• Closed • The Price of Currying Favour [Navyri]

[Djinn]

16 Saun 717

Fortune sides with she who dares. The thought echoed around her head as she woke, grogginess filling her mind. Swirling nausea overtook her, but it was not as if she were sick. Instead, she'd been falling and falling and falling... Her dreams were plagued with a never-ending chasm, a wide pit with no end in sight. She couldn't become to the shadows to stick to the wall. She could do nothing to slow her descent. She fell...

And finally, she wasn't. Fortune sides with she who dares. Sitting bolt upright, Navyri was suddenly aware she was not alone. Her bed was warm and comfortable, lavish even. It wasn't her bed. Instead, it was a four-poster, outfitted with silken sheets and a warm blanket. Even the wool was soft, not like the scratchy, filthy rags in Etzos. Sitting next to the bed in an ornately carved stained oak chair, an attractive man with piercing green eyes stared at her like a hawk eying the mouse in the field. Around his neck sat three chains, one of gold, one of silver and the third of a silvery-metallic metal, likely platinum.

He was bare-chested beneath that, a lithe physique honed to lean musculature ending in soft pants, a light lavender to offset the emerald of his eyes. His gaze never wavered, even as she startled to the waking world. Her breath caught in her throat, and she recognized him, though he did not look the same as when she saw him a trial before.

"Hello, nightingale." His voice was softer than the silken sheets, smooth and commanding. Though the words were pleasant, Navyri got the feeling under his predatory gaze that she was being sized up by the man. "Please, do not get dressed. I prefer you clothed in my fineries." There was no insult in his voice, just pure speculation. He titled his head slightly, and she was immediately reminded of the ravenous raptors she saw in the sky. Curio moved on the edges of her vision, but would come no closer.

"Now is the time, Navyri. Spread your wings, as it were. Something has been taken from me... Something mutated and morphed and warped, stolen from my sharp gaze. Like a hawk, I watched them, and then they were gone. Liars and thieves!" He screeched at her, swooping down on her and gazing into her eyes, all too close.

"I want them back. They're mine. Mine! You will find them for me, Navyri. I have pushed you from the nest. Go find my Wings. Do not make me regret saving you on that boat."

And suddenly he was standing again, emerald orbs landing on Curio. A series of chirps and quips, and Curio flew to the bed at Navyri's feet.

"Go now." And suddenly, a portal opened. Like in Navyri's dream, the space beyond was an endless chasm where birds and bird-like monstrosities flew and swooped around, talons of brass and beaks of onyx. Delroth stepped into it, and Navyri was left with Curio.

And the mist filtering in from the window.

Off Topic

Welcome to the Misty Miasma. This is a place of wonder and horror. You have been tasked by Delroth to find his wings. Feel free to get your bearings. We begin in earnest in the next round. Good luck.

This thread is a high-risk, high-reward adventure. Should that not be agreeable to you, have Navyri fall back asleep and she will wake back up in Etzos. Otherwise, prepare yourself. Great and terrible things lie ahead.

[Navyri]

• Common • Rakahi • Gravokian

"A greedy father has thieves for children."

• A dream of endless falling.
  
  Hands grasped for the walls - for a semblance of contact and security as her hair whipped around her face, the body tumbling too fast to take in the air around her. The Naerikk couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t stop. She was suffocating in an endless cyclone of wings and wind.
  
  And then she wasn’t.
  
  Her body jolted forward, a great gasp heaving from her chest as blue eyes shot open and darted around the room, immediately finding the source of her confusion. By now, the shadow woman was beginning to understand the slight changes to Delroth’s physical form, each one being slightly different than the last. A few things remained the same - his towering height and the chest adorned in decoration. The immortal watched her now, Navyri suddenly a child again under his scrutinous gaze.
  
  (His eyes.)
  
  She remembered his eyes. Their dangerous assessment - their judgement. The vulturine greed that consumed the conversation and kept her pinned in place. Navyri watched him silently as he spoke soothingly to her, looking down only when he commented on her state of dress. Her chest was bare, the sheets having fallen away in her awakening, and she looked at him accusingly before being unable to resist running her fingertips across the fabrics still across her lap. They were unlike the tatters of Etzos, which scratched the skin and didn’t breathe. She lifted them, admiring the intricate stitching of the wool before Delroth commanded her attention again.
  
