A peek into the future

[Kastvart]

The cavern in which the Waters of Future are hold was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the rushing waters. It was hard to be in the caverns. The weight of the future was a force that some people cannot handle. Though, the ones who are strong enough to bear it could try to find glimpses of their future. The Waters of Future could be tricky though... Most of the time you could only see your own future, which is hard in the first place. If you are with someone else in the Caverns, sometimes their visions in the water could leak out, bringing a change in what would really happen.

One of the shadow folk was in the caverns. A leader of military authority. He had the power to see his brothers future... But most of the time it would be correct. He always went so his brothers future would turn out incorrectly. When it was incorrect, it would have an opposite effect, making it a change for the better. Kastvart searched the Caverns, looking for the imagery of his sibling. So far, he was unsuccessful.

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis lay against the cave wall, staring into the clear waters that shone in an invisible light. They rippled with power and the unknown, constantly changing. Somehow, they were different for her. Her presence seemed to make the water stir... They seemed to sense that a seer had come to them.

She held a mirror in her hands. A small mirror with no handle, encircled in gold. It's smooth surface was clear and yet...blank. No reflection could be seen in its surface and yet Artanis could see faint shadows behind the glass. She was troubled by a vision that she had seen earlier that day and had come here in search of some kind of help. Perhaps, she would be able to see something. To clarify it...but she had no such luck.

"Kastvart?" she called out as she saw him looking about. "Is that you?" But of course it was him. The same messy raven black hair and the same green-tinged skin. She turned the mirror over and over in her delicate fingers, and it spinned lazily like a silver fan.

[Kastvart]

Kastvart looked up from the water. He turned around to see Artanis. He nodded his head.
"Hey, Artanis. What're you doing here?" His voice had a hint of annoyance to it. He did not like to be bothered in the Caverns.

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis smiled. She could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Thinking," she replied, the mirror spinning faster in her hands. "And annoying you." She laughed softly. Somehow, it seemed that the waters had a quieting effect on her. Reflections from the water played across his face, deepening the shadows. She turned her eyes to look at the hypnotic dance of the mirror in her hands. Then, she peered back at him through the corner of her eyes. "And what are you up to?"[/size]

[Kastvart]

"What else do you do in the Caverns of Future? Looking for the future. Looking for a little bit of my own future... More of my brothers." He looked back to the waters. It was clear, but no images came. He strode along the sides of the waters edge, looking for any images. There wasn't any yet.

[Artanis Elrohir]

"You might not see what you came to see... The waters are restless...because of the presence of a seer..." Artanis cautioned, still smiling. But perhaps...she could conjure up Desviado's image in the waters. After all, seers were the ones who used to be able to influence the flow of the waters. Once upon a time.

She flicked her wrist so that the mirror flew up, still spinning. Then, it came back down and she caught it. The mirror stopped its hypnotic twirling and she peered into it, Desviado... She scryed for him, knowing that he would not come up. The same black swirling appeared like all the other times she had tried...then... He appeared in her mirror. Her eyes flew open in shock. She had tried scrying for him many times before, to see how he was coming along in his search for Nightmare, but he had never shown up. But...why was he now? Perhaps...somehow, the plane was connected to the one Nightmare and Dream had fled to. She stood up.

"Kastvart? I'd like you to see something..." she murmured, loud enough for him to hear. Desviado's figure was blurred and there were two others beside him. And a lake. But the blackness was staining the image slowly once more, already covering up the edges of the mirror.[/size]

[Kastvart]

"Yeah?" he walked over to Artanis, "What is it? The mirror? Listen, you've tried scrying..." He peered into the mirror, and immediately noticed Desviado. His eyes narrowed, and burned with rage. He could have turned green with envy... Not like he already was green. He was filled with so much jealousy that he could have thrown the mirror into the Waters, distupting the future forever. But he wouldn't actually do such a thing... or would he?
"Its my brother..."

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis nodded, sensing his hostility and his body which went a little rigid with envious frustration. The mirror completely shrouded over and they were left, staring at the swirling black mist again. She lowered the mirror and looked at the waters but somehow, she suspected that the water wouldn't show Desviado's form. Kastvart's anger was bothering her. So much that it hurt her to the core. Lili...my sister...

She placed firm hands on either of Kastvart's shoulder. Her eyes were hard. "Don't be stupid Kastvart. You are your own self, not your brother's shadow. Do not try to be what your brother can be. Be yourself. Use your strengths." She glared at him. She felt a mixed emotion. Hate and love. Like her sister. Her sister who was so lovely and yet was blinded...Her sister who tried to follow her brother's foosteps and became a shadow who followed what he did. And died for it. She choked on her next words and her hands slipped away as she turned to the waters. "I'm sorry... It was not in my place to say such things..."[/size]

[Kastvart]

Kastvart wanted to say a nasty remark, but decided against it. He turned around, and folded his arms.
"Yeah. Thanks.." He looked down at the water, "I'm not trying to be my brother. He became what I was. He followed me."

