[robopup24]

Field/NightStriker

The monks peered out of the large window and watched with curiousity as two distant figures neared, landing neatly in front of the temple. Many hurried out to greet these new visitors, welcoming them with open smiles. They were rather strange: A Chaos Kuchi Nagi and a Battlefield Garudor. It was obvious the Garudor was the Kuchi Nagi's mount.

NightStriker smiled politely back at the monks and quietly asked, "Do you mind if we stay here for the night?" Field stared at the monks blankly, a small smile forming on her beak.

"No problem." The monks nodded. "Please, come in!"

They ushered the two in the temple, quite happily if you can say that.

[Catastrophe]

Krua and Arkhein
Arkhein looked up from his book, one of the temple's many sacred texts, hearing the muffled thunk of wood on wood that meant the closing of the temple door. Gently depositing the ancient document on a nearby chair, he peered into the temple's antechamber. A Garudor and Kuchi Nagi stood near the door leading from the cool room.

Arkhein grimaced. Krua was smart enough a Garudor that he could tolerate her, even grown to like her, but his race's long-standing disdain of the larger creatures till remained. Regardless, he must be polite and introduce himself. As the monks preached it, all were friends here. He called to Krua, who lay resting on the cool tiles of the one of many reading rooms. She stood, and the two approached the new arrivals.

"Greetings," Arkhein said, holding out a dextrous wing to shake, "I am Arkhein. My partner is Krua." The Glacial Garudor inclined her head. "Do you stay only for the night, or are you here on a more permanent stay?"

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NightStriker shook the wing and smiled. "We're here to only spend the night. Did I introduce myself? I am known as NightStriker and my friend," He gestured toward the Garudor. "Is called Field." Field gave a curteous bow. "We just came here to relax. We've traveled a long way."

"Yes, a long way." Field echoed, her voice a bit dreamy.

"Don't be offended if she accidentaly says something wrong. She is, um, a bit mentally slow."

"Mentally slow." Field muttered and quickly preened her feathers.

[Catastrophe]

Krua stepped forward. "It 's no problem at all. It's good to meet you, NightStriker," she said, returning his bow. "And Field," she smiled at the other Garudor. "If you have travelled a long way, you must be tired. Why don't you come sit with us? It has beautiful view of the waterfalls, and there is enough room for Field and I to stretch our wings." She pointed a wing tip to the open doors. A slight breeze, cool with mist from falls, drifted in.

"While we sit, perchance you might tell us of your travels," Arkhein interjected. "The monks here are quite generous, and would readily provide us with some drinks."

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(OOC: Rawr! I just realized something XD I accidentally used Wood in two places.  I'll switch him out with NightStriker. Would you mind editing your posts? Sorry for the confusion...)

"Ah yes, thank you."NightStriker courteously bowed, Field mimicking his movement. The two stepped out into the balcony, into the misty air. The waterfall outside was simply stunning: there was no other word to describe it. A shimmering, faint rainbow stretched across it, barely visible to the naked eye.
Field settled herself, stretching her wings out. The Garudor yawned and closed her eyes. She seemed to have fallen asleep...
"Our travels? It's really not that interesting."NightStriker chuckled. "But if you want to hear about them, I'll be pleased to tell."

[Catastrophe]

(('S fine. I'm sure if I ever have the oppurtunity to do it, I will, too. ;D))

Arkhein seated himself, carefully arranging brown and white feathers. An expression of vague disinterest was written across his face. It wasn't true, of course. The Magistrey was intently curious. Krua voiced his reasons why.

"Oh, humor us," she smiled, settling once more upon the cool tile of the open room. "However beautiful and restful this temple is, we are isolated. And we hide it from the monks, but we are desperate for news. So please, tell us all about your travels."

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"I guess I should tell you then." NightStriker looked at the misty view outside, his eyes clouding slightly over as his mind wandered. "Well, before we came here, we flew through Wilt'no...very dry and dusty place. Wasn't it, Field?"

"Dry and dusty." Field shrugged in agreement. "Dang sand."

"Yes, yes. Anyway, we were flying through Wilt'no and looking for some rare creatures, if there were any. Instead we found a caravan, which was quite nice." NightStriker paused. "If I remember, the goods we bought should be in my pockets somewhere..."
Pockets? The Kuchi Nagi had pockets in that armor? It seemed like he did as he seemingly produced a small bundle out of nowhere. "Here it is. I think you would be interested in what is inside, no?"

[Catastrophe]

Krua looked on as Arkhein help out a wing to receive the proffered package. His eyes widened, surprised at the weight of the thing. The Magistrey placed it on his lap and untied the coarse twine that held it together. Thick canvas wrapping fell away to reveal a bundle of scrolls and hastily-wrapped pieces of sand stone. Arkhein held to the scrolls up to the light, revealing graphite of stone. The same stone, he suspected, that the smaller pieces were broken from.

"Ah," he breathed, eyeing the intricate pictographs transcribed onto the thin paper, "Rubbings from the Nothing World settlements. Clear ones, and in good condition. And if I'm not mistaken, these stones would come from the dune cities, as well." He smirked in satisfaction as he picked up the stones, recognizing what others would see only as intricate squiggles as writings from Wilt'no civilizations long gone. "Either these cost you a fortune," he said to NightStriker, "Or some poor desert trader had no idea what kind of archaeological treasure he was toting around."

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NightStriker chuckled. "Those merchants were eager to get rid of them." He continued a bit cautiously. "They, well, claimed they were cursed and warned us from buying them. Still," He chuckled again, if a bit more nervously. "Curses can't be real, right?"

"'I warn you travelers,'" Field began to quote what the merchants had said. "'That if you shall buy them, not to read what it says on those stones. Those who do shall be doomed to a never-ending life of-'"

"Yes, yes Field, that's quite enough." NightStriker cut her off. "They were talking nonsense anyway."

"Nonesense?" Field quietly repeated to herself. She retreated to her own world as she pondered the word.

[Catastrophe]

Arkhein scoffed, the idea of a curse laughable. "Superstition is nothing more than the creation of fearful idiots with too much time on their hands," he chuckled nastily. "Curse are not real. Those merchants were indeed sprouting simple nonsense." He turned his eyes back to the scrolls, still smirking at the supposed idiocy of superstition.

Krua, the less cynical and more experienced in the ways of magic of the two, was slightly more nervous. "All myth can be traced back to fact eventually," she reprimanded her partner. "The same goes with superstition. And even if those stones don't doom you to an eternity in hell," she added, "There might be another, more material reason behind their warning." She turned back to NightStriker. "It might be best if we heard what the traders were saying, if you don't mind."

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"Erm, I suppose so." NightStriker coughed. "Field, go on with what you were saying."

"Saying?" Field quizzcally looked at him. "Go with what?"

"Never mind. I'll tell you then. I can't really remember the exact words...Field does, she has amazing memory...anyway, it meant that whoever read the message on the stones are doomed to have eternal life." The Kuchi Nagi left it at there and sighed. "The poor merchant was near insanity I think. He kept saying that he's lived for over a century and that he won't die, no matter what. Really, I think he was going nuts."