  Dropping the blanket, she leaned back, and laced her fingers together in composure until he shot forward, screeching in fury. Rarely getting startled, she found herself shrinking away, pressing deeper into the mattress, breathless as the immortal hovered over her. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to keep his gaze and nodded in understanding, “I remember” she whispered, their original bargain hammering in her chest.
  
  (“My life. My loyalty. Whatever you want, I can get it.”)
  
  When he pulled back, she looked away and straightened. Audrae repaid disappointment with flaying and burning. What would the Immortal of Greed do when denied his own possessions? When denied the crowning of a debt? Her eyes hardened in determination, and Curio came flying. The familiar’s presence gave her comfort and she started to slide her legs over the side of the bed, ready to fulfill her purpose when the portal opened.
  
  “A deal’s a deal,” she said in resolved farewell, wondering if Delroth could hear her over the sound of the monstrous birds behind him. Somehow, she doubted she’d have another thirty eight years before he came prowling back, and started to gain her footing when he disappeared and she was left in a room she did not recognize.
  
  “Why does he do that?” Navyri said softly, reaching out to scratch the neck of her companion, leaning forward to give Curio a kiss on the head and gliding from the bed. A smirk pulled at her lips and she looked to the mist that poured through the window, eyes narrowing and voice trailing as she watched it roll in, “Always so cryptic…”
  
  (Who steals from Delroth? Who... is capable of such a thing?)
  
  She stared naked at the window for a moment before turning and yanking the sheets from the bed frame. The fog was sending a chill over her bare skin and she needed to wear something. The sheet slid free easily and she began folding it over, wrapping it around her waist and tying it at the side of her hip. For her chest, she pulled the pillowcase off and wrapped it around her back, twisting the ends and knotting it in front of her chest. She glanced at Curio and smiled mischievously, “It's preferred I wear this finery. Who am I to deny such a wish?”
  
  Navyri placed both hands on her hips, wondering always if Curio was little more than a means to keep track of the shadow woman. After all, who would trust an agent of Audrae so easily? Even still, the Naerikk kept a careful distance from the window, exploring the room to see if the Immortal had left her anything of use for such a feat of retrieval (like an actual outfit), or if she was to improvise the entire time. After a thorough search of her surroundings, she finally moved to the window and spared a peek, her voice hitching in her throat, “What is this place?”

[Djinn]

Chapter One: The Bogs

What was the place indeed?

In the wake that Delroth left, the mists swirled into the room through the open window. To Navyri's senses, the mists smelled like old leaves, rotting in the wet gutters of the streets. There was a sweetness in it though, and it tempted Navyri so subtly that she wasn't even sure she enjoyed it. She did. She could tell in the urgency of Curio's flapping wings that she did.

Left in the chair where Delroth was sitting, a small silver brooch twinkled in the light of the fire burning in the hearth. Curio hopped from the bed and cawed at it, and when Navyri saw it, it twisted itself into a small likeness of a sparrow. It begged her to pick it up, sparkling like a jewel in the light. With the mists swirling around it, it appeared almost mystical, as if it had some sort of magic to it. From her position, though, she could not tell.

From outside the window, the wind whipped up a maelstrom of leaves, blowing them through the window and into the little space. The smell of peat threatened to overwhelm the Naer, and the fire suddenly roared from the hearth and caught fire to the wood around her. There was no heat, though. Instead, glittering sparkles floated around the Naer, bright and blinking, distracting her.

When they were gone, so too was the house. On the marshy ground at her feet, the pinion. Next to her, Curio. In front of her, six paths. The first on the left ended in mist as far as her eye could see. The second, a bridge. The third, a wall. The fourth, a house. The fifth, a well. The six, mist. Every time she glanced down a path, a sense of thrill and wonder rushed through her, masked under a thin veil of foreboding. Whatever was on the other side of the mist, it was what she was looking for.

Or it was something looking for her.

