Graded [Frontier][Ciu'nan]Chapter 1: A distant grotto

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

Ciu'nan had been looking at whoever was speaking, but as the boys began talking her eyes drifted to the fire. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them while resting her chin on top. It was getting late after all, so the signs of fatigue were understandable. Even so, her ears perked up at Adam mentioning he was twenty-eight. She glanced at him briefly before returning to the fire. That was his age: how long he had been in the world.

How long have I...?

Ciu'nan closed her eyes for a moment, before scrunching them as her arms shot out to either side then rose up in an exaggerated stretch. She stood, kicking her toes into the ground.

"I'm gonna, erm, water the flowers. I'll be right back." she said.

Ciu'nan went across the clearing into the trees, one of the bucks watching her as she went. Her vision displayed the dark woods in shades of gray as she wandered in a ways. After several yards, she moved behind a tree and leaned against it.

It's hard to tell someone you're only seven years old. She awoke in a bed of flowers out in the woods, her body then just as it was now. No mother. No family. Well, the flowers were her family, she supposed. The forest, her mother. The animals, her siblings. Seven years ago now. Ciu'nan let out a sigh as her eyes fell to her feet. Well, she had already come all this way, might as well....

Finishing her business, the fae wandered back to the clearing. She let out a yawn as she broke free of the trees. Approaching the fire again made her remember how cold the night was as she shivered. Ciu'nan grabbed her pack as she set down and propped it up behind her against one of the mounds. Laying back against it, she let out a sigh.

"It's getting late, lads. This fae is ready to turn in for the night."

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

"Twenty years," he mused out loud, nodding absently, noting with amusement that was not much older than the man's music career when he expired. Liu looked up and tilted his head at the abrupt movement by Ciu'nan. He dismissed the possibly uncomfortable comportment and watched her go for a moment before turning back to the fire.

"That is a long time, to me," he admitted, looking down at the paper in his hands and turning it back and forth gently in the firelight, "I think I am similar in age to you," he continued diffidently, "but it gets difficult to count. I have lived a very desperate existence for the past, let us say, few years. I do not know in reality how long it has been. I was a military man, you see, a ship's captain briefly -- too briefly. In a war," and there he paused for an uncomfortably long time, staring into the fire. Once there was energy and attention and ardor but how do you wrap up the nuance of your life's purpose once it has been spent, once it is finished, is it even worth mentioning any more? How do you sum up the longest decade of your life, the lion's share of your soul?

"Well, we won," he breathed flippantly, a tired shrug visible even from under the cloth, "we won and now I have nothing else." Another pause. "Nothing else to do, is what I mean, of course," he assured him while forcing a laugh.

"I create maps because I have discovered a preternatural affinity for art and I lack the whimsy or patience for mixing color," he chuckled, turning his map toward Adam so that the fire's light could catch the images on the paper. They were not so detailed, the trees and the mountains, at first glance. They were numerous and precise, taking up no more space on the paper than they would if one were in the sky looking down upon their form. Of course, their perspective was warped a little for the benefit of aesthetics. There was, as he mentioned, little in the way of color. It was black ink. There in the lines of the sea of trees forming their forest a surprisingly detailed path lived mimicking the detailed and chaotic silhouette of trees as they were. Where breaks and clearings in the forest on the paper sat, they were present also in the land. Perhaps it was enough to distract from the faint impression forming that he wasn't telling the entire story, for better or for worse.

 

[Skyhunter]

Adam "Legion" Keith

​

Adam listened to Fei speak, he had a smile on his face as he spoke of them being similar in age, although to Adam he always felt like his life had flew faster than it should have but he has always enjoyed life, as much as his parents were evil and tried to use him for money. Adam's eyes looked over to Cui'nan who got up and walked away, stating that she was going to... Water flowers? Now of all times, he felt tempted to follow after her but instead he stayed his hand and his eyes moved back to Fei. Stating that twenty eight was a long time for the cloaked figure. Adam gave a small chuckle at his comment until he then explained that he used to be a military man, navy actually, even stating to be a captain. Adam had a sense of respect for those who served in the military, no matter what they did. They did what no other could do, or would.

