empires start in an open field

Athanasios Pace · 04-15-2012, 02:44 AM

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|| THROUGH THE TRIALS ||

This new land was very strange indeed. Greece was a very mountainous area, which was why he was so hardy and thickly built. Athanasios wasn't the fastest around, but he had patience and stability, allowing him to stand his ground and lie in wait for whatever came his way. There weren't as many mountains here. At least, not as much as his former home. The staff he had with him was all but a hindrance at this point, since it felt like going for a light stroll rather than hiking through rough terrain. Than wasn't complaining though. In fact, he was very thankful that he was used to more draining areas than the plains around here.

It was midday, the weather starting to warm up quite a bit. It was springtime, just about, as far as Than could tell. The part of his tunic that would normally be looped over his shoulder was let down and tucked into the belt, leaving his dark colored pelt out for the sun to beat on. The mask adorning his face gleamed brightly, making him stand out against the field to anyone possibly watching. Than didn't really care if anyone was watching him, he had nothing to hide. He had been walking in the sun for hours, it seemed, and the Greek figured he had better find a place to sit in the shade. There was a lone tree in the middle of the field, offering ample shade for the large monk, so he took the opportunity to take a meditation break. It was never a bad time to reflect, as his Brothers would say.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, letting the staff lean on the tree, and placed his hands in his lap in an "O" shape, letting his nose point down as if to aim into the circle.

|| OUR TONGUES ARE TIED ||

Artemisia Eternity · 04-15-2012, 05:15 AM

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Word Count → 327 He proooobably wouldn't be able to peg her as a pack wolf, but jdskihs. Weird post.

What was strange for him was normal to her. Drifter Bay was both literally and figuratively as close to home as she could get without being on the pack lands, which was coincidentally where she should have been.

The recent attacks from Boreas were always at the forefront of her mind these days, along with the death of her father as a result of said attacks. Salvia had been grievously injured as well in that particular assault, whereas the earth colored young woman had remained almost entirely out of range of the infiltrator's attacks, instead helping where she could by throwing stones against their armor, horses, and weapons. As such, she remained unproven despite having recently come into her adult height. It would be a long time yet until her body filled out, but she cared very little about that.

Her wandering was aimless. If anyone from Salsola stumbled upon her and suggested that she had better things to do, they would quickly be dismissed with the excuse that she was grieving. It wasn't an entirely baseless reason to wander, either. The meadow was one of few places she'd found thus far where she could properly organize the labyrinth of her mind. Weaving an intricate pattern around its border, it didn't take as long as she'd thought to sweep the useless clutter away. Scanning the horizon line, the girl was surprised to find that, amongst the deadened meadow, there was life. Not just the natural kind, either, but something that didn't quite belong. Someone, rather. On his face was a gleaming object that caught all of her attention as soon as she realized it wasn't actually apart of him. Or, was it? Approaching on nimble feet, the muscular Eternity child made no effort to disguise her presence from this stranger. His peculiar pose, though, made her freeze. Eris had explained to her the religious significance of Boreas, and immediately she pegged this man as doing something... Bizarre.

Athanasios Pace · 04-15-2012, 05:39 AM

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|| THROUGH THE TRIALS ||

The monk had never actually seen warfare in its true form, although he had read about it in some recreational books within the Library at the monastery. It sounded hellacious and full of gore, gut-wrenching and unnecessary. It was everything he was against, what the Brotherhood was against. Simply reading about it sickened him, although really he should have just prayed for respect for those recorded as lost within the books. War spurred a more extreme emotion in him even though he tried his best to remain level headed. It was because he was in his younger years that he reacted in such a way, and the Elder Brothers saw this. He ended up not reading from that section in the library anymore.

