Public The Synthetic Heresy (OPEN)

[Liin Terallo]

I do not know why I keep doing this to myself; markets, crowds and people brushing too close. Maybe part of me still clings to the illusion of normalcy now that I have been given a new place to call home. But the weight of too many eyes lingers on my mind, and I cannot tell which ones are really watching me anymore.

The bread was a little overpriced. The cheese likely imported. The wine is the only thing that I truly cared about. I kept my head low, clutching the woven basket perhaps a little too tightly, and offered short nods to vendors I will not remember tomorrow. Hopefully none of them will remember me either.

One of them smiled at me. Too long. Too knowing. So I left.

------------------------

Now, beneath the trees, I can finally breathe again. The forest beyond the park’s edge does not care who I am or what I am trying to accomplish. I follow a narrow half-hidden path that I had marked for myself days ago and find the shaded clearing where I can vanish for a while.

The blanket unrolls with a practiced flick. I set out my little picnic; just enough to pass for ordinary, if anyone were to come by. A slice of bread. A wedge of cheese. One glass, and the wine bottle. A picnic for one.

It is the bottle that I turn my focus on now.

I sit cross-legged, straighten my posture, and exhale. My fingers rest loosely on my knees. Beneath my skin, the serum hums - like a low vibration at the edge of hearing. A warmth not entirely my own. The Force... but not. Mine, but artificial. Real, but wrong.

The bottle sits still in front of me. I close my eyes. The air around me prickles faintly, the subtle static buzz I have come to recognize as a side effect. My fingertips tingle. Somewhere nearby, a bird trills once and falls silent.

“Just a little…” I whisper to myself. “Come on. Just rise.”

A tremor passes through me as I push my intent outward - not with raw power, but with precision. Control. My breath grows shallow, and somewhere in the clearing, something flickers. I reopen my eyes, retaining my focus on the bottle. The bottle wobbles. And then it lifts.

A high-pitched buzz crackles faintly in the air, like the static before a lightning strike. The hair on my arms prickles as the bottle hovers, trembling, it's shadow flickering on the blanket beneath. My vision narrows, the edges dimming slightly with the effort.

And that is when I see it just beyond the treeline. A ripple of movement. A figure, maybe? A shape where there should not be one. Gone in a blink, or maybe never there at all. I could have imagined it.

I do not break focus. I cannot or it could break and I would lose the precious wine.

Tags: Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Daniel Washburne Zinayn The Lord of Hunger @OPEN

 

[Nos Voros]

Outfit: Clothing/Armor
Undercover Kit:

Spoiler: Undercover Deployment

* Legion Combat Engineer Multi-Tool

• 4 X Combat/Utility Knife-Model 01
• Cortosis Vibroblade
• Legion Combat Pistol Mark I with Whisper-class Suppressor Series
• Legion Crew Personal Protection Weapon Mark I
• 1 X Modular Hand Grenade-Model 01
• 1 X Anti-Armor Grenade-Model 01
• Bastion-class Load Bearing/Combat Vest (protective vest only)
• 2x blaster cartridges
• 1x stun grenades
• Ascension Pistol
• Fusion Lantern
• Datapad
• Garrote
• 3x stimpacks

Once again he was shadowing. Far from the Alliance's borders, studying Ms. Terello from a distance.

She likely still knew about it, knew that he would be watching, taking notes to update his threat analysis. Still – keeping his distance at this point was polite, and still served as practice regardless.

His perch was on a lower limb of a tree, several hundred yards away – a narrower view angle than he would prefer through the electrobinoculars than he would prefer, but the coverage hiding him from the casual observer was worth it.

She was practicing again.

Making an earnest effort. Maybe the news of other powers viewing her as a potential danger had helped bolster her resolve, or maybe the proof that they were watching was driving her to master this new ability.

Nos could only speculate and observe. He doubted the latter. From the conversation shared he suspected, or maybe just hoped, that the careful isolation and subtle exercise was intended to protect herself — and others from herself.

Liin Terallo | @Open​

 

[Diarch Rellik]

"Brother, I am telling you. The circumstance of using Laphisto as the gene father of the clones might have un-foreseen benefits and weaknesses. On one hand, they could be attuned to the force naturally with the nature of his people. Perhaps even giving rise for resettlement or the rebirth of Kiev'ara. On the other hand, I am unsure if we can replicate Saurav'ix and Drak'ho's powers in regards to making the soul tears their people have. We might damn them to some monstrous life. I really have no idea."

