[Naava]

Looking about the village, Naava found herself incredibly bored. She'd come here in an attempt to find someone who might recognize her and once again there was nothing. In fact Naava didn't even have a tinge of that annoying deja vu feeling she felt when looking at or experiencing things she could only assume were familiar to her. Or rather, familiar to the 'her' she couldn't remember. Sighing a bit, Naava walked along through the village, it was going to be a while before the Anka was ready to leave, so she was stuck here for what was likely at least another hour.

Riding on a horse seemed like the better idea, now.

Though she was still confident she'd made the right choice as she wasn't really sure if she'd be able to actually RIDE the horse. She had found that certain things she'd just kind of picked up on... artistry being one of them, flying another, but still she had no clue what she was capable of and it was rather threatening to try things, especially given how clumsy she seemed to be.

Tired, grumpy and lonely, Naava found herself finally at the very edge on the peninsula on Lake Cora. Looking back, Naava could see the Anka from here and there were no signs of impending departure. "Well... this has been a waste of a day..." she though as she sat on one of the large rocks near the water's edge. Bringing her legs to her chest, Naava wrapped her arms around them and rested her head on her knees as she watched the light from the sunset bounce off of the water of the lake.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Kioni]

Kioni looked up to the sky with a sigh. She was tired and hungry and... disappointment. And there was a good chance that she was lost... a real good chance.

She hadn't really planned on going anywhere. She just wanted to get some fresh air and stop thinking about her goals. Just for this once, she wanted to feel carefree. But as she continued on, the girl remembered hearing about a lake. A beautiful lake surrounded by plants and everything. Lake Cora was what it was called. She loved imagining what it looked like and found herself wanting to go. At least for a little while. It might be nice. And it would take her mind off things... like her frustration.

But that had been hours ago. And Kioni didn't see any sign of a lake... Hell, she didn't even know where to look! Groaning, she stomped on in very low spirits. Then suddenly, there it was. Right in front of her. Well, not exactly in front of her. It was actually quite a ways away. But she could still see it! She also saw something else too. Well, someone else. A girl, sitting on a rock. A girl who didn't seem to be in very happy spirits. Kioni wondered if she was lost too. Without hesitation, Kioni hurried over.

"Excuse me..." Kioni started, once she got to her. "Are you okay?"

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Naava]

"What a droll way to spend my evening, the young anyelos thought to herself as she quietly searched through her bag for something she could eat. "Ooo, what's this? she wondered as she grabbed at a small wrapper in the bottom of the bag. "Oh!" Naava suddenly shouted brightly as she remembered the granola bar she'd packed into her bag for the trip. Pulling it from her bad, Naava unwrapped it and bit in, glad to have something to quell her growing hunger.

Chewing on the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip granola bar, Naava sat there silently, watching the sun set and checking over her shoulder every so often to see if that giant bird/aircraft was ready to leave yet. She'd been here for at least two hours already, how long could that crew take. Naava started to wish she'd brought her pad with her today. She was just so--"Excuse me... are you alright?" Naava turned quickly at the sound. Maybe someone had recognized her after all.

"Oh, hello. I'm alright," Naava said, smiling at the person she didn't remember, not that she would remember her even if it was her sister, but still. Taking in her face, Naava hoped that the girl would continue the conversation and lead Naava to knowing whether she knew her or not. The girl was rather cute with blue-ish eyes and lovely red hair. Naava just couldn't for the life of her place her to any form of memory whatsoever.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

((OOC: oh my word, I'm so sorry Dinique! I didn't mean to take so long!!!))

[Kioni]

((Ha...! No big deal! It happens.))

A small feeling of relief settled in her spirits. "That's good!" Kioni responded, smiling.

After a few moments, Kioni ventured an inquiry. "So... what are you doing out here? Are you lost?" Like me?

Of course, Kioni would never say what she thought aloud. It was too embarrassing. Even if this girl was a total stranger. In fact... somehow that made it worse! No... she'd never tell. She was just going to hope this person wasn't lost and see if she could help her find a way out of this place... without reveailing that she was getting helped in the first place. Kioni almost snorted. That was bound to be easy.

"By the way, I'm Kioni."

