Disrupted Peace

[Lillian Gray]

The ancient ones have been long gone from this world, as far as anyone knows. Their records remain, hidden, deep within ruined and mossy temples for explorers to discover. Researchers hoard the information, study it best they can, but nothing springs forward without evidence.

It has been years since so much joy has been spread throughout the scientific community of the human world.

One fully formed golem has been found, of course it has long stopped working, but that was the major question. Why? Why had this stoic being simply stopped? The power unclear, and the information lacking, it was all the humans could do but scratch their heads and study it best they could. It lay, wasted in use, for the humans to pick and prod until the day they could find something more valuable to dissect.

What good was a broken golem anyways?

Miles away, he was missing, gone, from the life that was still thriving in the deep of the forest. Golems, it might seem, are very much alive. They're tasked to guard the very temples they once built, but for what purpose is not understood, not even known to the human race. As far is it goes, they've all but vanished from the world.

Disrupted Peace
A one x one between Lillian Gray and Scout​

 

[Lillian Gray]

The caravan dragged on for the second week outside the safety of the walls which barricaded the city. Only fifteen men were allowed on the trip, a small expedition by consideration, but by no means a small task. Elliot Abraham was one of the men, honored to be invited to join them for such a marvelous study. A golem had been sighted only months prior, and after some careful deliberation, it was decided the crew investigate. The occurrence seemed to be common enough, and yet, it was special in some way. Golem research was carefully classified in ways the public couldn't get to it, yet they still seemed to hold more precious resources than the teams of researchers themselves. Tales, myths and legends from towns beyond the forests, passed down through generations until the lips which told the words were liars and thieves.

"Hey, Abraham!" Marcus Jones, the lead researcher, yelled back at the man, who snapped his head up with a dazed look on his face. He'd been busy reading a book and had completely forgotten about the people around him.

As usual.

"Hm?" His brows pressed together in a new thought, but Marcus called him back to attention. Had he really thought about being embarrassed, he might have flashed a somewhat sheepish look. Problem was, that wasn't how Elliot Abraham was. Elliot was quiet, thoughtful, and that's what Marcus liked best about him. The boy didn't waste any time on nonsense, he was straight to the point, to the facts which mattered most.

"Get your head out of that book, we're settin' up camp." Marcus was old now, couldn't hardly walk without some sort of age, but damn he was an impressive and skilled individual. In his life, he'd discovered thirty separate ruins, all which benefited the knowledge of the societies which studied the ancients. The next closest? A man named Greggor Taft, over a hundred years ago. Marcus' hair was gray and thin, lanky he stood from the cart and tossed a bag at Elliot. His eyes seemed to reflect the wisdom, seeing as his body could no longer keep up the empowered status society had given him. "Start settin' up, Abraham."

"Yessir." Elliot chuckled.

In only another day, two tops, he'd lay his eyes on yet another set of ruins, but this time, there was the prospect of a real, working golem. He ached for time to pass. In the previous months, a fully functioning golem had been discovered. Trouble was, it wasn't in operation. It's stone frame had long been out of commission, leaving nothing for the researchers to study. They knew what it was made of, what they wanted to know was how it worked.

Tomorrow, he told himself. They'd be closer.
​

Spoiler

Elliot Abraham

Age: 19
Height: 5'10"
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Dark Blond

Personality: Analytically inclined at a first glance. Prefers reason over most emotional reactions, does his best to keep a collected look about him. Has a soft spot for children, and is a teacher at heart, showing them what he knows when he can.

Bio/History: As a child, Elliot was a bit of an oddball. He preferred spending time alone studying things he found instead of going out and playing with other children. As he grew, it was clear the man was a bright individual. He quickly passed hi way through teaching and joined with a research crew in the main city.

Not a lot is known about the man's family. He keeps mostly to himself when on an expedition, his interests are deep in the books and work instead of on another's life. There are exceptions though. He's not a hardhearted introvert. No. Elliot manages to make friends and is good on his word. Once he's made a friend, he puts in the effort not to lose them.

 

[Scout]

As far as she knew, Eirlys was one of the golems. The earliest memory she could remember revolved around the giant stone head of the golem she came to know and love: Boh'm. Boh'm was the eldest of all the golems--an age he would never disclose to the curious girl no matter how long she begged--and, in turn, became the leader of sorts among the other giant creatures.

Boh'm told her stories; from epic battles between the golems and temple-raiders to his meeting with Galatea, the human female that became the object of his affections thousands of years ago--the priestess who once resided in the temple he now protects--which was her favorite story.

Eirlys was told Galatea was a gentle woman who lived when the golems were first created; kind, warm-hearted, and had a quick wit that put even the sharpest of minds to shame. Galatea grew close with the golems who protected the once glorious temples, which now stood half in ruins. Because she was a human her life eventually ended, it was on her hundredth year, or so Boh'm claimed. She passed peacefully, using her last breath to wish protection over the golems and the lands they watched over.

On that day, the day of Galatea's death, Boh'm cracked. Even at the current day Boh'm still wears that crack, located on the left side of his chest right over the spot where his heart would be if he had one.

