RP:Slit Jogs the Memory of Lady Darkness

Path to the North, in the Xalious Ranges

As the sun sank to its rest behind the great ranges of Xalious to the west, a dark blot would appear over its glow, like the black pupil in a vast, red eye. High in the air over the mountains, the shape of a massive winged beast continued to blot out the sunlight, growing larger and larger as it neared the end of the ranges and lost altitude. Its shape was vaguely bat-like, but no bat was ever so large as this.. Closer it came, and closer, until those standing below could see clearly its black, plated hide and the vicious hooks dangling from its underside, perhaps the glint of great, saucer-shaped eyes. Tenebrae's wing-beast snorted loudly as it came in to land upon the road not far from a nest of rocs, a massive lump of horror made flesh.. On its back sat a small woman, shapely in her tight-fitting armour that was as dark as her hair. Sliding off the creature's back, she'd stand before it, eyeing the road ahead as if in deep thought.

Watching the sun slowly sink, Slit breathed in the mountain air and closed his eyes, focusing on his past and all that had happened to him before his return to the land of Hollow. The elder elf then notices the animals scurrying in several directions, hiding within the various cracks within the mountain and under fallen trees. He then hears the sound of a great beast flying above him; with a calm expression on his face he looks up at the creature and slowly reaches over and grabs his old longbow and rests it against his shoulder. As the creature lands not far from him, he notices a small woman with pale skin slide off the back of the beast and he curiously watches her, attempting to ascertain her next move. He then takes his long bow in hand and leans on it as he attempts to stand, his knees shaking as he lifts his weight. then with a slight smile across his face he calls out to the woman "No need to be afraid, I am just an old elf spending time with one of my apprentices, one must look after the young these days to ensure they stay on the right path, don't you agree?"

Tenebrae snorted. Afraid? Hardly.. but she'd play along. "Oh, what a relief!" she called back, "A lady can never be too careful about meeting strangers on the road." A telepathic command had the wing-beast stay put for the moment, though in its manta-like mouth ground razored teeth and ropes of drool slavered from its strange jaws. Tenebrae would allow it feed later, but presently she'd amuse herself with this elf... As she stepped a little closer to Slit, he might glimpse the dull gem set into a diadem on her brow, and how her armour seemed to shift across her body like it had a mind of its own. Tene's face bore a wide, white smile. "You must have some life in you still, Elder, if you're able to wield that bow.."

Watching the woman walk closer towards him, her sleek figure casting a shadow upon the ground from the residual light peeking from behind the mountains, Slit cast a small smile that showed through his solid white beard that covered his face at the woman's remark "Oh I may have a few little surprises left in me, but I haven't fought in a long time," he said, remembering his past when it was he who ordered the massacre of an entire village of peasants just so that he could bring order to a region that resisted his rule. He straightened his back and breathed calmly and then said to the woman, "What brings you all the way out here to the middle of the mountains?: Raising one hand towards his beard, he began to stroke it in a manner that indicated he was interested at least for a moment in hearing what she had to say.

Tenebrae was not the type to feel relaxed around anybody - you don't get to calling yourself the 'Arch-necromancer' and actually deserving the title, without making enemies... But she was good at putting on a show, and it was a most affable one she put on now. Her smile was a radiant thing, filled with sweetness and light in stark opposition to the creature she'd rode in on. "Just passing through, really," she said, her tone as friendly as her smile, "My wing-beast was a tad peckish and smelled its favourite prey. " Tene glanced back to the roc-nest, which was being eyeballed hard by her colossal mount. "Takes a lot of fuel to keep that thing in the air.. Oh," she exclaimed then, clasping a dismayed hand to her upper chest, "How rude of me! Chit-chatting away like a fish-wife, and not even a word of introduction.. They call me Tenebrae. And to whom do I have the pleasure..?"

