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Post by annabelle on Sept 23, 2009 0:49:01 GMT -5
((Annabelle and Jasmine are totally in this but it's open, so go ahead and jump in--you don't even need to consult me about this =p))
As it had been known by travellers far and wide, the Tractus Rapids were...well, rapid during the day in Ketulunanox. That was probably why a lot of people refused to visit it, then.
As it turned out, Annabelle had lead the journey to the rapids with the intention of actually crossing them. In that case, she waited patiently until the sun disappeared and the moon, as big and bright as it was out in Ketulunanox, rose high and mightily over the land and considerably calmed the waters of the river.
She approached the calm water, different flecks of blues and purples shining from the moon's reflection, and smiled as she looked over at Jasmine.
"Ketulunanox is, in a way, is very much like Crepusculum. In Crepusculum, many lifeforms are graced with an undeniable beauty but have a hidden darkness, much like a lot of the people who inhabit the land themselves," as she spoke, she waved her hand over the water and using her magic summoned a small boat, "Ketulunanox is a beautiful land as well. Its true beauty is only shown at night...though at the same time, some of the most deadliest features of the land appear at night when the land is fully alive..."
She motioned for Jasmine to crawl into the boat.
"The spring is not too far away from here. We must cross the waters if we are to find it..."
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Post by glitters on Sept 23, 2009 0:59:05 GMT -5
Jasmine followed Annabelle along, slipping quietly into the boat. If anything, this trip definitely taught Jasmine to keep her mouth shut around her grandmother--she tended to make things horribly awkward and embarrassing otherwise...
"And you say this spring will help me focus? Was that what you had said, Grandmother?" she quietly asked as she sat down. She reached her hand out to help her grandma into the boat with her.
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Post by annabelle on Sept 23, 2009 1:12:07 GMT -5
Annabelle nodded as she too slipped into the boat and began to set it on its way across the river.
"This spring will open your mind and help it see more clearly. Your senses will become sharper, as well as your ability to focus," Annabelle answered quietly as she rested her hands in her lap, "it will help you as you need a strong mind to control what is going on with your body, Granddaughter. Not many people know of this spring. I myself have only heard of it through passing through small towns and villages. I assure you it exists though, I was here once myself many years ago...it will be good for you."
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Post by glitters on Sept 30, 2009 15:44:15 GMT -5
Jasmine sat back and tried to enjoy the short trip in the boat. Admittedly, she wasn't the greatest fans of boats, but...well, there wasn't a lot she could do about that, now was there?
Something caught her eye, and as she looked over she noticed a faint blue light shining in the distance from one of the islands. Her eyebrows raised and she tilted her head, staring out at it, her attention fading from her grandmother.
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Post by annabelle on Oct 4, 2009 12:37:49 GMT -5
"Someone is out here," Annabelle's voice was barely audible as she spoke to Jasmine. As the girl's attention was brought back, Annabelle lifted a finger slowly to her lips to signal her granddaughter to keep silent.
"We know not if it is a friend or foe, and on a boat with waters so calm when they are usually wild, we don't want to find ourselves in a situation where we discover what exactly makes these waters wild when the sun hits them...such as a sleeping beast beneath."
As the boat made its way to the shoreline of a small island a few ways off away from the others, Annabelle grabbed her staff and stepped out, reaching out to Jasmine to help her off as well. With the snap of her finger a faint light started to glow from the large gem at the top of her staff to give them some sort of light as they walked along the otherwise pitch black island. Annabelle headed for the large mountain in the centre of the island, and wandered off to the right where a series of smaller (but still much larger than human) rocks and boulders stretched out from the mountain's side.
"Do you see it?" Annabelle asked Jasmine, pointing at a small symbol carved into one of the rocks. It glowed with the faintest blue colour, and when Annabelle touched her hand to it a large hole magically dissolved the rock, revealing a long and dark tunnel heading straight into the mountain itself. Annabelle stepped aside and motioned for Jasmine to enter.
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Post by glitters on Oct 5, 2009 0:41:43 GMT -5
Jasmine kept quiet, even long after they had gotten off of the boat and headed towards the mountain. She shook her head at Annabelle, having not seen the small and oddly shaped symbol on the rock itself. She took a note in her head at how mysterious the land of Ketulunanox was...she'd never been here before.
Jasmine's eyes widened as the tunnel came into view. She stared at Annabelle for a brief moment, amost hesitant about entering it first without any light source. Before the old woman could even think of snapping at her though Jasmine sucked in a sharp breath and walked inside just as her elder silently demanded, stepping in only just less than five feet in order to wait for Annabelle and her light to enter after her.
...At least she hoped she didn't have to walk down the tunnel in nothing but darkness.
