View Full Version : The Return of ...
((Open, and practice for me to get back into this characters shoes))
Somewhere in the realm of Scara Brae, not far from the main city stood a small simple town. Standing on one of the main trade routes to and from the city, items of all kind usually passed by here, all types of people too, from human to demon even. “Odell” was the name of this little town, said to have the smell was strawberries during the summer, because of the farm that grew them, that pretty much surrounded the town.
It was currently one hour after midnight, dark, and damp through the heat of the season, the ground was damp with the recent rain that had passed through, it was nice, peaceful enough, and the tasty strawberries were to die for, unfortunately that pleasant smell often attracted unwanted creatures that the farmers had to pay an arm and a leg to get rid off every season. Tonight was a little different, this was not a feud over some strawberries, who knew what it was over, four people stood in the deserted streets, and of cause this late at night, few people could be bothered to wake up to watch this commotion, infact there was one shout that told them to be quiet.
“… Look, I’ll just do this quickly ok”
The one who stood on his own said, the other three, unimpressed by this kids overconfidence just unsheathed there weapons, agitated by the obnoxious young man. It was hard to see anyone’s face clearly; the best the light around them had to give was where each other was and what stance they stood in. The three agitated men stood taller than the fourth, each of them had swords in hand, a very popular style of weapon these days wasn’t it.
“You really think you can beat all three of us? I would like to see you try”
“It could get hard if one more shows up, but I think I can handle you three”
The one in the middle never saw it coming, one moment he was seething with anger, imagining the face of that bastard who thought he was better than him, the next he felt something wrap around his legs, like a snake of some sort, or was it magic. And in the next swift movement his legs were pulled towards each other while the thing around his legs pulled his weight from under him causing him to fall backwards startled and surprised. It wasn’t over as soon as his senses returned he could hear the attacks somewhere around him, he heard the sound of air forced out of someone’s lungs after heard a blow thought a body.
If this was a fight it was different than the sounds of ones he was used to, there was little of the beautiful sound of a sword impacting another sword, the music of battle was missing, and instead it was like a drum beat. He suddenly realised that his legs were no longer bound together by some strange force, and he immediately got onto his feet to turn around to face the darkness. Although the light was poor, and it was hard to see your hand in front of your face, he sure did see that fist, his senses were once again knocked out of place, it returned just to feel a second blow to his gut, and finally the last one to his face, that was when the he lost conscious.
***
Three men sat on a small table, each one of them were quiet; the locals knew these men and found it strange, the usual heart and soul of the Grand circle inn and bar, now sat in complete silence. Atra, Guano and Paulo a simple trio who worked down at the farm, and led pretty much simple lives, right now the three of them could feel the eyes of everyone in the bar on them, there faces hidden with shame.
The Curiosity in the room must have reached its peak, the bar wrench finally got three drink that were on the house and took them over to the three lads, if anything just to cheer them on, but there was also chance for some juicy gossip here.
“Aww come on lads, sure girls have dumped you before”
She said trying to be kind yet humorous as she placed the drinks down at the table, that action alone was enough to get a response out of the three men who all looked up at her. She almost gasped immediately not expecting that, all three of them, were to put it simply, were black and blue with cuts, bruises and each had the granddad of all black eyes.
“Wha … What the hell happened to you …”
“To be blunt, we got beat up”
Atra replied with dry humour, he was the youngest of the group with a clean shaven face and blonde hair, he when not beat up, was actually quite handsome. The whole bar seemed to come alive, concern for these three men, whispers rushed around the musty air of the bar and inn, it was hot outside, but within the talk was getting even hotter, but there was suddenly silence when a voice from the crowd asked out.
“Who did this?”
The three fell silent; they could make up a story, anything to have at least a little dignity left, how they could explain that some cocky guy came along and beat the three of them senseless, and over such a stupid quarrel, if they told them the whole truth they would never be able to live it down.
“A monster”
One spoke up getting the others attention, but the three of them were thinking the same thing, and one after another the other two added there own little addition to the description of the one who had attacked them.
“He looked human enough, nothing really weird about him”
“Nothing except that … white tail. He was a monster, cold heartless monster, we don’t know why he let us live … sadistic bastard”
***
“Achoo, Ehh … bless me”
On the other side of town at the exact moment, sat on an unused wagon was a seemingly young man, he turned his attention to the pile of strawberries he had bought from a merchant and delightfully scooped up another three and proceeded to much away at the sweet tasting strawberries. He was almost in heaven, each one tasting better than the last yet he knew that eventually he would be reaching his last soon enough.
“Hmm, I wonder what it would taste like with cream”
His hair was layered from the top down to his shoulders, but at the back it was longer yet tied up into a seemingly small rope, long enough to almost reach the floor if he stood up straight. Strangely, for one so casually dressed and unarmed, it was clear that his body was scarred, one under his left eye screamed for attention. The each had there own story, every one of them, but the biggest attraction, the biggest story about him, was the fact that he had a White Tail.
Chiroptera
07-26-06, 03:23 PM
Eltarri Jordel stood on top of a hill that overlooked the small village and held back a weary sigh. Small houses lined unpaved streets, interrupted in their pragmatic monotony by the occassional larger building, a few of which even had windows that reflected the midday sun cheerily into the half-elf's eyes. She blinked at the glare and peered cautiously into the roads below. There were only a few pedestrians meandering across the dirt, mostly merchants or small children, judging from their clothes and the speed at which they moved. A few merchants had stalls set up on the sides of the roads, but the most prevalent form of commerce were wooden pushcarts that bounced along in front of young, shirtless men whose mouths opened every few seconds to yell words that Eltarri couldn't make out at her distance. Bordering the town were fields of dark soil covered in neat rows of small, bright green plants. Men and women alike moved through the aisles of dirt, bent at the waist, hands questing beneath the leaves for small red fruits, which they stored in buckets that were toted by following children.
A wave of disappointment swept over Eltarri as she looked back at the small town. This was the illustrious Scara Brae? This tiny village was the 'bustling center of vivacious activity' that her mother had promised would meet her at the island's main city? There wasn't even a city gate!
Follow the main road, she'd been told. It leads right to Scara Brae. The young woman had been walking along the road for the past two weeks, but all it had led her to was trouble and this little village. Perhaps she'd gotten lost somewhere along the way . . .
A soft breeze rushed against Eltarri's face, carrying with it the scent of something that was so alluringly innocent that it immediately set the half-elf on guard. The last time the fickle wind had carried a smell to her nose, it had been the smoke from the burning of a tortured man. But this new aroma, a smell at once foreign and comforting, was one that Eltarri had never encountered before. It was refreshing and sang of life, a scent both sweet and tart, a promise of an experience so celestial that the girl's mouth watered in hopeful anticipation.
Without a moment's hesitation the half-elf set off down the hill and into the town. The heavenly smell grew stronger, accompanied by light voices that called conversations to each other as she drew nearer to the people who worked in the fields. The ones near the road stopped their work to stretch their backs and give the girl friendly wave. Eltarri, after looking around to make sure that there was no one else who might have been the intended recipient, hesitantly waved back.
They're humans, she thought with perplexion, but they do not hate me.
Eltarri's limited exposure to members of her father's race had made her wary of mankind and convinced her that all humans carried the same cruel and hate-filled natures of the few she had met. Since leaving the underground caves that had been her life-long home for the first time only a few weeks ago, Eltarri had been astounded by the range of people she'd met. She had grown up reading stories about heroes and adventurers, and she had naively expected the bulk of huanity to mirror the traits of the immortalized icons of her books. Her idealistic assumption had been swiftly and brutally shattered by the prejudiced townspeople and depraved bandits that she had been unfortunate enough to come across early in her sojourn. But the people in the fields were obviously different; their faces had been so open and trusting, unconcerned even by the fact that she was not human and armed. Their eyes had only flickered curiously to the large sword that hung on her back before resettling on her face, meeting her gaze openly, as though they thought her an equal.
Eltarri shook her head with confusion as the workers' behavior challenged her stereotypes about humanity. Perhaps pure humans aren't the only ones who can be prejudiced.
Her thoughts were distracted as she drew even with the first houses on the outskirts of the town. She made a resolution to look at everything in a positive light, to get acquainted with people and places before she judged them for their appearance.
Scara Brae may not be as grand as I was expecting, she thought optimistically, but at least it smells good.
The smile on her face wavered as she caught sight of a tall, emaciated figure that was seated on an empty wagon, contentedly popping small red berries into his mouth and talking to himself aloud. He was dressed in ovesized clothes that hung like bedsheets on his bony frame, flapping in the breeze to reveal arms that were covered in old scars. But more startling to the sheltered half-elf than his unusual dress and skin was the long, sinous blond tail that curled out from behind the man's darkly-clad legs.
