Converging Fates: Malai (Open)

[Malai]

The sun scorched the hard rocky earth and the winds kicked up small pebbles and dirt to pelt the weary traveler with. There was a reason this part was called the wastes and none but barbarians and monsters resided within. As far as the eye could see there was flat and blackened earth, so why did the sound of moaning permeate in the air. Someone, or something, was following her. “Alright, come on out ya filthy thing!”

Just at that moment something floated down from above her head and stopped before her, staring at her. “Oh, was it just you?” The armored woman placed a gauntleted fist on her hip as she stared back at the mogall blocking her path. “Look, I know your kind don’t much do more than lurk about but there is a limit to my patience with this obnoxiousness.” The sounds of moaning came again, it was the mogall. “Did my mother send you? You spying on me for her?”
With a light touch she pushed the giant eye monster out of her way. It did not seem to mind much and contentedly floated along beside her. “You’re going to give people the wrong idea ya know.” She groaned.

Over the next mile of walking Malai had decided there was worse company than an eldritch eye monster that made an odd moaning noise from its magic. “I feel like you’re going to get me into trouble so don’t get mad when someone attacks you.” The wasteland was slowly giving way to greener fields, sparse and half dead trees were becoming frequent and patches of dried grass were growing between the rocks. She had to ask herself, just how far is Arcadia?

[Erebus]

Ahhh, the Western Reach of ever-glorious Elibe! Beacon of stagnation in a realm fraught with chaos. Even order wouldn't dare touch the rock and sand, lest it yawn itself to literal death. Yes yes the desert proper had some interesting shenanigans going on, last Erebus checked. Austranova, for example.

...Pfft. “Austranova”. Erebus knew mortals enjoyed overcompensating through physical constructs. Big, thick...swords. Buildings. Castles. So on and so forth. But oh boy “Austra-fucking-nova”. The perfect example of overcompensating through a mere NAME. How one could inflate the ego of an entire nation through the careful selection of the perfect moniker. Granted, Erebus gave himself his name, and he was rather proud of it. But Erebus was smooth, subtle, dangerous, and inviting.

Austranova sounded as though it could only be spoken with the accompaniment of a powerful orchestra, with fire and lightning to ignite the sky, while gigantic eagles soared above.

The reality is that, regardless of its uniqueness, it was just. Another. Civilization. Another means of doping mortals into stagnation. Though credit had to be given where it was due, and ah, Erebus hadn't exactly paid the place a proper visit. Last time he'd been around they still called themselves Actona. With a name level-up like they went through, he certainly hoped the entire nation itself had “leveled up” in turn.

But he was not at Austranova. Instead he was simply drifting through the reach for...uh...why was in the West? It was far more dull than the North, East, or even the damned Divide in his opinion. Except for maybe Austranova fuck yeah. So why was he where he was? Ah, right. Golden rule. Remember kids: when all else fails? Plot convenience.

“Oooh, look! A person!” Erebus exclaimed aloud to nobody in particular. Well, except perhaps to the armored blonde. And a mogall, but really, did they deserve any attention? When was the last time a mogall did anything beyond send some poor soul on an acid trip? Wait, those were Arch Mogalls. Regular mogalls did...nothing.

Well, besides blinking. Giant eyeballs tended to do that.

The infernal strode across the wasteland with a warm smile, by his standards, and a curious glint in his eyes. He didn't want to get TOO close to the woman or her pet eyeball, but he did want to get a better look at them. They were the only entertainment in the area so he wanted to make the most of what he had. “Welcome, welcome, to this humble abode. Not mine. Too gaudy for my tastes. But what brings you by?”

[Malai]

Just as her thoughts turned to her distance she heard a voice calling out to her. “Welcome, welcome, to this humble abode. Not mine. Too gaudy for my tastes. But what brings you by?” The voice belonged to a smartly dressed man who seemed to appear from nowhere and his words were certainly most curious. Humble abode? Someone lived here?

“Then where is the house?” Malai spoke up with a sheer lack of tact, “and you reek of nether. It strongly surrounds you. Almost like my mother. I assume you’re a mage?” Then the idea clicked, “This stupid guy yours? You trying to follow and watch me for something huh? Someone hire ya?” She took her sword and slammed the blade into the earth cracking it before letting it hum with nether channeled into its blade for extra threat and effect.

The floating eyeball looked between the two before flying higher and around them. It stopped behind the Abyssal and with its tentacles tried to touch his face. It was anyone’s guess what it was trying to do but Malai’s current assumption was it was trying to show its creator some affection. Realizing there was little good in getting worked up she promptly stopped herself.

“Know what, doesn’t matter. But, you know where the closest people are? There are things I’d like to get done ya know?” A rhetorical question and one that could open her to all sorts of inquiry and prodding. She could only hope she did not come to regret this.

