I figured maybe some of yah could pbp about the thousand years in limbo. it could fill out are chara's inerplay, after 1000 years we have to be prety close......or hate each other...monk! cough cough

"A One Thousand Year Dream"

Arius drifted.

The void around him pulsed with energy, shifting as it always did when the primal powers that inhabited this timeless place warred for supremacy. He had long since gotten over his shock and awe at the mad displays of light, and now he simply let his mind wander. After all, what else was there to do?

Time had passed since the battle, of that Arius was certain, but it seemed impossible—hopeless, even—to try and contemplate such a thing here. With no true light, no changing of anything resembling seasons, and no physical body, Arius had no way of judging exactly how long he’d been drifting throughout the space between life and death. He opened his “eyes” and took in the ever-shifting scenery around him, sensing in the distance the auras of his three companions.

Closest of the three was Febrien, who—even in the safety of this place—seemed to loath to let Arius out of her sight. Her consciousness was like a beacon in the chaos of energy, a soothing light that seemed to always draw Arius’ attention. The strength of her will lent a quality of comfort to her aura, marking her as one who could be trusted and relied upon. In short, she had changed little, if at all.

Arius turned his attention to the next nearest of the three: Brude. Immediately, a sensation of apologetic sorrow emanated from the half-elf’s consciousness. Had Arius a body, he would have laughed, for each and every time that the formerly cursed elf approached the energy signature that was Brude, he was bombarded by this same feeling. In the time that the four adventures had spent here—whether it be weeks, months, years, or decades—Arius had come to understand and forgive Brude, for it was obvious that the sorcerer’s actions had not been his own.

Worry not, Arius thought toward Brude’s aura, the words tinged with humor. I forgive you, though I may still find it hard to trust you… The mental equivalent of a disdainful snort was all that Arius received in response.

With that, Arius stretched his senses further out into the void, seeking out the solitary energy signature that marked Hayato. He sent out a probing, mental question to his former rival, but as always he received no answer. Shifting his perceptions slightly, Arius could make out the faint shadow of dark, wispy energy that seemed to flicker around the edges of Hayato’s aura, wondering at his ability to see such a thing. Whatever it was that the monk was warring with, Arius thought it better to leave him alone.

Though not truly a member of their former adventuring party, a fifth consciousness made itself known to Arius, speaking from within the elf as much as from without. For reasons that Arius still couldn’t understand, this particular voice seemed to be almost audible rather than mental.

“For all the time that you’ve spent wandering about this place,” Daerist commented, “I’m amazed that you are still unable to generate a body for yourself…”

Arius was shocked for a moment, for he hadn’t really thought such a thing possible. He pondered the former Galdrian King’s words, remembering the moment of their pact, which seemed like an eternity ago. He had assumed a nearly-physical form then, when conversing with Daerist, though he had thought it merely an illusion provided by the ancient elf himself.

“The illusion of that body was created by you just as much as it was created by me,” the former sword said, as if reading Arius’ mind, which was a distinct possibility. “Remember, Arius, there are no rules here. The laws that governed our world do not exist, for we are outside the realm of reality. Anything that you can imagine can be yours here, my friend. Anything.”

Accepting Daerist’s words—for the former King had never lied to him—Arius closed his mental “eyes,” blocking out the almost hypnotizing flow of energies around him. In his mind’s eye, the fey-empowered elf visualized himself, or rather, visualized how he used to look. The hair came first, shoulder length and jet black, tinged with highlights of blue when struck by the light. Next were the eyes, two orbs of shining amethyst light which seemed to nearly glow in the darkness, set in a pale face now unmarked by the Zrentian scars that had begun to plague him. His body followed, tall and lean, clothed in the familiar tunic and trousers of black, accompanied by this black leather armor and dark over-cloak.

At the same time as the clothing came the gauntlets…

Immediately Arius opened his eyes, staring down at himself in sudden amazement. Here he was, complete in every detail, yet still floating in the shimmering void. He brought his hands up before his face, narrowing his iridescent eyes as he studied the hateful gloves upon his hands, willing them to vanish. And, as Daerist had promised, they did. The gauntlets flickered out of view, leaving Arius’ hands fearlessly bare, a feeling that he’d never thought to experience again. A smile spread across his features as he flexed his fingers.