Definitely not human, Eltarri decided, forcing herself not to cringe as the tail flicked lazily. She remembered with a pang of regret the resolution she had made against passing instant judgements. Rather than walking past the creature with her head lowered, which was the plan that had initially sprang into her mind, the half-elf stepped cautiously up to the wagon and clasped her hands behind her back, pasting a friendly smile onto her face.
"Hello, good . . . sir," she said, nervousness making her words pour out in a tangled rush. "I've never been to the great city of Scara Brae before, and I was hoping that you could point out for me the location of an affordable hotel."
How many of these tasty little treats had he consumed, well it was the 14th packet he had today, and in all honesty, he could feel curious movements down below. The should be the sign that he should stop eating the strawberries now, his stomach was urging him that if any more were consumed, that it would explode, his mouth on the other hand was begging for at least one more, out of the two remaining in the packet.
‘ … oww, note to self, delicious edible sustenance, when consumed in large quantities, really hurts down below ’
He looked at the packet and pulled out the one of the last strawberries, one more would not hurt, but it would also be a shame to waist the single one left over. But what about the one in his hands, the one he was looking at. contemplating if there was indeed enough room in that monster of a belly of his, very well then. The decision to eat it was made, but instead of wolfing it down, he would savour the taste, put his full attention onto it, then after he would decide the fate of that other one.
“Hello good … sir”
Kai knew that the greeting was meant for him, he turned to face his would be greeter, un aware of the strawberry and eating it whole in one go, forgetting to even taste the blooming thing. His greeter was different indeed, it wasn’t often a girl would come up and say hello, but her was forgetting this was Scara Brea of Althanas; it was a perfect place for those heading to one of the main regions to forge allies before going to that place.
“… hi …”
Kai replied unsure of what to make of the girl, for all things, she did not seem suited to be carrying that sword on her back; she appeared for too timid to even be seen with a thing like that. She reminded him of someone else he knew, she wielded a larger weapon but instead looked suited for it, she even appeared scary when swinging it around.
“Scara Brae … Great city, sorry, your still a little off, this is just a simple trading town called Odell, the main city itself is … “
Kai looked around himself confirming his current location, he then pointed in what would be the direction to the road that lead to that city, and without turning back he continued what he was saying.
“Your not far off, it’s only a half a days walk, but you could hitch a ride on a hey wagon and sleep all the way there, that’s the best way to travel anywhere”
He turned back around deciding that would be all they would have to say between each other, he looked into his packet, at the last strawberries; just at the sight of it his stomach rebelled, sending vibrations that made him feel almost sick. Sighing at the fact he was about to forgo the last of his tasty little snacks, he hated the fact but that didn’t change that he would not be able to have it.
“… Hang on … how old are you anyway”
Kai asked, he had been thinking about it, since he first saw her, no matter what her race was, she seemed far too young to be in this business, assuming of cause that her sword wasn’t just for show. If he was right then it would surprise him, at first he thought he had overanalysed her, but even still, she gave off a young air about her, he wasn’t judging her by looks alone.
Chiroptera
07-27-06, 09:50 PM
A flare of indignation swept through Eltarri as she struggled to stop herself from blushing at the lilting words of the tailed creature. Heat rushed nonetheless to her face, and it was all she could do to refrain from launching into a loud diatribe on the importance of manners when communicating with other sentient beings.
Do I really look that young? She wonderd, aghast at the suggestion. It was true that Elven features tended to give the impression of youth, and as it was Eltarri really didn't have all that many years under her belt. But the immortality of her ancestors usually granted them an unaffected air of timeless wisdom. Though she knew she was only half Elven, and thus would probably not inherit the extra-long life of her mother's kin, to be denied even the ethereal Elven presence that distinguished their race from those around them was almost too depressing a deficiency to consider. After all her adventures and life-long committment to resisting evil, did she still seem a mere child, lacking in her supposedly innate aura of calm self-possession? Disappointment put a bitter taste in her mouth, but she was almost instantly distracted by the creature's other, more auspicious revelation.
This little village isn't Scara Brae! The realization caused a burst of relief to lessen the pain of indignation that had been growing in the girl's skull, a feeling that was quickly replaced with sheepish self-reproach. Of course there would be small towns along the way; everyone couldn't live in the capital! She had been foolish to even consider that such a tiny town could be the thriving metropolis that her mother had described Scara Brae as being.
Everywhere you look, something terribly beautiful and great will be waiting for you to behold. The elf's eyes had been uncharacteristically bright, her face clear of its ever-present worry, her lips turned up in a warm smile at the memories. Mile-long streets filled with merchants, all selling the most wonderful things imaginable. Cloth so soft that you fear you might tear it merely with the brush of your fingers, jems of every color and size, foods so delicious that you'd believe they'd been made by angels . . . There are towers built completely out of white rock that are so smooth and shiny that you would think they'd killed a giant elephant and had simply made their homes inside its tusks! Her eyes had lost their shine as they had fallen on her daughter, reminded by the girl's distinctly un-surface-Elven eyes of the burden that weighed on both their shoulders. My beloved Eltarri, she had said in a soft, subdued whisper. How I wish that you could see it.
Pain brought the threat of tears to the half-elf's eyes, but Eltarri shoved her sorrow aside, replacing it with anger directed at the thin man in front of her.
I will see it.
She folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin, giving the green-eyes man a lofty glare.
"Old enough to know, sir," she said in a frosty tone, "that such impertinent questions breach the unspoken standards of protocol that apply to accepted conciliatory conversation."
She paused for breath, covertly rocking forward on her heels so that she stood a half-inch taller. Resentment made the half-elf add,
"I may not be a wizened greybeard, but I can take care of myself." She was about to walk away, but instead said in a tone ripe with spiteful petulance, "My age may not be apparent at first glance, but at least when people look at me they know what species I am!"
Kaiser must have forgotten how amusing it was that he could annoy anyone by simply asking a meaningless question, that was usually the reason he would get into serious trouble, and for some reason he always managed to get out of it. The girl’s antics were as amusing to him as it was stuffing countless strawberries into his unsettling gut, she was even cute when she started to get all angry and trying to tell him off and even dig at his face. Kai felt that somewhere he should be a little offended by the dig at his race, but all he did was widen his already present smile.
“… Heh, Look, trust me, not everyone is comfortable at what species they are, but I am still what I am, and I am more than glad to be around those who do not know who I am. But there are some who do know me that I am even more grateful for ”
Then again, he wondered why she had had that little dig, sure a silvet wasn’t one of the most well known species out there, there main features was only a tail and the oddly coloured snow white hair, and crimson red eyes. But being isolated to an archipelago and being pretty much wiped out by there own god nearly 400 years ago. Wiped out, how could he even say that anymore, after recently making a discovery that they were not dead, but trapped in a packet dimension, there god was merely giving them a time out, but its what they had become that ashamed Kaiser.
“But I am glad to see you being more confident, at first I judged you for one of those shy and quiet types. But if you can stand there trying to insult me then who am I to tell you your too young. But I really don’t think a grey beard would suit you.”
Inwardly he felt the overflowing protests of his belly, he was going to be sick at some point in the very near future, but he refused to let his bodily functions force him to do that before parting ways with this interesting girl. He recognised the ears, suggesting that she was elfin in some way, but the amber eyes doubted him, and her pale skin suggested that up until recently she must have been living a very sheltered life, Interesting to say the least.
He pushed himself off the unused wagon, judging that it should be time he got moving, for two reasons at least, but he had not yet apologised to her yet, he owed her that much at least.
“Sorry if I offended you or something, I must have forgotten to be subtle about asking a girl there age, well if there is a subtle way that is. Either way, I do not want to test out the sharpness of that sword, or your skill to use it”
Chiroptera
07-28-06, 11:11 PM
“But I am glad to see you being more confident, at first I judged you for one of those shy and quiet types. But if you can stand there trying to insult me then who am I to tell you your too young. But I really don’t think a grey beard would suit you.”
Heat poured into the half-elf's cheeks as the man in front of her blithely dismissed her insult, even going so far as to throw in a nonchalant compliment. She was mortified with herself, shocked at the hateful words that had spewed from her mouth so short a while ago, words that shouldn't have come at all from the lady she had been raised to be. How could she have lost the gentility her mother had spent so many years instilling in the mere three weeks that the two had spent apart?
Not everyone who asks a simple question does so out of arrogant disdain, she chided herself. You DID think this little village was Scara Brae, and maybe he just wanted to make sure that you wasn't just a silly little girl who'd lost her parents.
Eltarri was about to open her mouth to apologize when a strange expression flickered across the man's scarred face. It was one of discomfort, tinged with a flash of apprehension, but it was gone only an instant after it had appeared. Eltarri had to take a half-step back as the creature lowered himself to the ground. He was taller than his skinny frame had suggested, and as he straightened Eltarri could see a ponytail that protruded from beneath his unruly hair and fell nearly to the dusty ground. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, which bore none of the malice or condescension that she had expected. His face was frank as he said,
"Sorry if I offended you or something, I must have forgotten to be subtle about asking a girl their age, well if there is a subtle way that is. Either way, I do not want to test out the sharpness of that sword, or your skill to use it.”
