{Cont from chat}

Nari As much as she loved shorelines, she felt in desperate need of a bath, so she had gone down to the shallows right there at the oceans edge to go for a nice long swim. Plus -someone- had to catch dinner, so it was no surprise she had made a spear out of driftwood. Some carving and whittling had sharpened some spokes on the four-pronged spear and it was good to go. As with all hunting, spear-fishing took great patience and now that the water had receded some, she had been gathering food and in the process, teaching Aco what was safe to eat, what was disgusting and inedible, and even things which could be used as medicine. She had no problems living off the land and sea, she'd done it for as long as she could recall. Oh yeah, she'd been teaching him to swim too, which was quite fun. Pretty soon he might be learning to dive!

eliskan Followed Nari around, his eyes constantly landing on the curves of her exposed body, and as he grew more comfortable around her those glances became bolder. Nari didn't seem to mind too much, her attention returning constantly to the tidepools where potential food would be trapped and waiting for an easy catch. Acothaein relied on Nari completely, and he knew it, so he tried his best to stay out of her way and be helpful when he could. At the moment, he was her pack mule, for he lugged with him all the food she'd caught as well as any random items they'd scavenged. The prevailing winds pushed vigorously against Nari and Acothaein, trying to urge them inland to no avail. "Oh! There's one!" Acothaein shouted, pointing towards a tide pool where a trapped fish was patiently hiding under a ledge. "We'll feast like kings tonight." He glanced at Nari. Truth be told, it wasn't fish he was hungry for.

Nari One appetite had to be sated to fuel the other one and even she knew that. Having lost -everything- but thier clothing and weapons, she was forced to teach him how to survive off the land. It was not -easy-, but she was actually pleased for once to share her knowledge about some things. Stuff they scavenged she tried to find a use for, as for various foods, she not only taught him what they were, but how to catch them. Of course there had been quite a few misses and even a few epic failures, but disappointment aside, she strove to teach him so that he could be independent. Looked back to him and then peered to where he was pointing. It took only a few moments to spot the fish and she motioned for him to stay still while she checked it out. She wanted to see if it might be a poisonous one of some sort, or actually edible.

eliskan watched Nari as she concentrated. ~~It's strange, he thought to himself, how everything could be going so horribly and I can still be so content.~~ His ship - his FIRST ship - was now nothing more than rubble which had served as wood for their ramshackle hut. The hut itself wasn't anything to boast about, but since it was only temporary it would do just fine. Acothaein never claimed to be a skilled craftsman. Aside from swinging his sword, the only thing Acothaein was skilled at was lusting after women. Well, then, plenty of time to hone that skill, at least! Grinning to himself, Acothaein nearly stumbled into the tidepool, his face wide with shock. "Gods below!" he exclaimed, checking his leg for scratches. "Yer making me clumsy!" Of course, it wasn't his fault. It never was!

Nari Knew he was staring at her, but she'd grown used to it and eventually didn't even mind. She was still a -little- self conscious about the scars, but she was mostly over it. She was poised to strike the fish, still as a statue, breath held in a mix of anticipation and wariness. And then he fell, face first into the tide pool. Head turned and she gave him a glance to make sure he wasn't seriously injured and when she discovered he wasn't, she sighed gratefully. "I'm not making you clumsy at all, ya big oaf. Why is it always my fault?! I'm not the one with the huge feet, ya giant!" she teased. With a few flicks of its tail, the fish swam away! Woe!

eliskan Grumbled. He was only clumsy because he kept staring at her! A man only had one set of eyes, and Acothaein hadn't quite mastered staring at breasts while walking over rugged landscape. Some day, he'd be a wise guru on such issues, and people will travel the world around to ask him 'so how did you do it? How did you walk - no, glide - over those dangerous pathways without once looking away from those globes of delicious seduction?' And he would tell them... 'I didn't. I fell on my face in a tide pool!' Sigh. Another dream discarded. It's funny how a man can build a dream up, and crush it down, all in the span of a breath. Dripping wet, Acothaein watched the fish escape, taking a fateful leap out of the tide-pool to rejoin the ocean waters below. "Well, you can't get them all!" he said, trying to sound optimistic. "We've a couple fish already, and some of this gross seaweed - blech - so we should have enough for a meal. What do you say we call it quits?"