Through that tale Eirlys had come to believe that she was a golem too for she had such strong emotion and affection for Boh'm, claiming if he ever perished like Galatea, she would have a crack on her chest too. Colorful words for a young one like herself, a girl who was too niave to spot the differences between her soft skin and Boh'm's hard shell of earth and stone. As far as she knew, Eirlys was one of the golems.

"Boh'm. Tell me that story again."

"As you wish, small one." The deep, stoic voice of her favorite golem rumbled out, filled with amusement. Like Eirlys, Boh'm had grown close to the fleshy being, taking care of her. He was the one who made the judgement to keep her small crying form when she appeared in their temples nearly nineteen years ago swaddled in a blanket. His connection with her was strong, much like the one he had with Galatea. It was unbreakable. But with Eirlys he protected her, loved her like a father would their children; with Galatea is was an undeniable connection, as if that woman was the sole reason for his existence.

And so, Boh'm told the girl the tale of his beloved Galatea like he had so many times before.

​

Spoiler

Name: Eirlys
Age: 19
Height: 5'4"
Eye Color: Stone Grey
Hair Color: Brown
Personality: Eirlys is a slave to her emotions. Whatever she's feeling her body language shows it or she'll even announce it. She is very adventurous and loves doing dangerous things, she is also very curious about things she doesn't know.
History: Eirlys grew up living with the golems. She was told they found her one day crying in one of the temples, and took her in under Boh'm's request. From there she was brought up as one of the golems. They taught her everything she needs to know, such as how to hunt for food--as she's the only one who needs to eat to sustain her life--and where to find clean water to drink--another thing she must do in order to live. As a result, Eirlys has grown very attached to all of the golems, especially Boh'm.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot was once again pouring over his book when the news hit. They'd found something, only he wasn't sure what. Footprints in the dirt which led deep into the forest. It was too thick for the caravan to continue, and they'd be sending parties on foot. That was some hours ago, and Elliot was tripping over roots on some new path, compass in hand in case he got lost. The forest closed in around him and he needed a light to guide the way. Beside him his partner moaned about the leaves blocking out the sun, something Elliot himself didn't really mind.

"I swear, couldn't they have built the ruins in a better spot?" Elliot's partner, one Harold Bixem groaned. "All the trees have to being ruining the architecture, it's probably all bent out of shape now."

"Mhm." Elliot nodded his head.

"It's probably not even here!" Harold threw out his hands in frustration, nearly knocking the light out of Elliot's hand.

"Probably not." Elliot shook his head.

"Are you even listening to me?" Harold stomped ahead past a tree.

That's where Elliot got lost.

He'd heard stories of people getting lost in the old forests. They'd never come out, and if they did, they didn't live for very long. He panicked at first as the dark settled around him, only warded off by the lantern in his hand. It wouldn't be long before it ran out, and Elliot would be truly lost to the woods. They didn't have a very original name either, the Dark Woods. Each time he heard the name, he'd roll his eyes at the creativity of whoever thought it up. But now that he was deep in it's clutches, they couldn't have picked a more apt description.

It threatened to swallow him whole with each new stump rising out of the ground. Tall trees blocked out his view of the sun, and the little light around him with their tall trunks and thick branches. Once, he stumbled into a small pond up to his knees before he had to turn a new way. What was he supposed to do, he thought. Elliot was soaking wet and his light was thinning the further he went.

I'm going to die.

Yet he walked on, praying that sometime soon he might stumble out.​

 

[Scout]

Deep in the thick woods lay a clearing. It was exactly like one would expect of a clearing slapped down in the middle of a dark wood. The sun, which would normally not be seen under the thick copse of trees, shone down on the clearing as if it were a beacon for the gods; their landing place when they came to earth. Exotic flowers bloomed all year round, different ones for the different seasons. Birds flitted about; there was one species that came once a year to mate. Charming animals darted to and fro; mousy things with bushy tails, little things with red coats and feline eyes that barked, timid creatures with nimble legs, white tails, and antlers resting atop their heads. The clearing was Eir's favorite place to be, though it was quite a ways away from the temples and the golems.

After picking some juicy berries to munch on, Eirlys began her journey back to the temples, already missing the warm company Boh'm gave her--Ishikai'i also promised to tell her where a rare flower is located. It blooms once a year, or so he claims, and stays flowered for a whole week before it closes and dies. This would be the first time Eirlys had ever heard of such a thing. She was looking forward to seeing it for the first time.

Quite some time passed with her walking, and having grown up in the woods, even in the dark she knew her way. She need not a light to stay on course. Eirlys was trotting away when she heard a noise. It sounded like the crunch of leaves under foot, but slightly different. A shrug rolled off her shoulders, assuming it was a creature of some sort tramping around.

The sound rang out again. This time she stopped, ears straining to hear it again. When she didn't she kept moving forward, once more assuming it was just some animal. Though that didn't stop the goosebumps to cover her skin and the hairs from rising on the back of her neck. To keep her mind off of such eerie thoughts Eirlys began to sing.

