| Welcome to Legends Of Arcadia! We are a site for Roleplay set in the world of Arcadia, as found in the Sega game 'Skies of Arcadia'. We welcome you visitors as you take your first step toward this world, away from the solid land beneath your feet and into a world of floating islands and soaring ships. If you're looking for adventure, then hop on board our board and explore the endless skies! Join our community! And if you're already a member of our crew, please log in! |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| The Merchant's Daughter; Canace & Eleanor | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Mar 11 2009, 11:09 PM (794 Views) | |
| Bellflower | Mar 11 2009, 11:09 PM Post #1 |
|
Shotgun Hero!
|
[[Continued from 'Two Maidens and the Winter Orb' thread in Nasrad]] Cecil Altair wiped his brow and gave a small sigh of satisfaction. Everything was going well. His new base of operations in Sailors Isle had turned out wonderfully and he was sure that it would prove to be an excellent addition to the Altair's merchant business. For years he had worked hard to prove to his family that he was an asset and worthy heir, and now he felt like he truly was worthy, someone to be proud of. Expansion plans were going brilliantly thanks to his own efforts and investments and he'd not yet lost a single bit of money he'd been trusted with. His mother and father, Johan and Laveda, were currently visiting, and so far it had been all smiles. This was something he was especially happy to see. After everything that had happened with Aron and Canace, it was a relief to see them cheerful and positive about things. Aron. That name never failed to make him frown now. The pain his disowned older brother had put everyone in their clan through was unacceptable. Cecil had never been able to work out how Aron could have changed so much, could have become someone so different. It had hurt his little sister Canace most of all; her pursuit of the man had caused her all kinds of strife and anguish, brought her a lot of pain. Might have even killed her... she'd been missing for months, the ship he knew she'd had made now in possession of another, a Black Pirate who could only have stolen it. Cecil tensed, fear welling up in him that he managed to push away barely when he saw his parents walking up to him. He waved, urging them to come over. "Mother! Father!" he said. "Been enjoyin' the island, have ya?" "Oh, yes," replied Laveda with a smile. "It's certainly grown since I was here last; there's been much to see." "Perfect environment for ya to settle into, my boy," declared Johan, with a nod. Laveda was looking as poised as ever. Canace took after her a lot in looks, but her mother bore herself in a completely different manner, walking lightly on her feet and always maintaining this air of elegance. Her hair was waved and reddish, something that none of her children had inherited. All of them had instead got the sandy-blonde of their father, a stocky and hard-working man whose entire face wrinkled when he smiled. "I'm glad ya think so," said Cecil. "Just to much of an opportunity to miss, aint it? Knew I was right to get stuck in over here, it's..." He paused, distracted by something he'd just seen. No... it couldn't be. Couldn't be. "Cecil, what is it?" asked Laveda, frowning slightly. "Why have you stopped talking?" Cecil pointed towards the docks, where a man was just leaving his ship carrying someone. His mother and father looked, both of their eyes opening wide. As the man stepped off the gangplank, it became clear that it was who he'd first thought it was hanging limp in his arms. "MY DAUGHTER!" shrieked Laveda, rushing over with a mix of panic and relief in her voice. Johan and Cecil glanced briefly at one another before rushing over as well. The man carrying Canace stepped back a little in shock. "You... you're Canace's mother?" he asked. "Yes! Yes!" said the woman, voice trembling. "My girl... my beautiful girl... finally, I thought you were... thought we'd lost you... but what's happened? She looks sick..." The man sighed. "She'd been through a lot," he mumbled. "Eleanor would be able to explain it better than me." "Eleanor?" asked Cecil. "Who's that?" Edited by Bellflower, Mar 11 2009, 11:11 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Gordreg | Mar 12 2009, 10:32 PM Post #2 |
|
Administrator
|
As Sailor’s island came into view on the horizon, Eleanor closed up her sketchpad – shutting away a half-finished drawing of a Thorkryn - and slipped her sketchbook away into her bag. Drawing the animals that drifted by the ship had been a way of relieving her anxieties as she’d watched the skies, but they hadn’t been driven away throughout any of the day she’d spent on the skies so far. At the back of her mind was the constant knowledge that a friend was sick and unconscious. And though she’d made a point of stepping by to check on Canace every half-hour it still hadn’t disguised the simple fact that, aside from making annotated drawings of the symptoms shown, there wasn’t anything she could actually do. And there hadn’t been anything that Mort could do either. The strapping young sailor – or whatever he actually was was; Mort had been quite vague when the subject of his profession had been raised – hadn’t known more then the basics of medication himself, and he’d set their course for Sailor’s island after remembering something about a famed local doctor. Eleanor had argued briefly that Maramba was closer, but Mort had reminded her that Maramba would also be a far easier place for the crime-clan to follow Canace to; and after that the argument had swiftly ended. Mort had gotten on with flying the ship whilst Eleanor had first checked on Canace’s condition, and then rushed with her bags into a cabin to change into something comfortable. It had been good to get out of that handkerchief, at least. She’d felt a lot more comfortable with proper thick boots upon her feet and an outfit that wouldn’t break away against the scrape of a single branch. She’d left the hat