[Navyri]

• Common • Rakahi • Gravokian

"A greedy father has thieves for children."

• Mist rolled through the window, washing away the fool’s paradise left in the wake of Delroth’s departure. The haze smelled like early autumn, both crisp and musty. She took a few deep breathes, trying to place exactly where she was. Hadn’t it been Saun just… yesterday? The Naer hesitated, looking at Curio who had begun to screech for her attention. How long had she been sleeping? Or… falling?
  
  The mental flashes of wind and brass beaks snapping made her frown. (It had been so real…) She started to meander around when Curio screeched again, his white and brown feathers flapping impatiently, “Excuse me,” she said dramatically, wondering what he could want so urgently. The glint of silver caught her eye and she immediately brightened, “Is you saying something?”
  
  Navyri approached the ornate seat and glanced around, almost expecting the wind to split and Delroth’s hand to come snaking through to snatch the delightful surprise out of her reach. She watched the metal twist into that of a sparrow and felt her hand twitch with longing. “Well… Then…”
  
  (What do we have here?) She circled it, and when she detected no trap, lowered her hand upon the booch, feeling the weight of the silver as she cradled it. Navyri’s voice sounded wistful as she spoke to Curio, “You can’t tell me nothing, right?”
  
  Finally, her gaze tore away from the trinket with some reluctance, but when she looked at Curio, the Naer extended a loving hand, scratching the barred owl on the neck in affection, “Sorry, sweetness, I should have listened sooner.” Returning her attention to the silver sparrow, Navyri used her nails to unlatch the needle with eagerness, the tip digging into her thumb as she tried to attach it to the knot at her hip. She hissed, licking her thumb from any droplet of blood and set it in place with pride. Cocking her hip, she made a playful pose, and was about to ask Curio his opinion when the flames of the fire roared and made the Naerikk jump with practiced fear.
  
  It was no secret her race feared just about any flame or great source of light, so when it crackled and popped, the flames licking at the wood around her, she jumped back, mentally screaming at Curio to get back. Her heart hammering as the room around her was engulfed in trills, the Naer collected her skirt and began panicking for an exit, but… no heat kissed her. There was no smoke choking her. Just… the floating embers and suddenly… she was outside, surrounded by more mist and specks of light as the chaos died. Delroth’s illusion was completely gone now, and she had no choice but to move forward. This place was not like that of the natural world. It was... something entirely different.
  
  Taking a moment to recollect herself, Navyri still clutched her arms to herself, missing the comfort of the lavish bed, and found that her familiar remained unharmed. Relieved, she felt only a sliver better when she took her first steps. No more games. It was time to do what she came for. Moving deeper into the mist, each step was slow, and she saw a number of paths. Her night vision did little to help her in the situation, and she moved down the path, a small structure becoming clearer with each step. A well stood proudly, and Navyri stared at it, brows furrowing at how out of place and wondrous it all felt. Cautiously, she began to approach it with light steps, not sure what to expect when she tried to peek into its depths.

OOC

For fun, I have included some Kanye West lyrics, highlighted in pink. ;)

[Djinn]

Chapter One: The Bogs

The well sat before her, deeper than even her eyes could make out. The closer she got to it, the hotter the silver sparrow seemed to grow, as if it could sense something in the proximity of the dark depths. When the Naerikk peered into the deep chasm, she could see about fifteen yards down, the rest obscured by the sickly-sweet mist and darkness. The sparrow on her hip whispered something, inaudible, and she could feel herself becoming weightless. Looking down at the brooch, she would see instead of the sparrow Delroth's head, that of a supremely beautiful man with chiseled features. The mouth was parted and open, making an 'O' with silver lips.

And suddenly, Navyri was off the ground and floating into the well, unable to control the speed or direction of her ascent and descent. As she ventured downward into the well, she noticed a gradual change in the stone that well was comprised off. More solid and sturdy up top, the lower she got, the more she realized that the peat of the bog was becoming the walls of the well. The sickly sweet smell intensified, filling her entire form with its enchanting, if not nauseating, scent.