A song that Boh'm once told her came to mind. He called it Riversong, a song Galatea sang when she preformed her duties within the temples. It was a beautiful song, and the words flowed effortlessly from her lips and into the breeze, carried through the forest for all those close enough to hear. And while he disclosed nothing but the words, Eirlys put them together in her head in time with her own beat; singing the music not only from her mouth, but from her heart.

"For in the night we fight for you
And in our hearts we follow the truth
And as the battle rages on and on
Our war cries echo far and strong"
​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot rubbed his eyes in the dark, slapping the side of his head as he imagined what he heard to be a woman's voice. That was a preposterous idea, there was no one else in the dark of the woods, and if they were they certainly wouldn't be singing. He tried to think, had any females come with? A few, but, what were they doing? Maybe it wasn't one of his own, he thought, but then who was it?

"Hello?" He called. "Is anyone there?"

The man stumbled on, smacked into trees a few times and stumbled over the thick tangles of roots. He was a fool to get lost, and an even bigger fool for following whispers in the dark. At this point he hardly cared. Elliot was wet, tired, and wanted to get out before the woods consumed him. His feet carried on, doing their best to keep from knocking against the underbrush. It was difficult to move on, and he wanted to stop, but there was light ahead and he had to keep moving. If he didn't, well, it was the end.

"Is som-"

Before he could get the words out he was falling into a clearing. The woods opened up into a bright circle of light, which was in the end too much for his eyes. He stumbled inside the clearing and fell to his knees, the lantern he'd been carrying had gone dark some time ago and it clattered to the ground noisily. Elliot rubbed at his face, and his knees and arms, there was light in the end but he was still just as lost as before. The exit was miles off, if hundreds of miles. The light poured endlessly on his skin as if to remind him the world was still there, moving on around the endless dark.

"Gods above, I'll never get out." He cursed under his breath.​

 

[Scout]

There was a break in the song, where music and notes played in her head to fill the void of voice. It was during that break that Eirlys heard the voice. A loud, low-toned voice, though it spoke with words she had never heard before. The woman was instantly filled with both curiosity and fear; fear and curiosity for who it might be. She spent all her life with the golems, they were all she had come to know that could talk. The creatures couldn't, nature couldn't, wind couldn't, the ball of fire in the sky couldn't. Eirlys wasn't sure. The sound she heard could just be some twisted, long-winded cry of a wounded animal, or it could be words of a language she didn't know.

Slim legs turned her lithe body around and carried her back towards the clearing, the direction of which she seemed to have heard the voice, before she even made the conscious decision to find out what caused such a horrid sound. As she got closer her steps grew short and unsure. Confidence was lacking, fear was mounting, curiosity was waning. Then she heard the creature speak again. Curiosity flared up, entering her grey eyes. Whatever it was, was in the clearing. She was so close...

The woman silently peered through a bush, green leaves obstructing her view before she pushed them away with a gentle hand so as to not injure them. What she saw in the clearing wasn't like anything she's ever seen before. Limbs, much like the golems--much like her--stuck out of the creature. A head sat atop its body with a messy mop of hair decorating it. Fear suddenly spiked up, as did an urge to protect her sacred lands.

Confidence surged through her and she spoke out against the wind, hoping to catch the creature's attention. "Tu quis es?" Her voice was even quieter than the squirrel that scurried by. "Quis enim es tu?" Now Eirlys took a step out from behind her cover of the bush and took another into the clearing, bringing her closer to the creature. Whatever it was, it was sitting. Though its lack of movement almost had her convinced it was dead even in its seated position. "Quid hic agis?" One last question and she dropped down to its side, kneeling next to it as she slowly reached a hand out to touch the messy hair on its head. Maybe it couldn't understand her.


[spoili]Translations, courtesy of Google translate. English to Latin:
Who are you? --> Tu quis es?
What are you? --> Quis enim es tu?
Why are you here? --> Quid hic agis?[/spoili]
​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot combed a head through his messy dark blond hair, he felt exhaustion setting in, which led to a more important question. How long had he been wandering in the woods? The sun was up when he left, sure, but it was still high in the sky. Either it had only been a few moments, which wouldn't have explained the soreness of his limbs, or it had been a whole day. He hoped some spell on the woods might have given hope to the former, but it was more likely to be the latter of the two options.

He thought he heard a voice, soft as a misty rain. Elliot waved off the voice until he heard it again, ringing out more clearly as someone approached. There really was another human being! Only, her language was unfamiliar to his ears. She was stained with dirt from head to toe, but looked surprisingly clean otherwise. Her hair fell in knotted waves about her, like she'd never seen a comb in her life, and her eyes. Her eyes lit up in a way he'd never seen before. She suddenly reached out to touch him and he was too stunned to react. Her hand touched his hair softly and he only backed away lightly from the touch.

"Who are you?" He asked. The confusion in both of their faces seemed to suggest neither of them could understand the other. Elliot wanted to smile, but he was truly surprised to see anyone else so far out in the woods.

Maybe she was lost, he reasoned. After all, Elliot was lost himself, in need of a way out. The towering forest loomed around him with an eagerness to trap him inside again and tangle him with its roots until he fell. Elliot wasn't fond of going back, not without some sort of light to guide him. As it stood, his lantern was in a heap at his side with no fuel left, having been spilled into the clearing when he dropped it.

