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Rated: 13+ · Campfire Creative · Fiction · Fantasy · #863330
City Krigar where evil roams is where now lies the Twelve thrones
[Introduction]

In the City of Krigar
Where evil roams,
Is where now lies,
The Twelve thrones.

The first of Fire,
To light the way,
Second it's partner,
The golden Day.

Third is the Wind,
For the Strong Wing,
It's Enemy four,
Stones that can sing.

Water comes fifth,
To heal the rest.
Ice its closest friend,
Sharp Mind the best.

Seventh is Life,
Knowing the heart,
Her sister Chair eight,
Walking in Death.

Nine comes as Earth,
Strong til the end,
Entwined with the Time,
Seeing from ten.

Night is eleven,
Shadow in Viels,
Empty sits twelve,
To be filled or we quail.




This campfire is simple. The prophecy of Ragnarok has been revealed and now one of each race must appear to stop the Twilight from arising and awaken the Twelth. The races are based on the Prophecy so they are aligned to one of the Thrones, Fire, Day, Wind, Stone, Water, Ice, Life, Death, Earth, Time and Night. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and none are better or worse than the others. However these races are not all friends and will be forced to work together by the Greater Powers.

HAVE FUN!!!!

(IN you first go write a bio block like mine please!)

Name: Rhia Davive
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Race: Metior, Fire.
This anciant race is allies with Day and Life but vicious enemies with Water. They like to live in Clans of about twenty people that are all ruled by the King of the Flames, each Clan is then put into the charge of a Red knight, these are the most loyal of the Kings guard.

Character: Rhia is a lively young girl who's spirit never seems to waver. She loves to laugh and has a firm belief in the Undying Flame. she has a temper and no one has ever won an arguement against her. Nothing dampens this girl's heart but though this is her apperence in the day, many a night she has lain awake crying under the weight of her broken heart.

Looks: She is very pretty when she lets herself be. She has long blond hair that is tinted with oranges and reds and many shades of gold. Her face is smooth and alight with life and vigor. Her large eyes sparkle light enigmatic flames as they are the colour of a cats, golden. Her skin is a light tan from her wild days spent in the sun, running across field and valley. However despite this beauty it is well disguised by the way she wears scruffy, ragamuffin clothes, lets her hair knot in the wind and allows it to fall over her face.

Weapons: Twin sabers, they were passed down her ancestry until they reached her, they can unleash a mystical power (Psyine energy) called Phoenix Rising.

Magic: She does not often use her magic but she can control much of the element Fire naturally. However she can also create a Healing aura and create and manilpulate fire from nothing. Her most powerful gift is called Meteor, this calls up a spritual ball of falling, burning rock that cuts into her enemies essence, it can kill at maximum and at minimum K.O so she prefers not to use it.

*
Name: Loki Mortnoir
Age: Irrelivent, he's immortal now.
Gender: Male

Race: Werewolf, Night.
(after much explaining on Lascelles part:) This race is allies with Death and Ice but enemies with Day. If they are wild they can go into their werewolf form at anytime, if considered tame they only take on the transformations at the full moon. They all go around in packs and are all under rule of the Alpha Male or Female.

Character: Loki is a moody guy with few friends. He is normally very serious and depressing to be around but this is only due to the pains he has suffered in his lifetime. He is a Wild Wolf and though he dislikes the transformations he will use it to fight for his pack any day. However he may not be a controlable creature he does have a softer side for those he considers his friends. He's a great listener and like most of his kind has been hired atleast five times as an assassin.

Looks: Loki is very tall and well built. He is muscular but not overly with pale skin. His eyes are his most distinguishable feature as they are never one colour, most of the time he has very deep grey eyes but they go soft greens to angry reds when he's in different moods. His hair is long and ragged, it is he colour of a ravens wing but with two red streaks down the sides.

Weapons: He carries a dagger and a wooden staff most of the time. He also is the proud owner of the Vorpal Blade which sends your foes into an oblivion. It can also cut through anything.

Magic: If you count the tranformations then that's magic. He can also tune into shadow. This means he can blend nto a shadow so no one will notice him. He can also bring on nights darkness and make a foesee things of the night. He can do many things with his element as he is considered the Chosen Wolf. The one destined to lead when the old dies.


Rhia lay in the sun, her pretty face glowing in the dying rays of light. The reds and oranges caught in her hair. She felt so warm and alive. Even though it saddened her to see her deity leaving hand in hand with the sun. Standing to watch the last glimpse of it she waved it goodbye, a smile on her face, a laugh on her lips.

Slowly she turned and skipped away down the lush green hill and started home. That was when she heard the screaming. Over her village, not so far away a single cloud was pouring out its content. WATER! She thought angrily as her skips turned to long running strides. But then she stopped... It didn't feel like water's essence. This felt so different.

"Rhia! Rhia! Over here girl!" A voice shouted. She span around and saw about seven of her village huddling in the shadow of a coal mound.

"Digar! Draxner! Alendel!" She cried running into the arms of her three brothers. They wrapped her tight and let her hold them, knowing how worried she must have been, just as they had been for her.

"Where's mama and papi?" She asked - dreading the answer.

"Pa went back inside to find mama. They haven't returned." Digar said sadly.