Nari Stabbing the spear into the ocean floor, she moved to him and snaked her arms around his waist. One wet hand reached up to pat his wet cheek. "Maybe if you quit staring at my ass, dear, you wouldn't be sucking sand and half drowning." Before he could bluster out a response, she stood on tip-toe to press her lips to his. "I suppose you're right, there's enough fish to be caught later. And don't forget the fruits and eggs we've found. We'll eat well enough tonight." she assured him. "Besides, it'll be too dark to see before long and even if I can see well at night, its not a good idea to spear fish at night, never know what you might step on. Rays love burrowing into the sand, so do other things." Taking a step back, she cupped her hands and got some water in them before using it to wash her face. "So..do you think you'll be spear-fishing soon?" she wondered if he felt brave enough to try yet.

eliskan Kissed her back, relishing the moment. What more could a man ask for? A kiss from a beautiful phoenix, a sunset at a beach? Acothaein wouldn't dare to demand anything else from the gods. Not like they would listen, anyways. "Do I think I'll be spear fishing? Are you kidding me?! It's not any different from spearing a man, is it? And quite a bit less dangerous.. as long as my eyes are on the path instead of that enticing valley you keep hiding between your legs." He winked towards her, only half joking. She was quite the distraction! Luckily for them both, Acothaein was almost useless out here either way, so him being distracted ultimately did nothing to the effectiveness of their survival. He hated to admit it, but Nari was their lifeline. She knew the sea.

Acothaein's plan, if he were alone, would be to simply head inland until he found civilization. But that plan was a hit-and-miss. He didn't know Aleris, and currently felt like he was lost on some distant shore of a long forgotten realm. He had no idea where the cities would be, or if there were any people nearby. From his experiences in Jade City, many parts of Aleris were remote. If one were to include the countless animals which could bring sickness or death to a man with less that a pinprick, Aleris was truly a forsaken world. He needed Nari, like he hadn't needed a person in a long time. Somehow, this reliance on someone else made him feel safe, and reminded him what it was to be watched over. "My guardian angel, that's what you are." He smiled towards her, a sad smile. "Don't you ever leave me." Before she could respond, Acothaein's mood shifted radically and he swept her nude figure into his arms, being careful not to hurt her with any of the objects in his possession (most which were slung over his back in a rucksack, besides). Laughing, Acothaein took off on a run, leaping off the jagged ocean rocks and onto the beach. Their hut, leaning precariously to one side, waited in the distance.

Nari He didn't need to ask for anything more and she savored the moment. After all of the hardships she'd endured, it was nice to finally have a man appreciate her, value her. "Not really much different, but you have to account for the water, it's harder to fish in choppy or stormy waters, and sometimes the light can play tricks on your eyes." she explained, arms still about his neck. "I sometimes think you need another set of eyes, one for me, one for other things." she jested. "Only thing is...where to put them." As much as he needed her, she was realizing that she needed him too. He made her laugh, gave her reason to -maybe- eventually learn to trust others. She intended to find civilization again, mainly her ship. Then they'd go from there. "I don't think anyone has ever called me that before." Peering up into his eyes, she smiled softly. While there had been quite a few traumatic events endured, and much heartache, there was a bit of gentleness within her eyes again. "I will never leave you." That was one promise she could keep. Before she knew it, he was whisking her up into his arms and over his shoulder and she gasped out of surprise before clinging to him. "Aco...what are you doing?! Are you trying to make a necklace out of me or a sack of taters?"

eliskan The campfire had settled down into nothing more than embers by the time Acothaein reached it, Nari still in his arms. With her promise, that she would never leave, Acothaein felt a freedom that he hadn't expected, as if he'd expected her to say at any moment that she had other obligations, that this romance was nothing more than an affair created through necessity. Luckily, that wasn't the case. "Haha! You make a wonderful necklace, though I'll admit you'd be nicer if you would just stop squirming!" He decided to help the situation by pinching her butt as she wriggled in protest. "See what I mean?!" Laughing harder, Acothaein finally set Nari down, his eyes naturally taking in the view. The setting sun made her skin a fiery orange, and Acothaein was once again reminded that he was in the presence of a phoenix and not just a normal woman. "As much as I love staring at that beautiful body, we'll need to get the fire going before it gets too dark." He took the rucksack off his shoulder and set it next to the smoldering campfire. "I'll grab some wood."

