. "Curious" He said to himself. She was far from consciousness, yet the fact that a female of the underdark was still breathing offended him greatly. Part of him wanted nothing more than to rend her head from her shoulders for all the years of torment at the hands of those priestess and matron mothers of his native home. His eyes narrowed and he cursed through clenched teeth. He paced about the small room arguing at himself about why she should and shouldn't be allowed to live. She was no cleric, yet any female thought herself above a male. He stopped and considered her briefly and made his choice. If she turned out to be a rogue as he initially thought then she would be allowed to survive this encounter, but if she turned out to be a follower of Lloth, he would send her to the bitch of the Demon Web, himself.
 
He didn't know why he stayed. It had been days since the unconscious female even budged, yet each night, Kel'han would go out and hunt within the forest. It was on the third night when after felling a wild hog and bringing it back to their temporary layer, that the dark elf noticed the first signs of coherence from her. It was while he was cooking the pig in the center of their stone den that he noticed her shuffle and heard her stomach growling. Kel'han chuckled slightly " Your mind may well be in slumber, but your body knows what is needed to sustain itself." he said as he looked to her. " Come now. Your rest is over. Awaken, and have your fill. Then we shall talk of what choices lay before us."
 
She shifted against the floor, her head moving slowly before her eyes started to open. She became aware first of the smell of the pig and it made her feel both ravenous and nauseated. Likely the nausea was from her lack of food and would pass if she ate. She sat up with a groan, placing her hand against her head. "Water.." She managed to croak the word out having not had anything provided upon her awakening even the first time. She hurt in places she hadn't known she could hurt. Upon being provided water she took a long drink which helped her body immensely. The headache abated somewhat, leaving her quite hungry. She looked to the food and then slowly to him. Her eyes still held a deep level of wariness, but from the fact that she was still alive and apparently in his care she kept her fears tightly under wraps. "You have been watching over me?" Her eyes traveled over his frame seeming to really study him for the first time, a bit of curiosity lacing her gaze. She forced herself to stretch her tired and sore muscles, then she sat in a more comfortable position near the fire. The meat smelled nearly done and her stomach grumbled with the desire to be filled.
 
Kel'han remained silent as he handed the parched female his water skin. Kel'han reached down to his hip and removed a small make-shift dagger he constructed out of a stone shard he found lying on temple floor earlier. He grinned as he watched the eager drowess down the remaining liquid from his water skin and eye the roasted pig before her. " ahh.. yes.. you did say that you were hungry didn't you?" of course she didn't. She was easy enough to read in her apparent state. the drow took his raged rock blade and sliced into the hog. Pulling a rather large piece out he extended it out to the female. " Eat and gather your energy back. we have much to discuss. " he said in a monotone voice. " A lot has changed since last i laid my eyes upon Ayenee, and from what i have gathered from the last few days, you are as confused as i was when i awakened.
 
She didn't deny the proffered hog and indeed dug right in, taking a large bite and chewing quickly. After a few bites, she swallowed uncomfortably then slowed down her eating to a more suitable speed. Once finished with her food, she let out a rather unladylike belch, glancing to him and murmuring a polite apology, something unusual to her people. Lacking anything to wipe her hands on she used the simple white dress. It would be replaced soon enough once she'd gotten her strength back. "What things have we to discuss?" Her voice sounded stronger now that she could feel her energy returning to her. She thought on his words. "Wait...you woke up? Do you know how you came to be here?" She looked around this place. "I don't recognize this place at all. I don't even remember where I was before this." She rubbed her temples while she tried to bring up the shaken memories. Something was amiss.
 
Kel'han shook his head. " This temple is...was a religious place for surface elves. I remember coming here as a youth, not yet graduated from the fighters school. We raided what used to be a village and ransacked this temple for no other reason than to defile the place even more." he said as a flicker of joy at the memory sparked in his pale white eyes. " I do not know why you are here. I, myself was placed in a small cave near my old stronghold...well what used to be my stronghold anyway. I was put to sleep by my devious brother." he growled to himself. " Ryltar." This world has changed greatly, and i mean to find out if there is anyone left from centuries back. I do not know the conditions of this realm anymore and finding allies seems to be the smartest course to take at this time." Kel'han stood and began slicing up the roasted hog and setting each piece on individual sheets of stripped leather before hanging them on a system of stringed up hooks he manufactured while she was asleep in order to dry the meat and ration it out later.
 
