03-21-2018, 10:51 AM
A few minutes pass in silence as he stares at the blackened steel.
‘I don’t feel any different, but this area is unlike anything I’ve ever heard of before.’ He gently shakes his head, not much seeming to add up. ‘What reason would he have to lie though… Is it even a he? I guess that doesn’t much matter. Damn it! I don’t have enough information…’
Taloc stands up and walks over towards the center of the fountain, letting the cascading water run down his body. Reaching up, he starts scrubbing his hair turning the water a dull red as the last vestiges of blood wash free. With a soft sigh, he opens his eyes, actually looking at the fountain for the first time. Along the raised basin, conveniently just above his head, there are a series of murals etched into the stone. Like scrollwork, they stretch on depicting a wide variety of scenes. A young boy with no face, dressed like a courier and standing over the body of an ornately armoured soldier. That same faceless boy being chased by a mounted soldier with a crossbow. A bolt sticking out of the boys back as he looks up at the soldier, knocking another bolt. A faceless girl holding a knife helping the boy stand back up, the soldier dead in the background…
Taloc’s eyes go wide as he continues scanning the fountain, bits and pieces of memory clicking back into place. To the left, a faceless man dropping down on a merchant. The right, a faceless man poisoning a stew. Hundreds of different scenes etched into the fountain, all depicting the faceless man, and often the woman as well, performing countless deeds of death.
Gently, he reaches forward and traces the lines of the faceless woman, thankful that the water is hiding the burning tears running down his face. She had been there since the beginning… Ever since the first mission…
With a shake of his head, Taloc splashes some water up into his face and turns away. Now isn’t the time to get lost in the past. Looking down at the bloodied clothes floating in the fountain, he grimaces, the thought of putting them back on was more than he could handle right now. Better to just forget about them for now.
‘So now what do I do?’ he thinks sourly. ‘I’m in a strange world with nothing but a pair of blades… Hell, I’d sooner go out in the buff than put those clothes back on… Wait a minute… What did that Omni guy say? Something about what you most desire…?’
Holding a hand out towards the outer edge of the fountain, he focuses, intent on a new set of clothing. Much to his surprise, a bubble of rainbow light forms over the spot he was focusing on. Assuming it was working, he continued the process, concentrating on a new cloak, tunic… Hell, pants would be amazing right about now… Time ticks by with little changing until, at last, the cocoon of pulsating rainbow light fades to reveal a cloak of a deep forest brown and scarf to match. A tunic and pants of a faded mottled black lie beside the cloak, folded neatly with a series of straps and sheathes piled on top. The simple darkened leather boots rounded out the new outfit rather well considering what little he was working on so far.
“Well he was telling the truth about that at least. Guess there’s no reason to doubt the rest either,” Taloc says softly as he steps out of the fountain.
Quickly and efficiently, he dons the clothes and settles the sheathes into place across his body. Taking up Ire and Woe, he stows them safely out of sight along his back, hilts on either side of his waist and ready to be drawn at a moments notice. A quick stretch left, then right, followed by two quick jumps, and he nods, satisfied that everything is settled and concealed. At least for the passerby glance. If this is anything like home, his eyes would give him away sooner or later, even if the blades don’t, and he doesn’t have anyone watching his back here…
He scans the growing crowd and raises the scarf to cover half his face. Too many eyes. Too many people have seen his face, he would have to lay low for a while, but that is far easier said than done. This place is new, no hideouts, no one to call in a favor, no way to readily disappear. His scan of the crowd stops as he notices a girl in the back, face half covered and dressed in a way that doesn’t hinder movement. The way she held herself was all he needed and before he even realized it, he flashed a simple handsign, crooking his first two fingers slightly and touching his thumb to his ring finger. This universal sign was known throughout his realm, inviting a quiet place to talk between two of the faceless.
Only after did he realize that this wasn’t exactly his realm anymore… So, he made eye contact and did a quick head motion off towards a gateway on his left. Not the most subtle move, but he didn’t exactly have a lot of options, and he needed a way to disappear, to work, to learn.
