((Note: I saw nothing banning the start of a game. I got tired of waiting. If I'm doing it wrong, kick me. If not, play Also, I'm not much for mature themes. Expect violence generally associated with fantasy but nothing to the extreme. Relationships are fine and dandy, but any physical intimacy you wouldn't perform in front of your mother/pastor/modest friend/government leader, please don't post here. Please also go easy on the swearing.)) Tala sat at her table in the tavern, quietly sipping her warm cider. She had only removed her dark brown travelling cloak because the bright reds and oranges of her modestly-wrapped sari wouldn't stand out in this inn. Her blouse, or choli, did leave her tanned back bare, anyway. Despite the bright color and foreign fashion, she didn%u2019t stand out in the crowd in this tavern. There were all sorts of beings pressing all around her. She was half-amazed she still had such a large table to herself, considering the size of the crowd. The town of Forest%u2019s Edge was, as the name implied, on the edge of an untamed forest. It was where the civilized lands of this world ended, from all Tala could surmise. The town was a popular jumping-off point for adventurers, treasure hunters, explorers, and madmen. That was exactly what brought in all the variety of people. She kept her diamond blue eyes open for anyone who looked promising. Perhaps there was a group forging out that she could join. Through them, she would be able to look for the sorts of treasures and trinkets and clues she needed to find her way home. After all, just like her bright clothing, she didn%u2019t quite belong in this place. Tala had guessed weeks before that she had somehow stumbled through some sort of rift between realities into this strange place. (Fortunately, she was adaptive and quick on the sleeping spells, so she didn%u2019t get mugged within her first fifteen minutes in town.) Really, all she wanted was to find her way home. She had collected a few coins to pay some adventurers to join her party and help her on her quest if need be through some well-received performances in the town square. She sincerely hoped it wouldn%u2019t come to that. She could be in charge if she had to, but she didn%u2019t much enjoy it and she knew she wasn%u2019t the best leader. So Tala kept her eyes and ears open, looking through the crowds of arriving travellers for someone, anyone, who looked to have potential. To pass the time, she nudged her half-filled mug of cider to one side and brought her small lap harp from her satchel. It needed a bit of tuning, and such a task was hardly distracting after doing it for so long. She caressed the strings softly and matched pitches where they should have been while she looked and listened for the people she ought to join. She was careful to watch her songstress magic as she tuned. She didn%u2019t want to cast an accidental spell.

((why is it just you and me when coming to roleplay???)) A furious fight started in the calm tavern, probably because of too much attentions to a waitress by some stranger. As everyone made a circle around the two fighting man, encouraging them (while the owner tried madly to stop them before they ruined his tavern), Tala felt like being watched. In the opposite corner of the smoky room there was a person she didn't know. The person was sitting at a table, totally alone. Obviously that stranger [i]now[/b] was looking at her no more. Who could it be?

[quote]The person was sitting at a table, totally alone. Obviously that stranger [i]now[/i] was looking at her no more. Who could it be?[/quote] Tala shook her head as the fight broke out. Men, it seemed, just didn't know where to draw the line sometimes. She hummed a little melody of peace while tuning the lap harp to keep a full-out brawl from breaking out. As she hummed the last note, she felt that gaze. She glanced around. Yes, it probably was that stranger. She slipped her harp back into her satchel, gathered her cloak around her, and stood. On light, graceful feet, she crossed the full span of the tavern without getting too near to any drunkard and initiating another brawl. "You were watching me," Tala said calmly. She sat at the stranger's empty table with no hesitation.

[quote]"You were watching me," Tala said calmly. She sat at the stranger's empty table with no hesitation.[/quote] "I would've watched you, If only I could"- answered the young man.He lifted his face to look her in her eyes. His eyes were dark red, and a stray lock of white hair framed the right side of his face. His wide and fleshy mouth- he looked pretty feminine- opened as he kept on talking. "Please. Have a sit, Tala."

[quote]"Please. Have a sit, Tala." [/quote] The songstress's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but she didn't sense danger in his voice so she tried to relax. She hadn't given her name, though. Most people couldn't just... know a person's name. She sat delicately and studied his face. "Thank you," she said. "I thought I felt your gaze, but from what you said, I take it you weren't watching me?"

[quote]I take it you weren't watching me?"[/quote] "My mind was watching you, for my eyes cannot see anymore."- he deftly slided the lock of hair behind his ear- " A terrible curse invalidates me; as terrible as the curse that hit you. Am I right?"

[quote]...as terrible as the curse that hit you. Am I right?" [/quote] "I'm far from home, and that is curse enough," Tala answered. "It's nothing compared to losing one's sight. I still have my health and strength, although I do miss my friends." She studied him closely, and saw little or nothing to signify a curse from the outside. Her heart went out to him, though. She wanted to help. She always wanted to help. "I don't mean to be rude, but you know my name," Tala said. "It would be nice to know yours, as well. An alias sits well with me, if you prefer it, but something to call you would be nice." She never asked for a person's full name in practice and rarely gave her whole name out, either. Names had a certain power over people and things. Some songstresses and spellcasters said you could make a man do anything if you only knew his name.