"Do you know how to get out?" He asked with a small bit of hesitation. There was likely a language barrier, it'd be hard to get his thoughts expressed.​

 

[Scout]

Timid, like the woodland animals. The man backed away from her touch, likely because he was scared of her. Letting out a soft coo of encouragement Eirlys reached towards him once more, finally managing to get close enough and thread her fingers through the medium length hair. Her hair was far longer than his, reaching down to her hips in the gentle waves the humidity of the forest created. Judging by his hair alone, Eirlys would've though he was a girl much like herself; but as her eyes traveled down his face she took notice of a strong jawline cut with harsh, masculine angles, his neck, though slim, connected to shoulders far more muscled and broad than hers. Even his hair, which may be the only feminine thing about him, was cut in a fashion that accented the dominant power of a male. Eirlys had heard of those; the male gender. Stories Boh'm, Ishkai'i, and the other golems told her. This was her first time seeing one with her own eyes.

Frustration set in when the man didn't answer her questions, or rather he spoke in a tongue far different from hers. It soon came to realization that they would have trouble understanding each other. The woman's hand retracting from his hair and gently tapped her sternum, motioning to herself. "Eirlys." Her name. One word should be simple enough for him to understand. Now she moved her hand to him, prodding his chest with a hesitant finger. "Tu?" Clearly she intended for him to give his name.

Assuming she would be spending some time trying to maintain some sort of understanding of the male, Eirlys lifted off her knees to sit on her bottom, legs criss-crossed in front of her as she looked to the man with curiosity-filled eyes, resituating her grass skirts and makeshift animal pelt clothes to cover as much of her skin as possible--which was another thing that caught her attention.

The wild woman, suddenly ignited with an idea, reached a hand out to his chest, where some cloth she had never seen before covered his skin. She rubbed the fabric between her fingers; it was soft and thick, maybe even a bit scratchy. It looked good on him, she had to admit, but it was something she's never seen before. Now her attention drifted to the cloth covering his legs, varying completely with the grass skirt she wore herself. The hand left his chest and reached innocently down to his leg, fingers picking at the fabric. That cloth was far more rough and scratchy than the one covering his chest. It felt uncomfortable against her fingertips and she found herself wondering how he could wear them without getting itchy.

[spoili]
Tu --> You
[/spoili]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot watched her curiously as her eyes examined him. They were a stony gray, and anything but cold, they ignited at the site of him, but he couldn't understand why it was she was out here in the woods alone. Humans all lived together in large cities, on the countryside sure, but the woods? Her language wasn't something he'd ever heard which only made it more difficult to comprehend what exactly had happened to her.

She motioned to the man, tapping her sternum, and then poked at his chest. He used the same action to identify himself. "Elliot." He said once. That's what she must've wanted, a name. She'd given hers up, Eirlys. It didn't roll off the tongue the way he might've liked, foreign to say the least. As she poked at prodded at his clothes, he pulled his notebook from his waist and started to write a few things down. The phrases she'd spoken of earlier, her name, but he stopped short of drawing anything. He wasn't sure if it would be offensive, or even strange to watch a stranger doodle a picture of oneself.

"Why are you out here?" He asked, but then remembered she couldn't understand a word he said. He'd have to start smaller, simpler.

The girl, Eirlys, was pulling at his pants. Elliot was dressed simply for the excursion, albeit a little more heavily than he might've liked. He wore a cream tunic on his top, tucked into deep black trousers which were all too warm for the season. At night, it got cold, and he'd been thankful for the extra warmth despite how frozen his legs were now from walking in small puddles. His boots were soaked all the way down to his thick wool socks, and he wasn't sure whether to kick them off or keep them on in case he lost them. Gods he hated being lost.

Elliot pulled a kerchief from his pocket to wipe his face. It felt dirty, and he wasn't sure if he looked half decent or just plain muddy.

"Oh." He mumbled. Elliot put his hands on his chest again, pinching the shirt and pulling lightly. "This is my shirt." He pointed to her hands on his pants. "Those are pants..."

Then he laughed. He was trying to explain shirts and socks to a girl in the woods! She picked at him, but he wouldn't dare do the same. It wasn't in him to reach out and grab for someone he'd never met before. In fact, her own examination made him a little uncomfortable. The sun was beating on him and he felt dehydrated, so he hardly cared about being a little uncomfortable.

"Hi, Eilrys." Elliot chuckled, extending his hand to shake hers.​

 

[Scout]

Eirlys found herself wondering where the man came from. He was so peculiar; dressed so differently from her and talked in a tongue she could not understand. It was easy to put together than he didn't belong in the dark forest she had grown up navigating through--of course, she also had the help of Boh'm, who would always give her explicit directions so she would never get lost. The man obviously didn't have someone watching over him to make sure he wouldn't get lost, and for a moment Eirlys found herself feeling sorry for the stranger.

