[center] [h1][color=yellow][b][u]Karamir[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [h1][color=brown][b][u]Arryn[/u][/b][/color][/h1] [/center] [hr] The tent given to Karamir and Arryn was, all things considered, of quite solid quality. It was roomy for two, and considering Arryn’s size, it was practically a room to Karamir. The walls kept the late summer heat inside during the chillier evenings, but they were also just airy enough not to overheat the interior. Spending the night inside would have been a considerably better experience than most other nights in Karamir’s existence - had it not been interrupted halfway through. For at the dim of midnight, when sleep was at its deepest, the curtain of the tent was thrown open and the opening was overtaken by a shadowed face. “Wake up,” Batu shouted. “Karamir, wake up!” Karamir sprang into action, lurching upright and reaching for his spear, only relenting when he realized he was merely being woken up; not attacked. [color=yellow]”What is it?”[/color] he asked groggily, putting the weapon down. A small heap of something was set on the floor just inside the tent. “Get dressed, quickly, and come outside.” With a sigh, Karamir grabbed the new clothes and put them on. In the darkness of the tent, he wasn’t even sure what they looked like, but they were certainly cleaner and more comfortable than what he had worn previously. Once dressed, he stepped outside. Part of the clothing fell neatly down around his legs and kept them nice and warm, though the garment was a little difficult to maneuver in. It was a robe, he came to realise, or at least, the same garment the Dreamers had been wearing. As he went outside, the whole family stood in a half-circle a small distance away from him. “Ah, Karamir,” Temüjin said. The shadow of his old form waved Karamir over. “Terribly sorry to wake you up at this hour… It’s, sadly, quite important.” [color=yellow]”What is it?”[/color] Karamir asked, wiping his eyes as Arryn appeared on the branch of a nearby tree. “Well, it’s, uhm…” Temüjin scratched his neck sheepishly. The other children looked in seemingly every other direction than Karamir’s. “We’ve, uhm… Received a vision,” Ansong said quietly. “Yes, uhm… An ominous one at that.” That just made him more confused. [color=yellow]”What do you mean? What vision?”[/color] “Have you ever woken up at night, only to have all your other family members do the same?” Batu asked in the way one would if one knows the example one is about to use already is incredibly complicated. “Oh, wait, no, that was inconsiderate of me, uh…” “What he’s trying to say is that all of us had a dream, son,” Temüjin added helpfully. “A foreshadowing of things to come, and it’s important that, well…” “It is important that you and His Holiness make it off the continent as quickly as you can,” Ansong finished. [color=yellow]”What? Why?”[/color] Karamir immediately asked. “A great change is coming to this land, son… If you and His Holiness aren’t off this continent by the time it happens, you risk, well… Everything. It’s God’s word, son - take it and trust in it.” A great change? Risking everything? He needed to know more than that. [color=yellow]”What’s going to happen?”[/color] “We… We don’t know exactly. We can only speculate,” Batu answered regretfully. “God spoke of ‘tearing open the sky’, and we think it may have something to do with that. We don’t know what happens after that, but… God knows you have stayed with us for the night - and he told us that anyone not born of Hermes and Xiaoli must leave in all haste.” Ansong held out a small package. “I have made you some food to take along for the journey. It’s flat cakes and sweetgrass jam and some stalkplums. Really, we are deeply sorry to just toss you out this way, but… If God is telling us a great change is coming and that you must leave before it happens, we cannot question Him.” [color=yellow]”Won’t the rest of you be in danger as well?”[/color] Karamir asked, furrowing his brow. “God will not harm his own people,” Temüjin declared faithfully. “Anyone born of Hermes and Xiaoli will be safe; you, however, are born of Kalmar, and we sadly cannot vouch for your safety.” [color=yellow]”So anyone descended from Hermes or Xiaoli will be safe, but everything else can go ahead and leave or die, then?”[/color] Karamir asked, narrowing his eyes as a bitterness seeped into his voice. That seemed neither fair nor reasonable. “We… Aren’t sure if the fate of others will be death, either,” Temüjin confessed, “but we know that this great change is all-consuming. What is your purpose in life, Karamir?” [color=yellow]”I intend to learn all that I can,”[/color] Karamir stated. [color=yellow]”So what is this change and why is it happening?”[/color] “Again, we [i]don’t[/i] know. We only know that if you intend to learn everything this world has to offer, this great change will hinder you. Please, we know we are being vague, but the truth is that we don’t know anything else,” Batu pleaded with nodding backup from his family. “We were asked in our dream to see you off and make certain you left the continent as soon as possible. It’s a shame, really - was hoping you could held us fell some trees out back. You look like a strong lad, son. It’s a shame we never got to see you in action.” Temüjin shook his head and tugged at his graying beard. “Really sorry, son. There’s nothing more we can do for ya here except wish you a safe trip home and hope you make it off the land before… Well… Before [i]it[/i] happens.” [color=yellow]”Fine. I’ll go.”