And then, one-hundred and eight yards down, she touched the ground lightly. It was soft under foot, and it made a strange squelch as her weight fully acclimated into it. Each step she would take would be springy, and the path beyond was well-lit. Whether that boded well or not, she could not tell. Further down the passage, she noticed a sharp bend in the track, the only track, and knew that she was meant to follow it. From beyond, strange sounds echoed along the soft walls, muffled ever so by the squishy peat that comprised the hallways. Still, she could hear it, and it sounded more and more like language the further she delved.

The visage of Delroth on her hip had reverted back to a sparrow, and it was cold to the touch again. Still, it bolstered her resolve. The Naerikk did not feel fear like other races, but there was a certain caution in the back of their minds, and the brooch was helping to soothe that caution in Navyri. Should she choose to go forward, the path was lit and straight-forward.

Around the bend, the hallway led another six hundred feet. She couldn't see the end, but she could see dancing light along the murky walls of the peat. The chamber, for that's what it obviously was, was awash in the glow of candles, and the sounds of muffled voices grew ever clearer. One voice, a harsh male voice, nasally and gravelly simultaneously, echoed from the chamber beyond. She could only make out one word.

"... Delroth..." The voice carried to her, and it was as if she were standing next to him and he whispered it into her ear. Pushing forward, Curio grew more and more cautious. Something was amiss, and it was showing in the Emean bird's demeanor. It made a chirping noise, hopping onto Navyri's shoulder to ride sentinel as she pushed forward. It was obvious, her path. It was made clear for her. 'Delroth', the voice had said.

As the path opened into the chamber, Navyri saw a figure with its back to her. It was larger than she, standing six feet easily. The creamy skin of its back was marred by large red gashes, dripping blood. Downy feather sprouted from places along its spine, in between the bleeding wounds, and a pile of white-gold feather laid at its feet. The blood dripped silently onto the feathers, dying it with its stain as the Avriel cawed and screeched in pain. Walking further in, Navyri could see the remains of its wings, lying in front of it a few feet. The Avriel cried, weeping for its lost character. As soon as it sensed her presence, though, it whipped around.

The view from the front was worse than the view from behind. The flesh of its chest was whipped and flayed, hanging in loose sheets. Congealed blood caked the wounds, and it was obvious infection was beginning to set in. There were no feathers here, only gore, and its face was a mask of insanity and grief. Its fingers, capped at the end with the same brass that monstrosities in Delroth's Roost, clacked together horrendously. The creature stared at her with eyes too wide, its mouth contorted into a shape that should not have been possible.

"Delroth?" The voice screeched, looking at her with a tilt to its head. It reminded Navyri of the bird-of-prey movement that Delroth himself had made. And suddenly, the creature's eyes locked onto her shoulder, and it was evident that it could see Curio.

"Delroth." It wasn't a question anymore. It was a statement. It was an accusation.

It was a sentencing.

"Undo this. I have done nothing. Please..." The creature screeched it, louder than anything Navyri had ever heard. 'Please' reverberated off the walls of the chamber, no longer softened by the spongy material from which they were crafted. It filled her senses, causing her to twinge with every echo. The scraping of brass on flesh tore her from her reverie, and the creature was peeling a long line of flesh from its thigh, the fresh crimson immediately filling the room with the scent of metal.

"Fix me. Or kill me." It pleaded.

Almost reflexively, the wings on the ground twitched, then fell still.

Off Topic

You have discovered a secret objective:

No Church in the Wild: By using Kanye lyrics in your last post, you are afforded a bonus at the end of the thread, should it be completed successfully.

There are two more secret objectives in this quest. Best of luck finding them.

[Navyri]

• Common • Rakahi • Gravokian

"A greedy father has thieves for children."

• Navyri gasped, feeling the growing heat on his hip and her hand started to jump to it when a strange whisper announced her body’s change. Eyes widening, she twisted and looked down at the face of Delroth, “Wait. Wha-” Suddenly her body started to float, and the Naerikk squirmed, unfamiliar with the loss of gravity, or the inability to control her own direction. It wasn’t until she started to move towards the well opening that she kicked in surprise, suddenly very unsure of her recent choices. Trying to grip at the rim of the stone well like a cat hoping to save itself from the clutches of water, her claws scratched at the rim and she thought of ‘O’on Delroth’s lips, “What kind of expression is that!” she hissed, unable to stop her descent. Knees bent, she felt herself go deeper into the chasm, the smell thickening and making it hard to breathe as the walls shifted and she sunk into the darkness.
  