The rustling had slowly gotten louder during his meditation, and even though Athanasios knew how to drown out outside noise during meditation, the smell that accompanied it meant he could not ignore whoever decided to investigate him. He slowly looked up to find a young girl, staring at him. It didn't seem like she focused on anything in particular, just him in general. He didn't find any noticeable borders around, but maybe he had missed some? Or maybe he had already stayed close to one, and this little one came out to investigate. In any case, he meant no harm. "Good day," he spoke, calmly but with a sense of cheer within. He reached for his staff and used it to pull himself up. He was taller than most of the males from the monastery and he was definitely taller than the girl in front of him. "Lovely day for a stroll, is it not? What is your name, παιδί?" He leaned over to look her in the eye more level, leaning on the staff for balance. The sun still gleamed slightly on his mask, although the shade blocked most of it. The black triangles where his eyes would be didn't shine at all, as if they were an abyss. He could see her plenty clear though. However, his face was a mystery to her just as much as it was to him.

|| OUR TONGUES ARE TIED ||

Artemisia Eternity · 04-15-2012, 06:14 AM

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Word Count → 339 —

She'd come to the conclusion that someone who hadn't experienced war should neither speak for it, nor against it. So far, she saw it as unnecessary. Though she disliked anyone who wasn't a Luperci, she made no effort to extinguish them from the world. The opportunity to do so had already presented itself during her visit to Ichika no Ho-en whereupon she'd found the cheerful white woman. Then again, she'd also been incredibly pregnant. Slaughtering children was disturbing to her, whereas Boreas didn't seem to care who they killed. She appeared almost entirely wolf in appearance, but they'd cared little for that, either, even as self-proclaimed wolf purists.

This unconventional stranger didn't smell like the invaders, and even as he glanced up from whatever he was doing, she found herself surprised at the calmness that seemed to radiate from him like a tertiary presence around them. What sort of witchcraft was this, she nearly wondered aloud. Indeed, he had missed Salsola's border, but that wasn't anything to be sore about. They were clandestine and prided themselves on the shroud of secrecy they so often enveloped themselves within. Even now, she smelled almost entirely of saltwater and dry brush. His easy tones put her slightly more at ease, and she quickly returned his cheer with a bit of her own, Buon pomeriggio, good afternoon, Sirius would be proud of her, she thought, at memorizing what she already had of the Italian language. It rolled off of her tongue in a manner that was almost more pleasing than English. It was even less guttural, and went well with her husky voice.

His staff might have ensnared her ocher colored eyes on another day, but for now it remained locked on the shiny white object about his face, hiding most identifying features from her line of sight. Even his eyes were indistinguishable to her, and she mentally frowned. Pausing to consider the strange word he murmured, she remained lost in wonder for a moment before answering. Artemisia, Then, παιδί? What does it mean?

Athanasios Pace · 04-15-2012, 06:46 AM

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|| THROUGH THE TRIALS ||

He liked how she wasn't afraid by his presence, but rather welcomed by it. If she could see the rest of his face, she would see a smile. It remained hidden under the mask though, as it always had. The foreign words that rolled off her own tongue were translated directly after they were said. The fact that the girl knew more than one language was exciting for the monk, who had mastered a few languages on him own. The smile under the mask grew bigger, unbeknownst to the girl.

She told him her name and he sat down in front of her, inviting her to do the same, as he rested the staff on his lap. "Artemisia? What a wonderful name!" His voice sounded especially cheerful and excited. "After Artemis, no doubt. Just wonderful." Greek mythology was a must if you were from Greece, no questions asked. She asked about his word he used for her, which was really used as often as "sir" or "madam" for the layman. It meant "child" literally, but it was more used as a term of endearment for someone younger than you. If they were older or the same age, you would say αδελφός, or brother, unless they were one of the Elders, where you would say Λάμα. There were hardly any women around -- maybe a few to tend to the children, but they were mates to the Elders, and so were hardly ever talked to by the rest of the monks. "It's a name you use to greet someone younger than you," he explained. "My name is Athanasios Pace. Try saying that five times fast!" He chuckled, almost rocking back and forth with each breath. "But I'll let you off easy -- you can call me Thanos or Than for short. The Αδελφόι, the Brothers back where I come from, they all have to call me by my full name. Sometimes it takes them a while to say it right, it's really funny." He chuckled again at the memory of his brother tripping over his rather long name. It was a custom to call a brother by his full name, no matter how long or impossible to pronounce.

