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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 11:39:49 GMT -8
One Thousand StatuesIf a traveler were to take a shortcut through a particularly treacherous mountain pass, they'd find themselves passing through what looked like a garden of statues. The live-sized figures are scattered around the pass, each one unique and finely-crafted. Grotesque gargoyles, stone angels and demons, sleeping animals, and even people can be found, carved out of the very stone of the mountain that they sit on. They seem to be scattered randomly, with finely-dressed kings and queens standing next to dirty orphans or small pigeons. Not a single one bears any kind of inscription with the sculptor's name, although the locals say that more seem to pop up every few days.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 12:26:12 GMT -8
She couldn't quite be upset - somehow she'd managed to trigger a portal. Where had it led her?! It dropped her sorry serpent behind atop a mountain - a cold, snowy mountain with a strip of grey, stone statues stretching on and on. And she was NOT one to deal with the cold - it made her blood cold and made movement difficult. And, in addition, she hadn't been dressed for the occasion. Her master had dressed her for the confines of his sleeping chambers and nothing more.
The Naga female would find herself tumbling to the ground in a writhing pile of arms and scales and silk and rich chains - likely bouncing off several statues in the process if not breaking a few until her momentum finally gave off. At least coiled up, she held some minor defense to anything around... and the cold. She really hated the cold.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 12:42:06 GMT -8
The unfortunate serpent bumped and bounced into the statues, but somehow didn't break anything. Even the thinnest piece of stone, it seemed, was extremely hard and durable. Unfortunately, the sharp points and edges would prove painful to fall onto. At least there was plenty of snow and ice around to sooth the bruises. As Zrixiana curled up on the ground, she'd find herself at the foot of a massive stone wolf, frozen in a dramatic howl. Its fur was so finely carved that she could almost see the individual strands, yet somehow held up to the elements without so much as a scratch. Zrixiana, however, was not nearly as durable as stone, and the snowy wind would be frigid and biting. Metal ornaments and accessories, especially, would sting and stick to her skin. Over the roar of the wind, she'd hear the soft tink tink tink of metal on stone. If someone was there, perhaps they'd have some warmth to share?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 13:03:37 GMT -8
Cold cold cold... Where was she? There had to be some sort of shelter somewhere. The poor thing finally managed to unfurl herself, arms wrapped around her near naked frame for some means of retaining warmth - though it did very little. Her head turned about and about, trying to take in her surroundings and find the source of the sound. Perhaps it was some indication of shelter, or someone that knew where to find some? This, this was a mountain - there had to be something like a cave... a frozen, fridge cave but at least it would be something, right?
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 13:13:03 GMT -8
Slithering her way towards the sound, Zrixiana would pass an assortment of different statues. A well-dressed merchant sat on a rock, blank eyes counting his stone coins. A hooded figure lurked behind a tree, startling anybody who glanced over. A small cat stood by the side of the path, looking for all the world like a live creature that had simply been frozen in place. All the statues seemed to stare at the young naga, silently judging her for her vastly underdressed state. Eventually, however, she'd turn a corner and find the source of the sound: a man in a heavy fur coat chipping away at the side of a cliff with hammer and chisel. He didn't look around as she approached, and the massive fur-lined hood prevented her from seeing his face.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 13:39:33 GMT -8
She froze upon seeing something other than lifelike chiseled stone - an actual person. She didn't even know what was behind the hood... a paranoid part of her feared it was something from her master's realm. She pleaded to whatever she could that it wasn't the case.
Despite freezing and her fair skin already starting to turn pale with the cold, she remained a safe distance from the individual. She spoke out to them, though the language was anything but Common. It was a native tongue to her kind, a very lisped one, and holding no familiar words. She held tensed for a response...
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 13:46:53 GMT -8
The sculptor turned at the sound of her voice, and Zrixiana would see that his face was obscured by a thick woolen scarf and a set of darkened glasses. He didn't seem particularly surprised at her appearance, and let out a muffled sigh. When he spoke, his voice was soft and calm.
"What are you doing out here, dressed like that? You'll freeze to death, and the metal will stick to your flesh and cause frostbite. Silly creature, you'll die for sure. Stand over there."
He gestured towards the cliff face in front of him, next to where he was carving.
"Stand there, I'll make a statue in your likeness. If you're still alive by the end, I'll give you a hot meal let you warm up. Sounds good?"
He returned to his carving, cutting vigorously through the stone to begin what looked like one of Zrixiana's horns.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 13:59:34 GMT -8
Fortunately, she understood him perfectly - but the idea of standing in the cold was stupid. But if she could get out of the wind... she would carefully slither around him and curl up tightly about her serpentine body at the cliff face where he had pointed out. It wasn't much, but it was something... and she tried to shift some of her metal bands and such about her figure to alleviate the sting and burn that was starting to settle to her skin and deeper.
