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Fantasy Magi: Magic Arising


Sukana Kyrune

​



"Yes, let's go and see what we find!" Sukana began walking before she even finished her sentence. Hardly aware of the childish grin on her face, she caught up to the girl from Ashpor in a few long strides. "Our wills align... A good sign." Ciara seemed so sure of herself, she didn't mind letting her take the lead, even though she was much younger. The way she spoke, it was like she was taking her on some voyage far from mundane concerns. Following suit, Sukana also ignored the commotion in the main streets. They arrived at a window that was just covered with a single board. "It will take a lot more than this to stop us, I think." She placed a hand on Ciara's shoulder to motion her aside.


In a swift, fluid motion, she drove her spear into the center of the board. It splintered with a thunderous crack. Xochi squawked in protest at the sudden noise, losing a couple feathers as he flew away. "Excellent," Sukana congratulated herself. Chunks of wood landed on the ground with soft pats as she cleared the remaining debris from the window. She gave Ciara a conspiratorial smile. "It looks like entry has been granted."


Sukana found it easy to lift herself through the window. It was surprisingly dark inside. High above in the ceiling was a hole of gray sky, a spot of bright green at its edge. Xochi would be standing watch on top of the building. But other than the slivers of light from the rest of the boarded up windows, there was barely enough illumination to discern shapes in the darkness. Rubble littered the ground, but was anything else here? She tested one of the nearby support beams. It would be bad if the building collapsed on them.


She called out to Ciara. "Seems clear. I wonder what this used to be - why is it all sealed up?"


In the dark, Sukana noticed that the center stone of her necklace seemed to glow on its own.
Current Location: The Warehouse

​



((@Ashen Wraith Oh, I'm a total sucker for Roman names. xD I hope Ciara wasn't relying on a stealthy break-in.


@Hales? Heheheh.))
 
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Juno Van Luchtereo


Towns edge


The dissolute young man awaited the strangers hopefully entertaining response with clear anticipation, chatoyant eyes gazing at him widely as his lips quivered slightly, such an aspect hardly visible as they were still twisted into the form of a chaotic grin of whimsical excitement much like a childs when they encounter something of interest.


Such a practical scenario in some ways alike to the current situation unfolding upon the dirt like pathway the two individuals stood upon then. Junos right hand twitched without his crazed minds consent, fingers somewhat disfigured and offset from past injuries rumored to have been performed by himself by the use of items varying from hammers to his own left hand.


But they snapped in different directions at his side, quiet popping noises accompanying each sudden movement of his fingers. Juno paid no mind to this event, allowing the habit to unfold beside him as he instead paid most attention to the man before him. Golden eyes darting around the strangers structure with hidden intention as he concocted a new game which consisted of how many scars decorated the mans visible skin.


It was like guessing how many candies were in a jar, but more fun.


But finally the man responded, but with more questions.


"Looking for me?" Juno took a sudden step forward, a small whirl wind of dust enveloping his shoe for a second before already beginning to dissipate as he hung on each mans word expectingly, upper body leaning forward while his eyes didn't leave the man for a single moment. "A home?" The man bit his lower lip fiercely, the familiar taste of a dirtied iron lapping over the boys taste buds as he swooped his head to the side a moment, eyebrows knitting into one another as he attempted to recall where home was, and whether someone perhaps was looking for him as though he had been lost.


"Nope." Juno emphasized the 'p' as he made a popping noise to replace the letters original sound while his golden eyes fell upon the man once more, a small dot of red littering the right portion of the males lower lip. "But wouldn't it be fun if someone was after me? Like cops and robbers, or hide and seek. But a version that wouldn't end." Juno slowly rose his left hand as he spoke, raking the cracked nail of his index finger a crossed the open wound decorating his lower lip as he continued on in a more breathless tone seemingly somewhat lost in his thoughts. "Yes, yes. That would be fun."


Though the males attention seemed to be dragged back towards the stranger when given ownership of the bird on the day that it would die. To this Juno took another rapid bundle of steps forward, shoulders hunched forward as they normally were giving him a shorter appearance then his natural stature. "What if I killed Bird, would I be able to play with Bird still?" Without the permission of the other, with a mixture of poor effort and little imagination the teal haired man had given the crow his own personal name, and referred to it with said name, wondering if perhaps he had formed his own personal loop hole in the twos hopefully truthful agreement.


Such a chance of aquiring the dead bird earlier peaking Junos excitement farther as gradually much of his weight was shoved onto his toes as he began bobbing up and down anxiously, scarred fingers lacing into one another and tracing each others' stubbled surfaces in rough and abrupt motions.


Only faltering a moment as a small voice arose from within the back of Junos mind, its tone subtle and soft, barely noticed above the relaying franticness of the maddening nature that constantly circled the mans thoughts and overthrew the once familiar sanity.


That's their friend, what if someone killed your friend?


The voice was quiet and weak, somewhat muffled by the many layers of thoughts used to coat such an untouched corner of his conscious thickly; for such a compassionate tone was unneeded, confusion and hesitance was all that clung to the males mind after it made an appearance. Emotions such as these irregular and alien to the teal haired boy as his hands had suddenly ceased their joyful movements, instead twitching in front of his chest a moment until Juno came to such a realization of his stillness and quickly exclaimed with a reclaimed crooked smile,


"I have big pockets! What if I put some of the fox in my back pack or my pockets and if we see any birds we can give them some." Junos words rolled off his tongue at an increasing pace as though they were having a contest measuring who could speak faster like in a debate, explaining his peculiar method with vivid and bright emotion. Before repositioning himself so he faced the right, his movements slow and dragged as though weights had been tied to his lanky appendages.


"I think I threw the stomach into the bushes over there," Juno cocked his head almost thoughtfully to the side and threw his arms up to his chest loosely, gripping his shoulders with their opposite hands as if someone had finally dressed him in his most deserved attire piece, a straight jacket. Fingers gripping the cloth of his cotton button up fiercely before removing his right hand to return it to his past action of worsening the once small puncture accessorizing his lower lip. "We could have a treasure hunt, but with guts! So like, a man hunt. Those are the best aren't they?"


Much of the time when Juno spoke some would believe that his personality was but a joke, a persuasive act performed with the use of great talent, something to entertain those who spoke to him. The new visitor only realizing after a couple minutes worth of conversation that such a twisted persona was not false and could actually be concocted and worn by someone like a thick cloak, capable of hiding who may be truly wearing it.


After awhile an excuse would be created by the other and with overt fear induced franticness the other would stroll away in the opposite direction.


In the last couple years Juno hadn't experience an interaction as long as this one, and for whatever reason it made him want to continue talking with the other.


Juno glanced over at the other man, to catch the steady beady gaze of Bird, for a moment there was silence when the teal haired boy then murmured quietly, keeping himself oddly still as if by doing so he would become invisible an almost competitive glint of emotion in his eyes,


"Does Bird usually have staring contests with people...?" He muttered through clenched teeth, eyes unmoving as he stared into the oblivion gaze.


When suddenly a rough voice arose from the creature, such a sudden occurrence triggering an immediate reaction from Juno who scuffled back at a fast pace, clouds of dirt scuffing up the exterior of his already dirtied brown dress shoes and causing small pebbles varying in size to sneak into his shoes. "Bird talked!" Juno announced blatantly in a large voice which fell through the forest, eyes wide in obvious shock, only to jump back once more as a caveman would if confronted with fire as Bird spoke up once more instead in a more chanting manner swooping over the mans head and landing on a branch beside them.


When such an incident fell into place the man yelped in a high tone which mimicked the same sound of some type of bird and took a solid step in the opposite direction of the crows current position though with the helpfullness of the gravel below their feet, the rocks rolled beneath him and rather then creating a surface to push himself off of instead formed useless friction and caused him to make contact with his face and the ground rather then with his foot.


A crossed the males face the sensation of different sized rocks dug themselves into his plush cheeks and stung different portions of his face even as he gradually placed his clammy palms atop the cool uneven ground in trembling motions, pressing himself up off the ground so he was balanced on his kneecaps and his hands, relishing in the sizzling pain from the uneven pathway with an odd form of enjoyment before abruptly turning to face the stranger with an accusing tone.


