Cleyra Act 1: The Protector of the Sanctuary - Open to Cryptic & myself

Mitobe's passive-aggressive behavior quickly changes as soon as Jade begins to speak in this peculiar, yet oddly mesmerizing and smooth-feeling dialect. Even this side of Hawks, well rather, this other personality, Azure, a man seemingly too blunt, arrogant and perverted, actually seemed captivated by this language. "That was .. hot." he remarks with a cheeky grin, soon afterwards, a sigh than he was still the same shallow pervert.

The Talani however seems to now gauge her; he was observing her carefully. Then he opens his mouth, and speaks the same language as she did. His accent was also significantly altered into a more smooth and serene tone; maybe this language was that of poets? Or Hawks and Azure themselves were too dense deep down so sophisticated dialects actually sounded more alluring than normal?

"We mean no harm. The Princess herself has requested that we find and lead you back home as soon as possible. That male truly is hasty." He speaks to her in that ancient speech, letting out a tone of laughter when he said the last phrase. But, they were ordered to bring them back "home"? What was the meaning of this? Who was that princess and why was she aware of their presence, anyway?

Jade raises a brow at her traveling companion who had manage to make something creepy out of the most inert situation. That was pure talent. She continues to converse with the Talani in the old language, happy to hear it spoken for the first time in many years. To hear it spoken by natives was unlike anything else - hauntingly beautiful. The more she heard, the more came back to her. "I apologize for my companion. He is not himself at the moment. Worry not, you can trust him."

Jade was confused for a moment, thinking she had misheard. Princess? The Talani did indeed keep their own dynasties while still being part of the kingdom structure - but it was said that that family was all killed - all 7 of the children. Had one escaped? Jade herself was an escaped princess who hid kept her identity from the government - they would slaughter her if they had the slightest idea that she was the heir to the fallen sand kingdoms. Her sister was gone and so was the kingdom. At least the guardian Talani were still around.

"The princess lives?" This was a very exciting and dangerous bit of information that must be protected at all costs. Recovering their dynastic structure was a sign they were doing more than surviving - they were possibly mobilizing. Jade slipped behind hawks holding a scrap of fabric speaking still in the old language quite close to his ear. "Shall I blindfold him?" The question was two fold - this was they would feel secure in keeping their location hidden and it would keep him from wandering off in some random direction. "Don't worry, I won't let any harm come to you" She says, accidentally still using the old language he cannot understand.

"Why would I agree on such dubious terms? Blindfold me ... gee, that's something I'd be more interested in, if applied to you, preferably at a location where we'd have some privacy." The male remarks while folding his arms, all the while maintaining an irritating, cheeky smile. His very appearance and posture was definitely not a very reliable sigh for those desert guardians. Before any other dialogue ensues again, the tapping of hands clapping drew their attentions, to notice the second one of the tribe slowly approaching them. He appears to be an elder one, at least compared to the former one. And his expression while observing Hawks was quite bizarre.

"Hm? What's the matter, old man? Never saw an actually attractive kind of species before?" Azure/Hawks rudely speaks to the elder, who then closes his eyes, and lets out a sign. Before he smacks the blonde with his wooden rod, right on top of his head. "What the hell? Hey old geezer, don't think that I won't kick your ass if you-!!" Azure, surprisingly, succumbs to that simple blow, and falls down, face first. The old Talani immediately makes a nod and points his open palm towards Jade. "Fine he is, physically, that is. Great peril and confusion into his soul he has, though. Of the mind an illness he seems to have. Two individuals, in there he appears to house."

Jade face palms at the inappropriate commentary and tries her best to ignore it. Suddenly there is a mild conflict that stuns here "No, stop --" Just then her crew mate hits the ground. "What happened?!" She kneels beside her fallen friend and places his head on her lap. She gazes up at the old man with curiosity. "I think these two sides were once the same but separated and polarized from one another. Any time anything gets to close, the obnoxious side takes over to push it all away. Obnoxious or not, I can't leave him here like this. I forgive his transgressions because he is so troubled by something that seems to grip him across time. I wish I knew how to help."

"On the way in - we ran into one of your troops, I think ... I don't know what she was looking for when she attacked us. Have you been getting unwanted visitors of late? I never expect to see any one so close to shore unless necessary for defense. Why have you abandoned the old style of body armor? It was more sturdy than when she was wearing ..."

