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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 0:29:42 GMT -5
There had been an island here once, a great, artificial monument of concrete and steel to the need of machines to consume and destroy the nature around them. This place had been in turmoil, only worsened by one man's attempts to poison the skies themselves. But people had come... children, to stop this man. And in their success, they destroyed the false island, forcing it beneath the waves. This place was calm now, the water sometimes seeming completely smooth, like a great sheet of glass. But today, something was reflected in that liquid glass. An echidna, wrinkled with age, sat cross legged in the middle of the lake, a gnarled cane resting across his knees. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep, but he was aware... more aware than even his waking hours could grant him. Athair had listened to this place's history, and now simply sat in silent commune with the nature around him. All of this, of course, seemed normal for a priest, as Athair was, except for one small, but significant detail... Athair was seated a foot above the water's surface at the middle of the lake.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:03:11 GMT -5
Meanwhile, at the shore of the bay, a aerobike zoomed by, it's air jets kicking up dirt and sand as it speedily went, it's passenger glancing from his path to the water's surface, catching sight of the old man but not giving it much thought. At first. A mere moment there was another, longer, and much more surprised glance from the rider, who, in his disbelieving state, was no longer watching the road. A tree branch swiped at his head, dislodging his hat from his head. Had it been any lower, he'd probably be unconcious and missing a few teeth at this moment. Fortunately, it hadn't, and it had brought him out of his revelry and gave him the sense to brake before any extended staring sessions. Still gawking at the sight he THOUGHT he saw out on the lake, the weasel hopped from his bike and trudged back to where he'd lost his hat, nearly tripping over a few roots and rocks on the way there. ... He couldn't REALLY be seeing what he was seeing... COULD he?
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 2:13:56 GMT -5
There was no sign of movement from the echidna, until the weasel recovered his hat. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes, and stood, his feet coming to rest on the surface of the water. He knew the weasel was there. He'd heard the foul roar of that person's... Well, he assumed it was a vehicle, but it had announced itself rather well. He turned, defying more laws of physics as he leaned on his cane, which was only being supported by the water beneath him. "I see you out there. Can I help you?" The echidna had raised his voice, but only just enough that Fang would be able to hear him clearly. After a moment, of course, he glances down at the water beneath him, then chuckles. "Actually, wait there. I'll simply come to you." And so... he walked. Across the lake, towards the shoreline.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:15:59 GMT -5
Jaw. Drop.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 2:18:53 GMT -5
The elderly echidna's slow stride stopped once his feet reached the sand, and he pointed at Fang's open mouth with his cane. "You know, if you stay like that long enough, a bird may decide to make a nest there." Athair chuckled softly, resting his hands on his cane.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:23:15 GMT -5
At the comment, the weasel's jaw snapped back to it's rightful place, and he gave the echidna a incredulous look, gaze drifting down to the echidna's feet, and then to the water. After a few moments of silence, the weasel took a few steps into the water himself, only to find... he now had wet boots. He blinked and looked back again to the older mobian, still standing in the shallow waters. "... How?!"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 2:28:30 GMT -5
Athair had turned to watch Fang's actions, and just nodded as he recognized the type of person soon standing in front of him, ankle deep in the lake's waters. A skeptic. One who only believed in things he could touch, taste, see, feel or hear. And for one such as him, he only had a simple, and most likely infuriating answer. Which was only made worse as he stepped back out onto the water next to the weasel, looking down at him. "Faith." The echidna smiled, absentmindedly tracing a groove on his cane with his thumb.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:33:28 GMT -5
The weasel's snout wrinkled a bit at the echidna's reply, his gaze once again shifting to the elder's footwear. He resisting with all he had not to not simply grab at one and inspect it's sole. "It's the shoes, iddinit?"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 2:36:08 GMT -5
Athair didn't answer at first, instead, stepping back onto the shore. "You find it that hard to believe?" The elderly echidna then, with some effort, removed his shoes, wiggling his toes a little, before stepping back out onto the water. "No. It is not the shoes."