"You lied to me! You said Bird was a Bird when really their an puppet that chants stick so it can raise wood demons!" Juno narrowed his gaze and attempted to imitate the hard, stoic facial expression of the stranger before him when the other spoke up in regards to why the teal haired boy was even here. For a moment his single response was a simple shrug, shoving himself up onto his knees and ignoring the pain created by the rocks he sat atop, "I don't know. I just had a feeling that I should go into the town," again Juno shrugged before grinning once more as he glanced over at the decaying fox with eyes full of remaining greed and lust for future dead subjects. "But then I saw that beauty over there and needed to stop, to pleasure myself after a long trek, you know?" With unsteady movements the male willed himself up onto his feet, swaying as he regained his balance.


"Because walking with all these things around you, tweeting and howling, happy with life and trying to survive. Just," Juno slowly rose his hands towards his face, eyes inspecting the odd unusual angles some of his disfigured joints were at before beginning to trail them through the knots of his green hair from his dirty hairline, grasping at large clumps with calloused hands as strands peaked out from in between the fingers in different positions while he remained in that position for a few moments before speaking in almost a whisper,"just gets so annoying,"


A gentle wind lulled through the trees though it caused the backs of Junos caprees to lash about when the signature chaotic grin of Junos fell upon his pale chapped lips, a soft chuckle clawing out of his dry throat and erupting from him a moment before he rose his head upwards and stared the stranger down for a silent while before questioning,


"Why haven't you attacked me yet? Come on, run that sleek blade right through me and throw me into a river, turn me into a cabbob. We could make it a game, I like games, they're fun. It'd be like a survival game, you'll level up and earn the title of a murderer." Juno leaned forward as though they were two people transferring secrets in a school yard, hiding the lower portion of his dirtied face with the back of his hand as he whispered. "It's not that fun of a title to some, but to me it's glamorous and comes with fun after effects."


@Uncle ShortyB
 
Laura had to admit she was a bit surprised when Roquel began shaking after her needle had been taken. The child nurse undid the stitching and gently removed a few larger pieces of debris with the needle before handing it back to the woman whom she really hadn’t meant to upset - Laura was the kind of person who just cared for her patients and in any given situation anyone could be her patient. She handed the needle back before saying, “Although this may not be a hospital, septic shock will most certainly kill him. It wouldn’t be living a little longer in sickness and delusion - it would mean certain death. If we leave the wound open, his chances of living are better.”


Laura nodded at the man who had supported her statements earlier as a gentle thanks. His name was…. Dexter? Shortly thereafter, something changed. The air became slightly thicker although with what Laura couldn’t say.


Laura was suddenly afraid. “Are they going to kill us?” Although she may have pulled other people out of deathly situations before, she was far less confident about her own ability to keep herself from the same fate. Panic rose within the child as Dexter swore and she watched as he threw a cloth in front of the crevice under the door. Laura pulled her shirt over her mouth in a desperate attempt to avoid breathing in the noxious fumes, but it was no use. She felt her body go numb and all of her will to live slowly faded as her eyes closed sucking her into the nothingness that may lie beyond.


@GiannaCoco @kira blackthorn
 
Note: I apologize to readers in advance. This post does get a bit graphic.





Akira / Royce Chevlair / Victor Ludwig / Dexter Hawethorn / Haru Hickory / Sepitus Trevils


Royce awoke groggy and drained. He immediately realized that his hands were once again tied above his head and the familiar ache in his arms returned swiftly. He couldn’t keep himself from emitting the slightest of groans. The young man glanced around the room to note that his new cellmates were now tied up as well and in the center of the room stood two individuals, both of them familiar. There was Victor - a man who had made it his job to torment Royce every day since his arrival. And there was the woman and within her hand, Royce saw his pendant. Every ounce of his strength surged as he tried to charge at her and the simmering pain of the rope rubbing against his skin pulled him back as all of the force of his attempt simmered due to his lack of anywhere to go.


“Greetings, young prince.” Akira drawled. “I must admit, I admire you for hiding this pensent from us for so long. Unfortunately I am not as dim-witted as my underlings. Now,” She kneeled down to eye level with Royce. “I believe you have been withholding information from us.”


Royce kicked out a foot, aiming for her face. It missed, obviously, but he still smirked slightly. “You have no idea what kind of war you’re starting,” he muttered as he spit towards her face - again failing at the attempt. “I may not survive it, but neither will you. This whole land will burn to the ground before you get what you want.”


“I’m afraid you are mistaken, young prince. I know exactly what I am doing.” Akira straightened and turned to Victor. “I doubt he will tell us under these circumstances. I will need you to persuade him.”


“Yes, Mistress. It would be my pleasure.” Victor kept his eyes on Akira as she continued to fill the room with her presence.


----


“Ugh…” Dexter roused from his forced slumber to find that his hands were tied above his head. Just great, Dexter mused. Now how am I going to get out of here. He suddenly heard people talking around him. There was a male and female voice that he didn’t recognize and the voice of the boy with the glowing pendant. Dexter feigned sleep as he listened to the boy telling the women about some war she was apparently starting and the women’s cool, emotionless reply. Once he heard her say to the third man to ‘persuade’ the boy he opened his eyes.


“And persuade him to tell you what exactly?” Dexter questioned, revealing himself, glaring at the woman who was dressed completely in black.


“Oh, so you’re finally awake.” Akira turned to Dexter. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” She approached Dexter and pulled out the pendant she had immediately found upon entering the room. “Can you tell me what this is?”


Royce jumped in, once again attempting to thrust himself at the woman with no avail. “You honestly think he knows anything?” There was a slight hint of attitude in his voice.


“I hate to admit it but the ‘young prince’ is right. I have no idea what it is.”


“Is that so?” Akira commented. “But our young prince does.” Akira turned to Victor. “I suggest a new strategy. Since our persuasion techniques on the boy have not proven fruitful we should try using him.” She pointed at Dexter. “Perhaps then we will see results.”


“Perhaps it shall,” Victor agreed. “And it will be most amusing for me.”


“Then see it done. I must report to our master. He will want to see this. “ Akira pocketed Royce’s pendent and left the room silently.


Victor returned his attention to the prisoners in the room as he observed that the rest were beginning to wake up. That was fine with him - he enjoyed an audience. Victor pulled a single small knife from his pocket and placed himself in front of Dexter. “What brings you to Arythrin?” his voice was straightforward.


“Fuck you.” Dexter growled, spitting at his feet.


“Oh, no no no no no! We can’t have that! Your eyes must always meet mine.” Victor was clearly dissatisfied with his victim's actions. Victor reached into a small bag he had sitting in the corner and pulled out a peculiar item. It was like a fork, but it had stabbing tools on both ends and it was attached to a collar. Victor calmly approached his subject, ignoring any kicking or resisting that may have occurred, and wrapped it around Dexter’s neck. The ends of the fork aimed at Dexter’s chin and chest, forcing him to either look up at Victor or risk stabbing himself. Dexters breathing quickened as the torture device was strapped to him.


Royce recognized the form of torture all too well - it had been used on him multiple times and he knew it was effective. His eyes briefly looked to Dexter’s and then he returned his attention to Victor. “Why waste your time on him? I’m the one with the information you want!” He screamed. While he may not have known the people who were thrown into the room, these people were his subjects and it was his job to care for them.


Victor’s eyes turned to Royce for a split second with the hint of a grin on his face. Then he looked back to Dexter, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?”


“Zero.” Dexter whispered sarcastically, trying his best to talk around the collar.


“Well then, let me fix that for you.” Victor smirked as he approached his victim once again, this time reaching for Dexter’s hand. He slid his knife under his first fingernail, grinning greatly as blood poured out.


Dexter sucked in a breath and bit at his lower lip to prevent himself from screaming as the man began to pull his fingernail from it’s bed.


Haru stirred as he regained consciousness. His hands were above his head, those weren’t there before. He heard screaming from within the cell and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was blood dripping off Dexter’s hand. The next thing he saw was some weird sadistic fork on Dexter’s neck. His eyes grew wide at seeing another person in the room, seeming to have caused this torture. He was silent and took in a deep breath before talking “Would someone please tell me exactly WHAT is going on here?!”