[quote] "It would be nice to know yours, as well. .[/quote] "My name is Walnut"- answered the man.- "and I do have something interesting for you." He drew a sacket from under his cloak and passed it to Tala. Into the sacket there was a beautiful purple gem, diamond shaped, and full of power. "That thing is the 'Diamond of Going'... it is the only magic tool capable of sending you back to where you came from."

[quote]"That thing is the 'Diamond of Going'... it is the only magic tool capable of sending you back to where you came from." [/quote] Tala took the gem out and handled it with care as Walnut told her what it was. She almost wanted to doubt him, but more than anything she wanted to believe she held a way home, though not the only way. This was the whole reason she'd been wanting to go into the forest beyond. She wanted her way home. "It must be a precious stone, then," Tala observed. "Why are you showing it to me?"

[quote]"It must be a precious stone, then," Tala observed. "Why are you showing it to me?"[/quote] Walnut gently took back the gem from her and put it back into the sacket and then into his bag. "I wanna make a deal". He paused, assuring himself her total attention. "You need this stone to go back to your world. And I do have the powers to activate it. Alas, the curse that has hold of me won't let me use the 100% of my magical skills. You help me get rid of the curse, and I free you from yours."

[quote]You help me get rid of the curse, and I free you from yours." [/quote] Tala gave a slight nod, though not one to commit her. She didn't want to leap into something she knew so little about. For all she knew, it could end up killing her, and it was extrememly difficult for one to go home when they were dead. "Could you tell me a bit more about your curse?" Tala asked. "How did you get it? Do you know how to remove it and just need help? If you do know, how much can you tell me about it?"

[quote] "How did you get it? Do you know how to remove it and just need help? If you do know, how much can you tell me about it?"[/quote] "We'll have plenty of time to talk about it while crossing the forest."- he putted a chip of silver on the table.- "This will cover our consumations. Let's leave-" He stood and walked to the door, his long cloak frushing on the floor.

[quote]He stood and walked to the door, his long cloak frushing on the floor. [/quote] Tala sat still, staring after him long for a long moment. He sure was confident of himself, this Walnut. Her heart gave a little flutter and a smile crossed her lips. Well, there really didn't seem to be any other opportunities presenting themselves. She slipped the silver chip into her satchel, stood, and followed. "I was actualy planning on paying the people who would accompany me into the woods," she said very quietly. It wasn't a very good idea to flaunt money in this place, after all.

[quote]He stood and walked to the door, his long cloak frushing on the floor. [/quote] "Money won't bring back my old self."- he simply said.- "I know you don't trust me. And you know money wouldn't keep an evil man from hurting you." His clear eyes- those eyes didn't seem the eyes of a blindman- shone with the light of day as he shot Tala a serene look.

[quote]His clear eyes- those eyes didn't seem the eyes of a blindman- shone with the light of day as he shot Tala a serene look. [/quote] "You have honesty in your voice," Tala said, meeting his eyes for a second. She supposed if anyone tried to harm her, she would be able to hum a tune in time to stop that. Hopefully. She then continued out. She wondered if anyone else would join their already strange party. Wouldn't that be amusing? "But... honesty is not always goodness," Tala added. "You'll forgive me?"

[quote] "But... honesty is not always goodness," Tala added. "You'll forgive me?"[/quote] "As long as it won't affect our quest."- He turned his back and went straight for the dark forest.

[quote]"As long as it won't affect our quest."- He turned his back and went straight for the dark forest. [/quote] The songstress smiled a bit at his response. "It won't, until you stab me in the back," Tala kidded. Tala had poked into the forest on days previous in order to get a feel for it, but she had never gone far into it. She pulled her cloak a bit more tightly around her form and peered into the dark. Even though it was midday, the foliage of the forest grew so thick that light was scarce under its cover. Tala breathed in the thick air of the forest and smiled. It was a bit eerie, but it was full of life. "Have you journeyed often into these woods?"

[quote]"Have you journeyed often into these woods?"[/quote] "Never."- he calmly answered, making his way into the forest with a short blade.- "But I do feel that it will take us days to cross this forest. And my eyes tell me we will be soon in company. Keep your magic harp close at hand."

[quote]"Keep your magic harp close at hand." [/quote] "Nothing about my instruments is magic," Tala said. It was the truth. Any musical instrument she touched was just as normal as the next one until she worked her magic through it. And after she'd done her magic it was normal again. She reached into her satchel and brought out her harp, still. It was good advice to be prepared, and the harp had just been tuned."

[quote]It was good advice to be prepared, and the harp had just been tuned."[/quote] Many hours passed as they walked into the forest's depths, making less noise as they could. It was not a good idea to break the overwhelming silence that innaturally reigned. The went on and on until the trees were so crowded that no ray of light filtered from their branches.