Another wave of mortification swept through Eltarri at the candid words of the tailed creature. She had the sudden desire to sink into the ground and hide from his green, guileless eyes. Whatever had possessed her to assume that he'd meant offense with his question? Perhaps she had been so overwhelmed by the welcome of the human workers that the innocent question had caught her off guard, making her subconsciously think that while humans weren't as bad as she'd assumed, there might be other people groups that held such contempt for her race.
You're psychotic, she told herself angrily. You're turning into an over-cautious old woman who thinks the whole of Althanas is out to get you. The big threat that you just humiliated yourself over isn't even armed!
Eltarri's gaze dropped to the ground in shame. "No . . . I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, it wasn't really a rude or unwarranted question. I guess I'm just . . . paranoid."
Her eyes jumped timidly back to his face, a hesitant smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I really am sorry. Can I buy us drinks at Odell's finest tavern to make it up to you?"
Paranoid wasn’t an expression that was popular, it automatically sparked interest, but not enough for the silvet to delve into business he had no right to investigate. Besides the groaning of his stomach trying to digest the sweet strawberries was really more distracting than he was letting on, he was on a mission to find a bathroom … if they exist in this town.
“I really am sorry; can I buy us drinks at Odell’s finest tavern to make it up to you?”
An offer he normally would have leapt at, not everything was free in the world, but when it was offered you should never turn your nose up at it. But under the current circumstances, he had not the heart nor the stomach to take up the offer, infact the mere mention of it caused his stomach to crunch up tighter giving him greater pain, and the food he consumed was going to come out one way or another.
“… Sounds like a good offer … but I can’t accept, I have done nothing to earn it … and I wouldn’t want you becoming bankrupt because of me either”
For a moment kai felt and resisted the urge to reach out and mess up her hair, it was now he realised what he was doing, it startled him, but at the same time humoured him that he could even think like that. His own daughter was who this little half elf reminded him of, not the looks, but more like a younger version of her, it was hard to explain in any wards, in all except a silly little feeling.
‘ Oh man, having a kid has really done a number on me; I think I honestly need to hang around Gideon and Canen of all people, being a father is a bad influence ’
“ … W white Tail?!?”
The intruder to his thoughts gained his attention rather quickly, as he turned to look with curiosity at someone who would be so startled by his extra appendage. It was a woman who lived in this town; she was human and clothed like a normal civilian. It was clear for her sudden outburst that she had dropped a few items that she was carrying, her eyes glued on to his tail. Kai didn’t know what to think about her, it was something he had not experienced in a very long time, a very long time, since most people usually ignored the tail, and other times he simply hid it from view.
“… m’kay?”
His words snapped the human out of her trance, fear spread across her face like he was carrying a fatal disease, and she wanted to be as far away as possible, which was exactly what she did when she spun around on her heal and bolted away down the street yelling “Monster” naturally this attracted quite a bit of attention, alerting the townspeople nearby, some fled while other simply stared on confused. Kai had a suspicion at what this was about, but the whole encounter just then unnerved him a little, he knew that leaving this town now would be a very good idea right now, but his legs refused to move, and instead he turned his attention to the no doubt confused girl.
“… I wonder what that was about”
His eyes then turned to the back of the fleeing woman, as she darted down the dusty streets, skilfully evading people, but failing to spin around a plant pot. Kai pocketed his hands in the pockets of his pants, his belly continued its protesting, but it seemed so insignificant now, it felt as though the warm weather suddenly began to change into a violent storm, but that was only his imagination, his own bad feeling.
‘Maybe its …’
Chiroptera
07-31-06, 04:21 PM
Eltarri watched the woman run down the street, wincing as she tumbled headlong over a flower pot. But without a moment of rest the woman was up again, hurtling down the road, still shrieking her cry as she ran.
Monster.
A cold shudder passed along the half-elf's spine as irrational fear began to worm its way into her brain. What had she done to make them hate her? Surely the humans here didn't think that all elves were monsters! Eltarri's throat clenched in apprehension. Maybe they had somehow detected the darkness inside of her! The woman had surely gone to find the men of the village. If they knew about the evil that tainted her soul, what would stop them from trying to kill her? Eltarri's mind raced back over her actions, searching for something she had said or done that might've alerted the humans to her inner evil. She was frantically trying to recall every nuance of her speach when with a startled jolt she remembered the woman's first words.
White tail.
The half-elf's eyes slid to take a glance at the creature's furred appendage. Relief at its existence made her feel a relief so strong that the girl just wanted to sit down and cry. She wasn't the monster!
"I wonder what that was about."
The carefree voice made a rush of guilt flood Eltarri's head as she looked at the creature beside her. He stood with his hands in his pocket, thin shoulders poking through his shirt. Eltarri chided herself for being so selfish. At least if she had been the focus of the woman's fear she would have been able to send him away and face the wrath of the people with her sword. But since it was he whom they hated, this strange, tailed creature whose thin frame seemed to belie the strength that his height implied, she couldn't send him away, and she couldn't leave him to be killed by fearful peasants.
I may not be the monster they fear now, she thought grimly, but if they insist on attacking an unarmed and defenseless creature, I most definitely will become one!
"Who knows?" she said dryly, trying to imitate his light tone. "Human females are known to be fairly volatile."
Eltarri looked back down the street, unsurprised to see that the woman had disappeared into one of the buildings that lined the dirt road. She surreptitiously reached over her shoulder to shift the handle of her sword, making sure that the blade was loose in its sheath. When she noticed that the creature was still looking at her, she moved her hand to smooth her hair, hoping to pass the action off as a nervous gesture.
"Maybe it's . . ."
The girl interrupted him with a short laugh, hoping to distract him from the people on the street who were staring with open disbelief and fear. How long did she have before the woman returned with her menfolk? The half-elf stuck out her hand, giving the creature a brilliant smile to hide the determination that was brewing inside of her.
"My name's Eltarri Jordel. It's nice to meet you."
Kaiser was intrigued by the girls sudden burst of energy, although it was comforting for him to see a potential strong ally, he was still worried that the villagers may involve her, if a fight broke out and she was injured, kai would never forgive himself. He had noted that she had held out her hand for the traditional gesture, how many times had he been in her place, he reached out with a grin and shook her hand with a firm grip.
“Pleased to meet you Etarri, I am Kaiser Nightwind, but I prefer Kai as my name … its less meaningful”
Kai reclaimed his hand, allowing him to place it under his chin, he first considered on just leaving right there and then, to continue on his way to find those closest to him, there was no need to get a mob chasing him there. But another part of him wanted to stay, to set it straight that he was nothing like a monster, but with his luck he could accidentally start a cult whose sole purpose is to hunt him down. Either way, there was no doubt if this girl stayed, her impression on him will change, he would hate to admit it, but that woman’s claim did have a foundation to back it up.
‘She’s right though, my entire race … although I would not call them monsters, its like they took a fall backwards on our evolution … guess it makes is animals’
Were his quiet thoughts, while true he still pondered if it even applied for him, as it stood right now, he was pretty much the only silvet remaining that represented the way they used to be. A once peaceful race that soon learned the art of war with the humans they shared the island chain with, it made kai grin to think that was exactly what he represented.
“… I would ask you to leave, but you have already made up your mind right?”
He asked Etarri, admiring her hidden determination, and will to stay, it had to be, the lack of fear on her face, it was different from before when they first met. He leapt back into the wagon and sat down looking down the street, and sure enough there they were, the mob that was coming for them. He deeply sighed, the smell of strawberries had lost its scent to him long ago, and it was dustier than before, windier too. Fighting was on his mind, he disliked it being there, but he had to be prepared as he started to glance around taking in every little detail. The wagon he was one was sturdy, but he could yank off any of its parts easily enough. The houses and shop around them all had a porch on the front with a low roof; the one of the right side of the street was coming loose. Barrels were scattered here and there, and what the mob themselves were carrying; he easily spotted a few pitchforks.
“… Aww come on now … that’s a little Cliché “
Kai sighed, but he did so with a grin, he had to do this before every potential fight, being an unarmed fighter was incredibly difficult to start off as, the need to be quick, strong and agile were called for. Luckily he possessed all three traits but this style still had a major weakness, he was almost defenceless. Of cause that was not the only thing at his disposal, he confirmed his thoughts by opening his palm, creating a small force of energy waiting to be shaped, a Psionic blade. He had to question when the hell he had developed a thing like that, it was different from magic on a whole different level, he could forge a perfect blade with it, but this was just a mob, not a demon army coming to slay him, there would be no need for it.
“I told you he had a white tail …”
“That monster is going down”
“We will show him not to mess with the town”
“Look … there he is”
There more calls from them, angry, and some calls he did not hear while some offensive ones that he automatically blocked out. It was good to hear that they did not recognise Etarri as having anything to do with him; he could get her out of this if he thought it through, and unfortunately that was his weak point.