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:44:57 GMT -5
One could see the fur on the back of Fang's neck rise as the echidna once again walked onto the water, this time, sans shoes. One could also hear the cogs and gears in his brain simple slow down, creak, and EXPLODE trying to comprehend it. Jumping out of the water as if he'd just learned it was inhabited by poisonous biting worms, he stared again. How?? HOW HOW HOW?His gaze turned upwards finally, the weasel's own expression being a mix of a small part confusion, a large part frustration, and even a very tiny tish of fear. "I have faith, old man. It's in gravity and that water ain't solid. What the heck sorta crazy miracle faith do you have that lets you just waltz around on H20 like it's... it's..." he gestured wildly at the ground beneath his feet.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 2:52:54 GMT -5
"Faith in a power higher than myself. In a being who can allow water to be like solid earth to me, if she so chose. I have faith that she will, and so, it is." Athair then stepped back onto (relatively) dry land, and set to work putting his shoes back on. "Is such faith so hard to understand, even for one such as yourself?"
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 2:54:34 GMT -5
"YEAH. BECAUSE YOU JUST WALKED ON FRIGGIN WATER." Needless to say, the weasel did NOT consider his questions answered.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 3:08:54 GMT -5
The elderly mobian shook his head as he finished pulling his shoes on. "You believe I walked on water through some power of my own, when it's only power granted to me by her." Athair stood, dusting himself off lightly. "I'm only a servant to her, the Guardian, and the Goddess. It is THEY who give me my power." The echidna nodded a little, accenting his statement, before he continued. "Perhaps if you found faith of your own, you too could 'walk on water'."
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 3:13:19 GMT -5
Frustration often turns to anger very quickly. This was the case here as well. "I don't NEED some DUSTY OLD ANTEATER giving me lectures about FAITH, ARRIGHT? And I don't BUY the whole 'power of the Goddess' HOOKAY, ARRIGHT? If you think you can fool me with some stupid magic trick and a lotta talk about NOTHIN, ya got the WRONG WEASEL." And with that, he stormed off back in the direction of his bike.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 3:21:32 GMT -5
Athair sighed as Fang stormed away. He was not willing to learn, to open his mind to possibilities beyond those placed on him. "Then all I can do is wish you luck on your journey, Lowell. I sincerely hope you find what you truly desire." And Athair turned, heading along the beach the opposite direction from the weasel.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 3:27:40 GMT -5
Fang both cringed and stopped midstep at the same time, his eyes going wide. Had he heard what he thought he heard? He couldn't of. No one knew that. NO ONE. Except those that were most likely DEAD by now. He turned his head slightly, to eye the echidna from over his shoulder, growling. "What was that." It wasn't a question. It was a demand.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 3:30:41 GMT -5
Athair's own steps stopped, as he partially turned to examine the agitated weasel. "That IS your name, isn't it?" Athair didn't seem worried about what Fang may do to him, or the fact that the weasel had a VERY visible gun on his hip. He'd simply given Fang one more taste of what Athair was gifted with by his gods.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 3:32:26 GMT -5
Fang turned fully to face the echidna, his hand twitching and hovering over the gun holstered at his belt. "Who told you."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 3:35:03 GMT -5
"I've already told you. My gods grant more than just power. They give knowledge as well. I knew your name when you arrived." Athair then noted Fang's near grip on his weapon. "If you feel there is no other option here except violence, simply from me knowing your name, I won't stop you." The elderly mobian's expression then became stony. "But I will defend myself if I must."
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 3:37:44 GMT -5
Gun in hand. And pointed. "WHO. TOLD. YOU." Having what he thought was a stranger knowing his name, and possibly his history, was NOT something the weasel was comfortable with.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 3:43:30 GMT -5
"As I said, I was told by my gods. You can relax, I will do nothing with the knowledge I have." The echidna turned, and began walking away, although he was still keeping himself aware of Fang's actions. "I'm not like one of the many people you've made angry in your life. I would like for you to trust me, as my people do, but you've guarded yourself too thoroughly." Athair spoke as he walked, the distance growing between him and the weasel.
