A Stranger Among Us [O]

[Elyin Nevaty]

[shadow=red,left,300]Nightmares & Dreams Provide A Brief Respite[/shadow]

News traveled fast in this temple. Just about five minutes ago a gryphon had flown in from his patrol reporting that a band of travelers had been waylaid. By who, he hadn't said and she didn't really care. She only cared that there were wounded. Elyin was preparing for them with the other healers by fetching herbs that would aid in the healing, their Gifts' could only go so far after all. Especially with the amount of wounded reported.

Her head turned toward the crumbling arches that led into the largest chamber. A female Sutla limped in after after a large male dragging an unconscious sulla. Nevaty didn't think that injuries could be this severe from a small ambush, especially since a patrol of six very well trained fighters were there to fight them off. She rushed over to the male who was now placing the sulla down on a nest of ferns. Elyin pushed past him, telling him to go help bring in more wounded, and began to examine the young Regalt. Something big had gotten a hold of her, huge claws had ripped through her in several places. She must stop this bleeding or she was going to lose her.

Elyin placed her fore paw on the sulla's, closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. She plunged into herself, quickly finding the well spring of fire deep within her self. It pulsed with silver light as she withdrew a thread and directed it into the sulla before her. Nevaty directed the tendril of fire to the deepest and worse wounds, the torn muscles rippled and snaked together followed by the nerves and vessels and finally the skin. The healer stumbled as she broke contact, this was the first time she had done so much healing at once.

Now that the worst wounds were healed, she reached for the herbs she would need to finish the job. Looking around now that she had stabilized the sutla, she found that the chamber had filled and that she and the other healers were now overwhelmed. This had obviously been a migrating grex, not just a band of travelers. A gargled scream rose from a nest near her and she turned to see one of the fighters being restrained by one healer and another attempting to heal him. Judging from the way most of his body appeared to be bent in all the wrong ways, he had several broken bones. Again she wondered how a simple ambush could have done this much damage.

Turning around to find the temples Priestess, Enara, she instead found her brother Rascus being dragged in by a frantic looking fighter who was shouting for help.

"Great gods! Could you be any more obnoxious? You're making this place even crazier than it is with all your yelling!" Elyin snapped at him as she directed him to place the soldier down in a nest

"Rascus...You were told not fight again until that wound of yours healed." She whispered, rubbing healing herb into the deepest wound before wrapping it in web leaf

There was no need to use her Gift, his wounds were treatable with herbs and she needed her magic elsewhere, but she used just a touch of it to help him sleep more peacefully anyways. She smoothed his feathers flat and wiped blood off his fur. Elyin knew he would be fine but she would worry none the less. One of her other brother's had died in a fight when she was little.

An explosion rocked the air and she was thrown backward, her lean body slamming into stone. Elyin was dimly aware of things happening around her, it was a distant awareness though as if she were witnessing it from a place outside her body. Darkness has settled over her and a sense of calm even as voices shouted and footsteps pounded and the distant roar of a monster sounded around her. They were simple intrusions in the nothingness she floated in. It was a blissful feeling and she wanted to stay unaware, though she couldn't think why as she couldn't remember what it was she was hiding from. What she did know was the she did not want to go back.

Excruciating pain tore through her body and brought her back to awareness suddenly. She tried to scream but couldn't as something jerked her upward causing pain in every inch of her body. Sharp pricks and a crushing weight on her chest caused her to gasp out as her eyesight flickered. Her eyes cleared and and every sense came rushing back into her body. Screams and the sounds of battle sounded all around her as her eyes locked on the creature that was attempting to crush the life out of her.

It was a massive beast formed of the bodies of many dead Regalt, enlarged so that it towered many feet above the biggest of any of them. She could feel the magic that had created it and allowed it life pulsing through her body. Tainted, unclean, an abomination of life. Clouded, crimson eyes locked on her as it hissed cursed words that caused pain to explode in every inch of her. Screams, her own, echoed in her ears as the undead beast squeezed...

Elyin Nevaty screamed and jerked upright, her eyes wide and panicked and her feathers standing straight up. Her breath came hard and her whole body trembled as her muscles tensed and jerked. It took a minute for her to realize that she wasn't in the Temple of New Dawn and that several years had passed since then. Panting, she examined her surroundings and what was left of her scattered bedding.

The healer sat in a long stone hall, similar to the one in her former temple. One of the walls had collapsed, leaving a pile of rough stone blocks on one side of the hall. Some of the roof had collapsed with the wall and through it she could see the crescent moon and the twin stars, Somuel and Semar. She turned her gaze to the right and noted the only doorway that entered this hall. Elyin also noticed for the first time that there were carvings above the door. Her keen eyes could tell what they were but she did not understand the ancient writings. They were carved long ago by ancient Two-Foots which she suspected had built this place just as they had built the Temple of New Dawn.

