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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 17:27:19 GMT -5
In Maiorn, near the Solean border...
Ears perked, looking around curiously, Kloe's bare feet padded along the road leading deeper into the lush forest. He'd been on the road for some ten years now, and never had he seen a forest so untouched and vibrant. It brought a smile to his face. The road itself was well-travelled; hoof-prints, foot-prints and cart-wheel indents spoke for that. But even so, the forest began just where the edges of the road stopped.
His tail wagged slightly as excitement started to build up. Maybe there was something new and exciting here! Kloe had never been outside Solea, his homeland, and now he'd travelled past the border. He looked between the woods and the road, snaking deep into the forest. Likely all the way through, to the next city. He didn't have a map though, never really felt the need to follow one. Emerald eyes turned to peer into the forest itself now.
Birds chirped happily, the scent of trees, grass plants, moss, and oh! A stream nearby! "Mhm, fresh water.." he mumbled to himself, smiling slightly. The wolf-eared young man resolutely turned around and walked into the woodland, intent to quench his thirst. Barefoot as he was, you'd think his feet would be full of nicks and cuts. Not so, he knew exactly where to step, and as a result, his movements where used and quiet enough not to alert the local wildlife. Then again, it could be his affinity for druidic magic as well.
After a few minutes of walking, he came upon a cheery forest creek. The slowly setting sun shone through vibrant green branches and illuminated the forest floor, making the water sparkle prettily. Kloe kneeled down, and listened to the sounds of nature, then bent down to drink of the fresh, tasty water.
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Post by Cyan on Dec 29, 2007 17:50:00 GMT -5
Under a clear blue sky and in the midst of the overtowering green, a black stallion slowly paced along the path carved by previous travellers. One could hear the animals shuffling around in the forest, calling to their friends and enemies, weaving a melody of the trees. The constant, crisp rhythm of the hooves did not seem to disturb them --- but rather, joined in the symphony.
Upon the stallion there sat a cloaked figure, black and silent --- seemingly quieter than the trees at this moment. But the animals knew better. That which was hidden in the shadows underneath the black cloak smelled human. A curious blue bird flapped its wings, circled the black character, and perched on its head. The figure remain unmoved, and the bird remained as well, enjoying the free ride. Soon after, four more joined. And the cloaked figure remained as still as silence.
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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 18:13:22 GMT -5
Something drifted on the soft breeze.. the scent of a traveller. Kloe rose from his kneeling position, listening intently. Dark grey wolf ears shifted as he searrched the origon of the sound. The road, of course. A rider? He turned around and made his way back towards the road, this time cautiously. Not that he was afraid mind you, it was just a force of habit. Not all people who travel along the roads are friendly.
He squatted down by the edge of the road, peering towards both sides. And sure enough, a black-cloaked person on a black stallion appeared in his field of vision. He frowned slightly. Whoever that was, they sure had a nose for dramatic entrances... although it was a bit spoiled by the small, blue birds perched on the figure.
Still partially hidden from the road, Kloe pursed his lips like he was going to whistle, and imitated the bird's call, something he'd done many times before. Territorial as they were, the little birds perked up and started chirping as well, to scare off the presumed intruder. What the poor feathered creatures didn't realize however, was the presence of the young druidic H'ortom.
Green eyes watched the dark figure, curious at what they would do. Would they even react to the birds annoyed singing? That's a question fair to ask. Then again, they were practically chirping in the person's ear. He had to do something... unless he was moping. He kind of looked like he was. That would be kind of boring.
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Post by Cyan on Dec 29, 2007 19:24:03 GMT -5
The cloaked figure, was, in fact, dozing off.
Hearing a sudden burst of chirps around him, his was suddenly awake. A bit dazzled, he looked around, wondering how far his horse has taken him.
A forest!
Pleased, he patted his horse, which raised its head in response.
He stared forward and back the path, listening to make sure no one was near. Around him, the forest does not seem to be inhabited by people. Assured, he let down the hood of the cloak, revealing his face --- a human face, with black hair and blue eyes.
Riding on the horse in a relaxing pace, the human spaced out for a little, enjoying the atmosphere in the forest. He then tugged at his leatherskin bag. He should have enough to last a week's wandering this time, but it left him wondering if his horse is willing to take him to a village or a city before food runs out. The human was not so fond of reining his horse, since he wasn't so sure where he wanted to go anyway.
