Enjoy This Absence From Reality


Updates ADVENTURES UNTOLD The Invisible My French Teacher is an Evil Sorcerer Jaci's Story The Shroud GREY MAGIC Darnai Erudite BIOGRAPHIES Kiomati Shea Shea Koshan Niteshade ASSORTED Easter Break In Your Element Kingdom in the Sky Watcher Wanderer Them Wind Dancer GRAPHICS Livejournal Icons ME ELSEWHERE Fanfiction.Net Fictionpress.Net Elfwood CUSTOMARY Email Links Dreambook	Wanderer She wandered into the country unnoticed by anyone, a simple traveler that had gone through kingdoms seeking work. She would not find anymore here, many often assumed as the very tall, strange woman walked past them on the roads, her crimson cloak draped about her shoulders and hood cast over her face to hide what they might fear. Beneath the cowl, her face lay determined as ever. Fine straw colored hair was strewn about, contrasting with blazing violet eyes that were dead to the world and long pointed ears that stuck out like an elves, though she did not know if she was one. A fresh cut was jagged across her cheek, but she paid it no heed, not at all caring like other women did about how grotesque it would make her look or how the silver of her blood may be odd to these people. The gates to the kingdom were well guarded, not a place that would let one with such dirt ridden garments as she had on through, but she had no troubles getting in. She never did. There were alternate routes to everything, and she had the means to create those. She looked around with her eyes and checked with her other senses for other presences, and found one in the bush, eyes well hidden, but staring at her. She sighed inwardly as she concentrated slightly. She tapped her staff on the wall of the city, designed to keep out the devious and the riffraff such as herself, and walked through it as though it were thin air. The slight gap she made closed behind her, and she heard a thud from the wall, of the eyes trying to make their way in through the same way she had. Deceptions. That was the entire purpose of the staff she carried with her. It was a simple matter of making those who wished to pick a battle with her to not only underestimate her, but to underestimate her power. She had convinced nearly all to believe that her power and magic lay solely in the staff, only to receive a nasty shock once she was disarmed. She moved through the streets, listening in and finding all the petty problems this kingdom held, none a change from what she knew elsewhere. As much as they may claim to be different, as physically different as it might seem to some, there was no difference here to anything, even some of the undersea kingdoms that she had crossed over the years. She continued on the streets, gathering information and keeping to herself while others seemed to avoid eye contact with her, until she came to a set of doors that lead into an inn. She pushed the oak doors open and slipped in, a cold gust of wind following her into the warmth of the inn, swirling about her feet before dissipating in it's curious search. She made her way to the back where the light was low, not caring about the eyes that followed her. As she took the weight off of her weary feet, she rested her staff on the back of the chair and her hands went to her cowl to lower it, but stopped. She caught the slightest bit of a conversation near the bar. She lowered her hands and listened more intently, her eyes burning into the man who had spoken. "Yeah, royal business," the man said, his words slurred. "Dangerous too. Lookin' for a sorceress what tricked the King of Brinal. Gotta find her and bring her back for punishin'. Trustin' me with it, 'cause I'm his trusted friend." She laughed at her worry. The man was too drunk to recognize her now. She lowered her cowl without any other second thought and memories of her previous travels in the previous kingdom came back to her. She remembered with a smile the King of Brinal after seeing how easily she could conjure up balls of colored fire; having her captured and brought before him like a prisoner as he gave a proposal for her freedom. Unfortunately, without the potential to do magic, she could do nothing to help him. He had paid her in advance before she could protest and say that she would be utterly unable to do what he asked, so when she had escaped his 'impenetrable' castle, she was considered an escaped prisoner. The woman he was speaking to over the counter found a way to slip out of his drunken tales and over to her. "Good evening. I don't believe I've seen you in here before. New in town?" She smiled kindly, long black hair hanging loosely behind her shoulders. It was usually best if she acted kind and interested in these situations, she had learned over the years. "Yes, I just wandered in. I don't suppose I could speak to the owner of this establishment? I think I'm going to need a room for a few weeks." Possibly a little longer, she added in her mind. "Owner at your service," the woman said with a mischievous grin. "Nephrite Ver, owner of The Noble Tigress. We have a slump in people wanting rooms this time of year, so it's no trouble. We can arrange that a little later, however. You look like you're not ready to get up just yet. Can I get you anything? And is there anything I should know before you take up residence at my fine establishment?" "Just a cider, please," she requested politely. "My name is Torana and I've been travelling for so long I've forgotten where I've come from." She let a wry smile rest on her lips, knowing that some emotion showing would probably set the woman's mind at ease should she have any doubts about her. She smiled kindly back before she turned and left for her drink. Torana let the muscles in her mouth relax, though her eyes still had a tinge of a smile left glistening in them as she took a long look around the inn. It was well furnished and well kept, something for the woman to be proud of without a doubt. Her staff fell to the ground with