Beyond Forks in the Road

[Allyria Allenmorde]

Allyria was just done with crossroads. Thankfully she wouldn't need to come upon another one for a while. They were about six miles from the last one. And from where she stood on the road, about to head due west, there were no more crossroads. Just wild land between the highway and Sorath. She knew that it had to be due west of her. There was a logical breakdown for how she figured that out. The signposts gave her the clues.

The one before last had indicated that Sorath was along the road they chose. The last sign post did not indicate such, and instead only pointed out two duchies. The one they had been in for a while, whose name was scratched out by fire. It lay on the northern road at some point. It would have been nice to take a bed for the night. But that was a fantasy that she would not indulge in until she reached a decent destination. Not some lord's castle.

As for the road that she was currently on, it led to some duchy called Corday. Then below that it indicated that Morith was in this direction.

Neither were Sorath.

For the past several miles she had thought about it. She could not have possibly passed Sorath. So how to account for it no longer being on the sign posts? Either it was destroyed, which isn't likely because even in the Drokagr colony of Korasus they'd have heard about it. Or, much more likely, it lay upon the same path that they were traveling, which was west from as far as Allyria could tell from the way the sun had been rising and setting each day.

"See those rocks over there to the west, off the road? It looks like they're situated in a circle of some sorts. It would be a good spot to make camp don't you think?"

Allyria suddenly felt sick. Her grey skin got pale, and her eyes rapidly moved back and forth, as if she were dreaming. Her body froze in place, and she didn't hear anything.

Her conscious was lost in a vision.

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-ALL

HP: 150/150
SM: 22/23
MP: 168/173

Sudden Sight
-Assaulted by visions of:
-The Present

---

A figure dark and terrible. He held a stone in his left hand and a mask in the other. The mask was white and blood red. The white half was smiling. The red half was in a rage.

The figure walked to a dais and set the stone in the contraption. It burned with a brilliant purple light. A terrible screech resounded off the cavern walls. The cloaked man put the mask over where his face would be.

It turned towards her. Allyria felt a sense of dread.

"I see you..."

Her vision ended as abruptly as it started.

---

When Allyria came to she felt weak in her knees.

"I... I think... I need to sit down. Do you mind trying to make camp? Here. Use this for the fire."

Allyria sat down at the edge of the road in the short grass of the plain. From her pocket she produced a oval shaped stone that was perfectly clear. The sun shone and focused through it.

[Deleted]

Usually Fabre found herself with a lucky result to her choices, whether they be arguably “wrong” in the eyes of others or “right” by some moral standard – which was almost never the case. With each crossroad that the two came upon, Fabre found her choices to become more and more of a confusing guess. She could only hope that her sense of direction lasted when choosing which to go upon. Like Allyria, Fabre knew Sorath was west to their starting point – the moment in which they had first met. However, after leaving the beaten paths and entering the grasslands, Fabre had to rely on little things to remind her of their location. She tracked placement of the sun, would check the stars and moon at night to make sure their alignment was consistent with their travels.

Unlike Allyria, Fabre didn’t trust the signs. In her many travels, she had learned that signs could lead you astray, much like people. Plus, these old sticks were near rotting from age and were either carved in a painfully illiterate fashion or painted in decay and ash. If Allyria didn’t have somewhere to be, Fabre would have liked to explore the marked out lands. Curiosity was her killer but so too was the unknown. She pleaded with Allyria on several occasions – only being brought back to reason by a calm assurance that they would be better off staying on coarse.

From where they were, trudging through the plains going south, Fabre could see mountains to the west. She gathered as much natural ochre that she could squeeze from the land around them and used the sky and the earth, the mountain caps and the wildlife in their surroundings as reference to mix more colors into her journal.

“See those rocks over there to the west, off the road? It looks like they’re situated in a circle of some sorts. It would be a good spot to make camp don’t you think?” Fabre hadn’t been paying much mind since she began collected more color samples. Not closing her journal for fear of clumping together the colors in a mess, Fabre looked to where Allyria pointed.