The human in black cloak stared up into the sky and saw a vivid green pattern against the blue, woven by the branches of those tall, magnificent trees.
He then decided to just enjoy it until he starts to starve.
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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 19:39:08 GMT -5
Kloe sat for a bit to gauge the person's reaction. He grinned slightly as they seemed to wake up from the birdsong. Sleeping on horseback, though? That seemed a little risky. He took a moment to take in the human's appearance as he rode past. That's a daydreamer if I ever saw one, he thought to himself idly. Head tilted slightly. There was something about this human's demeanour, he decided. Something familiar...
Intrigued, the wolf boy moved quietly from his place in the greenery, making sure he didn't make a sound. Although his tail wagged idly behind him. He stepped onto the road, a bits behind the rider, and followed. Of course, the horse would notice him. But Kloe's scent was unthreatening to animals unless they had a hostile disposition in the first place, and this horse seemed content and calm enough.
Kloe observed for a little while, deciding that this person likely wasn't a threat. As Cyan gazed up to the sky, Kloe's pace quickened just enough to walk alongside the horse. His hand carefully stroked the horse's neck as he walked, careful not to scare it. Glancing up at the rider, it finally dawned on him. That guy's aura is just like my brother's.
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Post by Cyan on Dec 29, 2007 20:29:02 GMT -5
The horse halted at the druid's touch and took a few steps back, adjusting to the new smell. It snorted softly, leaving its rider mildly confused. Usually when the horse sensed other people, it neighed. He stroked the black beast, wondering what the occasion was.
It was then his hand felt another against the beast's neck.
Startled, he grabbed the rein and pulled at the beast to back away. The horse neighed and raised its head at the sudden command, taking a few seconds to kick at the dirt and calm down.
While the horse was pacing in the same spot, the human looked again. A figure stood there, barefooted --- undoubtly a beast man by his big furry ears.
Why did he not scare the horse? He wondered as he spotted a wagging tail. ...An er pat? Is that why?
Almost certain that the beast man was from the dog clan, he looked questionably at the sudden guest.
Used to not asking questions, he waited for the young man to introduce himself.
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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 20:49:55 GMT -5
Kloe's hand remained up for a moment after the horse moved away. Or rather, was made to move away. Hand lowered as if to be unthreatening, and his head tilted slightly. His tail still wagged slightly however, pleased that the man didn't look angry, or annoyed, or anything like that. Rather, he seemed a bit surpised, questioning. The last few people he'd encountered hadn't been all that happy with Kloe's company.
The wolf man habitually brushed hair out of his face and peered left and right, then glanced up at the sky. Ears perked and listening. After a few moments, he finally turned his attention back to the rider, offering a slight smile. "A storm's coming.. what're you going to do?" There was no joke, in his voice, and he didn't sound overly stoicly serious either. No, it was curiosity speaking. He could feel it coming. The weather had been dry for a while, and now the air was moister. Clouds had started to form at the horizon, and the birds were floying low to the ground.
Those were things an accustomed traveller would notice, but Kloe also heard it from how the animals sounded, and by the way the wind changed directions. Kloe shifted his weight to the other foot as he awaited the rider's answer. A small, blue bird landed on his shoulder like he was just another branch in the forest, and Kloe idly petted its head.
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Post by Danil on Dec 29, 2007 21:16:38 GMT -5
Agreia's Gambling District, Maiorn
There was a loud crash, and Danil took it as a sign to leave straight away. He jumped over a few tables swiftly, knocking over drinks and chips along the way. He could see the door opening already! Almost there! Allllmost therreeeeee! He jumped off a stool and-
He was caught. By a rather large muscle-y human. Nyosik. And he was so close this time too. The man threw him out the door roughly and kicked him for good measure. "AN' DON'T COME BACK!" The Er Lot winced as he felt his new scrapes screaming at him. He sat up, holding onto his hurt elbow and frowned. "Ah well, no sex for me tonight." He shrugged and figured he could try again tomorrow, at a different place. "Fume, I need some tonight."
Danil stood up and limped his way to a fountain down the road. He dipped his hand in and lifted the cool water up to his face to wash off the dirt and stretched a bit feeling tired. But, there was no time to sleep! He had only hit a few bars today, not nearly enough to call it a night!
He looked up and scoped out any possible prospects. His nose twitched at how empty this street was. He stopped a middle aged man who looked like he was in a hurry to get home.
"Scuse' me. Any idea where a lad en' drink?"
