Kayse (prime)/Vignette: Disturbances

They moved through the Bowels with swiftness scouring the tunnels for Iloke. Daggers drawn at her sides, she stayed within the shadows so she could strike quickly.  She was concentrating on being alert for any enemies, but her pear green eyes drifted to watch the man who was always by her side.  A smile cracked on her lips as her eyes lightened.  She watched the way his muscles moved, his facial expression as he slammed a fist into an Elder, the way his white hair flew around his freckle-dotted skin.  He was graceful and elegant, moving fluidly as he danced.  Often times, she would take a few extra moments in the darkness to watch him before revealing herself to their foes, just so she could gaze upon his form a bit longer.


The half-sylvan suddenly blinked rapidly and paused.  Noticing they had stopped, Kayse snapped out of her dreamy gaze, her expression fading back to calculating as she examined Rowmi.  His mien was curious as he observed an Illoke Jarl, his eyes suddenly flashing with an intensity she had only witnessed a few times before.


“Do not kill that one,”  Rowmi said firmly.


Surreptitiously she glanced at him and dove for another victim as she slashed a blade through its eye.  Turning her attention back towards him, Rowmi closed his eyes to mere slits and stared intently at the jarl, raising his hand slightly.  


Taking a few measured steps forward she quietly inquired, "What are you telling him?"


Rowmi’s eyes flashed briefly but he did not take his gaze off the Jarl as he spoke, "Simply trying to see inside right now."


Her curiosity was piqued, albeit she was slightly nervous--something she would never admit, not even to herself.  She stood down with her daggers at her side.  Observing Rowmi for a few moments, she sidled up to him, her eyes darting between him and the creature.


The crumbling and movement of the rocks echoing throughout the caverns was all that was heard as they stood there for what seemed forever in otherwise silence.  Rowmi closed his eyes completely in concentration, his brow furrowed; yet he had a rather peaceful demeanor and she caught herself admiring him again.


Noticing some movement in her peripheral vision, Kayse averted away from Rowmi and towards the jarl again.  The Illoke jarl had turned his head and locked eyes with Rowmi.  The aelotoi’s eyes widened as the jarl began to speak, his voice earthen and raspy, but sounding strangely like Rowmi’s, "Brothers, help, to me!"


The stone beneath Kayse’s feet began to shift and she leaped out of the way as another jarl appeared from the ground--followed by another one, until five surrounded them.


She glanced sharply at Rowmi before muttering a dry, “lovely” under her breath and ducking into the shadows.  As she leaped to strike a leg of a jarl, Rowmi’s bright cornflower blue eyes lit up and with extreme fascination he surveyed his surroundings,  “Brilliant.”


The five were quickly put down, but the loud rumbling from underneath them was only a taste of what was about to come.  The rocks morphed and bended and more foes arrived.  In a blink of an eye, the stoney figures severely outnumbered the two as eighteen and counting circled around the pair.


They fought--fists and blades flying against the stone, the bodies of Illoke piling up.  Kayse had already grown tired before this and she felt fatigue setting in.  As she was about to creep back into the shadows to attack again, a jarl flicked a wrist at Kayse, casting a magic she couldn’t resist which forced her to her knees.  As she struggled against its control, the stone fist of an elemental slammed into her abdomen, sending Kayse into a wall--her body slumped to the ground in a thud.


Her vision was fuzzy as she just saw the blurred feet of Rowmi as he danced, a metallic taste filling her mouth and indistinguishable noises ringing through her ears.  Her body became cold and she inhaled sharply then could see nothing but darkness.  The faint scent of a jungle after a freshly fallen rain invaded her senses followed by a gentle voice on the wind, reminding her of something.


Rowmi picked up her body and fogged back to the streets of Wehnimer’s in just brief moments.  Her consciousness returned and her essence hovered over her fallen body and her amin.  Excitement was painted on Rowmi’s face, but his eyes darkened to a worried and concerned tone as he looked over her lifeless body.  


Before the two could utter a word, the ground began to rumble, and Rowmi toppled over as the vibrations shocked the dirt beneath them.  A scream pierced the night nearby and loud shouts echoed throughout the streets of the town.  As the quakes continued, dozens of stoney arms breached the surface as if summoned and a group of Illoke minions appeared before the duo.


Tilting his head upwards to gaze upon the figures, Rowmi said quietly, "I think I may have insulted Illoke."