[Artanis Elrohir]

"Ah..." Artanis murmured out loud, breaking the tense silence. She hadn't known that...that his brother was the one who had hounded his dream. She flushed with embarrasment and would have said something but thoughts of her sister clouded her mind and she had to concentrate to hide the pain on her face.

"I-I'm sorry if I sounded a little rude...I was kind of...reminded of another time like this...this hate." She turned back, gesturing to him, finding it a little hard to speak as her usual articulate self. "And it didn't...end out well." Her tone made it clear that she didn't want him to inquire futher.[/size]

[Kastvart]

He ignored what Artanis had said. Kastvart was focused on the waters. He continued to pace around the water, but stopped in his tracks. In the water, he saw a shadow, standing at a lake. There was a dark portal in the water, and the shadow turned around. It was Desviado.
Kastvart took a vial out of his pocket. A dark, red liquid was in the vial.
"I know that everything you do affects the rest of the world. But the Waters of Future affects only those you see," He took the cork off of the vial, "Brother dearest might want to taste some poison. Perhaps he would like it."

[Artanis Elrohir]

It took Artanis a moment to realize what Kastvart meant. She caught a glimpse of Desviado's blurred face and she stalked over to Kastvart, her hand shooting out to clutch Kastvart's wrist.

"Stop. Please, captain." Her voice was cold and commanding. Her knuckles were white. "I don't think that you're...seeing clearly how much your dearest brother has helped our people. How much he's helping now. And how much he's risking." Her eyes flashed dangerously but under her tough composure, she was feeling a numb shock that had something to do with Kastvart's violent vengeful side that she had never seen before. From the corner of her vision, she could make out the glint of her rapier at the opposite wall and her grip tightened.[/size]

[Kastvart]

Kastvart wanted to lash out at Artanis, but he attempted to keep his composure. It took him a few seconds to decide, but the vial vanished into shadow.
"Fine," He melded into the shadows, and reappeared behind Artanis to break free of her clutch, "But only because you asked. If you were not here, I would have dropped the poison into that water."

[Artanis Elrohir]

((^0^ yayy~ finally, people are starting to rp. slowly. but. surely. xDD))

Artanis took in a breath, not realizing that she had been holding it in. "No...you wouldn't have..." But the shaky doubt in her voice seemed to say otherwise, like she was trying to prove otherwise.

"You aren't that kind of person!" she said, turning to face him, a frustrated sort of denial in her face. But she quickly lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat too impudent to her captain and her fist unclenched, lying relaxed by her side. "You can't be..."[/size]

[Kastvart]

Kastvart cast a cold glance towards Arantis.
"What makes you think I wouldn't? If something is endangering my job, then the problem must be fixed." He threw the vial of poison onto the floor of the cave. He crushed the broken vial more so with his foot.

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis couldn't meet his gaze, frustrated confused feelings still bubbling inside. "Well, not all problems should be fixed through removing them. The best way to solve anything is to negotiate!" Her eyes flashed as she stared back into his face. "You know this as well as I, no?"

[Kastvart]

Kastvart stared at Artanis.
"Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten who Desviado is? How can I negotiate with the man who refuses to speak?" He said rather abruptly.

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis bit her lip. "It's not that... It's the concept of negotiation! There are other ways to come to a compromise than through talking... How can you ever get anywhere through violence...through tearing through the obstacles in your way instead of restorting to a peaceful means?" Her eyes wandered away, refusing to meet his stare. Why? Why couldn't he...see? She understood his reason....his anger...his pain. Or did she? Artanis felt tears prick the edge of her eyes and she bit down on her lip even harder, willing for them to go away. She wasn't someone who cried that easily. No. No...[/size]

[Kastvart]

Despite his tough personality, Kastvart did have a soft spot for girls who cried. Though she wasn't completely crying, Kastvart walked up to her.
"Hey.. None of that now," He wiped the corner of her eye gently with his thumb, "Listen, it's just who I am. What I have gone through makes me who I am. Its hard to get past violence.. For me, at least."

[Artanis Elrohir]

Artanis, a little surprised, blushed slightly. She quickly turned her head away, hastily wiping away tears that had already been brushed away. It was unusual for any Duisternis-kin to actually blush and even a small blush was very noticable. ((or do they blush at all? lol. i dunno)) She quickly glanced back up at him, her eyes hardening. "Then, if what you say is true, I will deter you from violence! As your soldier, you warrior, as one of the Shadow Guard, I swear that you will not walk further down that path of darkness that you've already started on." Her smile was solid, daring him to say otherwise. Path of darkness. Shadow duisternis-kin. How ironic.