---


As Akira was about to leave the base, she noticed the presence of two intruders. Not that it would have been hard not to given their noisy entrance. She watched from the shadows as they moved elsewhere within the base. Silently, Akira moved away from the two women to go find just the people she needed to deal with them.


“Mavis, Lucas.” Akira addressed her two brutes. “Some women have infiltrated our base. Dispose of them properly.”


Lucas smiled widely at her suggestion and pulled at his brother’s arm.


“Try not to mess up this time. Our Master is not a very lenient one. And I am even less so.” Akira spared the duo one last death glare before hurrying out of the base. Sepitus had to see this pendent at once.


Mavis and Lucas headed off, easily finding the broken window and the two intruders. The first thing Mavis’s eyes fell upon was the woman’s spear. He grabbed at it eagerly knowing that he could easily snap it in two.


---


Sepitus did not miss the oddities that were called out as he was intermingling with the crowd. His eyes searched the people as he heard the strangest of names - white bunny. His eyes fell upon one individual, possibly the source of the reference and his eyes became heated and glaring, although only for a split second - no one outside of his intended target was ever meant to notice.


His eyes then followed Valarie Ulfnay as she vanished from the crowd, presumably heading off to fulfill her cookly duties. “Fellows, ladies, children!” Sepitus called out into the crowd. “Let us follow our glorious chef as we prepare for the feast of the century!”


Townspeople were swift to follow the suggestion of Sepitus Trevils and Madame Ulfnay quickly put them to work mixing giant bowls of flour, getting giant fire pits started, rolling out the best barrels of mead and even taking over the ovens of everyone in town, throwing in batch after batch of cookies.


@GiannaCoco @Aurelia @Ashen Wraith @SilverBlack


Also, anyone near the warehouse might see Akira walk out of the warehouse.
 
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Gael Hrolda





The sun sat high in the sky as Gael entered Arythrin. It had been beating down on him all day, and it was just that morning he'd finished off the last of his water rations. Seeing the forests of the town in the distance had been greater than any lottery in that particular moment. Dusty and miserable, Gael dragged himself past the city limits and into the tavern, in desperate need of a drink. The tavern was bustling with what seemed to be a recent trading caravan, each member of it as haggard as he was. Gael dropped himself down on a bar stool and waited for a bartender to notice him, spending a little time to observe the other patrons. Rowdy, rough, and restless, all of them. A few of them were already drunk despite the early hour; Gael shook his head. The man sitting next to him, a great brute of a person, had just been served a fresh and strong ale, by the scent of it. The bartender spoke up, catching Gael's attention.


"What can I get ya'?" he asked, polishing a glass. "Lady Merebell delivered a fine batch of mead just this morning, can I interest ya' in a glass?" Gael pondered for a moment, then grinned.


"I'll take a tall glass of berrywine, if you would," he said, sitting back a bit. The bartender shrugged and fetched him a flagon of the sweet-smelling wine. It was tempting, but Gael had better plans for it. The brutish man beside him turned his back and slurred a conversation with the equally formidable woman to his other side, leaning on the bar for support. Gael eyed his flagon and the man's tankard-- no, they were too different. He quickly scanned the bar for other glasses that would work better, and saw only one. It was under the arm of a sleeping woman, passed out already. Likely from the other glasses scattered around her, he thought to himself as he sidled over to her. Working quietly, Gael tugged the tankard out from under the woman's arm, doing his best to remain surreptitious. Just as he pulled it free, the woman bolted up, snorting awake in surprise.


"Whaddaya think yer' doin', small fry?" she growled, seizing Gael's arm unsteadily. Gael's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening, and instinctually brought his other gauntlet-clad hand up across her jaw in an instant. She went reeling back into two other patrons, out cold again. The bar fell quiet. All eyes were on him, and he froze. That wasn't supposed to happen. A gruff voice called out from the group.


"And who might you be, runt?" boomed the captain of the caravan, stepping in front of Gael. Gael blinked, unsure of what to do. He'd never really been addressed as such before. "Well? Speak up." The patrons had begun to bear down on him on all sides. Then, he decided to do just that: speak up.


"Name's Gael Hrolda, master of the forge, temper of metal, worker of iron miracles!" he yelled, hefting himself up onto the bar. "I'll have no back talk from underfed rabble like yourself!" He swung his Hammer-Sword at the air, flexing his own formidable muscle, making the crowd back off a bit. The caravan guards eyed each other as if to ask if this guy was serious, and as they looked back, the Hammer-Sword smashed into one's helmet, sending him careening into a table. The second guard wheeled around to help up the first, but was thrown aside by the caravan leader, shrieking in rage. He leaped at Gael, who narrowly dodged his grasping hands, and he went headfirst into a rack of tankards, scattering them with a loud crash. Gael ran down the bar with the caravan angrily chasing right behind him. He jumped onto a stool, balancing his weight precariously before finishing the hop to another table. Gael smiled and glanced down at his feet, admiring his skillful dismount from the bar. Thus distracted, one of the hired muscle grabbed his belt and threw him to the ground. He landed with a heavy thud and rolled towards the group, scrambling to get to his feet. In moments, hands were on him, clamoring for his arrest, his head on a pike, and everything in between.


"ENOUGH! The reckless one gets tossed in the warehouse until the locals sort him out. We ain't got time for this foolin'," snarled the captain, shaking tankards from his head and shoulders. "Take 'im away, Rekras." One of the guards nodded and cracked Gael across the back of the head-- not enough to knock him out, but enough to give him too much of a headache to put up any resistance. He was picked up and put on the guard's shoulder. As they stepped out into the warm sun, Gael took notice of the nearby forge; perhaps he could work his way out of jail, if it came to that. It was a reassuring thought. His mind turned to survival, though, as the guard carried him bodily towards the abandoned warehouse. Just great. All I wanted was a drink.
 
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Ciara Niera Albaria


Arythrin : The Warehouse


Sukana's enthusiasm only served to put more pep in Ciara's step and she eagerly hopped over to the warehouse. After stopping at the window with the least boards covering its entrance, Ciara peered at it carefully, nodding to Sukana's words. "Definitely! I can probably st- borrow a hammer from the craftsman . . ." She spoke slower until ending her sentence in mild confusion as her accomplice motioned her aside. Ciara blinked and it was over. The pieces of wood fell into the overgrown grass with little sound, though surely the splintering had been enough to make up for that. Cautiously, Ciara looked around, half expecting people to be yelling and shouting at them, but no one came. It seemed whatever was going on was distracting the entire town but the two of them. Perfect . . . The idea that they'd have their exploration of the warehouse uninterrupted made her quite happy. The fact that she would be doing so with such an impressive companion was an added bonus. While she was surprisingly capable, as a woman her age wandering Ashpor and beyond needed to be, she couldn't imagine achieving such a practiced strike, especially not with a weapon such as the spear. The woman was skilled, that much was obvious. "How kind of them!" Ciara answered with a grin that stretched nearly ear to ear.


Ciara was all too eager to get inside the warehouse. She could tell they were doing something beyond mundane life, even if it was just a case of (very loudly) breaking and entering. It might've been stupid as well, but that part was dismissable. Chances of them getting caught were slim to none. What could go wrong? She wondered as she climbed hastily through the window at Sukana's beckoning. "You're guess is as good as mine . . ." Ciara whispered, though she wasn't quite sure why. It just seemed like the thing to do in such a case. Taking a moment of her own to survey the inside of the warehouse, the first thing she noticed was that it rather matched the outside, which she had severely hoped it wouldn't. Old warehouses that were just old warehouses got old pretty quick. "I don't really see any reason to seal up a perfectly good warehouse. Especially not the only one in town. Unless . . ." Several ideas popped into her mind, all more interesting than the drab warehouse deserved. "It had a dark history that the villagers didn't want to think about! I bet you it was a slave ring! Or maybe a drug den! Or even . . . the lair of the notorious one eyed bandit! I bet we could find his stash, or a clue to it, in here som- Look out!" Ciara hastily shoved Sukana back away from the grasping, beef sausages of the thug who just emerged from seemingly nowhere.