“Huh? How peculiar,” She sing-songed, “Yes, I think that would make a perfect spot.” Fabre had just begun to hum a little song – because it she had become accustomed to singing to ward off the boredom of travels and entertain her friend from a similar fate. Like always, Allyria didn’t reprimand her for being a pitch off-key. So, Fabre continued singing, trying to hit an even higher and lower note that she couldn’t reach the day before.

She sat her open journal atop one of the rocks and began collecting sticks, just as she’d done the first night they met. She usually did this for Allyria to build their lean-to and fire, but wasn’t expecting the drakagr’s request, “I… I think… I need to sit down,” Huh? , “Do you mind trying to make camp?” HUH? , “Here. Use this for the fire.” HUUUUH!? Fabre looked back at her companion in confusion. Allyria’s usually beautiful skin looked so pale, her face tired and looking a bit clammy. Fabre didn’t like to do all of the work, but she figured it was about time to learn these things for herself anyways. She hurried over to Allyria’s side and, giving a heavy sigh and letting go of some pride, tried to be a good friend.

“Of course..” She forced a smile, “A-Are you alright?” The words were a bit hard to form, as she was struggling with not caring and genuinely wanting to care. She cautiously held out her hand for the stone, unsure if this is what Allyria meant for Fabre to take, “How does it work?”

---

Working on Relationship I, Camping I, Gathering I and trying to make Fabre a better singer because right now she seriously sounds disgusting. 

[Allyria Allenmorde]

Allyria put the stone in Fabre's hand and took a breath for a moment, recovering from the vision she had just endured. Who was that man in black with the crazy looking mask? The thing that scared the half-breed the most was what he said.

I see you...

Could he have really been talking to her? Could he really see her? She was scared about what that meant. If she could see him, he could see her. If he could see her that meant he knew her face. He could find her, he could kill her. He looked like the type that would try to kill someone. That purple glowing stone wasn't natural either.

She got up from her sit and crouch and stood slowly. Her color was returning to her face.

"Catch the sun with it to focus the light into a point. You have to gather material first though. Dried grass and leaves work the best. Then the twigs. Arrange the twigs into a cone with the point at the top, with the dried grass and leaves underneath it. Then you light the grass and leaves on fire with the stone focusing the light."

Allyria started looking around, gathering what she could for the fire.

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-ALL

HP: 150/150
SM: 16/23
MP: 163/173

Sudden Sight
-No Visions

Gather Materials
-5 Stamina

[Deleted]

Still a bit taken back by Allyria’s sudden ailment, Fabre did as she was instructed. It wasn’t the human’s typical response to being told what to do – which often involved the bare minimum of curses under the breath – but the Drakagr also wasn’t her typical every-day person.

So, Fabre did as she was told all the while Allyria instructed her, “Catch the sun with it to focus the light into a point,” Fabre had just raised her hand, dawdling over the the sunniest patch of away from any threat of shade when, “You have to gather material first though,” Oh.. Woops. Fabre pocketed the stone, “Dried grass and leaves work the best,” Fabre barreled through the grassy plains around the road, scooping up all of the dead, lifeless grass and leaves she could hold before dumping them in the center of the circled stones, “Then the twigs” Fabre was proud to have been gathering a few of those from before Allyria even asked, but they weren’t nearly enough. She scurried around for a while longer, wincing each time she had to cram another twig into her already scuffed up arms. Finally, she had collected what looked to be more than enough, “Arrange the twigs into a cone with the point at the top, with the dried grass and leaves underneath it,” Sitting on her knees before the leaves, Fabre did her best to force the twigs into making a cone shape. She wasn’t much for sculpting, but used her hands to line up the twigs so that the base was encircling the leaves. She made it wider, tapering off the top as she stacked the twigs.

Fabre noticed Allyria trying to gather whatever they may need for camping, “Hey, you don’t have to worry about it. If you’re tired, rest. I’ll do all the work if you tell me how.” She waved her hand towards one of the stones, motioning for Allyria to sit.

Be a good friend. Be a good friend.