Centuries? she though to herself. How long had she been asleep anyway? The name he mentioned sounded familiar, but she decided not to speak on that. Why was she put to sleep? What was her purpose supposed to be in all this? What was..."this"? She took a look around the ruins, her gaze devoid of emotion at his apparent pleasure of slaughter. She, through her own trials, had come to learn that killing just because she could left her feeling quite empty inside. Instead she decided to live in peace on her own. Not to say that she didn't have her fair share of trouble. She'd run into plenty. But she'd never killed anyone. This elf she was with now, seemed to enjoy the thought of needless slaughter. A trait that left a bad taste in her mouth. "Where are these allies of yours?" She asked with a casual curiosity as she mulled over the idea of whether or not to part ways as soon as possible. If what he was saying was true, then, as dangerous as he was, he was the only ally she had right now. If things were truly so different, then perhaps her home was indeed gone too. At the moment, she needed help, and like it or not, she had to deal with him. Something about him bothered her, but she would deal with it if it meant her safety and meals until she was able to handle herself.
 
Kel'han divided the rations and tossed her a weeks worth within a leather satchel he found earlier while walking through the ruins. He was quite surprised at how well he recalled each and every stroke of his sword, and how well he could still hear the final screams of his, at that time, most hated enemy. The drow stood from his crouched position and looked to the female as she asked him her question. " merely old..." he pondered hard for a the word..."Friends". He began gathering his equipment, strapping his serrated broad sword onto his back, and his make-shift stone dagger in his boot. " Can you move?" he asked calmly. " for long distances, that is." he corrected before turning back toward the rooms exit. " We must gather more supplies. Weapons, armor, and of course food and water. I am sure that Ayenee hasn't changed so much that the wilds are no longer a dangerous place. We are drow of course so we will most likely be shunned or even attacked in any town, so, it might be wise to stay away from such places for now, at least until we are better equipped to deal with our aggressors." he smiled brightly at that. Yes, the prospect of combat did thrill this particular drow. It was through such altercations that one trully know his own worth. He motioned for the female to gather the rations and whatever else she needed from this place. " we move soon"
 
At 5 foot 3, dressed in deep purple leather ties, with ebony curls that hung to her waist and eyes the color of a liquid night sky, Jewel wasn’t what you’d call a mighty looking warrior, nor at the moment did she feel like one. In the last 2 days she had lost her traveling companions to a flash flood and her horse to a beast in the night. All she had left was 3 knifes, one strapped to her waist and one tucked in each of her thigh length boots and the pack on her back that held a few items of worn clothing, a blanket, a small ration of food and a water bottle… And the note, the damned note with it’s hastily drawn map that started this trek in the first place!

Right now she was tired, hungry, in want of a shower and apparently lost, all of these things did little to sweeten her dark mood. She was almost surprised that a little black cloud wasn’t looming over her head threatening rain. Kicking up a puff of dirt as her foot launched a rock down the small trail she was following she let out a near silent chuckle at the thought of the raining cloud, hell, let it rain, she would at least enjoy the cleansing water, but she was almost willing to bet that with her current luck the cloud would rain oil!

Tugging her pack up higher on her back she slowed her pace from a jog to a casual walk, thinking she really had no place to hurry to at the moment, after all, lost is lost. With the wind no longer rushing past her ears and the thundering sound of her leather soled feet thumping the ground, she swore she could hear the faint sound of running water farther down the weeded trail. Maybe, just maybe her luck was turning a bit!

As she walked she started to notice that not only did this trail seem to be littered with tiny rocks that glowed faintly in the moonlight, but the path also seem to be widening out into what, at one time might have been an actual path or road. Though she still could not see any body of water ahead, she swore she could hear the faint sound of water rushing around water.
 
She gathered the proffered rations then stood up. She was already feeling stronger than she had before. "I think I will survive." She did not feel inclined to reveal she had magical talent at this point. In the fogginess of her long sleep she had trouble sifting through her memories, but slowly the fog was lifting, reminding her of who and what she was. Her gaze settled up on the drow with a curious study. She could not quite remember when the last time was she had seen another of her kind. It gave her an appreciation of seeing the natural beauty of her own people. Her head tilted slightly, "who are you?" Her voice held a quiet nature to it, calm. Even though she did not trust him, she was willing to extend the hand of 'friendship' as it were, since they seemed to have a lot in common at the moment. She moved to follow him, giving him a slight nod to show she was willing to do the traveling necessary to find some answers.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom