Ascension - Angier - 01/07/21
Jul 6, 2021 13:00:48 GMT
Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed, Jaezred Vandree, and 1 more like this
Post by Angier Shantarathil on Jul 6, 2021 13:00:48 GMT
I'm falling. In the sky above me the floating island already appears small. Below me—I do not look. There's no sensation, no rushing wind. My heart is beating at an accelerated pace, my breath coming in short, panicked draws. My eyes darting around for any sign of rescue. But my mind is lost in peaceful reflection. Only three weeks ago I arrived in this place, this Kantas. And a fortnight since I received the prophecy I had been seeking for eighty years: that I would save the world. What a fool I was. Who am I to do such things? I can't even train a damn bird. Regis mocks me with his screeching and now fate itself mocks me. I accept my fate. My arms flail, my hands grasping at air. There is nothing to be done. My voice cries out.
Barely an hour earlier all the folk had gathered in the Faewild at a grassy basin. The weirdest of strange places. The strangest of weird people start arriving. The sun and snow, moon and bear. Then an autumnal treant, what a joy to see! Apparently there is a vote occurring for a new Fae monarch. Who knew! The air fills with a wonderful cacophony of voices and musical instruments. I take my pan flute and quietly join in, playing a few notes to myself. A taste of home. The peace of wandering through familiar woods and watching herds gather at streams winding through the endless plains.
The crowd starts screaming. I wake from my meditation to see people running every which way. An arrow sings past my ear and strikes the ground a few yards in front of me. Then I'm somewhere else.
A group of us. I recognise Celina the shopkeeper, but three are strangers. A Spring Eladrin teleported us here, Imryll, wearing some long clothes with some kind of pattern I guess. Note to reader: Angier lost his sense of fashion in exchange for the prophecy. "You must help Lady Nicnevin", we are informed. Who she is and who we are saving her from I am none too sure, the politics of this land is confusing enough in the real world let alone this realm of the Fae. I prefer the simplicity of the natural order. A loud roar breaks the conversation, we head out that way. The strangers: Levuka, Seraphina and Viereari prove their might in a quick tussle with some evil pixies. Levuka fascinates me, transforming himself into a beast. I must learn this artistry. If I can't train a bird maybe I can become the bird instead?
A shadow blots out the sun. Above, an incredible beast of unnatural origins roars, opening a maw of immense proportions. A voice calls out, "To me!". The Lady Nicnevin herself, dispatching the last of some foul creatures. I rush to her as the maw clamps around us whole. We disappear once more.
A new place. Somewhere magical and eerie. Before me stands the tall, imposing figure of Lady Nicnevin, dressed in similar long clothes to Imryll, she has hair of some colour, it is hard to tell. I recognise her as one of the archfae from the ceremony, she had led an enormous hound. Was this the beast that just ate us? Islands float past, we are standing on one ourselves. Some vibrant and lush, others deserts of snow or sand. Flowers that turn into butterflies. Tundras and whirlpools. An endless purple sky encompasses it all, a dark void below. A new chap rocks up, asking us for directions! Us! Take a left at the butterflies. He wanders off again in some direction. It is such a confusing place. My mind is too overloaded with extravagant vistas to know which way I'm facing.
The Lady offers us each a gift of a lock of her hair. I tie it about my wrist as she explains the plan. She needs to do some magical stuff while we stop other magical stuff stopping her from doing her magical stuff and the lock of hair will protect us from yet more magical stuff. Remove the miasma from her hound while she prepares a spell. I think I follow.
Seraphina stays with Nicnevin to assist, while the rest of us are teleported once more to another floating island. I'm not sure my stomach can take any more of this zapping about. After a moment steadying myself I see our foe. The beast that will spell my demise. Now with a better view than before, it is a giant wolf, each paw could crush us. Its legs thicker than an old tree trunk. Its jaws, solid and terrifying. Its body draped off the edge of the island. Scattered over its form, patches of miasma ripple and shift.
