Max Heller
Cliath
Claws-of-Fire
Gott baut Menschen, wir bauen Roboter
Posts: 274
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Post by Max Heller on Dec 16, 2008 19:16:40 GMT 1
Max grinned when Adiyah spoke. He had been wracking his brain trying to think of a story, a legend, anything that told of the origins of the Phoenix, and the answer had been staring them in the face all along. Perhaps a little too confidently, he looked sideways at Adiyah.
"Phoenix, I agree with our Theurge," he said. "I think, a circle has no beginning."
He was so convinced that this was the right answer, that he wasn't even worried about what would happen if they were wrong. He tried to give Yvonne a reassuring look, but he knew that both girls were holding their breath waiting for the Phoenix' confirmation.
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Post by Shehrazad on Dec 16, 2008 20:00:20 GMT 1
There was a long silence after the three of them spoke, and during that time it seemed like the fire was getting brighter, and the Phoenix was getting older.
When it next spoke, its voice was crackled and seemed to have aged in the seconds they were answering its question.
"Reach out then, Claws-of-Fire, and take what you came for," said the bird.
And then, without any previous warning, it burst into flames and burned along with the rest of the fire.
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Max Heller
Cliath
Claws-of-Fire
Gott baut Menschen, wir bauen Roboter
Posts: 274
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Post by Max Heller on Dec 16, 2008 20:03:03 GMT 1
Max looked quizzically at the other two, and then decided the Phoenix couldn't possibly be talking to anyone but him. It had called them by strange names before too.
I guess we are who it said we are, then, he thought.
Stepping forward, Max shifted to his black Crinos form and reached out into the flames.
(Gnosis point spent to activate Master of Fire)
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Post by Shehrazad on Dec 16, 2008 20:09:46 GMT 1
The heat of the flames intensified as Max stepped closer, but the gift of the fire-spirits meant that there would be no lasting damage. It still burned painfully when he dipped his claws into the fires and searched the cinders for whatever it was the Phoenix had left behind. And then he found it. He knew it must be it, because it was cold to the touch, despite being in the burning fire. He closed his hand around it quickly and pulled it out just as he felt his hands couldn't take it any more. He straightened up, and his shrivelled hands immediately started to heal. Clutched in his hand was a smooth flat pearly white stone.
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Yvonne
Cliath
Elpis' Ardour
Posts: 528
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Post by Yvonne on Dec 16, 2008 23:54:30 GMT 1
Yvonne gasps in suprise as the pheonix joins the flames, then when Max moves forward she momentarily reaches out to try to stop him getting hurt. She stops herself though, sure he at least knew what he was doing. Instead, while he does that, she looks back and smiles at Adiyah. Yvonne's sure that, whatever was going to happen if they got it wrong, she's glad Adiyah saved them from it. When Max is done getting burned, she ventures a little closer out of curiosity. "What did you find?"
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Max Heller
Cliath
Claws-of-Fire
Gott baut Menschen, wir bauen Roboter
Posts: 274
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Post by Max Heller on Dec 19, 2008 19:18:44 GMT 1
"Hot," Max winced in pain as he straightened up, but it was shortlived. His Crinos fur healed up quickly, and he returned to homid and opened his palm, revealing the smooth white stone.
"I don't know," he said, holding it out for Yvonne and Adiyah to see. He turned it over in his hand. "Any ideas?" He looked up at Adiyah. If she didn't know, he was sure someone at the Caern would. "How is this supposed to turn the tide of war?" he wondered out loud. "Do you think it has any powers?"
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Adiyah
Cliath
Eyes-of-Light
Posts: 319
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Post by Adiyah on Dec 27, 2008 20:07:19 GMT 1
Adiyah felt relief wash over her at such speed, she nearly went to her knees before the fire. As Max reached in, she still could hardly beleive they weren't dead. She'd felt it was the right answer, but there was always a measure of doubt. She glanced at Yvonne and tentatively returned the smile as Max's hand emerged. She looked over the white stone, touching it lightly with a fingertip. She frowned. "I do not know it, but I'm sure we will find out. Neveer question a gift, what looks small, could be much more than you think. If Phoenix saw fit to give it to you, to us, it is important, and enough."
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Yvonne
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Elpis' Ardour
Posts: 528
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Post by Yvonne on Dec 27, 2008 20:27:07 GMT 1
"Ooh! Let me look!" Yvonne, forgetting suddenly any reverence for matters of the spirit, steps forward to look at the shiny thing. "It's a stone." Adiyah's words of wisdom ring true to Yvonne and she looks up. Her puzzled look turning into a resolute nod of agreement. "I'm sure you're right, it's important in some way. This must be it then, we should head back." She looks back where they had come from and froze as she sees the bear and remembers where they are. She continues speaking in a somewhat conspicuous whisper. "Possibly a bit more quietly."