Those thoughts were the only motivators for doing all of this herself. Fabre stood once she was confident of her twiggy arrangement. She hopped on top of one of the sitting rocks and pulled out Allyria’s stone. Holding it high over her head, Fabre waited until she felt that the stone was warm in her hands. She jumped down from the rock and rolled over to the pile, pressing the stone to the tip of the stack and waiting for it to catch fire.

---

Working on Relationship I, Camping I, Gathering I 

8/10 sm

[Azuloth]

-Fabre acquires 1 Dragonfruit:
-Restores 15MP, HP, & Stamina

Allyria acquries 3 Dragonfruit:
-Restores 15 MP, Hp & Stamina
Allyria Acquires 1 Lavender.

[Allyria Allenmorde]

In Allyria's attempts to find things that were usable for creating a campfire, she acquired three dragonfruit and there was a small bush of lavender that was growing there on the plain. She picked it all and left the bush intact so that it would grow back later. The dragonfruit would be good for dinner. It was the first food she had in several days too.

Then she was chided by Fabre for exerting herself. She felt like some kind of delicate flower. The half-breed went and sat down on the stone. When Fabre returned she started to use the stone that Allyria had given her in a way she had not seen before. As if she was trying to gather the light within the stone and then unleash its power by touching the tinder with it.

Regardless, that would not work.

"If I may... you see how the sunlight comes out of the stone and focuses on the ground? If you adjust how you hold it so that light comes to a point, you can start a fire on the tinder. You just have to hold it right."

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-ALL

HP: 150/150
SM: 15/23
MP: 158/173

-Assists Fabre in Camping I-

Sudden Sight:
-Failed

[Deleted]

Nothings Happening.

Three seconds later.

Why isn’t anything happening!?

Rock, abort rock! Get outa there! There’s a crazy impatient, needy, whiny, girl about to chuck you across the field where you’ll become nothing more than a pebble waiting to be sat upon by some poopy bird.

Indeed, Fabre was three more seconds from making a rock fly when Allyria corrected her. She gave the Drakagr a dumb, “Oh” before looking back at the rock.

Well you should’a known better ya’shit.

Fabre gave the dirty stone a fat lipped glare as she gripped it hard enough to make her knuckles white – as if the rock could feel pain worthy of punishment. She held it over the stone then, hovering it around until she found the perfect spot where the sun bounced off it’s surface and shone on the tip of the sticks.

Adding to the heat, Fabre gave the rock the most intense death glare- which she would hold until the sticks were on fire.

---

Learning Camping I 



7/10

[Azuloth]

Assistance from Allyria: +20 threshold.
1+20=21 threshold.
39 > 21--Failed.

[Allyria Allenmorde]

Allyria watched a wave of frustration come over Fabre. She guessed the human woman wasn't satisfied with the way the stone was working. Perhaps to her it was taking too long. That was something that needed to be corrected, and fast. It would only take longer if she moved the stone around too much, and they had precious daylight burning.

"Don't lose patience with the stone, it will work. You just have to keep trying and give it time. Hold it steady and don't move it. So long as the light is coming to a single bright point on the tinder, it will begin to smoke, and then flash into a flame. Once that flame is alive you have to blow air on it gently to keep it going. Once it is burning healthily we'll be able to add logs."

Allyria bit into one of her Dragonfruit, regaining precious energy and eating the first meal she's had in days. She needed it, her stomach grumbled fiercely. The half-breed could only imagine what it would have been like had she waited longer. The fruit was juicy, and delicious. It was satisfying.

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-ALL

HP: 300/300
SM: 43/45 +15
MP: 153/173 -5

-Assists Fabre in Camping I-

Sudden Sight:
-Failed.

[Deleted]

Shaking from an insane amount of irritation, Fabre would definitely have thrown the stone if not for the awareness that she was being watched. Plus, it wasn’t really her rock to toss.

“Don’t lose patience with the stone, it will work. You just have to keep trying and give it time. Hold it steady and don’t move. So long as the light is coming to a bright point on the tinder, it will begin to smoke, and then flash into a flame. Once that flame is alive you have to blow air on it gently to keep it going. Once it is burning healthily we’ll be able to add logs.”