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\


Isis took her time watching the lake. The sun was giving the sky her last rays of warmth before dipping below the horizon. It was a truly beautiful backdrop to the shimering water of Lake Cora.

She often wondered whether she should commit herself to this particular area, to give herself and her power to this land, but as a Wanderer, she hadn't really felt the urge to settle down. She enjoyed helping where she was needed - whether it be here or in small park surrounded by buildings.

As much as she loved living in the city, she sometimes needed to come out and reacquaint herself with nature once in a while to stave off the symptoms of urbanitis that sometimes crept up on her. Not that she couldn't do it without an actual trip to a lake or some other form of water, but as a Nyrad, she really felt much better if she took the time out to visit some place special.

Isis had seen many seasons come and go since she first left the safety of the grove she was born into. Her parents had expected her to return to them once she was done with her rite of passage and expected year of urban living, but Isis never really did what other people wanted or expected of her. She didn't disappoint them exactly, or revolt against their wishes agressively, but she always managed to find a way to do what she wanted. Water always does.

She felt a slight breeze stir her honey blonde hair, causing her to zip up her hunter green windbreaker. Summer had come to an end and autumn was coming in to take center stage, but there was some warmth still in the land. She turned her head into the breeze, allowing her vision to pan out down the curving shoreline of the lake, to her left.

The light was fading, but Isis could see two figures not far off on the outermost point of the peninsula that intruded upon the lake. One was perched on one of the large rocks lining the shore, the other seemed to be talking to the first, but because of the distance, it was hard to tell. They didn't particularly look like locals to the area though, to Isis' eyes.

She wondered if they realized that the surroundings here wasn't entirely safe at night outside of the village once the sun was down completely. Some of the creatures here were more active after dark.

She headed towards the pair, picking her way around the obstacles easily and in a surefooted fashion - she had her knee high moccasin boots on. Isis never understood folks who knew nothing about proper footwear in the wilderness.

[Naava]

Naava grinned as the girl smiled. Perhaps the two girls were feeding off of each other's cheeriness, or perhaps the anyeli was just very-very nervous, either way it was a rather awkward moment for the girl and she shifted her body about a bit on the rock to take her focus off of the awkwardness of it all. Hearing the unknown girl continue to speak, Naava brushed her hair behind her ear, a rather odd nervous habit she was developing of late.

Letting the girl finished her statement, Naava's heart rushed in the attempt to decide between relief and despair that the girl apparently did not know her. It was good to know that she could now introduce herself without worry of offending her, but at the same time a part of Naava wished she would find someone, anyone really, who knew her before she lost her memory. "I'm just... travelling," Naava said, partially to herself but mostly to 'Kioni.' "Y'know, taking in the sites and such. This lake is really beautiful, don't you think?" the Anyeli continued to make light conversation rather simply, glad to be talking to someone.

"Oh, my name's Naava," she said before taking a small bite of her granola bar. She didn't notice the girl coming towards the pair, or rather, she didn't realized what she was noticing. She heard the footsteps as the woman drew closer but didn't think twice of it as being more than background noise. Her warrior training - however short it had been before she lost what constituted as her life - was definitely still there, just hiding in the recesses of her mind, peeking itself out here in there as the girl lived her life.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\


As she neared the pair she smiled a wide knowing smile. Isis tried to put forth a sense of confidence and calm during her final steps towards the two females. Being a water nymph allowed her to do that quite well usually.

She burrowed her hands back into the pockets of her windbreaker as she stood slightly behind one of the women, facing the other who was still perched on the large rock.

"Hello there. It's getting a bit late to be out around here, don't you think? The sun'll be completely down shortly...do you come here often?"

She glanced at either girl, trying to judge their ages. One was munching away gracefully on what appeared to be a granola bar. She had dark feathered wings, so she must be a Skodati Anyelos. The other, who's back was still facing Isis, was a little more mysterious. No wings though, so that ruled out at least two races.

She stepped a tad to the side and introduced herself.

"I'm Isis by the way. Nice to meet you." She pulled the hood of her windbreaker up and started to tie it under her chin to keep the wind from making her hair fly everywhere.