[Erebus]

Huh, for someone so blatantly self-absorbed this mortal woman asked a looooot of questions. She asked Erebus if he was a mage, if the Mogall was his, if he worked for her mother and therefore was spying on her...and then decided none of those questions actually mattered and instead asked where “the nearest people” were.

Funny, not once did she ask for his name. Surely that spoke volumes to her character.

“Technically AND literally: I'm the nearest people.” The proximity of the Mogall didn't really bother him. He knew well enough those things were harmless. Curious, but harmless. So instead he took a few steps towards the mortal woman, chuckling at his own humorous response. “As for civilizations, though, depends on which way you're going. If you head South-West you'll hit the sandier areas, near the various kingdoms that surround the desert. Ah, and the Sunken Citadel. If you head dead-West or North-West well...who knows? Probably more various kingdoms, imperiums, republics, or just an endless series of villages.”

Erebus' eyes flashed briefly. He'd satisfied her curiosities, but now he needed to tend to his own. “And what are these things that you need doing? You don't even have a set destination from the sounds of it. You just need to be around people?” Sounded like she was out to go do something nefarious when he put it that way...which was why he put it that way. He wanted to see how this woman would react to the suggestion that she was up to no-good. Would she care? Would she try to correct him? Or was Erebus right on the money?

[Malai]

Oh this was rich, he was a mage no doubt. He had that riddlespeak down and an irritating flamboyance about his speech pattern. "Right then, so you are out here for who knows what and now here we are." She shrugged to this. To enter the wasteland was to be a deathseeker or up to no good. Malai had her suspicions he was the latter.

"IF," She stressed the word, "You must know where I am going I am looking for the Kingdom of Eredil. I have an important person to meet with there." She dropped her bag and removed a large helm from it. The single object took up most of the bag's space and as she did so the bag looked deflated and sagged. She proceeded to place it on her head. "Now then, I know all about going West, I need to know about the East." Geeze, can the guy NOT tell what direction she was traveling? Or... did she get turned around? Oh hell, she hopped not.

"While I do not believe my business is your business, especially when you pry and prod without the courtesy to reveal your own intentions but I intend to compete in the annual tournament and claim my birthright." She nodded affirmatively. The mogall opted to float by and watch, all the while emitting its moaning sound.

[Erebus]

“Eredil...Eredil...” Had Erebus heard of it before? It sounded familiar, but that could be because it had about half of his own name in it. Yep, exactly half. A shame, since the fact that it was just another Kingdom left him a bit annoyed. Really, what was it with mortals, notably humans, and crowning one of their members so that everyone else could bend over before them? If they were wise they'd realize none are better than the other, and that crown was just a cheap trinket.

“...Nope, never heard of that one! Perhaps it has fallen, like so many kingdoms do.” Erebus replied with an aloof chuckle. He decided to brush off the fact that she had, indeed, been headed East and pressed onto a more interesting subject. “But if it still stands you intend to win your birthright? What...royalty? You think you're the ruler of Eredite?” Oh he remembered the Kingdom's name, but Eredite sounded MUCH better...could be improved further, though.

But before the Infernal pressed on even FURTHER he raised his hands up and smirked. “Oh right. Not my 'business', as you were so keen to put it.” Well, if the woman became irate or lost her cooperative spirit Erebus now had his way in. He needed only to recall the likely location of this Eredil, or perhaps somewhere nearby. Unfortunately he needed time to recall the truth. THIS was why he preferred lies.

“As for my intentions, why, it's simply good old fashioned curiosity. I see something and I wish to understand it. This applies to people as well.” MOSTLY true. Erebus harbored deep curiosity, but when it came to mortals he found he was disappointed more oft than not. He didn't really want to dig deeper, and yet he felt compelled to do so all the same.

“So! Why are you off to the glorious Kingdom of Erezabet to reclaim your 'birthright'? You wish to rule?"

[Malai]

"So, you mean to tell me that simple, honest to good CURIOSITY, brought you out to this wasteland known to be quite dangerous? Right..." She gave him a skeptical look but she accepted his reasoning, he was beyond human and so too would his logic and reasoning she assumed.

He asked her about the birthright question. The mere mention of this brought an all new haughty and confident air about her. "Well, my good dark friend." She shouldered her blade and began to laugh. "You see, I am the child of King Leon. His eldest child in fact. So when I show up and win the tournament I will prove my worth in ability and then I will triumphantly remove my helm to reveal myself in true! They will have no choice but to accept me at that point."

She tapped her blade on her shoulder before exhaling, "Well, I personally do not very much care about ruling you see, however, I know that of all the others that could be potential successors there will be none finer than me." Arrogance, confidence, knowing? Her words could be seen as any number of these but to her, it was certainly knowing. She had no doubts about it.