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Post by DB on Feb 3, 2008 3:55:29 GMT -5
The weasel's rage was still boiling over, even as the old echidna walked off. Part of him wanted to shriek at the elder to come back and answer his questions in the way he wanted them answered, another part considered simply shooting the old bastard in the back would be the best solution, and than yet another one asked what the worst an old magician that was probably already on the end of his life could do anyway. Slowly, he returned his gun to it's place at his belt. The latter part had won out. Turning abruptly, he stiffly returned to his bike, hopping back onto the seat and revving the engine before continuing on as he had before, as if none of this had ever happened. However, it had happened, and one way or another, the memory of this was going to stick for quite awhile.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 3, 2008 20:51:50 GMT -5
The elderly echidna simply sighed as he heard Fang's bike roar away, turning to look out across the lake. It seems like faith in anything in this day and age is dying. The echidna mused, seating himself at the shoreline, and resting his cane again across his lap. This world needs me more than ever. I only hope I'll live long enough to do something about it.And so the elderly priest began meditating again, this time, seated on the sand.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 2:47:45 GMT -5
It was sometime later before another disturbance came. A short distance around the shoreline, another visitor emerged from the surrounding landscape: this time, it was an echidna girl, apparently still in her teens. She let out a relieved sigh as she came upon the lake, and quickly closed the gap to its lapping waters. The young, slender girl splashed in knee-deep unceremoniously, quickly splashing her face and arms with the cool and refreshing liquid, then cupping her hands for a long draught.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 2:54:20 GMT -5
Athair noted the arrival of the younger echidna, but didn't move. It was as if he was part of the landscape. So he remained in his meditative position, waiting until Tikal had finished drinking for the moment. "It seems you had a certain lack of supplies." The priest remarked, with no other sign of movement from him. His voice seemed to carry to Tikal, even though he didn't speak any louder than normal.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 3:00:01 GMT -5
The echidna girl paused, and straightened up long enough to glance around. No one immediately stood out to her vision, but it was clear another person lingered somewhere nearby. It was no matter, regardless; though her ability to learn had been greatly hindered in her youth, Tikal had still managed to enter the ranks of a priestess, albeit a very low-level one. The trick Athair had used luckily was one she'd been introduced to. "I'm afraid so," she quietly replied, also allowing her voice to ride the drifting breeze. "I'm equipped with only my wits."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 3:08:31 GMT -5
Athair was pleased to find that he was speaking to a priestess, although he was unsure of much else beyond that... so he slowly stood, and began walking along the beach towards her. As he got closer, he noticed she had no beads on her dreadlocks, as a priest or priestess should have, which caught his attention immediately. She also seemed... familiar to the elderly mobian, but her name escaped him for the moment. "You are missing your beads, child. Did something happen to them?" Athair's voice again carried on the wind to Tikal, carrying no anger, or even confusion, just... curiosity.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 3:11:41 GMT -5
Her face turned to greet her elder as he approached, but Tikal's features seemed to have... wilted slightly. "I......" The priestess's eyes, looking almost guilt-ridden, cast themselves downward before she finished saying, " ...I don't have them anymore."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 3:15:59 GMT -5
The elder echidna's expression, as it met Tikal's was, quite fittingly, grandfatherly. He stopped a few feet from her, leaning slightly on his cane. He was right, he DID know her, but from where? "How did you lose them, child?" Athair's eyes never left Tikal's face as he then awaited her answer.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 3:21:36 GMT -5
"...." A great weight seemed to have settled itself in her heart. Tikal found great difficulty in admitting her disgrace to such a high-level priest, and as such, waded a bit deeper into the shallow water. She could feel his eyes following her. "My father took them from me." Tikal hesitated a second time, but assuming that he would just prod her further anyway, continued just above a whisper. " ...He sold them."
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