"The latter thing you spoke of, I'd like to answer first ... erm .." The elder coughs up, his whole behavior showing that he was feeling somewhat awkward or uneasy about what to say next. "Run across her earlier, you did; a penchant for wandering around on her own she has, you see. There has been a time, recently, where indeed, such luxury as to being able to freely wander across the world despite her legacy was finally attained a privilege. But ..." the elder lets out a depressive sigh, which implied that something must have happened that saddened him deeply. But, more importantly, did that meant that the one they first met here was the princess? They cut her down, and these two wouldn't even make a deal about it? Bizarre.

"A special ability the princess has, but was forbidden to utilize outside of her own body's. Once we reach a safe spot, we shall talk about this more. As for your friend ... a solution exists, possibly, by a man that we know of .. dare I say, freed they both will become." he adds, and nods to the other man, Mitobe, who comes and picks up the fainted blonde. "Let's go."

Jade raised a brow at the identity of the princess. "So she is both a monarch AND a vigilante, armored bounty hunter? That explains the horrible aim, anyway." It was bizarre that she now knew of two people with this strange and obnoxious infliction of conflicting personalities. Was it contagious? Should she be worried? Would she become someone else too? Technically she had become someone else. She had been running from her own identity her entire life but that was something else ... something voluntary. Something necessary.

She turns her attention to the man who scoops up her fallen friend, amused that now he was being carried around like a bag of potatoes instead of her, for once. Her eyes scan the desert, breathing in the hot try air, tasting the slight nip of cactus blossoms on the breeze. It was one of those scents that instantly sent her back in time and she could imagine chasing little desert foxes when she was a child. Elusive things, their large ears usually alerted them to her presence before she eve saw them. Once when she had given up on them, she found an orphaned one that had been caught in a sand storm. He became a loyal friend for many years. For the first time in many year she felt like the heavy weight of worry was lifted for a while, while, ironically she was in the most dangerous place she could ever be.

"Well then, let's get going, we will talk once we arrive." The younger one speaks, bringing Jade back from the distraction of her thoughts. Oddly, despite having just implied that they should be on the move, he immediately sat down; was he bizarre in the form of picking the wrong acts to do, along with the obvious verbal issues?

The elder now looks at Jade, and lets out a soft, friendly smile. "Before our departure .. to travel alongside me, do you approve of?" That was bizarre. All that time they made it pretty clear that they needed to have a talk, all of them. And to do that they should arrive at a safe location, preferably Cleyra itself. So why waste time sitting down to rest, as well as just pointlessly ask her such a thing, after ALL that?

The former Talani nods at Jade, extending his arm and lightly making a soft tap towards her direction. "Trust me, you ought to respond with a "yes"; you may be left a tad shocked, but trust me, it is the safest and fastest route to .. dive to!" -Meant to say "follow".

Jade opened her mouth then shut it. She wasn't sure if she should even go with these clowns at this point. Nothing made much sense and it was possible this one had escaped from some sort of ancient mental institution. "Did you just ask me to accompany you AFTER you've essentially kidnapped me and incapacitated my traveling companion? It's too late for polite formality. This place is my home and looking after you all is part of my bloodline - I apologize for my absence - but if I am to participate in this, I need rational continuity."

She eyes her unconscious magician - she had never met anyone who ended up randomly unconscious half as frequently as him. He looked so peaceful and innocent as he slept - not like the arrogant and intentionally seductive creature he was during his possession nor like the skittish, flailing thing he was when he was himself. She felt a bit sad that he had to be unconscious for the storm, that weighed heavy over him as two creatures fought for the same body, to be calmed. Maybe they could help him but perhaps it was more important to ask if he wanted help. She never really understood why it happened - perhaps he had made an agreement with someone? She wasn't sure if it was the best idea to separate the two without consent? Even if one of them was insufferable, she wasn't sure he deserved to be destroyed. That wasn't her call and she certainly couldn't leave it up to strangers.

She gestured toward the magician without really looking at him or touching him. Strangers always seemed to assume things if she got any where near him and she didn't need anyone trying to use him in this condition against her. She tried not to sound as worried as she was about the entire situation. "What happens to the one that gets removed from my associate there? Where will that consciousness go? Can you confirm it is invasive? How will you know if you're removing the right one?"

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