Eye of the Storm (Enter Zaskrit. Again.)

[Mahandronis]

Comeoncomeoncomeon . . .

Nonono. No?

Heh.

The flowers gently swayed in the sunset, then stopped as the pale blue portal closed, halting the burst of wind from within.

Simple as that?

Zaskrit carefully examined herself. She didn't appear to have suffered any damage from the teleportation, but then it would have been unusual if she had. The young woman didn't seem to pay much mind to the pristine landscape around her except to walk over to the nearby cliff. Gazing out across it, she saw a lower level of the fields, perhaps one hundred and fifty feet below, stretching out before her, the meandering rivers glistening in the sunset.

The beauty had little effect on Zaskrit, however; she dropped unceremoniously by the edge and gazed down at the metal gauntlet on her right hand. Clenching that fist, she looked up angrily at the sky, where several large black birds were circling. Standing without taking her eyes off them, she called out.

"You! Gaea-damned, hellblasted wretches! Begone! Out!"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and a scratchy one at that. She proceeded to lay slightly more powerful obscenities upon the birds before snapping her fingers. As she did so, a silvery-blue ball of energy materialized in her hand, quickly melting into the form of a handgun. The subsequent hail of dead bird pieces did little to improve her mood.

"@#$% it, I don't care."

She sat down again, then fell on her back, gazing up at the clouds. When she spoke again, it was in a raspy scream that slowly tapered to a whisper as she ran out of breath.

"Where the hell are you?! I know you're here, somewhere! And when I find you . . . Oh yes, when I find you . . . "

[rilcarsymlea]

Rilcar had seen her appear out of the light. She didn't look like the best company, even on a lonely road such as this.

Caution is best. Pff. I sound like my mother.

The young woman decided to give the...rather too interesting person a wide berth. Ril began circling around her.

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit slowed her ramblings and listened intently - someone was there . . .

She swivled her head carefully to the left and the right, then stood, keeping her face low. As she turned around, lifting her violet eyes carefully, she saw a woman carefully making her way around the bluff. Zaskrit narrowed her eyes; she was not sure what to make of the intruder.

"Hey! Young woman!"

As she rasped out her cry, she realized taht it would be very difficult for someone to hear her voice in its present state. Instead of continuing to waste her breath, she slowly began pacing in a course to intercept the girl.

What do we do now?

. . .

Shut up. I wasn't asking you.

[rilcarsymlea]

She's seen me.

Rilcar wondered if she could ignore the woman. Of course, you shouldn't to run away from something threatening, she reasoned. Then it has the opportunity to chase you.

This making a name for yourself business is not as fun as it sounded. First boredom and traveling, then too interesting.

She stopped rather sulkily to wait.

Maybe she can introduce me to some less interesting people.

"Beautiful day." Ril wondered if 'chit chat' was in this creatures vocabulary.

[Mahandronis]

As Zaskrit stumbled along, she realized that she was in worse shape than she had thought; her lungs were barely getting enough oxygen in the thin air. By the time she had approached the woman, she was breathing heavily and starting to feel light-headed.

"Can you tell me where I am?"

[rilcarsymlea]

"You're in the middle of no where, mostly. The village I passed through called these the Atlum Fields."

She looked around. Though beautiful, the place seemed very barren. Cliffs and flowers, but not many people.

"I'm walking to the village at the other end of this path." Rilcar continued hesitantly, "You look like you should come with me."

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit slowly nodded. She still wasn't sure where she was - she wasn't even sure if it was the right planet - but it would probably suffice for now.

"Yes . . . that would be good . . ."

She pulled herself up alongside the young woman.

"Do you know how far it is?"

[rilcarsymlea]

"No. Couple more days of walking, I'd guess. Do you need to rest for a while?"

Rilcar had been taught to look out for people, even odd strangers. She kept an arms length between them as she talked.

"I have some food, if you're hungry."

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit pondered this for a moment. Then:

"No. I don't . . . need to eat right now."

Quiet. Shut up, I didn't ask you.

"I think there needs to be a faster way to get there . . ."

A demon? Too . . . I don't want to think about it. I think we'll manage.

Zaskrit really didn't feel like talking too much; it hurt her throat. But since she didn't really know what to do, and she'd begun to feel slightly less out of place, she kept it up all the same in the limited capacity that she could.

"I suppose we will be fine, though."

[rilcarsymlea]

Rilcar walked in the grass, leaving the small path for her new companion. She didn't look so good. Rilcar mentally rummaged through her supplies. Food, stuff for a fire...not much, though. Would it last till they came to a town?

Where are my manners?

"My name is Rilcar Symlea. I'm out to see the world."

Ril turned expectantly to the woman beside her.

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit slowly nodded.

"Not really sure . . . I guess . . . um, they call me Zaskrit. Nameless."

She scanned the area.

"I'm . . . just hoping I'm safer here. I'm mostly here because it wasn't safe where I used to be."

It'll find me. It always finds me. We agree for once.

She shook herself a moment.

"What is this planet? I think it's better if I figure out where exactly . . . I am."

[rilcarsymlea]

Rilcar was confused. She decided to ignore what was probably babble.

"Nameless? But...Zaskrit is a name, isn't it?"

She sort of regretted extending the proverbial olive branch, which made her feel guilty.

Mother always said young women should never travel alone. Then again, people like her are why we shouldn't travel alone. They're usually men. The world would be a lot simpler if the crazy women just realized that they...are women. We're supposed to be the sane gender.

She sat down in the grass, taking off one of her shoes.

"These things are so irritating. Little bits of everything get stuck in them."

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit looked down at her own feet. Her boots were, of course, immaculate - she'd cleaned them just before she arrived. Seeing a small twig caught in the laces, she hastened to remove it and cast it aside, perhaps a little more forcefully than necessary.

"It's . . . kind of a name. I don't think it's my real name. It MEANS 'nameless' in my home language. To be honest . . . I don't really remember what my name's supposed to be."

No she doesn't. Stop it. Stop it. I'm not going to argue about this.

[rilcarsymlea]

This was something Rilcar could talk about.

“You don’t remember your name? Names are really important!"

Ril derailed herself by thinking of her own name. She almost lost it to marriage - one of the reasons she's traveling now.

"Since you lost your first name, did you name yourself Zaskrit or did someone else give it to you?"

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit pondered this question a moment.

" . . . I started calling myself that. When people asked me what my name was, I just said that. It might be my name, but . . . it's kind of a stupid name."

A faint eruption of thunder behind the pair caused Zaskrit to jump, then settle down only slightly.

" . . . I don't . . . like lightning much . . ."