Adam instinctively got to his feet, placing his guitar on the ground. Standing straight up, Adam saluted to Fei, his feet together, a proper pose. He cleared his throat, eyes full of respect and determination. " Thank you for your service. " Adam spoke with respect, as off putting as his voice was, he wanted Fei to know Adam had respect for veterans. " I once did a concert for veterans, we wanted to show our appreciation for them to rise up to the call of duty. It takes a lot of courage, bravery, and balls to do such a thing. " Adam began to think back on that concert, it went on for hours all night, military men could rock like no one else. But once Cui'nan came back and declared they should fall asleep, Adam looked back to Fei, " Well. I'll retire, again, thank you for your service, Fei. " Adam bowed his head slightly as he sat down taking his guitar, he laid down looking up at the canopy of the forest. Adam slowly closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.

Interactions: Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

The night passed in frigid silence, the worst of the chill kept at bay by the fire. Thankfully the northerly breeze ushered in warmer temperatures by first light. It would be an unusually warm spring day by noon. The herd's path would maintain an eastern bearing, which would keep everyone in the forest's shade.

An owl was hooting a good morning, or perhaps good night, to those within earshot as the sun broke free of the horizon. The fire had long since calmed to smoldering embers, leaving those relying on its heat shivering as they waited for the sun's heat. On the other side of the clearing the herd waited for no creature as the bucks bellowed the call to move out.

Ciu'nan awoke with a shiver as she pulled her pelt tighter around her. Longing to stoke the fire yet having no time, she kicked dirt onto it to smother the embers. Anyone who wasn't already awake would be roused by a light tap from her foot in short order. While everyone collected themselves, Ciu'nan surveyed their surroundings with her keen hearing.

Off in the direction the herd was moving, she thought she could hear the sound of rushing water. Beyond that, there was just the usual stillness of early morning with occasional bird song sprinkled throughout. At one point she thought she heard the sound of wings flapping, but it was quickly covered up by the sound of the wind and rustling trees.

Once everyone was ready, Ciu'nan took the lead following after the herd.

"It sounds like a stream is nearby. The herd will likely stop there to drink. We should do the same and fill our waterskins. I'd suggest splashing your face too if you're still groggy." Ciu'nan said in a low tone.

The fae's ears had heard right. About thirty yards away from the clearing a stream meandered through the trees. The deer stood by, in, and around the stream as they drank and passed waste. Figuring as much, Ciu'nan led her companions upstream from the herd for fresh water.

Dipping her skin under the cool water, she watched it bubble as it filled. Once full, she lifted the skin to her mouth and drank deeply. Repeating this process a few times until she had her fill, she stowed the waterskin on her waist.

"Drink your fill. The herd will drink plenty then graze. Once they start moving, however, that's it. We have about a half hour to find something to eat."

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

To Adam's words, Fei Liu could only offer a vacuous stare. It made little sense to him. It seemed a blind statement to make, and though he would not admit it, the man's gratitude rang through his empty skull throughout most of the night while he stared at the dying fire. He did not sleep but he quietly laid down on his back and stared upward. The possibility that the man somehow knew of him before he was sent to this world and shared this body with something else did not even enter his mind, except as a joke perhaps. Eventually his mind wandered to other things. His goals, his discoveries. He imagined that perhaps he would not be so welcome to either of them if a stray breeze were to knock his hood aside. At some point at night a twig breaking stirred him and he turned to the side to see the disappearing tail of some small creature, and he laid back down.

Eventually he sat back up, just a little bit of time before the sun began lightening the horizon. The weak sound of a sigh erupted from his empty chest. Indeed, he should not linger long with these folks. He got to his feet with Ciu'nan. In the early morning light, his tall figure seemed less imposing. Just a big bundle of garment walking around harmlessly without the aid of the darkness and natural sense of danger. Bending at the hip, he draped his long arm into the river to fill his waterskin as well. Once this morning ritual concluded, he stood up straight and addressed Ciu'nan cordially.

"I thank you for allowing me to stay with you last night. I know that I am not normal to behold. I hope you two have found confidence that I mean no harm," he offered gently while tucking his waterskin into the sizeable sack at his waist.

 

[Skyhunter]

Adam "Legion" Keith

​

Adam's slept silently through the night, his arms and legs crossed, the guitar he wielded was hugged tightly in his arms. He didn't dream this night, but then again Adam hasn't dreamed in years. He would hear rustling and he groaned a bit, adjusting himself for a moment until his eyes opened up, looking up at the canopy above them, he shook his head and sat up seeing Cui'nan already up. Adam rubbed his eyes, trying to rub the drowsiness out of him. Adam dropped his hands and looked at the group, then shook his head as he stood up, taking his guitar into one hand. He looked to the beautiful Cui'nan and took a deep breath, " Good morning. " He spoke deeply but as if he just woke up, since he did just wake up.