[Kioni]

((Sorry, sorry, sorry!!! Forgive me for not being here!!!))

Kioni nodded attentively and hid the full brunt of emotions she was feeling. Mainly disappointment and hesitant relief. This Anyeli--Naava--wasn't lost! She knew exactly where she was and what she was doing here. Why she came here. This was all very good news.

What she worried about now was how it'd look to tell her she was lost and ask for help. Because Naava didn't look like she was in the mood to go anywhere. What if she didn't wanna help her? What would she do?

It was at this point that someone else approached. Another female. Kioni listened when the other female spoke about the time of day and looked up in alarm. Crap! She completely didn't think about the time! Jeez... now she was lost at night!

The female introduced herself as Isis and Kioni thought briefly about whether to tell the truth. But in the end, she decided it was the proper choice.

She shook her head. "No... at least, I don't. I've... never even been here before. It's my first time."

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\

Dracovarian. Isis registered the slitted eyes subconsciously, filing away the information in case it came in handy later. Hood fixed under her chin, she glanced between the two girls, still trying to assess them. Her first instinct had been that they were youngsters, probably unfamiliar with the territory and the dangers they'd face out here. Up close, that didn't really change. They certainly looked young enough to be in trouble, and the Dracovarian's response confirmed it for her part.

Isis was a bit miffed at the lack of response from the Skotadi, but then, they always seemed a bit stuck-up to her, and this one was certainly no different.

"I'll walk with you into Danurai, if you like," she offered, tucking a stray strand of honey-blonde hair into her hood before nestling her hands into the pockets of her windbreaker. It was getting chilly fast now and dusk was rapidly approaching. If they lingered here much longer, they risked getting thoroughly lost in the dark, or worse if it was misty tonight.

Turning back towards the path, she hesitated, waiting for them to follow her. "It's a beautiful landscape, this. Dangerous as all get-out if you aren't familiar with the inhabitants or the terrain, but personally I think that makes it even more beautiful."

[Naava]

Naava had only just taken another bite out of her granola bar when a rather dominating female approached the duo. "Oh censored!" She thought, suddenly realizing that she was eating in the presence of a stranger while rudely not offering any to her. Actually, two strangers now, although this new stranger might not even be a stranger but perhaps a life-long friend.

Quickly Naava turned her head away in an attempt to hastily put the bar back into her bag and try and swallow the bite or two that were in her mouth. "Gah! Chew first! Chew first!" She screamed inside her mind as she nearly choked on whole pieces of granola. Naava's cheeks flushed with red as decade-like moments passed and her embarrassment only served to increase exponentially. This day was going from boring, to bad, to worse. If only Naava knew how to tell if someone had previously known her or not... Although, at the rate she was going, meeting 'new' people every few days, Naava was beginning to wonder if she'd known anyone at all. Perhaps she'd been some sort of rather-beautiful hermit or something!

"Ohhh... A hermit..." Naava thought sadly, realizing that if this were true then she had no hope of meeting anyone who could help her connect with her previous life. Though... if it were true... would she really want to return to her past life? "Oh crap, people!" Naava thought frantically as she realized she'd gone off into her own mind. What a great time for her to get distracted like Narcissist in a mirror store.

"... I'll walk with you into Danurai, if you like..." was the first thing the anyelos heard as she tuned back in. Oh, that would be nice. And apparently this woman didn't know Naava either, as she wasn't acting like she did... not that Naava knew how someone who knew her WOULD act. Still, the unknown woman continued speaking, describing the landscape as being rather dangerous and such. "Wait, dangerous?" Naava thought, immediately her face blanching a bit. "Er, dangerous how, exactly?" Naava asked rather timidly as she moved to catch up with the very Xena-warrior-princess-like woman.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\

"Er, dangerous how, exactly?"

Isis froze mid-step, utter disbelief on her face. She couldn't believe anyone would come out here - and stay out this late - without knowing what they were getting themselves into. It was utter stupidity, and Isis was a firm believer in ignorance not being an excuse. Her people drilled into their children the dangers of the wilds from birth, forced their adolescents to survive alone in the wilderness for two years, and yet were considered by other species as naive and defenceless. Isis always scoffed at that but she hadn't realised just how ignorant the youngsters of other races were.