Rellik had brought his brother to the park to have a less formal conversation meant only for the two of them. The candidacy for who would be the generic template of the clones was up in the air. At the forum Rellik did suggest Laphisto, Reign, himself and volunteers from any military member of the Diarchy. A background check still pending of course. So here, among lush greens where they would not be swayed by the urges of war. They would discuss the future of such a project.

"Even so, we could take a smaller group and find all of the tears as possible and re-integrate them into new host bodies. Giving them a chance to reproduce naturally... If our suppliers cloning facilities can make such a thing possible."

There was a small tingle in the back of the Diarch's mind. Danger? Perhaps. He had felt it before but could not make sense of when. It was of the force, yet not the way he knew it. He put the back of his hand on his brother chest.

"Wait. Come with me. Let us walk this way."

He took his brother and began leading him towards this feeling.

Liin Terallo Diarch Reign The Lord of Hunger Daniel Washburne Zinayn Nos Voros Laphisto

 

[Liin Terallo]

The bottle floated up in the air as if it were weightless. I pushed it higher and higher until it was up past the level that I could reach with my hand while sitting down. So far so good. I can feel the fatigue setting in, but it is not too bad to handle. I do not have Lord Rellik's tea with me, but I do have the wine. So long as the bottle does not break.

Suddenly I heard a voice. I could not make out what was being said, but I know well enough that it was a man's voice. Fear gripped me then. Fear of being hunted again. Fear of being seen. Fear of being recognized. And fear of my experiment on myself being discovered.

The bottle drops as my focus had shifted. I catch the movement barely before I realize that it is happening. And then once more time slows down. At girst I thought that I was catching the bottle again to slow it down. But no. The rising static in the air and the gentle fall of a couple of leaves in the distance made it clear. For a moment I just observe and watch it all in scientific wonder. Time is a paradox afterall and the ability to view it differently is quite exciting.

But this thrill comes at a cost.

I pluck the bottle from the air with both of my hands and hug it close to my body. With my other hand I pick up a napkin and hold it against my nose for I knew what was to hsppen next.

Time catches up, resuming it's normal pace as the static winds down. I lean over as I can feel the disorientation set in, as well as the wetness of a nosebleed.

I can only hope that the passerbys did not notice.

Tags: Nos Voros Diarch Rellik Diarch Reign OPEN

 

[Zinayn]

After all the battles he'd been in recently, a nice day in the park was what Zinayn needed. Now that he was here sitting in the freshly mown grass, he started to regret not inviting anyone else to come with him. He was fine with being alone, though. Meditation was supposed to be a centering and sobering activity, not time for idle chit-chat.

He settled deeper into the grass, letting his hands rest on his knees. He closed his eyes, and the sounds of nature around him soothed his mind. He reached out into the Force, feeling good and evil, life and death, and the things between. He didn't get far into his meditation when he felt something wrong. Amidst the living Force all throughout the galaxy that he'd been flowing with, there was an anomaly. And it was right here in the park. There was no such thing as a coincidence when the Force was involved.

Zinayn's eyes opened, scanning the area. He was in a secluded part of the large park, one that not many people would think to go to, so the disturbance wasn't in the immediate vicinity. The Chiss rose gracefully and patted his sides to make sure he had everything. His comlink and lightsaber were all that he'd brought out here. He definitely didn't expect combat, but he found that it was better to be prepared than unprepared.

Emerging from the private cluster of trees at one end of the park, he walked out onto one of the paved pathways in the soil around the main grass area where citizens of the Diarchy were picnicking, practicing athletics, or just enjoying the beautiful day. His eyes locked onto the edge of the park opposite him, where the park met the forest. The Force compelled him forward.

Diarch Rellik Liin Terallo Nos Voros Diarch Reign

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The park grew quieter with each step.

Rellik moved ahead of his brother, though not by much, his cloak drifted just inches above the moss and soil. He was more drawn by instinct than intention. The sensation that pulled at his mind was not a threat. It was subtler than that. Fainter. A resonance that did not obey the Force as he understood it… but mimicked it.

