She had overheard a story around a campfire. It was meant to be a scary story, but she didn’t get that part. She was just curious about what these travelers had been up too. She had taken a bit of food and a few coins from them too before she left. They had plenty to go around after all. Like anyone would even notice. It wasn’t as if they had seen her. Now though, now she was walking into unknown territory, which in it’s own way was very satisfying. She didn’t mind becoming familiar with places now, but she liked to move about more. Besides, she had never been here before, so it shouldn’t matter if it was a story or not. AD was here to find out what the Hills of Mist and the Izimet's Field were really like. That was at least what she told herself. It was honestly just her curiosity that drove her here.

The land was more open then she normally liked, but the shadows here were plentiful enough. With the sun setting too, shadows would soon cover the land and she would have nothing to worry about. Shadows were safe among shadows after all. She picked up her step then. This place wasn’t that bad. What had they been so frightened of in that story? It was probably just because they didn’t know anything really about angels or demons like AD did. The land was not what she had expected though. Mostly because she had only ever seen the immediate aftermath of a battle, with the bodies still scattered about. This place was different, almost hollow. She slowed to a stop then and simply stood there in the middle of the field as the sun sunk below the horizon. She wondered if it would feel so empty all the time…

‘Breathe in and take my life into you, for I belong to only you…’ The words echoed throughout the caverns of his mind like a plague. Recollections of a battle long lost skittered in tattered images through his head, reminding him of the times in his prime. When he was a god among gods, a champion of champions, and a fool of all fools. The weight of his own ego and own ambitions seemed to crumble in from all around him, and fall flat upon his shoulders. When his blades would shift and the weight would fall, that’s when he realized his true place among both his allies and his enemies. They would no longer be needed, no longer be wanted. Traitors held no place in his grand design and that’s what they all were. He was foolish for having trusted them and almost fell victim to their own deceit. If it weren’t for the only woman he ever truly loved both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Then he would no longer be free to roam the earth, but instead the pits of hell that most claimed he had spawned from.

With a jeering sneer, his eyes would flitter across his surroundings only to find nothing but emptiness in sight. Where was he…? Nobody told him that there would be an empty field to cross or even anything remotely close to it. Did this mean he was lost, did he take a wrong turn somewhere that he shouldn’t have? Or should he have never listened to that stupid senile old man? His guess would have to fall upon the latter explanation, because if he did his math right, this should be where Cascadia was according to the old man. A frown now formed in its prominent placement across his visage, “Stupid old people…Don’t know their foot from their face. Come to think of it…I don’t think I could even tell much of a difference either.” Thinking on that, a soft laughter sounded forth from his parted lips, but it would soon cease as his eyes fell upon the form of a woman. What was a woman doing out here, could she be lost as well, but more importantly what was she doing alone? Most women that ventured off like that would bring some form of companion along, but maybe she didn’t need to? Whatever the case was, it was unimportant now, for his main focus would reside in finding the right path to his destination.

Exhaling smoothly, both of his hands would rise up in the air to show that he would keep himself unarmed and would offer her no harm. Speaking in a soft tone, his eyes would remain focused upon her all the while to make sure that she held the same intentions as him, “Excuse me, it seems I’ve become a little lost in my journey. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of Cascadia?” As he awaited her answer, another question seemed to probe at his mind, “You wouldn’t happen to be lost as well? Because, I really don’t see a point in visiting a place so bland as this. I mean just look at this place, it’s like a giant chunk of nothing….”

A voice called out to her then and she turned to face the speaker. It was someone she didn't know, but he was trying to be friendly. She had never seen the point in it, but decided to hummer the man even though she wasn't going to be of any help. "I'm not lost. I don't get lost, but I don't think I can help you." She shrugged, spreading her hands in to same movement to show she didn't have anything in hand. That could be fixed easily enough if it needed to though. "I can get to Cascadia, or anywhere I've been, easily enough. In less then a moment, but you wouldn't be able to come with me. Not unless you think you can fit in my backpack." She offered a smile and turned her attention back to the field.

"They say there had been a battle here, one between angels and demons. Many died, enough to soak the land with the blood of both angels and demons." She liked thought then. She didn't know why and puzzled over it for a bit. Then she realized what it was. The ground here had both celestial and damned blood in it, just like she did. Was that a good reason to be happy about it? She didn’t know.

Aether Draka didn’t say anything for a while then, her mind drifting off as she absently undid one of her many wine colored braids and deftly redid it. Her thoughts wandered off, back to when it had just been her and Raven, traveling the land and getting rid of the evil pelage of Demons… that was… until she herself discovered she was kin with those same beings. For so long she had even lived among them and denied she could be related. Eventually she had fled. She had ended up in Imythess. It was the best choice she had ever made, even if the rest of her choices were mucky and blurred, coming here was a good thing. But what about right here? What was it about this place that felt almost empty? She then realized he was still there. She looked at him, wondering if he was going or staying.