Quickly righting her footing, she spun on her heel and took a ready stance, observing the two intruders. They were clearly brothers. No two men could be equally as ugly as these two without being a blood brother. They were like walls. Really big, rather dumb looking, walls. And judging by the stupid grins on their faces they were having some rather untoward thoughts. Things were clearly about to get ugly. Ciara could feel butterflies in her stomach. She'd never been this excited before. This was it, her very own origin story! Bards will sing of this! The happy thought floated in her mind, even if she was likely the only bard that would ever sing of it.


Silently cursing herself for procrastinating in reloading her crossbow, she went with her other option of defense: the spiked chain she used in her dances of death. The rattle of chains echoed throughout the warehouse as the speared tips dropped lightly to the ground. Luckily, the open area of the warehouse offered plenty of space for her flourishes. Though having a second actress on stage was something she'd never done before. "I do believe these two oafs are part of our little mystery . . . We should try and keep one alive." Though she hoped she sounded confident, her voice wavered slightly. She'd mostly dealt with common rabble and drunken sailors. These two actually looked trained, and unfortunately sober.


((@Aurelia A stealthy break in wouldn't make for a proper tale! At least a successful one wouldn't.))
 

Leandra and Manjano

Location: Arythrin, Somewhere in between the tavern and warehouse
​



Glancing up at a nearby commotion, the twins both were intrigued when they saw a man being carried out of the nearby inn by a guard. Seeing that the guard wasn't just kicking him out and was taking him to a specific location, the twins shouldered their knapsacks and stowed their food before jumping to their feet and racing after the guard and man. Leandra unsheathed her daggers as the pair raced towards the guard, while Manjano slowed to a halt further away and unslung his bow before nocking an arrow and taking aim, just in case. Keeping her footsteps light, Leandra soon was directly behind the guard and dove on her side, sliding forward and then slashing out with one of her daggers at the guard's nearest knee. If delivered correctly, then the guard would stumble and the man would be freed from his grasp.


Manjano silently watched as his sister attacked the guard, waiting until he'd stumbled to his knees and let go of the man, who then fell to the side in a heap. Manjano then let the arrow fly, whistling in the air as it found its target within seconds, slamming into the back of the guard's head. The guard then face planted while Manjano slung his bow back over his back and then raced to join his sister. Offering her a hand, Manjano helped Leandra to her feet and then Leandra sheathed both of her daggers, deciding to clean her dagger later. The twins then both looked at the man on the ground and were silent for a moment before Leandra spoke up, "Who are you and why was this guard taking you somewhere?"
 
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Gael Hrolda / Leandra + Manjano





Gael hit the ground with a flat thump, not moving for a few seconds. He rolled over and looked up at the twins, trying to get them to come into focus through his pounding headache.


"T-Thanks for the save. I'm... Gael. Apologies that you have to see me like this," he said as he righted himself and sat up. "I guess you could say some people can't take a joke. What about you two? I can't imagine you're local, judging by the actual fighting skill you have." Gael took a few minutes to brush himself off. The twins unnerved him a bit, their stare setting him on edge. He chuckled nervously and clenched his hands together. "If you must know, they were just going to drop me in the warehouse until someone took care of me. You couldn't tell me anything about that, could you?"


Gael patted himself down to check for all his gear. Bastards nicked my grappling hook, he noticed, but everything else was largely intact. The warehouse was only a few yards down the road at this point, and as foreboding as a run-down storage house was, it had a certain allure to it that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Then, he glanced down at the very dead guard, arrow oozing crimson from the back of his head. He made a mental note not to get on the bad side of these people; Gael had innate respect (and understandable fear) for anyone with such economy of arrows. The girl was a different story. Quiet, she seemed, with hands like lightning. The two seemed to work in wordless harmony. Gael tightened the straps on his armor and sheathed the Hammer-Sword for now. It would be best not to draw any more undue attention to himself.
 

Leandra and Manjano


Location: Arythrin, somewhere in between the tavern and warehouse



​



The twins both simultaneously cocked their heads to the side as Gael introduced himself and further explained himself. Hearing the questions about themselves, the twins both exchanged a silent look before Leandra looked back at Gael and said, "We're from Lithuain originally." Pausing, Leandra then decided that Gael would be no danger to the pair, so she added, "My name's Leandra and this" she nodded at her brother "is my twin brother, Manjano."





Leandra silently watched as Gael patted himself down, her thief mindset instantly wondering what he had on him and what could be useful to her and her brother. Letting out a small sigh, Leandra decided against any such actions against the man. They'd just saved him, the last thing she needed to do was start off on the wrong foot by stealing from him. Maybe he'd know more about this place and prove to be useful to the pair. Grinning when Leandra saw Gael observing the twins' handiwork on the guard, she wondered what was going through his head in that moment. Manjano, who had said nothing since they'd first encountered Gael, watched Gael's face carefully, watching for his emotions. He cocked his head slightly when Gael stared at the dead guard and then saw his eyes shift to the arrow in the man's head. Was that slight fear that he saw?
 
Gael Hrolda / Leandra + Manjano





At the mention of Lithuain, Gael's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to find another pair from his homeland, and it put him immediately at ease. "Good to meet you, friends of Lithuain! It's a fine day to meet fellow warriors such as myself. Tell me- what do you know of this town? I've only just arrived today, and I can only say my opinion is a tad biased." He spoke freely now, knowing that the violence enacted upon the guard was not that of a murderous psychopath, but likely custom to the rougher reaches of Lithuain. He knelt for a moment, checking the quality of the arrow: flawlessly fletched. At least his newfound "friends" had good taste. Gael stood and smiled as he spoke, keeping an eye on the silent one.


The smile disappeared from his face like a popped balloon when he glanced over Manjano's shoulder. Four more guards, just as big as the one that had been carrying him, had wandered out of the tavern to check out what had happened to their comrade. Gael grabbed both of them by the arm and pulled, hissing, "On second thought, we can catch up later, but first let's get the hell out of here. You look like roguish types, help me hide!"
 

Leandra and Manjano


Location: Arythrin
​



The twins were both surprised when Gael mentioned that he was also from Lithuain. They hadn't expected to run into anyone else from their homeland. Hearing Gael's question about them knowing the town, Leandra shook her head and replied, "We're new here as well, so we know very little of this town." So much for the man being of use to them. Leandra frowned slightly at this thought, wondering if they should bail on the man now or continue to hang around with him. Manjano noted Gael examining his arrow and elbowed Leandra to draw this to her attention. Nodding, Leandra spoke up to Gael, saying, "My brother hand makes all of his arrows."





Manjano whipped around when he heard the approaching guards and then yanked his arm out of Gael's grip, as he unslung his bow and nocked an arrow before hissing, "Run!" Leandra didn't need any more warning to do so, and quickly yanked her arm out of Gael's grip as well. She then shouted, "Follow me!" As she began sprinting down the nearest alleyway, Leandra swung her knapsack around so she could open it up and dig through it. She soon produced a tan cloak that was folded up and swung her knapsack back before throwing the cloak at Gael and saying, "Put that on!"
 
Adeline


Adeline's eyes opened slowly when her mind heard the sound of shouting, screaming, in the room she is in. Blinking slowly, a groan escaped her mouth, she identified the voices and notice her hands was restrained tightly above her head. Three men, one was Haru's, the screaming was Dexter but she couldn't label the third, unsure why a third man would be in the room. She forced her eyes to look but after doing so, she regretted it and her groaning greatly.


What her eyes saw, she could never forget. The image scarring her young mind, wondering if the child younger than her would be more petrified than she is. A bloody nail, a torture device of some sort and an evil looking man. A picture of pure horror, disgust and fear, paralyzing her thoughts. But the thoughts stayed, she looked away almost immediately by pure instinct of looking away. She wished she hadn't groan, that man would've noticed her, maybe doing the same. That made her inner self panic further. Her cheek hugging the wall, she tried to remain calm...yes, calm.


