Fantasy Poisoned Land - [ Zazz & Phoenix ]

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven listened intently, curious what had happened to their use of magic. An elven clan, living without it? How strange. Not that it was the strangest thing she'd seen of these people, though. She cast a quick smile at the cook, taking another bite of the succulent boar. Beside her, she saw Tethran tearing into his, while Veyen ate a little more cautiously, keeping his eyes averted from everyone around him. The peaceful look on his face suggested he was enjoying the meal, though.

"I cannot imagine not having magic," Sylven said sadly. "Even with it, our journeys with this plague are a struggle. I do not know what your clan's main source of food is, but for the Virdan, we forage and we hunt. With every mushroom and berry and wild gourd we pluck, we use nature magic to replenish what we have taken, as thanks to the spirits of the land who allow us to eat so bountifully. This helps the food grow back quicker and just as strong." With a pensive sigh, she shook her head. "Lately even our magic does almost nothing. We noticed it first some years ago - but it started small, then. We used our magic to encourage growth, and then we moved to the southern plains for the winter. When we returned to our woods in late spring, nothing had grown, despite all our coaxing.

"But nature is sometimes unpredictable. Perhaps this winter had simply lasted too long, and spring was struggling to return. We acknowledged this. And yet, as the years went by, this became a pattern... and many healthy trees would die suddenly. A creek we had camped by off and on for centuries dried up."

Veyen stared into the flickering fire that the boar sat roasting over. "There was Lulu."

Sylven rubbed her forehead. "Yes. Lulu was the first. We take pride in our flocks of sheep and unicorns, and we treat them very, very well. Most avoid sickness altogether, and the rare times they do fall ill, it's often not hard to treat. But our sheep, Lulu... one day she laid down and would not get back up, even to follow the rest of her flock when we moved our campsite. We did everything we could for her, but we could not understand what ailment she suffered from. She simply laid there for a long while, and then died. More sheep followed. Even a few unicorns. Even the packs of wolves roaming the woods! If we cannot eat, cannot shear our sheep or hunt the wolves for clothing and food, if all rivers and creeks dry and we cannot drink... We will not live much longer. Do your own people not see how dire this is?"

 

[Zazz]

Brandyl shook his head. "They see it, but... Ours is a stubborn lot. It's hard, living this close to several orc tribes. They blame the scorched lands on the orcs, and we do our best to plant more and regrow, but... The harvests are growing smaller every year." He sighed, resting his chin on his fists. "It is difficult to focus on anything but the immediate threat, and so that is what they do. It's what we all do."

"What's a unicorn?"

Haethryl had come up behind them, apparently eavesdropping. When he spoke, he was inches away from Tethran's ear, and purposefully asked his question loudly, grinning.

 

[PhoenixMire]

"Hmmm." Sylven finished off her meat, eyeing Brandyl curiously, still wondering why he was so different from the rest of his clan. The others seemed hard-headed and disrespectful, yet here was this young man, defying all of that. Still, it would be rude to flat-out ask him why he did not seem like the rest of his people, so she would not. "These orcs -"

But she was interrupted by someone suddenly appearing behind Tethran. The hunter jumped, whipping around to glare at the other man. "What -" He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "What is your problem? You don't even know what a unicorn is?"

The clanmaid rolled her eyes a little. She readied herself to pick up her staff and leave, looking forward to sleeping for the night before their long day of travel tomorrow. But she noticed Veyen was not yet finished with his dinner. She sighed quietly, watching him slowly make his way through the meat skewer, silently wishing he'd hurry. The sudden presence of the other elf - whose name she had forgotten already - made her uncomfortable. Brandyl was the only one that seemed all right thus far.

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl barked out a laugh, the others behind him following suit. Brandyl did his best to cover a snort at Tethran's outrage.

"No, flyswatter. Do you see any unicorns around here? Daft twit."

"Let's try to be civil," Brandyl sighed.

Haethryl ignored him. "Azaria said you'll be in the far house up by the gate. That way we don't wake up the whole place when we leave. Be ready, we leave by first light."

Brandyl watched him go, then assured them, "I'll make sure it's stocked with enough furs."

 

[PhoenixMire]

"Daft -" Tethran narrowed his eyes, his golden irises so alight with rage they might as well have been molten metal. "Oh, yes, it's my fault you pathetic excuses for elves are so far removed from the ways of the ancestors you don't even know what a unicorn is?!"

