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Post by Èdan on May 26, 2022 3:42:09 GMT -6
Something is odd about the lines, though.. They run ragged, coarse, as if made more with brute force than something as precise as a chisel. At first he wonders if they might have been carved by some weapon, but a faint memory at the back of the mind gives fire to a deeper, much more profound suspicion.. The knight stops, brow furrowing as the eyes pick up the details in the low light. He places the hand more sideways, lining them up to three of the gouges, and finding the end and start points to have fairly similar matches.
..Not a weapon. Least, not something conventionally so. His head turns to glance over the shoulder, towards the beast and it's taloned feet. Something much more unconventional, indeed.. Particularly if it had a mind to make something as depictive as the crude drawing (And that memory gets that much more pressing, as dots get pulled along to begin forming a realization).
. 107 . Irascor: 21 (2/5) May: 7 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 26, 2022 3:47:43 GMT -6
The knight moves over to the tablets, but finds the writing there rather incomprehensible, if not almost as crude as the drawing had been. To be sure, he could likely figure out some connections the two have if he spent the time on it, but they really weren't here for a cultural education (At least, not in that manner). Instead, he moves over to the clay pots and vases, brushing away the dust from their surfaces.
The beast rumbles behind him, beginning to pace about uneasy, almost seeming to match his own irritation. When the gloved hand dusts away the first vase, geometric shapes and colours are visible beneath. So, these things do have some decorations. But when his hand brushes away the dust from the second vase, there's a visage there that has an effect he entirely did not expect.
That itch? That smouldering suspicion and fire? That sense of faint irritation?
It inexplicably flares.
. 108 . Irascor: 21 (3/5) May: 8 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 26, 2022 3:53:26 GMT -6
The man visibly tenses, jaw tightening, the grip on the glaive bone-white if it weren't for the gloves and he finds himself suddenly managing his breath, as a sudden deep-seeded and all-devouring anger washes over. It's familiar.. distant, but no stranger (But it shouldn't be here. There's no place for it, no purpose. Something's wrong). The eyes force shut and he suddenly launches himself up onto his feet again, backing up as the hand comes up to press against the forehead through the gap in the helm (Come one, focus. Focus! What's wrong? What's changed?)
All his body is crying out for aggression, to hit something, to feel that satisfying crack of things breaking beneath a mighty strike (The anger's his, but the sensation is foreign. Aggression without cause is a death sentence, he knows this. He should know this. Then why this feeling? This impulse?). When the eyes open again, the sensation shifts through other impulses, like a kaleidoscope of emotions.
. 108 . Irascor: 21 (3/5) May: 8 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 26, 2022 3:57:18 GMT -6
The initial strike of it was so sudden he didn't have the mind to be prepared or even suspected an oncoming onslaught, but as other emotions filter in, he strains to filter them back out. What's his stays, what's not gets pushed aside, shoved if need be, out onto the perimeter of whatever constitutes the mind's eye. Gradually, the channel of sensations begins to grow regular, more controlled, more easily identifiable as his or not-his, and the breathing becomes more regular.
Only some minutes have passed, though in the mind's eye they feel like eternities, before he's finally able to open the eyes and let the body relax. The sensations are still there, but contained, somewhere 'else' and out of his core. Which is about as good as he can manage at the moment, but largely doesn't quite answer the question of where they came from in the first place.
Until something new enters the mix - Doubt.
. 109 . Irascor: 21 (4/5) May: 9 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 26, 2022 5:32:42 GMT -6
Doubt, and to an extent concern, but it's the former that gives him pause for it's something that should not exist within his mind space. At the same time a rumbling sounds off to the side, the beast lumbering closer a few steps with a look that seems uncertain, as though the thing is ever as confused by this turn of events as he is. For a time the knight studies the manticore, until the last of the clues pull themselves together in the mind's eye and his eyes narrow just that slight bit.
"These aren't mine, are they.." he straightens, the emotional onslaught, while contained, still very much burning on the edge of some level of consciousness, just as much as the golden gaze seems to burn in the manticore's eyes. "They're yours." It does not understand the question, but for the first time it seems to understand the implication - that tiny bit of accusation among the calming relief of knowing - and the beast shuffles its wings in defense.
