Agarest: Broken Peace

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Jason hid away the hammer, knowing that he would most likely never use it in actual combat. Jason sat patiently, never fully believing that Lykala had died. Once Lykala confirmed that he was just on death’s door, and not actually dead, he felt as though a weight fell off his shoulders. "You understand what is meant by 'the soul', correct?" “The soul, eh?” Jason pondered if for only a moment before giving his answer to Falsai’s question. “The soul…I guess it is the something inside us that makes us who we are…it’s hard to explain, but I imagine it’s like a spirit.” Jason looked at Falsai, and a sudden thought crossed his mind. ‘I remember reading something about to make a deal with the devil you have to exchange your soul…Did Lykala sell his soul to the devil to bring himself back to life?’ Jason looked at his feet dismally, “Yeah… the soul is our life. That is my final answer.”

[Chaosbahamut123]

"Correct," said Falsai, nodding, "Souls are the essence that animates your body. They provide the spark necessary for life, for emotion, for everything that you consider an existence. Should you die, or be killed, your soul sheds its physical trappings and departs from this world. Lykala, your soul was teetering on the edge of oblivion, when I found you. Your soul was beyond recovering, through any mortal means. Medicine would only have stemmed the blood, and magic would only heal the flesh. Had I not found you when I did, you would surely have been lost to this world."
"Hang on. If my body couldn't be healed, why am I still here? I should be dead, right?" Lykala asked, leaning back and gesturing to himself ,"As you can see, I am very much alive."
Falsai nodded again, sitting down. "Correct. You are here because I willed your life to continue. You carry a shard of me in your body, and your soul is anchored to your body by that same shard. You are a Spirit Vessel, Lykala. By surrendering your bloodline's fate to my hands, you continue to live for as long as I see fit."
"Er... Okay? What do you mean by my bloodline?" Lykala said, quite clearly confused by it all. The daggers that he had taken out to prepare the meat were now sleeping idly in his hands.
"Your descendants will hold the same bargain you do. Your skills, your experiences, your knowledge; everything will be passed to your child, and so forth. I offered this bargain because you, Lykala, needed it. And I need something from you, so there would be a mutual benefit."

[GamerKale]

"So, he and his children, if he ever has any, are immortal as long as they serve your purposes?" She pulled the sling tight with her teeth. "Not having to worry about getting killed would be nice, but that's not really a string I'd care to have attached. I suppose that's why I'm still unwed." She picked up Lykala's dagger and began tending to the deer. "That guy with the rapier. Did he have a similar pact?" Her grip on the dagger tightened, she was angry at herself. She didn't fight against rapiers very often and that man had been good, but more than that she had let memories of fighting Gilgamesh plague her during the fight. If that hadn't happened Lykala and she wouldn't have gotten injured so badly, that wouldn't happen again. She'd make sure of it. Her right hand balled up, but the arm still wouldn't cooperate.

[Chaosbahamut123]

"That is not true. Lykala can still be injured, and can still die. However, His soul is no longer bound to this one body. It can, and will, pass onto his child's. Being a Syrium, he is naturally long-lived," Falsai looked to Lykala, and he thought he saw a glint of apology in her eyes, "I would have explained the bargain to you prior to making it, but there was no time. You were very close to true death."
Lykala nodded grimly, staring into the open flame. Rue found his laughter. "Well, at least my adventure's got direction now."
"As for Faris, he was not a Spirit Vessel. His soul was corrupted by the amulet on his neck - an artifact of shadows long since sealed away. A relic of Summerill, Lord of Darkness."
"Who?" asked Lykala. Falsai raised her eyebrows marginally, almost surprised.
"The deity that threatens the stability of this continent, and others like it. Summerill's influence can be felt in the eddies of this world's energy, but it is not yet strong enough for Him to act on His own. Which is why Faris had been corrupted, as I am sure others have been."

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Jason stared into the flame blankly; he honestly hated the idea of promising his life to a stranger. He knew we would probably make the same pact if he was to die, and he hated that even more. After a few moments Jason looked towards the deer, “Summerhill… sounds like a pleasant name…” He sighed and stood up, “Who’s ready to eat, I have not hate meat all day, and I am hungry.” He stretched his arms behind his back and looked to Lykala, “Do I have to get a spit too?” Jason did not wait for Lykala to answer and ran into the forest. “Stupid Falsi, stupid deals… This is why I hate magic.” Jason threw the hammer at a tree branch hoping it would snap. His aim was dead on, and he heard a crack, but the branch did not fall. “Damn it…” He took aim and tossed the hammer again, but the branch just moved slightly and did not fall. “Third time’s…” He tossed the hammer, and heard a large crack, but the branch was not the only thing that fell. Along with the branch fell an owl.

[GamerKale]

((Hey Haseo, I seem to recall making my 2000th post a while ago. Am I going crazy or did my post count shrink kind of dramatically at some point?))