The human scowled. "Are you crazy? There's supposed to be a huge storm comin' tonight! No bar will be open!"
"Ahh jince it!" Danil kicked angrily at the air forgetting about his hurt elbow. "OW, JINCING ELBOW!"
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Post by Cyan on Dec 29, 2007 21:18:10 GMT -5
Surprised at the beast man's words, the human pondered for a few seconds.
He noticed the bird resting on the beast man's shoulders, and recognized its chirps as the same ones that woke him up. The human looked at him curiously, staring with his sapphire eyes. The young man has an air of green about him.
The black-cloaked human turned to look at the skies, but finding that most of the trees had blocked the blue, breaking the sky into many small pieces. His military nature then had him decide that he would take the possibility of a storm into account and trust the beast man.
Gripping solidly onto the rein of the horse, he commanded the black stallion to walk over beside the beast man.
With a slight smile to make up for his silence, he streched out his arm and beckoned the druid to ride with him.
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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 21:29:47 GMT -5
Kloe looked up at him in slight surprise for a moment, then regarded the horse. It would be safe.. right? The human was smiling, and that was a good sign at least. He scratched his chin idly, demeanor changing almost instantly to something almost nervous. Tail hung limply, having lost its wag.
Finally, he looked to the offered hand, then to Cyan's kind expression. "I've... never ridden a horse before." His voice sounded calmer than he looked, and he shifted his weight, uncertain what to do. He'd seen lots of riders before, but... how the hell was he supposed to get up on that thing? It was larger than most horses he'd seen, and even though it seemed friendly, he didn't want to do something wrong and scare it.
The breeze that ruffled his hair was much chillier this time. He glanced towards the direction of the wind briefly. The storm seemed to be approaching faster than he'd thought.
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Post by ~Moe on Dec 29, 2007 21:48:54 GMT -5
Felix's ears twitched, series of crashes and bangs reaching his ears. A scowl appeared on his lips. "What the...-" He started, out noting that there was a rather loud argument that followed afterwords. He didn't particularly like loud noises involving two living beings it would've been better if they were both annihilated. When a sudden wind touched and scratched his face. He moaned and touched his right cheek before looking up at the sky.
It was a bit cloudy. His eyes stung from the oncoming tears, his ability to make things out weren't as clear today. Felix wrapped himself with his cloak and swiftly jogged up to whom he assumed was a man and took his sword slightly from its' sheath. "Quickly, do you know where an inn is?"
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Post by Cyan on Dec 29, 2007 22:09:39 GMT -5
Upon the beast man's words, the human jumped off the horse, his black cloak slithering behind him. He closed up to the young man while making his movements obvious so he wouldn't be startled. With his hands on either side of the boy's waist, he pushed the druid up to the horse where he could easily reach the saddle. The beast man was lighter than he'd thought.
After helping him up, the human leapt onto the horse himself, settling in front of the beast man and gestured for him to hold on. With his cloak trailing on one side of the beast, he kicked the horse into a jog, and then gallop.
He contemplated how long he'd slept.
We're not far into Maiorn... The closest city or village should be Agreia.
He'd been there before, on a trip with his army back in Pesso. He was confident that they should be able to reach Agreia in a few hours.
A piece of the sky caught the corner of his eye. The blue had already turned into gray.
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Post by Kloe on Dec 29, 2007 22:21:57 GMT -5
Kloe smiled in thanks to the rider's help, trying to settle as best he could on the horse. Which was quite a feat for one who wasn't used to sit on things that moved and breathed. Druid or no, this was one aspect of animals he'd never ventured into before. Still, this was a completely new thing to him. Everything looked so different from horseback!
As the rider settled in front of him, he figured he'd hold on carefully, placing his hands on the man's sides. But then the horse moved faster.. and faster. With a slight yelp, he clung to the rider's waist to hold on, staring wide-eyed at the forest passing too fast for comfort. His heart raced in excitement at the new experience, and his tail would have wagged if it didn't trail helplessly behind him due to the speed.
Well, Cyan probably knew at what speed a horse can run, so did Kloe, but he had no idea it would seem even faster when you actually sat on the animal's back. It was fast, and well, kind of... bouncy?
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Post by Danil on Dec 29, 2007 22:28:29 GMT -5
"Quickly, do you know where an inn is?"