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Artemisia Eternity · 04-15-2012, 07:11 AM

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Word Count → 368 —

Artemis was an unknown god to her. Her mother was a Pantheist, but the deities they'd discussed didn't share a likeness to her name, which was to be expected. How haughty would her mother have to be to name her child for one of her own gods? If she'd known more about Eris' beliefs and this strange man's, she likely would have balked at the similarities between them. Both revered nature as sacred, but then again, her mother sacrificed things. A lot. The lamb by the river came to mind, blood staining its pristine white wool. Nonetheless, the term he used meant nothing to the girl. Artemis, she sent that word... Name, rather, to a chamber in her mind. Sirius would certainly be asked about the Greek gods in days to come. Grazie signore, thank you. My mom named me for wormwood, though, She supplied after tumbling the idea over in her mind, turning the ore of idea into a gem of thought. An ingredient in absinthe, or something. Who is your... Your Artemis? It was entirely possible that her meaning might be lost on him, but the name Artemis belonged to his culture, not hers.

'παιδί' was for someone younger, and his name was Athanasios Pace. It was a long name to say, she thought as he explained how this has provided him with some grief where he was from. The joke was lost on her though, and she thought for a moment that she was really meant to say his whole name five times, as quickly as she could. He went on to say another word, Αδελφόι, for 'the Brothers', another trinket to remember for later. Thanos, She tested the shortened equivalent of his name and decided that, yes, she liked it. Nodding her approval, she peered into his mask as she sat across from him, looking now from his walking stick to the item on his face. What hides your face from me, signore? Her mother had something similar for ritualistic purposes, but this was the first time she'd really starting thinking about the significance of such an item. Seen and yet unseen, her riddle came rushing back. Could this be the answer she sought?

Athanasios Pace · 04-15-2012, 07:53 AM

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|| THROUGH THE TRIALS ||

Athanasios' religion didn't really have any gods, rather than guides. No particular idol was worshipped in a sense, but was used as an example for whatever moral was to be learned. He hadn't though about wormwood as the source for the girl's name, it did make a little more sense than Artemis, especially if there was no other Greeks like him in the area. "Oh, my apologies, my friend. I hadn't thought of that." It was an honest mistake, however, and Than was quickly over it. It turned out the girl didn't know who Artemis was and had asked for a clarification. Well, Than was becoming quite the teacher today. He used his hands to animate his story, as if it was part of the account. "In Greek mythology, Artemis was the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. There's a story where a hunter named Actaeon found her at a waterfall, naked. She saw him and turned him into a deer, then Actaeon's hunting dogs ripped him to shreds! It's a gruesome story, but interesting nonetheless."

He smiled further as she tested his name and found it to her liking. It was interesting how smart and yet serious this girl was. Whoever her teacher was, they must have noticed this too. Then the topic switched to his mask, still gleaming on his face. It was his identity, as far as Than was concerned. He knew nothing other than that. "Why, it's my mask, my μάσκα. It is something all of the Brothers have at the monastery. It shows you follow Ο Τροχός, the Wheel, and are on the path to enlightenment. It does not hide my face, my friend. It is my face."

|| OUR TONGUES ARE TIED ||

Artemisia Eternity · 04-15-2012, 09:12 AM

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His gaze was like black onyx to her. She knew not of the worth behind the mask, because she couldn't see, but imagined his face as it was outlined and decided that it didn't matter. Immediately she liked the story of Artemis and Actaeon. More questions rushed forward about the story, such as why she killed him, and if it had been a fair killing. The dark-furred youngster probably would have preferred being named for a graceful huntress who was notable for not only her bow and arrows, but also a knee-length garb. Her trickery would have pleased Artemisia as well, but despite her capability where mind games were concerned, she found them undesirable. What happened to the dogs? She finally asked, deciding that it didn't matter whether or not Artemis had been in the right when killing Actaeon. He was dead now (if the myth was in fact true) and she couldn't do anything about it.