I don’t believe this, he silently said, directing his thoughts toward Daerist, whose presence never left his side. Can this truly be possible?

“I told you, anything is possible here, Arius,” the sword snapped, his voice colored by a sensation of exasperation. “And enough of this thought-speech! Speak already, damn it!”

“Al… Alright,” Arius stammered, his voice seeming to echo throughout the emptiness that surrounded him. The moment the sound left his mouth, Arius could feel the attentions of all three of his companions upon him, for apparently they had been able to “hear” him, or at least had been able to feel the vibrations caused by his voice. He could sense their shock at seeming him, actually seeing him, and not just perceiving his presence like before. He laughed, a sound that hadn’t issued from his mouth in years, even before entering this place. Willing his body to move, Arius made his way toward Febrien, who—as always—remained closest.

“Well, what do you think?” Arius asked his companion’s consciousness, turning in a slow circle to show of his new illusory body. “Quite the trick I’d say… Maybe I’d be willing to share exactly how I’ve managed such a thing,” he taunted, reaching his hand out to lightly touch Febrien’s aura. “But then again, maybe I’ll just keep it to myself.” He smiled broadly as he drifted backward, away from Febrien. Brude had begun to move closer, and even Hayato seemed interested. Again Arius chuckled as a sensation of impatience emanated from Febrien’s consciousness, accompanied by some rather colorful mental threats.

“It shall be interesting to see if your beauty has remained as intact as your fiery spirit,” Arius replied, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes alight with mirth. “Alright then, I’ll show you how it’s done.” He turned his attention toward Brude and Hayato, who were slowly, cautiously making their way toward the two elves. “All of you…”

And after that, he silently added, we’ll see if we can’t make this place a little more comfortable…

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AMdG

Febrien gazed at her friend in wonder as he finished explaining how he had managed to create a body for himself. Feeling a wave of excitement spreading through her being, the elf concentrated, visualizing the form she had once commanded.

As the three men looked on – Arius with his classic smirk set firmly in place, and the other two with a dawning sense of curiosity and amazement – their companion slowly materialized before them. Dark, worn leather boots appeared over soft suede riding breeches and slender thighs. A fitted, sleeveless tunic came next, followed by a slim neck and a striking face. Long, dark brown hair flowed over well muscled shoulders and arms, and Imbri appeared slung across the ranger’s back. The last to coalesce were the large eyes of light sapphire, which shined with delight now as the beautiful elf gazed upon her newly formed body.

Taking a few experimental steps, though no ground was apparent, Febrien gazed down upon herself before turning a brilliant grin upon her friends, astonished laughter bubbling forth. Arius circled her once, taking in her appearance, as Brude and Hayato looked on in astonishment.

“No armor?” Arius asked, nodding toward her bare arms and unprotected legs and torso, one eyebrow quirked.

“What need do I have of it here?” she responded, looking past him at the dazzling waves of light, still locked in the grip of a wild battle. "I doubt they will be of any harm to us, and it’s a welcome relief to move freely.”

“Ahh, but I see you couldn’t forgo your beloved sword.” A grin crossed his new features as the ranger scrunched her face up at him.

“Imbri and I have been through too much together to forsake his presence, even in this empty plane,” she retorted, relishing the feel of her voice vibrating up through her throat, surprised to realize how much she had missed speaking aloud. “And where is your “beloved” rapier, then? I never thought to see you without it secured upon your hip.”

Arius’ face darkened imperceptibly for a moment, almost too fast for the ranger to see. Febrien had no idea what her fellow elf’s feelings toward his faithful blade were since destroying the Heart of Galdria, and decided not to pursue the subject. Turning instead to their remaining two companions, she smiled in encouragement.

“Will the two of you be joining us, then?” Brude exuded a sense of intense interest, but from the former monk, the ranger suddenly sensed fear and uncertainty. Focusing on his presence, she sent him a feeling of questioning concern. Hayato merely brushed away her seeking mind, startling the woman and raising her level of anxiety even more. Before she could act, however, Arius stepped forward once more, catching her attention.

“There is more we can do,” he stated, looking about at the rippling energy. “I believe we can create whatever we can imagine,” he explained, gesturing about. “We can make this place our own for however long we are to be confined here.”