Lowering his arms back to his sides, they would then plunge their hands deep within the confines of his pockets. Since she didn’t know where Cascadia was, there seemed to be no point in just wandering around with no set direction. So lingering here wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Adverting his eyes from her, they would break out and across his surroundings. There seemed to be nothing of real interest, a few deformities in the earthen landscape littered the field in a scattered arraignment, other than it was practically empty and exactly the same anywhere the eyes would fall. Returning his gaze back to her, a simple chuckle passed his parted lips, “I don’t think it’d be humanly possible to fit into your back pack…” The word humanly seemed to linger in his mind for a moment, before scoffing lightly to himself.

Falling silent again, her words would lightly grace his ears as she unfolded the story of this battlefield. Again his gaze would break and scan its way across the field, before returning back to her once more, “A land soaked in the blood of Angels and Demons. Seems fitting…Neither side is stronger than the other, forever trapped into a battle tide of equality. Whether they like to admit it, both are essentially the same. Angels feel they’re high and mighty, like they are the judge and jurors of life and all of its integrity…That they’re above everyone else and look down upon those who kill and maim, when they too do it themselves. It really doesn’t matter if you do it for the cause of good or bad, you’re still doing it, which is why the Angelic race is diluted by their own ideals. “ Pausing for a moment, he would study her reaction before continuing.

“Demons on the other hand are essentially the same. They are the judge and a juror of what happens to them and to whoever crosses their path. They take what they want and need without remorse of who they hurt or kill. Their thirst for power and strength is what dilutes them…” Withdrawing his hands from his pocket, he would simply offer another shrug using his hands to only add to the gesture, “But if I said I wasn’t like that in some way shape or form, I’d be a hypocrite. In fact I had a lot of demonic allies, all of which eventually turned their back on me for their own quest for power. They make terrible allies in the long run, but in a fight I would rather have one at my side as opposed to anything else. I’ve never had an angel as an ally before, so I can’t really say what they’re exactly like, but that seems to be the trend with them, because I’ve fought a lot of them. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying all the other races are any better; in fact I would never ally myself with anything of my race. Sort of why I’m pulling a solo act for now, it seems you can’t find good help these days…”

Aether Draka listened to him, shifting her weight a few times, from left to right and right to left. He seemed to at least understand the nature of the battle between angels and demons... but she was attempting to stay out of the middle of all of that.

When he finished she flashed him a grinned at him and declared, "You talk a lot! But I do have a bit of good help that may be of use." Then she shrugged off her back pack and set it on the ground at her feet, in the same movement kneeling down so she was balanced on the tips of her toes to open it.

She pulled out a very sleepy looking dragon that was surprisingly small. Holding him nestled in the palms of her hands she spoke to it softly. "Come on Turin, I need you to see if we can help this man find his way." The tiny fly dragon's head rose and he yawned. "I know I woke you up, but I need you to find out what way Cascadia is. Can you do that for me? I promise I'll let you nap later, ok?"

With what could only be interpreted as a heavy sigh, the tiny dragon stood up in her hands where she knelt. He took a moment to stretch, flexing one wing and then the other before nimbly hopping off her hand and zipping effortlessly into the air. Turin had been with AD from her very first day in Imythess and it simply wouldn't do for him to ignore such a request from her. So he zipped around them once and flew almost straight up into the air and out of sight.

AD stood and turned her attention back to the stranger. "I'm called AD. What about you?" She beamed up at him and placed her hands behind her back, shifting her weight forward and then back. Her backpack still slumped at her feet.

A single brow quirked itself in question as she spoke of him talking too much. Why did everyone say that? It was seriously beginning to sound like a broken record, but this one just didn’t seem to quit. Shrugging his shoulders, his attention followed her actions, noticing the dragon that she pulled out from her back pack. It was by far one of the smallest creatures he had ever laid eyes upon, but that would be an advantage of it. While others were big and clunky, this one was small and fast. Made sense after all, it’s just something he never really saw all that often. Lifting his eyes from the dragon for a moment, so she was planning to have the dragon find out where the city was? It was a nice gesture, but he wasn’t so sure how well it would work out. After all he wasn’t much for directions, especially when it involved trekking long distances.

When the dragon zipped past him and flew off into the sky, he would blink a few times, before glancing up to the clouds, “I appreciate the gesture, but you coulda let the poor fella sleep. Looked dog tired and you woke him up…” Shifting his gaze back down to her, he tilted his head to the side for a moment as a curious look swept across his face, “So what do you mean I talk too much? Is that supposed to be a bad thing….? I know! I should talk more, so what would you like to know? Was it the chicken or the egg, or perhaps…Would you like to know about the rebirth and death of plants?” Of course, he was simply playing with her, especially given the wide grin upon his face when the final words spread from his lips. Resituating his head for a slight moment, he had barely caught her question and simply grinned at it. With a free hand, he simply brushed a few tendrils of his silver colored hair and tucked them behind his ear before speaking, “The name’s Avarice, a legend among thieves, fiend of the women folk, and the devil to the rich. All in all, I’d say I’m quite the package, what do you think?” Quite frankly, he couldn’t care what she thought, but it always good to let someone else talk for a change. If she agreed then perhaps he would have to pursue her further than he had been, but he was already almost sure of the answer as it were.