She knew what that meant... They were dead. tears welled up in her eyes, overflowing onto her cheeks, "No..."

Alendel pulled her back into a tight hug, "It'll be alright."

"Yeah.... I know." She sniffed, "They will walk forever in the land of sun and fire. And we will see them in the garden." She whispered.

"Rhia." An anciant voice tore her away from her brothers.

"Wise Fire." She sank to her knees in a bow as did the remainder of her clan.

"Rhia stand. You have something that I need to give you and has called you now."

As she rose and met the elder's eyes her passed her a chain, and on it was a symbol. Their symbol: Fire.

"Wise Fire - I..."

"Do you know what your real name is young Rhia?"

"No sir? I am not old enough to know sir."

"You are nearly of age and as this has called to you, you must be told. Your name is Mara Tia Ikrala. Meaning, SpiritStar of Fire. You are the chosen one my dear and now you must begin a journey to the summit of Mount Rikar. There you will come face to face with the Oldest of the Eldars. You will meet your destiny there and those who will be your allies."

"I don't understand."

"I can say no more. Here is your horse. Red Hare. Treat her well and go. You cannot stay."

****************************************

And here she was. Rhia looked around her at the sleeping temple. She knew nothing of what was going on and she was alone aprt from one other who was no more than a shadow. Something that delved in the darkness. She was alone apart from the Three Sleepers. The Three Eldar Warriors. She was alone. Was a little companion to much to ask for?

-So I will have to wait...- She thought curled up at the base of a pillar she sat, beginning to hum a lively little jig that they had played at the coming of Midsummer. When all of the Fire met together for a great party. For somereason she knew that this year the party would be cancelled. -I will have to wait a little while longer.-
name: Ariana tiayin

age:lost count a millenia ago

gender: female

race: life, nymph

character: her race does not fear death, as commonly thought, infact, the two rather walk hand in hand, a balance, which takes alot to upset, and i mean alot! Many want her, seeking to keep her in them at all costs, and it is this greed that she hates above all things (aswell as arrogant, narccissic egomaniacs). Ariana is extremely powerful, not of her choice, but since there are so few of her race,she is under constant threat of being taken as a prize, for mortals often wan't her for their own. she is compassionate and loyal, and is often found in the temple researching the reasons behind everythind, so in ways she is a bit of a know it all.

looks: she is radiant,and has no true form, instead taking on the form of whatever you feel life embodied looks like, which to a fire like riah will be surroundedby flame, with bold red hair and eyes like smouldering coals, and to night like loki, she would be as serene and shallow as the moon, etc.

weapons: no weapons of war, but she has a staffwhich will summon her sister death, who has oa ring that will do the same, summoning her.

magic: she has strong healing powers, but they will not save one from death,and she also can tell what people are thinking, and has visions of very powerful thoughts, like when people experience pure, raw, emotion.

*****************

Ariana strolled down the steps of the temple, for once glad that her father, the clan's chief, had enough power to influence officials into letting her have access to the scribes room, to pour over the dusty old tomes that lined its shelves, containing wisdom of the ages past.

A sense of fuffillment entered her, and she sighed deeply gazing upon all the tiny things filled with life. All of them pulsing gently and sparking a healthy glow over her ethreal skin, making her smile so gaily that it reached her eyes, glittering and sparkling the way ones do when you have made been cheeky, the feeling of satisfaction.

She was so enthralled in these thoughts, paying no attention to the other things around her, that she walked straight into a man, and as she glanced up, she bowed her head in reverence hastily,and reached out her hand to his forhead in the customary apoligy. At the brief touch the man convulsed suddenly, his arms snapping to his sides, and pain radiating out of his rigid features in waves, while his voice took on a deep, throaty, growl:

"Ariana Tiayin, born of the third solstice of sion, you have been called upon by a power greater than I, to serve the in the eleven. Your quest shall begin at mt. Rikar, where the spiritstar awaits you.. along with the others who shall join you you will awaken the twelfth, and disturb twighlights path."

With that the seer awakened, and grasped her hand as he seemed to dissapear before her eyes, "do it, save the races!" he rasped breathlessly, as the last of his energy left him, and he passed on, not to death, but to the far less kindly era of the twighlight.

Ariana reached out for his hand,his message dawning upon her quickly, like a knife shredding through her protective cocoon, releasing her on a world that was not yet ready, too divided, too torn. "Father" she sobbed gently before picking up the staff that lay at her feet, and at that moment everything seemed to stop, to allow her peace. And with all the energy she could muster Ariana swore a vow, one she would never break, "as long as Time passes by and the wind blows, as long as day dawns and night falls, as long as fire burns and brings light, while earth and stones, water and ice survive, until the balance of life and death is broken, I shall honour my word father. I will seek out the twelfth being, and do all in my power to help the ten other chosen ones to save the Prophesy of Ragornak."

Ariana started in suprise at the power behind her words, they had come out in a flow, as if a greater power had guided her, that of the elements.

Loki listen thoghtfuly to the tune the girl was whistling. He had been there in the temple when she had arrived. She had not seen him yet. What she did not know yet could not harm her and anyway he did not trust her. She was a Fire, close allies with Day. His enemy. If she saw him she would hate him and she would fear him. So he would not tell her or let her know he was there for a while yet.

