The Past Follows [Alastair]

[Silvine Vilani]

Panic. That was something Silvine had not felt for quite some time. However, the male had refused to show it. He was on the run, after all, in fear of their, well his, nature to be revealed. Speaking of their, he had briefly wondered where the other had gone. Silvine tried to push him from his mind. He did not care.

Alastair was an annoying, unpredictable...Silvine sighed softly through his nose. and yet, he allowed himself to be around him for far too long. Silvine somehow felt...insecure without the other. He tried to tell himself because it was only because the other knew many dark secrets about the other and that in order to ensure he kept his mouth silent about it, he must be within his sight in all cost.

Silvine knew it wasn't the case, but it sure made him feel better to think like that. The daze of darkness had finally gone away as he allowed himself to explore the city of Alexandria. Thankfully, he blended in with the crowd quite nicely; these people looked on edge and Silvine did not need to be discovered.

This was no longer his home, which actually lightened his burden. Home was no longer safe for him. However...sooner or later his past will come back. Silvine needed to erase everything about it. Silvine grunted at himself for the pang of guilt he felt for ever thinking that. Except for him.

Even if he wanted to, he could not erase him. Silvine found the grand library of Alexandria and quickly made his way inside, brushing thoughts about the other out of the back of his mind. He needed information about this place desperately. Mostly to keep his thoughts from wandering to a certain someone, but also for strategy.

These people were on edge, which sparked a fire in him. If he could manipulate the people to rally up...he could spark another war. Silvine thrived off of war, even with the broken pact. If he could find something within the archives of this place, he may learn how to use the people's history against them.

This was always a fun strategy for Silvine to do.

--

Silvine lost track of time, but he became well aware of the stack of books that had piled on the table and the lack of people. Darkness also peered out from the windows but Silvine would not stop. He had learned much, but it wasn't enough. He also felt the pressure of time against him.

The slower he learned, the quicker something that would jeopardize everything would occur. Silvine also brushed the tired feeling his body was telling him, a signal he had been ignoring for quite some time. Silvine's body was not made for travel and his body had been exhausted not only from his fleeing his home, but the shadows taking him.

Also, it didn't help that he had been reading intensively for what felt like and seemed like hours. He was weary but he could not stop. He would need to fall on the floor and pass out before he would let his urgency die down. He continued to write in his book any useful information he found, in his own cryptic language.

This would help him later if he somehow did not retain his memory from this. No one knew what Silvine had written in this book of his; the book itself was worn pretty bad on the outside and yet the pages were almost pristine. He took careful care of this book; it was the only thing he had that to valuable information he may have forgotten, or needed to remember certain details.

The human mind could only hold so much. Silvine sighed, closing the last book he had read and placed them in the pile. There was still so much more to go through. He could feel his body screaming at him, but he would not give in. He needed to do this. His body be damned. Silvine grabbed another book and opened it.

Silvine, however, did not know that maybe this was the book he would stop at.

[Alastair "Alexander" Richter]

This place was musty, built in olden days (if you could call it built), and appeared to be deep underground. Tunnels, was the mage’s first and last conclusion. With torches near gone in the abandoned area, Alastair had to stumble about in near dark. He had fallen to the ground at one point, his hands and knees scraping against the rocks below. Swallowing a hiss Alastair would feel something velvet-like against his exposed skin. His knuckles would wrap around the mysterious object and brought close enough to inspect. A plant resembling a dandelion was what Alastair has picked up, and the mage began to ponder on igniting it for a temporary light.

All plans were foiled when an insect-like creature came into view, startling the man. Alastair’s mind reeled with magic spells, ready to cast at a command of his tongue, but all were not needed when the giant beast began gnawing on the plant. A further inspection revealed remnants of what once appeared to be a…saddle? Alastair couldn’t place the correct term, but, nevertheless, rose to his feet. The ‘beast’ would retreat back, but not far enough as his hand fell to the creator. It would than advance gently, as if nuzzling the hand like any pet would. Alastair would arch his brows and would flash an amused smile. Whatever this thing was, it was obviously tame and the previous noted ‘saddle’ hatched an idea.

* * *

He’d land gracefully upon the ground before turning toward the gentle giant. With a pat Alastair would coo. ”I thank you for the lift, but I have no further use for you. Perhaps another time I will.” To his surprise, the giant responded with a nudge (receiving another pat) before disappearing within the tunnels it lived in. Satisfied with this, Alastair would turn on his heels. Before him stood ruins of what was once part of a castle – perhaps escape routes in the past.

Breezing by a contraption – Alastair assumed a trap at one point – he’d make his way up a narrow, stair, passage. Without a choice Alastair would climb. And climb. And climb some more. ”The staircase goes on forever.” A cry sliced the silence and echoed in the spacious area bouncing against stone. Just when he began to consider the idea of throwing himself off the corkscrew staircase, he had reached the final step – only to come face-to-face with a wall. A bloddy, stinking, wall! Normally the stupid would commit suicide now, but Alastair was intelligent. Placing an open palm upon the cold slab, Alastair would push.