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Post by annabelle on Oct 7, 2009 18:32:58 GMT -5
No, of course she wasn't going to let Jasmine walk down the dark tunnel without any light. Annabelle was certain that Jasmine wasn't a failure, but she wasn't going to risk the girl's gracefulness.
And that was also Vincent's fault. Annabelle followed Jasmine, the entrance way closing in behind them. Had it not been for the soft, glowing blue light from Annabelle's staff they wouldn't have been able to see a thing. She took the lead and ushered Jasmine to follow her down the long and narrowing tunnel. It wasn't much of a long walk before another faint light in the distance came into view. A soft glow, a blend of purple and blue emanated from behind a wall ahead. Annabelle smiled as they approached it.
"Now that we've made it, the fun will really begin. You have a lot of work to do," Annabelle spoke, her voice of normal volume for the first time since the boat ride. Stepping from around the wall there lay ahead a rather large pool of water, an odd but relaxing glow coming from it. The spring itself lit up the entire cavern they were in, with a smooth stone floor and rocks that stuck out from the walls that were shaped oddly enough like pillars.
"Here it is, granddaughter. This is your first step to becoming one of the greatest sages this family has seen, as well as become part of the kingdom of Crepusculum's history."
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Post by glitters on Oct 11, 2009 13:15:04 GMT -5
Jasmine stepped in and looked on into the scene in awe. It was so beautiful in here, she never would have thought such a place existed. In a way, it reminded her of the Shimmering Lake back home in Crepusculum...
"This is going to help me how, Grandmother?" she quietly asked, slightly spooked by the echoing her voice did in the small cavern, "what is it here that we are supposed to be doing?"
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Post by annabelle on Oct 12, 2009 0:08:44 GMT -5
Annabelle simply responded by pointing towards the pool.
"Get in it. It will burn away all of your impurities. It will be a painful process at first, but it shall help you more than you know," she explained, not waiting for Jasmine to move on her own; she walked around the young girl and pushed her towards the spring, pulling her robe off of her so he was only in the thin outfit underneath.
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Post by glitters on Oct 12, 2009 0:33:48 GMT -5
Jasmine blinked as she was pushed towards the pool, fighting slightly with her grandmother as she pulled her warm robe off of her. It was beautiful in this cavern, but it certainly wasn't warm at all!
"W-wait, how deep is it? Grandmother, wait!" Jasmine cried as she was made to pull her shoes off, too.
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Post by annabelle on Oct 12, 2009 0:36:45 GMT -5
"The longer you wait, the less you have to live, granddaughter!" Annabelle retorted, and as Jasmine pulled her shoes off and set them to the side, she grabbed the small girl roughly by her shoulders and shoved her as hard as she could into the glowing waters.
With a loud splash, Jasmine was thrown in. Annabelle hovered over the water's edge and, oddly enough, whenever Jasmine made to rise to the surface and climb out, she grabbed the girl's head and pushed her back underneath.
"You need to stay down there!" she called out, dropping her staff to the side.
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Post by glitters on Oct 12, 2009 10:33:52 GMT -5
Jasmine shrieked as she was thrown into the spring's waters. The water, however serene and friendly it looked, burned like some kind of acid all over Jasmine's body. The stinging was unstoppable, and it was too much for her so she tried to fight her way back out only to be pushed in deeper by her grandmother's old, but very strong hands.
The pain finally took control of Jasmine and she stopped wriggling, finding it impossible to fight back. Everything around her went black and the last thing she heard was the sound of a heart beating...
Jasmine's eyes fluttered open slowly and the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't where she was supposed to be. Laying on the ground, the floor around her was a marble...green colour? And she was dry...
Jasmine shot herself up suddenly and looked around. She remembered being practically drowned by her grandmother...how long had that been? All around her there was nothing but black, though the area she was in was framed with large pillars the same colour as the floor. How did she get here? Where was this? And more importantly...
"G-grandmother? W-where are you? Grandmother!"
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Post by annabelle on Oct 18, 2009 13:28:33 GMT -5
"Get to your feet," Annabelle's sharp voice answered from the shadows. The hooded woman stepped forward with her staff, her hand stretched out and ushering Jasmine to get moving.
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Post by glitters on Oct 18, 2009 13:31:27 GMT -5
Jasmine scrambled to her feet just as she was told and shuddered as she examined the room further. It was creepy, it was like they were stranded in some infinite space...
"Where are we, grandmother? What happened to the spring?" she asked quietly, stepping towards the older woman.
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Post by annabelle on Oct 18, 2009 13:46:16 GMT -5
Annabelle smiled.
"Where the spring is is not important. Your mind on the other hand appears to be very organized, neat...and closed in. Too much like Vincent, but we'll change that," Annabelle answered as she glanced around at the pillars, "we'll have to if you are to succeed, of course. As part of the Fraus bloodline, you are expected to not fail if you are strong, which I can indeed see you are."
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