"Do you feel it now?" he asked, half-turning his head toward Reign without breaking stride.

He followed the pull into the trees, toward the fringes of the park. It was not the hum of Dark Side corruption, nor the soothing calm of the Light. It was static.

Then came the smell: faint iron. Blood. The Diarch knew the smell all to well.

He stepped around a bend in the trail, his eyes scanning a shaded glade framed by overgrown vines with a small picnic set up for a single person. A figure crouched low to the earth, napkin pressed to her face, clutching something close. He recognized her.

"Liin dear, I did not expect to find you out here. Although I should say I am not completely surprised." He gave a soft warm smile. Putting his hands behind his back and approaching her. He did not look to Reign, nor to Zinayn who he sensed was closing in behind. His attention remained forward on the woman. "It seems the force has began to call people to you." His soft warm smile now turned to a boyish mischievous one. Not malicious but like someone who knew a secret. "You know I am not one to pry but I felt it Liin. I felt YOU, in the force. It was not the same and those of us attuned could tell." Coming closer he offered a corner of his cloak for her to use to help stop the bleeding. "Are you okay?"

Liin Terallo Diarch Reign Zinayn Nos Voros

 

[Liin Terallo]

I heard his voice before I saw him. Lord Rellik. Lifting my head, I indeed saw him approach. And behind him was Lord Reign. Suddenly I felt so exposed; even while being surrounded by trees. Not only that; but I felt a tinge of embarrassment for the position upon which I sat and for having a bleeding nose. It was highly unlady-like and undignified.

Yet I cannot get to my feet currently. Not unless I had wanted to further embarrass myself by allowing myself to get dizzy and fall to the ground. That would surely not do!

My napkin was doing it's job, however I really should have brought more.

Lord Rellik's words switched my focus. The Force called him here? I did not make any attempt to reach out or make some sort of call. So that could only mean that testing out my abilities did something to that effect. Which either meant that that the Force that gave him magic was either curious about what I have created; or it saw it as a threat and sent others to stop me. Right now I am hoping for the former.

I slowly relinquished my tight hold on the wine bottle and set it down on the blanket. I cleared my throat a little, yet did not acceot his offer to stain his robe with my bloody nose. Instead I just kept the napkin on my nose and do not plan to move it at all until I was certain that the bleeding had stopped. And when I responded to him, my voice was very nasally; sounding as though I was suffering from a cold.

"I am....fine. I am just a little dizzy. It will pass." I could not help but to let out a sigh before I continued on. "I respect you for not prying; yet I suppose that I can keep it a secret no longer. After the success of my research on biomass I had decided to test my serum on myself, rather than on some other person. And there are some....side effects that come with it. Having it bring you here was not what I was expecting." It made me wonder if testing my abilities will always call Force Wizards to me. Or if only certain conditions and proximities causes it to happen.

"Would you mind helping me to pour a glass of wine? I could use a sip or two."

Tags: Diarch Rellik Diarch Reign Nos Voros Zinayn

 

[Wrathian Kell]

Liin Terallo Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Nos Voros Zinayn

How had he come to be here, wandering in the park. Furious at fate perhaps. Though "here" was somehow less confusing with the bigger question. How had he come to be now? Wrathian was still unsure, and figured he'd never have the answer to that question. So he was brooding instead. Or was until he'd caught a glimpse of Rellik and Reign. His new sovereigns. A concept which also upset him less that the loss of everything he knew.

They'd seem to be having a private conversation, and alas he was not planning on bothering the brothers. However, they'd also seemed to notice the shift that he just felt. Something dark and disturbing, not in its nature, but in it's lack thereof.

He paced behind his lords not speaking a word. Hands at the small of his back, as they always were. Then they'd stopped at a woman. Sitting there. And she felt wrong. It bothered him. Facial tendrils flicking about as digits writhing in discomfort, like sitting in dry heat. Then, it seemed, that Rellik knew the woman. Was she suffering some kind of force disease? Something that altered how she felt to others? It was only then Rellik cleared it up with his words.

"You know I am not one to pry but I felt it Liin. I felt YOU, in the force. It was not the same and those of us attuned could tell."

Then her own words confirmed even more.