Sylven glanced between Tethran and the Duindôr elf with exhaustion written all over her features. "Perhaps some rest will cool your temper?" She sighed and stood, eyeing Veyen purposefully. He caught the message, hurrying to finish his food then leaping to his feet, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

Sylven nodded to Brandyl. "My thanks. We shall see you again come dawn."

---

Dawn arrived, cold and pale. It stretched light pink fingers across the distant horizon, and Sylven sat by a window, watching the light spread. She had not slept well. Veyen dozed peacefully behind her, while Tethran slept nearby, sprawled out in a position that could not possibly have been comfortable to anyone but him. She hated to rouse them from their sleep, but they had to prepare. Gently the clanmaid shook their shoulders. "Up," she said quietly. "The time comes for us to leave, soon."

 

[Zazz]

In the wee hours of the morning, Brandyl dressed and packed for their trip; food, medicines, essentials. He donned a cloak for warmth and set off to meet Haethryl outside their guests' lodgings. "Where is Azaria?" He whispered as the other man knocked gently on the door. He jerked his head in the direction of the gate. Of course, she was scouting ahead.

The boy was nervous, leaving the safety of the walls of Duindôr, but he supposed now was as good a time as any to go on his first real adventure. He hoped they wouldn't see any orcs, but he knew better than to believe they wouldn't.

 

[PhoenixMire]

The Virdan hunters readied themselves quickly. They had brought on their journey plenty of salted meats and dried berries, stuffed into leather pouches they kept at their belts. Each elf kept a fur bedroll tied to their back. Sylven brushed a hand through her long mess of wavy hair, pursing her lips in anticipation as she waited for their... oh so kind hosts to arrive and set out.

It did not take long for a knock to sound at the door of their lodging. The clanmaid opened it, peering out at the elves on the other side. She did not see Azaria, only Brandyl and the other man whose name she didn't remember. She merely inclined her head in greeting, then turned to motion to Veyen and Tethran. The two hunters followed her out of the door and stood beside her, Veyen taking a deep breath of the crisp dawn air.

Sylven had never been to the Lirya Mountains. She had come close enough to admire their majesty, but never far enough to glimpse the human city at its base. Her clan had no need to. They did not associate with humans, and the tales of the Dread Caverns within the mountains was enough to keep them away. This journey should prove... interesting.

 

[Zazz]

"Come on, then. Azaria is outside the gate."

Sure enough, the Duindôr woman stood on a branch just outside the clearing. As they neared, she dropped to the ground gracefully, despite being clad in full armor. It was light, good for traveling, yet effective.

"Slept well? Catch any flies?" She teased Tethran. With a quick, sturdy pat to his shoulder, she left him alone. Of Sylven, she asked, "I presume you know the way?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

The Virdan elves followed the others outside of the gates of the fortress. Sylven visibly relaxed a little more once she stood amongst the trees, breathing a quiet of sigh of contentment to be outside of the stuffy fortress and in the cool morning air.

Tethran glared daggers at Azaria. But he kept his mouth shut. Sylven looked at him with a faint smile, thankful that he held his tongue. She looked to Azaria with a thoughtful expression. "I do. I have never traveled to the mountains from here, however... Give me a moment." She shut her eyes to concentrate, picturing the route in her mind. "I believe we will get there the fastest if we set off to the east, and then take the northern trail through the plains from there."

 

[Zazz]

Azaria nodded, physically checking her straps as she went through a mental checklist of what orc tribes were currently in what areas. "We might run into trouble on the east route, so stick close." The orcs often migrated as they conquered each other; it was difficult to predict where they might be camped. "It should be safe for a bit, we comb these trees pretty regularly."

She led the group through the forest, heading into the sunrise. Haethryl took the rear, with Brandyl... somewhere in the middle.

"So, clanmaid," Azaria began. "Tell me. What is a unicorn?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Orc tribes... Sylven idly chewed her lip at the thought. Her clan was far enough south they did not have trouble from orcs, so she had no idea what to expect. Even in her rare journeys near the Lirya Mountains, she had not come across any. Perhaps she had never gone far enough north. There were tales in her clan and others of the pariah Duindôr elves constantly at war with the orcs, sure, but... what was an orc really like? She'd never even seen one.

As they walked, Veyen and Tethran fell behind their clanmaid, keeping an eye on the woods surrounding them. Both the hunters kept their gazes sharp and trained on the shadows for any possible dangers.

