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 Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:21 am
Priest Bertrand left the room. So that's what he was hiding...someone else saved her...hmm...so shall it be... I'll better keep an eye on that one thought.
Emilien left the room for a moment and brought back some water and clean clothes for the woman to refresh herself. "Here Child. ..." he paused. "Do you need help?" Gabrielle looked at him, she was now leaning on pillows. She shook her head softly. "Thank you Emilien. I shall be fine." Emilien nodded and headed for the door. He stopped, his hand on the handle. "Gabrielle? Someone else knows about... someone who just saved your life. His name is ... Big Grim." Then he left before she could question him.
For a second Gabrielle had hoped that the name would be 'Dimitri'. A weak smirk came to her face. "Why would he be here? I am sure that he is victorious...not like me..." She could not think about something else than the Holy Knight which she met in the foothills and yet the more she thought about him, the more the curse seemed to affect her. She clenched her right fist.
Once alone Gabrielle sighed. "Maybe I should have given up before reaching that stage..." she whispered. She looked at her arm. It would take time for her to gain back her strength and agility in her left limb. She soaked a clothe in the water and wiped her face. The cold water was bringing back senses to the woman. She cleaned herself slowly and painfully, thinking of what to do.
The Holy Knight knew that she would have to leave. The sooner the better. She could feel impulsion in her body. The exhaustion had taken on her resources and she need...blood. If she stayed she would become a threat. She wondered who this 'Big Grim' was. She owed him her life.
She slowly tried to stand up, but the result was pitiful. "And in my state, there is no way I can use the winds to hold me straight..." she sat, trying to decide what to do.
Emilien made his way quickly to the great hall. The Hall was almost empty outside of Kierdran pouring wine in Grim's glass. The old monk approached silently. "Thank you Master Big Grim. Thank you. She just woke up. She is weak but she will live...thanks to you. I owe you." he said with a bow. Turning his face to Kierdran, he spoke further. "She is is no state to leave by herself...but I think she knows that she needs to leave. I am too old to go with her. What can we do?" The Old Emilien was looking at Kierdran with imploring eyes.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:42 pm
Nearly an hour had passed while the two priests were conversing behind the portly dwarf who was still contentedly eating and drinking at his leisure. As the pair made clear their dilemma, Big Grim sighed and looked up to them.
"Murgoth's frothy beard, ye two bicker like a pair a beardlings over this lass. The girl can come with me, I'm headin' ta the Holy City anyways, when we reach the place, she can do as she wishes. That way I can keep an eye on her condition fer awhile at least."
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:55 am
Emilien froze a second. The man had healed Gabrielle, he could trust him, couldn't he? He almost wanted to hug the dwarf for his help. The monk did not hesitate as he detached a lace from around his neck. On the lace was a very unique cross, symbol of the monastic order from which Emilien belonged to. As he did that, Kierdran's widen. "Emilien...don't..." But Emilien kept the younger monk quiet with a single look. "Here Master Big Grim. As a symbol of my gratitude. It will open many doors, might you need help." Kierdran was staring at Emilien. The old monk looked at his friend. "My end is close anyway. This man deserves that honor much more than a lot of the ones who are inhabited those walls." he paused. "I will assure that Gabrielle is ready." he left in silence. Kierdran brushed his hair with his hand. "She must really be something to him." he whispered, his eyes on the cross that Emilien had put in Big Grim's hand.
Gabrielle had gotten herself ready. She had changed clothes, throwing away the others. "I will need new ones." She stood up, using her katana as a cane. "How pathetic..." she sighed. She needed to leave but first she needed to say goodbye to her friend and thank you to that man who saved her, if he was still around.
Emilien entered the room and was only half surprised to see that the Holy Knight was already ready. He smiled. "Gabrielle, don't over do it." He was bringing food and drinks which he put in her bag. "You cannot travel by yourself. And I cannot come with you. I am too old." Gabrielle made a movement to protest. "No Gabrielle, you know I am right. Master Big Grim has volunteered to take care of you for a while." Gabrielle blinked but she could see that she could not change his mind. She smiled back and lumped to him. "Thank you Emilien." The old man smiled back, but his eyes were sad. "This is a farewell my child." Gabrielle knew it but she was strong. Only a hint of sadness could be seen in her eyes. "The next time you come, you will probably not be welcome." She nodded.
The two left the room and headed to the stable where Gabrielle got her horse ready.
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:39 am
After saying his parting words to Emilien and Kierdran, Grim stepped outside and knelt down to the dirt-covered earth as he waited for Gabrielle.
With one finger, he drew the pattern of a mountain with a single tree adorning the summit. Though the concept was simple, this rune was very intricate.
As Gabrielle rounded the corner with her horse, she would no doubt wonder where his mount might be, as it was still a lengthy trip to the Holy City.