Wrathians head tilted. She was... wrong. Her power was not of her own. This was potentially quite dangerous for the woman, even more so than she may understand. Sithspawn would be the word closest to his cultures description. Yet that was not a damnation, or label of evil, just words to confirm she'd made a... poor decesion.

Yet he spoke not, projected not. Only looked to Reign. "Diarch." Then to Rellik. "Diarch." Still only observing, yet below the surface his judgment flared. Perhaps based on experience. Cloning, replicating power, manipulating the force. He'd seen how it turned out, while it might end differently for this woman.

For the Massassi, who were a cast of the Sith-born, yet in truth, they were abominated mutants, bred only for war. The cost of cloning a species of force users was high. It wreaked havoc on their skeletal structure, they were massive monsters. Though even more concerning, it stripped them of their intelligence. Capable of understanding orders yes, but forming thoughts? No. Thankfully she was forming full sentences which put the Sith-born at ease. Yet, the blood pooling from this woman's nose was proof, to Wrathian, she'd played with something unnatural, and what he would consider, dangerous. Now he was curious about what cost it would exact.

"Lady... Liin, is it? I believe side-effects are only part of your concerns, quite so if you are unaware that you're projecting a presence within the force." She now had a power, but Wrathian was concerned that she might not understand what that meant. Understand it's history, it's weight, what it attracts, how it can corrupt if one is not ready. This made her a danger, to herself and others. Not because she meant to cause harm or unease in the former Prince and the Diarchs, but because she didn't meant to, and it happened anyway. Power misunderstood, is power that can be allowed to spiral.

His fear? It may have already begun to unspin.

 

[Diarch Reign]

​

Location: Ravelin Central Gardens and Park
Tags: Zinayn Diarch Rellik Liin Terallo Wrathian Kell Nos Voros

---

As he walked alongside his brother, he listened. Reign did not fully agree with the use of Laphisto as the gene father of the new clones they were attempting to use.

"I see your point brother, but let me raise you a counter. The old republic, before Palpatine's empire, attempted force sensitive cloning, and while there have been many advances in the technology, I agree, how can we be sure that the output will be viable? Clones touched by the force have often degraded much quicker, either physically, or even worse.. Mentally. I believe the best option would be to find a candidate from our military, one who is the best of the best. Perhaps one of the new Lilaste Commandos, or the Myrmidons?"

He clasped his hands behind his back as he walked, continuing

"While I agree it is a worthwhile venture, I think, to your point. We authorize a small number of clones utilizing Kiev'aran DNA, and then attempt to figure out a way to replicate the tears. That way we do not give Laphisto false hope, nor doom a fledgling resurgent race to torment and death should we fail"

His brother then changed their direction, right as Reign began to feel something within the force. He followed closely, curious as to what this new development may be.

As they approached, the only words Reign said were

"I feel it"

And he watched, watched what unfolded between Rellik and Liin. Yet when the request for a glass of wine was made, Reign bent down himself and poured it. Handing it gingerly to the woman.

"Here you are Liin, take it easy now. Testing the serum on yourself was either a bold, or foolhardy move. Either way, this is your reality now."

As Wrathian approached, the Diarch nodded at the greeting, returning it with

"Lord Kell, what an unexpected pleasure"

 

[Liin Terallo]

A dark stranger approached us. Yet he appeared to know the Diarch brothers. The last thing that I need to happen right now is a fight, for I am really not ready for such a thing.

His words gave me some cause of alarm. How could I be giving out a presence within the Force if I am not like them? I am unique and very different. Regardless this will be something that will require more testing. How else can a mystery be solved and understood other than through testing?

I can feel that the bleeding from my nose has stopped. And as Lord Reign fixes to pour me a glass of wine, I wipe away what blood that I could, hoping that for my own pride's sake there is no streaks of it remaining on my face. It is embarrassing enough to have others spot me bleeding in such a manner, for I am supposed to always appear in perfect condition.

Gingerly I take the wine glass in hand and have my first sip. The warm liquid sooths me and brings with it a greater sense of calm. Wine has always been a bit of a crutch for me and it surely will continue to do so.

I listen to Lord Reign's words and respond to them in kind. "I am beginning to think that this move of mine is both foolhardy and bold. But if not me, then it would be someone else. But I do plan to fix it. Once I have a better understanding of it." Perhaps this is what it was like when Force Wizards first began to appear; long before they became common place amongst the Galaxy. Did they suffer from side-effects as well?