With a sigh he wandered out onto the great temple steps. They fell in small white waves down the whole mountain. There were tree thousand steps and at the base was the valley of Rikar, to the west lay his home, the Forest of Iseng, to the East the river of Basagdone. He smiled, a dry, emotionless smile. It looked so beautiful in the darkness of the coming dusk, so beauiful....

A movement caught his eye. A girl, with long, midnight hair around a pale moonlight face. She was not one of the night like him, no she seemed to slip in and out of focus, she was not Death, though she semed very familiar in the way she moved. Loki could tell that what he was seeing was a nymph of the Light. A Phaedra, a creature that would suit his eyes and the Fires, and the Day...

It was strange how alone he suddenly felt. He could hear voices from inside the temple, fire and light chatting, getting to know each other. And he was out on the steps, longing for company. He was never the lone wolf, he wanted his pack. With a howl to his kindred he made himself visible to anyone who cared to look and sank to his knees.

Far away came answering howls. Telling him things that were for his ears alone. He smiled, this time with a brief happiness in his eyes.
Name: Ranna Gunnhildr
Age: 20
Gender: Female

Race: Norn, ice
Allied with Water and Night and has a dislike of Earth although the two races rarily meet. Norns live in the far north and are as cold and vicious as the land they come from. They have an intricate social structure that will take far to long to explain.

Character: Ranna is a typical Norn, seemingly cold and a vicious warrior. She is known intelligent and (unlike most Norns) has no qualms with travelling out of the far north. She perfers to be alone and does not really like people. She is very agile and graceful, as are most Norns, so she can work with and on ice.

Looks: White hair with a small braid behind her left hear with a falcon feather at the end. She has black eyes and a small face and is built along small lines.

Weapon: lots and lots of knives

Magic: She is the Norns current Ice Weaver and can freeze moisture in the air and weave the ice into whatever she needs.
Name: Warren Shea
Age:
Gender: male
Race: Marlins, Wind.
These people dwell in the high mountains; they live in houses that are usually of the face of a cliff. They travel from these houses with hand gliders each bearing their family crests on it. Their leader lives on the summit of the mountains. They are enemies with stone but over the year they have learned to live in peace each keeping to their own, but otherwise indifferent to the other races

Character: Has a loose sort of personality, very laid back. Has a phenomenal amount of patience but when that patience wears out theirs hell to pay. He has very little sympathy for those who complain about small pains (broken bones and things like that).

Looks: He’s tall and slender but a life in the mountains has given him great strength, he is also fast and very agile. His pale skin match his white hair, the only thing that stop him from being classified as albino is his deep blue eyes.

Weapons: His carries the traditional Marlin star chain which is fifteen feet of chains with a small mace head on the end, and a bastard sword, (sword with a hand and a half handle) and a two hand war hammer. The Sword has Marlin runes of power on the blade making it indestructible, its been in the family for generations. The mace was crafted but Warren himself.

Magic: Can fly and of course control wind. He can also use wind to carry his voice long distances.
name: Deatye tiayin

age:doesnt care

gender: female

race: Death, Scryers.

character: Deatye is a very quiet girl. She never speaks and has a very foreboding feel to her. When she does talk its in riddles and is usually very important.

looks: Raven hair thats short and layered. Falls into face and has dark eyes. Very pretty and blood red lips.

magic:Can tell the future and also can kill anyone just at the thought of doing so.

A howl rang through the temple, full of some meaning she could not explain. Ariana was already heading towards the entrance, her long golden hair rippling as she gracefully walked to see who, or what had made the longing cry.

A small black clad shape emerged from the shadows as the two searched the area on the steps. It was kneeling on the cold stone, back erect and head high. Long, badly cut hair fell smoothly over the shoulders, it was as dark as night, red streaking the sides. This was the latest elemental, Night's messanger.

Slowly it rose to it's feet, atleast two heads taller than herself she knew then waht it was. Werewolf. A pale face turned to her and fear flooded through her, and a histroy of dislike followed. But she knew this was stupid when she looked into the emotionless grey eyes, they swirled deep down to his heart, she knew how he must be feeling. Sympathy went out to him.

"I'm Rhia," She said and grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously, "You must be the Night Element. I'm Fire." They might as well be friends if they were going to be together as long as they were tranvelling in each others company.

"I can tell," he said with a brief smile, "My name is Loki."

"Ariana." said Life is a gental voice, "And the woman on your right is my sister, Death, Deatye."

A girl very pretty and almost similar to Ariana silently came into view, another elemental to add to their slowly expanding group. She nodded slightly and then embraced her sister element.

'It is good to see you." She said and Rhia smiled, it was nice to see a reunion.

The young man turned away again though a smile was playing faintly over his face. He was watching the steps closely. Another two figures were climbing the steps, staggered well apart. One was coming up rapidly the other alot slower.

Rhia came up beside him, "Who do you think they are?" She whispered.

With a strange glance at her he turned his nose to the air, "Wind...." He said in a low growl, "the other.... Water.... no Ice... It's to far away to tell...."

"Oh! You're a werewolf thingy aren't you!?" She beamed, "I've heard of them!"

"Yes, Metiors are common talk about our tribes too." He grinned, a wide smile that showed off his pure white fangs.