Sylven slightly tilted her head at Azaria's question. "You really do not know? Hmm." She pursed her lips. "Have you seen the herds of wild horses, roaming the plains? Unicorns are like those, except much sturdier, with a long sharp horn sprouting from their forehead. They are more closely connected to the earth and to us elves than horses. Our unicorns are powerful animals; they understand to protect us, and in turn we will protect them. Many a time, a unicorn has skewered a wolf wandering too close to our children. We allow our unicorns to roam our lands freely, and they always stick close and follow us when we move our camp. For those clanmates who may struggle to make the journeys themselves, they ride on the backs of the unicorns." Sylven truly could not imagine living without them.

 

[Zazz]

To Brandyl, unicorns sounded awesome. He'd never seen a horse, of course. Not in real life. Only in drawings, once, in a book he'd managed to get his hands on. Books were scarce, in Duindôr. If it wasn't necessary, it usually didn't make the journey.

But Azaria had seen them, before. Running in the plains. Running through trees as they burned and screamed. Laying dead, flies buzzing over their partially eaten carcasses. She closed her eyes and shook away the memory.

"I'm sure they're beautiful," she said quietly.

They reached another clearing, some time later, and the stench of burned flesh reached their nostrils. Azaria stopped in her tracks, carefully pulling out the sword at her back. Eyes and ears open for danger, she led them forward to what was once a small orc camp. It was now lying in ruin, huts kicked in and burned. Bodies, large as a bear and small as a pig, the flesh burned over bones. Azaria stamped out what little fires she could while Haethryl checked the camp for life.

"Orcs," said Azaria, her expression grim. "They war with each other as much as they do with us."

 

[PhoenixMire]

"They are beautiful," Sylven agreed, feeling a sense of contentment that Azaria had said something nonconfrontational for the first time, and missed the twinge of what was perhaps melancholy in the other woman's tone.

"I wish we'd brought some," Tethran grumbled.

"You know they wouldn't enter the caverns. There was no point," Sylven sighed. Not to mention the journey into such unfamiliar lands may be too dangerous to risk their precious unicorns. Some of them... had been dying, after all. The plague took many dear things from the Virdan.

They walked for a while, and a sudden horrible reek assaulted the clanmaid's senses. She wrinkled her nose. Veyen coughed behind her, clamping a hand over his nose and mouth. "What is that awful smell?"

It did not take long for him to get an answer. Sylven stood at the edge of the orcish camp, eyes wide as she studied the burnt bodies. She dared not get any closer. "Are there... living orcs nearby?" she asked quietly, green eyes darting around the trees.

 

[Zazz]

"That is the smell of death," Haethryl proclaimed, peering into the trees. "We need to move."

"Help me put out-"

Azaria was cut off as a squeal erupted in the trees. Haethryl equipped his crossbow and readied it just as a small boar came darting out at them. They could feel the tremble in the earth from something incoming.

"Run!" Azaria lifted her sword, ready for what was coming, and as the first orc broke threw the trees, Haethryl let fly a bolt that landed straight in its great green chest. It snarled and grabbed at the metal haft, ripping it out of its own flesh. As it raged, Azaria lunged and swung her blade at its neck.

As Haethryl was reloading his crossbow, two more orcs burst into the clearing, confused but ready for a fight.

Brandyl, meanwhile, had run in the same direction as the boar. And promptly fallen over a root. "Agh!"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Suddenly everything was chaos. A boar was running from something and the earth trembled. Sylven, with eyes wide in fear, turned to do exactly as she'd been instructed. She sprinted. Tethran followed close behind, turning for a brief moment to sling his bow off his shoulder and quickly shoot an arrow into a raging orc's arm, before he was running away again. Veyen stood frozen. As soon as Sylven noticed he wasn't following her, she frantically turned to run back the way she had come, grabbing his arm a little too harshly in the chaos. "Run!" she yelled, snapping him out of his stupor.

Tethran stopped his flight for only a brief moment to grab Brandyl's arms and haul him upward. "Go, stupid foal!" he growled. Sylven, casting her frantic gaze between her hunters and the young Duindôr elf, knew she had to do something to slow the orcs, if she could. Slamming her staff into the ground, she raised her free arm upward, commanding the earth to move to her will. But the spirits-forsaken land did not much like listening to her lately. Even with all her desperation and focus, she only managed to coax a single root to erupt from the ground, grasping one of the orcs by the foot. It would have to do. She hoped she had bought them enough time to keep fleeing.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria's sword hacked through the first orc's thick neck, his head rolling away from the fray to its gruesome end. She heard Tethran's arrow whip past; when the first body dropped, she found it embedded in the second's forearm. The beast roared, dropping his weapon, and ran to tackle the closest elf: Azaria.