"...w-w-where... am I?" she stutters in clear Common, her teeth almost chattering.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 14:07:24 GMT -8
The sculptor chuckled as she tried to move the metal away from her skin. By now, it was almost too cold to touch, and would almost certainly be painful unless she managed to stuff some of her silks or cloth between the metal and her body. If only her master had given her something more warmer! What was with demons and their need for ludicrously uncomfortable clothes, anyways? Once she looked back up, she'd notice that the sculptor had somehow already carved a head and face out of the stone, an almost flawless likeness of her own.
"Why...you're right here, on a mountain, in the snow. But you knew that already. Who needs to know more, though? Where we are isn't going to change anything. It's still snowing, even if you know exactly where you are. That's why I don't really bother to know where I am. I bring my home with me, so I'm never really lost."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 14:23:55 GMT -8
The ramblings of the man didn't help her any - not even for a mild distraction. She tried to pay attention to his work; he was skilled in his craft, carving beautifully and so quickly. But it was almost impossible with how miserable she was becoming. The world was steadily growing darker - a stark contrast of darkness in the distance and white snow in the foreground. Her human body lowered as far as she could do while the snake half curled up tightly around her - trying not to press any more metal to her skin. But she was fading out as her blood cooled. One of the issue with being part reptile.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 14:35:21 GMT -8
The sculptor had begun working on the shoulders, carving through the stone at an unnatural rate. It was almost inhuman, how he could mimic flesh and hair so quickly and accurately with such a hard medium. He glanced over at the freezing naga, and sighed.
"Stand up, I can't make a statue of you if you keep moving like that. I can't stand models who keep moving."
He walked over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders with gloved hands. Slowly but firmly, he pushed her up into an upright position, then sighed.
"It's no use...You won't be standing still here until you're frozen solid, and by then you'll be curled up in a heap. Some people just can't follow directions. I gave you one simple task, just sit still...Why are you even dressed like that, anyways? It'll make for a nice statue, but it'll burn your skin. How did you make it out here? I suppose you'd best get inside, we can finish the carving after you've warmed up a bit."
Reaching into an inner pocket of his jacket, he pulled out what looked like a tiny dollhouse no more than three or four inches tall. He set it on the ground and blew gently on it, and the house began to grow. With a soft creak of wood and the grinding of stone, it expanded steadily until a small cottage stood in front of him. He opened the door, gesturing for Zrixiana to step inside.
"This is just so that I can finish the statue, mind you. What's your name, anyways? Where did you come from?"
The interior of the cottage would be barely warmer than the outside, but it at least protected the occupants from the wind and snow. A fireplace sat in the corner, cold and unlit.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 14:53:53 GMT -8
The Naga moved without a hindrance save for a stiffness that began to settle in. When she came to stand more upright she managed to ease her tired eyes open and watch the spectacle as the tiny house become a much larger one. Somehow she managed to unfurl herself once more and force herself to slither up into the cold cottage - it hurt. Trying to move, the feel of the frozen metals against her skin and scales...
But she struggled to curl herself up and remain in a somewhat upright position as he instructed - despite how she was straining to remain conscious. The block from the snow and wind helped, but only just.
"Es... escaped... Z-Zrix... ana... scaped..." There was little to be had in helping to stop her shivering and clear her speech, but she tried. Anything to try and keep herself awake.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 15:06:41 GMT -8
The sculptor took his time as he shut the door and removed his coat. It was lined with what looked like rabbit or ermine fur, and he hung it carefully on a hook by the door. He unwrapped his scarf, revealing a clean-shaven and surprisingly young-looking face. Hanging the scarf beside the coat, he removed the dark glasses and moseyed over to the fireplace. A few moments later, there was finally a crackling fire, letting off a welcome bit of warmth.
"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't understand much of that. Did you say you escaped from somewhere? You're not a criminal, are you? I won't have criminals in my house. If you are, you'll have to leave."
He stepped outside for a moment, and returned lugging a heavy cooking pot full of stew. It looked to be frozen solid, and he set it over the fireplace to warm up.
"I do so love these mountains. Food never spoils, it just freezes solid. Everything freezes up here. I suppose it'd be a bit uncomfortable for you, though."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 15:43:14 GMT -8
The fire. Just the sudden change in the air - the clear cut separation of warm and frigid was enough to jar her sensitivity to the temperature, and she was gasping as if she had nearly suffocated and miraculously found air. Something of a dire relief flooded her expression as she found herself able to move, and she moved over near the small fire to curl up as close as she could get - letting out a pained yelp when she found out the pot of frozen stew was, in fact, colder than ice to the touch by mistake.
But the fire - it was warming her blood up quickly, though it only reminded her of the potential frostbite due to the silver and gold that adorned her being. When she could move somewhat comfortably again, she managed to turn her head to look to the man - a little relieved to find he was human. Or at least looked human.