Celina, ever keen to get stuck in, rushes up one foot but fails to find a hold and falls to the ground. I draw an arrow and loose it at the miasma on its head, then scramble up the other leg and for the head to finish it off. But I also find no hold and fall. A shock of pain. The hound roars in anger and smashes the ground. While Viereari attacks a leg, a swarm of Levuka's gorillas rush everywhere, climb the beast and start pummelling all over its feet and shoulders. Seraphina shouts across the void to our island and a warmth permeates my chest. Just as soon as I feel stronger the enraged hound roars and grabs me in one of its enormous paws. It lifts me into the air. Its eyes full of rage, jowls dripping saliva. In a swift movement it flings me out into the void. I'm falling.
I close my eyes. A distant voice shouts out to me and then two eagles screech, but too far away. I have accepted my fate.
A hand grabs me and shakes me awake. Imryll. "Don't miss," she says, as she hands me a glowing enchanted arrow. We teleport once more. I'm still falling. This time four hundred feet above the enormous hound. My mind a tumbling mess, my stomach a moment from death. I draw back the shining white arrow. Sweat drips into my eyes, a ringing in my ears, my arms barely strong enough to pull back the string. I hold my breath and all goes still. The beating of my heart and rushing wind are silent. This is my moment to fulfil my prophecy. Just then, a rumble in my stomach, and I retch, releasing the arrow wide of my aim. Shame and terror fill me. The moon arrow soars down at speed. Perhaps fate is indeed in my favour today, it strikes the shoulder of the beast and explodes in a bright flash.
I close my eyes. I'm falling, but this time slowly, drifting like a feather. Back to the Faewild, not quite normality but a darn sight more normal than that accursed place. Some bastard decides its a great idea to teleport yet another time, bringing us back to the grassy basin for the ceremony to resume. I lie down in the soft grass, my head spinning, but the solid ground is a welcome comfort.
In what is probably a bad idea, the archfae grant us non-fae a vote on who will become their next monarch in appreciation of our assistance in defeating the Unseelie attack. I've no idea who any of these people are, so cast my vote for Nicnevin as her friend just saved my life. Amusingly she wins and is now Queen.
I can't find Imryll amongst the crowd to thank her, but before we part I thank Levuka for his efforts with the eagles. Perhaps I should spend more time in the safe company of friends? Perhaps not. For now I will return to my tent at the edge of town and see if Regis has missed me. I doubt it.
Barely an hour earlier all the folk had gathered in the Faewild at a grassy basin. The weirdest of strange places. The strangest of weird people start arriving. The sun and snow, moon and bear. Then an autumnal treant, what a joy to see! Apparently there is a vote occurring for a new Fae monarch. Who knew! The air fills with a wonderful cacophony of voices and musical instruments. I take my pan flute and quietly join in, playing a few notes to myself. A taste of home. The peace of wandering through familiar woods and watching herds gather at streams winding through the endless plains.
The crowd starts screaming. I wake from my meditation to see people running every which way. An arrow sings past my ear and strikes the ground a few yards in front of me. Then I'm somewhere else.
A group of us. I recognise Celina the shopkeeper, but three are strangers. A Spring Eladrin teleported us here, Imryll, wearing some long clothes with some kind of pattern I guess. Note to reader: Angier lost his sense of fashion in exchange for the prophecy. "You must help Lady Nicnevin", we are informed. Who she is and who we are saving her from I am none too sure, the politics of this land is confusing enough in the real world let alone this realm of the Fae. I prefer the simplicity of the natural order. A loud roar breaks the conversation, we head out that way. The strangers: Levuka, Seraphina and Viereari prove their might in a quick tussle with some evil pixies. Levuka fascinates me, transforming himself into a beast. I must learn this artistry. If I can't train a bird maybe I can become the bird instead?
A shadow blots out the sun. Above, an incredible beast of unnatural origins roars, opening a maw of immense proportions. A voice calls out, "To me!". The Lady Nicnevin herself, dispatching the last of some foul creatures. I rush to her as the maw clamps around us whole. We disappear once more.
