09-07-2013, 02:41 PM
When Nyx regained consciousness on the other side of the vined gate, it was much more peaceful than her initial awakening in the Omniverse. In fact, in this particular Verse, she seemed to be almost completely at peace. It was as though nothing troubling had ever happened to her – she'd never been accused of murder, she hadn't been torn unceremoniously from her home and thrown into some clinically white nightmare, and she certainly hadn't had to deal with more strange life forms than she felt she could ever read about in the Circle Tower's library. As her blood red eyes fluttered open once more, she could scarcely believe where she was. It felt so... so normal. So natural.
Nyx blinked a few times in an attempt to clear the sleepy haze from her eyes, watching in wonder as the treetops around her sharpened into focus. Wait... There were trees? Tentatively, she stretched out her palm to feel the ground she lay on. Her fingers grasped at grass. She giggled delightedly, wrenching a handful of grass from the ground and staring at it in bewilderment. She felt as though she hadn't seen anything like it in years! Nyx was also in a state of disbelief that she could get so excited over something that she wouldn't even acknowledge back home.
Her heart skipped a beat as, for a moment, she entertained the possibility that she could be home. The blood mage pulled herself into an upright position, still in awe of her surroundings. The colours! How had she never noticed them before back home? They were so vivid, so luscious... almost too luscious. Nyx didn't really want to look over her shoulder and shatter the illusion, but she knew it was a necessary evil. With a heavy heart, she cast a glance over her shoulder. She was greeted with the other side of the portal. She quirked her head slightly, staring back through the portal and the fountain she had grown to recognize from whence she had come.
“Well, you're definitely not home...” Nyx murmured to herself, turning away from the portal. She sat facing what seemed like an endless forest. The trees sprawled out into the horizon as far as her eye could see. Exploring the forest seemed like the logical progression from her awakening in this tangled green. “But, hey... Could be worse...” she continued, picking herself up off the floor and checking her boot for the dagger she had summoned earlier. It, too, had survived her transition. As her fingers brushed against the handle, she tugged it free from the hilt and seized it firmly in her right hand. It made her feel safer. She didn't know what to expect from this expanse, especially after the variety of different creatures she had encountered earlier. Would they be 'normal'? What even was normal anymore? Nyx wasn't sure what to believe, and she didn't intend to leave herself defenceless so she could find out the hard way.
As Nyx looked up from the hilt of her dagger, her gaze fell upon a strange arrangement of rocks. They formed a ring, and an arrow pointed towards the forest. She smirked, despite herself. “How nice of her to leave a trail...” the blood mage mused, following the trail Whirda had left for her. At least, she hoped it was Whirda. Resigning herself to the thought she was intending to head for the heart of the forest anyway, Nyx shrugged lightly and quickened her pace, dagger still clutched firmly in hand.
As the trees became denser and thicker, Nyx entertained an interesting thought. The deeper into the forest she ventured, the less safe she felt. It was an odd notion, given that she had no idea what – or who – could emerge from the portal at any given time... and more so because she should, in theory, be comfortable with traversing forests... but this one felt different. She felt as though she was being watched, and unlike the forests of Ferelden, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. That seemed to be a recurring theme as of late...
She focused on keeping her senses sharp, and her blade tensed and ready. She wasn't so concerned about using her magic here – heck, it didn't seem that anyone else was around to see it anyway. Was blood magic even so forbidden in this strange world?
Suddenly, a voice. “Now show yourself!” It seemed familiar... Feminine... Could it be? It was chased by a lower, more masculine voice. That one, she didn't recognize. He spoke softer than the female. Nyx urged her feet to move faster, straying from it and into the trees as she drew closer. Though she'd never received any hunter training, she knew a thing or two. Her instincts told her the bold and brazen approach was not the smartest. She crept from tree to tree, trying to get a better look at what was happening.
What she saw was Whirda with a blade pressed against the back of her neck. Nyx's fight or flight response kicked in as she glanced at the man in a strange, foreign garb. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the man interjected.
“Is this your friend?” he sneered, jerking his head in the blood mage's direction. “She's not very subtle.”
Nyx's lips curled into a snarl. “I suggest you step away from her,” she growled, stepping into the light. When the man didn't comply, she drew the dagger closer to her left hand. The blade traced the scar that ran from her thumb across her palm, reopening the wound. The female grimaced, but didn't seem too concerned, and clenched her fist. Her eyes narrowed. ”This is your last warning.”