Adam was ready to move, since all he had was his guitar axe, he followed after Cui'nan, Adam stared all around him at nature. It was nice being back out here in nature, Cui'nan mentioned a stream nearby, Adam could go for a drink of water and needed to splash water on his face. When they reached the water source, Adam placed his guitar down on the ground and knelt down splashing water onto his face, the coldness woke Adam up immediately. He shook his face. " Whoo! " He wiped his face off of water, shaking his head. He then took water into his hands and began drinking handfuls of water. Eventually he drank his fill, Adam stood up wiping his mouth of dripping water. He picked up his guitar and threw the strap over his shoulder. Awaiting to move on.

Interactions: Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

Though the sky had begun to wax a redder hue from the sun cresting over the horizon, the trees prevented the light and would continue to do so for another hour or so. All around them the arboreal watchers rose high above them unlike their shorter, tamer kin closer to the domesticated plains surrounding Ryken. These were trees with deep roots and aspirations to surpass Icarus's mark in the heavens, yet even such as these were still mere saplings compared to the legendary world trees of bygone eras. Their ambitions were apparent, however, as they had shed all vanity, stretching gnarled roots far and wide beneath as their trunks bulged and rippled ever wider to support their skyward reach. These were the mothers and fathers of the forest, sheltering the strays and the natives alike in their boughs.

The deer, though mere pilgrims here, conducted themselves as though they belonged as true heirs to this kingdom of bark and foliage. Having their fill of the stream, the herd spread over the valleys between the enormous trees getting the day's fill of vegetation. Three bucks orchestrated the herd with a handful of other bucks serving more passive roles. Each subset of the herd kept to its own and foraged for what bounty the forest had to offer.

Up river where Ciu'nan had led Adam and Fei, the land rose gently as a prelude to the hill country they were about to enter to the east. The men had their fill of water and now looked to her for guidance. Fei expressed his gratitude for their company and hoped he would continue to be welcomed.

"Mr. Fei you have been a treat. Your mapmaking is most exquisite, and I'm glad you shared the campfire with us last night!" Ciu'nan answered the cloaked figure. "You two are welcomed to join me, but I can't guarantee how easy the journey will be for you. If the herd keeps heading east like it is, we'll hit the foothills of the mountains. The only grace is that the area is heavily forested, so travelling speed will be mostly manageable.
"In any case, you have some time to consider your options while we gather rations. You can see if you can find fish in the river, you can try and hunt small game, or you can forage for berries and such. If you forage but don't know what you're looking for, I would watch for where the deer or other critters eat: they will lead you to edible plants. Look for half eaten fruits underneath the bushes or nearby droppings. I'll see if I can find some game, then return to forage as the herd moves out."

((Playing out your foraging attempts is up to you. Abbreviate as you like. We can skip to the herd moving out otherwise.))

 

[Skyhunter]

Adam " Legion " Keith

​

Adam stared at Cui'nan before him then at the field, " Actually, Cui'nan. I have to go. " He had a sadden look at his face, " Something is calling to me. It was very nice to meet you two. Maybe we can meet one another again. Until then. This is goodbye. You too Fei, good luck on your journey with your maps. " Adam faced the two and bowed lowly. " Take care. " He turned and walked off onto his own path. Carrying his guitar with him.

Interactions: Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy (Sorry I'm dropping out )

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Liu stood near the water, notably failing to sink very far into the mud at all. Off to one side, the river, its trailing net of stringy disturbances rotating and eddying along reflecting the soft grey morning sky. It was an astonishingly quiet formation and he joined it in its silence at Ciu'nan's complementary response. A meager chuckle and inclination of his shoulders toward her was all he could manage after a few moments. A detached air slipped into his comportment. In the way he stood and turned his face down toward the water as though he forgot it were there for a moment. Inwardly of course there was conflict. He could not pretend any longer that he did not require company. Circuity formed along his path every time a new companion came along but perhaps, he reasoned, the longer he walked the more powerful he could become. And then perhaps one day he can wander into the kind of territory he wanted to enter without being accompanied. Perhaps he would no longer need to be babysat in dangerous situations if he delayed himself from his destination long enough. Blooming in his empty chest, just a little surety pulled his feet from the mud, nodding his acknowledgement of her request.

