Fantasy For my Family

[Twizinator]

Apparently satisfied with the ensuing celebration, Ryrax disappeared back into the rafters in the blink of an eye. He lied down and pillowed his head in his hands. With a contented grin on his face he closed his uncovered eye for a nap. An unfamiliar scent caught his nose that bothered him a bit, but it wasn't a fell one, so he decided to dismiss it for the moment. It was probably just a stray cat somewhere below him.

 

[Ixidor92]

"A fight without fighting. If that is how you truly view this battle, do everyone a favor and withdraw from the tournament."


Aatron pulled the blade away, leaving a small pinprick of blood where the point had broken the skin. He turned pointedly and walked away, his expression initially violent towards the young woman who inquired into their quarrel, but instantly softened to something more respectable when he saw her family emblem.


"A disagreement, nothing more lady of Naejor."


---------------------------------------


"For you? Most certainly."


The Vejta head made a motion with his arm


"Most of the other families focus on the purity of their bloodlines, and ancient fighting practices. We of the Vejta clan are not so much a family of blood as we are a family of outcasts. Runaways from other clans, rouge mana-risers, we take all of them. Your drive to start your own family is admirable."


Chains rattled as the family head stroked his goatee with the arm they were wrapped around


"Inserting you into the tournament proper will be difficult on such short notice, but not impossible. For tomorrow, I can have you participate off of my good word. As long as you make good showings, the rest should have no argument should you continue on your own."

 

[Cyrionessa]

".....you should save your fighting spirit for the ring, Sir Mavartet." The woman raised her eyebrows. "I would hate to have to start having to take care of you people before the tourney even starts." She seemed to glide as she walked over to Odom, waving a hand over the small pin prick. "There. I prefer to see no blood spilled unnecessarily." She smiled happily, seemingly happy. "...and you two are....?"


----


The green eyes flashed as she noticed the odd one jump up into the rafter literally five feet away from her. She inched closer, silently, in order to get a closer look. So, this was the one that Valera had been babbling about earlier to the others. Her green eyes hovered above his face, studying this intruder into her hiding place.

 

[MControl]

Pausing, he thanks the man, "You have my gratitude, honored head of the Vejta family. Now, to meet some of the interesting people also competing!" With that, he surges forth along the path at remarkable speeds for man who could not actively manipulate the energies of the world. The elder vejta would notice, leaning against his leg, a rather ordinary-looking sheathed blade, with a note attatched. "A gift from the House of Astora, of the land of Lordran, given in friendship." Meanwhile, on the path ahead of him, stood three rather unaware Mana risers, which was unfortunate, since when he used his 'Anklet of the Wind', he increased his running speed to remarkable heights. It did not, however, increase his reaction times outside of active combat.

 

[Twizinator]

Ah, Rest and relaxation, thought Ryrax. The sound of music and laughter, the smell of delicious food, the warm feeling from the fires below...


...the scent of someone approaching? That's odd. They seem human, yet....they also smell like...


CAT


Ryrax's eye shot open, his pale blue locking with the woman's emerald orbs. After a brief moment of tense silence, he launched sideways off his perch, hovering in the air about three feet from the woman. "WHAT THE HELL?!" he exclaimed, surprise and...fear on his face?!

 

[Ixidor92]

"Not fighting spirit ma'am, merely chastising family. I am Aatron Valenski, current heir to the Valenski line within the Maveret household."


His arm was crossed over his chest in a slight show of respect as he spoke to the young lady.


"Might I inquire--"


Aatron was interrupted by something colliding with his form. It seemed to be a man. Or at least he thought it was a man . . . he rolled over in the dirt several times, kicking the offender off of him.


"Who--"

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Odom promptly forgot what he was talking about as the newcomer approached. He smiled at her as she waved a hand over his neck. Her fingers spoke gently and sweetly, and he felt his skin giggle in response. It made him happy. "I am the arbiter to those which do not speak. To most, however, I am Odom." He was vaguely aware that Aatron was speaking at the same time as himself, but the stuffy young man no longer held his attention. His eyes expressed a shameless glee; it was not often that he engaged in a conversation not initiated by himself. The only other was usually Faora. The girl before him seemed reminiscent of her, somehow. "And you, it seems, are the emissary of the moonlight." He looked up into the night sky. "The old lady looks down on you with great pleasure. A lucky bond to have, indeed." He looked back down with a suddenly inquisitive visage. "Have you a name--"


He was cut off as a man--he assumed it to be a man, at least, as whatever it was had appeared far too fast to be properly sure--blundered over Aatron, and the two tumbled into a knotted lump in the waking dust. The ground thumped out a moan of discomfort as they came to a halt. "My, but we have visitors tonight!"