“Ahh my adoring fans”
Batteryn
08-02-06, 10:29 AM
A small winged creature perched on the porch roof of the tavern in a small town named Odell. Randen, the humorless fat merchant who had employed her had threatened her life if she followed him as he continued to the capital. She hadn’t forced him to take her on, though the debt had to be repaid one way or another. Who knew a simple vase could cost so much? He hadn’t kept her any longer than he needed to, abandoning her in this tiny town. Not as if he needed a scout anyway, so close to Scara Brae. He hadn’t appreciated her sense of humor either.
And all she’d done was eat the little spider she’d dropped on his head when he wouldn’t let her go back and pick an apple from the tree the train had passed. Of course there were also the incidents with chasing away the nearby game. Could she help it if she couldn’t stand red meat? And there were also the insults she called him; he wasn’t very imaginative when it came to such things, she was doing him a favor really.
Oh well. His loss. And her gain. The strange red berries that this town produced in quantities were heavenly. She had gotten a laugh when she went to buy some—well, actually, she had eaten all the flies around the stall, and the stall keeper was grateful. She ended up having to eat the reward of five large berries right there on the stall, because she had nowhere to carry them. Her little pack was only enough for the smaller treats she enjoyed. The berries would’ve been squashed in it anyway.
She adjusted her dark goggles over her eyes; she was senstitive to bright light, and would be eternally grateful to the dwarven smith she’d met in a town a few days back. She could move about during the day in comfort now. Looking down at herself, she licked away the remnants of her treat, the red juice staining her gray and brown mottled scales. Stretching out her bat-like wings, she tilted her head, flicking her tufted ears as she heard a woman yelling the most outrageous things.
A monster? Surely not. I only a little creature, no danger to such as these. Then she realized the mob’s true target, a thin man with a funny looking tail. He was standing on a wagon, grinning of all things, as the crowd moved in. She grinned herself, revealing small but sharp inward-facing teeth.
Launching from the roof, she glided over, eager to join in with someone who grinned with the same humor as she. She laughed shrilly at the people waving pitchforks, even going so far to land on the shaft of one, gripping with her taloned feet, and steadying herself by holding on with her wingfingers. She leaned down to look the pitchfork wielder in the face. “Hi!” The man’s eyes went wide as he reflexively threw the pitchfork away from him.
She flitted up and out of harm’s way, shaking her head in mirth. He must not know the berry-seller to think I weird.
Of course, with this being a mob, the man’s pitchfork hit someone else, who retaliated, naturally picking the wrong target. Soon there was an outright brawl in the center of the mob. She did a few little loops in the air for fun, and glided over to the ‘white tail monster.’ Landing on the wagon railing, she gestured with a wing to the chaos that threatened to grow. “Hi! Like it? You be able to go now, quick, and no one notice.”
He wasn’t sure how it started at all, a mob was marching for him one moment, and then the next, fists were being thrown from within, attention to him faded as the mob transformed into a riot. His grin faded into a look of disbelief, admiring this town’s stupidity, yet there was no telling how long this would last. From within the crowd a creature small and agile fluttered towards the wagon he stood on and landing next to him pointing one of its strange winged limbs, it looked something akin to a bat, one that got a little kinky with a lizard of all things.
“Hi! Like it? You be able to go now, quick, and no one notice.”
Well ok, this just proved something to kai, in four hundred and nineteen years, he had never come across something so strange, age meant nothing, there was always something new to discover, maybe if he had spent his past learning and exploring, instead of jumping into wars he would have noticed these things. It held the power to start a riot, presumably from its appearance alone, heh little devil, such feats were more then welcome in times like this. It was strange, kai knew he had a perfect knack for getting into trouble, and the luck to get out of it, but this just made it a scientific fact.
“I will just pretend I know what you are … but your right”
Kai turned and leapt of the wagon to where Etarri was stood, he resisted the urge to pull her along to escape the crazed rioting mob, but that would not be fair. Because as it stood now, she had done nothing to anger the towns residents, Kai on the other hand … might have done something, although what it was he wasn’t sure of. Nope this was her choice, as was that little creatures, if it wanted to stay, or sit back watching the free fight.
“Sorry that your meeting had to go like this, too bad … you can stay with this crowd, or you can follow a monster like me to Scara Brae”
He said with a grin, being called a monster was beginning to have a ring to it, and with the antics that bat like creature had displayed, it was possible to be a little monster and be totally innocent and cute about it at the same time. Kai patted Etarri’s shoulder once and turned back to see if his new little friend would also follow, well whatever there choices would be he quickly dashed to the cover of one of the small houses around him, he was out of sight of the mob … riot, that was a good thing.
‘wonder if this has anything to do with the royal beating I gave those guys last night … I haven’t done anything else … in this town … so that has to be it’
“ … I am so going to be hunted down “
He said with a sigh, and carried on with a cautious pace, if he was going to Corone, he would first need to pass through Scara Brea, that fact was well known, so the only thing that stood between him and Scara, was this town, he had to get to the other side. Kai stopped again after a few more paces, they only knew that this “Monster” had a white tail and looked human, well he had a simple solution to that, he pulled up his baggy shirt and wrapped his own tail around his waist, and he then hid that with his long shirt. He had done this many times before, but walking always felt strange.
When he looked up he did not expect to see those three again, they caught him by surprise and one punched him hard in the gut, setting off a massive chain reaction with the eaten strawberries that caused him to fall to his knees whimpering at the pain. He knew the three above him were grinning like Cheshire cats, despite there own hurting faces from last night; no doubt they thought he was whimpering from the punch.
“Where do you think you’re going we still owe you” The natural leader, Atra said cracking his knuckles trying to look ominous.
“… Belly… hurting”
The next scene wasn’t so nice, all those strawberries he had eaten, had now resurfaced escaping the confines of his own stomach, vomiting was not nice, a foul taste left in his mouth afterwards that would surely put him off eating the tasty treats for a long time to come. But unexpectedly the pain from his belly had now gone, obviously because it was empty once again, in his not so glorious manor.
“… You bastards have really asked for it now”
Kai said slowly getting off his knees to his feet, he crouched there on all fours looking up at the three of them again, it would seem like they had not learned there lesson the first time. Kai sprung from his position throwing his right fist upwards catching the jaw of the so called leader of the gang of three. All four of them could hear it, the thunderous clash of the impact, and when the Atra woke, thankful that his jaw was still in one peace.
“This is so retarded; you got a whole town after me just because I gave you a beating!”
Kai’s words fell on unconscious ears, the other two, without there leader for there courage, or the safety of wielding there weapons had fled from Atra leaving this monster with him. … Well that was not the most pleasant experience, kai throught as he wiped the foul tasting vomit from his mouth, and sighed openly.
Chiroptera
08-02-06, 02:04 PM
Eltarri had caught a glimpse of the small flying creature as it settled onto the tine of a pitchfork, but she had lost it in the havoc that the startled pitchfork-carrier's toss had provoked. Bewildered humans were yelling with confused rage, swinging wildly at each other and searching their ranks for the one that had started the €conflict.
But Eltarri saw that the tiny instigator was perched daintily on the side of the wagon, grinning as it spoke in a chirpy, jubilant voice. Eltarri couldn't hear what it said over the noise of the self-destructive mob, but the gesturing wing gave her an idea of what it was speaking about. she stared in wonder at the strange black cases that covered the creature's eyes. Why would it want to diminish its eyesight with blinders? Perhaps the small animal had magical powers that compensated for its lack of vision . . .
“Sorry that your meeting had to go like this, too bad … you can stay with this crowd, or you can follow a monster like me to Scara Brae.”
Kai's voice shook Eltarri out of her thoughts. His green eyes were bright with energy and a relaxed grin was fixed on his face as he spoke, and then he was gone, tail streaking out behind him as he raced for the cover of a nearby house.
Her shoulder stinging from the swat that his exuberance had turned the "friendly pat" into, Eltarri looked with concern at the brawling citizens of Odell. She really wasn't involved . . . perhaps it would be best for her to just go and leave the humans to sort themselves out. They deserved a few scrapes and bruises for their instant rejection of the white-tailed Kai, but if the fight continued to get uglier, innocent people might get hurt, people who were merely caught up in crowd, who were without any real malice towards the "monster" the rabble sought. Out of the corner of her eye, Eltarri saw three men making their way toward the tall creature, who was inopportunely adjusting his oversized trousers. A group of tumbling humans rolled suddenly into her line of vision, blocking the three attackers and Kai from her sight.
Before the half-elf had even considered her actions her hands were in motion, one reaching over her shoulder to grasp the hilt of her sword, the other jumping to the latch on the front of her harness. The sword was in her hand, black hilt warm from the sun's warmth, and she had taken a few menacing steps forward when an attack of reason made her falter.