Fabre nodded as she listened, heading bobbing like some baby bird, “Got it.” She felt a little guilty for making Allyria wait. Fabre glanced around and saw her journal sitting open on one of the rocks, “Would you like to look at my journal?” She’d wanted to show off the art since she first painted her companion. She didn’t really think twice about what was written, not really caring if Allyria read it or not. She crawled over to the book, grabbing it and carefully checking if the open page was still damp – it wasn’t. The prairie wind had long blown it dry. She closed the book and handed it to Allyria with a smile, “I’ll try to get this fire going as soon as I can, but in case it takes a while, you can look at this,” The human turned a little red then, “Let me know what you think . . . I’ve kind of just been experimenting since I left Fordeth.” Fabre had never shared her art with anyone before, so she was a little nervous.
Once the journal was in the drow’s hands or on the ground by her feet, Fabre turned back to the unlit fire and held the stone above it, repeating the motion to reflect the sun’s heat and holding as still as she could. Again she waited and hoped for the fire to start.

---

Fabre Hulin

S:10 V:10 Agi: 12 Ch: 11 St: 10 T: 10 D: 10 En: 10 P: 10 K: 11
Hp: 100
Sm: 21/25
Mp: 110


Camping Fire: 
 - Pretty sure that's a gosh-diddly-darn fail. 
Working on Camping I & Relationship I 

[Allyria Allenmorde]

"I will do so. Just keep the stone focused on the same piece of tinder. It will work eventually."

Allyria said as she went to pick up the journal that had been left for her. She felt strange delving into its pages. She read all the words that had been put there. It seemed like Fabre had wanted her to. There was a pang of sadness and regret, as well as comfort and camaraderie. Fabre had also been afraid of abandonment, though she had not said as much in as many words. That is what Allyria interpreted from the journal. The personal story Fabre had portrayed was the most interesting aspect of the journal to the half-breed. It was the most revealing about her partner. Especially the bits about how she was purposefully sleeping on top of Allyria. Though she was immediately angry at the fact, it had made sense that Fabre would do such a thing after a glimpse into how her mind worked. Allyria forgave her. She wanted to cry a little bit, she had never seen someone's soul so bared.

It was eye opening.

However the artwork, similarly interesting, was also a topic that intrigued her. The colors, and the blending. Oh it was amazing. She had never thought that was possible. Before, red was red, and blue was blue. She never imagined that the blending of colors could do as much as create her sort of unique skin tone. She learned so much about it from the journal that she felt that she knew something about it. Like she could discuss it.

Then she happened upon the page that included a drawing of herself. It was moving, how well Fabre had captured her own appearance. It was clearly an artists rendition, but as far as Allyria had seen only mirrors came closer. Allyria felt both vulnerable and honored. So the girl had been staring at her, but in the interest of using her as a study for this... art? that she was creating. It was not nearly as uncomfortable as she had thout it normally would be. Maybe for someone who was not as open minded. But she was moved nonetheless.

"This is... amazing? The fact that you're sharing your self like this... Baring your soul perhaps? And your work in this, ground breaking in my experience."


Allyria Allenmorde
15-ALL

HP: 300/300
SM: 42/45 -1
MP: 158/173 -5

-Assists Fabre in Camping I-

Sudden Sight:
-Failed.

[Deleted]

Sharing her art with someone was a pretty big deal for the human. She hadn’t had the journal for long, but she had been studying art since before her travels. Fabre wasn’t sure if she was any good, or if her methods even made sense. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her ribcage, and that her ears could no longer hear anything besides the drumming sound resonating from her chest. She felt an uncomfortable sense of pride and nervousness. Fabre couldn’t tell if she liked this sensation or hated it.

As she held the stone as still as she could, hoping to sap up the sun before it sunk below the horizon, Fabre glanced over her shoulder at Allyria. She watched her face, looking for disgust, rejection, mockery, and anything that told Fabre her efforts were useless. However, she saw something much more interesting. Her brown eyes lit up as she saw Allyria with a fascinated glint in her expression. She didn’t look bored or unamused by Fabre’s journal. Rather, she was attentively examining each page.

