As the girl walked ahead, shifting her tail behind her pridefully, a shadow eased out from in between some of the great stones that ringed the pool. It looked Thal over, and its thin lips smirked. "You have wandered great distances and gone nowhere at all, it seems."
Thal's only apparent reaction to the voice in the shadows was to turn his ears, and then his head towards it. He paused walking, though, and frowned. "Don't sound so pleased with yourself."
"With myself? With you, god of death. You are learning the ways of the wanderer. I am proud." The Elezen could be discerned in the shadows, but only just barely. He spread his arms and bowed to show his appreciation, still smiling. "Tell me: are you hungry?"
Blue eyes flicked ahead, towards the girl he walked with. "Hey, kid, wait up." Then towards Megiddo, eyeing him in silence for a moment before twisting his mouth. "Not much green around here."
"That's what the mask is for," The dark man said, and lifted a fingertip to the lines on his face.
The girl stopped and turned to watch Thal, confused. She couldn't see the man in the shadows. It looked to her like Thal was speaking to the stones.
"Do you wish to know how to use it to feed?" The elderly Duskwight spoke with a smile, as though he were beginning a joke.
"Eh? I thought it was for protecting? Or... absorbing. Whatever." Still, he freed the mask from the waistband of his pants, glancing down at it.
"On the surface it is but a simple woodwailer's mask, yes." The Duskwight nodded. "But inside," he traced his fingertip over his tattoo, "I have carved these lines for you. I will not waste your time with the spiritual technicalities. My guess is you have studied neither Thaumaturgy nor the Fist of Ralgr. Let it be this, however: any living being you kill while that mask is on your face will be sacrificed to your vitality."
"Living... oh hey." He flashed a grin at the shadows. "Animals, huh? Kid! How about that hunt..."
The girl looked confused, her head tilting and her eyes narrowing.
"Animals are good for base sustenance." The Duskwight retreated a step. "But if you ever must needs kill in self-defense, or feel like bringing someone down who has it coming, make sure the mask is on your face when you do. You won't regret it."
Thal grimaced at that, rocking back on his heels and running the fingers that didn't hold the mask through his hair. "Yeesh, old man, just put it out there why don't you..." He shook his head, bangs swinging, and then just tossed the mask up, catching it against smoothly. "You always were a bit creepy. Anyway... thanks, I think. Someday I'll repay you for all these favors, heh."
The old man chuckled, "Thal judges Oschon for suggesting the taking of lives? I think you'll come around. And, yes." He stepped back towards the shadows. "you will repay me. But don't worry. I'm every bit as humble as I appear."
The green-haired girl, losing patience with her confusion, turned and began walking back towards Thal.
Lifting a hand towards the shadows, Thal just shook his head, a mildly humoring smirk on his lips. Then he turned away towards the girl and blinked at her approach. "Right, so, I'm thinking we should find something to eat."
She frowned at that, and blinked. "How?"
"Well..." He flashed her a grin and then set the mask over his face. "Weren't we just talking about all the animals around? Let's see about getting us an orobon. We're by water, after all."
Thal's only apparent reaction to the voice in the shadows was to turn his ears, and then his head towards it. He paused walking, though, and frowned. "Don't sound so pleased with yourself."
"With myself? With you, god of death. You are learning the ways of the wanderer. I am proud." The Elezen could be discerned in the shadows, but only just barely. He spread his arms and bowed to show his appreciation, still smiling. "Tell me: are you hungry?"
Blue eyes flicked ahead, towards the girl he walked with. "Hey, kid, wait up." Then towards Megiddo, eyeing him in silence for a moment before twisting his mouth. "Not much green around here."
"That's what the mask is for," The dark man said, and lifted a fingertip to the lines on his face.
The girl stopped and turned to watch Thal, confused. She couldn't see the man in the shadows. It looked to her like Thal was speaking to the stones.
"Do you wish to know how to use it to feed?" The elderly Duskwight spoke with a smile, as though he were beginning a joke.
"Eh? I thought it was for protecting? Or... absorbing. Whatever." Still, he freed the mask from the waistband of his pants, glancing down at it.
"On the surface it is but a simple woodwailer's mask, yes." The Duskwight nodded. "But inside," he traced his fingertip over his tattoo, "I have carved these lines for you. I will not waste your time with the spiritual technicalities. My guess is you have studied neither Thaumaturgy nor the Fist of Ralgr. Let it be this, however: any living being you kill while that mask is on your face will be sacrificed to your vitality."
"Living... oh hey." He flashed a grin at the shadows. "Animals, huh? Kid! How about that hunt..."
The girl looked confused, her head tilting and her eyes narrowing.
"Animals are good for base sustenance." The Duskwight retreated a step. "But if you ever must needs kill in self-defense, or feel like bringing someone down who has it coming, make sure the mask is on your face when you do. You won't regret it."
Thal grimaced at that, rocking back on his heels and running the fingers that didn't hold the mask through his hair. "Yeesh, old man, just put it out there why don't you..." He shook his head, bangs swinging, and then just tossed the mask up, catching it against smoothly. "You always were a bit creepy. Anyway... thanks, I think. Someday I'll repay you for all these favors, heh."
The old man chuckled, "Thal judges Oschon for suggesting the taking of lives? I think you'll come around. And, yes." He stepped back towards the shadows. "you will repay me. But don't worry. I'm every bit as humble as I appear."
The green-haired girl, losing patience with her confusion, turned and began walking back towards Thal.
Lifting a hand towards the shadows, Thal just shook his head, a mildly humoring smirk on his lips. Then he turned away towards the girl and blinked at her approach. "Right, so, I'm thinking we should find something to eat."
She frowned at that, and blinked. "How?"
"Well..." He flashed her a grin and then set the mask over his face. "Weren't we just talking about all the animals around? Let's see about getting us an orobon. We're by water, after all."
"Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven."
Hipparion Tribe (Sagolii)Â - Â Antimony Jhanhi's Wiki