She felt comfortable with Night but not safe. They watched and waited for the arrivals together.
As Ariana looked around the small group, her mind only beginning to comprehend the challenge that they were to take on. Deatye nudged her in the ribs as she did this, knocking her out of her thoughts.

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen, and i've lived in death for what? like, eternity!"

"Tell me about it, and look at all those people who seem to think we should be bitter enemies, honestly, we're hardly that petty!"

As they turned around the werewolve's ears pricked up and he snarled slightly, jumping around to face in the other direction. A strange lilt came in to Deatye's voice and her eyes becamee blank, saying these words: "Day comes, as she approaches loki's powers will wane, though not as usual for he is surrounded by the elements who protect him unknowingly."

True enough, Day was approaching, and it was the metior who found it's form first her fire lighting the way. Wind who appeared to be a marlin had arrived at roughly the same time as an ice norn around 2 minutes ago, and they were both staying away from fire, Warren, the marlin,, only to stay with his new aquaintance.

Loki sat at the corner of the group, he could feel his strength waning, and knew the scryer was right, though he still didn't feel safe with this bizarre group of people. He was less than comfortable with a few of the people, but was found it rather amusing that the Metior, Riah, was attempting to create a healing aura for him, a werewolf and a natural enemy.

Ariana stepped over to him too,looking to him like his patron, the moon, he cowered at first, but then remembered, make an enemy of life and you make an enemy of death too, not a nice combintion if you're on the bad side of them, no matter how immortal you thought you were. He relaxed slightly and she reached out for him, an essence of her life force filling him. he leapt back in suprise almost knocking Riah over, and nodded at her as she stepped back to speak to the new arrivals.


Day, the coming of the dawn. He hated it, found it unbareable. Yet here he stood with Fire, his enemies greatest ally. It was simply ironic; and he did not mind it either. Even with Ice in the picture, he was quite happy to stand beside the girl - Rhia as the sun rose in the sky. That was when it struck him. The sun was rising, in the West.

Ice edged across to his otherside, her name was Ranna, a Norn, from the ice caps of the far North he believed. The werewolf stiffened as the sun took full to the blue high above. He not only hated it now, it made him feel ill, it felt so wrong. A miserable sound played over the mountain. whistling through the stone pillars like a motionless wind.

That made him smile though, Warren looked unnerved too. Prehaps this was the beginning of the Awakening. Prehaps the Eldar were starting to arise. Prehaps... Just prehaps it was time.
She didn't want to be here. Here, with these people whom she didn't care two figs about. They were a strange hodgepodge of races which seemed odd to Ranna whose race prized purity. Well, it was more complecated than that. At least there was an ally among them, that was something and so it was by him she stood. She chose not to speak to the others.

A cold wind brushed her face, reminding her of her homeland of ice and snow. It reminded her of her home, in the shadow of the glacier with the cubbies in the walls and the great loom in the center. She sighed. But no, since she was the Ice Weaver she was duty bound to come. The and the Hunter and Huntress decreed so and to defy them ment death.

A sound arose and Ranna's eyebrows twitched gently together. "Before all the players have arrived?" She murmured. "Well, the histories don't give details..." Those near her gave her odd looks which she ignored. Her black eyes remained watchful, waiting curiously to see what would happen next.
“This is not going to be an easy trip,” Warren said to Ranna, “having day and night within a mile of each other will make them both ill and they will both be depending on the energies of the others to be at full strength.” Ranna nodded and said, “I will have the same problem with fire, and she with water, life is going to have to support the half the group to keep things running smooth.” She looked up at Warren, “You only have to contend with stone and from what I understand you have become friends.”

Warren shook his head, “We have learned to leave each other alone; we were at peace when we didn’t come in contact with each other.”

“I can’t believe I’m standing here in this smattering of races and peoples expected to save a kingdom that has no authority over the Norn.” She murmured.

Warren looked at her with those emotionless blue eyes and said, “But you came.”
A Non-Existent User
Name: Layla

Age: Immortal, (but can be killed in battle)

Sex:Female

Race:Otakappi, the creatures that dwell completely alone and wander from place to place.

Appearence:Layla has no true appearance, as you look apon her you see a beautiful young face, and flowing silver hair, but somehow, you also see an old woman, bent and crooked. Her eyes are always the same though, swirling blue mist, and when she looks straight at you, there is nothing in your mind you can hide from her.

Personality: Layla is completely silent, communicating with thought to those she trusts. She does sing however and her voice takes her through time, backwards and forwards. Layla will never become angry, though she can become cold and resentful. She feels slightly superior to the other races and does not like to mix with them.

Weapons:Layla carries a staff and a bow and arrows. Her staff has a magical stone clasped at the point. It emmitts magic that stricks fear into the hearts of the unprepared. Her arrows are tipped with poisonous barbs. Although she seems like she is a peace loving creature, she is not really. She doesn't seem to care as a war will pass in time.
Deatye looked around at her companions. She prefered not to speak. Deatye knew what fate held in store for all of them. She wasn't allowed to share it though. As they all began to walk Deatye took one last look at all of them. 'Before our journey is over one of them shall lose thier life unless-' Deatye thought but her thoughts were soon taken from her when somebody nudged her hard in the ribs.