Stop it, Eltarri. A small voice in her head chided reproachfully. Remember what that blasted albino wizard told you. Stay out of things that don't concern you!
But Eltarri's heart knew that Kai's predicament really did concern her. She had exchanged words with the "monster," and even if the attackers didn't associate her with Kai, she had given him her name and been treated as a friend! How could she leave him to be killed by blood-thirsty peasants? Her boots struck up small puffs of dirt as she headed for Kai, trying to get around the shifting mob that was now unintentionally blocking her path.
"Be careful, little bird-thing!" she shouted over shoulder, sparing one last glance at the odd creature before devoting her attention fully to meandering the flailing rioters. She caught a glimpse of the wild-haired man on his knees, three thugs standing over him with vicious grins, when a loud voice began to bellow from the rear of the crowd.
"Cease and desist! This city is surrounded by the Knights of Scara Brae! All brawlers will be persecuted to the full extent of the law if weapons are not dropped IMMEDIATELY!"
Eltarri heard the commanding voice, but she could tell by the lack of reaction from the crowd that most of the fighters were still too consumed by their battle frenzy to obey.
If I wait for the guards, they might not get there in time to save Kai!
Heedless of the mounted soldiers that were swiftly approaching the chaotic scene, Eltarri ran, sword held tightly in both hands, to save her new friend.
Batteryn
08-02-06, 02:47 PM
“I will just pretend I know what you are … but you’re right.”
She grinned to herself as the strange man took her advice and took off. He first paused to talk to a woman she had failed to notice because of all the excitement. She carried a decent sword, and the little creature wondered if she was any good with it. Swords were well and good, but she had learned quickly that possession of one did not always equal knowledge of how to use it. Of course, she was proven wrong as the woman pulled out her sword and held it with self-assurance.
"Be careful, little bird-thing!" The woman yelled at her. The small creature simply shook her head and grinned back.
She turned her gaze and spent a minute or two admiring her work. It was quite a riot for so little effort. In fact she was a little surprised. I would think berry-seller would have told everyone she knew. Unless she was also caught up in silly monster business and had no time to tell. She saw the man who had thrown the first pitchfork get stepped on, and looked around in surprise as the Scara Brae Knights entered the fray. They were ignored though. Poor guys, just trying to do their jobs. And since she was responsible, she should probably help out.
Too bad, really. It had been fun, and so easy. She flitted over to the mounted knights, who were making almost no progress in dispersing the crowd. She picked out the one who seemed to be in charge; he was doing the bellowing anyway. She swooped down and landed on his helmet, which of course upset the poor man. He moved his head all around, trying to get a glimpse of her, but she simply clung tighter and took deep breaths to prepare herself. Then she let loose.
It was not a foghorn, for her voice was much, much shriller, but it was loud enough to possibly qualify as one. Anyone within hearing range was most likely falling to their knees with the pain and the ringing in their ears. The knight whose head she was on unashamedly clamped his hands to his ears and yelled something along the lines of “Get it off, get it off, shut it up now!”
She ran out of breath and stopped, breathing a little hard. The knight slowly lowered his arms and spoke to his leiutenant. "What happened?"
"Sir?"
"What happened!"
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't hear you. My ears are ringing."
"What was that, soldier?"
"Sir?"
The winged creature launched off the man's helmet, and flitted to a rooftop for a view of the stunned crowd. Quite smug, she then swooped around the corner, wondering where her white-tailed monster had gone off to.
((ooc: sorry long time coming.... my bad))
He looked down at his grotesque mess that he had made, looking at it while at the same time doing his best to ignore the smell, with all things considered he could simply walk away now, and the riot would keep the townspeople busy for some time. Suddenly his ears started to hurt, and although he had the protection of being quite a distance away, and hidden behind one of the houses, it still was an unpleasant pain.
“W … What the hell was that?”
He looked up at the back of the house and decided to go and check it out, even if he had to be as covert as he could, but the drainage pipe should hold his weight, so long as he was only on it for a moment to climb up onto the roof. Climbing was one of his natural talents, even as a kid, no even as a young adult he had always enjoyed climbing something, and the drainage pipe offered no little challenge as he was soon enough, hoisting himself onto the roof looking over the confused masses and town guards.
“… now that’s strange … hmmm damn I am hungry again”
It wasn’t much to look at, just a mob and town guard holding there ears, from the strange screech, at first it was a little humorous but it soon lost its touch after several people fell down with no equilibrium. Something told him that little lizard, or bat like creature had something to do with this, but that was just an odd feeling, and nothing really to investigate into.
“Humph I should just go … I have caused way to much trouble … and damage, over a stupid thing too”
He cast his eyes to his tale as if suggesting that it was the cause for the trouble, in more ways than anyone could imagine too, but it was his tail and if it was big and bushy he could hug it too, but that would be strange. He leapt back off the roof, the houses vertical height was not large enough for him to enjoy the moment of free flight, nor hurt him when he landed on all fours, almost on top of someone too.
“ … Etarri? Wha … I thought you had left already”
He asked curiously while standing up and casually placing his hands into his pocket.
Chiroptera
08-10-06, 11:44 PM
"You, halt!"
Four long legs were suddenly thrown into Eltarri's path, legs that supported the thick body of a chestnut horse with an armored man on its back. A thick plume of black feathers sprouted from his head, swaying as the knight jerked his mount to a stop in front of the running girl.
With a curse Eltarri turned and tried to skid to a stop, but her momentum carried her closer to the knight than she had ever wanted to be. When she finally did stop completely, her front leg was halfway under the horse and the tip of the man's spear was a mere inch away from her nose.
"You were told to drop your weapon," the man said, his voice muffled behind his full-face helmet.
"I have to help a friend," she protested, making sure that the tip of her sword stayed against the ground, though it was only a foot away from the horse's hoof. "Three men are ganging up on him!"
"We'll take care of it," he said in a voice that prohibited discussion. "Drop your weapon."
Eltarri hesitated, though her hands had already been relaxing their grip on the hilt. The men were beating Kai up behind a house! How would the soldiers find him in time if they had to deal with the tumultuous rabble? It came down to a very basic decision: was she willing to give up her good name and disobey the guards in order to rescue a person whom she barely even knew? A small part of her brain put up a good fight for common sense, but its protests were quickly swept away in a tide of reckless altruism.
"Hero time," she muttered, eyes fixed on the holes in the knight's faceplate. In the next instant she threw herself backwards, both feet booting the horse in its side as her back slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Her arms moved involuntarily, red bracers yanking the sword across her vision just as the knight instinctively jabbed his spear towards her face. The horse danced away at the blow, but by then her bracers had deflected the spear into the ground by her head and smacked the pole out of the knights hand.
Eltarri didn't wait for him to pull another weapon. Taking a deep, gasping breath, she rolled away from the horse and scrambled to her feet, choking on the dust that clogged her throat. The knight was still struggling with his mount, but he had turned halfway around in his saddle and was already pulling a sword from its scabbard at his side. Clutching the hilt of her sword, Eltarri dodged the horse's rear and was again charging toward the house when a pain like nothing she had ever experienced suddenly exploded in her brain. She dimly heard the shrieking voice that caused it, but recognition of the source was quickly overriden by unbearable agony that reverberated through her skull.
Oh gods, make it stop, she howled silently, her mouth occupied with the keening wail that was coming from her own lips. Eltarri fell to the ground, instinctively rolling into a fetal position, muscles clenched in a paroxysm of agony. She pressed her hands against her ears in an attempt to muffle the noise, but the fiery pain continued to course through her head. While those around her were similarly struck by the pain of the wail, the girl's Elven heritage had cursed her with the gift of a heightened sense of hearing, making the effects of the scream nearly twice as crippling to the half-elf's sensitive ears.
Even when the actual noise finally did stop, the roaring pain in Eltarri's head did not. She lay in the dirt, eyes closed and weeping. The palms of her hands were wet and warm, still pressed against her pointed ears as if to protect them from the barrage that had already ended. Her world was a white-hot ball of pain as the shriek echoed in her head. Even as the humans around her recovered from the audible onslaught, the half-elf remained on the ground. Sword in the dust beside her, the girl didn't even notice when the tall figure of the Silvet dropped from the sky beside her. Her mind was too focused on the emptiness of her wretched, roaring world.
Batteryn
08-18-06, 09:26 AM
So sorry it took so long, guys.
Teria perched on a roof, again surveying the damage she had wrought. She tilted her head quizzically. I misjudged again, I see. I never get the hang of this. Too much, too little, I not know. Hope I did not hurt anyone permanent. She felt bad, but there was no way she was going to go down there and apologize. For all she knew, the mob would reform and come after her.
She sighed. She'd lost sight of her white-tailed monster and the woman that had been with him. She hoped she hadn't hurt them. The former had laughed like she did, and the woman hadn't screamed at her appearance at least. She stretched and scanned the crowd again, gratified to see them beginning to stand and lower their arms, staring about in confusion. The mounted guards quickly returned to their duties and herded the dazed people-as well as their confused fellow guards-off the streets.