Listening to the winds flowing to and fro from the large beast that stood in front of him, the stench from the creature’s maw slightly turned Slit's stomach. Hearing her words he could feel that she was putting on a façade, so he decided that he could play along - he gave a slight bow and said, "Oh, a pleasure to meet you, lady Tenebrae." He then hesitated for a moment, thinking about how much he could reveal to the woman without leaving himself open to future troubles, "I am but a simple guardian of the forest named Slit." He then rose back up and laid his left hand on the top of his bow to give him more stability in standing as his feeble body bore the pains of many campaigns of war and he did not wish to appear too feeble to a stranger that he only just came into contact with. Holding the bow he slowly uses its strength to lower himself back down onto the rock that he was sitting on before, he then took his other hand and patted a place on the rock large enough for someone to sit, he then motioned for Tenebrae to come join him and relax in the mountain breeze.

Tenebrae's armour slid back from her hands as she splayed them and shook her head, "Forgive me, but I've been sitting all day... " and remained standing while she spoke on, "And it is indeed a pleasure to meet you... Slit, was it? Unusual name, if you don't mind me saying." A familiar one, too, setting off a faint ring of memory in the back of her mind. Where'd she heard it before? The knowledge eluded her, so she went on chatting, hoping something the elf said would trigger her recall. "Forest, you said?" she inquired politely, and up this close maybe Slit would catch of glimpse of teeth that were not only white, but all sharply pointed, perhaps the flicker of a forked tongue as the woman talked. "Which forest would that be? I'm from Vailkrin, myself, originally."

Slit sitting upon the rock he felt more comfortable now that the pain in his legs began to subside, "Oh yes indeed it is very unusual, it is a simple nickname that I picked up centuries ago and it has stuck ever since no matter what I do," he said, smiling, wondering if the woman had studied her history and picked up on his name, he then disregarded his thought and decided that he could give a little more to the woman. He then looked directly at her eyes, "I was born in the town of Kelay, and lived within the Sage for a long time, myself and its history are forever woven together." While looking at the woman he noticed her teeth and then with a small giggle "I have met many of your kind over the years, I even took a few as my apprentices, and I must admit with a little pride my apprentices tend to do very well for themselves."

Tenebrae's eyes were the pale green of peridot gems, and glittered faintly in the dying light. "Sage..." Damn it, she felt she ought to know this elf.. or at least know of him. "Sage is a lovely place. Though not without its troubles," she added delicately, "As of course, you'd know." The wing-beast lifted and dropped its huge manta-like wings, sending dust-devils and plumes of dirt out to sully the clear mountain air. Tenebrae frowned at it, wafting the dust from her face, "Were you hunting those rocs, by chance? " she asked Slit, then, "I fear my beast might become unruly if left too long without its meal." Her kind, she was thinking. He would have no idea what her 'kind' really were, but she figured he thought she was a garden-variety vampire and was happy for the elf to continue thinking so. "Vampires do make good rangers, it's true, but elves are the true masters of the woods."

Slit attempted to figure out the nature of this creature, as her demeanor of a young vampire out for a stroll he wasn't believing. "My dear, I do not train only rangers." he said with an air of elderly annoyance, "I have taught many across the ages, mages, knights, it does not matter to me what profession they have chosen in life, all that I seek is a mind that is willing to accept my teachings." he then leveled his feet flat to the ground just in case his starkness may cause him some trouble, he then leaned forward bracing himself on his longbow, and looked at the woman's beast and smiled, "No I wasn't hunting rocs, I prefer more dangerous hunts to satisfy my hunger." He could feel the magical energy surrounding this woman and, although he is old and has a vast knowledge of magics and the proper use of them in the world, he could not pinpoint what exact type of magical entities that were swirling about her.

Tenebrae's mind reached out to her mount, giving it permission to feed as it willed on the roc nests. So that her mental connection to it might stay hidden for now, she also waved an imperious hand and called, "Suppertime!" On which the monstrosity slithered on its great, flat belly toward the cliffs. This achieved, Tenebrae turned that dazzling smile back to Slit, "Oh, really? What's the nature of your teachings, then, sir? I had assumed you a simple hunter, by your garb and bow.. " And what he'd told her earlier, but Tene didn't mention that... the man seemed far from being as 'simple' as he'd claimed. And there was still that nagging feeling that she ought to know his name. "I am always after improving myself, for one must never grow dull, I like to say. Perhaps you could teach me a thing or two."