  The lower they went, the more resolve the Naerikk seemed to feel, hesitating only when she extended and her barefoot touched the ground. The wet squishing sound and texture made her shudder and she tried to retract her leg, but her body was already gaining back its gravity. (What is that!) Forced to get her footing, her eyes tried to make out the substance of both the walls and floor, a disgusted grimace turning down her full lips. Once fully at the bottom, she looked upwards, and suddenly wondered if she hadn’t gone down a well, but some sort of portal.
  
  She felt… different.
  
  Voices played in the distance and candlelight flickered, indicating life. Her eyes glowed from the darkness, refracting the light and she felt Curio’s presence join her. She spared him a glance, releasing a deep breath and straightening as the brooch soothed her nerves. When she looked at it again, the trinket had cooled and reverted back to its form of the sparrow, her fingers brushing against it as Curio perched upon her shoulder. He seemed uncomfortable and she moved forward, her caution soothed and her confidence building. She took her time, listening and looked at the candles brightening the path and paused, licking her thumb and index finger with a smooth grace. And then, she began to distinguish a number of them, darkening the path behind her as she went. Shadows were a part of her being and it nipped at her heels, yet when she turned around, she still saw perfectly. It gave Navyri memories of her original home in the tunnels of Augiery, and it almost felt that way until she turned the corner and was met with the open chamber and its bright, terrible light.
  
  She froze, her confidence wavering as she scooted partially behind the doorway, the creature before her lamenting the name of Delroth. Muttering, crying. Feathers that had once been lovely were torn and scattered, decorated in pools of blood. Begging… With strange speed, the monster spun around and the Naerikk jumped at the sheer gore that greeted her. Its skin was split and curling, and its predatory eyes drilled into her. She gripped the archway, feeling its attention shift from her to the owl on her shoulder.
  
  “Delroth?”
  
  It’s head tilted and the Naerikk didn’t appreciate the movement. It spoke again, harsher this time, “Delroth.”
  
  Navyri glanced out the corner of her eye at the owl. What was this thing talking about? She lifted a hand protectively to partially hide the tiny bird, eyes hardening as she took her first step into the room, “Delroth’s busy.” Her blue eyes searched the room, trying to buy time. So many questions filled her mind. What was this thing? An avriel? A monstrosity? Where did it come from? Why… why was it trapped down here? Did Delroth do this? Did it know what Delroth even looked like? Had it been….
  
  The mutated avriel screeched and the sound tore at the walls, louder than she had ever known. The dark haired Naer flinched, her ears ringing and she instinctively tried to cover them. When she recovered, a chill ran up her spine at a haunting sound - metal clinking together compulsively, and ripping flesh as it pulled at its own skin... Her mouth dropped and she realized she now knew the expression of which her brooch had made. She cleared her throat and spoke soothingly, inching along the wall, “You’re innocent,” she whispered, watching him closely, not yet sure if she believed his words. Whatever this thing was… it was insane. Best to go along with whatever it said, and yet Delroth’s words trickled into her mind from the day before. (You would not want to know my displeasure too.)
  
  She had to find…. Something… (Mutated, morphed and warped… Stolen from my gaze.)
  
  She hesitated, suddenly looking at the entity with different eyes, wondering how or why it had been put in this place so unfit for a creature of the skies, “Are you… Are you Delroth’s Wings?”

[Djinn]

Chapter One: The Bogs

The mutated monstrosity that was the Avriel stared at her with baleful eyes, tilting its head again. It twitched, twitched, twitched. Unblinking, the bird-man took a step forward, resulting in a sickening squelch as the congealed blood at its feet pulled apart. Just the one step, but a wave of nausea washed over Navyri as the stench of infection and the metallic tang of blood overtook her. The bird let its mouth hang open, and its lachrymose posture shuddered as it swallowed a shriek of grief.