An Otakkapi, that was the wierdest addition of them all. The wind had been her voice, softly making the breezes gather. Rhiawas stunned, Night beside was amazed, everyone was. An old, young woman appeared on the steps, her silver hair cascading down about her shoulders. Rhia glanced at Life and Death and knew that even they were minorities compared to Time, the one thing that was all and everything. Except... If that woamn thought for a moment that she would be treated better or superior to them... Rhia felt momentary anger filling up her heart... She would not let the Otakkapi to either of them...

Loki seemed weaker though, the daylight seriously effecting him. She felt sorry for him, though she knew that they should be hating each other, she wanted to help him...

Life and Death stood togethr now and as the new woman scanned her misty blue eyes over them she looked hardest at them, staring straight at them, into their eyes, almost appearing to peer into their minds. The eyes passed over her face but they did not catch her eyes. She did not want them to.

<I am Layla, I am Time.> Came a voice in her head and she knew that everyone else could hear it too.
Ariana stood where she was, reaching out to deatye with her thoughts to seek a friendly mind, and was glad for the comfort. She had met time before at the birth, but then she was young and wileful, and now she seemed to be weakening. Ariana respected her, but knew that she was waning slowly as the twighlight approached, but would be stronger once the twelfth seat was filled.

Earth, stone and water had yet to appear, and it was worrying her that they had not appeared, as she turned to the mixed up gathering of people around her she said: "where are earth, stone and water? have any of you crossed them in your journey here?"

there was a stony silence, before Loki muttered darkly, " the last i heard water was injured, but cannot have passed into death, of the others, i have no clue."

It was true too. He had been passing through the White City - a place whre every race mixed together for trade adn he had heard there that a powerful traveller from the great Water Race had been chased down by a strange group of Hunters. He did not tell the rest of the group this, he did not want to waste his time trying to explain that these Hunters had been of no race that they knew but were more shadows, more peices of darkness than anything else. The stories he had heard had said that they came from no where and returned to no where. He shook his head, imperceptably.

"What if they aren't here when the Eldars awake?" Rhia asked the group, her eyes slightly worried, "Do you think that we might not be able to complete what they want us to do?"

"If they aren't here by then it will be no problem. Earth and Stone and Water and Day... They will be found on the way it they do not turn up before." Life said softly, "Am I right Sister?"

Death nodded, "I beleive so, though it will mean they will not understand whatever we are here for."

Loki tuned out of their conversation, he could feel Day coming closer and closer, she was slow, she did not want to come any nearer to him, he knew that adn he did not wnat her to come any closer for his strength was dwindling slowly. Fire was still sending him energy though, she glanced his way every five seconds, seeing his unease, sensing his weakening powers. She smiled as she caught his eye. He passed one back and turning, looked out across to where he knew Day rode... It would not be long until she was there but it would hopefully be turning dark by then and he would be alright again.

Just then the whole building seemed to groan, the stone yawning... A pale, ethreal tune sang threw the chamber, "Eldar?"

Wind and Ice shrugged, fire stepped towards him adn they waited for whatever it was to show its face.
He appeared to Ranna as an old man, tottering out from the broken rock face, leaning heavily on a staff of ash. She was taken aback at first, then reminded herself the Eldar appeared differently to everyone. But an old man? Barely strong enough to support his own weight? She was expecting someone more on the lines of the Huntress, with her vicious eyes, strong chin and battle hardened body. Or the Hunter, stony faced and commanding.

But here was an old man, leaning on a stick, looking at them all with merry eyes.

Maybe this was a mistake. This wasn't really the Eldar, just a lackey. Ranna shook her head. No she was being foolish.

"I see you have all arrived. Fire, Night, Life, Death, Ice, Wind...and an Otakappi." He bowed to her, "Welcome." The little man that Ranna saw peered around the group and smiled. "I am glad you are here. You were called, or chosen, as I am sure you know. You are important, everyone of you, and whether you have differences among you you must put that aside." Night and Day looked sideways at each other. "You all, I'm sure, have heard the prophecy, or at least some whisper on the Wind," he looked at Warren, "or across it in some book," he addressed Ranna.

Ranna's mind speed ahead of the words, ahead of the thoughts. "We have to stay with these people?" She asked coldly. "How long must we do this." She crossed her arms and the old man smiled sadly at her. "It is necessary, in more ways than one."

I thought the Eldars were warriors, mighty men of battle. She asked silently to no one in her mind. But all I see, is wrinkles and a bent back, and an old man leaning on a piece of ash.

Dear Ranna, we are warriors. But warriors don't always carry swords.

Ranna blinked, and swallowed and felt the cold air wash over her skin as the Eldar continued to speak.
A great roc stepped into view and Warren was slightly taken back, these great bird were found only in the mountains what was this creature doing here? ‘Perhaps it is a creature of the Eldar,’ he thought. Then a voice called back in his head, “We are the Eldar.”

The roc opened its beak and spoke as if it were human. "I see you have all arrived. Fire, Night, Life, Death, Ice, Wind...and an Otakappi." He bowed to her, "Welcome." The roc peered into the group with its yellow eyes as if it could see into the very soul of everyone there. "I am glad you are here. You were called, or chosen, as I am sure you know. You are important, everyone of you, and whether you have differences among you you must put that aside." Night and Day looked sideways at each other. "You all, I'm sure, have heard the prophecy, or at least some whisper on the Wind," he looked at Warren, "or across it in some book," he addressed Ranna.