"Well, now, let's see," she responded, twisting to stare at the Skotadi as she stepped up the pace. "The wraith would gobble you up for supper, I reckon. They don't often come down this far but you stink of fear." Of course, Isis couldn't smell fear, her nose wasn't sensitive enough for that. She just wanted to make a point, and - from the nervousness in the girl's voice - it was a safe bet that she did reek of it. Besides, she was only slightly exaggerating, and if it taught these two not to come out here unarmed and unprepared in future, then a bit more fear now, when Isis was reasonably sure they were safe, was probably a good thing.

"Oh, and if you stray too far from the path, you could run into a tepua. I guess there are worse ways to die, but I can't think of one right now." There were other creatures out here, too many to name. It was a hunter's paradise, and while many of the inhabitants were harmless, or at least not very dangerous, night brought out the nasties. Being Autumn, the sun set much faster and the sky was overcast so there'd be no moon tonight. It wouldn't be long before it was full dark out here, and even Isis didn't want to be out here then.

[Naava]

"A tepua?" She said, her voice almost catching in her through as she felt her mouth dry out. What on earth was a tepua? It sounded like some giant monstrous cat with sharp claws and fangs who could probably leap a hundred feet into the air and... Naava suddenly shuddered quite audibly and visibly. Her apparently imagination had been steadily growing the longer she lived without her memory. And, needless to say, it wasn't being very useful in this situation.

Suddenly Naava wished she'd brought all of those weapons she owned with her. Maybe that's why she'd bought them, for protection. After all, the world was apparently a fairly frightening place... it made sense now to carry at least something you could protect yourself with around with you at all times. Perhaps she'd start keeping one of those beastly looking weapons with her...

Looking up, Naava sighed, the Anka was getting ready to leave, it looked like. With Sunset in full swing now it was great timing as well, Naava wasn't much interested in spending the night in this apparently Xanth-forsaken place. Shivering as a cool autumn night's breeze tossed the loose fabric of her dress around like a pile of dead leaves, the girl wrapped her arms tightly around herself. If she was lucky, the blasted giant bird would leave soon.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\

"Yes," Isis confirmed with an arch of her eyebrows, though she didn't turn back to face the two girls. "A tepua." From the sound of the Anyeli's voice, Isis' warnings had at least made some impact, though it remained to be seen whether or not Naava would actually heed the dangers next time she wanted to leave the safety of the town. Though, of course, it wasn't really that they'd left the town that was the problem; it was that they'd stayed out past twilight.

Her own voice making her sound more patronising than she'd intended, Isis explained: "It's a very large plant that grows in the lake. If you're not careful, you could wander into its trap and then it'll spend the next week digesting you. Luckily, you'd be unconscious the last couple of days, but..." She gave a one-shouldered shrug as if unconcerned that, until unconsciousness set in, the tepua's victims were very much aware of what was going on.

"It's... not the best way to die." Just thinking about it made Isis want to shudder with the horror of it, but she wasn't about to show these girls how much the idea disturbed her.

Speeding her pace up a few notches so that she was walking at just less than a jog - hopefully with the two girls close on her heels - Isis picked her way around a cluster of reeds that had begun to encroach on the path. "Don't worry though. You can see Danurai now." She stretched an arm out to gesture at the rickety buildings about a half mile ahead. "We'll be there in a couple of minutes."

[Kioni]

Kioni had blanched some moments ago when Isis mentioned the danger of the forest. Gulping, she found herself looking all around as if something was about to come out and she could stop it. And that was before Naava's question about what kind of danger.

Personally, Kioni didn't see the need to learn. They already knew they were in dangerous territory. Were details really necessary?? She didn't think so. But nevertheless, she listened when Isis chose to explain. Her only response was a faint squeak. As a result, there was even more scoping their surroundings on her part.

Wraiths?! A Tepua!! I don't even know what that is!!

Somehow that made things all the more terrifying. Until she learned what it was a few moments later. Then that became worse. And she really wished she hadn't heard exactly how the tepua killed you. When Isis announced that they were close to Danurai, Kioni was filled with a surge of relief. She wondered if they'd be able to run the rest of the way...