Tags: Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Wrathian Kell Zinayn Nos Voros

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The wine hadn't reached her fingertips before Rellik had already begun moving. He lowered himself beside her without ceremony, knees folding beneath layered fabric. His gaze swept the remnants of the moment, the bloodied napkin, the faint static that still shimmered in the air.

"You didn't call to the Force. This is something... else. And those attuned to the force can feel it. Like a bad taste in the mouth. Despite that it is alive"

Now his voice shifted, pitched not just to her but to those standing nearby.

"And when something lives… it ripples. Through the Force. Through the world. Through people."

His eyes remained forward, but the weight of his words carried toward Zinayn, toward Wrathian.

"There will be others who feel it. Some will ask questions. Some will come with weapons. You'll have my protection against the latter. But the questions you must be ready to face them. You must answer with truth. We are friends Liin. I know life has been hard and fear is a hard hole to crawl out of. Yet, with all my heart I hope to express that you can trust us. You are among friends. Family... You did not need to do this to be one of us but you have. Now we are here."

He let the moment hang, then added, pointed but calm. Speaking to everyone.

"She is not Sithspawn. She is not an accident. She is new. That deserves reverence, not judgment. The same thing Reign and I have given to all. If there are side effects… we face them. Together. That's how it's done here."

A faint smile ghosted across his face as he lifted one brow.

"Now, I believe I was promised a glass last time we met. I hope you don't intend to drink alone."

Liin Terallo Diarch Reign Wrathian Kell Diarch Reign Zinayn Nos Voros

 

[Aleratha Tel'alith]

Tags: Diarch Rellik

---

Aleratha stood on the bridge of her Recusant the TL Sela'thilion. It was a gift from her dear friend Aurine Werr and one meant to keep her safe when traveling for science. Of course she turned the vessel into a working lab and warship.

The ship had just arrived above Bastion with a new technology to show off to this newer super power. Sephi offshoots like her plan ahead, since often one of them can see a few generations of regular humans come and go.

That's when routine stopped. The ships force systems... the ones that monitored it, some used it, began giving alarms. The force was acting a way it never had before. That was cause for alarm.

She turned towards the captain of the ship "Proceed to the docking bay. I have to call Diarch Rellik."

With that she left the room and went to the secure holo terminal room. She calls up Rellik "Hello Diarch Rellik. I have arrived to show you some new technology... And a bunch of them are detecting some strange force anomalies. Thoughts?"

Aleratha leaves for the shuttle bay to leave for the pre planned meeting with the Diarch. Maybe I can get some answers to this troubling data. She mused

 

[Demveath Okamsiu]

Tags: Liin Terallo | Diarch Rellik | Diarch Reign | Wrathian Kell | Zinayn | Nos Voros | Aleratha Tel'alith |



Demveath sat crosslegged meditating in the special built room on her Raider corvette Xella. She was using one of her families Holocrons she had recovered to try and feel where the ancient world craft factory was at. When a wrongness in the force crept in.... a unique feeling... one like a pressure front was coming. Like that came with a storm... Much like the fleeting feeling when the Mass Shadow generator was used. She dropped her meditation.

No this was different. Walking onto the bridge the Zabrakian crew of Lord Rasnuhl 's people saluted her. She stopped next to the terminal of the navigator "Go to these coordinates. I must see what this thread of the force is." The navigator typed in what she said quickly "Yes milady. Any further instructions?" Demveath shook her head no. Walking back to the meditation chamber.

Xella was in hyperspace before she could start meditation. The hum of the systems and the drive comforted her. For the next hour she peered into the force with forcesight looking for who, where, what, and the surrounding terrain. Before looking into the holocron that held all of the families knowledge of metal work for something helpful.

Before long they had arrived at Bastion. Clearance codes and protocol went quickly as she still sifted through ancient formulations for something that may sort whatever in the force was going on. The door opened revealing the Female Zabrakian captain "Lady Okamsiu, We have arrived as close as we are allowed. I suggest taking a speeder bike the rest of the way." Demveath looked and nodded.