As expected the wall was a hidden doorway and he saw a blinding light. Once his eyes adjusted Alastair slipped into the vacant room. Pressing his back against the surface, he’d proceed to shut the door; making notes to return here again. Afterward a child-like curiosity took over the adult man’s mind. Fingering every object within the castle – yes, he already figured out this was a castle – that could be picked up, Alastair would race to the wooden door. With a creak it’d open a sliver, allowing a baby blue iris to peer out. Assuming the place clear, Alastair would exit the room and proceed venturing down a massive hallway.

Slinking past various guards in armor and caterers, Alastair took in every little knick and cranny within the stone polished walls. During his adventure of discovery, Alastair would find a place that made his heart stop. A vast library was spread out before his very eyes. A smile would spread from ear to ear, threatening to split the man’s face, and he’d laugh; a child in a candy store. Disregarding possible dangers, the blonde practically skipped into his self proclaimed Heaven. It was then when he caught it. With help from candles that provided dim lighting eyes had caught a phantom lurking. If not for its ivory complexion, Alastair would have missed it (he’d scoff at lying to himself; knowing his skills were the best). A coy smirk played upon his features. ”Well, well, well”—a click of his tongue—”What do I have here?”

Careening forward, placing his palms against the bookshelf for support, Alastair’s gaze fell down the aisle. A figure in ashen gray stood poised, their focus on a book in hand. His hands would work gracefully, from returning the book to its self before drawing out a leather bound object. Lashes fell on narrowing eyes as Alastair gave a closer examination of the item. It was a book, worn from years of usage, and it was then Alastair had a hunch of who this man was. There wasn’t hesitation with his next decision.

”Silvine! Is that really you? It is. What a grand day, indeed, to find you so soon. I cannot begin to tell you the hassle of even getting to this place! I mean, from giant insects, to discovering a secret passage to this place, to dodging poor guards, to even ignoring the various scents of unknown - possibly poisoned - food, I cannot express how delighted I am to see a familiar face. Even if that face is yours. Not that your face is bad, in fact, just the opposite! It's very handsome.” Gingerly the blonde strolled toward Silvine and within minutes Alastair slid near. He’d crane his neck to peer at the chirography, its secrets only known to Silvine alone. Alastair’s eyes narrowed at the unknown code, his lips pursing tight in a line. He, like many, couldn’t grasp the language Silvine seemed to create in his own mind; a language Alastair vowed to decipher one day. That would come another time as previous thoughts were dismissed with dry sarcasm. ”Have I ever told you that scribes envy your calligraphy skills?”

With that he would rest palms upon Silvine’s upper arm and a chin on his shoulder; contact that would have had both flogged to death, if ruled by the current emperor (sexuality didn’t mattered, any form of affection was deemed weak and the weak were destined to die). Inhaling gently Alastair would take a glimpse of the contents on the pages. ”Their books share our language,” a pause, catching the name of the kingdom in the script. ”But there is no known Alexandria in our records.” A sigh would escape his thin lips, frustration seeping through the carefree mask. ”This should be a fairytale!

”Talks of worlds merging as one. Like a child gave his dream actual creation.” Alastair finally frowned. ”A world cannot merge as one without language barriers. It’s a fairytale, I tell you, and a bad one at that.” Shifting his weight and Alastair could see Silvine’s face. Taking in Silvine’s stern expression would stir an unknown emotion within Alastair’s soul. He’d break the short lived silence with a purr. ”Silvine, you’re too quiet and I need stimulation. Do I need to find that cat and see if it’s got ya tongue?”

He let his mannerisms slip and a mischievous glint came to the baby blues; Alastair, once again, was in a playing mood.

[style=border-bottom: 1px dashed #909090;]

OOC: Alright, explanation time for those who are confused! Alexandria's library is located within Alexandria Castle itself; no others present in the city. Now, Alastair's 'pet' is a Gargant - a creature that is rode in the underground tunnels of Gargan Roo and Fossil Roo - that was once an old (now forgotten) transportation method between Alexandria, Treno, and even the Outer Continent. I assume these tunnels are now apart of the current tunnel system on the site.

[/style]

[Silvine Vilani]

His hand lingered on the top of the page as he heard something. Years of trained hearing led to his decision to look up. Silvine may not be heavy on fighting, but he's had a couple of assassination attempts; it came with the job. However, the one that caught his eye was not one that ever held evil intent, well, towards him.

Silvine could only stare as the form of Alastair in the aisle. It was like out of a dream, or even some miracle. But Silvine had long stopped caring about dreams and miracles. All life was based around his ambition and that alone. Facts, information, and clear, precise logical equations was all that Silvine knew.