"Oh thank goodness!"" the girl breathed.

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Naava]

As Isis described how a Tepua could kill a person, Naava felt her stomach lurch. Literally lurch. In fact, she had to squeeze her stomach awfully tightly to keep herself from lunging forwards into a vomit. Digested? ALIVE? That was one of the more barbaric things the anyeli had ever heard... though she couldn't be cure if it was the most barbaric. Not with that whole missing-memory thing. Life was beginning to be rather troublesome due to that.

Soon, though, the trio all seemed to breath a sigh of relief (well, Isis may not have, but Naava decided to pretend she did) as they came closer to the village. Dan-oar-eye or something lke that. Naava couldn't remember the names of the towns lately, some people's names were hard enough, let alone the other towns and such. It was just such a headache for her. As the group approached the rugged old village, A large whistle was blown. "The anka! Oh no!" She shouted, recognizing it as the same whistle that had been blown when she went to board the anka earlier in the day.

Quickly grabbing the hem of her skirt, Naava turned to the others. "I'm sorry to leave so abruptly, but my ride seems to be leaving!" she said as she began to turn away. "The two of you are welcome to come as well, if you want, but hurry!" she shouted as she ran towards that large avian creature that was sitting on the ground outside of the town. If she moved quickly enough, she should be able to make it beore they took off.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\

Isis watched with fascinated amusement as the Anyelos suddenly kicked up the activity a notch or three. That anka whistle was like a trigger for lots of horrified running among tourists who'd lost track of the time but there was usually a second five minutes later before they actually took off. Of course, they may have missed the first. On a clear day, the whistle could be heard halfway across the lake, but she guessed it was better to be safe - and look silly dashing down the street - than to act like she had all the time in the world.

"You know, if you miss it, there's a ho...tel..." But Naava was already racing off and Isis gave a limp shrug. She'd done her civic duty warning them of the dangers and bringing them back to the village. "Bye then!" she yelled after the brunette, waggling her fingers in a wave she was sure the girl wouldn't look back to see.

Turning to Kioni, Isis smiled and gestured toward the great bird. "You'd best be off, too, if you plan to leave Danurai today. That'll be the last anka leaving, but there's a hotel if you want to stay overnight. I can take you there if you need me to."

[Kioni]

Kioni went severely rigid at a sound so shrill it pretty much took her off guard. And she was already on edge as it was what with her thoughts still preoccupied with visions of wraiths and tepuas and the fear of accidentally running into one due to bad luck. Which could happen. Due to her fear, Kioni didn't recognize the sound at first so naturally she freaked. Though she did briefly acknowledge something familiar about the sound. Not that it did much to make her feel any better.

Before she could ask what it was, Naava ended up freaking out. And then she figured out just why it sounded so familiar. It was an anka! Of course! But then... she frowned just a little bit when another thought came to mind.

What's an anka doing all the way out here?

There was no answer to the question. Instead, she got Naava freaking out once more but now there was a specific reason. She was in danger of being left behind. It surprised the girl that the nymph was happy to let them come along but had taken off before getting a response. She couldn't help but giggle as Isis ended up trailing off in the midst of her sentence.

Kioni hadn't thought much of the situation until Isis pointed out that if she wanted to get off Danurai, this would be her last chance until tomorrow. Hotel or not, the Dracovari female didn't think it'd be a good idea to stay.

"Oh! Naava! Hold on, I'm coming too!" Kioni turned to Isis. "Bye! And thanks for the help!" Thus, the Dracovari sprinted after the nymph.

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Official NPC]

// Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Aethereality · Resunik \\

Well, Isis thought dryly as she watched the 'Varian race after the Anyelos, at least they said thanks. Anyone would think the pair were afraid to stay in the run-down town and that broke Isis's heart. She wasn't from this region but she found a certain quaint charm about Danurai and the lake that made her mad and upset when others couldn't see past the dirty facade.

Then again, maybe they had someplace to be, in which case, she couldn't blame the pair for their mad-dash race for the last trip home.

Tugging the hood of her windbreaker down off her head, Isis shook her hair free and turned down the street in search of a hot meal.

OOC: Isis has left the thread.