When Adam announced his departure, Liu felt a touch of relief. When the dark man offered his thanks, in Liu's opinion blindly to him for being a soldier, he found it endearing but worryingly naiive. Liu did not any longer have a taste for debating people though, it was too similar to the belittling, rugged arrogance with which he carried himself stiffly all those years. Rigid with unwavering and absolute assurance that all he stood for was correct and he had to stand stout like a wall holding back all the wrong things happening. He had to come down on those below them if they showed weakness. Vapors of long stale desperation, dead illusions of superiority and righteousness wafted through his skull while he watched Adam go. Indeed, he was glad he did not have to ask why he would thank him for his service, to a cause unknown. It had to be a sign of progress, at least, that Liu would at least defer thanks to those who devote themselves to causes which strive for blamelessness. Bloodthirsty power grabs are wrong, Liu reasoned finally before bowing in return to the man's back. With that simple goodbye he turned to the forest nearby.

Liu spent a thoughtful 30 minutes in dense brush. He had no trouble finding his way back to the riverbank where they first convened in the morning. How embarrassing would it be as a mapmaker to get lost? In the one hand gloved by thick brown leather, a squirrel with its neck broken dangled stiffly. He presented it to the fae creature with some sort of air, imperceptible as a result of the bundles of fabric over his form.

"I have never learned how to undress this kind of creature," he joked somewhat naughtily before presenting the dead beast to her, "so I believe this is more for you to keep," he suggested, leaning forward with his lengthy form and waiting for her to take the thing from him. From his side, branches and leaves poked out. Ciu'nan ought to recognize them as the foliage of plants producing edible berries. A couple of bright spots of color in the bed of foliage indicated he gathered berries as well.

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

Before Ciu'nan could start her brief hunt, Adam announced he would be leaving. She turned to him and stared for a moment before giving him a nod.

"May the trees part their branches on your most favorable path, Adam. I hope you find what you are looking for." she said.

Adam went his way and Ciu'nan turned to begin her hunt. Off to her side, she heard Liu shuffling off into the brush, seemingly also looking to hunt. A game then!

Even in the dark, the forest still had a bounty to offer. Nocturnal hunters and scavengers came in all shapes and sizes. Although many of them would be returning to their roosts and hollows to bed. Even so, Ciu'nan perked her ears up and listened for signs of passage, her spear in hand.

The wind soft and subtle provided a whispering ambience to the forest's sound. Off to Ciu'nan's right something rustled in the bushes. Ahead of her a twig snapped. Overhead, birds emitted mild salutations to the coming day. One of the birds took flight suddenly. A skittering sound came from the ground, interrupted by a flap of wings amidst a brief bout of squeaks. More flapping of wings then the sound of talons gripping a branch.

Ciu'nan opened her eyes and spotted an owl perched on a branch ready to consume its catch. She slowly raised her spear. Drawing back the haft, her eyes locked onto her prey. The owl was looking around, its head spinning impossibly far as only owl's can. Content with its surroundings, it glanced down at its catch once more and lowered its beak to feast. A near silent release stirred the air as the spear came hurtling towards the owl. It would not react in time, its death all but assured.

As the spear was about to strike, an unseen force suddenly diverted the spear's path, causing it to miss and fly past the owl into a tree beyond. All Ciu'nan heard was the sound of a sudden gust. She looked quizzically at the startled owl as it scooped up its prey and flew to a different tree. Ciu'nan let out a sigh as she went to collect her spear.

The spear had landed fairly high up on the tree. As she started to climb up, she glanced back at the spot where the owl had been. As odd as the incident was, she could see no obvious cause.

"I guess the forest said 'no'." she said to herself.

With that she collected her spear and returned to the river where Liu was waiting. He had managed to catch a squirrel at least, which he handed to her, declaring that he had no idea how to "undress" it. Wind forcibly escaped through Ciu'nan's lips as she giggled at his joke.

"I think you mean 'dress', Mr. Fei. I'll take the squirrel if you keep those berries protruding from your hip. I'll be grabbing some for myself when the herd moves out." she said.

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

"Of course," he bowed, handing the creature over, "I do not know how squirrels like to dress either," came the dry chuckle.