. 110 . (added) Irascor: 22 (0/5) May: 10 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 30, 2022 5:09:39 GMT -6
What's more strange is that it's not the external signs that signal the beast's combination of discomfort and abject obstinance (Those he's used to picking up, as much out of habit as trained instinct, even among the beasts of the city). No, those come through a sudden sense of impulse at the very edge of the mind, the same place he had pushed the rest - He feels them, more so than notices them. Even on the edges of the mind, there's a strength to some impulses that threatens to push back in, overwhelm the senses again, just like those moments before, and the man understands the sheer degree at which the beast feels certain emotions.
It's not a surprising fact considering the whole concept of it was to become a particular type of counter-method for any spectacularly upended situations, but the idea of it being able to relay that fury and anger down was more empathic lines was certainly not part of the original plan.
. 111 . Irascor: 22 (1/5) May: 11 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 30, 2022 5:15:44 GMT -6
Briefly, his own irritation rises again, needing no help from the manticore, as the thought of being double-crossed passes through his mind. The scientists never mentioned this, either for reasons good or bad. Perhaps they even left it in as a form of failsafe, as they might with all of their creations, in case things get out of hand (And to still assert their control).
But no. As annoyed as he is at the method of discovering this "wonderful gift", the odds and ends none the less fail to add up to any other sort of advantage than the owner's (It also adds up to quite a bit of discomfort for the owners, but when has that ever stopped the scientists from practicing their mad arts?) The manticore's spikes seem to slowly flatten, the more the man seems to settle with the idea. Not comfortably, mind, but there's little use in spending energy to be overtly annoyed at something that doesn't seem particularly 'fixable' in their current conditions.
. 112 . Irascor: 22 (2/5) May: 12 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 30, 2022 5:22:23 GMT -6
Far more annoying is the realization of how easily this was able to blindside him, as he turns away from the beast with a muttered foreign curse. All magic has a price - The understanding he had toyed and played with not all that long ago, now coming back around to reveal itself when he'd least expect. And to be sure, the beast was magic, or at the very least made in part of it (One rather had to, for considering the general populace of the city, it because something of a 'fire with fire' situation. Making the thing a dependable failsafe was one thing. Having it somehow tether itself to you something completely different).
The anger and annoyance remained on the edges of the mind, fluctuating between rising and falling in intensity, no doubt in tune with the beast's own general feelings on the matter, as well as their surroundings (Neither of which were likely to be particularly good at any given point).
. 113 . Irascor: 22 (3/5) May: 13 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 30, 2022 5:26:57 GMT -6
Having them there isn't too bad, for he can easily still separate the sense of himself from the sense of the beast. Keeping them there, however.. Let's just say as adept as he considers himself in his own anger management, he's hardly had to manage that and someone else's at the same time (A sort of mental practice that he could well even appreciate the opportunity of, if the situation wasn't already fairly volatile as was).
The knight approaches the vase again, crouching down to pick up the sight that had launched a thousand burning needles in his mind. The second time around it's mainly a couple of the needles of annoyance, rather than outright flash of anger (In large part thanks to some great deal of focusing and keeping the beast's impulses at bay), but it still doesn't change the fact that the vase's simple geometric depictions appear to be none other than goddess-damned parade of dragons.
. 114 . Irascor: 22 (4/5) May: 14 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 30, 2022 5:31:58 GMT -6
Suddenly the cave, the carvings, the crude writing and open sky make a whole lot more sense, as the knight realizes with rising annoyance that the manor has placed them right in the middle of a dragon's den.. One of the absolute last places he'd ever prefer to be in. Admittedly, the crystals and actual artwork are a step apart from the standard draconic mannerisms he's familiar with (The drakes of the mountains hardly seemed to have time for any sort of intelligence, considering they were often far too occupied with bloody murder and territorial disputes, regardless if with other dragons or the local populace).
Dimly, he knows there's some dragons in the City area, or close enough to it, that seem a step above what he knows.. Though he's not entirely convinced certain draconic habits are quite so easily suppressed even by ones who could write them down (After all, even humans have chronicles filled to the brim of all the blood they've spilt for one reason or another).