A chill ran down Skadi's spine at the mention of Summerill. "Dad used to tell me stories about him when I was a little girl. Gave me nightmares and scared me half to death, 'course I still played with dolls back then too." She poked the fire with the dagger, sending sparks into the air. "I don't know what kind of timetable we have, but eventually we'll need the backing of Gilgamesh's merchant empire. Maybe you should go see him and offer him some kind of deal like you did Lykala, something tells me he wouldn't go for it unless he was sure it would either save my life or get me for him though."

She looked down at her arm and anger crept up into her voice, "These pieces of scrap who have artifacts, like that amulet, do I just need to run them through or is there a trick to killing them?" I need to learn to control the rage, it hasn't been a problem before, but if I fight another of Summerill's minions I'll die if I fight them as I am.

[Chaosbahamut123]

"If it were so simple, Skadi, I would not be here. It is possible for one such as yourself to defeat a servant of Summerill, but only through co-ordinated skill and teamwork. Even Lykala, with the strength I have granted him, will have to work together to take even one of Summerill's emissaries down, at present."
"Why's that?" asked Lykala, half-expecting the answer Falsai supplied. He blamed it on the fact that their existences, whether he liked it or not, were now intimately linked with one another.
"They are not humans as you may know them. No longer do they obey the limitations of flesh and mind. Their strength is augmented by Summerill's strength, their magics beyond that which a normal mortal can control. Once the artifact has taken a hold of a person, they are bound to it. Only destroying the amulet, or killing the person wearing it, will defeat Summerill's influence."

[GamerKale]

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that, Falsai was it? From the sounds of it I just have to kill the body, I'm good at that." She backhanded Lykala's arm. "He seems no more sturdy nor stronger than yesterday. What is this strength he supposedly has? Also, what, if any, connection do you have with that old woman who sent us on this now apparently suicidal quest?"

[Chaosbahamut123]

"Killing the possessed victim is not so simple. They are immensely powerful. More so than any of you right now."
"You make it sound so easy," Lykala commented, disgruntled by the revelations. He threw himself onto his back and sighed, only half-listening to Falsai's explanations now. His mind was occupied by thoughts of his future, stinging like icy needles and seeding regret in his mind. Naiveté had almost cost him his life, and had landed him in some life-changing bargain with someone he hardly knew. He sighed. He wasn't normally this stupid, or reckless. What had come over him?
"Lykala's strength lies in his soul's ability to pass on to the next generation. He can pass his skills, his strength, over to his child, and his child can do the same. Ultimately, his descendants will have the strength necessary to seal Summerill away permanently. As for this woman who you speak of, Summerill's influence can be felt already. No doubt others have begun to notice this, and so set about warning people of the coming darkness."
"There is one question that remains," said Falsai, looking to Skadi and Jason, and paying very little attention to Lykala as he moped, "What will you two do? You have no obligation to continue with Lykala, and should you wish to leave, he will not stop you. Nor will I."

[GamerKale]

"Personally, I enjoy my life of recklessness and violence and as you said I owe Lykala so I'm in. Plus this keeps me out of Gilgamesh's reach and might get him to do something actually useful with his life and fortune." She stabbed Lykala's dagger into the ground in front of him. "And on top of all that, if Summerill isn't stopped nightmares will be the least of worries for the little girls of the world." She stood and stretched her arm out. "I'm going to go practice some moves, have him get some sticks and join me in a bit once he stops wallowing in self pity or if he needs it beaten out of him." Skadi snatched up her scimitar and headed a short distance away to practice.

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

((All of our posts dropped, like a while ago.))

Jason smiled before scratching his head. “I struggled pretty hard to join this team, so I might as well stay.” Jason had calmed down after killing the owl and began setting up the spit. “Skadi! Eat first; you definitely need food after what we’ve been through today.” Jason began to turn the spit as he sat down. “After we eat I’ll spar with you, I can use the handicap.” Jason chuckled to himself, staring into the fire. “Artifacts… Summerhill… Darkness seems to suck.”

[GamerKale]

((Ah, I hadn't noticed till now.))

Skadi rolled her eyes. "Why don't you come over here and make me, mom?" She continued her practice, she had no appetite at the moment. She had always thought that was usually due to wanting to get the hell away from Gilgamesh after his odd last minute rescues, but perhaps near death just made her not hungry. She did however have a powerful urge to move around. Probably a desire to not let it happen again and thus a desire to get better. Plus she had neglected her nightly workout the night before, what with sharing a room with Lykala and being thoroughly intoxicated.

[Chaosbahamut123]

Lykala sat up for a brief moment, forcing a gentle smile and nodding appreciatively towards Skadi. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm gonna get some sleep. Dying seems to have taken a lot out of me, and I'd rather capitalize on the time we have before the Gridamas Military get on our tails again. We rise early, and then make a beeline for Preuron. We can get supplies on the way, and we don't linger. The sooner we're out of Gridamas territory, and into Rigulus, the better."
With that, and with dry, scratchy grass as his pillow, Lykala closed his eyes and ears to the world.