"Am I...? Am I Delroth's Wings?" The question seemed to cause the bird-man to forget his plight, and he stopped peeling the thin lines of flesh from his thighs. Blood ran down his body in thick rivulets, drip-dripping onto the wet peat floor. A caw escaped its mouth, and it reached out for Navyri with the heavy brass talons. Without much strength, they individual talons continued to click together rhythmically. Its body waved slightly as it stood, the blood-loss beginning to be evident in the ashy pallor of its skin.

"Delroth's Wings are dead. They died, died, died. Ripped from him, they were. Not him, but him. Kill me. Kill me. Kill--" And he stopped, cocking his head at Navyri. Or, more specifically, Curio. He stared, rage coming back into the wide orbs filled with insanity. "You."

He hissed, opening his mouth to caw again directly after. On the ground, the wings twitched again, then fell still. The downy feathers along his form were stained a deep crimson, and the wounds on his back released such a metallic stench into the air that Navyri was finding it hard to breathe.

"I will tell you where you can find the Dead Wings, yes... But you must do something for me. Kill me. Kill me. Kill--" He paused again, looking at Curio. "You. Kill me. You did this to me. YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

And with that, he flew at Navyri, brass talons outstretched towards Curio on her shoulder. It twisted at the last moment, collapsing at her feet in a heap of gore and pitiful mewling. His body shuddered in pain and misery, until finally he raised his face back to Navyri.

"His Wings were taken by a Man in Red. He cut them from his body... Just... Cut them. I've never seen him wail like that. Never. Never. Never. But then I did understand. Then, I tore my own wings from my back, and I knew. I knew. I knew." The last few words were a whisper. "KIll me." He stared at Curio.

And then, from Navyri's peripherals, the wings that the monster had pulled from its back shuddered. Quickly, they parted and something dark and small leapt from them, coming to land just behind the monster. The bird-man shrieked and covered his head in bloodied arms, screeching loudly enough to hurt Navyri's ears.

The small creature that emerged from the bloodied pile of flesh and feathers was short, no taller than two feet. It was vaguely humanoid, but grotesque, with a head too large and misshapen to be the toddler-sized humanoid it would have been. Where its eyes should have been were two sockets, stitched together. It had no lips, but instead has silver teeth, razor sharp and numerous, always exposed in the everlasting grin. Its hands were clawed, and in its palms were the eyeballs that the sockets were missing, except they were blackened and molded. It stared at Navyri through its palms, waiting patiently. The Avriel at her feet, though, began to howl.

"KILL ME. KILL ME. PLEASE. DON'T LET IT TAKE ME. PLEASE." It was the piteous mewling that was the worst part of the scene, though the creature that emerged from the bloodied pile of wings sent chills along her skin.

[Navyri]

• Common • Rakahi • Gravokian

"A greedy father has thieves for children."

• Navyri lifted the back of her hand to press against her mouth, trying to harden her constitution from the choking metallic rot that threatened to turn her stomach. She struggled to breath and not retch, soured meat clinging to the air around her. How long… How long had this thing been down here? How long had it waited for death?
  
  None of this made any sense!
  
  “The Dead Wings?”
  
  Her brow furrowed and she was readying to ask another question when the mutated Avriel locked eyes on Curio again in the same unsettling way as before. It started screaming, and the Naer gave an unconscious growl in warning. As its brass talons began to click together, it reached and then lunged, the Naer jerking back in response to smack into the wall, her own sharpened nails raising in defense. Just as she feared it would try and hurt her feathered friend, she pulled back, ready to strike when the pitiful creature fell at her feet and began to mewl.
  
  It began talking about the Man in Red, and she was still regaining her footing when the gold and white, bloodstained feathers stirred and the discarded wing on the floor began to shift. She glanced at the mass, the Avriel still begging when to have its life ended when a new creature leaped free, its eternal smile of sharp silver grinning at her. It was watching her patiently, its black eyes molded and held in its own hands - the black claws not unlike her own nails.
  