"Elliot..." The name felt awkward coming off her tongue, an arrangement of syllables she wasn't yet used to speaking. The first was an experiment, testing just how well the name rolled off her tongue, but Eirlys repeated the name several more times, each time the name became more and more smooth coming from her pink lips. "Elliot." This time she said it exactly like he did, somehow managing to form the same accent he had when he spoke. The look of concentration her fact adopted soon turned into one of elated joy, a bright smile turning her lips up.

Elliot spoke again, and without giving any indication as to what he was saying Eirlys was unable to comprehend his words, giving him a confused look that once more turned into a look of joy when he began giving her the words of his clothing. "Shirt..." She said, waiting for his look of approval before attempting to say the next word. "Pants." The new words he gave her were far easier to say. Short, simple, one syllable. Eirlys handled them with ease.

"Salutem Elliot." She said, staring at his extended hand for several long seconds before she happily extended hers out as well, threading the thin fingers of her petite hand through his, palm against palm. " Tu es amiserit?" Eirlys wrinkled her button nose, lost in thought once more when she realized he wouldn't understand her. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Boh'm must know what to do!

Eirlys got to her feet, keeping a gentle hold of Elliot's hand, and took several steps in the direction of the temples, Boh'm's resting place, tugging Elliot along with her. "Sequere me." She said, giving the man an encouraging smile should he be hesitant to follow her.

[spoili]
Salutem Elliot --> Hello Elliot.
Tu es amiserit? --> Are you lost?
Sequere me. --> Follow me.
[/spoili]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Her handshake was a little different, but not unpleasant. He shouldn't have expected her to respond to his outstretched hand in the way he hoped, they were from different cultures. Eirlys continued to speak in that foreign tongue of hers, guessing at what she wanted was easy when she pulled him to his feet and tugged him forward. She sure wasn't afraid to take command. Had Elliot not seen her smile, he might have been more wary of following a strange girl deeper into the woods. Only, she was encouraging him on in a way which suggested she was trying to be helpful.

So they went, together, though Elliot unwrapped their hands out of embarrassment. He used the excuse of writing in his notebook as a means to let go, briefly writing down the phonetics of what she said. Salutem was easy, something of a greeting he figured. Sequere me, that was a little more difficult, but he soon interpreted it as a sort of follow command. Elliot was able to figure it out, it's what he did for a living, discovering and discerning the impossible. At least the impossible related to golems and lost civilizations.

"Sequere me." Elliot repeated. Again, the words rolled off his tongue a little chopped, lacking the accent Eirlys had. So he tried her name again. "Eirlys."

Where were they going? Deep into the woods again, if so he wanted to bring his lantern. Before she could get too far away, he picked the thing up off the ground. He'd spilled most of the oil, and didn't have a flint, but if they came by any source which might help, who knew. He didn't want to leave it behind in any case. With his journal back on his belt and lantern in hand, he scurried back to Eirlys' side

"Alright, let's go." Elliot nodded forward, trying his best to gesture towards where she'd pulled him to. He wasn't going to be able to lead, anyways.​

 

[Scout]

Eirlys took a few steps into the woods, but paused when Elliot pulled his hand from hers. A look back to him told her he was fiddling with some little book. Curiosity took over and she padded over to his side, peering over his shoulder the best she could to get a look at what he was doing; rubbing a little stick against a thin sheet and making marks. A soft gasp of awe left her lips as she leaned even closer, eyes sparkling and wide as he watched him make more marks on the sheet. She vaguely remembered a story Boh'm told her; Elliot was writing with some tool that was completely foreign to her, nevertheless utterly fascinating.

It wasn't until he put the book away to grab his other contraption and gesture her onwards did she start moving, slowly so he wouldn't get left behind and lost. The woods could be tricky, always playing tricks on wanderers, besides, what use would Boh'm be if she didn't have Elliot? With that thought Eirlys traversed her way through the woods, following the mental map she created of the area to get back to the ruins where her guardian was.

Quite some time passed since they started out. The forest was beginning to thin; breaks in the overhead canopy allowed sunlight to shin through onto the traveling pair. Every so often there would be fallen, singular pieces of rocks, hinting at the approaching temples. A few more minutes and Eirlys led Elliot out of the forest and into another small clearing, though this one was far larger than the one they ran into each other at.

Half-standing temples littered the area, placed elegantly on the left side of a sparkling waterfall-fed pond. A golem lay half in the water and half out, only its chest visible. It was the largest of the small group, even with half its body under the earth. That was Boh'm, the ancient golem who was the first guardian of the temples. Smaller golems mulled about, only two able to walk around; the others were binded into the earth much like Boh'm. Ishakai'i was one of the smaller ones walking about and was the first to spot them.

The small stone golem, only ten feet taller than Elliot, approached the two cautiously, staying closer to Eirlys with its glowing gaze on Elliot.

"Quis est hic, et Eirlys?" The being would ask, voice low and gravelly.

"Elliot est nomen eius. Venimus enim Boh'm.." She replied in the same tongue, giving the golem a reassuring smile before turning her attention to Elliot. "Sequere me." She urged him onward again, leading the way through the fallen temples to the large golem in the water, whose gaze had been trained intently on the two the second they stepped into the clearing. "Boh'm." Eirlys would say, pointing to the towering golem so Elliot would know. Her finger would then turn to Elliot, now giving the golem the other human's name. "Elliot. Aliquam."