-----


Rudd halted mid-song, his bow sliding into inaction as his gaze was hauled over his head, towards the rafters. There he saw Ryrax, a look of utter terror on his face as he gazed into the shadows.


Shadows? No, there was something there. Something reflected the torchlight from below, but it was much too well hidden to discern. He handed off his instrument to someone in the crowd--he didn't bother to check who it was--and walked down the length of the table, eyes straining into the darkness above as he tried to get a closer look.

 

[Cyrionessa]

The woman jumped at the sudden appearance of Jyterra, involuntarily hiding behind Aatron. "....I'm Estelle. How do you know that I am tied to the Cosmos....Odom?" Estelle was disturbed by the fact that the odd man had figured out exactly what she could do just by looking at her. Maybe this was why she did not go out a lot; people tended to be disturbing.


----


A mischievous giggle came from the creature staring down Ryrax. She shifted slightly, creating the silhouette of a woman with a cat tail and cat ears. "Someone's jumpy." She blinked her big green eyes down towards the movement from the handsome young man. Her position was a little precarious, given that she wasn't exactly on her home turf right now. She was staring down an enemy to Valera for kicks. Hopefully, this wouldn't end too badly since she had just been caught.

 

[MControl]

The need to stand up having been precipitated by the kick, he bowed slightly, "My apologies, I was just so excited at the prospect meeting such interesting indivduals, that I failed to see you in time to stop" he said, apologetically. Turning to face the other two as well, he bows again and declares himself, "I... am Jyterra, of House Astora."

 

[Twizinator]

After a few seconds if being frozen with surprise and fear, Rryax shook his head to clear it as best he could. Even so he couldn't totally keep the apprehension out of his voice. "...Who the hell are you and what do you want?" He gave the woman a once-over with his left eye: She was fairly easy on the eyes, but her form was tainted by the evil of a feline.

 

[HilgenHoffer]

As the figure in the rafters became clearer, Rudd began to chuckle, and then to laugh uncontrollably. "This is what you were shouting about? Oh fearsome wolf?" He doubled over as his body racked and shivered with amusement. He wiped his eyes and somehow managed to look back up at the disapproving man. "Come, now, Ryrax. You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"


-----


Odom cocked his head, confused. "Was it a secret? Your fingers told me, just now. Even if they'd been a bit more cryptic, Old Lady Moon had to tell them what to say before they said anything. All I did was listen." He turned again to face the two figures in the dirt, now separated one from the other. After the new man introduced himself as Jyterra, Odom returned his bow. "And who are you, Jyterra? You move very quickly, but your legs, they do not seem to understand how . . ."


His face lit up as he eyed the man's ankle. "Aha! But this does!" Without fanfare, the eclectic gathering was surprised to find Odom perched at Jyterra's feet, his fingers gliding over his curious anklet. "Mmmm, yes, it knows much. I have never seen this before . . ." He cocked his head, listening to the silence at the forger's feet. "Fascinating!"


He stood up so quickly that he nearly clocked Jyterra in the jaw with the back of his head. Unconcerned with the lack of space between them, he began spurting words with glee. "You speak with them, as well! But you do not command . . . you create! Amazing! Are you a God?" He was walking around the bewildered person in circles, inspecting every nook and cranny of his form.

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax growled indignantly. "The dark is my home, you hillbilly!" He spoke to Rudd while constantly glancing to the new woman, refusing to let her out of his sight. He had zero trust for someone who smelled like the same animal that craps in a box. "Do you not see the woman before me?! Or would you like me to fetch a candle?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned his attention back to the female stranger. "You! Name! Now!"

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd fell off of the table laughing. "It's a girl with ears, man! If she was going to hurt us, we'd already be hurting!" He howled. "All that's hurting right now is my sides!" The rest of the hall was starting to laugh with him. He attempted to calm himself as he directed his attention to the young lady in the rafters. "I trust you have a purpose here aside from assisting our cousin in the soiling of his drawers, milady?"

 

[Cyrionessa]

"Cerrrrrrys." Cerys studied Ryrax even more intently. "What's wrong with you? Afraid of a little kitty cat like me?" With that, the tip of her long, lithe, black tail flicked up to hit Ryrax's nose. Cerys proceeded to laugh freely while looking down to address Rudd. "And my purpose is to observe, Vejta. Nothing more."


----


Estelle raised a single eyebrow at the antics of Odom. She continued hiding behind Aatron and she chose to address him at this moment. "...is he....Odom....always....like this?" Estelle was still completely calm but she was also becoming curious. And her curiosity normally got her into massive trouble.

 

[MControl]

Striking a pose, he said, "Well, as much as man is, which is to say," he pauses dramatically, "Yes. I am my own god." Relaxing his pose, he asks, "Now that i have introduced myself, would you all be so inclined to do the same?"