He gently rubbed his hands clean of stray fur and some grime from the creature's tail. The fur was stiff and sticky, a wild creature to be sure. Fei stood silently for a time, drinking in the sounds around him. Finding little difference between the chaotic din of the forest waking up and the chaotic din of a city waking up, he asked Ciu'nan idly, "so I understand you are tracking these creatures for their strange behavior. Do you know of any monuments in the direction we are headed? Any special places in the direction they migrate?" With a final swipe of his palm over the leg of his pants, he knelt down where he was standing and waited for her to respond, casting his gaze curiously toward the herd of creatures stirring not terribly far away. Their mystery and majesty had his interest at the very least.

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

Ciu'nan grabbed a strand of rope from her bag and tied one end around the squirrel and the other to her belt. After that was done, she sat near Fei, facing the deer. They hadn't moved out yet, but they were starting to congregate, which meant the bucks would give the signal any moment. Ciu'nan gestured towards the herd.

"They know more than I do. Unfortunately, this is my first time coming this far east. The only thing I can say for certain is that the area is mostly wooded as we approach the mountains. At some point, if we keep heading east, we should cross a main road of some sort that runs north and south. I've heard its used as a trade route, but some say it's just an old road for certain pilgrims travelling to a holy place." Ciu'nan said, smiling absently as she watched the deer. "We found this clearing with an old battlefield buried beneath the forest floor, though, so who's to say what else these woods might be hiding?"

 

[Volkie]

Wonton Denver - A walk with a Cervitaur crosses paths with a Fae and a Skeleton - Haruki LadyOfStars Ciu'nan Clyvelle Fei Sisyphus Happy



The soft breeze of the wind brushed along Wonton's face, the waddle dee giving a content sigh as he led Haruki along the trailed route to his home village..

"How ya holding up Haruki? We're almost there.. If you want, we can take a break.."

He looked to the young Cervitaur, making sure he was okay before slowing to a stop..

He was slightly tired from walking this long..

He was snapped out of that by the sudden feeling of some wet fabric.. Oh,right.. The slaver blood.

"Ah.. guess some of those slavers' blood got on me.. Now that I think about it.. How about we stop for a break? And then maybe find some pond or a river of sorts? If you're hungry, I have some tomatoes in this brown bag. Meta bought them fresh yesterday.."

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki​

The journey from Arborhaven had been hard on Haruki and not because he was tired, but becasue he had made connections for the first time since his herd was killed and just as quickly as he made them, he was forced to leave them. He wasn't alone though and he appreciated that because those days when he was alone were the worst.

As his hooves clopped lightly with every step they took along the path, Haruki listened to what Wonton had started to say. Partially. He was more focused on what kind of creature Wonton was because he had never seen anything like him before. His personality seemed just as unique as his species and Haruki kind of enjoyed it.

As they came to a stop, the young cervitaur looked around and started to listen to the forest. These were familiar sounds which he missed, but they made him feel alone as he no longer would hear the sounds of his herd among them. He listened for the sound of running water and heard it not too far away, but he also heard the sound of someone or something crushing dried leaves and twigs under their step. "We're not alone here, Mr. Wonton." Haruki declared. "It might be creatures native to the forest, but I don't know." He added. The last thing they needed were more slaver troubles.

Slowly he started to step away from Wonton. "I hear a river nearby as well, I'm going to go get a drink." He hadn't had anything to drink since they left Arborhaven and who knows how long ago that was. All that matter was that he was thirsty now.

So he followed the sound of running water to find the stream that cut through the forest and a smile broke his tense features. "Perfect!" He cheered boisterously as he rushed to the side of the stream. His front legs bent and lowered his torso, then his hind legs did the same until he was sitting beside the stream and cupping water in his palms to bring to his mouth.

Volkie Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy

 

[Volkie]

Wonton Denver - Haruki LadyOfStars Aka: A Dee’s Much needed Drink.


“Woah- Wait up!”

At Haruki’s mention of water nearby, and the fact the cervitaur made way to it, Wonton quickly followed after, though maybe tripping on the other side of the bush.

“Eep- Oof!”

His stuff was fine, though lil Wonton still had some velocity..

You can guess where he landed.

*Splash*

“Bwuah.. Refreshing.. but would be better if my body was dry..”

He moped slightly, getting out of the water and drinking from the river as well..