She was met with a light hearted giggle from the man. In one swift movement, she extended her arm, her palm outstretched towards what she guessed was some kind of assassin. Normally, blood would pour from the wound... but in Nyx's case, it coagulated into a projectile which immediately hurtled towards the man holding Whirda captive. Though he was clearly taken aback, his reflexes were sharp enough that he managed to dodge Nyx's attack – but that bought her enough time to break free.
“What...?” she began, but Nyx interjected. ”You can ask questions later.”
Nyx blinked a few times in an attempt to clear the sleepy haze from her eyes, watching in wonder as the treetops around her sharpened into focus. Wait... There were trees? Tentatively, she stretched out her palm to feel the ground she lay on. Her fingers grasped at grass. She giggled delightedly, wrenching a handful of grass from the ground and staring at it in bewilderment. She felt as though she hadn't seen anything like it in years! Nyx was also in a state of disbelief that she could get so excited over something that she wouldn't even acknowledge back home.
Her heart skipped a beat as, for a moment, she entertained the possibility that she could be home. The blood mage pulled herself into an upright position, still in awe of her surroundings. The colours! How had she never noticed them before back home? They were so vivid, so luscious... almost too luscious. Nyx didn't really want to look over her shoulder and shatter the illusion, but she knew it was a necessary evil. With a heavy heart, she cast a glance over her shoulder. She was greeted with the other side of the portal. She quirked her head slightly, staring back through the portal and the fountain she had grown to recognize from whence she had come.
“Well, you're definitely not home...” Nyx murmured to herself, turning away from the portal. She sat facing what seemed like an endless forest. The trees sprawled out into the horizon as far as her eye could see. Exploring the forest seemed like the logical progression from her awakening in this tangled green. “But, hey... Could be worse...” she continued, picking herself up off the floor and checking her boot for the dagger she had summoned earlier. It, too, had survived her transition. As her fingers brushed against the handle, she tugged it free from the hilt and seized it firmly in her right hand. It made her feel safer. She didn't know what to expect from this expanse, especially after the variety of different creatures she had encountered earlier. Would they be 'normal'? What even was normal anymore? Nyx wasn't sure what to believe, and she didn't intend to leave herself defenceless so she could find out the hard way.
As Nyx looked up from the hilt of her dagger, her gaze fell upon a strange arrangement of rocks. They formed a ring, and an arrow pointed towards the forest. She smirked, despite herself. “How nice of her to leave a trail...” the blood mage mused, following the trail Whirda had left for her. At least, she hoped it was Whirda. Resigning herself to the thought she was intending to head for the heart of the forest anyway, Nyx shrugged lightly and quickened her pace, dagger still clutched firmly in hand.
As the trees became denser and thicker, Nyx entertained an interesting thought. The deeper into the forest she ventured, the less safe she felt. It was an odd notion, given that she had no idea what – or who – could emerge from the portal at any given time... and more so because she should, in theory, be comfortable with traversing forests... but this one felt different. She felt as though she was being watched, and unlike the forests of Ferelden, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. That seemed to be a recurring theme as of late...
She focused on keeping her senses sharp, and her blade tensed and ready. She wasn't so concerned about using her magic here – heck, it didn't seem that anyone else was around to see it anyway. Was blood magic even so forbidden in this strange world?
Suddenly, a voice. “Now show yourself!” It seemed familiar... Feminine... Could it be? It was chased by a lower, more masculine voice. That one, she didn't recognize. He spoke softer than the female. Nyx urged her feet to move faster, straying from it and into the trees as she drew closer. Though she'd never received any hunter training, she knew a thing or two. Her instincts told her the bold and brazen approach was not the smartest. She crept from tree to tree, trying to get a better look at what was happening.
What she saw was Whirda with a blade pressed against the back of her neck. Nyx's fight or flight response kicked in as she glanced at the man in a strange, foreign garb. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the man interjected.
“Is this your friend?” he sneered, jerking his head in the blood mage's direction. “She's not very subtle.”
Nyx's lips curled into a snarl. “I suggest you step away from her,” she growled, stepping into the light. When the man didn't comply, she drew the dagger closer to her left hand. The blade traced the scar that ran from her thumb across her palm, reopening the wound. The female grimaced, but didn't seem too concerned, and clenched her fist. Her eyes narrowed. ”This is your last warning.”
She was met with a light hearted giggle from the man. In one swift movement, she extended her arm, her palm outstretched towards what she guessed was some kind of assassin. Normally, blood would pour from the wound... but in Nyx's case, it coagulated into a projectile which immediately hurtled towards the man holding Whirda captive. Though he was clearly taken aback, his reflexes were sharp enough that he managed to dodge Nyx's attack – but that bought her enough time to break free.
“What...?” she began, but Nyx interjected. ”You can ask questions later.”