She began to groom herself in a further effort to calm herself. Nevaty hated that nightmare, she had it at least once a month and she always remembered what had happened next. Her eyes paused over the four long, jagged and bright white scars that ran down her left side from her spotted spine to cream underbelly. No matter how much she tried to cover them with her fur and feathers, they always stood out as a constant reminder to how much of a sathzo she really was.

High Priestess Enara had saved her life four years ago just before the undead monster crushed the life out of her. Hell, she had saved every remaining Regalt in that room now that she thought about it. She gave her gift and life to summon an Elinari, a servant of Talinie. The Elinari destroyed the Abomination as it came to be called, allowing for any able bodied fighter left to drive off the remaining enemy. Another appeared two days later and the remaining priestess broke up the temple and sent the healers into hiding. There had been so few of them remaining after the first direct assault on their holy sanctuary that the priestess believed their Order could be saved if they fled.

All it had done was doomed the people of Long Valley to a painful, slow death as more of the monsters were created. Normally she did not obey other Regalt but she had been so afraid that she had fled. Deep down she knew that one healer would not have made much of a difference but her mind kept reminding her that she was a sathzo, she had fled from the people she was supposed to heal and advise. How could she be anything else?

Nevaty froze, she thought she had heard claws on stone. Or was she just imagining things? Yes, it was probably that. Her senses were still on high alert after that nightmare. She lay down again, her scarred side facing the door, in a position that would allow her to see the stars.

~Please Gods, hear me tonight and light my path for I am lost and have lost my self as well as path.~

[shadow=red,left,300]I'm On The Run The Minute I Stop Dreaming[/shadow]

Number of Words:1,436 give or take a few
Things To Know:Elyin had a pretty good past until a necromantic gryphon started creating monsters and her home was destroyed.
Character: Elyin Nevaty
Anything Else? Maybe I'll make this necromantic gryphon and his abominations appear here as part of the plot, he's become obsessed with his own power and seeks to rule this land. Hmm.... Whatcha think? It could be fun. WHOOT, my longest post ever!

[flippedside]

Blade's hooked talons scrunched softly on the ground as he landed lightly between massive curving arches. The moon shed dim light across the grayed out ruins, splashing over carved lintels and ancient pillars. Blade glanced around cautiously. Though he could see well in the dark, no creature could see through pitch black corners. Not seeing anyone in the ruins, he moved on.

Though he had flown over this place in the past, he had never stopped here to rest before. Late night drew him to the sheltering pillars, though, despite the heavy oppressive silence. Only the faint whistle of the wind could be heard, and the occasional scrape of talon against stone. It gave him a slight chill to hear the utter silence.

Briefly, Blade wondered why anyone would live in such a place, and then thrust such thoughts aside. Obviously, no one did live here, else why the silence? Actually, he had heard that healers dwelt here, though he saw no sign of any. The dry wind scattered dust before him, briefly clouding his vision. He limped onwards.

Normally, Blade would never have sought out healers, or allowed himself into a walled-in place like the ruins, but circumstances had forced him to seek out the skills of another. Though he had lived on his own for many years, he knew when he could no longer support himself. And in this case he needed help. Badly. Still, he was wary to reveal how injured he was to another, for fear that they would take advantage of him.

Cautiously, Blade rounded a corner, hind leg dragging slightly. A dark tunnel opened before him, the only light coming from a hole in the ceiling up ahead.

A sudden shriek made his feathers stand on end. He jerked back, unbalancing himself on his wounded leg, and fell. Muttering dire curses and threats, he managed to get himself back up and looked quickly about. The shriek had come from the other end of the hall. The darkness unnerved him, and he knew he was in no condition to help another...And really, why should he want to? He backed up quickly.

The room behind him had a large boulder and an opening to the sky. He scrambled up the rock, using his powerful shoulders to heave himself up and then spread his wings. They stretched from one end of the room to the other. Feeling like a foolish kit who couldn't yet fly, he flapped his wings to gain momentum, before pushing painfully off. His left hind leg screamed in protest, broken bones and torn ligaments grinding across each other. Blade couldn't help the painful cry of protest that was jerked out of him.