[spoili]
Quis est hic, et Eirlys? --> Who is he, Eirlys?
Elliot est nomen eius. Venimus enim Boh'm. --> His name is Elliott. We have come for Boh'm.
Sequere me. --> Follow me.
Aliquam. --> Lost.
[/spoili]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot froze when they entered the new clearing. Had Eirlys not been holding him, pulling him along, he might have fell back on his rear in shock. There had never been evidence like this before, and here he saw several functioning beings. While she spoke, he quickly pulled out his notebook and began to frantically scribble in a picture of the clearing, and the large solitary golem sitting squat in the middle of the pool. He was stunned into silence, so much so he almost missed it when it spoke. The low grumbling pitch was reminisce of an avalanche or a rock slide.

The solitary one, Boh'm, looked content sitting alone, and Elliot turned to scrawl down his image too, but all too soon she felt herself ebing pulled away again.

"My God..." Elliot mouthed. He couldn't believe his eyes. He stopped Eirlys, grabbing both her hands excitedly. What he said to her was nothing more than a jumble of words, but the elation in his voice was so clear it'd be hard to ignore. "Eirlys, no one has seen a golem in years! Do you know what this means, what this all is? My god, my god! And they still work, this is fantastic!"

He pulled away from her hands and took a step towards the pool, but, he was still anxious. Elliot took that same step forward, reversing himself backwards instead. This wasn't his place, it was so serene here. If he could, he'd stay drawing and writing notes until he was satisfied but there were others who'd want to share in the knowledge, and he had nothing to prove. Would Eirlys come back with him? As a sort of guide? He tried to think how he'd formulate such a question.​

 

[Scout]

In a long, awkward motion, Boh'm's stone head swiveled to look at the being Eirlys brought before him. Unlike Ishakai'i, Boh'm didn't have glowing yellow eyes, rather his were pits of blackness that rested on his face and still managed to emote his feelings. It was one of the things Eirlys liked most about him, as his eyes were warm and welcoming, hinting to the wisdom he's gathered in all his years on Earth. "Elliot... Aliquam..." The large stone being said, his voice far deeper than the smaller golem that spoke previously, as if the earth itself was speaking to the two humans. His voice was that of contemplation, and as his pitted eyes ran over the foreign human Elliot began to speak. Unbeknownst to Eirlys, the language Elliot spoke was familiar to the ancient Boh'm. While it was not the language he was created to speak, it was the language his Galatea spoke, though his treasured woman spoke both languages fluently so he only knew bits and pieces of Elliot's language. He knew for a fact that the male was quite enraptured by the few stone golems that decorated the clearing--all of which had stopped what they were doing and watched the two humans with curious gazes. Eirlys, they were used to, but Elliot was a mystery; an alien in their lands. Boh'm could only suspect they were thinking the same thing he was: Where did he come from? And if he was here, where were the others?

Eirlys didn't know why Elliot was suddenly excited, but she couldn't help herself from smiling when the man grabbed her hands and began mumbling words in his language. His enthusiasm was contagious, and while her attention was distracted with his jumbled words the golems began to drift to Boh'm, obviously looking for instruction. "Elliot Boh'm velit?" She asked in a voice just as enthused as his, albeit leagues more innocent and soft.

"Eirlys." The earthy voice called out to her. "Recede paululum ab eo." Humans hadn't stepped foot into his forest for years, deterred form doing so by the name it was given. The male could only be one of the researchers that have been trying to find the temples--the wind has told him many things. For now, he could only be viewed as a threat to their kind, of which Eirlys was very much apart of; Boh'm would protect his human at all costs.

Confusion knitted the thick brown brows on her forehead, creating that wrinkle between her eyebrows. Without question the girl gently pulled her hands from his and took several steps away. "Quid est, Boh'm?"

Rather than answer her the giant being kept his now curious yet cautious pits on Elliot. "Why have you come to these woods, Elliot?" The words were choppy, awkwardly accented with the tongue of his native language, though he managed to ask the question in the language Elliot was most familiar with. On the other hand, Eirlys remained confused, just like the other golems that gathered around Boh'm, unable to understand the tongue in which he spoke.

[spoili]
Elliot Boh'm velit? --> Elliot likes Boh'm?
Recede paululum ab eo. --> Get away from him.
Quid est, Boh'm? --> What is it, Boh'm?
[/spoili]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot took a step towards Eirlys as she walked away from him. The large golem didn't seem to approve of his presence, his thundering voice cracked the very earth itself. At least, that's how it sounded to his ears. He stumbled to the ground with shock and stayed there that time. The golem asked him a question, and he repeated it until the researcher had the sense to respond.

"I want to research, find out more about the golems." He explained. "No one knows where I am right now."