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Post by Shehrazad on Dec 28, 2008 0:24:26 GMT 1
As Max turns the stone over, the three of them can see a small imprint of a paw on one side of it. The bear sleeps on, oblivious to their presence, and the fire still burns. As they turn to leave, they catch a glimpse of the flames. A small fledgling bird has started to rise from under the ashes.
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Max Heller
Cliath
Claws-of-Fire
Gott baut Menschen, wir bauen Roboter
Posts: 274
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Post by Max Heller on Dec 28, 2008 0:32:08 GMT 1
"Look," Max whispered, pointing at the tiny Phoenix in the fire.
He handed Yvonne the stone carefully, as if it were alive and might complain if they handled it too roughly. "Hold still," he said. "I'm going to dedicate it to you, so we can take it back."
Max closed his eyes in concentration, and touched his hand to the stone, and then to Yvonne's hand. It was a simple enough rite, but Max still looked unsure when he opened his eyes again and looked at Yvonne. "I think that worked," he said. "It should be dedicated to you now."
He turned to the edge, ready to leave. "Ready?" he asked. "Just the way we came?"
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Adiyah
Cliath
Eyes-of-Light
Posts: 319
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Post by Adiyah on Dec 28, 2008 17:49:28 GMT 1
Adiyah watched Max and Yvonne as the strange stone was bound to her. Something the Galliard had said struck her just then as interesting. When he had spoken to Phoenix, he'd said Our Theurge, not the theurge. She smiled, they were indeed working well together, maybe this was the start of something.
She nodded to the others, though a frown clearly showed when Max mentioned they would go back the same way. She was not looking forward to the long swim in the icy water again.
She glanced back at the fire and saw the tiny phoenix poking its way out of the ashes and smiled, taking a breath and keeping her voice low. "The circle has no end."
She moved off with the others. "Yes, let's go."
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Post by Shehrazad on Dec 31, 2008 11:47:50 GMT 1
The return journey seems to be a lot more difficult. The bright fire of the Phoenix, which had served as a guiding beacon on their way in was now at their backs, making it impossible to see more than a step or two forward, even with Adiyah's fairy light. Max almost slipped a couple of times as he tried to find a safe way, until he let go of Adiyah's hand as not to drag her down with him.
Finally, his luck ran out and he managed to step on a loose rock, which got dislodged under his step and caused him to lose his footing and plunge headfirst into the dark depths below. Adiyah felt the ground under her feet give way as she doesn't stop quickly enough. However, Yvonne grabbed on to her shirt and manage to keep her from falling off the ledge after Max.
Max felt the jagged rocks tear and bruise his Glabro skin as he tumbled down the edge. The cuts and bruises healed over almost immediately, and by the time he came to a complete stop, he was already fully healed. Once he got his bearings, he realised he'd landed on another ledge, not too far from the sleeping bear. He could still see the burning Phoenix fire in the distance, and Adiyah's shiny orb, even though the girls were both out of his line of sight.
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Yvonne
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Elpis' Ardour
Posts: 528
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Post by Yvonne on Jan 1, 2009 10:37:25 GMT 1
"Oh no!" Yvonne does her best not to do the stupid thing and lean out to look while she's still holding Adiyah. Instead she tries to lean as far back against the rock as possible so she can pull Adiyah back from falling over. "Max? Max! Are you okay?" Once Adiyah is safely away from the ledge, Yvonne tilts her head forward in an attempt to see over the ledge without launching herself into the darkness.
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Max Heller
Cliath
Claws-of-Fire
Gott baut Menschen, wir bauen Roboter
Posts: 274
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Post by Max Heller on Jan 1, 2009 12:26:19 GMT 1
Max took a moment to regain his senses, and then scrabbled to his feet as carefully as possible. This adventure was involving a lot of falling.
"Never better," he shouted back up to Yvonne. He tried to find a way back up, but it didn't seem possible. Instead he focused on not falling further into the bear's resting place.
"I think this leads somewhere," he said. "Do you think you could send the light down here?"
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Adiyah
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Eyes-of-Light
Posts: 319
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Post by Adiyah on Jan 8, 2009 3:25:19 GMT 1
Adiyah gasped as Max slipped from sight and she started to tumble after him. As she did, she felt Yvonne's strong arm grab her, and pull her back onto the ledge. Looking with gratitude at her friend who had no doubt saved her rear twice in one night. "Thanks."
She peered over the edge from as far away as she could. As Max responded, she breathed a sigh of relief, then sent the light down towards him. "Don't go off alone, tell us what you see."
Then she looked to the Yvonne, frowning. "There's got to be a safe way down or to get him up, any ideas?"
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