In the air, though, he was able to fly up over the ruins, gaining height quickly. He soared over the hallway to a series of broken rooms beyond. Blood matted in his fur, stinging in the icy wind. Feeling weak and ill, he circled cautiously over a pile of debris. He needed to rest, but that scream had unnerved him. Still, there was nothing more to hear in this place. Maybe it had simply been the wind shrieking around a dark corner. Cautiously, he landed again, but this time on the roof. His talons grated unnaturally loud in quiet.

Blade dragged himself forward to the edge, where he could see into another hall, one wall collapsed. The darkness seemed absolute, but...He thought he heard something. Spreading his wings to fly off if necessary, he called down cautiously, "Hello?"

Number of Words: 592
Things To Know: Blade was in a really nasty fight and now one leg is crushed and his body's all beat up. Poor Blade. Though he may have deserved it--he can be a serious jerk.
Character: Blade
Anything Else? Necromantic gryphon. Hmm. Could be interesting.

[Elyin Nevaty]

She was about to return to her interrupted slumber when a shadow slipped in from the gap in the ceiling and a voice called down. Damn, now what? Another stray looking for a fix? Just about every place she had stopped in, a gryphon came seeking her for an injury or illness. Sure she was a healer, sure she cared about most others, but sometimes it just got downright annoying.

"What the hell do you want?" She snapped, her voice clearly echoing her annoyance

Grumbling under her breath about various interruptions to sleep patterns, she hauled herself off the cold stone and approached the hole in the stone roof. Tail twitching to echo her exasperation, she glared up at the gryphon perched above. What she could see of him was dark brown with faint traces of gold, his outstretched wings glowed darkly in the faint moonlight above. Her expression hardened as memories of her youngest brother flooded her mind, she hated it when the memories surfaced.

"Well? Do I have to wait until hell freezes over? I was trying to sleep so unless you have a damn good reason for keeping me up I suggest you beat it." Elyin glared up at the stranger, her impatience and exasperation really beginning to show

Number of Words: 220
Things To Know: I'm in a bad mood with my siblings and the post, I think, reflected it. Sorry for the not so nice words, I don't usually swear but I wanted to say most of these things to my sister who is swearing at me. >:/
Character: Elyin
Anything Else? Sorry for ze wait, I had no muse and was helping my grandparents out. =)

[flippedside]

Blade's head jerked back at the short-tempered reply of the gryphon below. There was someone there, but perhaps not a friendly healer. Anger smoldered in his gut at her sharp words. Still, he forced himself to swallow his angry retort and carefully fold his wings, so as to appear less menacing.

The other gryphon appeared, more a gray shadow in the darkness than a definite form. She moved into the open space and the silhouette resolved itself into a lean but tall female form, with spots darkening her hindquarters. Before Blade could speak, she angrily informed him to get out.

Blade gave an angry squawk in return. Well, that was it! He was tired, he hurt, and now a strange gryphon was ordering him out. He spread his wings, forgetting any pretense at politeness.

"Interrupting your sleep? I would think that scream I heard would interrupt your sleep more than me. But I suppose, whoever you are, you could care less about the pain of others."

He clenched his beak and prepared to launch himself at her, injured hindquarters or no. "I was looking for the mysterious healers who live in this temple, but clearly you're too ugly to know anything about that." Blade realized his insults were suffering from a clear lack of imagination. Surely, he could do better than that! True, he didn't spend much time around others, so he didn't have much chance to strengthen his insult-skills, but still...that was pathetic.

He leaped, flapped his wings to right his balance, and landed squarely on her back...for half a second, before flopping onto his side on the ground, the scent of blood sharp in the air. Blade screeched angrily. "Hold still, sathzo! I'll rip your heart out!" He swatted at her with one taloned claw, flapped his wings uselessly, and attempted to stand. His legs wouldn't hold him and he fell back over sideways, still muttering dire threats. "Coward! Even nquat would spit your pathetic soul back out!"


Number of Words: About 350
Things To Know: Hm. Blade clearly uses his hunting skills more than his insult skills. Still, an angry Blade is not a pretty sight. In this case, I think he's more pathetic than threatening.
Character: Blade
Anything Else? No problem. Elyin is supposed to be slightly crabby and short-tempered, right?

[Elyin Nevaty]

"Yes, interrupting my sleep you idiot. Do I have to repeat myself?" She snapped, ignoring his accusation.

Elyin didn't give a damn what he thought. Everyone had their opinions and were entitled to them, even if half of them should be kept shut up. Heck, she had her own opinions and was rapidly forming some about this gryphon in above her. For one he was a fool, simply because he was preparing himself for a fight and only a fool attacked a healer on sacred ground. The gods could care less who started it. Her second opinion came with a mocking laugh, this fool also lacked any imagination.