  The Avriel screeched so loud, she thought her ears would bleed and the Naer gritted her teeth - the scent of infection and pus still thick in the air, “Shut up! I can’t think!” she ordered, blue eyes landing on the new threat, her tone changing, as she edged around the duo, a chill running clean up her spine and gooseflesh covering her arms.
  
  She had never seen anything like it and wondered if its gruesome mouth could form words. How did it see? How did it exist? And why… why was such a powerful creature before its insanity now cowering in fear? She looked to the wings and feathers, wondering how long this smaller being had laid beneath them or if it had burrowed itself from the soft ground.
  
  If… she put the wings back to the Avriel, could she cure it? Ha. She didn’t have healing powers, but… Navyri chewed at her bottom lip, clutching her brooch in thought. She couldn't but Delroth could. She had seen his face and needed the birdman alive. Despite his flaws and belief that Curio was, in fact, Delroth - a detail she had not missed and would be getting to later - he had seen or at least known about Delroth’s wings. He had information…. Which was her best bet at the moment?
  
  Navyri pulled at the mental bond between her and the familiar on her shoulder, (I need him alive… At least for now). “Where are you going to take him?” she asked the new arrival, inching towards where the smiling thing had come from, crossing a forearm in front of her chest protectively, debating on the use of her steel wings for protection, “What are you?”

[Djinn]

Chapter One: The Bogs

The shadowy creature, with its glinting grin, simply followed her movements as she inched around with the eyeballs on its palms. When she exited its range of view, it simply moved its arm to keep in track with her motion, keeping the other eye pointed at the pitiful Avriel mutant on the ground. It made no indication that it would answer Navyri's question, but instead just stared through its palm at her. The Avriel, though, began to breathe quickly and harshly under its gaze, running the brass talons across its chest to shred more of the flesh into ribbons. A large flap fell to the ground with a sickening sound. The little black creature briefly pulled its gaze from Navyri to plant both eyes on the Avriel, who howled under its scrutiny and began to tear at its flesh again.

"No! No! No! Garizma does not like The Stare! Please, kill it, kill it, kill it. Kill me!" The voice was a whisper by the end, and Garizma fell silent under the unwavering palm-gaze of the creature. With lightning speed, the hand was back on Navyri, and she was overcome with the same desire Garizma had to tear at her own flesh, her eyes, her hair... Anything to harm herself. The feeling last the briefest of moments, but it was certainly prevalent. An echo remained in her head, initiating a desire for self-inflicted harm.

With the same speed, the creature bolted towards Navryi. Placing its hand on her skin, she could feel the eyeball moving against her flesh. There was no eyelid on the palm, just the eye itself, and it brushed against her as the creature held her with surprising strength. Clearly in her mind, she felt the presence of the creature as it communicated with her. Not exactly words, it was much like how Curio communicated, except the creature's presence was alien and unwelcome.

At first, she received a few flashes of images, disturbing and gory. She saw Garizma ripping his wings from his back. She saw, in her mind, the first gashes he made in his flesh. She felt the anguish and desire to self-mutilate as clearly as if the memories were her own. Then, the images faded and a word seemed to insinuate itself into her thoughts: Shrivma. Whether it was a name or an origin, she knew not. Quickly after it faded, she felt an urge to end Garizma's suffering, like it was what the little Shrivma wanted her to do. She could feel it encompassing her, and looking back at Garizma, he seemed to understand. He could barely raise his head now from blood loss.

"Do it. Do it. Do it. I know what it's saying." He whispered, weakened as he was. Shrivma released her and outstretched its arms, both of the eyeballs staring directly at Navyri. The razor grin did not fade, but it seemed to be taunting her. Make a choice, it said. And it was a choice she'd have to make.

Off Topic

Option 1: Garizma

By choosing to spare Garizma, you are affording yourself the ability to possibly garner more knowledge about the Dead Wings and the Man in Red. Garizma, for his strangeness, seems to know enough about the topic to likely be able to aid you in your quest to recover the Wings. Whether he is a liability or not is not in question here, but rather, is his usefulness enough to offset that? At least for now?

Choosing this path offers a Medium-High risk Path, and will afford you ONE bonus loot at the end of the thread, should you survive.