Launching off the roof, she spiraled high to look around. She gave a glad cry--of normal proportions--when she saw her white-tailed monster jump from a perch on another building. She dove down to him, landing on his shoulder without warning.
Opening her mouth to say hello, she instead gave a cry of dismay. "Oh, oh no! I scream and hurt her! I not mean to, I just try to shock everyone into stopping. No, no, no."
Hopping to the ground, she paced beside the woman who was curled in pain. The little creature wrung her wing-fingers together anxiously, her ears back in apology, and peered at the woman's ears. "Oh, no, no. She hear much more than humans, I tell by ear. I hurt her more than any!" She put her wing-fingers to her mouth in horror, and then scuttled over to the man. Tugging at his pants leg, she beseeched him, "Please, I not mean it, help her can you, please?"
Kai was at a loss for what to do, his words would no doubt never even reach the girl, the strange create started to tug at his pants leg, getting his attention, he had barely noticed it land on his shoulder, never mind flo0at on down and worry its little self silly. Kai shook his head kneeling down, still wondering at what he could accomplish.
“I have not even got a clue as to what the hell happened let alone help her out”
Kai shook his head again trying to get a little serious about the situation at hand, what they needed was some kind of healer, a doctor, anything with healing properties. Healing properties eh, kai would have thought that after 400 years or so he would eventually pick up on some healing spells for situations like this, his knowledge at best was what your average camper would know.
“Aww crap … I really don’t know much about the ears … you know nearly next to nothing ”
Whenever he would get so much as an ear ache he would usually just ignore it and go to sleep, and when he woke up the pain would be gone or just dulling. Kai was getting a little frustrated at his own inability to do nothing, he noticed this and quickly vented it our by punching the ground beside him with all his might, the ground made an interesting response, but nothing really happened.
“… I suppose the best thing for her is to hope she has not lost her hearing ability … “
He turned to the little creature as he started to try and pick Etarri up to carry her, his expression no longer holding that building frustration.
“Do me a favour and act as a scout … we gotta find some kind of doctor or hospital of some kind”
Chiroptera
09-02-06, 11:56 PM
Eltarri's conscience gradually pulled itself out of the nimbus of pain that had taken up residence in her skull. She became aware of the ground, concrete and unyielding beneath her, and the air that brushed across her face and hair.
Kai! With a gasp the girl remembered the monster, horrified at the thought that this delay might have cost him his life.
I can still save him! The half-elf stirred her mind, trying to force herself to move. Her hands slid down the sides of her face, leaving cold smears on her cheeks that made her skin tingle. She felt completely drained of energy, too tired even to open her eyes.
Stop being a push-over and get moving, she ordered herself. Are you going to just lay here and feel sorry for yourself or are you going to help someone in need?
She had almost bullied herslf into lifting her eyelids when something unexpectedly touched her back. The shock of contact proved to be enough of a stimulus to force her into motion, her eyes jerking open as her head lolled back against the dirt. The sun's warm beams shot through her pupils, burning at the core of pain that still throbbed in her skull. Eltarri jerked her head to the side, gaze moving to settle on the blurry figure of whoever it was who was supporting her shoulders. The girl blinked rapidly, clearing dirt and tears from her eyes until they could focus on the carefree visage of the green-eyed monster.
A wave of joyful relief rushed through Eltarri. Kai was alive, and he hadn't needed her to rescue him after all! She felt the childish urge to hug the skinny creature, but her arms were too tired to lift. She smiled dreamily instead, but the smile faded as Kai began to move his mouth, apparently talking to someone over her head.
Only she couldn't hear what he was saying.
It was then that Eltarri noticed the silence. What had happened to the soldiers? And the rioters? Where were the birds, for that matter, or the sounds of rustling cloth as Kai moved to lift her up? All that her mind could register was the hollow rushing sound like that of cold air swirling in a deep cavern.
A flurry of panic rose in Eltarri's throat. She inhaled sharply, then forgot to exhale when she realized that she hadn't heard herself breathe in. With wide eyes the half-elf lifted a hand and flailed it against Kai's shirt. She opened her mouth and could feel her lips moving, but no sound reached her ears as she stared frantically into the monster's face, unable to hear her own blubbering screams.
A few yards away, a de-horsed member of the cavalry rose from the ground as well, his ears ringing but still reached by the muffled cries of the crowd. He groaned as he scrambled up, looking around to see how his fellow soldiers were faring. He didn't bother focusing his gaze on the humans that meandered around the street with dazed expressions, most shouting into each other's faces to be heard. But his gaze did stop when it landed on a long white tail that protruded from the pants of a crouching man. The man was lifting up a struggling girl whose face was smeared with blood, accompanied by the small grey bat that had landed on the captain's head just before the unholy attack.
With a shout of dismay the rider picked up his spear and drew his sword, calling around him at the other armed men who had risen to their feet.
"It's the monster the villagers were talking about! See how he's the only one who weren't affected by it? He's the one that cast the spell! He used that little bat to distract us and then cast an evil spell 'cause he's a wizard and iss trying to kidnap one of the village girls, probably to eat her heart!" The soldier, though now winded by the diatribe he had just delivered, hefted his sword into the air and led the standing soldiers in a battle cry.
"ATTACK!"
Most of the others were still under the effects of the screech and didn't hear what was probably the only real speech the man would ever deliver, but they saw him charge towards the skinny man with his sword raised, and they say the tail and the struggling girl, and their minds put the situation together. As one they drew their weapons and charged, barely able to hear their own shouts but shouting nonetheless as they raced towards the Silvet.
((Bunny the soldiers attacking, if you want.))
Kai scouted for that said doctors, he would feel embarrassed if it happened to be in front of him, and in all honesty he really wasn’t feeling too good himself, especially after up heaving his last meal so violently. Yet kai knew he came out of that little bat’s fun fest the most unharmed, he didn’t doubt the things apology, or even if it had anything to do with the screech that nearly deafened the entire village.
“… huh”
Kai was alerted by movement from the girl he was trying to get back onto there feet, for a moment he was relieved, she was ok and they would not have to find a doctor, on the other hand, he still felt a little off. Kai openly sighed, thankful to see she was awake, but then he noticed what she was saying, or rather the noises she was making, her rising panic, kai didn’t really register what the problem was until the bat like create floated past his vision.
“ … wait … she’s deaf? …that can’t be ”
Oh crap, kai knew that he had a knack for getting in trouble, he even had the knack for getting out of it like he had, but why the hell do other people have to get caught up in his affairs. Kai closed his eyes, no he clenched them tight, he hoped that he would be able to find an answer; he doubted a doctor would be helpful now, but what other option was there.
“Attack!”
Kai’s head snapped around at the battle cry and saw one of the city guards charging for him, kai frowned once more at the stupid attraction for trouble he had, it had to be his dumb luck doing this. Kai gently but with haste made sure Eltarri at least had a wall to stand against before he turned to stand in a defensive stance, watching as four more guards saw the charge and hastily followed.
Kai dropped into his fighting stance and prepared himself for the upcoming attack, he could guess even now that the soldier planned to strike downwards. The soldier readied his sword up high, there would be no mercy for this white tailed freak, as he swing downwards his wrist was intercepted by kai’s grip, and by using the soldiers own momentum against him, the man found the world spinning by, shortly before his back found the ground.
“… he will be ok … his spine broke his fall”
Kai muttered turning around to face the four other guards, one of them alone was easy enough to deal with, but four was a whole different ball game. There were a few things he needed, one element of surprise, a few rocks, a tree and maybe a mallet, what he could accomplish with them he had no idea. Kai settled into the same stance again, and as much as he enjoyed whacking people who attempted to take a swipe at him he could not help but admit, this fight was going to be hard.
Batteryn
09-19-06, 08:28 PM
Teria tried, she honestly did. Following her white-tailed monster's instructions, she went to find help. Feeling worried and guilty, she took to the air and attempted to find a doctor, anyone who would help. She fluttered droopily, making little anxious squeaks as she headed towards the moaning and groaning crowd. A likely old man crouched near a group of people, yelling to make himself heard.
"I SAID THE EFFECTS SHOULD FADE BY MORNING!" The old man bellowed. The faces around him nodded, some looking relieved, others still apprehensive or confused.
Hopeful, the small creature landed on the old man's shoulder. "I sorry, so sorry, I need help. I hurt her badly, you gotta help lady with pointy ears."
The old man's head whirled to face her. He and his current patients reared back in various stages of startlement. Screams, noises of puzzlement, and voices raised in anger followed her as she took off with a squawk.
They scrambled to their feet and might have been content with just chasing her off, but one woman screeched, "That's the little demon that works for the white-tailed monster!" Similar sentiments followed, hurled like rocks.