"I'm ugly? My dear boy, you need to work on your skills. How many times do you think I've heard that one," she asked him as she raised up on her hind legs to place her face as close to his as possible, "Too many damn times, that's how many."

Before she could touch her forepaws to the rough stone once more, the fool leaped. Righting his balance with a flap of his wings, he landed on her shoulders as she attempted to dodge. Off balance and with his weight pressing her down, she collapsed ungracefully to the ground. The larger gryphon lay sprawled next to her, blood draining sluggishly from a wound in his leg. She hissed distastefully at the smell, scrabbling backward away from the rapidly forming pool.

The healer didn't move fast enough. With an angry screech, the male raked his claws down her side. Two of the claws sliced through old scars and she screamed back. Her tone carried hints of pain in the furious cry. .:Sathzo was she? This Sathzo would show him!:. Pain and anger added strength to her limbs as she propelled herself forward, aiming to add another scar to his flank.

She would heal him later but she was determined to give him a mark like he had her. Nevaty was sure at least one of those claw marks would leave a scar. It was funny how the Gift worked, she could prevent the scarring if only her magic worked on herself. .:Yes, if only!:. Side screaming where his claws had split scars, she paused at his next words and laughed.

"Even the Istra couldn't stop my Siel from wreaking havoc!"


Number of Words:405
Things To Know: Her favorite word is damn. lol
Character:Elyin Nevaty
Anything Else? Yep, she's short-tempered, snotty at times, always thinks
she's right etc. Not a typical healer, no?
Again my post is slightly influenced by a
fight. This time with my bio-mom who made
a not so nice comment. *sigh*

[flippedside]

Blade's leap, combined with the stress of the fall, had started his hind-leg bleeding again. He could feel the wetness seeping down his fur. He saw the wretched old female coming towards him, leg raised to strike, and he struggled to stand. His powerful front legs propelled him upwards, and he snarled at her, daring her to do her best, even as he forced his hind-legs beneath him. He dragged his injured leg up and for a moment, he thought he'd made it work...And then something tore inside, and with an angered cry, he collapsed, his beak and head smacking the smooth stone with a crack.

Whether she ended up striking him or not, he didn't know, the world disappearing from his sight for several minutes.

Pain came roaring back first, his whole body shrieking in agony. His first thought was of some terrible, impending danger, and he struggled to bring his body to wakefulness, but the darkness wouldn't fade from his vision. It took a moment for Blade to realize that he was in deep shadows at night. He relaxed slightly at the realization that his body wasn't completely giving out on him. Dark shapes moved at the edges of his vision, but pain blurred everything into a heavy darkness.

Do your best, he thought at the shadows, snarling silently. He thought he saw his former grex swirling in towards him, the natuk, awoken from the dead, drawing near with murderous vengeance in his eyes. But truth and nightmare had blurred into one reality, that drew Blade deeper into darkness.

He lay still, his thoughts swirled into oblivion, only his faint breathing showing he was still alive. The sickly sweet reek of blood marked his falling place on stones worn smooth by long use.

Number of Words: 303
Things To Know: Blade passed out. Thus, the shortness. Couldn't really add anything else.
Character: Blade
Anything Else? Elyin can do her thing; I think I'll have Blade wake up tomorrow morning. He's apt to be cranky when he comes to from both the pain and (especially) his own weakness.

[Elyin Nevaty]

Her swipe, aimed at the tawny gryphon's face, missed as the opposer collapsed. The blinding anger cleared as her instincts kicked in. -Fool, here you are trying to get your own bits in and your opponent is already beaten!- Growling to herself, she stalked around the fallen rouge (what else could he be?) and took inventory of the idiot's wounds. A crushed hind leg, deep scratches and an attitude. The attitude Elyin couldn't fix, or at least didn't want to, but the rest should be easy. Unless he had internal wounds, which would only be found once she started and she prayed he didn't have any.

Elyin sat her body as close to his as possible, flattening her ears as blood stained her pelt in places. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the gleaming moon.

Great Mother, Healer and Protector, hear my prayer this night. Guide my thoughts, strengthen my gift and aid me in my attempts to heal the wounded, fallen at my feet. Forgive my words ill spoken, that I shall learn from them this night.

Eyes still closed and with the presence of Talinie wrapped around her, she guided her Gift and mind into the other through their point of contact. Sweat beaded on her forehead, rolling around the now glowing symbol of a crescent moon split by a roaring river, after several minutes. His crushed leg was so broken, it was taking her longer than usual for she was determined he would not leave with a permanent limp. New dawn light began to creep into the stone framed windows by the time she finished his leg and moved on to the scratches.