"We have to stay with these people?" Ranna asked coldly. "How long must we do this." She crossed her arms and the old man smiled sadly at her. "It is necessary, in more ways than one." The great bird came closer…
A Non-Existent User
Layla turned her gaze to the point where veryone was looking, but she could see nothing. Suddenly the voice was inside her head again.

"Welcome, Otakappi, I have long thought on your arrival here."

"Where are you," Layla asked, comfused.

"I am here Layla, yet you cannot see me."

"Why can I not see you?"

"You are blind Layla, your pride has rendered you no more than a blind cripple."

Layla turned her head, defiant. "I am no more blind, than I am inferior to these mortals around me."

"Farewell then Layla, we will meet again along this road, until then, you are not worthy to be in the company of those around you. Your pride is as a prison, but even prisons can be escaped. Remember my words when you find yourself in danger or peril. An Otakappi may live alone and friendless, that is it's blessing and curse, but you, Oh chosen one, must be the most perfect of your race. Until such a time comes when you have learnt this, your true splender will be returned, and your eyes will be unmasked."

"Wait," Layla cried, but the voice had vanished. A change seemed to come over Layla, her body became bent and deformed, she lost all of her former beauty and her vision dimmed to darkness. Where once the most beautiful of the Otakappi stood, now stood, a crippled, blind hag.

Rhia watched with confusion as the ottakapi was changed from beauty to hag in front of their eyes. Instinctively she reached for Loki's hand. It was cool and soothing against her skin. She was surprised herself and her eyes caught his own. He was shocked, but he did not pull away.

"What you see is the beauty being corrupted to see herself. She is not above you... She never was, but she w as proud and now I ask you to look after this bitter thing so she may understand." the Elder was talking to her, it's burning features smiling at her but raising one eyebrow at the tight grip of her hand and shadows.

<You will have to help the Shadow as well.> a voice said softly in her head.

She nodded slomely and the Elder began to explain something she had hoped she would not have to hear.

The Twelfth throne had to filled and therefore they had to find th one thing that could fill it. Though no one knew what it was.... not even the eldar.
Ariana glanced at ranna, who was sending the emotion of pity. She smiled fondly, at this hatchling, who barely measured up to her numerous years, but had already gained ariana's liking.

then there was rhia, With a sigh ariana looked back at the first time she had met the girl.

Ariana looked down at the babe, who's mother she had just passed to deatye, who had nodded simply and quirked up the corner of her lips. As she watched her sister lead the mother away, who grew younger and more rested with every step, she had looked down at the babe, and reached into its thoughts gently. It had not known what was going on, but she saw her name, spirit star, or rhia. She placed her staff on the babe's forehead and applied a little pressure, at which it had glowed, and sent vital life energy into the little girl. It was not rhia's time to go, and all the girl would remember of her was a dream.

It had been her first shift, and now it was almost 2 decades ago. she gazed at deatye, who was looking quite foreboding, and nudged her mind gently. She looked up, and ariana smiled, whilst her sister came back to her senses.

<so, what was the vision about then?> she queeried.

<oh, nothing, just thinking. I might have to, well you know, lead these people.>

<hmm, yeah, but at least you know what its like down there. For all i know, everytime i pass them on you could be torturing them!> she thought jokily.

<like we would ever do that!> deatye replued indignantly.

<hey, chill! it was a joke!>

<i know, its just... i hope they don't struggle.>

<well, i was thinking about the fire girl, Rhia. you remember her?> Ariana asked whistfully

<how could i forget! you almost screwed up!> deatye teased.

<hey!!! the most i would have done was placed her with the next door village!> she pouted.

Deatye winked, and they broke off their connection. it was rude to discuss someones near death experience. besides, there was work to be done.
Loki was surprised when Rhia gripped on to his hand, shocked almost. He was supposed to hate her, she was supposed to hate him even more. Day was her ally! Yet here they stood... and he did not want to pull away from her... It was then the Elder began to speak in her slow soothing voice.

"You've all heard of Krigar,
Where evil now roams,
But within,
Lie the Twelve Thrones.

Each a seat
For the Elements true.
Save the one bare,
For the stranger new.

You must listen,
Through Fire and Stone.
Understand,
Through Wind alone.

Look to the sun
as it sets in the Sky.
One the Nineth day,
Night will know why.

For high above,
Is a real friend.
The Last safe place
Till your journey ends.

From the skies themselves
You must head West,
Into the City,
Which should be Blest.

The Evil of Krigar,
Not just daemon and Dark Light
But the Powers too
You must fight.

Your futures uncertain
For all that take part.
And there's no turning back.
Once your jouney does start."

The Elder scanned the groups faces, lingering a moment on the touch he and Rhia held, with a knowing smile she moved on. It was then he noticed the hag, old and blind beside him.

"That hag that you have there is Time, the Otakkapi who must find herself. She is not beneath you and she will never be above you so I hope that you will guide her with thought. Your jouney must start within the day if you are to go. I hope you will not let the world die..."

Everyone murmered a little, they had heard her words, of light and dark context. Loki was decided though.

"I have only one question. Which way to we head?" That was Warren.