behind with Dool crouched inside to guard Canace, and currently she her dark brown hair was loose and blowing in the wind. But the strength of the winds were dying away as the ship drew closer to Sailor’s island and slowed, sliding gently into an open bay. Buckling up her bag, Eleanor slung it across her shoulder and made her way inside. First she had popped in to check on Canace again – and had lifted both Dool and her hat into the bag whilst doing so – and then as Mort had walked in the room to carry Canace ashore, Eleanor had left. There was one other thing to collect before disembarking. She’d kept the orb locked in the hold since leaving Nasrad. Whatever properties the thing actually had, it had proven itself to be quite powerful. Canace had collapsed from the cold mere minutes after holding the thing, and that little display of ice back at the port gate had only convinced Eleanor further of possible dangers. If she’d had one of her Pinalisk-cages with her then the orb would now be locked safely away inside of one of them, but their lack had forced her to improvise, and as a result it was an insect collection cage that Eleanor slipped the orb away inside. Tucking the cage away into the depths of the bag, she hoisted it carefully, then headed back up to deck. Reaching the deck again, Eleanor discovered that they’d already docked. A ramp had been lowered down to the portside and Mort had already left, the limp figure of Canace held very prominently in his arms. A small number of people were gathering around, and one woman in particular appeared to be distressed. Her hair was red and wavy, but aside from that and the ravages of time she seemed very much the mirror of Canace… Carefully, Eleanor made her own way down the ramp. If this was Canace’s family – and all appearances seemed to suggest it – then she didn’t want to interrupt this tragic reunion out of hand. Instead, she held back a few paces behind Mort, and only stepped forward when her name was mentioned. “Hello there..” Eleanor nodded, extending a hand toward Cecil and smiling a little worriedly. “I’m Eleanor…” she paused, and tilted her head slightly to one side as she studied his face. “I’d guess you’re family to Canace?” |
![]() |
|
| Bellflower | Mar 12 2009, 11:09 PM Post #3 |
|
Shotgun Hero!
|
"Ya," replied Cecil. "Her older brother. This is my mother and father, Laveda and Johan Altair. We-" "You, he said you could explain it!" interrupted Laveda, eyes shining with tears. "What happened to my girl? She barely looks alive..." The distraught mother reached out and touched Canace's arm, but recoiled as soon as her hand touched the cool skin. "...and she feels frozen! What happened? Tell me now! How can I fix this?" "Dear, don't interrogate the gal so hard," said Johan, pulling his wife back with a gentle but firm hand. "I'm as concerned as ya are, but right now we need to count our blessin's. Before we didn't even think she was alive. Now we have her before us and... it's more than likely that we can help her get better. Take a few breaths." "But... Johan... look at her!" wailed Laveda, burying her face into her husband's torso. "Why did we ever let her leave us? She should never have been allowed to go out into the skies... look what it's done for her!" "Mother, ya never could have stopped her!" said Cecil, voice cracked with his own worry but backed with an odd sort of determination. "Lockin' her in would just have destroyed her, you know that. My sis belongs to the skies and could only ever be dictated by the wind. Nothin' else." He turned back to Eleanor, taking her hand with a firm shake. "I do wanna know what 'appened to my sister," he continued, "but first, let's get 'er to my little place of business. Got livin' quarters on the top level, we can put 'er in a bed there, send for a doctor and then talk properly." A pause. "...but, just one thing. You're her friend, ya? How long you been travellin' together, if ya have been at all before now?" |
![]() |
|
| Gordreg | Mar 13 2009, 12:28 PM Post #4 |
|
Administrator
|
Aha, so she’d been right! A gentle grin appeared for a second upon Eleanor’s face as Canace’s older brother introduced himself and his parents, only to vanish again as Laveda interrupted with tear-filled worry. Eleanor swallowed, and listened quietly as the family discussed the matter amongst themselves. Everyone seemed very worried, despite their various ways of showing it… but then that was hardly a surprise, Eleanor felt quite worried herself. Canace had come down far to suddenly and strangely for the illness to have been anything even remotely within her expertise. And though her suspicions were already fixed upon the orb, as yet there was no way to confirm those fears… Canace’s brother took her hand and shook it firmly, and Eleanor smiled and shook back as best she could. Cecil’s grip was quite firm and the handshake a bit tight as a result, but it didn’t seem intentional… most likely he was simply too worried to think of such matters. Nonetheless, it came as a small relief when the handshake ended and she could let her hand relax. “Oh, I’ve been travelling with her for a few months, on and off.” Eleanor explained, walking alongside Cecil as they followed Mort at a steady pace. “I met her in Valua when she was staying at my family’s house, and went along with her when she set out on a Voyage for Ixa’taka.” Her shoulders rose slightly, and Eleanor lifted a hand to gently push a straying strand of hair away from her face. “We spent a few days ashore in Horteka; but when she sailed away, I stayed behind.” Eleanor mentioned, deciding not to say exactly which reason Cance had sailed away from Hortaka. After all... if was Canace's brother, then he'd also be Aron's brother. “Did some studying of the local fauna there, but that ended when Canace came back about a month ago. And we’ve been travelling again since then.” She concluded, taking a first step up a set of outside stairs. “First to Nasrad, and now… here.” |
![]() |
|
| Bellflower | Mar 26 2009, 08:11 PM Post #5 |
|
Shotgun Hero!