Mid morning came when she finally broke contact, coat drenched and panting she staggered away from him. Her vision swam and her haunches sank to the ground. Damn it, she gasped out as she sank to the ground, I've over done it aga...

Number of Words: 342 words, not my best but good for low muse
Things To Know: Now it's her turn to pass out from doing too much, lol
Character: Elyin
Anything Else? So sorry this took so long. I'm going to have to keep using my sister's for a while since I don't have the money to buy new hardware disc's for my computer. *hands big thorny stick* Feel free to beat me with it, I kind of deserve it at this point.

[flippedside]

Blade yawned and rolled his shoulders as he sat up, stretching tight muscles slowly. He looked around the stone room, rubble piled in a corner, in confusion. He didn't remember this place and...

The gryphon lying limply nearby brought everything back quickly. He tensed and then moved closer, prodding her carefully. No movement. Leaning closer, he could see the soft ruffle of her feathers as they rose and fell with her breathing. He shifted his body, feeling a sudden thrill as he realized that he could again walk and put weight on his hind leg. In fact, aside from feeling stiff, he felt no pain whatsoever.

He tested out a careful walk around the room, pleased to find that he could put his weight evenly on all four legs. In a burst of rare pleasure, he raced out of the room, into a long crumbling hall, with wide windows shedding bright afternoon light, and out onto the surrounding smooth grass. He couldn't help doing a twisting leap of pleasure, before settling back down.

Blade's immediately memory stirred a grimace. Apparently, the cranky old gryphon that he'd taunted the night before had been his healer. She had to have been, for no one else was in sight. A bird twittered from the top of a vine on a ruined pillar, and then fell silent. The silence reminded him of the stillness of his surroundings.

Now healed, Blade was able to look around with a reasonable mix of interest and caution. The bright light made the place seem more serene and holy, rather nightmarish. He padded quietly back to the room where the healer lay, and paused to sniff her slightly. There were no wounds on her, so perhaps she was merely sleeping. Blade felt he ought to thank her though, especially after having insulted her. He huffed slightly, unused to thanking others, and then looked about.

A mighty leap and a down sweep of his massive wings, and Blade was in the air, flying over the ruins. Flat places of meadow mixed with tumbled overgrown columns and high trees scattered about the space. It didn't take him long to pick up the cheerful burble of a small stream. Blade swoopped down, landing lightly on the bank. After taking a drink for himself, he tugged up some soggy moss and dunked it thoroughly in the stream. Satisfied, he retraced his path to the small room where the healer lay.

Blade was no healer himself. He had no skills and no interest in learning any, but he did know the basics of caring for oneself in the wild. He hopped up near the healer's face, and wrung the moss out over her head, using it as a mop to clear dried sweat and dirt from the neat feathers framing her face, before pausing to see if he'd woken her.

He guessed he'd get an earful, but she did deserve a thank you for healing his leg...


Number of Words: 503 (not bad)
Things To Know: Just what every gryphon wants to wake up to--a face full of water. Poor Blade--he really is trying to be friendly. lol.
Character: Blade of the wet moss
Anything Else? Blade's pleasure at being healed isn't likely to last long. And he's really terrible at saying thanks, but posts with clashing personalities are always some of the best ones to write. ;D

[Elyin Nevaty]

Elyin was quite comfortable and warm, the darkness around her like a blanket that kept out intruding light and chill. Oddly, she preferred it that way and was quite displeased when freezing wetness splashed against her face and a rough surface ruffled her feathers. With an indignant squawk, her eyes snapped open as she scrambled away from whatever had touched her. Landing awkwardly on her behind, she spied the same male that had attempted to insult her before this time with a wad of moss in his jaws.

Her eyes narrowed and she felt her feathers rise. She had no idea what to do with this male! Couldn't he just leave now that she was done like the rest of the ungrateful lot that came to her? Or did he have something else to spit at her, hopefully more imaginative than last night? Shaking her head to rid it of the rest of the wetness, she glared at the male across from her.

"Is there a particular reason you woke me up again," she growled, attempting to not rip this gryphon's head off quite yet, "I healed you, you had your say and so why are you still standing here dropping water on my head?!"

Tail lashing back and forth, she stalked off for another hallway completely uninterested in any answers he had. Why should she care? Damn it, she didn't really care! She just wanted to be left alone for once! It's my duty, yes, I swore an oath, yes, but why do I have to fulfill it when my home temple is gone?! Elyin knew the Goddess judged her on her deeds but right now she could care less. The healer was tired of only speaking to those that wanted a healing, she was tired of only being useful when someone was injured, she was sick of only being talked to when it was needed and ignored the rest of the time!