The earth shattered again around him as this creature conversed with others like him. Elliot didn't know what to do. Their booming voices hurt his ears, the same foreign tongue Eirlys spoke came out of their mouths. So, to lessen the stress and to try and make sense, Elliot simply began to draw. He pulled out his journal and began to sketch the golem. The pool where he sat, the trees, the birds which passed. He had to get it all down, even the pieces of ruins scattered around the area. That meant there had to be a temple nearby, and if not for the creatures around him, Elliot would have been clambering to find it. Although, he suspected he'd only get lost again.

"What is your name?" Elliot asked. He stood back up, taking a cautious step towards the massive golem in the pool. Was he stuck? "May I ask that?"​

 

[Scout]

From the look on Boh'm's face Eirlys could tell he had no intentions of letting Elliot stay. He's told her countless stories about researchers trying to find their little paradise, even a few about several golems gone missing; he was obviously hesitant and cautious around Elliot, but Eirlys didn't want him to leave. She just found him, there was so much more to learn! Besides, if Boh'm made the man leave on his own he would surely get lost in the woods and maybe never get back to his own kind. Eirlys couldn't let that happen!

"My name is of no importance to you, Elliot." His voice cracked through the air, far more gentle than it was before. "Researchers have wandered my woods--have taken some of my kind. How am I to know that you will not do the same?" At that his eyes turned to Eirlys, watching with confused expression as the petite girl walked over to the other human. "Eirlys, iam satis." His tone commanded, even more gentle than it previously was now that he was addressing his Eirlys. Eirlys, in turn, hesitated in her movements, foot pausing several millimeters above the ground. It was natural for her to follow his word, he knew what was best for her, but something in her felt drawn to Elliot. She couldn't let him leave to easily, she had to stand up for him.

"Si ergo novit quid Elliot vadit iter." She said with a voice just as petite as her body, eyes unable to meet Boh'm's. From his hesitation to answer her she could tell he found the truth in her words, or maybe he just found it difficult to say no to her, either way Eirlys closed the distance between her and Elliot and placed a hand on his shoulder to catch his attention. "Boh'm" She insisted with a small smile, hand gesturing to the massive golem Elliot was conversing with. "Boh'm.." Eirlys repeated, this time placing her hand over her heart, hopefully telling the human that the giant golem was precious to her.

After deliberate thought, Boh'm spoke up, words laced with a subtle hint of defeat as he gave into Eirlys's unspoken desires. "Et dormiunt in sed." A pause. "Nisi tantum de nocte." By then he would have a route to take in order to keep his people--his Eirlys--safe and get rid of the researcher.

The smile on Eirlys's face grew significantly at Boh'm's words. Before the great golem could change his mind Eirlys took a hold of the man's arm and tugged him around the pool Boh'm sat and out of the clearing towards her hut, with which the golems helped her build when she was old enough so she wouldn't have to sleep in the temples anymore; Boh'm made it clear that he wouldn't answer Elliot's questions anyways, so there was little to be said after the golem made his decision.

Once they were out of the clearing Eirlys turned to Elliot, her hand still holding onto his wrist, and tilted her head to the side. "Elliot... esurienti?" She questioned, making a gesture as though she were taking a bite out of something and chewing it with exaggerated motions of her jaw. "...Sitiens?" Another query trickled from her lips as she now cupped her hands together and brought it to her lips as if taking a drink.

Back in the clearing the golems gathered around Boh'm, some with trusting expressions and others, like Ishakai'i, with chastising looks. "Nimium mitis es in puella, facile flecti." Ishakai'i said with a scornful voice. Boh'm said nothing in return, his eyes focusing on the spot Eirlys and Elliot disappeared through.

[spoili]
Eirlys, iam satis. -- Eirlys, stop.
Si ergo novit quid Elliot vadit iter. -- If Elliot leaves he will know the way here.
Et dormiunt in sed. -- He will sleep in the hut.
Nisi tantum de nocte. -- Only for the night.
esurienti? -- Hungry?
Sitiens? -- Thirsty?
Nimium mitis es in puella, facile flecti. -- You are too lenient on the girl, you bend too easily.
[/spoili]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

"You don't know." Elliot frowned. It was a fair question. There was no one in the clearing who could vouch for his integrity, simply saying he wouldn't like to take a golem back for study was a lie. He desperately wanted to know how they operate. Of course, he would stop if they were in pain, he'd stop if it were wrong, but that didn't mean others would. Elliot was more curious about them, but his means of study could only go so far. "I can't give you my word on anything if you don't believe it."

He spoke then to Eirlys, so Elliot had a moment to tune out. What was he going to do, he thought. He was trapped in the middle of the woods with no way of knowing which way was out. It didn't matter if he knew which way the sun pointed in the sky, there were no other hints as to which part of the forest he was in. He could travel for days at a time and never reach the end. The only surefire way to leave was by the hand which knew the forest, either that, or an incredibly detailed map. Neither of which Elliot felt he had. This golem character wasn't likely to let him leave, not after having seen the temple with his own eyes.

Eirlys pulled him from his daze, he finally caught the golem's name, Boh'm. She held her hand above her heart, and Elliot knew right away that he was important to her in some way. Exactly what, he wasn't one hundred percent sure, but he could tell by the way she acted around him that he was something incredible to her.