The third suddenly tripped and fell on its face, landing in a cheekful of burning coals. Azaria stopped, confused, and glanced back to see Sylven with her staff to the ground and a hand in the air. She was turning back to the fray when her foot was grabbed, putting her flat on her back, sword knocked out of her hand. The young warrior was dragged beneath the tripped orc roughly. A bolt embedded itself into its head, Azaria's two dagger in its ribs.

The second, still enraged and weaponless, changed course to chase after Sylven. It ran over the third orc, crushing Azaria, its footfalls thundering against the earth. Bloodthirsty eyes were locked onto the clanmaid. Haethryl took aim once again, but missed its head, landing a bolt in its shoulder, only serving to stagger the brute.

Brandyl, having been rescued by Tethran, saw what was about to happen; Sylven was about to have her face ripped from her skull. The young lad stopped running away, and sprinted back towards the huge, raging orc. Brandyl tossed himself at its knees and managed to knock it off balance. He was mortified to find himself hanging by the front of his collar; the orc held it in his fist. "A little help, here?!"

Suddenly, he was staring into two eyes and a metal bolt, and the orc slumped to the ground, dead.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Despite the underwhelming display of nature magic, Sylven took pride in tripping at least one orc into the embers. But then another was charging at her. She didn’t have time to think before suddenly Brandyl had thrown himself at the orc’s legs, tripping the beast and saving her life. Then the orc was holding the young man by the collar. Before she had time to react, a crossbow bolt thunked into the orc’s head, and it was down.

Sylven surveyed the destroyed campsite in shock. It had all happened so quickly! The Orcs were much larger than she’d expected.

And speaking of them being large, Azaria was still pinned under one of the brutes. Sylven hurried to try and pry the orc off Azaria; Tethran appeared opposite her to help, and together they heaved the body off the elven warrior.

Veyen clutched his bow in a white-knuckle grip. He hadn’t used it at all, but stood with his hazel eyes flicking frantically between the shadows of the trees. “Are there more?” he asked in a hushed tone.

 

[Zazz]

Brandyl sat where he was for a moment, in shock of what had just occurred, coupled with what he had just done. Adrenaline coursed through him, and when looked, he saw his hands were shaking. "I'm alive. Is everyone alive?"

Azaria lay in place after being freed from the oppressive weight of her dead foe. The sun was overhead. Her feet were tired, the back of her head hurt, and her chest felt sore. It wasn't until she tried to move that she felt the pain in her leg. She grimaced and sat up, glancing at Haethryl who had come to help her up.

"That's all of them, but we shouldn't stay here," he said. He watched as Azaria stretched out her leg, moving her toes. "You good?"

"Fine. It'll probably bruise later. Let's go." She let him haul her to her feet and put a hand on Tethran's shoulder to steady herself. "These blokes would definitely have been fine without us," she joked, putting pressure on her leg and wincing slightly.

 

[PhoenixMire]

“We’re alive.” Sylven looked at Brandyl with a shaky smile. “Thank you. I believe you saved me.”

Tethran watched Azaria as she steadied herself, tempted to pull away when she rested on his shoulder to steady herself, but he wasn’t that cruel. No, he stayed where he was, merely rolling his eyes at her comment.

Veyen swallowed, his eyes still darting nervously around the woods. He refused to loosen his grip on his bow.

“Onward, then,” Sylven said. She glanced to Brandyl, still shaking, and then to Veyen and his tense posture. She sighed in concern. “Come. It’s over.” She clasped a hand on both their shoulders. “Let us move on before more orcs come. We go eastward.”

 

[Zazz]

Brandyl patted his various pockets, checking for fractured vials, and stood. He met Sylven's gaze and returned her smile with a shaky one of his own. "I.. You're welcome? It..." He trailed off, looking down at the dead orc. Brandyl shuddered.

Araria patted Tethran's shoulder in silent thanks. Without his arrow, things could have been much worse. "Eastward," she agreed, retrieving her blades, wiping them clean before sheathing all three. She had the slightest limp, nearly imperceptible, as she led them onwards.