. 115 . Irascor: 23 (0/5) May: 15 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 31, 2022 13:08:03 GMT -6
Inevitably, those prone to violence resort to it, no matter their degree of intelligence (If only just making it that much more apparent in spite of it). He lets the vase drop back onto the floor with little care, though its largely spared any damage due to the piles of soft downy sand crowding the corners. Such artefacts are likely to be of little use (and even less interest), unless one of them happened to miraculously contain a mapping to the exit of the place.
The edges of the mind continue to lightly simmer, in that self-same manner in which coals can continue smoulder even after the flames have gone out. It doesn't hurt, so long as he keeps them away from his own senses, but much like coals even the briefest of breezes could suddenly kindle them back into a much stronger flame. To stand and consider their path forward and back is not unlike trying to repress a rather persistent intrusive thought while making calculations.
. 116 . Irascor: 23 (1/5) May: 16 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 31, 2022 13:11:59 GMT -6
Which is to say, it's quite a good thing he's used to multitasking (And having plenty of experience in keeping two different types of thoughts and minds apart). A trial of self-control, through the terrain of the enemy, with only his own resolve to spare and a beast's to drag along as causality. (And they say the manor has no sense of humour).
The decision to go forward is made almost in part because it is the simplest of the two. After all, turning back around would involve somehow managing to turn the manticore around as well, which in turn would involve getting into closer proximity to it (And considering it's not entirely clear how much distance affects this type of 'empathy' its best to avoid making things even more complicated than they are). Besides, it's not like one or the other is any better, considering both are just a likely to lead to more things dragon.
. 117 . Irascor: 23 (2/5) May: 17 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 31, 2022 13:16:53 GMT -6
"Come, we're moving," he turns and says to the beast, managing to make the voice come out with only the slightest of growls (It doesn't have to be perfect, he reminds himself, it just has to work). To the beast's credit, it doesn't seem to register the slight vocal misstep any more than the lingering tension in the rest of the cavern. There's a growl in response, but it's no more or worse than the manticore's usual aggressive charm.
With the beast beginning to follow, the knight steps into the corridor, only occasionally placing a hand on a wall. Physical things are oft the best way to find one's way out of a mind trap, he's found. And in this case, it's quite literally a form of grounding, minute as it is.
The tunnel is not quite a tunnel in truth, for most tunnels would involve two sides, a floor and a ceiling.
. 118 . Irascor: 23 (3/5) May: 18 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 31, 2022 13:22:49 GMT -6
As there's no ceiling to speak of here, the sky above shines down in a multitude of stars and night, making it feel more like a rather deep ditch or a very narrow and small canyon, than a tunnel. To the same effect, the air's a lot fresher than he would anticipate, although perhaps it simply means there's not likely to be dragons about (Or the scent would be that much more stronger, if not uncomfortable). Gradually the floor turns from solid stone to more of that soft downy sand, and as the stars light up the sky above, so does the sand cause the floor to sparkle and shine as if to mirror it.
The path, be it tunnel or canyon, eventually does end in a larger space, a room more in description than effect, for there's still no ceiling to speak of. The only thing betraying it from the latter is the manner of strange.. furniture.
. 119 . Irascor: 23 (4/5) May: 19 Day of Dreaming
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Post by Èdan on May 31, 2022 13:26:42 GMT -6
The walls are still rough-hewn stone, though parts seem a bit too smooth to be man-made (nor dragon-made) and far to shapely to be a naturally occurring formation (If he was to guess, those parts could have well been moulded by the arcane instead). The sandy floor stretches out in all directions, and as the knight steps into the room, he can feel there's a shallowness to it, as if it's only meant to cover the very stop of the ground.
Crystals continue to line parts of the space, but a larger cluster of them has formed to one side of the room, so much so they end up forming a ring lining the sides and bottom of a hollow in the stone floor. For a moment he thinks the space empty, but a passing breeze causes ripples in what seemed like thin air, betraying the fact this is a pool filled with some kind of water.
. 120 . (added) Irascor: 24 (0/5) May: 20 Day of Dreaming
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