She don't want to know what is happening or what's the reason behind it. Attempting to cover her evidence of consciousness, she pretended to faint, not sure if it would work, breathing slowly and her mind cooperated, leaving her dreaming again. What if she didn't wake up? What if she forced the life out of herself? What if she's not breathing anymore? The panic swirled uncontrollably and she was conscious again, the panic residing. She looked at the man, again regretting it, slamming the side of her face to the wall softly and simply gulped, awaiting any fate that was in store for her.
 
Ugh, Michael hated every second he had spent dragging his feet through the deathly woods, everywhere he walked he either got impaled by some hunters' trap or skewered by a bandit group, since when were the woods so lively near Linwe? He had to be getting closer, he had to be! The journey had already dragged on far longer than he predicted, although that fact was probably answered by the fact that the map was a load of rubbish. He had followed it's every step and turn, yet absolutely nothing was correct! He should have left this forest four hours ago, he should have entered it two hours ago, made no sense, although that's what the map said. Either the map was wrong and he was wandering aimlessly towards anywhere at all. Or, he had lost his hunters' sense of direction and traded it for that of a newborn child.


With a sigh Michael stopped and checked the map once more, it only took one glance for him to realize he wasn't on the map. "God damn it! What the hell is this?! I followed the map so where the hell am I?!" He ranted to himself, and the trees. Perhaps they listened to his sorrows... He turned and stared in the direction he had walked here, briefly considering turning back, but he couldn't, he couldn't go back to that place. He wouldn't. Staring straight down in anger, Michael noticed a peculiar little thing, a butterfly, standing directly next to his shoe, he wondered how long it'd stay there.


Grabbing his fathers pendant he stared at it for a long period of time, minutes passed. It felt, heavier? Or was it lighter? He couldn't tell. But it definitely felt different, but that's not why he was staring at the beautiful talisman, he was merely admiring the excellent craftsmanship, whoever made this must have been skilled beyond measure, he had seen nothing like it. It was truly... Magical? For lack of a better word, considering he had stared at it for well over twenty minutes he decided the best course of action would be to move on. Why had he stared for so long? Michael wasn't even sure...


Wait. What? The butterfly was still there? Not just there but... There! It hadn't moved a single inch, for twenty minutes? With a giant human boot next to it? Now that was a strange occurrence... In fact, whilst he was staring at the pendant he didn't really pay attention to anything, looking back he swore the sounds of the forest ceased emanating, unless he was in a meditative state? Or both... Utterly baffled by this astounding event Michael put the pendant carefully back into his pocket and set off walking again, this time he didn't even bother checking the map.


...This did not look like Linwe... He stood, pacified on the spot. How did this happen? He had gotten so lost he managed to miss Linwe completely? The map showed no town here! According to the map he should be approaching Linwe in a matter of minutes, this had gone terribly wrong... Michael kicked at a nearby tree whilst cursing the poor slab of bark with every profanity known to man, it took him several minutes to calm down, and when he did he realized the situation wasn't quite so bad, he had stumbled upon a town in the middle of nowhere, and that was leagues better than sleeping in the woods for the night, and probably dying in the woods too. Yet here he was, not wishing to remain outside the safety of town walls any longer, he approached the gate, preparing for a good nights sleep. Glancing above the gate he caught sight of a sign. 'Welcome to Arythrin' Huh, Arythrin? He swore he had heard of this town before... Regardless, he was here to sleep and sleep alone, with the sun still shining the gates remained open, free for him to enter. And so he did, entering this town of 'Arythrin'
 
Gael / Leandra + Manjano


The cloak was a tight fit over Gael's bulk, but for his needs at the moment it worked. He drew the hood up as far as it could go to conceal his face. As they ran, he glanced back at Manjano, wondering if he was going to follow them. Leandra's haste answered his question as they rounded the corner with no sign of stopping. Gael was nimble, but he certainly wasn't quick. Her steps were hard to match, and he found himself falling behind in short order.


"Where are we going?" called Gael over the clatter of his armored boots and jangling platemail, which was less than subtle even with the muffling effect of the cloak. The two of them had already mentioned they were new in town, so the likelihood of them having a hideout was low. His step picked up again when he heard a loud crash of splintering wood from the other side of the warehouse, doubtless from the enraged guards. Just in case, Gael palmed a few caltrops from his hip pouch-- a favorite weapon of his, just right to keep his opponents guessing. Hopefully he'd already done all the fighting he'd needed to. Maybe once all the heat dies down, I can get a barrel of mead at the general store. I'll need it after today.
 

Leandra and Manjano


Location: Arythrin
​



As Leandra and Gael sprinted away, Manjano let his first arrow fly loose, piercing one of the guards in the knee. He yelped in pain and clutched his knee as he fell to the side while the other guards began rushing Manjano. Manjano turned on his heel and began sprinting down the street, deftly dodging people, resulting in exclamations of surprise. The guards were rapidly approaching Manjano just as he jumped up and began quickly climbing a pile of crates. One of the guards began to follow him up and Manjano paused at the top to nock another arrow and fire it into the guard's shoulder, surprising him and causing him to stumble and fall back off of the crates, crashing into one of them along the way down. Manjano then slung his bow over his back and turned away as he sprinted towards the building that the crates were stacked against. Reaching the wall, Manjano ran up it for a few feet before he grabbed a windowsill and then began climbing to the roof. One of the guards threw a rock at him, but it missed him by a few inches. Cursing at this, Manjano continued to climb and then was on the roof just as a pebble struck his heel. Stumbling forward, Manjano caught himself and narrowed his eyes at the annoyance of having rocks thrown at him.


Unslinging his bow, Manjano sprinted to the opposite side to see Leandra and Gael running down a street. Satisfied that the two were safe, Manjano returned to the side he'd climbed to see the guards beginning to climb the crates. Grinning at this, Manjano nocked one of his specialty arrows and scraped it across the roof, the end lighting up in flames. Taking aim, Manjano shot it at the bottom of the crates, which quickly began to burn with the guards near the top of the pile. Leaving the guards to either save themselves or burn, Manjano returned back to the side of the building where he'd seen his sister and Gael together. Nocking yet another arrow, this one designed as a grapple, Manjano shot it into a sign on the opposite side of the street and tied his end to a chimney piece nearby. Taking out a bit of rope, Manjano secured it to the taught grapple and then leaped off of the roof, as he raced down the grapple and towards the running pair. Landing on his heels and rolling forward in a somersault, Manjano quickly got to his feet and cut his grapple before retrieving the arrow and putting it back in his quiver.


Leandra slowed down slightly when she saw that Gael was lagging behind. Frowning at this, Leandra hoped that Manjano was keeping those guards busy and distracted for the pair. Turning a corner, Leandra scanned the roofs for a sign of her brother and was soon satisfied to see him peeking over the edge at one point before he disappeared again. Slowing to a jog and then to a walk, Leandra said to Gael, "We're waiting now." Looking back to the roof, Leandra soon heard an exclamation of surprise, and perhaps pain, before her brother returned to the edge of the roof and traveled down to the streets via his grappling arrow. Grinning, Leandra walked up to him and Manjano mirrored the grin before the pair fist bumped and turned back to face Gael. Manjano looked him up and down once before saying quietly, "That armor is only slowing you down."
 
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Leopold Tenari


Town's Edge


The sudden movements by the poor, mad soul in front of him didn't bother Leopold overmuch. In his time with his former bandit clan he'd encountered few mad men and women, though none as afflicted as Juno. "I'd watch what you ask for, boy. Cops and Robbers is fun as a children's game, when the stakes are low enough, but when that's your life it loses some of the appeal. So there isn't anyone looking after you, or anywhere you stay to get out of the weather?" Leopold shook his head and removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. "What about food? You don't eat the corpses you find in the woods, I'd hope. You'll catch your death doing that, son. The carrion-eaters won't even touch them." He continued, gesturing once more to the lung on the ground.