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Jason pouted and was going to respond to Skadi’s comment, but chose not to, instead saying, “Fine, just don’t be pissed if I eat all the good parts of the deer!” Jason quietly turned the spit. “So… Do you want any food Falsi?” Jason said grabbing one of Lykala’s daggers. He began skinning the deer while it was still warm.

It took him a while to skin the whole deer, but Jason had done it. Jason lopped off the creature’s head and legs, and put it back on the spit. “I haven’t eaten back straps in a while…” Jason stopped the spit and began carving into the creature’s back. Once he had removed a large portion of the deer’s inner loins. He let the meat cook a little more before biting into it. Once he had finished his meal, Jason laid down next to the flame to keep warmth.

[GamerKale]

She didn't know how strenuous Falsai's pact had been for Lykala, so Skadi didn't press the matter. She took a short break to snag some deer and then gathered some sticks for practice. The others had already fallen asleep by the time her workout was done and exhaustion quickly spread over her entire body. She glanced at Falsai, the "woman" didn't look like she would need any rest and Skadi knew her own body needed it tonight if she was ever going to regain use of her arm thus she grudgingly left Falsai in charge of watching over them that night. She pulled out her bedroll and stripped, setting her clothes down neatly folded on a flat rock. She slept beneath the sheats with a dagger in hand and another under her bedroll. She slept with her right arm lashed to her side to keep it straight and hopefully aid in the healing process.

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Waking up at sunrise, Jason woke up before either Skadi or Lykala, and saw that Falsai was not asleep. “Looks like you don’t sleep either…” He then decided to take a morning jog with his free time, with his canteen, in case he found a stream. “I’ll be back, if either of them wake up before that, tell them the deer’s loins are mine and they cannot have them.” He ran into the forest, with the hope of finding a stream.
It took him only a quarter of an hour, and when he arrived at the stream, Jason performed his daily workout, consisting of crunches, push-ups, chin-ups and other individualized exercises. He then drank his water to rehydrate, refilled his empty canteen and returned to their camp.
“RISE AND SHINE EVERYBODY!” Jason shouted when he arrived back at camp, nearly an hour since he left. “Boy, they must have been really tired after what happened yesterday.” Jason opened his canteen and poured it on Skadi’s head; he then did the same to Lykala. “That should do it!”

[GamerKale]

Jason felt his canteen jerk as Skadi's first knife found it's way into it. She wasted no time in rolling out of bed, with the other blade in hand, and standing less than a foot away from him. "Never do that again Jason. That is unless you want me to give you an extra mouth to drink with." She raised the second blade up to his throat threateningly and then threw it into the ground. She began undoing the knots that held her right arm in place and sat down next to the rock with her stuff on it. She attempted to raise her right arm, it obeyed albeit weakly and she could only get it about a quarter of the way up. She pulled her clothes on and then walked over to Jason's things, grabbed a dry piece of clothing and dried her hair out with it. She left the impromptu towel in the dirt and began packing her things up. With only the one arm progress was slowish, but she wouldn't be asking for or accepting any help.

[Chaosbahamut123]

Lykala awoke with a start, and a surprised yelp. Jumping into a sitting position earned him a sharp sting from the wind. Sunlight blinded him and Skadi's threats pierced his ears. He sighed. "Mornin', you two. Would you please behave?"
Rubbing his face free of moisture, he looked around. The fire from last night was dwindling, with naught but embers remaining in the bundle of sticks and rocks. Falsai was sat straight-backed against a tree in the distance, Skadi and Jason were arguing about something. He pushed himself to his feet and pulled his coat on. "Are you kids ready to keep moving?"

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Jason looked at his canteen and pulled the knife out of it. Water dripped from the hole Skadi made. “Aw man, I liked that canteen.” He ignored most of Skadi’s threats, although when she threatened to give him a second mouth he responded with, “A mouth in my throat will do me no good, I suggest one a little bit higher, if you can reach that high.” Jason threw his canteen to the ground, and on his way to his possessions, he saw Skadi take one of his shirts to dry her hair. “While you’re there, can you perhaps see if I have an extra canteen?”
“Oh hey Lykala! Behave is such a biased word, I could possibly behave poorly, and still would be listening to you.” When he saw that Skadi would not check for his canteen he looked in his bag to see if there was another one. Sadly, there was not, so Jason picked his canteen and after draining all the water from it he placed it back in his bag. “Wait, do you mean we have to leave that deer here? Can’t we eat it… or take it with us? It can still be eaten for like a day or two.”

[GamerKale]

Finally dressed and packed Skadi hefted her beg and tore off a piece of the deer for breakfast. "You want to bring it Jason, you carry it. My hands are a bit full." She held the meat in her mouth and tussled her hair with her hand then turned to Lykala, "So, how do I look? Intimidating? Beautiful? Demonic? Like something the cat dragged in?" Skadi didn't really care the way a normal girl would care, but she had her armor on and an arm in a sling. It made for an interesting combination of don't mess with me and help I'm sooooo helpless. So she wanted to know how a person was going to react to her so she could tailor her threats to better suit the situation.