Portents of the End Times [Vae Victis x SugarPlumCoatedGun]

[Vae Victis]

Asyld pushed open the bear fur flap which protected the large tent from the elements, his eyes darting around for a brief moment before they settled on the two old men who seemed to have been waiting for him. The Northlands were a cold place where it rarely stopped snowing, and sometimes he wondered why his people had chosen them of all places to settle hundreds of years ago. They survived and thrived despite the near constant blizzards, so he supposed it didn't much matter.

The man was tall and powerfully built, his muscular body covered by leather armor wrapped in a mix of various animal pelts to provide him with warmth. Flakes of snow melted in his long blond hair, piercing eyes of dark blue settling on one of the old men as he took his seat. An outsider. He was wary of outsiders, but this elder was from another clan and had been welcomed by his own elder, so Asyld bit his tongue. It would be unwise to speak out.

The young man folded his arms across his chest as his elder began to speak, his voice raspy from decades of exposure to the cold. It was something that happened to most of his people as they aged. "There is a matter of grave importance to discuss with you. Our mystics say the end is coming."

The warrior offered a smirk at the words, shaking his head as he spoke. "Our mystics are fools. You know I don't trust wizards and magic. It's all trickery and nothing more." The old man held up a hand to silence him, his wrinkled and hardened face remaining calm. "I know how you feel. Your distaste for magic is well known, but in this case I ask you to listen. For the sake of your people. Asyld grunted before he went silent, giving a nod in silent agreement. "We must ask you to leave the Northlands. Far to the south is a desert spoken of in legend. It is vast, and some say endless. You must travel there. Somewhere hidden in those sands is a temple to the Primal Gods. They stir within, and I fear it is only a matter of time before they rise again. If they do, they will destroy us all."

As though he needed no more information than he had been given, Asyld got to his feet. "I will gather my weapons and supplies and leave this evening." He still had no love for the mystics or their divination, but the elder was never wrong. "Wait." The other old man spoke up and Asyld stopped, turning to face him. "It is too dangerous to go alone, and our mystics have seen the signs as well. Our strongest warrior will go with you." With those words the flap to the tent opened again and Asyld turned to see who just who this warrior would be.

 

[SugarPlumCoatedGun]

Cold winds blistered as her thoughts cast back to when her Elder had asked to speak with her in private. He had asked her, their clan’s strongest warrior, to journey to a desert where an ancient temple would await for her to explore. Their mystics had made it clear that something was not right and she hadn't questioned the trip once, even when she was told she would be accompanied by another great warrior of another clan.

Once in the strange settling that she'd traveled to with the older male, she was told to await outside and not to move, though she had managed to get slightly distracted and wandered off, only to return seconds later to hear voices chattering inside the tent. She couldn't help but worry about the situation, but she would never allow that to cloud her judgment or to fear her quest.

Upon hearing her Elder hint to her entrance, Lavina let out a small sigh before ducking into the tent, lifting the flap before dropping it to stand straight at the entrance; her bright green eyes staring from one male face to another. The woman had long, red head that reached the middle of her back and her skin was greatly contrasted; a pale ivory close to porcelain. Lavina was quite petite in size for being a famed warrior, her waist slim and her form average height; standing at around 5'7". Lifting a hand from under what looked to be a grey animal pelt of some kind, she rested it on her hip, revealing her scadly clad frame. Her stomach was exposed while she wore a small, leather cupped item upon her chest that looked nothing more than a bra; decorated with the same charcoal coloured fur. Against her hips rested a leather belt containing two daggers at either side of her, resting on brown leather, tight shorts, resting just above her knee's. On her feet was a pair of calf high, flat boots, once again decorated with brown leather and grey fur. Cuffs of the same coloured pelt also wrapped around her wrists, secured with a leather strap.

"Introduce yourself." The elder male spoke and she instantly gave the blond male a quick nod of acknowledgement before parting her plump, light pink lips to speak. "I'm Lavina. Pleasure." Her tone was unfriendly and one toned, almost as if she were telling the other off for something he'd yet to do.