He stopped her questions before she could even ask them. As he stood up, the rune began to glow softly. Then, grasping his runestaff, he slammed the head into the soil in the ground where the pattern lay.
The light of the rune shot upwards then faded instantly as the ground began to rumble. Suddenly, the rocky earth reached up, melding with Grimmand's legs, fusing himself with the earthy ground, lifting him up several feet. As he moved, the ground moved with him, rocks rolling over one another, like a watery tide though made of stone and earth. He turned to regard his companion.
"Bwahaha," he laughed aloud when he saw her expression," This be why I'm a little on the heavy side, if ye were wonderin', lass. No need fer runnin'. I'm as much a part o' this world as the trees an' rocks around us. It's quite the feelin' ta be honest."
The perpetually cheerful dwarf threw a disarming exaggerated wink to Gabrielle and grinned.
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:25 pm
Gabrielle looked at the man and his strange behavior. She still had not been properly introduced, nor had she thanked him for saving her life. She raised an eye brow at his manipulation of the earth. A unique way of locomotion, that was for sure. To his laugh and wink, Gabrielle opened her mouth but closed it for a wide smile. Had she been in better shape, she would have probably laugh, but laughing would have been painful. "You are very skillful Master Dwarf." she conceded to the other Holy Knight. She knew that she could trust him and that was a strange feeling. Dimitri had taught her more than he thought.
The woman cast a look at Emilien and nodded. All had been said, she had nothing to add or if she had she did not know how. She let her eyes speak for her.
As they left the place at a slow path, Bertrand observed the travelers from behind his window. The woman was in no shape to travel. There must have been a reason for her so soon departure. "This is none of my concern..." he grumbled. He was pleased that both the woman and the dwarf were out of his sight.
Gabrielle was silent, still remembering her past fight, still remembering the moments yet platonic by Dimitri's side. Every single step of her horse was sending vibrations which were making her wince in pain. So pitiful... she scowled herself, while hiding her pain behind an emotional mask. She looked at the dwarf. His ways were strange for sure, but he was skillful for sure.
((Sorry for taking so long... I've been sick and it does not seem to get better...sigh))
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:10 pm
As they rode or in Grim's case, rolled along, the dwarf cast a knowing glance toward his companion.
"Ye're in a dour mood, lass. If yer wounds are causin' ye too much pain, we can stop an' I'll carve another rune for ye."
The look on her face showed him that there was a wound that was deeper than the physical. Blowing a deep sigh and coughing up some gravel in the process, Grim looked to the girl and offered a warm smile from his wrinkled face.
"Lass, ye should know I took this job knowing what ye are, or rather, what yer condition be," he motioned towards his own thick neck for effect, then continued," vampirism ain't nothin' ta be afraid of. Even as a paladin of light, you have the capability to be something great."
Again, he could see in her eyes that sorrow and genuine sadness over her situation was permeating her entire being.
"There's no true cure for it, at least among my people, dwarves are immune to the substance that causes the actual infection. A vampiric bite just means a loss of blood to us. Is that what you seek though? A cure for yer condition? Is that why ye were in such a bloody mess when I found ye at the monastery?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 8:49 pm
Gabrielle was too tired to argue and she nodded at his comment. Yes, she was in pain, but she would survive. She listened to him in silence, her pale face looking at him. He was a Master dwarf and yet it had a warm smile and nice manners for one of his kind. Not that she knew personally a lot of dwarfs, but she had crossed the path of enough of them to know that their reputation was not fully invented.
His last remark rose a smirk at her lips. "No...." she hesitated, she still had not fully introduced herself to him and therefore did not want to use his name in a too casual way, despite the fact that he was calling her 'lass' every five seconds. "Not directly. I was on my way back from the Twilight Tournament." her voice was sore. Yata had been an amazing adversary, but defeat always had a bitter after taste. "My last fight was...exhausting." she added.
The dark hair woman paused. She knew that she had not answered any of his question about vampirism. "I know that you took your decision with full knowledge of my state..." she said with an husky voice. "Forgive me for being a burden." She raised her right hand to prevent any contradiction from the dwarf. "I might be a Holy Knight. But I am not perfect. And I have my pride." She kept to herself for a while...that's why I cannot fully tell you how this curse is affecting me... she thought to herself.
Her amber eyes looked at the dward. "I do not know Holy Knight, I do not know... if... if I am looking for a cure....or for the strength to become something that I despise..." she whispered.
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:41 am
"Bah, the hell with formalities! Call me Grim, everybody else bloody-well does."
He could see a spark of a smile on the woman's face, but continued on with their conversation as they moved along their path.