Nari Eventually she had settled down, but then when he pinched her backside, she jerked and squealed. "Hey...no making this booty bruised, I need to sit on it." Just for that, she tried to purposely nip his ear while she slid by on the way to the ground as he settled her down near the fire. His laughter was infectious and she was laughing along while stretching out on the blanket near the fire. After a nice long stretch, she curled up so that she could prop herself up on one arm and poked at the fire with a stick. The embers glowed somewhat, but they did more wood. "Leave the fish and things handsome, I can start skinning them while I dry off." Was that a bit of a blush on her cheeks? Yep....it was.

eliskan Left the food and went to gather wood. The sun was setting, and as it dipped below the horizon the temperature began to plummet. The breeze from the ocean carried a bite, and Acothaein was happy they had the foresight to build the hut. Without it, these frigid nights would be unbearable. Then again, he always had the warmth of a fire Demigatis, and if that didn't heat a mans blood up then nothing would. Returning to the campfire, Acothaein hunched down and placed the wood next to the fire, tossing a few logs on. "That should be enough. And there's a whole tree just over there, if we need anymore." He sat down on the blanket next to Nari, his eyes watching her deft hands as they prepared the food for cooking. "I've never really eaten fish. They don't have fish that's safe to eat in Almedda." It had an interesting smell. Acothaein wasn't sure he liked it.

Nari While he was gone, she managed to not only clean the fish, but had dried off and dressed as well. She was just skewering the fish to put it over the fire when he returned and she watched while he arranged the logs and then with a smidge of fire from her own palm, she let the logs and helped them into a roaring blaze. "Never? Well, it might taste somewhat bland since we have no spices, but I promise, many dishes tastes better with seasonings. As for the seaweed, not a big fan of it, but it has nutrition, so it will have to do." Motioned to the turtle eggs they had found earlier that morning. "Why not crack those open and we'll fry them up, or do you like your eggs scrambled?" she wondered. "Is every creature from your home poisonous?"

eliskan "Scrambled?" He shook his head. "Just.. you know.. Make them tasty." He nodded. 3"Maybe I'll be able to wash the seaweed down with some eggs." He'd never had eggs, either. "You should be happy you've never been to Almedda. It's nothing like this place... It's.. well, the cities are nice, but outside of those, it's wastes. The only life that lives out there has adapted." He frowned, glancing at the embers in the fire. "There's so much radiation out there.. Arcanis, they call it, since it's a degradation of the arcane energy that was stolen from Mystra Amor. All the life that can endure there has to be magical, and a vast majority of it's not even what I'd call life. Rocks that move, wind that sings. It's not edible, that's for sure. And what is alive, is so poisoned by the world that I'd get sick even looking at it. The only food we eat is imported from other realms." And that explained the Almeddan need for expansion, the reason they opened doorways into deadly realms for the bitter fruits that were offered. Bitter fruits? HAH! Acothaein studied Nari, the sweetest fruit he'd found this side of the Ripping Gate. "All our food has been coming from Aterim, but what with all the civil wars, I doubt that Almedda is feeding many mouths lately."

Nari Seems she was going to have to teach him how to cook as well. There was a -lot- she was having to teach him, but she didn't mind. At least she didn't have to teach him about sex! "No, I never got to that world, but I've been to a few realms. Mystra Amor became home after I was cast from another." she said quietly while putting the fish on to cook. After pondering everything, she peered into the flames for a long moment before looking to him. "At least now I understand why Mystra Amor was raided and destroyed." She took up a coconut she'd found and broke open and offered him half of it. "Here, drink the milk, eat the pulp." She loved coconut milk! "I often thought of burning down that damned pub in my last days but in the end, survival became more important."

eliskan Sipped from the coconut, listening as Nari spoke. He could sense her mood darkening as she spoke of Mystra Amor, and he reached out to place his empty hand on the back of her neck. There, his calloused warriors fingers performed a task they never had to be trained to do: they massaged at the knots of tension in Nari's bunched shoulders. "We don't have to talk about that realm," he said after a moment, though he had to admit his curiosity was peaked. She had been around for an event which many Almeddans today viewed as distant history, an event that was by far the most devastating ecological and humanitarian disaster his realm had ever seen. The civil wars being fought thousands of years later returned inevitably to those pivotal moments in the Mystra-Amorian timeline. If he were a historian, he'd have scrambled for his paper long ago to record every last unimportant word Nari stated. Taking another drink of the coconut, Acothaein sighed. "It's amazing, isn't it? To think, there are millions of realms out there. And to think, within this single realm.." He glanced at the sky, where the first stars and planets were beginning to glimer in the distance. "..there are millions of stars. It makes you feel small, doesn't it? It makes me feel.. like nothing I will do can ever impact this glorious design. And that's not a bad thing, maybe, but it's a humbling thing." So much energy coursed through the universe. In the face of that, even a god seemed weak.

