Any homesick person will tell you that, though adventure is fun, there is never any place to truly match home. The only true way around it was to find a new home. To carve a new life for oneself in whatever environment they are most comfortable. For Lokiri Valya there could be only one home. And since he could not reach it for now, he decided to do the next best thing. The thin, cold air of the higher mountains was like a healing balm. By being thrown into this world a piece of his soul had been ripped away. Now some part of it was being mended. In this harsher terrain where cold ruled over warmth the Ithilian was at home. The cold wind lashing out at his unprotected arms had no effect. To him it felt a comfortable temperature that he could happily cope with.

The hood of his cloak, which was as white as the snow, was thrown back. The length of his midnight black hair fluttered in the gales. The tail of the cloak did the same, exposing the ends of to sheathed scimitars. The muscles of his arms seemed carved from stone. They were chiseled into subtle curved and beautiful toning. Ever individual clump of sinew in the forearm was visible as his arms moved in rhythm of his steps. Even up here where breath was scarce Lokiri moved like a machine. There was no sheen of sweat from the exertion of the climb. No labored breathing as a sign of tiring. This was a man accustomed to such tests of endurance. A man who did not even find them challenging.

Needless to say he did not expect company up here. So imagine his surprise when a band of hideous looking creatures, the likes of which he had never seen, leapt out from their hiding spots to confront him. They were disgusting creatures with a green tint to their skin and a strange, almost animal like, snout upon its ugly face. The weapons they wielded were crude, some of them even bearing rust. In moments they had him surrounded. Lokiri did not even try greeting them. These things did not look intelligent enough to speak anyway. Still their intentions were clear, and he simply could not allow that. Seven against one... terrible odds. They should have brought more...

Ace disliked enviornments that drew his element too far one way, yet Ace had buisness that needed to be dealt with in the frigid heights of these montains. There were tales of of a curious flower that defied logic and grew quite well in these unfavorable conditions. It could have just been a bothersome rumor or magic at work yet either way it was a mystery Ace intended to work on solving. He could handle being in the cold for a good bit, afterall it was a road less travelled and he probably would not meet anyone let alone a mage that would agitate the delicate balance of his elements. Ace didn't need to prepare much for the trip, he just needed a fair amount of food and water, though he could conjure either if he wished. He didn't exactly need to dress for there cold weather for there would be no point, he would be adjusted to it before it could become a real pain.

Ace's sapphire wings were drawn around him like a cloak, not because he was cold but casue it was the best way to hole them with the feirce gale winds. He could use a little wind magic still yet he was unsure if he could calm the winds. There was however no need he could travel well enough like this, though flying would of course be out of the qeustion. Ace's frosty blue hair was not tussled by the winds, but was instead as rigid as if it had been forzen. The half dragon seemed ill-dressed in not but a simple pair of pants, a shirt with holes for his wings , and a pair of brown boots yet Ace was now quite comfort in the freezing cold.

At some point during his climb he heard noises comimg from the side of the mountain. Ace walked to the edge of the cliff and glaced down. Sure enough there were cackling goblins surrounding a peculiar warrior. While the warrior seemed aslmost as ill-equiped as Ace for the harsh conditions of this snow mountain he did not look like one to challenge in battle. Ace pondered helping this warrior, but wonder if it would be taken as an insult to the skilled warrior seeking to have a full battle.

(OOC:sorry about thewait man. Hopefully my post is good enought o make up for it. lol :OOC)

The goblins chattered in their strange and crude dialect. Pointing chipped clubs and dented swords his way. Lokiri watched it all with a level star, his eyes steadily growing colder as his soft oceanic blue gaze began to shift to that of a glacial ice. That was it, the one sign of warning for people to stand down. To run. Anger or annoyance brought that frigid stare to surface and the strange shouts and grunts spouting from every mouth of these beings was definitely beginnging to wear on his nerves.

At last one stepped forward. The biggest of the group, though even he was small next to the Ithilian. With a wicked snarl he raised his curved sword. The only one that seemed unflawed by rust, dents, or nicks. "You give up without fight." it said. It's accent was so thick Lokiri had trouble understanding him. When he did, however, his expression turned to cold.

"Sorry." Lokiri said, his voice like cold steel. "But if anyone surrenders it will have to be all of you..."

So it began. With the correct choice of words the most intelligent of minds can be manipulated. Seeing as how these creatures were far from intelligent such machinations were all too simple for someone such as Lokiri. The circle of goblins began to close, and Lokiri's stance shifted as he prepared to take on his numerous foes....

(Don't worry about it. It's kinda hard to stop life from happening XP)
Ace was at the strange confidence that the goblins took in their numbers. Outnumbering your opponent clearly gave an advantage, yet should seem that this opponent was quite skill and capable in battle. The goblins likely held little skill at all and depended on their numbers to make up the difference. Even if their leader did more than cackle, the warrior’s skills might be able to counter the goblin numbers. Ace, like Lokiri, got similarly annoyed by the useless racket the goblins were creating. When the apparent leader seemed to order Lokiri to surrender, the last straw was found. Normally if Ace were in a more pleasant mood he would laugh at the goblin, yet his mood was as cold as the weather about them. While he guessed the warrior could still hold his own Ace could not keep himself from not only joining the fight, but also officially staring it.