Growling to herself, she snapped open her wings and flapped hard to gain height. She soared over to one of the many crumbling columns and took her perch there, gazing out across the plains that surrounded this place.

Number of Words: 375 <- Sorry, essays suck it out of you. =(
Things To Know: Elyin is a mite...bypolar? lol, At least she didn't eat him too badly.
Character: Elyin The Grumpy
Anything Else? This could be an entertaining thread. The grump and the grouchy loner, who will win? lol

[flippedside]

"Mmf mmf!" replied Blade. He spat out the moss and tried again, but the old female was already lumbering away. "I was..." Blade stopped himself, muttering various curses under his breath and leaped up, to land lightly before her.

"I wanted to check that--" she turned and flew away, and Blade was left to let his sentence trail off into nothing. "...you were all right."

He growled, low in his throat, the way a cat would. "Damn idiotic birdbrain! I should just go..." But he hesitated. No, he would thank her, if only to irritate her. Certainly, his very presence seemed to anger her, and if there was one thing Blade was good at...It was irritating others.

A mad gleam leaped into his pale eyes, and he launched skyward, relishing the strong push of his hindquarters, the healed bone and muscles straining to press him off the ground and away from the confines of gravity.

Blade swooped up above the healer, watching her land neatly on a stone pillar. She tucked her tail and sat straight, and he was reminded of a statute. A gargoyle, protecting her territory from vile intruders. Ignoring the healer's cranky words and threatening gaze, Blade swooped in low, just brushing past her in a movement aimed to irritate, and then landed lightly on a wall opposite her.

He turned and shouted before she could escape, "Just listen to me healer! I wanted to make sure you were still alive and...to thank you for healing my leg." This last came out awkwardly. Blade's voice was a bit tight, as he was unused to giving thanks.

He tilted his head at her, pricking his tufted ears. At least she hadn't called down any foul names or curses on him yet, but then, most gryphons ended up shouting obscenities at him, anyway, so he was unconcerned about what her response would be. Still...He'd said thank you, so didn't that mean he ought to receive a good word as a reply?

Number of Words: 342
Things To Know: Blade is currently amused in an irritated way. lol. These two are very fun to RP together.
Character: Blade
Anything Else? Not so much.

[Elyin Nevaty]

Elyin ignored his flyby, though her ruff pricked up as his wingtip brushed her. She defiantly turned her head away from him as he perched on the wall opposite, she was determined to ignore the annoying male until he went away. Anything further he had to say or do was of no interest to her. Or so she thought.

Her feathered ears lifted from where they had been flattened to her skull and her body tensed in response to his next uttered words. Though said awkwardly, she could have sworn she had just heard a thank you. The healer's head snapped around to fix a disbelieving stare on the tawny gryphon. Could the creature who had been more than willing to shred her after a few taunting words really be thanking her? She sat there for almost a minute more, studying the other and his words, before she spoke.

"Did you really just thank me?" She said in a voice far softer than her usuall tones.

It was then she realized neither of them knew who the other was. Of course that was usuall with her, there was little time for chit chat when you were healing. But most didn't stick around after to talk or at least thank her. This male hadn't seemed the type but there he was, perched across from her and following her to thank her. So perhaps she should introduce herself, perhaps the male even knew what became of the healers that had once called this temple home?

"My name's Elyin, " she continued in her usuall brisk tones, "I apologize for last night but you did catch me at a bad time. If I may ask, what the heck chewed you up? I could have swore you stole something from an ice bear."

Number of Words: 308
Things To Know: Ice bears are similar to polar bears
Character: Elyin
Anything Else? Blade may have found a little dent in her cold exterior. lol

[flippedside]

The healer seemed surprised by Blade's awkward thank you. Then again, he supposed that with his tough exterior, most would be surprised by his words. At least she wasn't trying to tear his head off. He was fairly certain she had been about to before he passed out the night before, but everything seemed to be in working order this morning, so maybe he was wrong. Hard to tell.

He shifted slightly, to get more comfortable and studied the other gryphon. At least she was polite enough to introduce herself. Well...now to see where this conversation went.

"I'm called Blade." She hadn't asked for his name, but he assumed it was polite to give it, since she had given her own name. "And I didn't steal from an ice bear, I stole from a grex." He ruffled his feathers, expecting an explosion. After all, who would be foolish enough to steal from a grex? "I was hungry," he added defensively. "And it was my catch to start with. I just...chased them back and attacked."