Nari Set her own half of the coconut down and shifted so that she was more in front of him and then lowered her head and reached up to pull her hair out of the way and over her shoulder. Those strong fingers felt incredible as they massaged away the soreness in her shoulders. "It's alright. Perhaps it was time for that realm to die. It was hard watching it happen, I saved those I could, and I've discovered over the years, some of those I knew did survive by seeking lives in other realms. Most may never truly know the truth, and maybe that's for the best too." Peering up at the stars, she smiled, nodding. "And there are wonders up there that most will never experience. Stars are born and dying all the time, and there's many worlds, asteroids, comets, and its so vast, one could spend a hundred lifetimes exploring it and probably never see the full universe." Sighed, not out of sadness, but because the massage felt pretty damned good. "That feels good...really good."

eliskan Leaned in and placed a kiss on her bare neck, unable to resist the unheard call of Nari's siren skin. Then his fingers went back to work, firmly working out the knots in her tense body. It was no wonder she had been wound up. Tidal waves and the threat of starvation could do that to anyone. Not to mention all that damned sexual tension! Grinning, Acothaein placed another kiss against her neck, closer to her ear. "How about this?" he teased, before resuming his massage. The darkness was settling in, and the moon had yet to rise, leaving the pair in a circle of light that only extended a few meters beyond the campfire. He didn't mind. Everything he needed was within that illuminated ring. "Gods, you're tense! It feels like I'm turning rocks into dough!" The screech of an owl caught his attention, and Acothaein's head snapped upwards. "A harpy!"

Nari "If only I had had such skilled fingers after some of my long flights. By the gods....this feels great. You might have to massage me all over." And then she'd have to repay him in kind. Feeling the kiss, she giggled and tucked her neck briefly, cause it had tickled a little. "Knead away, knead away, just don't use a rock as a rolling pin." Flashed him a grin and then chuckled. "That's an owl, harpies are more foul-mouthed, they have awful tempers. Haven't encountered any here yet, but ya never know what might've crossed through the portals."

eliskan Watched the white owl's figure fade into the distance and heard it cry out one last time. Then his attention returned to Nari, as he worked at her lower and middle back, using both hands now. It was obvious that he was all to eager to learn the contours of her body, and that he could care less about any scars he encountered. Every part of her interested and excited him. "In Almedda, they call all winged monsters harpies. Probably because there's so damned many of 'em." He sighed. "Is it strange that I miss home?"

Nari Reached out and turned the fish and then leaned back into those magical hands which were making her quite relaxed. Fingers absently trailed along her arm as she felt the chill of the night, but she was grateful for the blazing fire. "Ahhh..well, there might be actual harpies here, I'm not sure. Maybe if we can find a library somewhere, we'd know for sure." she mused. "It's not strange at all, it's rather normal. After being away from a familiar place, or a place you dubbed as 'home', its natural to miss that place of peace you once had." Winched when he hit a particularly tense spot of knots, but didn't move, save to lean into his hands as the tension eased. "What do you miss about it?"

eliskan "I miss.." he frowned, thinking for a moment. What did he miss? Hard to put a finger on something so strange. He hated Almedda. "I miss the people. My Almeddans." He grunted. "I miss people who know what it's like, where I'm from. They speak my language, you know?" Sure, he spoke the same language as Alerians, but it wasn't that. It was the cultural language, the things Almeddans understood that left everyone else with a confused look on their faces. Not like he minded Nari or her confused looks. That wasn't the issue. It was a weak longing, easily overcome with her company, but one he admitted nevertheless. "I miss the honor, of coming home from a successful patrol to the warm praises of Veyja citizens. And the power that I - no, we - had when us heavies would line up with our plate armor on. Like nothing could stop up. Nothing. We could march to the heart of the universe without breaking a sweat." He shrugged, sighing. "They'll call me a deserter now. So there's no going back." His fingers working at those sensitive muscles closest to the spine, Acothaein felt his first pang of remorse. "We could've stayed.."