She sniffled a bit and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth once again, staying as near the fire as she could manage. "I-I... escaped. N-N-Not bad - f-from my k-keeper. Mas-Master. W-Wanted free..." She had to stop for a moment when a hard shiver wracked her body from head to tail. "I-I'm Z... Z-Zrixian-na."
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 16:01:59 GMT -8
The sculptor frowned, confused. He tapped the frozen stew with his chisel, trying to break it up so that it would thaw faster.
"Escaped from your keeper? Your master? Why were you kept? Were you held in a zoo? I know that some unsavory individuals like to keep odd beings in zoos, as cruel as it may be. I much prefer to see ordinary animals in zoos, not people who will cry and beg to be freed. How did you escape, Miss...er...Zrixiana?"
The fire crackled cheerfully, and the wind outside picked up. The sculptor peeked out the window at the increasing snow and tutted softly.
"Hmm...looks like a blizzard's brewing. I've never liked carving statues in a blizzard. Too hard to see, even when they're at arm's length."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 16:22:51 GMT -8
She didn't answer right away - she was a little afraid to. She hadn't been back to the normal realm in many years, and didn't quite remember what it was like. And she was worried that the incubus would return to hunt her down - the thought of being caught terrified her.
The wind whipping up outside made her curl up tighter unto herself, though she had certainly warmed up better now in the little house with a fire going. She settled her gaze on the man, seeming to relax a little more as her body warmed up - or start to look a little more tired. It was close to either. "No, no zoo. Uh... he found me a long time ago. Sands, desert sands. I miss them. He took me away from here, from this..." She tries to gesture with her hands to mimic two separate locations with open palms. "This plane, I think. He, he changed me. He did these-" She carefully gestures and taps at several rings and bars and jewels that were pierced over her body and face, "because he liked them. He kept me and for him.
"I found a... a, um..." Again she tries to shape out a design in her mind with her clawed fingertips. "A totem. Small object. He used it, so I tried. I end up here, in the snow and stone," she adds, gesturing outside to the statues. "The, The monuments - that you make."
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 16:42:26 GMT -8
The sculptor leaned in close, looking carefully at Zrixiana's ornaments with an expression of mild interest. He frowned, seeing the signs of frostbite already beginning around many of the piercings.
"Hmm...was he an artist like me, perhaps? Maybe you were his work of art, his masterpiece. He could have been creating his ideal, his flawless dream...or maybe he just liked hurting you. I can't begin to pretend I know what his motivations are. I wonder why someone would keep a snake girl around just to stick her full of metal, though..."
He trailed off, glancing outside as the growing blizzard obscured the view of his partially-completed statue of Zrixiana.
"Anyways, we'll have to finish that statue later. Hopefully you'll survive until then. What do you eat, anyways? Also, do you still have the totem you're talking about?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 17:07:37 GMT -8
It was difficult trying to explain it to him, partially due to a level of shame that came with it. And it was clear she wasn't particularly happy or proud in her eyes shifting about when he spoke of keeping her and decorating her in metals.
But food - that was a distraction! A good one, even for an anxious stomach like hers. She glances into the pot to note the frozen meal, and a hint of a genuine smile tugs at her lips. "I eat like you do. This looks good, when it's warm." Her head would come up and her gaze would try to pierce through the snowstorm outside to no avail. "Uh... it vanished. It fell apart, and became a... a hole." She brings her hands up to join her forefingers and thumbs to create the shape of a circle with her hands. "I went in. I didn't see the totem."
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Jun 25, 2017 17:20:49 GMT -8
The sculptor struck the icy stew with his chisel, breaking it apart. In the cracked ice, Zrixiana would see bits of potato, turnip, and some sort of meat. Rabbit, perhaps? Part of the stew had already begun to melt, filling the tiny cottage with a mouthwatering aroma.
"Huh...I wonder why you landed here. Your keeper probably won't be very happy that you've escaped, do you think? Hopefully he doesn't come here. It's not like you can run, especially dressed like that out in the blizzard. The metal will freeze to your skin, you'll die of cold, and some wanderer will discover the corpse and steal all the little gold and silver bits that they can chisel off. No, we'd best hope that he doesn't show up. What was he like, anyways? It doesn't sound as though he was very kind...but how was your life with him?"
As he spoke, he continued to smash the stew into smaller pieces so that it would thaw faster. Frozen meat and vegetables shattered, breaking into shards of delicious-looking ice.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 17:52:54 GMT -8
"No... no, he won't," she murmurs softly, letting him finish his ramblings with no more interruptions. She reals back a little to ensure she didn't have any bits of ice bounce off her face as the man continued to chip away at it. "I... I don't like it. I miss the sand. I'm tired of doing things with him."
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