|
Cecil didn't reply immediately; his face fell into a frown as he thought through what she'd said. Met Canace at her family's house? That meant she was related to Marcus Sadlaner. The man who had been responsible for hurting his sister and getting her a nickname she really must hate. Biting his lip, he nodded a bit. "I see," he said. "She must trust ya a great deal, if she came to meet ya after what happened in Ixa'Taka. We know she disappeared around then. Assumed she'd got lost in the wilderness; certainly some bad 'appened." The man didn't ask for more details about what that might have been yet. Instead he followed his family up and into his the top floor of his shop, opening the door for Eleanor briefly before stepping inside. "So, you're a Sadlaner, hmm? Can't say I don't know the name. Marcus Sadlaner has a got a bit of a reputation for himself after that ball in Valua a while back. Don't suppose my sister is best pleased with 'im right now." He gave a little laugh, as if he was amused by such a thing, but his eyes said otherwise. "Hey, uh... Cecil was it? Where's your bedrooms?" asked Mort, turning to look towards Canace's brother. "Oh, it's through here, let me show you through," replied Cecil, distracted from that train of thought briefly. He opened a door, and everyone filed in. Canace was laid down on the sheets. She was still breathing at the same pace as before, but no sounds passed from her lips and she didn't move a muscle. Sighing, Laveda retrieved a blanket from one of the chests in the room and laid it over her daughter, before sitting on a chair next to the bed. Johan looked at his wife and nodded, before leaving the room. Cecil remained standing, and looked towards Eleanor again. "Father will 'ave gone to get a doctor. 'opefully he can tell us something." |
![]() |
|
| Gordreg | Mar 26 2009, 09:22 PM Post #6 |
|
Administrator
|
Eleanor gave a small affirmative nod, and a little chuckle of her own in reply to Cecil's... though unfortunately, her eyes were turned away, and thus unable to notice Cecil's lack of intended humour. "Oh, you're right there..." she nodded again, as she stepped through the opened door. "He's my brother... and the last time that we spoke of him, your sister wasn't at all happy with him. To tell the truth? I'm not all that happy with him, either." She stepped slightly to one side - to let Mort and Canace pass by through the open door - and then followed them into the bedroom. Mort had just placed Canace down upon the bed, and Canace's mother was busy lifting a blanket from out of a chest. Canace herself, though... she still didn't appear to be moving any more then shallow breathing necessitated, nor was she making any sound. Biting her lip, Eleanor took a quick step backward to open up a little distance between herself and her friend, and perched her rear upon the lid of the chest before placing her bags down beside her, making sure that none of them were any closer to the bed then she was herself. If her hunch was right... then getting that close to Canace, without knowing what might happen, sounded like the prelude to a ghastly mistake. Sighing worriedly, she gave a quick shake of her head... but when she pushed her hair back behind her ears and looked up again, Eleanor found Cecil looking back toward her. "A good idea..." she answered, her eyes casting downward "...though I fear I might already know the cause." Reaching aside, she carefully unclasped the catch on her bag and pulled it open. Reaching inside, she carefully lifted up a closed specimen cage - not lifting it past the bag's rim, but all the same giving everyone still in the room the barest glimpse of the object inside. "Canace acquired it in Nasrad." Eleanor started to explain. "Carried it for all of ten minutes, and then... this happened." And she gestured back toward her prone friend, and sighed again. “Took it off her instantly, of course… but so far, that doesn’t seem to have helped.” |
![]() |
|
| Bellflower | Apr 3 2009, 08:23 PM Post #7 |
|
Shotgun Hero!