"Son? What in the hell are you going on about, Leopold? This is a madman. He's not even remotely anything you'd be held responsible for. Back in the forests in Olivan, you'd have bound him and left him for dead. He seems barely able to stand by himself." A voice grumbled in the back of Leopold's mind. It was right, of course, but there was still the barest nugget of concern he held for the boy ahead of him. "This boy doesn't even seem to have a good grip on the fact that life is sacred, man! If he's willing to poke a days-old corpse with a stick, he'll do the same with yours!" The voice continued, nearly pleading with the rest of the man it was attached to. Again, Leopold paid it no mind and continued watching the boy ahead of him.


He thought back to Juno's earlier reaction to his companion's panicked outburst, and chuckled under his breath."I'd hardly call Corax a wood demon. He doesn't have nearly the motivation to carry out the dark will of a rock, let alone some sort of otherworldly monster." Leopold laughed aloud and pointed at the bird still staring suspiciously down at Juno. "Corax is nothing but a scavenger. His kind lives on the edges of society, picking at what's left over when hunts are done or criminals are dealt with. I'm certain most of my former companions ended up in his family's belly, just as I would have if I didn't get sent into the woods. He does talk, like most of his kind are able to once they're exposed to enough of our tongue, but I don't believe he knows what he speaks." Leopold continued.


Before he could talk more about his feathered friend, Corax spoke once more. "Don't know, don't know." Corax mimicked, fluttering down from the tree to rest once more on Leopold's shoulder. "I think I'll just gloss over why you dislike the creatures of the forest, son, and get right to the meat of the issue. Why, exactly, do you think I haven't killed before? You can see my face, now you know I was sent to the woods, and I travel with a carrion bird. These aren't things law-abiding citizens tend to do, even back in my old home of Olivan." Leopold probed as Corax once again busied himself with the string from before. "I've killed more than I care to remember, boy. I'm no stranger to the feeling of a man's hot blood running down my hands, staining my clothes and my soul. Besides, murder is a game you don't wanna play. The title might be glamorous to some, but all in all I'd hardly say its worth all the hassle if you get caught." He continued, idly scratching his chest with his right hand.


"And if you really want to patch up your relations with the birds, son, you'll want fresh meat. Leave those guts for the plants and the worms; They'll love them a fair sight more than any carrion-eater." Leopold's gaze wandered down to the lung on the ground, and he nodded once. "They see it as a sign of peace making, I think. I don't know if they really have that idea, but they do seem to like fresh meat over rotted." "Peace." Corax mimicked once more, looking up at Juno before settling down to sit on Leopold's shoulder and rapidly lose interest in the events around him.


Leopold


Leopold's thoughts


Corax
 
Sukana Kyrune

​



The Warehouse

The warehouse was undeniably ominous, leaning Sukana's mind toward the occult. "I hope this place wasn’t sealed for a reason. This is not where I would bind a demon spirit if I were a shaman, though. There's too much space. What do you think?" Had her necklace not heated up just now, she would have delved into a winding story about the demon rock in the river by her village. She was rubbing the skin between her collarbones when Ciara cried out, abruptly knocking her off balance. The sudden panic in her voice made Sukana's heart leap as she recovered her footing. What she saw made her heart pound harder: two of the biggest men she'd ever seen in her life, bearing looks of absolute brutality, lacking a shred of mercy.


Ciara, with her gracefully exotic weapon, looked more poised for a performance than a battle. She couldn't tell if her dramatic gestures indicated her incredible experience and naivete, or her incredible confidence and skill. I must trust in my companion, she decided. Despite the gravity of the situation, Sukana felt emboldened by this notion.


"I have slain boars like these two. They are not as resilient as one would think." Her words rang out across the warehouse. But those boars were not armed with giant axes...


The dust had settled and the air was still; a storm of steel was imminent, and this was the silent prelude. No one moved. Locking her gaze with the bigger brute, Sukana took unflinching steps as she intoned slowly, "Let us dance." She stopped, having walked away from Ciara into a flanking position.


Sukana gave her partner a knowing look, then stared straight ahead at her target. Here we go.


Gripping her spear with two hands toward the bottom, she set her foot up against the thick wooden beam behind her. Then she launched herself straight into a charge. In a second Sukana was in striking range afforded by the long reach of her spear. She jabbed her weapon directly at the bigger brute's head, only to snap it back in a daring feint.

@Ashen Wraith @Hales
 

Michael Hawke (Hall)

Location: Arythrin, near warehouse.
​



Michael originally planned to head towards the nearest tavern, buy a room for the night, and sleep. Yet for some unknown reason he had some sort of inner feeling which told him to explore, and he certainly wasn't someone to ignore his gut... Well, only on some occasions. But this was not one of them, so he decided to explore, and it didn't take long for him to find something quite interesting, it seemed a crowd had gathered around where a few guards were limping and cursing some prisoners who seemed to have escaped, one of the guards seemed to possess severe burn marks all down his arm which were incredibly recent. Michael had never been a huge fan of the law, but he would never do this. At the end of the day, the guardsmen of any town are the people who prevent anarchy, bandits and other kinds of atrocities.


In fact, looking closer, Michael noticed the ashen remains of a pile of crates, it seemed the escapees climbed the roof and the guards attempted to follow, resulting in these burns. How curious! Considering the absolute lack of entertainment Michael has had for the last few days, he decided-perhaps foolishly-to climb to the roof to see if he could spot any criminals, or criminal lookalikes, he was a great climber, so reaching the top shouldn't be to difficult without crates.


Just a few moments later Michael had managed to ascend to the top of the building, the climbing was easy enough with the ridiculous number of windowsills the building had, and now he could inspect his surroundings for his next course of action, first he circled around the building, staying as low as possible, stealth was one of his strong suits, it had to be since he grew up as a hunter. This also meant he had a very keen eye, and as a result, it didn't take long for him to spot the potential culprits, one man was clad in armor, another man was studying the environment keenly, his bow slung over his back, and the woman seemed to be studying the one in armor, they certainly looked well-armed and each one appeared to be skilled in combat, which meant they must be the prisoners considering no normal person could simply defeat and beat a group of trained guards-well mostly trained guards.


However, confronting them could end badly for Michael, and even if he did want to confront them, he was also rather intrigued by the destination in which the guards were heading, it seemed like an abandoned warehouse, and nothing like a guard outpost. More so that if they were going there it wasn't abandoned, and as if his curiosity about the place wasn't already peaked he had to wonder, if guards were heading there then it must hold some sort of secret, or secrets... He took one final peak at the trio of criminals and then departed from the roof, climbing back down out of sight, in order to inspect the warehouse more closely.
 
Juno Van Luchtereo


Innocence, a thing so regularly sought after though its intangible state, something each individual is born with; like a Siamese twin attached to you by varying amounts of flesh. When conceived each soul is nothing but pure and untouched by societies ruthless grip, their twin in a healthy state which many are incapable of returning to again after experiencing years of their life and gradually being prodded at by the trembling fingers of livings sin.


The twin of innocence that once held control of a childs right leg and arm perhaps incapable of moving the hands fingers after the first years of life, weakening while just as it happened with others their form becomes tainted with the grime of reality, the stainless sheet of innocence being covered in impurities that would lead it to lose attachment to the other.


Innocence can be regained though just as it would be with a past relationship, the faint mark will remain no matter what you attempt. Optimistic thoughts conjured when a child capable of weaseling themselves within the conscious though easy to suppress by the lessons taught over an individuals lifetime in both kind and painful ways.


Innocence though will always remain, even in dissolving remnants forgotten and swept beneath a minds rug. Such a teetering belief capable of being witnessed by the subtle flutter of a beings wings as it befell the surroundings quiet atmosphere, far to quiet for a birds, and too quiet for a star like fireflies. But the soft pattering of a butterflies, one that seemed to float along with the gusts of wind.


As the butterfly roamed the air nearby the pair seemingly effortlessly with its black and white winds, Juno thoughtfully followed its movements with curious eyes. As it moved closer he spotted small speckles of orange decorating the lower portion of its back. "Right now it sounds like your looking after me," Juno then responded, the corners of his lips twisting upwards, fingers beginning to twitch anxiously beside his thigh without overt reason, his eyes incapable of straying away from the insect.


