this planet is static

[sithiche]

Date & Time: July 9th, evening-ish
Location: the outlands
Characters: Artemis & Seviilia
Summary: skipping merrily through the post-apocalyptic wasteland
Warnings: none yet, but who knows how long that will last.


If Artemis didn't know any better, he would almost suspect that the Outlands had actually gotten worse since he left. Of course, it probably just seemed that way since he was not exactly pleased to be here, this time around. Still, he had not given up on the prospect of finding new pockets of land that were not completely dead, such as the area where Koltira had built his cabin. Just being outside of the city was refreshing (or as close to it as he could get in this corner of the earth), as the air was not quite as dense with pollution.

He had actually gone so far as putting on his armor for the first time since his arrival, if only to prepare for the possibility of running into some of the many mutated beasts that roamed the countryside. If he was honest with himself, he almost hoped that he did, as it would be a decent way to blow off some steam.

Making his way to the top of a hill, he looked out over the horizon beyond it. His ears twitched as he heard a sound in the distance, fingers closing around the hilt of his sword as he attempted to determine if it was merely what passed for an animal these days, or something else.

Comments

[miscreant]

"I wouldn't recommend that," came Seviilia's ethereal tone of voice ahead of Artemis. If he looked downward, he would likely spot (or hear) the death knight crouching down on one of the taller rocky ruins almost casually. Upon spotting him, she had made certain to stand to full height (which, being an elf, was not particularly impressive) though didnt bother reaching for her weaponry. He's armored, but they are in the outlands -- she can gather allies from the soil if need be.

From a distance, she can spot his longer ears -- another elf, perhaps? Exsilium did so seem to love them. The past week had been quite eventful, and she was still sore over Koltira's scolding. Were he another race, she might have attempted to goad them into attacking her just to blow off some steam. But, since there is a possibility that he might be an elf, Artemis is safe.

For the moment, anyway.

[sithiche]

Artemis raised an eyebrow at that, eyes immediately falling upon the location where the voice had come from. He released his sword, if only because he had other methods at his disposal as well. He wasn't looking for fights with fellow transports, having only gone for his sword in case it was one of the many mutated beasts that he had heard. However, he was hardly inclined to trust anyone that he just happened to bump into out here. Particularly when there was something to her voice that would have made his hair stand on end at an earlier point in his life.

"And why is that?" he replied, taking several steps forward, but not giving up the higher ground. He watched her curiously, trying to determine if he recognized her.

[miscreant]

Seviilia, of course, has no way of knowing what this man is capable of. Going on the assumption that he is indeed an elf would imply that he had at least a small amount of magical capability. She had since learned from Khisanth not to merely expect that people were only capable of things you knew others like them were capable of.

She had learned a few things from that dragon, actually.

"Wouldn't want to make unnecessary enemies, would you?" she replied back, tilting her head to one side. "You needn't worry -- I've cleared the area for the moment."

If he came closer, he might pick up the faint smell of blood from kills she had already made.

[sithiche]

He gave a small nod, allowing himself to ease up a bit, but he had long since learnt to never completely let down his guard.

"That's almost disappointing," he remarked, rolling his shoulders as much he could in his armor.

Tilting his head, he gave her a long, considering look. It was difficult to make out details from this distance, but he could see her well enough to make the connection between the woman he was speaking to now and the one that he had earlier conversed with over the network.

"If you don't terribly mind me asking, are you a death knight?"

[miscreant]

"Alas, if I had expected company, I might have left one or two struggling for you," she adds smoothly. "Sun forbid I rob another of a bit of entertainment for the evening."

She was becoming less and less careless about hiding her true nature in light of Koltira's scolding. It would keep people a nice arm's length apart, so she wouldn't...accidentally slip and bury her axe in someone when she wasn't paying attention. It might have been troublesome if she were looking to make friends. Luckily, she wasn't.

However, Artemis's question seems to catch her slightly off-guard.

"Aye," Seviilia offered, raising one eyebrow and squinting a bit suspiciously. She was still occasionally surprised when someone recognized her for what she was, perhaps due to how many times she had to explain to people that she was a walking corpse. Those from Azeroth who were able to identify her usually steered clear, and this man didn't appear to originate from her homeland.

[sithiche]

"I'm sure that I will endure somehow."

He appeared somewhat curious now, even if he knew to be cautious. He took a seat upon a large rock near the top of the hill, watching her in a considering manner.

"You know Koltira, then?

[miscreant]

"I should hope so."

She had expected the question, and so her expression doesn't change too noticably. There was no possible way she couldn't know Koltira -- she was, after all, his subordinate. But this man didn't need to know that, and she certainly didn't plan to tell him.

All she needed was another person who would go tattling to Deathweaver about whatever they caught her getting up to. For all she knew, he could have sent this one here to watch her. She's less trusting now.

"I do."

[sithiche]

He gave a small nod at that. He had hoped to be able to read something from her response-- if she was at least on friendly terms with Koltira, that would make her somewhat more trustworthy. At the moment, he currently inventoried the death knights he had encountered into two categories: the ones who were on Koltira's side, and the ones who were on Arthas'.

He let the silence continue for a moment, a cigarette appearing in his fingers, conjured from one of his inner pockets due to the inconvenience of digging for the package while he was in full armour. He brought it to his lips before speaking once more.

"Have you been here long?"

[miscreant]

"Long enough to be weary of the whole thing, I'd say."

The blood elf would give no further clues as to her relationship with Koltira. For all he bothered her, he was still a superior and she would certainly sooner stand at his side than Arthas', even if they didn't quite agree on everything. Or anything, really. That, at least, was one thing they could agree on.

She watches him conjure the cigarette and privately laments her long forgotten skills in the elements of magecraft. Just another reason to add to the long long list of 'Why Seviilia, Despite Her Murderous Tendencies, Would Never Stand With Arthas Menethil'.

"Though frankly, it makes not a difference to me being here or Azeroth. Both are tangled in their own wars, after all," she adds carefully.

[sithiche]

He exhaled smoke, followed by a short laugh.

"I don't imagine that takes very long at all, for some." He gave a small gesture of his hand. "But I've never thought it does much good to dwell on one's bitterness about it. Complaining won't make them send us home."

This is what he kept reminding himself, at least. The last time he had been in Exsilium, he had few commitments at home, and battles and time travel were somewhat entertaining. This time around, obligations wore heavily on his mind, and he was still having trouble reconciling himself with the knowledge that there was nothing he could do about the state of affairs in his own world so long as he was here.