[/color] Karamir said, his tone none too pleased. He went back into his tent, and returned a moment later with spear in hand. Without another word, he began walking out into the forest. The dreamers looked at one another as he left, exhaled collective sighs, and exchanged words which became mumbles, then whispers as Karamir walked further and further away - even with his enhanced senses, he could barely hear them. To Arryn, however, the words were clear as day: The old gruff voice of Temüjin was the first to announce, “... Truly a shame. ‘Cept the clothes, I liked him a lot.” “The ears were a bit odd, too,” came Erden’s voice. “I never got to wrestle him…” came a whimper from Borte. “We don’t question the command of God, Bort,” Temüjin said sternly. “The dreams told us to send him off, and so we did.” “He didn’t even take my food,” Ansong sighed. “There, there, my dear… I think getting sent away at this hour would ruin anyone’s appetite… Come on, let’s return to bed. Khublai’s about to fall asleep standing.” The voices dissipated and instead became footsteps moving across the moist grass, followed eventually by the crunch of dry dirt and the grunts and groans of people attempting to sleep once more. [hr] Once again, Arryn appeared on Karamir’s shoulder. [color=yellow]”So that’s it, then,”[/color] Karamir muttered. It wasn’t enough to leave the Palace; he now had to leave the entire continent? Was there truly any danger at all, or was that just an excuse to make them leave? [color=brown]”It would be unwise to stay in a place you are not welcome,”[/color] Arryn noted. [color=brown]”Especially when that place is watched over by a god. K’nell holds a tighter hold over his lands than even Kalmar; it’s almost greedy.”[/color] [color=yellow]”This change. What do you think it is?”[/color] Karamir questioned. [color=brown]”I do not know. But if only the children of Hermes are truly safe from it, then countless creatures of this land could be put at risk. If that is the case, then K’nell would be a fool to allow it - more reason to leave, even if your safety [i]was[/i] guaranteed.”[/color] Arryn explained. [color=yellow]”As quickly as possible, he said,”[/color] Karamir noted. [color=yellow]”How long do you think we have?”[/color] [color=brown]”I do not know. But we should not delay. It will take months just for you to reach the coast, and from there I will have to carry you. No, we need to go faster,”[/color] the bird said, thinking. [color=brown]”Stop. I have an idea.”[/color] Karamir came to a stop, and Arryn left his shoulder, hovering in the air in front of him. The red feathers which speckled Arryn’s body were suddenly removed, pulled by an unseen force, accumulating and floating in the space between the two. New feathers swiftly grew back, only to be removed as well, joining the growing, weightless, red mass. On and on the process continued, until the accumulated feathers were nearly the same height as Karamir’s body. They then began to take shape, binding together, forming into a levitating cloak. Karamir reached out to touch it, but it suddenly darted away from his touch, before rapidly circling around him, and he felt as though he was being judged. Then, the cloak began to speed up until it became a blur. The resulting wind ripped at Karamir’s hair and face, forcing him to shut his eyes for a moment. And then, suddenly, it stopped. Karamir opened his eyes, but only saw Arryn. Then he felt something soft touch his shoulders, with two strings reaching out like arms to loosely tie themselves around his neck. He looked back and sure enough, he was now wearing the cloak. [color=yellow]”What did-”[/color] Karamir began to ask, only for Arryn to cut him off. [color=brown]”With this cloak, you can now fly,”[/color] Arryn told him. [color=brown]”At great speeds. I got the idea from when Hermes beat Kalmar in a race - you know the story. I decided I would make something similar, though this cloak also has some level of autonomy - it will still function and obey basic commands even when you are not wearing it, and it will ensure your safety against dangers you aren’t even aware of, but it will never defy you directly. Now go. Try to fly.”[/color] Karamir wasn’t entirely sure what to do, but he thought of himself hovering in the air, and sure enough, he began to rise off the ground, with nothing except air touching his feet. His eyes widened, and he decided to fly even higher, so he floated above the forest canopy. [i]He could fly[/i] he realized, as if he hadn’t quite believed it at first. Whenever he had flown before, someone else had to carry him, but now… he could fly on his own. He glanced at the position of the Lustrous Garden in the sky, and turned to face the south. He took a deep breath, then began to move. Slowly, at first, until he began to pick up speed, and soon enough the forest itself was a blur. He began to laugh, as he suddenly felt a newfound sense of freedom and ambition fill him, causing him to briefly forget about K’nell or the Dreamers. So much potential had just been unlocked… he could go anywhere, at a speed which could rival gods. Unfortunately, that meant he soon had to come to a stop, because Arryn had fallen well behind him. Still, even as he waited for the avatar to catch up, the smile did not leave his face. [hr] [hider=Post Summary] Karamir is woken up in the middle of the night. He is given some Dreamer robes and told he has to leave. Apparently Temujin’s family received visions telling them a great change was coming, and anybody not descended from Xiaoli or Hermes had to GTFO. Karamir is pissed off but ultimately agrees to leave. He and Arryn talk about this for a bit, with Arryn voicing disapproval at whatever K’nell is up to. Eventually he does acknowledge it is best that they leave, though, and begin talking about means to do so. Arryn then proceeds to use his own feathers to create the Red Feather Cloak - an artifact enabling Karamir to travel at speeds comparable to Hermes’s sandals, with the additional ability of being somewhat independent and possessing intelligence - both of which enable it to act independently from its wearer, if necessary or required. Karamir tests it out and concludes that it is totally rad. His morale improves immensely. [/hider] [hider=MP Summary] [u]Kalmar[/u] -2FP to create the Red Feather Cloak. [b]Remaining MP:[/b] 5 [b]Remaining FP:[/b] 6 [/hider] [hider=Prestige Summary] [u]Karamir[/u] [b]Beginning Prestige:[/b] 8 +1 for minor role. +1 for major role. +1 for collab. [b]Ending Prestige:[/b] 11 [/hider]