A few minutes later the Sith pureblood was speeding off to what is marked as a park. Stopping at the edge she walked the rest of the way until seeing a group. She walked up to the perimeter guard "I have business with them. There is a force problem... I must see."

 

[Liin Terallo]

Lord Rellik takes it upon himself to sit beside me. I should have packed a bigger picnic, even if it was just for show. But how was I to know that I would not be alone here? How was I to know that they would be drawn here as though I was some kind of beacon?

I listen to him quietly as he speaks - not just to me, but to everyone else as well. I bow my head in thanks as he speaks of protection; for I cannot fight. I do not know how. And I know not yet of what abilities that I may possess.

"And what if I do not yet have the answers to give? This is as new to me as it is to everyone. I need time to study it. That is why I am here in this park. To learn."

I have another sip of my wine; thankful at least that I have not been forced to leave. Will I truly be seen by others as a monster? As far as I know; I am not dangerous to anyone. But that is only if I can have control over these synthetic abilities. I have a feeling that I have only scratched the surface in that regard. Not to mention the side effects. Whether or not they go beyond the physical is still yet to be determined.

As he asked for some wine for himself, I merely handed Lord Rellik the bottle. "I only brought one glass, for I had assumed that I would be here alone. But you may help yourself to the bottle. This glassfull is all that I need at the moment." I pause briefly before continuing. "I do not mean to cause you any trouble."

Tags: Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Nos Voros Wrathian Kell Zinayn Aleratha Tel'alith Demveath Okamsiu

 

[Wrathian Kell]

Tags: Liin Terallo Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Demveath Okamsiu Nos Voros Zinayn Aleratha Tel'alith

Rellik was defending the woman. Wrathian abided, for the Diarch's words were true, to a degree. Whatever Liin had done wasn't malicious, or at the very least she'd not intended to turn herself into something that the Force moved through. Yet the other words spoken by Rellik did not sit easily with the Prince. She may be something new yes, but in all fairness, when something in the galaxy was attuned to the Force, it moved through them, was influenced by their emotions, beliefs, and feelings. Then it left them. That was the natural cycle of a Force signature. It was how one individual could pick out another in a crowd if they'd known the person for long, or were close to them.

This, was not that. As her signature left, Wrathian felt something like a decay leaving Liin. Yet even if he was unsettled by every sense of the word. Rellik's point as before. Had weight, simply because this woman had tampered with the natural order of things was no reason to condemn her to a cell, though perhaps for her safety, keeping her in the crucible with the rest of the Order would be better than letting the woman stay in her own home. Yet that was a call which would not be for him to make, nor would it be appropriate to bring it up during a picnic. Wrathian understood if he did so, for the woman, it could seem like an imprisonment, a punishment. He would bite his tongue. "Apologies if my words... offended."

No she would learn the hard way. The consequences of her action would rear their head, and if the day came that she asked to stay in the crucible. Wrathian would simply feel validated, and not tell a soul. "The Diarchs are correct. You have our protection as long as you're on Bastion and within Diarchy space, and should you feel or become threatened. Please... do not feel as if I would be unreliable." He'd protect her yes, even if it was just with the pretext of observing how her abilities evolved, and what would come of it.

Something familiar crossed his mind. Like the scent of Korriban's sands. How curious that now of all times he'd felt it. His head tilting upwards to the sky. "Excuse the intrusion. I must see to my meditations. Diarchs. Liin. Enjoy the sunlight." And with that he began in a different direction. Several thoughts had clouded his mind within this small interaction. The nature of the Force, the eerily familiar force undercutting it, and then Liin's own projections. It had all become too much, and if Rellik and Reign were with the woman. He doubted his assistance would be needed just yet, even if he had a dozen judgments and an archive of unanswered questions..

 

[Liin Terallo]

I am a scientist. I prefer to keep away from religion and flights of fancy. And yet it seems as though I have passed into a realm that for people like me was meant to be unreached. In light of that all types of people have felt the need to investigate and in a sense study me. The question remained; would they see me as an abomination to be destroyed? Or a tool to be used in their conquest for power and domination? Both options were not to my liking. And currently I am not at a level of study enough to be able to deny anyone of those approaches.

I bow my head to the man as he departs. And although he says he will defend me if the situation calls for it; I have the feeling that it would not be without some conditions.