|
Cecil raised an eyebrow, an odd look appearing on his face. He'd seen enough of the Winter Orb to notice the image of snow falling on its inside. "That..." He paused, obviously thinking for a moment. "It's a magical object of the purple moon, clearly. She held it for a while and this happened? Hmm... Canace favours red moon magic to the point that her body is highly in tune with it." The sandy-haired man strode forward and carefully rested the back of his hand on his sister's forehead. Quiet for a moment, he eventually sighed and took a step back, eyes fixed on Canace's form. "I am going to guess that, as it doesn't seem to have afflicted you in the same manner, you aren't attuned to red magic, Eleanor. Perhaps that object is harmful to those weak to the magic of the purple moon... which makes this a magical illness. If it's the case, a conventional doctor will be able to do little." "Oh, by the aura of the moons, a magical illness?" said Laveda, voice fearful. "What can we do? Where shall we take her, then?" "Perhaps time will heal it..." muttured Cecil. "No guarentee, of course... but we would do best to seek out a purple mage to examine her if my theory is correct." There was a brief silence as the Altair family considered these words, but it was broken when Canace made a small moan and moved over in her sleep, muttering something unclear. A flash of hope moved from Cecil's features, and he sat on the edge of Canace's bed. "Perhaps... time really might heal it..." |
![]() |
|
| Gordreg | Apr 4 2009, 03:37 PM Post #8 |
|
Administrator
|
So Canace’s condition was caused by a weakness to the magic of the purple moon? It was possible, Eleanor supposed, though she’d never have expected a simple weakness to have worked so quickly without any visible discharge of the moonstone energies. The only time the Orb had actually been used she’d been holding it herself, and Canace had already been suffering by then... “An allergy, perhaps?” Eleanor pondered aloud, releasing her hold upon the winter orb and allowing it to fall back inside of the bag. It was possible; Eleanor remembered a recent paper on the adverse reactions to Kantor’s Milk amongst the youth of Yafutoma since imports began. Yet how could one be allergic to an orb? No, she conceded, it was more likely that the Altairs were on the right track here. “Or perhaps not.” Eleanor added, giving a light rise of her shoulders as she turned to face Mort. “Perhaps it’s just due to what the orb is. Canace did say it was important. And it’s quite powerful, as I’ve seen…” Eleanor then went on to explain the incident in Nasrad harbour to the Altairs, and the huge icy wall that had been raised with barely any effort on her own part. But the explanation faltered just before the end, as with a small moan that was her first real sound in over a day, Canace moved in her sleep and muttered something that Eleanor couldn’t hear. “Indeed.” Eleanor sighed gently as she nodded to Cecil, her arms folding as she slumped to lean upon the bed. “Sometimes, time might be enough.” She added, turning back to watch Canace in case her friend started to move or mutter again. “But… I’ll still feel far more comfortable when the doctor gets here.” |
![]() |
|
| Bellflower | Apr 6 2009, 08:42 PM Post #9 |
|
Shotgun Hero!
|
After checking on his sister, Cecil looked up and gazed at Eleanor, astonishment in his eyes. "It can really do somethin' like that?" he asked, not actually needing an answer back. "By the moons... but ya, ya, I still want 'er to be checked out, as I am sure mother and father do." Mental images flowed through his mind of a great shield of purple ice, his sister lying still before it, Eleanor grasping a glowing orb beside it. If she had done something like that with barely an effort, then what else could the thing do? Its value was sky-high... and to think what a trained purple mage could do with it! His older brother, the disowned black pirate... he was highly skilled with icy magics. If he had this orb in his grasp then bad things would happen... "Still... better that you have it than... some others..." muttured the man. "Some people'd abuse that kinda power, y'know... Keep it safe, though I'm sure I don't need t' say it..." Canace moaned again, and moved... but just as Cecil went to gently move her back into a comfortable position, her eyes slowly opened. Her mother jumped up immediately, gasping. "CANACE!" she yelped. "CANACE! You're awake! Oh, thank the moons... oh, my beautiful girl... my baby!" "Mother! Calm!" gasped Cecil, gently moving her to the side so he could see his sister's face more quickly. "Overreacting won't help anyone here." "...keep th' noise down..." said Canace quietly. "...headache. Tryin' to... sleep 'ere... g'way, bro..." |
![]() |
|
| Gordreg | Apr 8 2009, 12:45 PM Post #10 |
|
Administrator
|
Eleanor gave a quiet nod as Cecil muttered out his concerns. They'd stolen the orb away precisely for the point of getting it away from abusers of power, after all... Eleanor dreaded to think of the uses the Orb might have been put to had it remained in the hands of Criminals. "I will, don't you wor..." Eleanor began, but she stopped in her tracks as she saw Canace's eyes inch slowly open. She sighed with relief - it was over a full day since she'd last seen them open, after all - and paced slowly over to stand by the bed. "Hello!" Eleanor greeted her woken friend with a gentle smile, and gave a quick rise of her hand toward Canace. "Hope you're feeling warm enough... you won't want another blanket, will you?" she asked, taking a slow step backward again so that Canace wouldn't be completely crowded by people. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Mid-Ocean · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2






6:56 PM Jul 11