Haethryl yanked his used bolts out of their perished targets, making sure Veyen and Brandyl stayed in front of him. "Good save," he said to the alchemist. "Try not to get yourself killed."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven and her hunters continued on then, the clanmaid leading them east. Of course, she did not know these woods, but she knew where east was, and it would be easier to orient herself upon arriving in the open plains. She was very accustomed to them. She moved on with determination in her step, eager to leave this orcish attack far, far behind.

Veyen still shook a little. Tethran eyed him worriedly. "You... going to be all right?"

Veyen merely nodded. His hazel eyes were still wide, and he chewed his lip so much it began to bleed. He certainly did not look all right.

Sylven cast a glance over her shoulder toward them, pursing her lips in concern. Veyen was so young and inexperienced - she had been against him coming along, but for some reason the clanmother had insisted. Despite his age, he was a prodigy with the bow, and the clanmother said he would be invaluable in the journey. Sylven still was not convinced. She shook the thoughts away, instead turning her gaze to Haethryl, and slightly cocking her head toward his weapon. "What is that?" she asked. "It is like a bow, but... not. It's very strange."

 

[Zazz]

"This?" Haethryl lifted the metal contraption for better viewing. "It's a crossbow. Takes a bit to load, but the shot is deadlier. You pull the string back, like this," he explained, stopping to demonstrate. He used what looked like a large, curved, two-pronged fork to stretch the string back. "Then, you load your bolt... Aim and fire." The bolt embedded itself in a nearby tree trunk with a dull  thunk.

He held it out, offering it to Tethran to try. "It's louder, and slower, but much more effective against the orcs' thick skin."

Meanwhile, Brandyl took the opportunity to check on Veyen, who seemed even more out of place than himself. He procured a dull red leaf with yellow veins from one of his many pouches. Brandyl gently nudged the younger elf with his elbow and offered him the leaf, saying, "Here. This will help calm your nerves."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven and Tethran both looked on in curiosity as the other elf explained his odd contraption. Sylven's eyes lit up as she watched; Tethran seemed a little less impressed. When he was handed the crossbow, he did as he'd been shown, firing the bolt and reloading another. He tsked. "Way too slow," he sighed, handing it back to Haethryl. Sylven wanted to try it - but she didn't want to ask. She wasn't fully comfortable around these other elves, yet.

Veyen's thin brows knitted together, and he looked up into Brandyl's eyes with a bit of confusion. "What is this?" he asked, taking it and studying it. Its coloring was beautiful. He admired it for a moment before hesitantly nibbling its edges. "How does this help? Where did you find it, exactly?"

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl chuckled, taking his weapon back. "It's not for everyone." Up ahead, Azaria had taken a seat on a fallen log, using the time to remove the armor south of her knee and check the damage.

Haethryl noticed the clanmaid's interest. "Would you like to try it, as well?"

Brandyl fell right into step, explaining the properties of the flora. "Crimsonalis minoris. We grow it up by the river. It'll only grow in loose mud. Our warriors use it to ease pain and relax after battle, but I find it useful in small doses for things like this. Just, ah, don't eat more than a leaf, or Haethryl will have to carry you."

 

[PhoenixMire]

When they stopped for a moment, Sylven eyed Azaria with some worry, wondering if her leg was all right... and how much it may slow them down. So far it hadn't seemed to be an issue, but she found herself sitting with a growing sense of concern. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Haethryl offered for her to try the crossbow. With a smile, Sylven inclined her head. "Thank you. I... would be interested, yes." She took the contraption from him, studying its sturdy form for a minute before aiming and taking fire at the knot of a tree. The bolt missed its target by a long shot, and Sylven huffed. She never had been much good at archery. Nature magic was where she excelled. She walked to reclaim the bolt, reloading the crossbow as she'd seen Haethryl demonstrate, and shot at the tree again. This time she was closer to the target, but still off. She shrugged and handed him back his crossbow. "A unique weapon."

Veyen watched the other elf with the corners of his lips turning up into the tiniest of smiles. He nibbled at the rest of the leaf as he listened. "I've never seen crimsonalis minoris. Us Virdan use lemleaf tea to ease nerves, and a salve of willow bark and dandelion for pain relief. Those things don't always work for me, though. I've found lavender tea to be more calming," he rambled. It was definitely the most he had yet spoken. He seemed to be feeling much better already - although whether that was due to the strange leaf or simply the topic of herbalism, who could say.