“This is… amazing?” Fabre smiled a little and her tan cheeks turned a couple shades redder, “The fact that you’re sharing yourself like this… Baring your soul perhaps?” Fabre thought that was rather generous. She really only thought Allyria could look at her work to keep herself from being bored. It was a spark of the moment idea with stomach flipping consequences. Though, Fabre figured if she wanted to get better at this art thing, she would have to get used to showing her work to others for critique, “ And your work in this, ground breaking in my experience.”

Fabre’s mouth felt dry. She didn’t really know what to say. Allyria had only spoken several words about her work, but the human felt like she could cry with joy. She looked back towards the still-nonexistent fire, squeezing the stone to keep her voice steady, “Thank you.” She rubbed her cheek with the free hand, trying to wipe away the heat pooling there.

“That’s why I was staring at you so much the other day.. Sorry if it seemed creepy… You just have really pretty skin.” Fabre admitted, clearing her throat and shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, “Anyways… If you’d like me to show you how I do some of that stuff, I’d be happy to. If you’re interested… that is…”

---

Fabre Hulin

S:10 V:10 Agi: 12 Ch: 11 St: 10 T: 10 D: 10 En: 10 P: 10 K: 11
Hp: 100
Sm: 20/25
Mp: 110


Camping Fire:
-Fail

Working on Camping I & Relationship I

[Allyria Allenmorde]

Allyria blushed a bit. Really pretty skin huh? She had never heard that before. No one at Korasus had thought so. There were those types that preferred exotic tastes. But there are plenty of humans for that. Besides, the grey-skinned ones were always off limits by societal pressure. They were filthy half-breeds. Nothing good could come of copulating with them.

"Thank you. I don't know what to say. You can use me as a basis for more of this if you'd like."

The half-drokagr was about to impart some wisdom about using the stone again, but her consciousness drifted off to a different time and place. She was gone. Her eyes glazed over, her breathing shallowed and quickened. Her blood boiled and muscles locked into position. It was agony. But her consciousness was gone, she registered none of the pain that her cells were screaming with. Her mind was preoccupied, unraveling what was coming to pass in front of her.

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-All
Hp: 300/300
Stm: 41/45 -1
Mp: 153/173 -5

Sudden Sight
-success.
-the past

---

The world was young and harsh. The skies were black, and the red rings of Valghast lit the night and day alike. The red tinge was of blood. The earth was brown and red, much like the Ochres that Fabre described in her journal. A man sat in front of a standing stone in the barren wasteland. This was eons past, she felt. It was unshakable. He was an interesting looking man. Not at all unlike a drokagr. Long white hair, purple eyes, but his skin was a pallid white, and though his ears were pointed she had found that she had not gotten a good look at his eyes.

They were vertical and reminded her of a cats.

"Vamerothan, you pretty thing. Father is looking for us."

It was another one, his hair was like gold, and his eyes like fire. Vamerothan smiled, revealing the eight fangs curved like scimitars.

"Nevermind father. Come join me."

"In front of the Night Stone? Hardly."

"Which do you feel is more important? Night or day? I feel as though the night is far more important. After all, do we not need to sleep on a regular basis to be able to carry out our good work during the day? It is difficult to follow our parent's instructions. Plant every blade of grass, raise every mountain. Fill every sea with water, one drop at a time."

"True. But we can only create during the day. It is the more important of the two I believe. It is the time that our work gets accomplished. You said it so yourself. Now stop this non-sense, father wants you."

"He's here."

A third one had approached. His hair was dark blue, as were his eyes. The creature's skin was a light blue. It reminded her of water.

"Do not sound so disappointed, Vamerothan. Neither can exist without the other. Their functions rely on each other. The end of the night brings the beginning of the day, and the end of the day the night. If one was less important than the other than their time would not be equal."

"There. Father said they're equal. Let us go."