AD could only grin up at him. She shrugged though. "I don't sleep at all, so I probably wake him up a lot. He told me not to worry about it though, so I won't." She then laughed and said, "Well perhaps you don't talk too much. Perhaps I'm just used to people who don't talk a lot. It's alright though, there is nothing wrong with it. I do it sometimes..."

She glanced up to see if she could see which way Turin had gone. Unable to catch sight of him and doubting that she would see him even if he was there, she lowered her gaze from the sky to Avarice. "Avarice?" She shook her head. "I've never hear of you and I'm a thief, though I have been busy with other things lately. I wouldn't mind having a friend. I would have to find some rich people though to ask them if they thought you to be the devil or not..." AD honestly meant what she said. She paused then and then decided that it was her turn to ask some questions.

"How much do you know about demons and souls though? What exactly do you think a soul is?" She decided to ask, as her search in the library at Taras on the subject turned out to be completely fruitless. He seemed to be rather well informed about demons and angels, so perhaps he did know.

((OOC: too short… :( ))

(( OOC: Sorry about the long wait, got caught up in other role plays and seemed to only have time for them. And when I did have time, I guess I just forgot about this one. I apologize again for the wait. ))

Apparently she hadn’t caught the play on the word that was his name. Avarice stood for Greed; Greed was a legend among thieves since each had it. It was a fiend to the women folk since it stole men’s attention from them. And lastly it was a devil to the rich for the thieves always robbed from the rich. It was all an elaborate weaving of effects that spun off from the very thing he called himself, even if they held true about him as well. He loved women, people could consider him a thief, and lastly he hated the rich and proceeded in conning them in any manner he could. Regardless though, the woman seemed to take it for true face value, which only succeeded in making him chuckle. She was an odd woman she was, but it was completely fine by him. It seemed to add to the entertainment.

While the conversation progressed, a question presented itself from her lips causing him to think for a moment. It was something that he really hadn’t expected and had caught him off guard slightly. Recomposing his thoughts, they formulated themselves the only answer in his head that he could offer. In a soft eloquent tone his voice would pick up over the silence between them, “I know enough about Demons…A man I used to know was a half-ling. I haven’t seen him in quite some time and I doubt he’s even still alive. He used to tell me stories about how he came to acquiring his demon side, but I’m not exactly sure on how accurate they are. But he was one of the last people I’d have liked to piss off…”

His voice trailed off into silence and countless thoughts began to litter his mind, but only for a brief moment as his voice picked up again, “From my understanding a soul is what makes us who we are and keeps us bound to this world. It’s what creates our personalities and what holds our beliefs. If you had no soul, I would like to believe you’d be one hell of a boring person. Though, this is merely what I gathered from my own experience and folk lore passed down to me from friends and family. Not sure if that helps answer your question or not…” Carefully his eyes flickered across her entire body, before pausing at her face where he would watch for any expression she would express.

He had at least tried to answer her question, but it didn't seem to be much help. Perhaps she worded it wrong, she knew more about demons then he did. A tiefling? She knew half-fiends, demonic infused, and full blooded demons. She had a home in the Abyss!

Souls though, if souls were all that there was even more reason for her to make sure her soul really wasn't going to become the property of a Demon Prince when she died. AD shook her head then, closing her eyes for that second when her braids bumped against her cheeks. She opened her eyes and corrected her question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way, I meant if you knew how the two things related. I probably should just go look around in the Abyss. I'm sure I could figure it out some how." She then wondered what was taking Turin so long. It couldn't be that far before the tiny fly dragon would know where they were and would be able to figure out which way to point Avarice so he could find Cascadea. She still didn't get what he meant by his name. She was a wanderer after all and ignorance was something she was very good at, that and misconception.

"I wonder what's taking Turin so long." She said softly to herself and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Then she tapped her toe on the ground. "Hmm..." She let her gaze travel across the sky. She didn't see him. She was going to be waiting a bit then. She abruptly sat down then, just sitting right where she was. She decided to cross her legs this time. It was more comfortable then sitting on her heels if she was going to wait a while. She ran her hand across the dirt, remembering what she had heard about this place, both Angels and Demons blood had been shed here... what had that battle been like? She took a handful of the soil in her hand, then tipped her hand slightly so that the soil fell once more to the earth. She could almost smell the blood in the soil... how odd... a puzzled look crossed her face then.