He heard a demanding tone from above him. It was a young looking brunette boy who had a cautious hand on his sword. Danil smirked. He wasn't bad looking. No, not at all. He was sexy in a 'i'm a mysterious loner' way and frankly, Danil would do anything for a lay right now.
He put up his hands in defense to show he had no weapons. "I was abo't ta head o'er thurr mahself actually," he said smoothly in his thick accent. "You'll be needin' a room, raba? Feel free ta share with me. I dohn think thurr was any left with this storm comin'"
He stood up and strolled past the strange boy and waved a lazy hand to signal to him that he should follow suit. "This way, then."
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Post by ~Moe on Dec 29, 2007 22:38:47 GMT -5
Felix's eyes creased, exasperated. His exhaustion burdened him and the man's accent was making him use the deciphering part of his brain. He turned his head as the strange male walked past him, lazily waving a hand and eyed his movements warily. Even though the stranger was...well strange, it was his own choice to have come upon him. Felix followed him without another thought. This was better than staying out while a storm was about to set.
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Post by Danil on Dec 29, 2007 22:50:58 GMT -5
Danil half-skipped, half-walked to the inn that was two blocks away. Every now and again, he'd peek over his shoulder to see how the stranger was fairing. The boy was lagging somewhat, and he hummed a tune happily. His mind singing along, "I'm gonna get some seeex, I'm gonna get some seeex~"
"So what's yer name then?" he asked. "I'm Danil by the way!"
They reached the inn and the Er Lot opened the door eagerly, even holding it open for the boy. If he could, he would've been rubbing his hands together as he plotted as to how he would seduce his new victim.
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Post by ~Moe on Dec 29, 2007 23:21:41 GMT -5
Felix emitted a vexed sigh, running his fingers through his hair and massaged his neck. What was this guy so happy about? The young swordsman thought. Was he not drunk? Unless... His left eyelid twitched. He was a happy drunk.
Though his voice was attractive and he was quite good looking from what he could tell earlier, the male's personality was aggravating. When both of them reached the inn, a sense of relief some-what lifted the stress from his shoulders. "So what's yer name then?" He asked Felix. "I'm Danil by the way!"
"My name is Felix." He replied discreetly, noticing the ears that were on his head. He squinted his eyes. Ears?
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Post by Danil on Dec 30, 2007 0:14:40 GMT -5
Danil caught the human staring at his ears and raised an eyebrow. He lightly ruffled his ears and winked at Felix. "Wot, ne'er seen a beastmen ba'fore?" He chuckled. He turned towards the counter to speak to the innkeeper who looked nervous and twitchy. "Are thurr anymore rooms left?" he asked making sure his glare said, "Say no." and that Felix couldn't see.
The innkeeper gulped audibly. "Err, l-let me check." He went into a small room full of cubbies and came back quickly. "Apologize sir, there aren't any left."
Smiling mischievously, he thanked the keeper and turned back to Felix. "Oh, wot a shame. No more rooms left. As I offered ba'fore, ya can stay with me!"
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Post by ~Moe on Dec 30, 2007 0:49:03 GMT -5
"No, actually......I'm not sure." Felix said confusedly. He rubbed his eyes and wiped his tongue over his teeth. His fangs were getting sharper than usual. He hadn't encountered weather like this in a while and only vaguely remembered what happened the last time. The clearest memory was a few months ago when he woke up in an alleyway with blood covering his lips.
The innkeeper is odd, Felix thought. He stutters quite a bit.
"Oh, wot a shame. No rooms left. As I offered ba'fore, ya can stay with me!" The other man said happily.
The halfling tilted his head. "Maybe you might turn out pretty okay," he whispered to himself. His eyes fluttered closed and opened again. "Sure."
It might not turn out so bad.
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Post by Cecillia on Dec 30, 2007 1:10:15 GMT -5
Cecillia opened the door, stepped inside, and slammed it again anxiously. She shivered and shook her shoulders and head, spattering a few raindrops around with her vibrant red-orange hair and sniffling. Lucky for her it had only just started raining. She hadn't gotten very wet, but she hated rain. Hated hated hated it...
She blinked at the two men crowded in front of the counter, and walked up besides them, trying not to stare or sniffle at the strong hint of pheromones.
"One room? One bed, whichever is cheaper, sir, I'm not picky," Cecillia sighed, ruffling her hair to try and get more of the damned moisture from it, and slicking back her fox-like ears with a dark hand. She shifted the weight of her pack, pushing her bow back into place alongside her quiver.
Awkward.... she thought.
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