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Liu nodded faintly, his white-gloved hand coming up toward his face. It disappeared into the heavy shadow covering his face, cast by the heavy hood over his form. Silence settled over the two though it was filled fairly quickly by the audience of ripples thronging nearby down the wide stream. Burbling and birdsong rang between the duo sitting by the river and between the duo and the herd not terribly far away. It was a decent distance behind Liu that the road wound away from the clearing the deer occupied. The road from which an orange ball and a cervitaur departed toward the very same stream filling the silence. It was to that silence that Liu owed the sense that new actors appeared nearby. He wheeled his head around cautiously, peering along the shore of the river until a figure broke through. Liu, in the first moments noticing the figure, felt the need to note the delicate features. It was another figure with deer antlers, to boot. It was not until the torso elongated into a brown body and four deer legs that he felt the need to stare for a little while. This sight struck him as strange and he just finished resting less than six feet away from a person made of leaves and feathers.

After a few moments of staring, he turned his body toward the river while he rested on his knees, so that he did not need to crane his neck around to see them, they would be in his periphery. In that moment, a bright orange ball burst from the same spot, drawing his face in the direction once more. He spoke to Ciu'nan lowly, "these two do not seem particularly aggressive but we must prioritize departing with the herd, do you agree?" he posed, calmly resting his hands in his lap. Out of the lot, he was the eeriest figure. Kneeling by the riverbank staring without movement at the water, clad heavily in a thick layer of dark fabrics, many pieces of clothing mismatched from each other face completely hidden. He was tall as well. Even kneeling, his head rose just a little above the nearby bushes. It was not a human tallness, to be sure. It was perhaps more disconcerting that he was not carrying any weapons, only a pouch at his side with a metal cynlinder, and the recent addition of leaves poking out of the top. He could have been some kind of forest wraith, even sitting nearby what is clearly yet another creature of the forest.

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

Ciu'nan's ears picked up movement and faint voices even before figures emerged from the forest further upstream. The first to appear drew her attention with his unusual yet familiar body: the lower half of a deer and the upper half of a man yet with antlers jutting from his scalp. Ciu'nan's ears perked up at the sight of him. Her head cocked to the side when an orange sphere sprang from the bushes and plopped into the river. Fei's voice brought Ciu'nan back to the here and now. Even as he finished speaking, the bucks bellowed from further down river. The high-pitched cry would certainly draw the attention of the other two. Ciu'nan's gaze lingered on the cervitaur a moment before turning away to the herd. They had begun to filter into the trees, but they would not get far very fast. Galloping, while possible, would not be convenient through the forest's rugged terrain.

"They won't get far, Fei. The terrain between the trees will only get more treacherous as we near the foothills. You can keep an eye on them if you wish, but I'm going to see what these two are up to before moving on." Ciu'nan said as she stood, brushing herself off some.

The fae treaded carefully through the brush as she approached the newcomers. Climbing the roots of a massive tree jutting out from a small cliff overlooking the river, Ciu'nan peeked around the trunk at the cervitaur and his stout, spherical friend.

 

[Volkie]

Wonton Denver - Haruki LadyOfStars , Ciu'nan Clyvelle , Fei Sisyphus Happy . AKA: Ever had that feeling you were being watched- Oh Hello There!

Scooping up his fill of water, Wonton let out a sigh of content as he dropped onto his back. His Bandanna making a wet *plop* on the floor as he looked up at the singing birds.. perched on trees.

"Hehe.. Good ol' river fresh water.. Never gets old of that natural taste, right bud?" He spoke to his Cervitaur friend, a peppy tone on a relaxed face.

He looked over to a small cliff that oversaw the river in interest, before trailing his sight up to see a rather large tree there too.. Still rambling on.

His words were able to be heard by the fae in the tree, who he wasn't aware of just yet.

"Nature at its divine finest.. Sometimes I wish I could meet a Dryad or a Fae.. And thank them for such beautiful scapes.. we see.. I remember a small church that used to be right across from the village Market.. It was devoted to the Faes and Elves. Meta used to take me there every Tuesday.. I'm still sad that it closed down to be replaced by an Adventurer's guild though.."

The memory of that made him sniffle a bit. He loved going to that church a lot, and it was where people didn't give a dumbfounded look at his appearance..

"Although.. I am happy that Fumu-Kai is getting its protection by the guild, It just doesn't feel the same.."

He sighed, before softening up a bit.