Her interest piqued, Febrien walked out into the shifting nothingness, pausing a short distance away. Closing her newly formed eyes, she brought to mind the landscape she most intimately knew, picturing each tree, each cave and rock formation, the swell and fall of the land. Feeling a tingling energy radiating outward, she opened her eyes and gazed upon the expanse of forest now stretching before her, replicated in minute detail from her memories of home. Taking everything in with a sense of growing wonder, the ranger stepped nimbly into the trees, her feet treading noiselessly over the soft forest floor.

With a thought, a light breeze lifted her hair and played through the leaves above, causing the many trees to dance and sway. Another thought brought dappled shadows falling from an imagined sun glowing high above, and the smell of warm earth and greenery pervaded her senses. From an unseen grove to her right, the sound of water tumbling over rocks surfaced, lending a calming undertone to a scene the ranger thought she would never see again. She stood in awe as the Immortal Forest stretched around her, a sight lost to the world with the destruction of the Lower Star.

A feeling of longing broke over the elf, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. Turning, she glanced back to her companions. Arius stepped into the trees, shadows playing over his new form, and the sunlight shone like a prism through Hayato and Brude’s still shapeless auras, causing them to sparkle and glitter. Sending a thought to the dark elf, expressing emotions too deep and complex to be bound by words, she disappeared through the old growth, her steps unheard. The one-time prince of Galdria looked on in understanding, the only one able to even remotely fathom the primal call the wild exerted upon the elven ranger. Gazing after her for a moment, he turned once more to his companions.

Febrien threaded easily through the myriad of roots and trunks, easily avoiding underbrush and rocks as she lost herself within the forest’s embrace. Coming finally to a small clearing bordered on one side by a small waterfall, the ranger stepped up to an old tree and easily leaped onto the lowest limb. Climbing swiftly and easily, she soon gained its topmost reaches and gazed out upon the world through branches swaying in the breeze. Settling herself on a limb, leaning comfortably against the thick trunk, she mused upon the situation she and her friends had gotten themselves into.

Perhaps this place won’t be such a torment after all…

Hayato seemed uncertain about this. It wasn't that this idea sounded stupid, in fact, it was rather intriguing. However, he was worried that, should he reveal his now-current form, they would treat him differently, possibly even shun him. He felt terrible for pushing Febrian away. Hayato knew she was simply trying to understand him better, but he couldn't let anyone know. Not just yet. Still, perhaps he could still keep this a secret...

Hayato let out a sigh, then began to attempt shaping his form as the other two had done. First, the light took a more humanoid shape, though featureless for now. His body became muscular, his fingers and toes slowly forming on his glowing figure. Then, clothing began shaping, in the form of a pair of baggy white pants and black leather boots. Above that, a red belt had formed around his waist, then an open, red vest formed around his shoulders, though he left it undone. Just felt less restricting that way, he felt. Silver arm bands formed around his wrists, glistening in the light. FInally, his face began forming, his short, blue hair seeming to "grow" out of his head, his red bandanna soon wrapping around his forehead. He sighed, looking down at his hands as he attained his human form, with a slight wardrobe change of course. He smiled, his hands apearing to be made of flesh and bone. He laughed softly, looking to the others. "Well, what do you think?" Upon turning towards Arius, he noticed the elf was giving him a weird look. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Arius entered the illusory forest.

His thoughts were dark, though for what may have been the first time in his long life, the reason for his mood had nothing to do with him. He paused before venturing deeper, glancing back at his two other companions who had remained behind him, at the forest’s edge. Slowly, with a soft shimmer of light, Arius saw Brude begin the process of creating a “physical” form. Looking past the being of light that was currently Brude, Arius narrowed his eyes as they fell upon Hayato, who still stood rooted in place, a dark and troubled look etched into his features.

Clenching his fists, Arius ventured deeper into the wood, its calming effects lost upon him as he remembered…

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Moments earlier…

The thing loomed up behind Hayato.