Nari Half turned so that she could scoot and sit on his lap and then rest her head on his shoulder. "Or as a protector for me, I could say I hired you to be my bodyguard. Though I'm not to sure they'd be thrilled if we showed up in my airship hovering over the camp." It could be a ploy that might work. "Your people are starving and don't know the land, nor how to even hunt and fish. How many others would need teaching how to survive here do you think? What if the Almeddans could actually learn to survive and thrive here, co-exist with folks rather than pillage and war? Would they do it?"

eliskan "Almedda.. it's never trying to go to war. Take this last war for instance. We didn't pillage anyone. Almedda opened trade with Aleris, it was peaceful. Sure, we brought a military presence - and you guys all thought we were invading, but when the Corpirians started doing their dirty work no one was complaining about Evincans then!" He sighed, leaning his head against hers. The food was nearly finished, but he didn't mind letting bizarre animals overcook before he ingested him. In fact, he preferred it! Who knew what types of nasty parasites this world had! "It's all so complicated," he said of Almedda. "Evinco is in command, but with Corpiris starting this civil war, I don't know what's going to happen. The Accersans might join the Corpirians, and if they do then there will be a true rift. Almedda will splinter apart.. then, there's no way to simply 'help' the realm. Not without fixing their own hatred for each other." That's the problem with mankind, he thought to himself. They are so eager to wage war, but will never forgive transgressions. Thus, one war leads to a hundred. And that one war leads to the death of them all. "There is a solution. But I can't see it."

Nari Didn't like her food burnt to a crisp to a point where she couldn't bite it, so she grabbed the fish from the flames and set it a rock to cool somewhat. Picking up her coconut, she drunk some more of the coconut milk before leaning her head against his. "Many things are complicated m'dear. Especially an army." Taking his hand, she squeezed it gently. "Even Seers can't predict the future, and if we go back, we'll have to find a solution so that maybe there can finally be peace. If we stay away, there's no telling how many of your kinsman will perish before the war is over. I dunno 'bout you, but I wouldn't want necromancers ruling my home."

eliskan "That's the thing," he said, his eyes on their interlocked fingers. "If Accerso sides with Corporis, then the House of Veneficus will side with Accerso. Thus, the three arcane Houses will be waged in a war against Evinco. Curatio, of course, won't take sides. Healers and their 'love for all life'. Don't they realize when they save a Corpirian, they're killing innocent Almeddans indirectly?!" He sighed. "It's made worse by opening new doors. Each door into another realm means another pantheon invades ours. I wouldn't be surprised if the Alerian gods find a following in Almedda. And then they'll get interested. Then they'll try to save Almedda, only to find themselves in a world that kills gods like I kill beetles under my feet!" Ahh yes, the true legacy of Almedda was it's faithlessness. Like a weakened animal might seek seclusion in its last moments, Gods came to Almedda to die. "Over five hundred realms have been visited by Almedda. How many gods would that make?" He sighed. "I'll be the first to admit, we're a messed up peoples. All of us, not just the Corpirians. I guess that's what you're left with, after a tyrant destroys your land."

A distant roar was heard and Acothaein perked up. "Oh, my stomach's rumbling. That smells good!" ...

Nari Brushed her thumb over his fingers and listened, thinking, wondering -if- there was anything they could do. "I don't want to think about how many deities that might be." She was still unsure if it would be a good thing to worship any deity at all. "Everyone is messed up to some extent, even me." Hearing the roar, she arched a brow and then poked at his belly. "You didn't swallow a dragon, did you?" Looked up, grinning, and then chuckled at her next thought. "If you did...its a very hungry mini-dragon." Tested the fish to see if was cool enough and finding it was, she broke off a piece and then brought it up before him. "Ready for this?"

eliskan Took the offered fish, surprised as Nari fed it to him. They were turning into quite the companions, weren't they! Well, it couldn't be helped, and Acothaein wasn't too worried. He had experienced many types of relationships, but all of them where temporary. Not because he was promiscuous, but because at the time he was a soldier of House Evincus. He had obligations. So those women he fell for were eventually left behind in the name of duty. And now, once more, he felt that familiar tug - the call of home, the call of duty. But he would resist it this time. At least, for now. The world was beautiful, his life was perfect, and he had a goddess feeding him alien foods with a smile on her gentle face. No, he wasn't worried. He was truly happy. "Mrph," he said around the food, "that's... a weird texture." He scowled at the fish, unsure. "Tastes good, but it just crumbles apart." The dragon in his belly didn't seem to mind as it growled impatiently for more. "I wish we could stay like this. We don't need to leave, right."