The jerks had dropped in out of nowhere while he was enjoying the beginnings of a delicious meal. A meal that he hadn't had in several days. Two knocked him down, while the others tore up his lovely meal of elk, stealing everything edible. Blade had exploded in rage, tearing furiously at the two on the ground. Pretty soon it was a full rumble, with the grex viciously driving Blade off.

Wounded and bleeding, he flew off, only to turn and swoop back, low to the ground. He tracked the grex back to their nest, being careful to stay out of sight. There, they were feeding kits and the rest who had stayed behind. Blade's body had gone tight and cold, as he watched his hard-won meal disappear down the beaks of others. Everything in him fell quiet, aside from the screaming demand to let them know that was his food they were eating. Maybe he had a death wish in that moment, but he had hurtled from the sky, screaming death, and torn two kits in half before anyone could blink. He'd pounced on his meal, gulping down elk meat, before barreling into the startled parents.

Now that he thought back on the moment, he hadn't gotten much food out of the fight--only that first bite. After that was beak and talons, claws shredding, and his powerful body leaping and twisting, almost everywhere at once. He'd left a serious mark on that grex...But even he knew enough to realize when he was beaten. It was a miracle that his wings had worked well-enough to fly him out of there, gryphons screaming and attempting to attack him in the air. But no one was better at disappearing than a rogue. And he had gone quickly to ground, still snarling at his attackers.

It wasn't until afterwards that he had realized how badly hurt he was. Pain had come back in slices, like glass, piercing sharply, and then fading to pierce again even sharper. When he went to fly away, he found he had trouble getting into the air. His legs didn't seem to be working right, and his back one kept giving out on him. That was when he had gone in search of a healer.


Number of Words: 572
Things To Know: Blade has a new name: Blade Kit-Killer.
Character: Blade
Anything Else? I am going to put Blade on Xythor because he's such an awesome character.

[Elyin Nevaty]

"Blade is it," she asked with a slight turn to her head, "I've heard your name before, though I cannot remember where."

She had indeed heard his name before, some spotty female had mentioned him when she had dragged herself ashore. Apparently he was a little off kilter with temper as changing as the sea. Elyin didn't really care, her temper was sharper than a two-foots sword and if he dared to get prickly she'd teach him a thing or two. The healer chuckled at the thought, the teaching would have to be in words for she knew instinctively that he could defeat her in a physical match. His next words only proved the thought, though she couldn't help picking on the male.

"You managed to fight your way out of a grex? It must have been a small one," she stated with great skepticism, "I don't think a kit like you could fight off a large one, you weren't missing enough feathers."

Elyin stood, perfectly balanced on her narrow perch, spread her wings and dropped to the side. She glided low over the ruins, her talons scrapping stone, as she rounded the distant corners of the ancient temple. "Follow if your still hungry, oh skilled one!"

Her flight lasted only a moment longer before she came to rest on a low stone wall. Before her lay a deep pool, one that was found in every healers temple and was said to turn the moons light to Talinie's gaze. Within its depths swam fish of amazing design and wondrous pattern, of which a single fish could give lasting strength to a gryphon permitted to eat.

"They say," she murmured to no one in particular, "They say that these creatures are the Lady's gift to her loyal children. Jaro defeated the False One's with the strength a single fish gave him. Perhaps they will give you the strength you need to continue your journey."

The healer dipped her plumed tail into the water, a large gold fish rose to nibble at the ashy plumage and she flipped the creature out toward Blade. She knew the Lady would likely be angry for she had not come to her and permitted this action, but she could care less right now. Blade would still be weak for a time being after the healing for she had had to draw on his own strength to heal him. For that, she felt she at least deserved him a meal and a single fish from this pool would strengthen him for a while yet. Elyin had no idea why she was being so kind to this male, but she was starting to irritate herself. Since when had she really cared?

Number of Words: 479
Things To Know: Elyin feels compassion and caring for her patients but doesn't usually show it. Blade dented her armor with his thank you and now she's trying to say thanks back but isn't so great about it. I swear she's bipolar. lol
Character: Elyin
Anything Else? I am so adding her too! These guys are great to roleplay together.

[flippedside]

"Heard of me? Ha. Probably from the remains of some bird you had to patch up." Blade snorted. He was amused by the image that provided, but not pleased to know that someone was passing around his name. He preferred to remain anonymous. Better to hide in the shadows and move undetected than to have others searching for you. Certainly he had plenty of enemies: and he would be just as happy if they didn't know where he was.