A new place. Somewhere magical and eerie. Before me stands the tall, imposing figure of Lady Nicnevin, dressed in similar long clothes to Imryll, she has hair of some colour, it is hard to tell. I recognise her as one of the archfae from the ceremony, she had led an enormous hound. Was this the beast that just ate us? Islands float past, we are standing on one ourselves. Some vibrant and lush, others deserts of snow or sand. Flowers that turn into butterflies. Tundras and whirlpools. An endless purple sky encompasses it all, a dark void below. A new chap rocks up, asking us for directions! Us! Take a left at the butterflies. He wanders off again in some direction. It is such a confusing place. My mind is too overloaded with extravagant vistas to know which way I'm facing.
The Lady offers us each a gift of a lock of her hair. I tie it about my wrist as she explains the plan. She needs to do some magical stuff while we stop other magical stuff stopping her from doing her magical stuff and the lock of hair will protect us from yet more magical stuff. Remove the miasma from her hound while she prepares a spell. I think I follow.
Seraphina stays with Nicnevin to assist, while the rest of us are teleported once more to another floating island. I'm not sure my stomach can take any more of this zapping about. After a moment steadying myself I see our foe. The beast that will spell my demise. Now with a better view than before, it is a giant wolf, each paw could crush us. Its legs thicker than an old tree trunk. Its jaws, solid and terrifying. Its body draped off the edge of the island. Scattered over its form, patches of miasma ripple and shift.
Celina, ever keen to get stuck in, rushes up one foot but fails to find a hold and falls to the ground. I draw an arrow and loose it at the miasma on its head, then scramble up the other leg and for the head to finish it off. But I also find no hold and fall. A shock of pain. The hound roars in anger and smashes the ground. While Viereari attacks a leg, a swarm of Levuka's gorillas rush everywhere, climb the beast and start pummelling all over its feet and shoulders. Seraphina shouts across the void to our island and a warmth permeates my chest. Just as soon as I feel stronger the enraged hound roars and grabs me in one of its enormous paws. It lifts me into the air. Its eyes full of rage, jowls dripping saliva. In a swift movement it flings me out into the void. I'm falling.
I close my eyes. A distant voice shouts out to me and then two eagles screech, but too far away. I have accepted my fate.
A hand grabs me and shakes me awake. Imryll. "Don't miss," she says, as she hands me a glowing enchanted arrow. We teleport once more. I'm still falling. This time four hundred feet above the enormous hound. My mind a tumbling mess, my stomach a moment from death. I draw back the shining white arrow. Sweat drips into my eyes, a ringing in my ears, my arms barely strong enough to pull back the string. I hold my breath and all goes still. The beating of my heart and rushing wind are silent. This is my moment to fulfil my prophecy. Just then, a rumble in my stomach, and I retch, releasing the arrow wide of my aim. Shame and terror fill me. The moon arrow soars down at speed. Perhaps fate is indeed in my favour today, it strikes the shoulder of the beast and explodes in a bright flash.
I close my eyes. I'm falling, but this time slowly, drifting like a feather. Back to the Faewild, not quite normality but a darn sight more normal than that accursed place. Some bastard decides its a great idea to teleport yet another time, bringing us back to the grassy basin for the ceremony to resume. I lie down in the soft grass, my head spinning, but the solid ground is a welcome comfort.
In what is probably a bad idea, the archfae grant us non-fae a vote on who will become their next monarch in appreciation of our assistance in defeating the Unseelie attack. I've no idea who any of these people are, so cast my vote for Nicnevin as her friend just saved my life. Amusingly she wins and is now Queen.
I can't find Imryll amongst the crowd to thank her, but before we part I thank Levuka for his efforts with the eagles. Perhaps I should spend more time in the safe company of friends? Perhaps not. For now I will return to my tent at the edge of town and see if Regis has missed me. I doubt it.