Arius looked past the monk, peering intently at the shadowy form behind him, his amethyst eyes taking in every minute detail of the seemingly-featureless silhouette. It stood a full head taller than Hayato, and was much broader of shoulder, resembling in outline a suit of heavy armor, though Arius could discern little else. The elf glanced askance at the flickering aura that was Brude, but the former half-elf was apparently unable to see the shadowy dual-image, or he simply didn’t care. Returning his attention to Hayato, Arius realized that this strange, dark mass was exuding the same feelings of fear and worry that he had been picking up from the monk over the past several… well, however long they’d been drifting here.

“It is strange,” Daerist spoke within his host’s mind, “but I think we are being deceived, my friend…”

“I think so as well,” Arius replied, clenching his teeth. Before the monk could react, Arius stepped forward, locking gazes with him and—with the aid of Daerist—drawing him into a place of utter blackness. This place was only within the two warriors’ minds, of course, for their bodies remained as they had been, standing at the edge of Febrien’s forest, eyes opened wide and unblinking.

Arius immediately took control.

Reaching out with his senses, the formerly-cursed elf took hold of the featureless darkness that rose up behind Hayato, pulling with all of his mental might to draw the thing out of the shadows. The physical body that Hayato had assumed cried out, attempting to struggle against Arius, but to no avail. With a cry of what may have been pain—or sorrow—the illusory Hayato shattered in a flash of brilliant light, sending fragments of energy outward. These fragments immediately stopped in mid air before turning and, much to Arius’ surprise, flying into the shadowy mass. In an instant, where once stood a featureless, night-dark shape, now stood what Arius recognized as a warforged.

“Oh my,” Daerist exclaimed. From the sensation of disbelief that flooded the elf’s mind, it appeared that even the ancient Galdrian King hadn’t known exactly what to expect.

At first Arius prepared for battle, assuming that this creature had somehow managed to enter the void with them in Hayato’s place. However, as the giant suit of living armor made no overtly threatening movement, Arius relaxed, reaching out with his senses once again to touch the mind of the warforged. What he found shook him to the core of his being.

This is Hayato! He could scarcely believe it, but somehow the soul of his erstwhile companion had been sealed within this warforged’s body! He backed away a few steps into the inky darkness, the only light to be seen emanating softly from his body and the form that was now, apparently, Hayato. Finally, pushing his shock aside, Arius spoke.

“Hayato… What…?”

“It’s a long story,” the warforged replied in Hayato’s familiar voice. “Let’s just say I pissed off the wrong people… err.. gods… whatever,” he said the last with a heavy sigh. “For the stupid mistakes that I made in life, I’ve been cursed with… with this.” He spread his arms, gesturing toward his new body absently. “I guess you guys weren’t the only ones getting sick of me screwing up…”

Arius found himself at a loss for words. Part of him, the old, cursed, bitter part, wanted to laugh hysterically. He wanted to point out that this seemed so fitting, that at the very moment of his release from a curse, Hayato now found himself enslaved by one. Arius wanted to say all of those things, to rub salt in the former monk’s still-fresh wound, to revel in the fact that now, finally, he held the upper hand.

Something inside, though, stopped him. Instead, Arius found himself filled not with exaltation, but rather with pity. Of everyone here, the black-clad elf knew what it was like to have a curse thrust upon you. He still remembered the sleepless nights, the grief, the fear that, just maybe, he would never be truly free again. For the first time since he’d known the foolish, clumsy, uncoordinated human, Arius truly felt sorry for him.

“Go ahead,” Hayato said softly, turning his back to Arius. “Go ahead and rub it in… I know you’re thinking it. Hell,” he continued, crossing his arms over his metal chest, “I’d probably do the same to you, if I were in your shoes.” Then, remembering the many times he had insulted Arius while he had been cursed, Hayato slapped himself in the forehead, the clang of metal on metal leaving no echoes in this place of the mind. “Uhhh… forget I said that last part, got it?” He turned to face Arius once again, a dim light glowing within his empty eye-sockets. “How could you tell, anyway? How could you, over everyone else, tell that something was different about the form I created?”

Arius shrugged, fighting off what he recognized as the numbing affects of shock. “I honestly don’t know. Perhaps, now that my curse is broken and my true perceptions are returned, I was simply able to sense the change in the currents of energy around you.” He stopped, considering another, more probable possibility. “No, I don’t think that’s it,” he said quietly, pulling his cloak tighter about himself as he trembled slightly. “I think I could tell because, though our situations seem to be quite a bit different, I’ve been through the same thing.”