And then that feeling came.

"Hey, Haruki..?" He started, "Do you ever get that feeling that someone's watching you when you don't know? I just got that feeling..." His eyes trailed further up that tree on the cliff...

And there he saw what appeared to be a grey skinned woman looking down at them.

"Oh.. Um, Hello.. Miss?" He called out to her.

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: Volkie LadyOfStars Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy
​

Tia walked among the wilderness following behind the orange round creature and Haru. Throughout this entire trip she had remain dejected, internally struggling with her newfound emotions. The pain in her chest had yet to subside and the desire to eat was absent for the fist time in her short life. From the smells around her she could tell she was back in the forests even if it wasn't her own. Gone were the huge herds and structures of stone and shiny bone which held stars all around them. Despite the familiar surroundings it only served to remind her how far Ceylan was from her. She cared not for the orange creature, but at least Haru was here. The fawn gave her some direction when she didn't want to find her own, at the moment that was preferable.

Haru and the orange one were speaking, and if nothing else she was picking up on the meaning behind their sounds much better than before. Unbeknownst to Tia this was thanks to the Slavers brain she had eaten. Consuming neurons and their connections directly allowed for a greater assimilation of the host species for Tia's kind. She picked up on Haru's wariness from the sounds and his smell, so there must be other animals nearby. Then he made a sound which indicated an action of some kind she couldn't tell what it would be, but based on the direction of his movement and the sound of a river nearby he must be going to get water. She wondered if she could have understood Ceylans reason for leaving if she was as proficient in her learning as she is now.

She followed and soon they came upon the river. The orange creature fell into it splashing her with water. Her body merely absorbed it. Haru crouched to drink, and Tia sullenly stood next to him staring down into the river. Her reflection stared back at her. Its expression unlike anything she had seen on her face before. She had seen a similar face on the fear stricken people in town and on Harus face on occasion but never upon her own. It reminded her of when she had taken this form, how she had come upon an identity accidentally and all the sudden the world seemed so vibrant and interesting. Now however she could not muster the excitement and curiosity she had once felt. She crouched down to look upon her face closer, bringing her hands up to it wondering what she should do to ease her ache. Then her nose twitched with a foreign scent, alone it was no cause for alarm but the smell was that of another creature. In her current frame of mind her patience was thin and Tia found herself quick to animalistic rage. Any outside of her pack were threats, and could take Haru away just like Ceylan. She stood straight with her hands at her sides like she was prepared to pounce on an enemy. Her eyes followed the scent finding a creature with horns similar to Haru though it was bipedal. The orange one noticed as well and warily called out to them. Tia gave her own greeting, "Grrrrrrrrr..." a growl as deep and threatening as she could muster though with her young frame and soft voice it didn't come out nearly as threatening as she thought it did.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki​

Haruki had to agree with Wonton, there was nothing like fresh water from a running stream. Granted he was raised on the same water so he was a little bias. But being back in the forest and surrounded by the familiar sounds and sights did bring him a great sense of peace. Sitting there listening to Wonton, he didn't hear the voices in the background, voices of people who were watching them He was more focused on this church of the fae that Wonton was talking about. While his herd had interacted with many fae and even coexisted with some, Haruki had never heard of a fae or elven church. He shook his head in confusion and dismissed the topic from his mind. He was still getting to know Wonton, it was expected that things wouldn't always make sense.

While his friend went on and on, Haruki looked up river, where he saw the deer that had been standing around and were now making their departure. Small tears swelled in the cervitaur's eyes, but he quickly wiped them away, denying them the chance to make him look soft or weak. He couldn't spend the rest of his life crying after all. Tia, gratefully had chosen to stick with them rather than to be alone. She hadn't said much except for Ceylan's name, but even Haruki could tell that this prolonged silence was not from a lack of skill speaking. She probably missed Ceylan and he couldn't lie, he was worried about him as well.

Preparing to lay down and get comfortable, Haruki was startled when he heard Tia growl and heard Wonton speaking to someone. His eyes darted around momentarily before he spotted a dark figure further down river. Then they landed on the woman who was clearly a fae. It seemed that he could not escape the memories of his herd. "Tia, there's no danger." He quickly told her. "Everything is okay." He promised before he shuffled up into a standing position.