Ace looked around himself to make sure that there were no more goblins hoping to jump him as well before turning his cold gaze back to the ring of goblins. Ace immediately began casting a spell while focusing on the goblins at the warrior’s rear. With and abrupt upward swing of his hand a large wall of ice swiftly rose behind Lokiri, impaling a few goblins on its upward journey. Ace brought his hands together letting an icy globe form within his hands as he studied the warrior’s movements down below. He did not want to hit the warrior while trying to get rid of the bothersome goblins.

As if the explosion of ice magic was his cue Lokiri leapt into motion. Like a strike of lightning he was gone from the spot whence he stood and the goblins reactions were not nearly quick enough. By the time they realized their "prey" was moving their leader was dead. His neck shattered by a violent twist of the Ithilian's powerful hands. The tail of his cloak whipped around him as he turned to face the others. The magic he paid little heed to, though he distrusted it. Only three goblins remained now. With their leader dead and the others killed by the sudden wall their numbers had suddenly dwindled. They shook now in fear. Terrified by the monster they had provoked. They had no where to run. The ice wall was strategically placed to prevent that. No... if they wanted to escape they had to get through the Ithilian. Even their tiny brains knew they were doomed.

Lokiri's gaze made the snow and air around them seem warm by comparison. The goblins shivered. Their weapons quivered within their grasp. They could not even look their opponent in the eye. So terrified they were that movement seemed ta have left them all together. Yet Lokiri made no move to kill them. The blades at his hip remained in their sheaths. The leader of this rag tag band had died by his hand, and though he wanted to kill these miserable creatures it felt wrong to do so.

"Can you understand me?" he asked, his voice the hiss of cold steel. Luckily for the goblins they could. They quickly conveyed this to Lokiri through violent nods. "You may go. I don't want to see any of you ever again."

Shock registered on every one of their faces. For the longest time they could do nothing but stare. It was as if the chance for mercy had not even occured to them. Fortunately enough the surprise was over quickly enough and they began to stumble over one another as they dashed passed the High Prince. Their annoying dialect faded with them as they disappeared over the rolling landscape.

The wind had picked up during the fight. Though Lokiri had not noticed it before, he did so now. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in, savoring the fresh, open mountain air. When they opened again those gentle blues seemed peaceful once again. it was as if he had transformed in those few sparce seconds.

"Wherever you are, wizard." he said aloud, his voice much softer now that the battle was over. "...you have my thanks."

That was it. There was nothing left to say. The Ithilian started on his way. moving from rock to rock with the grace of a dancer. Like the elves of this world he was light on his feet. Incredibly balanced and accustomed to this sort of environment. Though the wizards pressence made him uncomfortable he was confident that the man meant him no harm. Why would he have helped if he did?

(>.>' let's pretend it the last post wasn't in last year)

Ace watched as the warrior bolted into action. It took only a moment for the warrior to dispose of their supposed leader and that was with out drawing a weapon. None of the goblins were even presented with the chance to react. Ace ‘s help had clearly been unneeded and further help would be even more superfluous. Ace focused the magic between his hands into a soft bit of snow that fell at his own feet. He let his hands drop back down to his sides as he watched, waiting to see what the warrior would do with remaining goblins. The warrior could quite easily make short work of what was left and the loss of their leader so swiftly was certainly going to be a crippling blow for the remaining goblins. The goblins cowered and backed away, but only as far as the wall would allow. Time seemed to stand still with the warrior’s motionless stance. The cold frightening gaze he gaze the goblins further the sense of frozen time, but trembling goblins were enough to shatter the illusion.

The warrior decided to avoid further bloodshed and let the goblins go. Their lesson most assuredly had been learned and they won’t have possibly been worthy opponents in their state. There was little to gain from fighting. Ace was not too surprised to see the warrior let them go free for he seemed more like one to favor a challenge over an easy victory, and there seemed to be a a noble air about him. Ace’s gaze didn’t stray after the fleeing goblins, but remained fixed on the warrior. He wondered if the warrior minded company, as it would be better than making his journey by himself. The warrior was heading in about the right direction. And if the warrior was sight-seeing maybe he could get him to give a little help in his search for the flower that grew in these harsh conditions, were such a thing to exist supernaturally or with the aid of magic.

If the winds notably less fierce, Ace would have glided down to the warrior, but such a thing was not so easily done with the harsh winds. Instead Ace vanished into a thin light that streak towards the warrior in an instant and reappeared in the same amount of time. He ended up a fair distance near the warrior. It was a sudden act and he didn’t need the warrior reacting poorly to it and think off it as some sort of offensive act. “No thanks, required. I’m sure you would have handled yourself just as well if I had done nothing. Your thanks is welcome, but at the moment company is would serve me better. Do you mind if I join you?” Ace said shortly after his teleportation. His voice and face seemed were more apathetic than friendly, but hopefully not enough to sway the warrior's thoughts.