Teria scrambled higher into the air, adding fear to her whirlwind of emotion. Other groups nearby noticed the agitation, if not the noise, and added their own insults. Things only got worse as one of the guard shouted he'd found the white-tailed monster.
Teria's fear focused on her newfound friends. No! she thought frantically. She flinched visibly as a soldier bore down on them with a sword. The soldier ended up on his back, but her friend was soon surrounded by too many of them for him to fight.
Desperate for it all to just end, she divebombed the group, doing a little circle to force them back a step and give her monster a bit of breathing space. "Stop! Just stop, alla you!" She shrieked, though only in her normally high voice. She did not want to hurt these people again.
She alighted on her monster's shoulder. "I no want to fight anymore. We go, alla us and we not hurt you again. You let us go, we leave in peace." She gazed around with wide eyes, wondering if her demand had made any impact at all.
The silvet was not one to believe in such a thing as miracles, but he really wouldn’t mind one happening as he slowly watched a few of the soldiers, approach with more caution than the last. The creatures timing was enough to convince kai that the little thing was one of these so called mirical, its small appearance did enough to unnerve the guards, who halted there approach.
Kai felt something as it tried desperately to stop the fight, maybe it was a tug at his heart, or the thing was just being so cute and innocent it was hurting his eyes. Kai noticed the guard behind him slowly get his wind back and crawl away fearing another attack, kai never stuck out and when his attention returned to those before him, the creature had once again claimed his shoulder as her own.
“Not like I really did anything to harm anyone anyway … All my actions are self defence”
Kai spoke after the creature trying to raise a certain point; he stood out of his fighting stance and opened his arms wide so that he could prove to them that he also didn’t want to tackle any of them. Slowly a grin crept across his face but he lowered his head trying his best to mask it, he was thinking of what had happened to trigger this hatred, although he could not exactly say he triggered it.
“You know, it’s a funny story, and how this whole mess started.”
“Like we care what a monster like you does?”
One of the guards interrupted and kai frowned, lowering his arms and clenching his right first tightly, but his anger slowly faded as did the tight grip his fist had. Kai sighed and turned around, still looking at the group of soldiers from over his shoulder.
“Like what the little one said … I really don’t want to stay here any longer”
Kai then looked towards the half elf girl, Eltarri, deciding on what the best action would be to take that would benefit her most. He looked over his shoulder again and lazily spoke to the guards reluctant to believe that he was actually going to walk away.
“This girl is not aquatinted to me, but she was however struck hard by this little fella’s attack, and I am concerned for her hearing. Just make sure she gets the attention she needs.”
It was the best he could do, in his current condition he could not help her, he had no knowledge on how to help her, proving that despite his age he was still very inexperienced. He started to walk away again but not without giving Eltarri a wave of his hand, to tell her goodbye and to also tell her to stay where she was.
Kai stopped again and looked over his shoulder to the guards who had edged only slightly closer, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should not be leaving her alone like that.
“ … Damn this is killing me” Kai whispered to the little creature perched on his shoulder, he still frowned but more at his uneasiness. “Leaving a friend behind really sucks … but its for the better”
And then kai continued on surprised at the other guards reluctance to attack, it was either because they feared him or, more likely, they feared another deafening attack from the creature on his shoulder. Kai pocketed his hands and wished that nothing would happen next, and also wondering for how long he would have such a strange little creature hanging around with him.
((I suppose we should finish this eh? … post your conclusions or carry on if ya want, just let me know))
Chiroptera
09-23-06, 03:21 PM
Alone again.
The resigned thought settled like a thick mist over Eltarri's mind as she opened her eyes for the first time since assuming a vertical position. The pain was nearly gone, only a distant tingling that started up whenever she moved her head. She wasn't sure of how long she had been sitting in the dust after the little creature's cry, but the sun was still relatively overhead and humans still milled about the street, yelling into each others' faces and frowning angrily at something on the other side of the house.
Eltarri steadied herself against the rough stone of the wall and turned to see what the people were looking at. Her stomach dropped as her gaze fastened on the sinuous tail and scrawny form of the monster, hands casually in his pockets as he nonchalantly faced a growing number of angry-looking soldiers. Weapons were drawn and some of the armed men were staring murderously at Kai, but no one moved.
Maybe I can convince them that he's not harmful, she thought, then remembered that persuasion required speech and listening, and judging by the screaming faces and gesturing arms of the townspeople, hearing was a commodity that was somewhat in demand. Not to mention that she couldn't really talk, anyway.
What if I never . . . The thought was interrupted when she caught sight of the small grey bird-thing, perched on Kai's shoulder. The half-elf's eyes narrowed and a dark welling of hatred rushed up from inside of her, making her suddenly wish she was an archer.
Stop it. The chiding reprimand pushed the dark thoughts away, clamping down on the evil and refocusing her on the task at hand: getting away.
Kai obviously can't need your help, so do him a favor and leave. You're deaf, and you'd only be a burden. Frustrated tears stung at the girl's eyes, but she clenched her hand into a fist and refused to give in to despair. At least you aren't crippled. You can still walk to Scara Brae and find a doctor or a wizard or something.
The thought of traveling alone in her current state didn't do much to buoy her spirits, but the half-elf forced herself to step away from the wall. She took a few unsteady steps forward to the place where she had been lying and then half-fell to pick her sword up from the dust. A few humans glanced in her direction, but since the soldiers were focused on Kai they didn't bother getting involved with the other, seemingly less-dangerous stranger who was obviously struggling just to stay on her feet.
The hilt of the sword was coated in dirt, but Eltarri swung the weapon over her shoulder and fastened the sling around it anyway, vowing to clean it when she could turn her head without seeing red. Blood pounded through her skull, but Eltarri gritted her teeth and kept herself moving with thoughts of how much worse it would be to be trapped underground for all of eternity without a companion to alleviate the loneliness.
No matter how bad things get, she reminded herself philosophically, wiping a trail of blood off the side of her neck, there's always somebody who's got it worse off.
Dwelling on that encouraging thought, she shuffled back to the shadows between the houses and, using the walls as support, began to slink her way out of the village.
((Depending on what you guys want, I only need one more thread to conclude.))
Batteryn
09-29-06, 10:09 AM
It was heartbreaking. The little creature drooped lower than low on her white-tailed monster's shoulder. Hunched over, she hung her head in shame and helplessness.
Her day had started out so promising, finding a delicious new food, meeting new friends, and having a marvelous opportunity for mischief. Unfortunately she had misjudged the consequences; they were greater than anything she had imagined and not what she would have willingly accepted.
She merely wanted to add some confusion to the crowd, allowing the strange man to escape. Instead events had escalated far beyond her control, ending up with a very angry town, guards set on capture, and one very injured girl. The little creature stared at her in agony. She should have realized by the girl's ears that she was sound-sensitive. And she should have had better control of her own voice. She had sent out a more powerful blast than what was necessarry to simply shock the crowd.
She gripped the fabric of her monster's tunic with both toes and wing-fingers as he began walking away. When he looked back at the people over his shoulder, she followed suit, wanting to be of help in cleaning up this mess she had made, yet knowing she would only hinder.
She jumped a little as her monster spoke to her, echoing her feeling of helplessness. She nodded. The girl would be better off without the two of them. Wouldn't she?
The small creature stayed silent as her white-tailed monster walked away from the town, onward towards Scara Brae she supposed. As the town faded behind them, she abruptly left his shoulder and took to a tree branch nearby.
"Go on," She said sadly. "I go elsewhere; I be no better help to you than back there. Be better this way." She paused in the act of taking off, looking over her shoulder with a small ghost of her former grin. "Maybe, maybe I see you again, white-tail monster." She launched from the branch and flew through the trees, soon to be lost from sight.
((This pretty much ends it for me.))
Chiroptera
09-30-06, 02:35 AM
Twenty years a'sailing and I still got nothing to show,
But every time I put in port, I feel the yearning grow.
What is land but beer and sand to take the mind away
From the water blue and scurvy crew that's with me night and day?
Eltarri sighed heavily as the verse of the old sailors' song re-launched itself in her brain. The wilderness around the girl was silent, but her memory seemed to be taking advantage of the external quiet and was systematically running through all of the fragments of songs that she had been exposed to over her travels, endlessly replaying the few lines or the single verse that she had heard and subconsciously committed to memory. There had been one or two ditties whose lyrics had made the girl wonder with embarrassment where she had been when she'd picked them up, but on the whole the songs were a welcome exchange for the complete silence that had doggedly consumed her attention for the first few days of her journey.
Journey. A bitter snort of laughter came unheard from her lips. I'm not on a journey. The word implies a destination.
She had been on the move, certainly, wandering aimlessly through the fields of the countryside, fighting desperately against the panic and despair that took turns battering her tired mind. Her dried food had run out days ago, but it would take more than hunger to drive her out of isolation. She was deaf, impaired, useless. How could she ever save her mother when she couldn't even communicate with the people she met?