After having another sip of my wine, I quietly make a comment; "I feel as though I have jumped into the deep end of a pool without learning how to tread water first. But I will rectify that mistake, I assure you." I will reach out to someone for help. I have an idea of who to ask; although I am unsure of how he would respond to this turn of events. All that I know is that there is no going back to my old life. But just where this new path will lead me to, I do not know.

With being new, I am sure that no one knows where I would belong. But my research is not over yet.

Tags: Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik Wrathian Kell Demveath Okamsiu Zinayn

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The bottle passed easily into his hand. Rellik didn't hesitate, didn't search for another glass. He tipped it back for a swallow as if it were the most natural thing in the world, lowering it again with a quiet smile.

"Life is trouble, dear… and thank you."

The words carried no weight of formality, only ease. For a moment, there was nothing grand about the Diarch at all, just a man who shared her wine and her company.

When Wrathian departed, Rellik's gaze followed him briefly. He understood the Man's instincts, even respected them. Caution was warranted. But a bomb you knew the wiring to was safer than one you stumbled onto blind, and here before him was no bomb, only a woman grappling with something untested, unsteady, but alive.

Turning to Liin - "I have no doubts about you. You're smart, savvy, intuitive. None of us are perfect, and when we push into something new, it unsettles us. It can make us insecure, it can terrify us. Sometimes it even damns us. But that push, the willingness to step past the line, that's what makes people extraordinary." He offered her a warm smile. His golden eyes flickering for a moment.

The smile that lingered then was boyish, soft.

He set the bottle down gently on the blanket and rose to his feet. The folds of his cloak brushed the grass as he extended a hand toward Liin, palm open, the gesture deliberate but free of ceremony.

"Come. If you're well enough, walk with me a while. Let me show you the garden, the birds, the flowers, the life that thrives all around us. This," he gestured faintly at the clearing, "is the reason for risk. Not to be feared, not to be hidden… but to live."

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

Lord Rellik seems to have much hope in what I have done to myself. And in some ways I am grateful for that. But at the same time I am nervous about it too.

He rises to his feet and then holds out his hand for me in a bid to help me up. I gingerly place my hand in his and slowly stand. A slight wave of dizziness weaves it's way through, yet I remain still and breathe it out. Only when it is finished do I dare to take another step forward.

I find myself making light of his last comment. "Living is not one of my strong suits, I am afraid. Or at the very least, not living in the way that others do. I have gotten rather comfortable at living in a secluded environment. It is safer that way."

Tags: Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik steadied her hand in his, waiting until she found her balance before they took the first step together. He didn't rush her, just let the rhythm of her breath settle, the weight of her body anchor itself again. "Seclusion is only one kind of safety. The other comes from knowing that when you stumble, someone is there to steady you." His cloak also helped keep her upright as they moved. Forming a nice counter weight.

He guided them slowly onto the path, letting the play of sunlight through the branches mark their way. A small flock of songbirds burst from the hedges nearby, their wings catching the air in a glitter of motion.

"Look at them. They don't hide, though they have every reason to. They still rise, they still sing. Not because it's safe, because that's what it means to live."

The faintest smile touched his face again, boyish, light.

"You don't have to live like everyone else, Liin. Just live enough that you remember you're not alone anymore. You have one big family with you."

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

I walked along side him, being sure to remove my hand from his just in case people make assumptions about us. I had undergone foul rumors in the past with far less interaction with someone and I would rather not have any such scandals haplen here too.

I find the pace of the walk to be a comfortable one. There is nothing hurried about it. Nothing but a gentle stroll through the park. Which leaves time for a chat. My jaw tightens a little as he tries to draw some comparisons between myself and the birds. I do feel it to be an unfair one, yet I hold my tongue.

Instead I subtly shift the topic away from my desire for solitude and privacy by bringing it to my own selflessness and sacrifice. "I could not bear it if others were hurt or killed because of my work. It is why I chose myself for a test subject. Not out of a bid for power; but to keep others from any harm that it could bring." If anyone claimed that I was doing this out of some quest for a higher status; then they are wrong. For my first instinct is to run away from the attention and not towards it. I have no need for being in public life. As it was; I had only come here to conduct my research in relative safety and peace.

Tag: Diarch Rellik