Blade hissed at her next words. "Kit? You're hardly older than me, Oh Ancient One." The sarcasm in his words was biting. "Ha. I'm surprised you're still able to fly." He snorted and snapped his wings open and shut in an irritated--and slightly intimidating--fashion. "I, on the other hand, shocked the pathetic grex members enough by killing two of their kits to fly away unchallenged." That was a serious exaggeration. He'd barely escaped with his life. But the quiet threat was still loud in his words--he would kill whatever stood in his way, even if it meant breaking unspoken laws held amongst all gryphons. Death meant nothing to him. It was a force, the same as life, that could be directed as Blade wished.

He snorted. He'd like to see the healer do the same trick. Healers were weak that way--useful, but weak. They wouldn't kill, especially not the weak ones who did nothing but survived on the generosity of others. Like kits. But she was already moving away, apparently ignoring him. Blade clapped his beak a few times in annoyance.

Elyin--the healer--was speaking quietly when he next came upon her. He jerked his head back slightly when she mentioned the Lady. Of course, he should have expected that she'd honor Her, but it still struck some deep chord of rage within him. The Lady had done nothing but cause him hell all of his life--perhaps as a curse for choosing to ignore her and the other gods. He found all the gods to be no more than lies and foolishness. He wouldn't bend his neck for any god--if they even existed. But...a fish did sound wonderful.

Elyin was already bobbing her tail in the water, and Blade watched in some fascination as she flicked a large gold-scaled fish towards him. The creature writhed and flipped desperately about on the ground, it's gills and mouth working to gain the oxygen it needed to survive. Blade pierced it neatly with a thick black talon, skewering it to the ground, and killing it in the same instant. It gave a few last flops as its life emptied out, and then lay still.

He stared at the healer with his brilliant golden eyes, trying to understand her gift. He wasn't sure how to say thank you again, and wasn't sure she would appreciate it. "I am not one for following any of the gods, but I hope that the Lady returns your gift to you." For some reason he was uncomfortable with speaking her actual name. "I cannot heal others, but it is still a great gift. I...appreciate...the fish." He huffed slightly, and then turned awkwardly away to gulp the fish down rapidly. It was hard to know when he would have his next meal.


Number of Words: 565
Things To Know: Blade is almost bipolar in how quickly he takes offense, and then how quickly he cools off again. lol.
Character: Blade
AnythingElse? Have you seen (or heard of) Burn Notice? It's a TV show.

[Elyin Nevaty]

Elyin watched, rather uninterestedly, as Blade impaled the fish with a single talon. Like his name and personality implied, he was like a blade. Sharp and deadly and probably just as eager to stab someone in the back as a knife was wont to do, but that wasn't the blade was it? No, it was the person behind the blade who betrayed. Who was behind Blade, if anyone? Or was he an abandoned weapon without purpose or cause to give meaning and shape to his path?

\Such dreary thoughts/, she mused, \Such dreary thoughts to think of for a weary seil./

As if to echo her, the scales of the fish paled and darkened. As the life left the little flopping creature, its scales faded to dull copper and the little silver tracings became duller than stones. \Is that what becomes of us? Is that why we reject and bury the dead, so we do not have to gaze upon the dulled and spoiled form of a once vibrant and healthy individual?/ No, that couldn't be it. Besides, why think of death? Or was the Lady already building her punishment and was dropping hints like little raindrops hailed the coming of the storm? The healer snorted contemptuously, let the Old One come and send what she may. Elyin would show her that no one controlled her destiny.

She turned her head back to the pool, at first ignoring Blade's words and the barely masked discomfort beneath them. Elyin almost laughed, could speaking of the Lady make him that uncomfortable? "You do not follow the gods? Then you should know, Lost Weapon, that the Old One will not grace me."

The healer let out a small sound, somewhere between a cold chuckle and a choking cough. She had never had a reason to expect the grace of the Moon Maiden's touch, she had been born a sin and would forever be a sin. Why would a creature of such supposed purity grace a creature of such taint like her?

At his last words, she ruffled her feathers in irritation, "Anyone can heal so long as they put forth the effort," she growled as she stalked around the pool, "All you must do is learn to see and hear and feel the power of the earth around you. Once you do, you can gain access to its powers."

Her head jerked around to glare at Blade, her tail lashing back and forth. "Tell me, boy. Do you see the healer's mark upon my brow? Or is what you see mere illusion?"

Number of Words: 450 <- sorry!
Things To Know: Elyin wasn't born with the Gift! *gaspeth* That's why I mentioned she might get a little evil. lol
Character: Elyin
Anything Else? I have heard of Burn Notice but never watched it. I usually end up watching NCIS.