 

[Ixidor92]

"Goddamit woman!"


Jaeger's wings were blood red, now with mana coursing through them, as he flew over the entire compound, looking for a certain cat-eared woman.


"Please don't be in trouble, please don't be in trouble, please don't--"


He stopped hovering near the Vejta household, his nose sniffing a few times. Even amidst all the mana signals here . . . it was unmistakable


"be--in--trouble . . . DAMMIT!"


----------------------------------------


Aatron shook himself as he rose to his feet, feeling a presence behind him as the young woman addressed him


". . . Yes. Unfortunately."


Aatron shook his head


"I am Aatron. I have not heard of such a house as yours . . ."

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax recoiled like as if the tail had delivered an uppercut to his jaw, launching backwards and cracking his head into another wooden beam. He rubbed the sore spot, glaring at this 'Cerys' all the while. "I'm not fond of cats. Unfortunate childhood experience. Rather not talk about it." He broke his stare for just a moment to shoot daggers at Rudd before returning his icy blue eye to Cerys. "And what, pray tell, are you observing? The mice, perhaps?"

 

[HilgenHoffer]

"Ryrax, don't be rude." Rudd turned to face the girl. "Cerys, I certainly don't mind your presence here, but I reckon the old men would be less than thrilled if they found out you were here unannounced. Perhaps you might use the front door next time . . . ?"


-----


Odom absorbed what Jyterra was saying, but he was so busy analyzing that he forgot to respond. Not a god, for sure, but the man was unlike any he'd ever seen. His aura spoke with slurred words . . . a speech impediment? But the things that it said, although difficult to understand, were fascinating. They spoke of art, of architecture, and of living creation. He continued to circle the man with a studious glee.

 

[Cyrionessa]

"I am looking at the one who rudely approached my dear friend Valera earlier." Cerys hissed, showing her long, pointed teeth. "I wanted to know what could be intimidating Valera and Jaeger enough that Jaeger wants you to stay away from her." She glared at him with a stare that could burn a man's soul, if he had one. "I don't take too kindly to people threatening my family; thus, I decided to check up on you and see what sort of creature you are. And apparently..." Her growling face turned into an insulting smile. "You're a coward in the face of a woman like me."


----


Estelle took in the arrogant being before her. She'd never heard of Astora, even with all of her realms of knowledge. "...I've never heard of Astora, good sir. Would you care to enlighten me of this house?" Her thirst for knowledge and burning curiosity was showing.

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd instantly stopped laughing. "It is honorable to defend your kin, friend, but I'm afraid I must do the same. I don't take very kindly to you sneaking into our jubilant hall and insulting the people reveling in it. If you enter here, you'd best be entering as a friend, or I'll have to ask you to leave. If you've a quarrel with Ryrax, then you can settle it outside of my house in daylight. After all, that's why we gather in the first place, inn'it?"

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax grit his teeth. Despite his near-phobia of all things feline, he was even less fond of being called a coward. "Watch your tongue, or I'll make it so you can never lap up milk again," he growled. He didn't even acknowledge that Rudd had spoke. "The only ones that need fear me are the fell ones. Everyone else is merely entertainment for me, why would I bring them any harm?" He tilted his head as he paused to think for a moment. "You said Valera and Jaeger were intimidated? I fail to see how this is my fault. I am a wolf. If I leave the lesser dogs with their tail between their legs, it isn't my problem."

 

[MControl]

"Well," he begins, "I would, but i'm not one to hand out information freely to complete strangers. I've yet to even know your name!"

 

[Cyrionessa]

"...you dare....to call them....lesser?" Cerys' eyes narrowed. "And they are simply entertainment? You....." A growl emanated from deep within her throat and she moved into the light. Her black hair was pulled back in a pony tail and her emerald eyes were flashing angrily. "You dare to insult my family?" Long, razored claws grew out of her nails and she took up a fighting stance.


---


"I am Estelle." Estelle stepped forward, her curiosity making her bold. "I am of the house Naejor. Now...." She approached even closer. "Now will you answer my question?"

 

[Ixidor92]

There was a loud bang throughout the Vejta hall as Jaeger threw it open. He was leaning against the door panting, but his eyes instantly flew up to the top of the building, ignoring the sudden glances that came his way


"CERYS! I KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE!"

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd leapt into the rafters, clambering in between the foes with all of the grace of a ring-tailed lemur. He planted his hands and feet, facing Cerys directly. "I will not permit fighting in this house!" he bellowed. "You will leave. You will leave, and either you'll settle your attitude, or you will not return. I ain't fond of forcin' ladies, but you will listen to me. I ain't givin' you the choice." The back country seeped into his words as he growled them at her. He was turning into a hick, and than was a sign that he was all business.