He knew the moment that they had both recognized each other that the other was about to run his mouth. He mentally prepared himself for the ramble that Alastair was about to make, letting a slender finger slide onto the book he was reading in case he somehow lost the page. Oh lord, was he right.

Silvine listened carefully; despite the man's ramblings, Silvine knew he was no fool and he also knew personal experience was far better than information in a book. So hearing the other's information would be valuable, and he proved to be right. He briefly thought of the many large insect types that were around Alexandria when he mentioned bugs, having read up on some of the biology of the place they currently resided.

Now the secret passage was new information to his ears. If they ever needed to escape the place, they knew where to go. Also, it was just extra information that they may need if they ever wanted to do something with it. Silvine almost rolled his eyes as he continued to ramble, the rest of the information just nothing but the other's rambles.

Poisoned food? Silvine briefly questioned what he meant by that, but he decided to remain silent about it. Silvine stared at him slightly harder at his comment. They both knew that Silvine may be the only friendly familiar face he would see for a very long time, considering they were on the run.

Silvine broke his contact with Alastair after his last comment about his face, deciding that the page he was currently reading was suddenly mcuh more interesting than it had previously. Silvine was used to the comments made by the other, but that didn't mean that Silvine still didn't react to them.

The only one that could possibly make him feel any emotion whatsoever...and he knew it. Alastair may be his one and only weakness and he himself may not even know that. Silvine continued his work as he was graced with a few minutes of silence, which was surprising and hard for Alastair to do, but soon felt his presence behind him.

He was also used to this, despite the small comforting feeling he felt, as he continued to work, finding more information that may prove useful and wrote it down, along with the information that Alastair had provided him; not that he could have known, due to the other's cryptic work.

He's tried and failed to read his work. Silvine stopped momentarily to look over his shoulder at the other. He was about to return to his work, but he froze at the physical touch. It wasn't unwanted. In fact, Silvine liked it, but he would never show that to the other. Silvine did find himself relaxing into the touch, deciding that his own fatigue had to do something with his body betraying him.

Silvine placed the object he was writing with down, deciding that with the other, especially with his touch, he could not work further. The panic was still there, but it was a dull ache at this point, the warmth of the other, despite small, was slowly taking him and Silvine had to fight himself to stay sharp and awake.

It took great effort, but he was succeeding seeing as how the other did not react to his body being almost as heavy as lead. Then Alastair brought up an interesting point, one that he had made quite early on. They did share their language. Some words, according to a dictionary he found, was somewhat different - such as certain terminology - but they were essentially the same.

He also was quick to notice that Alexandria was a name that was not in their world. That seemed to trigger a thought in Silvine as his hands worked on the book that he owned, flipping through the pages gently, his eyes scanning in the language he had created for himself. As he did so, he allowed the other to express his frustration.

Silvine himself had doubts that such a fairytale existed, but reality was they were here and obviously not asleep. This was not some children's fairytale gone wrong. This was the new reality. Silvine seemed to accept it fairly well; it made them a lot more safer in any case. Silvine returned his gaze to the other, their eyes meeting briefly, but Silvine soon changed that.

It wasn't a very good glance, but Silvine did not want to portray any hidden emotions in him. Eyes were the window's to people's hearts. No matter how much Silvine tried to push for emotional detachment, his eyes were his betraying factor. However, he had to open them again as he looked down at the page he wanted.

He didn't answer immediately after when the other mentioned he was quiet. He was always quiet; Alastair knew that very well. He was just trying to get him to talk, for what reason, Silvine did not know. He assumed it was a game of his. "It isn't." It was the first time Silvine spoke since meeting the man. He was, of course, referring to the fairytale.

As if rewarding Alastair for bringing up his silence, Silvine even continued to speak. "That's not all. Our world, Palamecia, does not exist in this world, according to recent maps." Silvine pointed out. "However, it seems like the maps are changing constantly."

That meant that worlds were simply appearing, almost like something out of a nightmare. They fell back into silence as Silvine closed the book he was reading, knowing it was futile to even attempt more reading with the other, and also futile to continue to write and he closed that book as well.

Silvine let out a small sigh, something he did not do often, but his body reacted too quickly for Silvine to stop. It was a mix between exhaustion and also slight annoyance. Possibly, the annoyance was towards Alastair, but it was most likely at the fact that he couldn't continue to do his research.

He needed to know everything about this place if he were to ravage it in war, and not to be killed in the process. But his body was slowly giving up on him. Silvine still kept a straight face, though his eyes were starting to show obvious evidence of how tired the other was. He honestly hoped Alastair hadn't noticed; he would not live it down nor shut his mouth if he did.

Alas, Lady Luck would not be on his side, for Alastair's eyes, or rather ears in this case, were as sharp, if not sharper, than his own and if he caught on to his own meaning of his sigh, Alastair would be able to dissect it even further than he ever could. Silvine decided to finally look at the other, their eyes meeting, as Silvine tried his best to stubbornly hide the tired feeling he felt.

To no avail, of course.