Whispers of annoyance were in the wind as it swept around Lokiri, sending that snowy cloak all a flutter in flawless elegance. The hood was tossed back slightly, revealing an expression of almost porcelain quality before it fell back. The wizard came to him in a flash of razor thing light and, though the working of magic had happened within moments, the Ithilian's gaze had followed the lights near instantaneous travel. That gaze, as cold and unyielding as the arctic environment they now stood within, was already watching the sorcerer even before his body appeared. There was an obvious disdain within the poised stance of the High Prince. An open distrust to all things magical that he did not bother to disguise. this man had helped him, without request. He at least deserved benefit of the doubt right? The logical answer was yes but Ithilian's were sometimes anything but logical. Instincts warned that he should be on guard and he was. Muscles flexed and unflexed, preparing to move in an instant should this turn out badly.

When the wizard finally spoke up it took a moment for Lokiri's distracted mind to process exactly what had been said. So certain was he that this wizard would have some trick up his sleeve he had been listening for any kind of threat. When none came he was more caught off guard then could have ever been possible otherwise. Did he want company? The very thought of traveling with a sorcerer was like inviting a king cobra into his bed. The sense of danger was an excitement but in the end only disaster would arise. As for thanks he had no intention of giving it. Why thank someone for help he had not asked for or required? The Ithilian's mind raced over whatever possibilities traveling with this stranger might present. Then again, the more paranoid part of his mind screamed that this apparent friend had a hidden agenda. It was not difficult to imagine this man attempting to gain trust in order to assassinate him.

"I have no objections." he said at last when curiosity won out over caution. Though he did not trust wizards the challenge this one might present should he try some kind of attack was enough to grant him accompaniment.

(>.< the next one won't take a whole most for me to post. Sorry about the extended wait)
The gaze that returned to Ace when he was visible was akin to the heartless gazes the goblins had been given. Yet, his gaze was not the only warning signal that Ace was given. Ace could not think of anything that he had done to offend the warrior. He had tried to help and even out the numbers, no Ace had joined the fray because he disliked the goblins and would have been content to watch the fight for a while otherwise. Still, as far as the warrior knew it just an attempt to help a fellow traveler. Most likely the warrior was deterred by Ace’s looks, while his features where mostly human, his tail, wings, and claws hinted to his draconic heritage. There was many a soul who weren’t to fond of dragons or their kin and racism was indeed present in the world. Perhaps Ace’s own gaze had grown so unfriendly without his notice. Sure he could try and poke inside the warrior’s head and find the real reason, but Ace preferred to leave people the privacy of their thoughts. Yet what ever the reason, the warrior claimed to have no objections, probably only as thanks to the offer of helping with the goblins. Ace dismissed the harsh looked and focused one the warrior’s acceptance of the company.

“Ah, good,” Ace exclaimed as he hurried to the warrior’s side, though giving the warrior a comfortable distance so as not to wart another unfriendly gaze. “I am Ace, magister at the Academy of Magic, and Archmage training master. I’m up here to look for a bizarre flower said grow near the peaks, though I don’t think it’s much more than a poorly made rumor or the product of magic. Of course this weather isn’t the best to search in,” Ace explained. It was only proper that Ace introduce himself first since he was joining the warrior, plus it was the simplest way to strike a conversation. “What brings you to this cold and windy mountain?” Ace almost also asked why he was so ill-dressed for the weather, but reminded himself that he was no better dressed than the warrior was. It might have been just for adventure or curiosity, though it was possible he lived in the region, but ace had a hunch that wasn't the case.

The two could have walked in silence, could have strode further up the mountains with naught but the chilling wind in their ears as it cut to the bone and the pleasure/comfort of one anothers company. Yes even the mighty Ithilian warrior could admit that there was a sense of security in knowing you were not along if trouble found you. That someone was watching your back just as you were watching theirs. Even if that backup was a mage he had to admit he was a little more relaxed, but that did not mean he required conversation with the partially draconic man striding beside him. Then again what reason had they to remain in silence? It was simply human nature to be curious about a stranger. Especially is that stranger also happened to be a travelling companion.

Azure eyes as cold as the very snow capped mountains they now trudged through darted about in search of danger as Lokiri listened with half an ear to both Ace's introduction and explanation for being up in this harsh terrain. it was true that the climates of higher altitude made for less than comfortable travelling. Add that to the jagged rocks and sheer cliffs of this particular mountain range ans this was no place for the inexperienced o unwary. Magister of the Academy of Magic... now that sounded important. However if the high Prince was supposed to be impressed he was thus far unaware of it. Such were the difficulties of being an alien to this particular realm.

"Lokiri." he answered after Ace had finished, that sapphire gaze shifting to the magic user for a moment. "I have no real purpose for being here. Mostly just wandering about. It's a comfort, at times, to explore a region that is at least partially familiar.

"This flower you spoke of... what is it called? There are not many such plants capable of growing at this altitude. Perhaps I know of it."

(OOC: >.> Uh yeah Iforgot to chang accounts. lol Raphael is my other character Ace so just ssume that's me. haha :OOC)