Loki grinned wolfishly, he liked this Warren character, he had his priorities well marked,.

"East. Along the River."
They had all moved quickly, off the sacred place where they had seen the Eldar. They moved silently at first and this made Ranna happy.

She did not know what to think. She had little contact with non-Norns and her race held much contempt for them. But now by order of her own leaders she had to work with them. She needed to get her mind and heart straight before she could attempt conversation.

After a bit of travelling bits of words began to travel throughout the company. Fire seemed trying to talk to Night, which seemed odd to Ranna, while Wind was trying to get some words out of the now bent Ottakapi. Someone tried to say a few words to Ranna but she ignored them.

<It is not the time for conversation> she thought to herself, <it is time for thinking.> The city that should be blest was on the top of her list. This is something that she should know. Oh how she wished for her books. It would be quicker than trying to search her expansive memory for any lore on this city. But she tried going slowly over locations in her head. But something else didn't quite fit...

Suddenly walking quickly she caught up with Loki. He was her ally and so it was comfortable speaking with him, plus it was his decision. "Explain something to me," she said abruptly touching his arm. He drew back instinctively for a moment, then recognized Ice.

"...yes?"

"Why are we heading east? I've been thinking and all indications in what the Eldar said say to go west. I am assuming there is something I do not know. Something of knowledge found in the Warm Lands that I am not aware of. So please, explain...or anyone for that matter...explain."


Ranna's question had startled him, Rhia could see that.... His eyes turned questioning to the others about them and she saw something that almost made him look mistified beneath the blank mask of his face. This was something it was clear only he understood.... That alone wade her curious.

"We can't go West from here. Not safely." He said, she could tell that he was picking his words as carefully as he could. Rhia tightened her grip on his hand, hoping to show that he could go on, they were listening. "If we go West, we'll meet the mountains of Mordes, I guess not many of you venture past the forests, after all, people like me... Night folk, werewolves, we own the majority of that land..... The mountains however are dangerous, treacherous and for most of you," his eyes were swirling into a light green as they met hers, "potentially fatal."

Rhia saw a genuine concern in him, or maybe it was just knowledge of what must be in those mountains for him to be so worried about the rest of them.

"The packs that live near the mountains have often seen the spectres and many of them have been forced to flee from the origins of their pack land. Wolves have been found mutilated... humans and travellers....disfigured and unrecgnisable except for the scent..." Loki murmered so that she had to strain her ears to hear him. A soft murmer travelled around the group as they continued to steadily tread the steps to the base of the mountain.

Rhia touched his face, hoping that it might show some measure of comfort, the thoughts of what he must have seen made her cold and afraid.

"So we go East." she smiled and the tension lifted slightly, "Because otherwise we're just plain silly!" And she pulled Loki out to one side of the group, as his eyes turned black with memories.
The figure of the Loki was silhouetted against the radiance of the girl. It was an odd coupling, the werewolf hunched and constantly searching, whilst Rhia stood tall and confidant, a phoenix. All of the creatures here seemed odd to Ariana. They were full of life, and yet they seemed so weary. It was as if her gift of emotion, vibrancy and health was somehow being twisted by tendrils of despair and vacancy that came from an unseen body, not of life, not of death, but of the twilight. Those that had wings to fly were assailed by dreams of rocks and knives cutting through feathers, those who had the power to burn with energy, afraid of damp, cold places. Ariana pondered more as she marched behind them, a nymph bound by duties, A daughter of the Phraedrae with her feet bound to the earth.

The pastures of the plateau of Rikar gave way to a rocky southern slope. Trees, interspersed between large boulders, appeared to give features to the slope, as their roots gripped onto the stone; the earth's sole dominion over it. The true life was hidden between the boulders. Where mountain goats had followed ancient routes, tracing the perilous journey from the west, paths had been forged into the stone. Mossy lichen claimed every crevice, making the slope slippery, but the battering of the hardened hooves against the stone had made ridges that gave something relating vaguely to grip to the odd trvellers.

Winding down the valley to her left lay the frozen glacier of the east, so ancient that the resilient beating of the fiery sun was ineffective against the ice. It journeyed down slowly from the North, in movements barely perceivable, but its vast presence by the ever shadowy slopes of the smaller mountains to the east of krigar was one of the reasons that the races of night and Ice had formed an alliance.

Mount Krigar was strange in that it lay in the centre of a great valley. From the north, the glaciers had claimed the eastern side of the valley, and the western valley was carved out by a strong river, many miles wide, as it broke off into a delta. The river water was a deep blue, as it ran over mineral deposits of ultramarine that had been swept from northern mines eons ago. This gave it a surreal quality, as to the west of the river lay the shadowy forests of the night people, which overshadowed the water.

The mountain itself had a flat table top, which took up most of the northern, eastern and western slopes, making them steeper than it was possible to climb. However, the sunny southern slope was the least steep, hence the reason that the paths to the east and west lay in a crossroad at the bottom of the slope. The third fork in that crossroads carried on to the rough city of Kiragai, which had been born of a trade port where the river delta met the rough southern sea. The city had grown up near to the delta, for to the east of it, past the glacier, lay the savannas of the rising sun.