‘Hell,’ he thinks grimly. ‘Maybe I’ll even find a way to die…’
Slipping through the crowd with a practiced ease, Taloc makes his way towards the gate, a smoking mass of rock and granite by the look of things. He’d give her thirty minutes. After that, well... He’s no worse off than he was before. Would just have to rely on a bit of luck to get by for a while…
‘I don’t feel any different, but this area is unlike anything I’ve ever heard of before.’ He gently shakes his head, not much seeming to add up. ‘What reason would he have to lie though… Is it even a he? I guess that doesn’t much matter. Damn it! I don’t have enough information…’
Taloc stands up and walks over towards the center of the fountain, letting the cascading water run down his body. Reaching up, he starts scrubbing his hair turning the water a dull red as the last vestiges of blood wash free. With a soft sigh, he opens his eyes, actually looking at the fountain for the first time. Along the raised basin, conveniently just above his head, there are a series of murals etched into the stone. Like scrollwork, they stretch on depicting a wide variety of scenes. A young boy with no face, dressed like a courier and standing over the body of an ornately armoured soldier. That same faceless boy being chased by a mounted soldier with a crossbow. A bolt sticking out of the boys back as he looks up at the soldier, knocking another bolt. A faceless girl holding a knife helping the boy stand back up, the soldier dead in the background…
Taloc’s eyes go wide as he continues scanning the fountain, bits and pieces of memory clicking back into place. To the left, a faceless man dropping down on a merchant. The right, a faceless man poisoning a stew. Hundreds of different scenes etched into the fountain, all depicting the faceless man, and often the woman as well, performing countless deeds of death.
Gently, he reaches forward and traces the lines of the faceless woman, thankful that the water is hiding the burning tears running down his face. She had been there since the beginning… Ever since the first mission…
With a shake of his head, Taloc splashes some water up into his face and turns away. Now isn’t the time to get lost in the past. Looking down at the bloodied clothes floating in the fountain, he grimaces, the thought of putting them back on was more than he could handle right now. Better to just forget about them for now.
‘So now what do I do?’ he thinks sourly. ‘I’m in a strange world with nothing but a pair of blades… Hell, I’d sooner go out in the buff than put those clothes back on… Wait a minute… What did that Omni guy say? Something about what you most desire…?’
Holding a hand out towards the outer edge of the fountain, he focuses, intent on a new set of clothing. Much to his surprise, a bubble of rainbow light forms over the spot he was focusing on. Assuming it was working, he continued the process, concentrating on a new cloak, tunic… Hell, pants would be amazing right about now… Time ticks by with little changing until, at last, the cocoon of pulsating rainbow light fades to reveal a cloak of a deep forest brown and scarf to match. A tunic and pants of a faded mottled black lie beside the cloak, folded neatly with a series of straps and sheathes piled on top. The simple darkened leather boots rounded out the new outfit rather well considering what little he was working on so far.
“Well he was telling the truth about that at least. Guess there’s no reason to doubt the rest either,” Taloc says softly as he steps out of the fountain.
Quickly and efficiently, he dons the clothes and settles the sheathes into place across his body. Taking up Ire and Woe, he stows them safely out of sight along his back, hilts on either side of his waist and ready to be drawn at a moments notice. A quick stretch left, then right, followed by two quick jumps, and he nods, satisfied that everything is settled and concealed. At least for the passerby glance. If this is anything like home, his eyes would give him away sooner or later, even if the blades don’t, and he doesn’t have anyone watching his back here…
He scans the growing crowd and raises the scarf to cover half his face. Too many eyes. Too many people have seen his face, he would have to lay low for a while, but that is far easier said than done. This place is new, no hideouts, no one to call in a favor, no way to readily disappear. His scan of the crowd stops as he notices a girl in the back, face half covered and dressed in a way that doesn’t hinder movement. The way she held herself was all he needed and before he even realized it, he flashed a simple handsign, crooking his first two fingers slightly and touching his thumb to his ring finger. This universal sign was known throughout his realm, inviting a quiet place to talk between two of the faceless.
Only after did he realize that this wasn’t exactly his realm anymore… So, he made eye contact and did a quick head motion off towards a gateway on his left. Not the most subtle move, but he didn’t exactly have a lot of options, and he needed a way to disappear, to work, to learn.
‘Hell,’ he thinks grimly. ‘Maybe I’ll even find a way to die…’
Slipping through the crowd with a practiced ease, Taloc makes his way towards the gate, a smoking mass of rock and granite by the look of things. He’d give her thirty minutes. After that, well... He’s no worse off than he was before. Would just have to rely on a bit of luck to get by for a while…
In battle it is important to keep a sharp blade
But it is by far more important to keep a sharp mind.
But it is by far more important to keep a sharp mind.