"I mean doesn't looking after mean watching, inspecting, observing, words I don't know if i'm using right." The butterflies course seemed to be targeted towards the other side of the path and with great interest golden eyes continued to linger on what details they could discover. Juno ran a raw tongue a crossed his chapped lips in a pitiful attempt improve their dry state, "I think right now you're the only one."


The butterfly finally was within arm range of the two, its wings unscuffed and in the beautiful condition they were meant to remain in. Thin short tails protruded from the lower edge of its decorated wings, a trademark held by a single genre Juno oddly recognized. "Trees and caves can be found useful in the rain, and moss can go a long way if you want a pillow. When the bugs crawl through your hair it's like a small massage."


Once more a smile tugged on his lips, trailing a hand through his knotted hair a moment as though he may be lucky and find a bug which had hitched a ride atop his head, though only faint scars and bites from said bugs skimmed his fingers.


"Maggots are good if you cook 'em right, but those if you don't know where to look can be hard to find." Juno could feel the slight weight of the small jar in his backpack, almost capable of sensing the squirming nature of the beings he had just spoken of. "But I mean there are all those food things here, the um," He paused a moment finally removing his gaze from the butterfly. "Trees, and the smaller trees on the ground. Yup they grow food."


As if proud of his statement Juno moved his green bangs out of his vision with the solid flick of his wrist before crouching slightly with the bend of his knees and hopping upwards with an outstretched hand, the butterfly barely out of his reach and seemingly shocked by his sudden pounce, flying away in a difficult unpredictable course of movements, nearly out of sight by the time Junos feet had returned to the ground, behavior no longer one of a conceited nature but of childish defeat.


Tearing off such pretty wings would have been an enjoyable event.


A thought like this occurring as a hearty chuckle occupied the air, followed by the amused defense of Bird by the stranger just as a howl of laughter erupted from him. Juno for a few moments was unaware of what he could have found so entertaining, though with slightly knitted eyebrows and with a smile that caused him to almost look as though he was in pain Juno released a fake uncertain chuckle of his own, silently wondering fearfully if he may have befriended a madman.


"Your friends are in Birds families stomach?" Junos eyes narrowed slightly attempting to imagine how such a thing would be possible, "can birds get that big? Wouldn't that be fun to pick apart," he rose a scarred hand and scratched the upper portion of his pale cheek imagining himself riding a bird of such a size and wondering aimlessly if the man before him was lying in regards to his friends being eaten by the avians but at some point realized that they had been picked apart instead of having been swallowed whole.


Realizing his foolish antics it allowed him to release a genuine chuckle, finding his 'temporary' stupidity to be comedic. "So did your killing make it so your friends died and you were sent out?" Juno spoke aloud without true consideration for the mans emotions, becoming slightly clouded by his own, ones he has tried to leave many times.


"Or could it have been the guilt of it all, I mean." A glance of what one could infer to be distance filtered through his glimmering gaze, eyes suddenly finding great interest in the branches that hung beside them, the fingers of Junos left hand clinging tightly to the cloth covering his collarbones. "Killing someone can drag people to insanity, make 'em kill themselves maybe in the end." As knuckles had grown white despite their already original paleness, the males head lulled to the side as if the task of holding it up involved to much effort. An indent decorating both cheeks of Junos as his grin had returned entirely, drenched in his psychotic persona. "It's like a game, to see how long you can last before a bullet in your brain sounds better then one in anothers."


Juno then lifted his head and imitated the sound of a gunshot with a quick release of sizzled air before cocking his head to the right instead, pretending to have experienced what he just explained, smile unfaltered as he did so before he glanced around them. "Okay, then I'll get some fresh meat..." The statement came out in a quiet murmur while he began searching the trees with his eyes curiously, before returning his attention towards the man before him and abruptly pointing at the sword attached to the mans waist. "Could I see that? I lost my knife after throwing it off a cliff, even though wrestling a bear sounds fun."


@GiannaCoco
 
Ciara Niera Albaria


Arythrin : The Warehouse


Shamans and demon spirits, it seemed Sukana knew some rather intriguing things. Ciara regretted the fact that she couldn't probe the girl with questions about how she knew such things, but there was always later. Surviving the encounter in the abandoned warehouse was her current focus. Stories could come later. She couldn't help but smile at Sukana's words. Oh what a dance this will be.


Bearing Sukana's words in mind, she started to sidestep, drawing the smaller brute's attention with a lash of her chain, purposefully striking the head of the axe. A sound rang out, as if signaling the start of their fight with Sukana dashing forward with impressive speed to combat her own thug. Ciara's plan was simple. 'Death by a thousand cuts' was the closest thing to her style. They were only human, after all, and while each individual strike against them would only minorly inconvenience them, the sum of cuts would eventually wear them down and allow her to finish them off. She'd been called cruel for using it against an opponent earlier in her life, but what's a girl to do when fighting someone who looks like they could crush her head in their hands? She wasn't going to give them that chance based off things like 'honor' and 'mercy'. Growing up she learned to hold one thing above all else, survival.


With Sukana engaging the greater of the two brutes, Ciara chalked her job up to a simple one: Keep the other occupied until either she or Sukana could turn the tables and aid the other. Being an actor first and a fighter second, she made a show of fumbling with her odd weapons, purposefully recoiling when they came back from a failed sweep and doing little to try and land any strikes. She hoped it would lure her opponent into a false sense of security, believing that a solid first strike could easily decide the fight before it truly began. She judged him coldly under eyes that appeared scared and hesitant. Letting a sweep go wide, she left herself an opening with a perfect escape. If he took it, which she truly hoped he would, she would enter into her proper grace, spinning out of the axe's path and using the momentum of her spin to lash out hard and fast for the man's legs. Crippling movement would hopefully give her the edge she needed.


((@Hales @Aurelia Felt I should actually engage in combat rather than being simply ready. Bleh))
 
Michael Hawke (Hall)


Location: Arythrin, Warehouse.


The closer Michael got to the warehouse the more curious he got, yet his curioity was replaced with something else entirely when he heard sounds of combat going on within, then he remembered! The other group of recently defeated guards would be here any minute, and if those inside were prisoners trying to escape then they'd definitely be caught before they could defeat their current combatants, assuming the conflict was indeed between said parties Michael climbed the side of the warehouse to an open window, before tumbling in the top sorely, and loudly... "Ouch..." He mumbled painfully, he had misjudged the height of the fall massively, but those below likely didn't hear him due to the melee they were entangled in.


At first he was planning on shooting the criminals in the legs in order to receive a healthy reward from the guards. However, when he noticed two stunningly beautiful woman fighting two brutish men he couldn't resist the urge of playing a knight in shining armor, that, and the fact that both girls certainly didn't look like bloodthirsty murderers-the brutes however, certainly did. Gracefully, and swiftly, Michael withdrew an arrow from the holster on his back and proceeded to nock and draw, aiming it down on the slightly smaller mans leg he prepared to let loose. If he didn't the girl would surely die, she seemed to be flailing her weapon around like an infant playing with a piece of string. It seemed obvious she had never engaged in actual combat. She had left a huge opening in which he could easily strike to kill. Not about to let that happen, Michael let his arrow fly through the mans knee, smirking to himself he winked at the girl below, not knowing if she caught it or not. He then drew another arrow, and prepared to fire at the second brute who paid no attention to his friends cries of pain.


((@Ashen Wraith @Aurelia hope you don't mind little old me rolling into this little event? :) ))
 
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Roa- Air

Roa had delivered the young woman Lilly to her location and thus her knightly duty was done. With a long exhale she was released from her Knightly mentality and smiled. "Another triumphant success! How wonderful!" She decided to spend time investigating the city. "Now that I am once again officially free I can spend some time looking at the town." She sighed and began to walk down the streets of the city.


Listening in on the conversations going on, she heard that some big shot was providing a banquet. Free food is free frood I am definitely going to that. She smiled as she passed some vending areas and other places. She went to go buy a apple or two before she made her way to the Banquet location. Happily she bought 3 apples and ate the first one with rapid excitement. "Oh these are so delicious! I just love fruit! I will never get over it!"


She happily strutted down the street heading towards the banquet are. She tossed one apple in the air and the other she held in her hand. She was walking down the street without a care in the world.