Only fools lurked in Kiragai. The city was bestial, clinging onto survival with its last claws and the ravaged people there knew no race, no allegiance, and no mercy. Hands caked in salt and blood throttled fish that dared to swim next to the coast and hunting parties equipped with rusty weapons, left by the old culture, stalked animals on the savanna. The houses were made of the ruins from the culture that had founded the city but disappeared. The lost people of Kiragai were often attributed as those designated to fill the twelfth throne. A civilized culture, they had left behind art, sophisticated weaponry, and even more sophisticated spells. Old magic radiated from the city and played tricks on it's roguish new inhabitants. Kiragai was truly an undesirable place.

As the travellers and ariana approached the middle slopes of the mountain, they began to see past the vast river delta to the sea. To the west, they could see the paradisaical meadows of the warm lands, cut off from them by the vast river. The forests of the night people covered a vast majority of the north west of the continent, although they were bordered by the vast glacier until they reached the far north, where the trees found it too cold to survive. This finger of paradise bordered the southern slopes, and the warm lands continues southwards, bordered by the southern sea to the east, for many miles. They were practically inaccessible. The mountains that cut up the continent, The mountains of the far west, were so treacherous what none could pass from that side. Hemmed in by coast, mountains and dangerous forests, few made it to those lands unless they travelled the circumference of the sea. And that was near impossible.

Warren flew overhead in a handglider that shimmered in the evening sun. He scouted the landscape, free from the bonds of the earth, and yelled instructions about the forks in the path that led to dead ends. Ariana found herself in pace with the wolf, Loki, and the Metior, Rhia.

"What has happened to your pack's leader? You don't have the symbol of an alpha male." she asked the werewolf, who scratched his ears with a half formed paw. Emerald green eyes turned their beam on her like lanterns. He who had remained in a state of half death for all his memory, was being reminded of being alive. The downy black fur that covered his cheeks sank backwards, revealing pale, almost translucent skin, and his canines retracted. The wolf like nose became softer and less pronounced, until his face had a semblance of his human form.

"The idiot tried to lead an attack against the southern front. He wanted the forests with an open view of the bad lands-or paradise as you others seem to call it. We found him and his hunting party mutated and strung up with silver rope; They had tried the southwest, thinking that no wolves would catch them so near to the mountains but apparently someone else did. It took us three months to find them. My pack brother's paw was racked with gangrene when he tried to cut down the bodies. We had to leave him. No use for a hunter with gangrene."

"And the rest of the pack? You don't normally leave a pack without a leader, and yet yo have come as the delegate. Why do you not have markings?" Rhia interjected.

"They died fighting over the title."

"and you?" Ariana enquired softly as she stooped to rip a loose thread off her golden robes.

"I went to Rikarai, on the outskirts of the delta and the eastern front of the forest. Got a ferry to the southern slopes of Kigar. Killed the ferry driver. Did some assasinations, headed back to the mountains when I heard slaves in Kiragai, recently captured, talking of the elders rising again."

"You don't like speaking much do you? very short and direct." She laughed as they descended backwards down a particularly steep boulder, clinging on to a rope that a forgotten traveller had fastened to help him climb.

"On the contrary, I went to my memorial service. Apparently my human used to be a poet."

"Your human?"

"I'm a demon in a man's genetically modified body. You shouldn't forget that."

"But the human is still there..."

"Sometimes."

Humanity was something integral to a werewolf. It was that side of himself that kept him from becoming a nightmare soul, a demon entirely. It was a small, immaterial part of the werewolf that secured sanity within them at a fundemental level. He shuddered. It wasn't always tangible within a werewolf, that sanity. Sometimes it felt as if the bestial embodiement was much more powerful than the light keeping him conherent...

Yet humanity was also their greatest distraction. It meant they needed what humans needed. Made them want what humans wanted. Gave them dreams, fears, aspirations and emotions that the wolf never felt, never knew, never understood. Although very little of the man before remained, the anthropomorphised demon still had to retain the sentiance of that previous soul. Sometimes Loki even wondered who he had been. He barely aged, altered only slightly physically since he became... Yet... Other than knowing rimes of poetry written in the same hand now tainted with the blood of others...

The poetry had been beautiful.

Humanity gave them an ear for the arts. Pain, lonliness, loss and emptiness... All were present in the werewolf. Who understood the agony of being both beast and man or the burn in bones bent from one shape to another? Who understood the conflict between pack and efficiency? Who understood the loss of family, friends, lovers, memories? Who understood the knowledge that everything that is you is just a facard above a demon? Artistry encompassed them and made them feel as if the world had some glimpse of what it was like to live, shunned and desperate.

"Rhia..." He murmured, "What's it like? Where you're from that is."

She looked at him, eyes subdued by the solemnity of his voice, her hand crept back into his, as if trying to understand the reason behind his question, "It's... Well it was a beautiful place. I lived in the foothills around the monastry of the WiseFire. Every year people come to visit him, to discover their real names but our village never changed. It was still made of mortar and thatch, our fires kept a distance away, surrounding it... It was beautiful... But it was destroyed right before I came here..."

"Oh..." So maybe she'd understand a little too... Of what it meant to lose.

© Copyright 2004 Lascelles in Telos, Dr Matticakes Myra, Flex 5th birthday just gone., WithyWindle, foureyes in Katimavik, Pravda vítězí, xx-xx, (known as GROUP).
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