"Lass, I can tell ya yer options right now. Ye're either scared o' becomin' a vampire and ye want a cure to be rid o' the curse which will be no easy task, considerin' all known methods o' removin' the disease are all hearsay an' rumors or, ye're gonna have to accept what yer becomin'."
Before the young woman could respond, he put out one finger to pause her thoughts. Though his feet which were melded with the earth continued to move at their unabated and smooth pace, the dwarf reached inside the folds of his stonecloth robe and pulled out a pipe and some tobacco weed. Tucking the spice into its wooden compartment, he lit the tinder and drew a deep breath from the device, exhaling a perfect circle of smoke. Looking back to his companion, he glanced at her with some seriousness in his voice.
"Do ye have a lover, lass?" he could see her reaction and cut her off," Nay! I'm not suggestin' me lass! Bwahahaha! I was askin' because vampirism is not transmitted solely through the bite, but a venom-like substance that the vampire wills ta descend when they want to "recruit" another to their ranks. I was sayin though, that if ye have someone ye really love an' care about an' they feel the same way, ye could likely live and travel together without much problems. Ye can feed off that person as long as you moderate how often an' how much ye take from the lad... I guess my point to all this is ye can lead a normal life if ye have someone ta lean on."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:45 am
Gabrielle nodded. Yes, those were her options and she had none other, outside of putting an end to her life. But she was a Holy Knight and just the thought of it was a sin.
Gabrielle's eyes widened at his question. But he did not let answer, rather he went on talking non-sense about feeding from a willing person. Once he was done, she exploded. "NEVER! You hear me? Never I will inflict such a pain on Dim..." she bite her lips. "...on anyone...I...I am not a monster!" But she had never even thought about the solution which the dwarf just offered her. She stayed quiet, looking at the smoke coming off the other knight's pipe. She sighed.
The woman calmed down after a while. "I am sorry Grim." she started. "I should not have yelled...but as much as the idea is attractive and convenient...this is not something that I could ask..." as she spoke she remembered Dimitri's arms and the control she had to keep upon herself not to jump at his throat. The idea of his blood within her month was so attractive that she doubt she would be able to stop herself. Plus, nothing had happened between them, they had not even kissed...maybe after all Dimitri was considering her just a friend, a dear friend, but nothing more, maybe in her loneliness and fight against herself, she had created feelings from his side that did not exist. She shook her head, to Grim's question 'Do you have a lover?', she had no answer. She loved someone and she knew he cared for her...but was his care...love?
A strike of pain in her left arm brought Gabrielle back to the reality. She winced, then she heard a stream close by. "Grim, if you don't mind, let's stop a minute at that stream." she asked and moved her horse to the side without waiting for an answer. She stepped down and tied the beast to a tree, then she kneed at the water and dipped her arm up to the shoulder in the water. The coldness quieted down her pain.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:23 pm
Her request was heeded as the old dwarf took his fist and knocked on the stone that was both the ground and his legs, tapping on it three times in rapid succession. The rock crumbled and out came his stubby-robed legs, his garments not in the least bit tarnished by being encased in the cold earth.
Nonchalantly and with his own unique lack of grace, Grim, walked over to the waterside and plopped down beside a tree, his legs parted slightly and his staff sitting horizontally across his lap while he took another puff of his pipe.
The sudden and emotional response that she had offered to his question revealed much to the old dwarf. The name she had nearly let slip was very similar to a young man who had visited Proudanvil a few years in the past, seeking some silkstone tailored clothing. He shook his head though, it was unlikely the two could be the same brash scholarly knight.
"Lass, ye puzzle me," he chuckled, "In all my years, I've encountered only a handful of people who were in the same situation as ye be. Some cannot stand the idea of becoming what's ahead, taking their own lives; others are thrilled with their dark gift, reveling in the thought of becoming never-aging and physically enhanced beings, these being individuals of poor circumstance, of course; and others still accept it in the way I mentioned previously. However, ye, lass, spend your days dreading what is coming but ye dunnae wish ta end yer life but ye dunnae wanna accept the possibility of having a normal life with a normal person who can accept ye as ye are."
"Why is that," he asked at last," is it some sort o' faith that ye possess? Some devotion to some deity that prevents ye from embracing death or life ever-lasting? Or is it somethin' else? Some determination that makes ye fight against all dissuasion and adversity, to simply show the world the impossible is possible?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:00 pm
The pain in her arm being calmer, Gabrielle sat, looking at the water surface, still waving from her entrance in this cold world. She knew that the physical pain was creating mental pain which was by a strange reaction penetrating the venom deeper in her organism. Physical weakness led to mental weakness, mental weakness led to flashes, images which she could not stand.