Boh'm said something, but before Elliot could respond he was whisked away by Eirlys. She was running to a new area, it wasn't too far from the pool which all the golems were. It was a small hut, not crude in any fashion, but something quite sturdy. He glanced at it once before Eirlys motioned to herself, gesturing in different motions. The foreign words were hard to say, as usual, but Elliot managed to spit out a version of what she said.

"Esurienti, hungry." Elliot copied her chewing motion. "Sitiens, thirsty." Then he cupped his hands, but stopped short. Now that he thought about it, he was both starving and eager for a drink of water. He nodded fiercely. "Yes, yes."

In the morning, perhaps he could speak to Boh'm again. If the golem permitted, he'd ask to study what he could. If he said no, he'd never leave. Curiosity ebbed more strongly than reporting back to his partners. Knowledge was only worth it so long as they didn't cause any major damage.​

 

[Scout]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Boh'm's eyes were glued to the two the two humans disappeared through. Something about Elliot struck him as odd; whether it be his almost docile nature and the way he seemed so earnest and truthful or the lingering feeling the great golem had that the man was bound to a fate Boh'm had no control over. He needed that control, how could he keep those he cherishes safe if he doesn't have control over his surroundings. Something as small as a pesky human has never unbalanced him so easily before, but that light in her eyes… it was difficult to ignore it - to not give her what she wants for she has never had that glow before. With a mental sigh the water-bound golem turned his gaze away from the trees, instead focusing the contemplative pits on the sparkling water, his unanswering actions sending Ishakai'i and the others away to do about their normal business. Maybe Elliot would be good for her, maybe she needs that change---maybe she needs to go back to civilization?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The two would be sent off to civilization in the coming days, he decided. Not a command of his own, but a cold hard fact. Eirlys would be wooed by the foreign lifestyle; her curiosity would be pulled to lengths it never was before. It would be her choice to go or not; Boh'm had not a doubt she would be asking to lead Elliot out of the forest. It was only a matter of days. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eirlys beamed a bright smile when Elliot reciprocated his own words. By the looks of it, he understood what she meant and she eagerly absorbed the new words he administered, repeating them with a curious tongue. "Hun..gry.. Thirst-thirsty." She repeated them with little difficulty, the additional syllables making her mouth contort in an odd set of motions that she wasn't yet used to. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]More. She wanted to learn more.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With her own nod of head she motioned for him to follow, leading the way into the hut. Eirlys held the makeshift door open for him, allowing him to walk in first before she would follow after. The hut was small, and looked even smaller with Elliot inside next to her. The roof was too short for him but high enough for her, making him lean down to fit in properly. To the right of the door was a crude window that rested beside a hanging bed made of animal skins - Eirlys's bed. To the left of the door was a rickety table, the legs of one side shorter than those on the other, causing it to sit at an angle; on top were a variety of things, arranged and collected in no rhyme or reason: a sharpened stick, a jagged rock, a group of smooth, glittering stones, various lengths of animal hide of which would be used to construct more clothing, several articles of clothing, and a few rounded bowls - which Eirlys picked up. Directly in front of the door was an open wall with another window that looked out at a small river, a place where Eirlys decided Elliot would occupy. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With two bowls in her hands she turned to Elliot, a smile still on her face. "Thirsty." She claimed with a cheery tone, handing one of the bowls to him before leading the way back out of the hut and to the river on the other side of the house. She walked a little ways upriver before she came to a small waterfall, no larger than a foot as the water dropped down to the lower level of earth. The river wasn't the one that fed the waterfall and pool Boh'm was eternally stuck in, rather it led to a different pool, one that the woman used for bathing. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eirlys stuck her bowl under the water, collecting some liquid before bringing the dish up to her lips to drink, eyes encouraging Elliot to do the same.[/BCOLOR]​

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elliot ducked his head down in order to step inside. Once he was there, he was struck by the primal images of spears and rocks along the tilted table top. He picked one up, stared at it for a while, and was amazed to see a red crystal inside. Upon further examination, he determined it to be a ruby and he gasped. It would have been a valuable find had he not known it to be Eirlys' stone. It wasn't his to take or price of his own will, that was hers, so he set it back down and examined a few various objects before he was yet again pulled away from what he was doing.

Eirlys was a spirited girl, that much he could see. She led him out to a small river, and the first thing he did was kick off his shoes so he could soak up a little bit of the cool moisture instead of loafing around in his boots. The relief was instant, and he sighed gratefully.

It was a short lived moment, the girl showed him a bowl full of water. Without thinking he threw his head back and swallowed it all in one gulp.

He wasn't sure if this was where she bathed, and Elliot was half tempted to strip right then and there. That, however, brought a blush to his face. Dirty as it was, the red seeped through and he'd play it off as exhaustion if he needed. Then again, Eirlys couldn't actually understand him, not completely, He sank to his knees to fill up the cup again, and again, and then a third, a fourth time. Until his stomach was sick with water, he drank. Elliot hadn't been so thirsty in all his life, and he was only just realizing it himself.

"Thank you." He gasped between mouthfuls. "Thank you, Eirlys."

He wondered if she even understood the word.​