With that Arius turned away from Hayato, dismissing the all-encompassing darkness with a slight wave of his hand. Suddenly the two were right where they had been, with Brude’s essence still looking on curiously. Breaking the locked gaze that had held them in thrall, Arius smiled grimly, for now he could clearly see both the monk form that Hayato had created and the towering warforged behind. He silently sent a sense of reassurance to the former monk, letting him know that, for as long as he desired to keep his curse a secret, Arius would never tell anyone. With a nearly audible sigh of relief, Hayato seemed to thank him.

The mental equivalent of Brude clearing his throat drew Arius’ attention to the shimmering, flickering aura of energy that represented the once-traitorous half-elf here in the void. It was obvious that Brude was ready to attempt to create an illusory body, and that he was less than pleased at being the last one to do so.

Pushing his now-darkened thoughts aside for the moment, Arius cast a smirk at Brude’s aura before carefully explaining what exactly was required of him…

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A faint laugh, carried on the wind, brought Arius back to the present.

Despite his black mood, the pale-skinned elf smiled, sensing Febrien’s presence nearby. Keeping to the path, with his ungloved hands hidden safely away within the folds of his night-dark cloak, Arius ventured deeper into the forest, admiring the stunning attention to detail that his ranger companion had used when creating it. He had only visited the outlying Galdrian islands once, as a young boy, but his memory had not faded, and he instantly knew that this forest was the exact twin of the one on Bolermos. The sound of trickling water away to the left caught his attention and, carefully, the elf wandered off in that direction.

“This is truly amazing,” an obviously enraptured Daerist softly said as they came upon a small clearing. At the center, a small waterfall trickled down from a rock face high above, emptying into a deep, clear pool surrounded by wildflowers and tall, waving green grasses. “She is most definitely a unique creature, don’t you agree?” the elven spirit asked, his voice tinged with awe and something else.

Arius made no reply as he sat on a rock beside the crystal clear pond, reaching down to slowly run his hand through the cool water. He smiled, reveling in the sensation before pulling his hand back. Concentrating, Arius visualized his violin, recalling in exact detail each and every inch of his beloved instrument. Soon, along with a horse-hair bow, the instrument appeared upon his lap, lovingly and perfectly recreated. Feeling his somber spirits rise dramatically, Arius began to play, filling the dark and shaded wood with his music. He closed his eyes as he played, cutting himself off from the imagined world around him, losing himself in the long, rich notes that drifted out from the violin seemingly of their own accord.

He lost track of time, then laughed as he realized that time held no meaning here.

“I’ve never heard you do that,” Febrien said from high in the tree above Arius. The amethyst-eyed elf stopped his playing as he glanced straight up, his expression a mixture of annoyance at having been interrupted, and barely disguised joy at finding himself still able to play in this strange and chaotic place.

“You’ve never heard me do what?” Arius asked, willing his instrument to vanish in a small flash of light. He returned his gaze to the pool before him, slowly following the falling water up and over the edge of the cliff with his eyes. He smiled again, though the expression was lost on Febrien, who remained high above, directly overhead.

She sounded exasperated as she responded, “Laugh, idiot! What did you think I’d meant, play?” The dark-haired elf shook her head as she dropped lightly down from the limb she’d been perched upon. “Even before you were cursed, when we went adventuring together, I never once heard you laugh…” She walked over, kneeling down before the pond and gazing intently into it. “You should do it more often, I think.”

“Well,” Arius replied with a smirk, “I hope to have plenty of occasions to do so, in the future. My world seems so much brighter now, Febrien, that I can scarcely believe it… For the first time since the fall of Galdria, I feel at peace. The only worries that plague me now are the fates of our other companions…” His voice trailed off as he watched the female elf out of the corner of his eye. “At times I find myself unable to think of little else, so much do I worry.” A calming sensation, one that Arius had come to realize was Daerist’s influence upon him, drifted slowly throughout his body, as if cleansing him of any dark thoughts that may be troubling him.

“Worry not about the others, Arius. Their fates shall become known to you in time, I’m sure.”

“I know,” he answered the former sword softly, so as not to alert Febrien. But how long will I have to wait, I wonder? And will I be comforted or saddened by what I learn?

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AMdG