a clatter and she immediately held out a hand, summoning it back to her hand without her having to bend over or get up, allowing her to look for what had done this. Her eyes finally rested on two children, red hair and bright aquamarine eyes staring curiously up at her. She smiled at the pair, one girl and one boy though obviously twins, her love of children renewed in her heart. The innocence in their eyes captivated her, melting away the years of strife she had gone through, the hardships which had hardened her to the world. She picked the pair up, resting them both on her lap, and made a few small balls of light dance lightly about the pair, each ball changing colors smoothly as it neared them before suddenly shying away as their curious hands came close. Both of the tykes seemed very amused, joy filling their eyes as they tried to reach out and touch them, though they were as wary as the light when it came close. A woman came bursting through the door in a near panic, a typical noble, her curly brown hair a mess as her eyes darted frantically around the room for something. Torana glanced up with a passing interest as she ran over to Nephrite, a panicked and fearful voice questioning her frantically as two guards came in the door and went directly to her side. The scene drew the attention of the entire room, minus three. Finally, Nephrite managed to break free of the woman's questioning with the promise that after that she served one of her newest customers that she would do everything she could to help. Carrying a mug over to the back of the room, she had the woman and her guards following her every step of the way, eyes darting around until they rested on Nephrite's destination. "Momma!" one of the children exclaimed from Torana's lap, staring up at the woman behind Nephrite. Both children held up their arms to the woman, forgetting the balls of light, which Torana extinguished. This woman would probably not be happy to find her children playing with strange magics. The woman picked them up and simply stared at Torana. Sensing that this was a tense moment, Nephrite set the cider on the table and excused herself from the scene. "They're never so well behaved with anyone," the woman said, slightly impressed, and very relieved. "My name is Lara, princess of Jhina Tsenei. I would very much like it if you would watch over my children whilst I am off on my daily routines. They can be a handful I may not know you well, but I sense that you will be able to handle it and there will always be guards around." Torana smiled a genuine smile as she nodded her acceptance. Working with children would be a joy after going through with the over grown and ill mannered King of Brinal. At forty, one would think it was not yet time to allow ones self to decline to infancy, especially when it meant the court would have to deal with the childish demands of one without the innocence that a true child held. A mug fell from a short ways beyond them at the bar, a man brandishing a sword with a definite drunken swagger to his movements. The guards held firm their position, eyeing the man who had earlier identified himself to Nephrite as one who was on very important business. Around his neck, a necklace glowed a faint green and seemed to lead him in their direction as he could not guide himself in his state. It was truly a surprise that he was still upright and had not yet thrown his sword into the back of some random patron of the Inn who was trying to avoid eye contact with any and all involved in the scene. Torana sadly stood on her weary feet, deciding that it best now to play the part of a weary and possibly injured traveler. Leaning on her staff, she made her way around the Princess, her children, and their entourage to stand beside the drunken man, looking at him curiously. "I had believed that your king had banned the use of any and all magics until he, himself, could wield the power," she said with an inquisitive tone. "Has he now learned?" A bright green glow set it's focus on her, the crystal she now saw it emanating from pointing directly at her. A wry smile crossed her face, recognizing the magic employed and wondering if the man who would have mastered it had finally succumbed to the gift of gold. Actually, she reminded herself, it was more a question of whether or not he was still alive to spend it. The odds were stacked very high against him. The man turned from his verbal and heavily slurred fight with the guard to stare at her. It took him a moment to realize that it was a woman who spoke to him and he had been whacked swiftly on the head, sending him into unconsciousness, a mere moment after he realized that her voice had plainly told him that she was not at all interested in spending the night with him in his bed chamber that night. "Might I recommend that you send him back to his own kingdom so that they can find the best way to deal with one who has broken their own laws," she suggested. She made her way back to her seat in the same demeanor in which she had left it, using the staff more as a crutch now. Turning to Lara, she asked, "Shall I be at the castle gates at dawn so that I might begin my new duties?" as though unperturbed by what had just happened. She waited patiently for the princess to get over the shock of seeing a woman knock a man unconscious so easily, taking a sip of her own cider. She had had worse starts than this in other places, and had a feeling that she would learn secrets to old mysteries here that had lain secret to her for years. Perhaps she would finally even find her death here. She could only hope. "We will be expecting you at dawn," Lulu said at last, though she still seemed flustered. Turning with both children in her arms, she left the inn with as little commotion as a princess and her guards possibly could leave a public place where lowly people tended to gather. Torana smiled to herself as she finished off her cider. It has begun anew...