Off Topic

Option 2: Shrivma

By choosing to end Garizma's life, you are choosing to side with the strange shadowy creature that emerged from Garizma's wings. It's obvious that Shrivma is something extra-planar, but you're not quite sure what, or if it's really got your best interests at heart. Choosing this may allow you to rely on certain abilities and powers you would not have otherwise to aid you in your search for the Wings, but it knows nothing about the Wings themselves or the Man in Red. Do you take the risk of power over knowledge, or play it safe?

Choosing this path offers a Very High risk Path, and will afford you TWO bonus loots and a SPECIAL LOOT at the end of the thread, should you survive.

[Navyri]

• Common • Rakahi • Gravokian

"A greedy father has thieves for children."

• The sound of the Garizma’s skin falling to the ground had made a squelch, and Navyri hesitated, hand outstretched towards one of the discarded wings. It seemed the nightmarish creature that had joined them did not speak, or would not. It shot out, and before Navyri could retreat, its clawed hand was wrapping around her forearm and the slick sensation of its eyeball rolled against her skin and she gasped.
  
  She… she wanted to hurt herself. She wanted…. To dig her nails into her skin, to feel the flesh give way under her nails. She wanted to tear it all away until nothing remained. She-
  
  The shrivma released her and she gave a choked sound, swallowing as she saw it all. She saw Garizma and his mutilation. This thing… This thing had… She blinked, gripping the part of her arm that had been touched, her own nails starting to dig into the flesh and before they could draw blood, she released, pinching her eyes closed. And then, she looked at the dying Avriel.
  
  
  Make a choice…
  
  Make a choice…
  
  Navyri opened her mouth, smacking her lips together as she could still feel the echo of the being’s will. Kill him. Kill him. Garizma continued to wail, and Navyri gripped at her skirt, “Delroth is going to be displeased. Delroth is going to be so angry…”
  
  The Naerikk stood, moving to where the Avriel laid and grabbed his ankles, hissing as she yanked him towards the wings, “He’s going to be so upset,” she continued to whisper, dropping him near the Shrivma, blood and dirt coating the bottom of her bare feet as she charged around the room, “Choke you? Yes… I could choke you…”
  
  The Naer collected the edge of her skirt and with a glance at the Shrivma, began to tear its rich fabric, “So upset… Ruining his pretty bedspread….Blood doesn't come out...” Navyri watched the brass talons, hissing at signs of self-mutilation, “If you kill yourself, what will I do? I… want to. I want to.”
  
  “Yes,” Navyri muttered, eyes bouncing around the room, “Ruining Delroth’s sheets.” She focused on her breathing, trying to ignore the sensation to rip out her own hair, still sensing… its… presence. With Curio there as well, her mind felt too full…
  
  Navyri now had a thick strip of the lush sheet now torn free and swallowed, pouncing upon Garizma when he tried to dig his talons back into his body, snatching at his wrists and yanking them together and fighting to tie his wrists together, “My decision!” she growled, creating a knot around the Avriel’s wrists. She scoffed, creating mental images of her using more of her outfit to suffocate the bird creature, offering them to the foreign presence in her mind much like she would Curio had she wanted to share something with him.
  
  With care, she stood, moving between Garizma and Shrivma, lifting a hand for Curio to step onto urged him off her shoulder, “Watch out, sweetness. I have to…” Make a decision. Make a decision. She tried to move the bird out of the way of the tussle that was about to occur and focused on the bloody creature begging for sacrifice. Then to the Shrivma, she looked, crouching like an animal about to pounce on an injured creature, and began to tug on the knot between her breasts. She pulled at it, loosening it until it came undone and fell away, exposing her bare chest and the artful tattoos that decorated the entirety of her back. Navyri shook it out, gripping either side of the opening and sucked a deep breath, rising to the balls of her feet and hovering over the mewling bird.
  
  She lifted her arms, imagining throwing the hood over Garizma’s face and tightening it around his throat when… Navyri twisted and lunged at the Shrivma, the sack in her hand open, hoping the element of surprise would be enough to catch the quick nightmare off guard.
  
  Up close, she could see how silver its teeth were and wanted nothing more than to capture the strange little thing and its terrible Stare.