(Open to anyone, I hope this is okay, I am still lost on what is going on.)
 
Leo Cainez


The sudden pain was unexpected.


To simply grab the other's arm, Leo did not predict that what would possibly greet him next is to be flipped over the other's shoulder. The strong impact as his own shoulder collided against the hard ground caused an immediate hiss of pain to escape from his mouth--his usual blank emotion broken as he gritted his teeth, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. To be hurt in this way--being thrown over his shoulder so experienced like this, Leo wondered who this male might really be. Maybe he should've heard of him, perhaps if he didn't grow up in his forest he would have known that maybe he has just dealt with a person he shouldn't have massed with. Yet, Leo didn't feel much regret, rather, just a growing feeling of irritation. He and this male have just communicated normally awhile ago, enough for Leo to feel comfortable to give the other a nickname. And yet, what's the issue now? Even for a usual calm and collected person like him, moments to moments he would lose his usual manner.


Leo did not really get an opportunity to look at what possible expressions this lad was making while he struggled on the ground in pain, for before he could he was already pulled up, the other's hand firm on his tunic. The words that sounded surprisingly not harsh questioned him, along with why he would bother to follow him. Perhaps the early anger...or whatever emotions that caused him to throw him over his shoulder...had left him, but Leo couldn't help but a shot back a cold glare the first second they came face to face. Although eventually, his own head cooled, a long sigh seemingly escaped his mouth.


This kind of pain wasn't new. Compared to how he's been bullied as a child for being the "demon's kid," it's as if this is just a reflection of the earlier pain he had once felt as a child in the old memories long decided to be lock deep within his brain. However, Leo couldn't really feel any real ill-intention from this lad. Despite being hurt similarly, Leo could sense that the other didn't mean it to be evil or to bully. Perhaps a sudden losing of control over his own emotions...Perhaps Leo has irritated him so much for him to do so. If it's like this, it would be his own fault. The lad's words seemed to confirm this further, the hints of agitation in the other's voice repeated in Leo's mind.


He stayed silent for a long time, feeling the growing ache from the shoulder that just hit the ground moments ago, his yellow glowing eyes eventually met the other's before he softly uttered a reply. "...I simply want accompany," he said followed by short sigh. "The first person I met is similar to me, both wandered into this town without a clear reason except because of a simple pendant...Thought we could go well together...Is that not enough? Do people really need a reason to feel related?...To simply...Get to know someone?" He said in a low tone, his expression turned into a visible frown.


"If you not wish so, I could go alone without you. There's still people waiting--people I don't even know myself." Leo said in the end, sounding rather tired himself. Yet, with one arm he raised a hand towards the lad, a hand that questioned if he's coming or not by choosing to accept or reject the hand. He glanced up at the lad with hopeful eyes. He did not know who this male really is, or what his personality is really like, but he has marked his curiosity as h secretly wished the lad would accept the hand.


(@Archangel hope this post still sounds pretty good since I was extremely sleepy, it's two AM here lol! Sorry for late reply, my laptop broke down for awhile. QwQ)
 
Leopold Tenari


Town's Edge


Juno's blunt questions about his former friends made Leopold falter slightly. He'd never before considered that in some way, he could be at fault for being cast into the woods the first time, but these worries faded as quickly as they cropped up. "No, that's unlikely. The man struggled too much for his coin. He could always get more than double back selling the things he came to sell. It's his fault he struggled so much that he needed a quick jab." Leopold thought, idly tapping his waist in search of the knife he gave to his friend for that particular robbery. He didn't find it. "Besides, he was only gonna get a poke in the ass. Just a little bleeding, enough to notice but not anything deadly. HE'S the one that wriggled so much I jabbed him in the artery. Yeah, that's how it happened. The moron stabbed himself to death, you ask me."


Leopold cleared his throat and decided to attack the questions head on. "No, it wasn't my hand that got my friends killed. They cast their lots and got hung for their trouble. I did get us kicked out to the woods in the first place, though. That was my end of the deal." He shook his head and touched one finger to his temple. "I don't quite feel guilt for what I did, seeing as the man didn't exactly co-operate well enough for my liking. The way I see it, he stabbed himself with the knife. A man says 'Give me your money, I have a knife at your back', the sensible thing isn't to writhe and buck like you have the upper hand. Especially with his sort; doughy merchants with egos bigger than their... Never mind that bit, son." Leopold smirked and shook his head. "The point is, I hardly feel guilt for killing the man. He wasn't exactly innocent in the first place."


There was something to the killing that was his fault, though. Normally Leopold instructed the new kids in the gang on how to leave some coin for the victim, more as a means to throw people off when it came time for them to find out they were robbed than any sort of goodwill. With the merchant, however, he told the greenhorn he wasn't going to leave the man a single coin. "He's got more goods than our town could buy in a year. He'll take all he can get from us and move on to bleed another town dry. This isn't a robbery, its a reclamation of our hard earned money." Leopold told her, the edge in his voice making it clear that he held no goodwill towards merchants of any sort. It wasn't out of any anger at his father; it was more anger towards what he felt was legal robbery that he would never be able to get a hand in on. This frustration led to Leopold jabbing the man for his trouble and the man, in turn, bleeding out on the sidewalk while screaming for the guards. "The man probably didn't deserve to die, but I'd hardly shed a tear for his ghost." He thought, still idly tapping at his waist for the knife that was long ago lost in the gutters of the town he grew up in.


A few seconds later, Leopold snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "I'm afraid I couldn't let you borrow this blade, son. Not just because the last time I gave someone one of my blades, I got sent out to the woods. Granted, the man didn't want the knife and I didn't exactly offer it to him hilt-first, but still. It's also because, as you said, you threw your knife off of a cliff. Why would you go and do something like that?" Leopold shook his head again and crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't just throw your own knife away and expect someone to let you borrow theirs, boy. That isn't how life tends to shake out." He sighed and stared critically at the edge of the woods before speaking again. "Besides that, there aren't any animals worth hunting this close to town anyway. It'll all be other scavengers or pests, neither of which I'd think birds would appreciate as offerings. You want meat for them, you'll have to go a bit farther out of the way."


"As far as your diet and accommodations are concerned, I hardly have room to talk about it. I'm in much of the same boat, with the trees and moss as bedding. I chose this life, though. As far as your diet goes, though, I do have some concerns. Do you eat any animal flesh at all, or is it all grubs and berries? A good meal is good for the spirit. Keeps you out of the long dark parts of life, I feel." Leopold continued, changing gears and going to another topic. "I suppose, too, that I am technically looking after you in this moment. I do think we'd be stretching the definition of the phrase a little far, though." He finished, still staring out at the woods.


@HighnessesReign


Leopold


Leopold's Thoughts
 
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Ren didn't know why he was heading towards the town of Arythrin, he just had a sense to go there like it was something important or something..... The feelings no is too hard to determine but whatever it means he's still traveling there. He had been traveling for awhile and Ren lost track of time..... It could've been hours which is unlikely, days, weeks or months which is also unlikely. Ren sighed as he looked at the pendant, whoever made this certainly had good taste like a nobleman who actually had taste cause most don't.


He had finally arrived at the town and well.... It wasn't what he had expected. It was certainly livelier than most of the other towns he had visited, though he did see a lot of guards running around chasing people but the feeling kept leading him somewhere. That place was a Warehouse and he had a distinct feeling that he should enter. Though any thoughts of entering had dissipated when the sounds of a fight had stolen Ren's Attention. He walked a little further and saw that four individuals were engaged in combat, and they were fighting in pairs. One group was contained of women, One had a Spear and leaped at a large man who Towered over her but looked to be slow as he did carry a giant battle axe, the second girl was obviously smaller but had a chain which she stuck the axe of the smaller giant. Sometimes Ren curses his good nature and took out his Longbow and pulled and arrow out of his quiver and placed it on the string. An arrow went by as it sunk into the smaller Grunt's knee and he went down with a large cry. He aimed at the larger of the two brutes and fired an aimed shot at the man making sure to miss the woman attacking him. He went back into his quiver to get another arrow not waiting to see if his aimed shot had landed a hit.


@Archangel Galdrael
 
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