Slit laughed a little and then with a blithe smile, "I teach those who have an earnest desire to better themselves and raise their position in the world." He then stood once more and began walking over to a tree growing within the side of the mountain, he touched the branches and with a blue light surrounding his hand it slowly moved from him and covered the tree. "Life is like this tree, many claim that this far up in the mountains that no strong tree may grow, but this tree stands in defiance of those who would declare that it can not be strong, true its roots may not run deep here, but it can be powerful nevertheless, all it needs is a helping hand to guide it down the path that it has chosen and I am the instrument to guide it. For what are we to the world if we do not try to make it better than we found it?"

Tenebrae coughed softly, and resisted the urge to answer that obviously hypothetical question with 'necromancers..?" Instead she clasped her hands behind her back and rocked gently on her heels in the manner of a young human girl. "I see." She glanced toward the tree, and nodded, even as the distant screams of rocs being torn apart sounded from the northern chasms. Raising her voice over this din, the Necromancer continued, "Wisdom indeed, sir Slit. Tenacity is a lesson that many would do well to learn, in these lands." The screaming of the birds ceased then, and the woman found herself shouting in the abrupt silence, "Like the poor elves... ahem. Sorry.. like the elves, driven out of their homeland. I hear they were tenacious as stone.. until the end."

At the mention of his brethren, Slit turned around and looked at the woman. The pain he felt at the loss of his people's homeland had dealt a wound to him like no blade could. He summoned his resolve and maintained a stoic demeanor and then he spoke sternly to the woman "Yes, my people have had misfortune, but it was not always so and we have suffered before. Did not the elves once lose some of the forest to the dwarves during the first age until a hero showed up amongst them and forced the dwarves back west into their mountains? Again during the 2nd Dark Age the elves were once more facing a formidable foe that threatened to conquer their forest, and yet again a young ranger rose up amongst them and forged a mighty empire that was more than equal to any power that could be mustered against it. His story is a lesson for all elves; he led by example. When he saw that his people were in trouble he did not flee to Frostmaw or scatter to the wind, he united the elves and held the forest against all enemies. And when his resolve became known around the world, other races rallied around his banner and with this he brought hope that the world could be one and all the chaos that plagued the land then could be cleansed from the land - and a true pure kingdom would once more grace the lands of Hollow where all peoples could live."

Tenebrae blinked.. she'd really hit a nerve, there, it seemed.. but the elderly elf's ranting gave her a far better picture of his true nature than she'd had before. Filing all that information away in the back of her mind for future pondering, the Necromancer offered Slit a very faint, sad little smile, "Heroes are few and far between these days, sadly. And the blood of the elves still spatters the forest to this day, from what I hear. But still.. you never know. Their fortune may change, eh?" Her smile took a hopeful cast, which didn't quite make it to her cold, green eyes. "As for the world being 'one'.. I think any hero would be hard pressed to get them all together for a free feast, let alone being united in purpose like that. But again one can only wish such a man luck.. Ah! There you are!" This last was to the plate-skinned creature who'd had its fill of gigantic birds, and was now slithering its way back to its Mistress. Tene turned a slightly apologetic grin to Slit. "Messy eaters.. but they'll keep the paths clear for those wishing to travel the byways of these ranges.. " Once she'd made a few more of its kind.. "And while it's been a sheer delight to meet you, Slit, and such a thrill to chat with you, I believe I really must be about my business now."

Slit regained his composure somewhat after making his little speech, he then gathered his belongings around the rock he had been sitting and shifted it onto his back, "Heroes are always around, you only need to look closer to find them." He then began to walk down the path back towards Kelay, taking small steps as to give him time to ponder should he need to say anything else to the woman, he then turned to her and offered a handshake "it has been a pleasure talking with you also, and may the gods bless you as they have me and my children."

But Tenebrae was already leaving, so the elf's hand would be left there, unshaken, though as she climbed onto the back of her undead mount, she would offer Slit a friendly enough wave of farewell. The wing-beast grunted, spilling little clots of roc-offal and drool from its horrible maw, as it slid toward the lip of the nearest drop - these beasts could not simply flap their appendages and take off into the air, like birds or dragons.. Soon, the woman and her monster were airborne, though, as vast wing-flaps caught the winds under them and they soared away.

And it wasn't until then that Tenebrae let out a gasp, having finally remembered where she'd heard the name 'Slit' before...

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