Volkie EMIYAman Clyvelle Sisyphus Happy

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

She had been spotted. The orange ball apparently possessed some keen sense, despite it's mundane appearance, and announced Ciu'nan's presence upon spotting her. As it turned out, there was a third creature hidden behind the cervitaur, which now was growling at Ciu'nan thanks to the dandelion's alarm. Having been found out, Ciu'nan felt it silly to remain in hiding. Coming around the trunk into full view of the trio, she smiled at them. Aside from the ambiguous dandelion, the other two seemed young. Very young.

They're like me.... thought Ciu'nan.

She closed her eyes a moment while redirecting her thoughts.

"Hello. My name is Ciu'nan. What are your names?" she asked.

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: Clyvelle LadyOfStars Volkie Sisyphus Happy
​

Tia regarded the antlered being with clear suspicion. Her eyes narrowed and body tense. To the side of her Haru called her name and made calming sounds. She once again brought her eyes to the creature, picking up on her smell. She smelled similar to Haru, like the forest, but the smell was stronger upon her along with the smell of blood which clung to her. Tia reasoned she must have recently hunted yet there was no blood on her antlers. She must use those artificial claws like the people of that big tree herd. The other female made intonations with her vocal cords, Tia recognized a sound she guessed to be her name. Ciu'nan. It was certainly harder to say than Ceylan. Along with that came the questioning sound she knew was a request for her own name.

Tia marched up standing slightly in front of Haru spreading her arms out as if to protect him though she noticeably didn't even register the orange ones presence or safety. She put her hand to her chest, "Tia!" her soft voice spoke out her name as assertively as she could putting her all into it. Then she placed her hands upon her hips and puffed out her chest trying to appear bigger, meant to stave off idea of Ciu'nan becoming a threat.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haru was excited, happy even, to see someone who was of a species that he was familiar with. What made him smile even harder was the sight of Tia jumping to his defense. It was reassuring of the bond that they had started to forge. However, as he didn't see Ciu'nan as a threat, he stepped from behind Tia to stand beside her. "I am, Haruki." The cervitaur replied with a nod of his head.

"Sorry if we have trespassed in your territory or hunting grounds." He hadn't seen any signs that any creatures claimed the immediate area as their own. "We've just journeyed from Arborhaven."

Volkie EMIYAman Clyvelle

 

[Volkie]

Wonton Denver - Clyvelle EMIYAman LadyOfStars

The moment that the Newcomer fully revealed herself, Wonton took a mental note of each of her features. Such as one: She seemed to have glowing antlers, 2: her clothing style was more nature inclined, plus her ears aswell.. Safe to say she was definitely a fae.

Hearing Haruki’s explanation snapped him out of his stupor, as he shook a bit and adjusted his soaked bandanna.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Ciu’Nan. My name’s Wonton Denver. And as Haruki said, we’ve just been journying to my hometown from Arborhaven. A Slaver attack had happened there during a festival, with Haruki and the girl, Tia being targeted by them. I’ve been willingly bestowed upon the responsibility of supervising them and maintaining their safety by a priest, who had to stay behind to investigate something with other religious individuals . My hometown, Fumu-Kai, is our destination. We stopped by this river for a hydration break, and I apologize if we’ve intruded or trespassed on these forest grounds, Merry Fae..”

He explained their situation further, as his Bandanna had occasionally drooped over his eyes which was met with his orange nubby hand readjusting it.

​

 

[Clyvelle]

Ciu'nan
|Fae|​

"Tia, Haruki, and...Wonton Denver. Such expressive names you have!" Ciu'nan said while looking at each one as she restated their names. Her hand raised to her mouth in surprise as they began apologizing to her. "Oh, no, no! You have committed no wrong! I myself am just passing through."

Wonton divulged the ill tidings that brought them here.

"I am sorry that happened to you." said the fae as her ears drooped sorrowfully. "Thankfully, I have not ran into any such individuals in my journey east. I've been following a herd of deer from the border of the Light County. Speaking of...."

Ciu'nan leaned in the direction of the herd as her ears perked up. The sound was growing faint, especially due to the gay chattering of the stream and the rousing forest around them, but the herd was still within earshot.

"I really must be going. The herd is moving on. I don't know where Fumu-Kai is, but there is a main road straight east of here. You're welcome to join me until we cross it if you wish." Ciu'nan said, taking a few steps in the direction of the herd.

Whether the trio joined her or not, Ciu'nan returned downstream to where she had left Fei.