The girl's steps dragged to a stop as another wave of anguish washed over her. Rocking back on her heels, a habit she had picked up since the loss of hearing had affected her balance, the half-elf gazed out at the land around her, brows lowered in perplexion. One hand slipped up to touch the hilt of her sword, another habit that had resulted from being unable to hear the jingle and clanks of the harness as it moved rhythmically with her step.
Didn't I pass that farmhouse two days ago?
Eltarri pondered the scenery for a moment, then shrugged uncaringly and started walking forward again. So what if she was going in circles? It wasn't as if there was somewhere she needed to be. Perhaps this is how I'll spend my life; wandering aimlessly through the Scara Brae countryside, running away from confused farmers who see me walking through their fields.
The thought was not as disheartening as it could have been. There were worse ways to spend a life; trapped in isolation hundreds of miles underground, for instance . . .
Eltarri suddenly stopped walking and stared at the ground in front of her, aghast at her own selfishness. How could she even think of letting herself take the easy way out, of surrendering to cowardice and giving up on all that had taken her so far from the tunnels she had called home?
Eltarri, you're an idiot.
Shaking her head, the half-elf turned around and began to walk back the way she had come, eyes burning with a newfound passion. She had crossed the road that led to Scara Brae a day ago, and though the sun was on its way to setting, she was sure that she could get at least halfway there before it was fully night.
The girl's head mind raced ahead of her quickly-stepping feet, planning her course of action and thinking of ways to make communication as easy as possible once she was within the walls of the city.
I won't be able to hear the markets, but at least I'll be able to see it. In a rush of optimism Eltarri offered a short prayer of thanks that it was her hearing that she had lost and not her sight.
She could smell the same heavenly scent that had accosted her nose before she'd set foot in the small trading town where she'd met Kai and the little bat-banshee, but the smell now held none of the promise and joy that it had on that day. Blood pounded in the girl's skull, and a thin smile turned up the corner of her mouth as she strode resolutely forward, ignoring the hints of self-pity that tried to take root in her mind. Bird calls rang through the air, the wind blew harmonies with the grasses and leaves of the flora, but the only thing Eltarri heard was a mantra of determination that filled her heart with hope.
Hero time . . .
((This one came out oddly. I do plan to have her get her hearing back, but that's another story for another day.))
Witchblade
10-04-06, 09:13 PM
I know we just did the switch to the new judging rubric, however I was already in the middle of judging this when we officially changed over. So I shall keep with the old.
Introduction: - 6 Your introductions laid out the story well and even gave the reader an immediately impression on what was eventually going to come. The fact that a few local townsmen were beaten up for reasons unknown by the main character immediately tells the reader that there is going to be some kind of conflict arising during the quest. All the characters portrayed themselves well in their opening posts, giving the reader a good impression on who they are and just what they’re doing there.
Setting: - 5 There’s nothing special in the setting, just your usual small town. The atmosphere of the place was described nicely, but mainly used a backdrop. The characters rarely if ever used the setting around them and it only came into play to mention the strawberries over and over again. Though this was a small town you could have used it in many ways to escape the mob of people chasing you, or even distract them. There’s a large field separating you and the forest, run to the woods, chances are they’d chase you but would they really find you? Setting can be a backdrop to the story and just there for eye candy or to stretch out those good old descriptive abilities, but to get it’s full worth in you need to use it and interact with it.
Strategy: - 6 The clichéd, pitchfork wielding mob was in itself a nice strategy. It’s been horrendously overdone but one must realize that in such situations something similar really could occur. Whether or not the villagers are wielding pitchforks, well, that’s to be debatable. The strategy the characters used, especially Batteryn, was cool. An ear piercing screech that drops the villages and guards to their knees and throws off their equilibrium. Nice touch, I would have preferred to see some more use of the actual village though.
Character: - 5 The characters were portrayed well and came out well in the quest. The initial interaction with Kai and Chiroptera was interesting and a little weird. I really didn’t see the reason for Chiroptera to suddenly get so upset and freak out at Kai, however she is not my character and I trust you would know her better than I. Batteryn’s character seemed to show up for the sole point of causing mischief and saving Kai’s butt, however I did not see much of a reason for this to happen. Though you may know in your head why your character is doing a specific thing you need to explain through your post to the reader. Be it through physical conversation or internal thought from the character, even a flashback of the past. There are a number of ways to go about it as long as it’s included.
Dialogue: - 6 Just your normal dialogue going back and forth between characters. Watch out for over dramatizing the situation between characters. Though this can be an effective tool it has to be used carefully in the situation or it might seem over the top to the reader and even come out on the annoying side. Batteryn’s character added a uniquely childish kind of dialogue to the story that was rather cute.
Rising Action: - 5 The beginning of the quest takes off slowly with Chiroptera and Kai getting to know one another and then all of a sudden takes off completely when someone finally notices Kai has a white tail. The mob is typical, but the guard suddenly coming out of nowhere is not. Who alerted them to the problem and how were they able to respond so quickly to the situation? And on top of that, where were they? This is supposed to be a small town and small towns don’t usually have military or guard forces just standing around waiting for riots. This is a draw back to the action going on because it leaves the reader puzzled as to how these people got here and who told them what was occurring. You have to make sure that everything in the quest is viable and has a reason, as well as an explanation. Guards can’t show up out of nowhere for the sake of having another force to fight against.
Climax: - 5 The climax of the story itself should have been the fight between Kai and the three villagers he previously beat up. However, this fight doesn’t last very long and is overshadowed by the arrival of the guards and the ear-piercing screech from Batteryn. On top of that, the fight itself ended rather quickly and to make it more dramatic and character involved, Chiroptera should have been allowed over to help Kai fight off his attackers. However, circumstances did not allow for this to happen.
Conclusion: - 4 The conclusion was lacking. It looked like you guys just wanted to wrap it up rather quickly and be done with the quest. Chiroptera has gone deaf, Kai is just leaving her there in the ‘capable’ hands of a mob of people who clearly just tried to kill him and the little bat creature just kind of wanders off into a tree. You guys could have gone further with this and properly concluded it with more character interaction. There is also the unanswered question oh why Kai beats up these villagers in the first case. It was never explained. Kai makes a comment about it being funny to the guards but they aren’t interested in listening to him and thus because of that it is never explained to the reader. Just because characters don’t want to know doesn’t mean the reader doesn’t want to know.
Writing Style: - 6
Kai
You have the potential to be a really good writer, all you have to do is practice and find your own writing style and improve upon it along the way. You need to work on the flow of your sentences and pacing as well to keep things running smoothly and to make sure that your writing is not choppy.
‘It was currently one hour after midnight, dark, and damp through the heat of the season, the ground was damp with the recent rain that had passed through, it was nice, peaceful enough and the tasty strawberries were to die for, unfortunately that pleasant smell often attracted unwanted creatures that the farmers had to pay an arm and a leg to get rid of every season.’
That is one monster of a run on sentence. Watch out for repeating the same information, you informed the reader twice that it was damp only the second time you elaborated on it. Perhaps remove the first or just rearrange the sentence. ‘It was currently an hour after midnight, dark and damp with the recent rain that had passed through.’ Instead of using commas to constantly add to a sentence, try breaking it up. Sometimes saying things in short bursts has meaning, in longer bursts that also has meaning, but make sure you’re not carrying on and on. Also watch out for what words you use as you often said ‘cause’ instead of ‘course’.
Chiroptera
Your sentence structures are good and have a nice flow to them. You use the inner thought of your character a lot. Some readers do not necessarily like the idea of putting inner thought in italics and making it stand out, they think it interrupts the flow of the story. I do not mind it so much especially since I used to use it often, however I have discovered that keeping it in the third person inner dialogue does work better. I am not saying you must change your writing to do this, I am merely saying that you should try it out.
Batteryn
One main thing I noticed about your writing is the use of she/her. We use these so that we’re not constantly repeating our characters names over and over again which is repetitive and annoying to the reader. My only issue here is that you never actually give name to your character through your own posting until your third one I believe. Though we do have our character names in nifty little information tabs at the side of the screen, they should be mentioned in posts.
As Kai tends to have run on sentences, you instil short, sharp sentences that sometimes do not flow as nicely into one another. Though run on sentences do not help either, pacing is something you have to feel around for. Just play around with your sentences mixing short and long ones together and you’ll notice that shorter ones usually can evoke feelings of panic, urgency, danger or excitement. While longer ones can be calmer, softer, invoke peaceful feelings. Of course, that doesn’t mean longer sentences can’t be urgent and shorter ones can’t be calming. That’s just something to give you an idea.
Wild Card: - 5
Total Score: 53
Rewards:
Kai receives 300 experience and 200 GP!
Chiroptera receives 370 experience and 200 GP!
Batteryn receives 250 experience and 200 GP!
Cyrus the virus
10-05-06, 06:37 AM
EXP added, good job you guys!
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