The woman stayed quiet, listening to the water flow. Water was her ally, her friend, as was the air. She sighed. She did not know how to answer. She felt strange in the company of the dwarf. She had never met any Holy Knight so much older than she was. The few she had met were but teenagers...with the exception of Dimitri. She was thirty, but in company of Grim, she felt like a child.
"Life is precious." she thought of the lives she had ended. She had killed demons to save lives. Taking a life to save another one. She was a Holy Knight. From all the lives she had taken, she remembered one in each detail with disgust. The only time she had fed. The blood in her throat, running and warm. She was in the city. She could not stand the city. She had killed and had spent the rest of the night sick, her organism rejecting the blood. She had already the impulse and the urge, but her body was still human and alive and it rejected the blood.
"Therefore I cannot take my own life. Nor can I accept for someone to sacrifice their own for my sake...even more if this person is the one I ..." she finished in a whisper. After a deep breath she continued "I will prove nothing Grim...as for when the time comes, someone else shall end my life." she smiled sadly. "But until then...until then I will fight."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:13 pm
Taking one last puff of his pipe, the dwarf runepriest tapped out the remaining ash and stashed the device back within the folds of his robe.
Walking to the water's edge near Gabrielle, he walked with his staff like a cane and as the runewood touched the water, the earth rose up from under the riverbed, rising just enough to provide graciously steady footing as the runemaster walked in a wide circle around where the young woman was standing. Though she stared at him, he said nothing and soon there was an earthen ring surrounding her in the water.
Still remaining unusually silent, the priest began walking through the circle at specific points, the muddy earth continuing to rise up as he made his odd patrol.
Finally he stopped just short of completing one final line. From an aerial view, one could see the intricate pattern that had just been nearly created, an eye in the shape of a gemstone. The dwarf glanced up at the young woman and said these few words:
"It's been long enough."
With that, he took the next few steps and completed the unusual rune, stabbing his runestaff into the muddy symbol. Suddenly light shot upward to the sky all around the circle. In the center, Gabrielle's body was being caressed by the gentle flow of magic that was Duloc the Lifegiver's Touch.
As the spectacle continued, Grim stepped to the side and yelled above the din of magic:
"I had ta wait fer a while ta cast this for ya lass. Yer body wouldn'ta accepted the treatment in the state ye were in back at the monastery. When ye feel that ye have what ye want, jes step out o' the circle. The rune will remove any poison or disease that's been inflicted in the past month or so. And nay... it won't remove yer other problem, but I'll be waitin' here till ye're ready."
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:13 am
Gabrielle looked at the dwarf in silence. He might not have been a water bender, but he had found a way to get over it. Soon he had circled her, she felt a weird feeling surrounding her, as if a warm blanket was wrapped around her. She felt almost dizzy and her legs and arms felt numb. She sat slowly and waited. The feeling was quite strange, as if some things were pulled out of her body.
She could barely keep her eyes opened because of the light. She wanted to sleep. But her mind was fully awake. Her left arm was particularly warm. The bones had been shattered, the muscles stretched from Yata's technique. She had even wondered if she would ever been able to use her arm again. She knew that whatever technique was used she would never gain back her full dexterity and strength, but Grin's magic was giving her hope that she would soon be able to use it again.
The knight listened to Grim's words. She owed him twice. She did not like being indebted in someone, but she seemed not to have the choice. "Thank you Grim." she said softly. She decided to close her eyes and to pray in silence while letting the power of Duloc heal her. Her thoughts were pulled towards Dimitri however deep in prayer she was. "My Lord, protect him." she whispered aloud, her right hand clenched on the onyx cross around her neck.
((sorry i've been away from my computer for a while))
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:05 pm
((I had writer's block on what to do next... still do... so this whole post is gonna be made up as I go along))
The lights began to fade around the young woman and Grim stood up once more, ensuring all of his belongings were safely tucked away within the folds of his robes. Glancing towards his companion, he cleared his throat and spoke with a gruff voice.
"If'n yer ready, lass, we need ta be on the move, I'd prefer ta reach the Foothills 'afore nightfall."
He performed his typical rune carving ritual as the earth formed up around him and melded with his legs once again.
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:48 am
Gabrielle stood up slowly and froze as Grim mentioned the Foothills. She hesitated. That was for sure the shortest way to the Holy City and yet...a strange feeling came to her chest. Was it because it was where she had met Dimitri? Was it because this was were the Hermit lived? She did not know. If the Old Hermit were to see her in such a state, he would chuckle for sure.
"Let's go." she articulated with difficulty. She jumped on her horse with more ease than she had earlier. Grim's skills were amazing. Her arm although still very weak seemed to be far less painful. She would have to remind him that she owed him twice now and that she was not the type to forget such a promise. But for the moment, they had to reach the Foothills.
((same for me...so don't worry...I'll post in the Foothills...))
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