Sirius Revlis—her King, her mad King—did indeed know of the wealth that sprung from the innermost depths of her mind. It was, she suspected, the only reason he'd taken her on as a student. He hadn't taken a student before her, and it wasn't a slim figure or teasing smile that had enticed the man of thistle and weeds. Another term, μάσκα, which meant mask in his language. Until now she hadn't had a name for what she sought as the answer to her riddle, but felt in a jolt of excitement that she'd found what she needed. A mask, She mirrored back at the tall man, before, So there's nothing underneath it? Worry blossomed for him then, as she imagined twisted bone and gruesome torn flesh beneath the glistening white object. Where I'm from, the kids have to go on a quest, too, And you have given me the answer to mine. She smiled brilliantly, aware of the triumph settling into her marrow.

Athanasios Pace · 04-15-2012, 09:58 AM

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|| THROUGH THE TRIALS ||

Athanasios hadn't really asked about some of the details of the story, since you were supposed to deliberate on what you were given. He couldn't really tell that to Artemisia though. "Well," he hummed, pondering his answer. "I hadn't really thought of it like that." He had to admit, the girl had him thinking. "The story ends there, but if I had to guess, it would be nothing. They did what they were trained to do, which back then was take down deer for whoever told them to. Since Actaeon was a human and Artemis was a goddess, it would be considered forbidden to see a god or goddess like that."

A mask, yes. Thanos hardly ever thought about what was hidden under it though. He never took it off -- not to bathe or to sleep. Never. "Oh, there is something under there, don't fret. The only thing under this mask is a past life. Something I never became."

So these kids had a quest of their own, huh? Thanos was extremely curious now, about this girl's culture as well as herself in general. She seemed wise beyond her years with what she had already shown Thanos. "That's exciting! Maybe you can tell me a story about that sometime, huh?" Athanasios was not one to say he would see the girl again, but who knew, really? Karma worked in strange ways. The monk looked up to find the sun started to loom closer and closer over the horizon, signaling that it was going to get dark soon. He put his hand between the sun and the horizon, giving himself a couple of hours before the sun would touch the line that divided land and sky. Maybe it was time for Artemisia to go home as well. Whatever family she had was probably waiting for her.

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Artemisia Eternity · 04-15-2012, 10:19 AM

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Word Count → 358 /RUNS FOR THE HILLS

Thanos was more than patient with her constant question, something she wasn't entirely used to. Already her tutor had chastised her for asking too many questions about things that didn't really matter in their world, but then, she suspected he didn't quite understand her thirst for knowledge. He wanted it for power, and she wanted it because her soul needed it in order to go on existing. I feel bad for the dogs. She murmured in quieter tones, almost remorseful. Until now, she'd been able to forget the goings-on in her own pack, and the problems amongst her Family. By birth she was a more natural member of Salsola than most could ever hope to be, but that too came with its own problems. Greatness was expected of her, and she feared failure above all else.

Reviewing the words she'd learned from the Grecian man (παιδί, Αδελφόι, μάσκα, and Ο Τροχός respectively), she nodded in a quick consensus to his question—or was it a request—to whether she would tell him about the coming of age ceremony. You helped me with the answer to mine, actually. Because of this... Their meeting, by fate or something far less esoteric, Encounter, I will pass my test. He raised his hands toward the sky and watched on with awe as he peered between the space his hands made, leaning forward slightly, before realizing what he was doing. It was late, and she'd stayed longer than she should have. If no one was worrying about her, she would be surprised. The Boreas attacks had everyone on edge, and a missing Erischild would not go unnoticed.

Rising abruptly to her feet, she swept in a slightly more graceful bow than the one she'd delivered to Sirius upon finding him in the ruins, and smiled again. I have to go, signore, Her tone was listless and light, like she'd been running. Taking several bounding steps in the direction of home, she suddenly stopped and whirled on the spot. Thank you for helping me! The dark child called back, before setting off at a run again. She had much to do, and daylight was not in her favor.

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