The three went off to a land that was far from the barrens. A place of plenty in the west, of never ending surplus. In the groves of the forests the two sons played. Until another came, different than their father.

"Vamerothan! Come I must show you something."

"I shall return brother."

Allyria's head swam... she felt like ages were passing.

The new one, black of hair and purple of skin, with green eyes and an overly long forked tongue was sitting upon a rock that had been freshly carved that day.

"What is it Crahn? This best not be some prank to lure me from, Arahamail."

"Nevermind him. Say, which do you think would win? As the rain battles the fire, the night or the day?"

"I do not know. Father said they were equal."

"I think we should test this. If we come up with the answer, then we have bested our parents and they will reward us for our cunning. They will be proud of us, even."

"I agree."

More happened, but it was happening at a much faster pace. Condensing and folding in upon itself, she could feel clarity slipping. Then she lost it entirely, and something pulled Allyria back from the vision. She felt like she was rushing through a river of time and space.

---

Her consciousness returned. Flooded with vivid memories of the vision that had just violently forced itself upon her. Her body was in agony, her muscles screamed death, and eyes watered and stung. She still managed to get her journal out, and wrote down exactly what happened, replaying the vision over again in her mind as she did so, in excruciating detail. She wrote it down in the language of her people. Not consciously choosing, but doing so because it felt natural to her and her hands were shaking.

"I-if I described something to you... c-could you draw it?"

She wanted to capture the image of Vamerothan, Crahn, Arahamail, and their father.

[Deleted]

“UGH!” Fabre whacked the pile of sticks with the rock when it still refused to light. Her little structure toppled over and the human was left with an embarrassed and furious expression on her face – a mixture of red from her own foolishness and anger. She hadn’t even noticed when her friend went into a rigid state of shock, too busy trying to rebuild her little fire fort, “That didn’t happen!” Fabre laughed off with a moronic grin.

Patting her little cone of sticks – which did look a bit better than before – Fabre smiled over her shoulder, “See? Good as… WHAT THE FISHNUTS!?!?” Allyria looked like a fish out of water, tears were visible in her eyes, she was pale and clammy, her breathing ragged. Fabre darted without standing, just kneeling beside her and patting her dead looking face. Unlike a dying fish, the drakagr spoke.

“I-If I described something to you… c-could you draw it?”

Yes. Sure. Fabre would pretty much do whatever her dying friend asked – which she kind of assumed was happening because this was the second time today that Allyira looked as though she couldn’t breath. The human swiped her sketchbook out of her friend’s sweaty hands and pulled out a piece of burnt bark. She’d placed the stone back in Allyria’s shaky hands – not expecting her to light the fire but woah would that be really freaking helpful considering how many times it hasn’t worked for Fabre – and dated her journal entry, awaiting Allyria’s request.

“I’ll try.”

---

Fabre Hulin

S:10 V:10 Agi: 12 Ch: 11 St: 10 T: 10 D: 10 En: 10 P: 10 K: 11
Hp: 100
Sm: 19/25
Mp: 110

[Allyria Allenmorde]

Allyria took the stone unceremoniously from Fabre and focused the light on the tinder in front of her. It did nothing, but this sort of thing took time, and was certainly easier with better conditions. Dusk was no time to be lighting a fire. It just so happened that they were both bad at this, and hadn't thought of settling down before dusk.

Allyria tried her best to keep it focused and describe what she saw.

"It was mannish, but like it hadn't come into its masculinity yet. This is the first one that is. And it had waist length white hair. It's skin was like mine but paler, but not the same color as its hair. It didn't have any clothes at all. I don't think it needed them though. It had purple eyes, pointy ears and pointy curved teeth. And it was very pretty. I would say definitely one of the prettiest creatures I've ever seen. That's what the first one's name was. It's name was Vamerothan."

She was starting to feel better. It would take some time without the visions to get better. But it was happening.

---

Allyria Allenmorde
15-All
Hp: 300/300
Stm: 40/45 -1
Mp: 148/173 -5

-Rolled for Camping

Sudden Sight