Fantasy Poisoned Land - [ Zazz & Phoenix ]

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran eyed the mushrooms he’d been offered. “What, are these poison?” he said jokingly, taking them and biting into one. Not too bad.

When Azaria said it was time to wake the others, Sylven stirred on cue. She blearily opened her eyes, looking unseeing into the trees. It took her a moment to get her bearings and sit up. With a wide yawn, she rubbed her eyes, surprised that she hadn’t woken up earlier. Perhaps all that stress last night had exhausted her.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, Sylven stood, packing up her fur bedroll and surveying the rest of the camp. Tethran gave her a polite nod. Veyen was still sound asleep, his shoulder-length hair messily covering his face. She wished she didn’t have to wake him. With a small sigh, she gently shook the young elf’s shoulder until he started, peering at her between strands of brown hair with a worried look.

“Danger?” he asked quietly.

Sylven shook her head. “No. It is simply time to go.”

 

[Zazz]

"Not everything is poison, here," Brandyl mumbled. He offered some to the rest as they were woken, and carefully stomped out the rest of the fire.

"Haethryl." Azaria woke him gently, a hand on his cheek. The large man came to with a sudden jolt, and the woman literally had to restrain his arms so that he could not lash out. Realizing where he was, who he was with, Haethryl took a deep breath and relaxed. Azaria let go of his arms and stood, carrying on as if this was normal.

Haethryl cleared his throat, blinking away the sleep from his violet eyes. "Morning," he grumbled, and got to his feet.

"If we head straight that way," said Azaria, pointing through the trees, "we should manage to avoid and orc encampments. We do still need to be cautious."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran sighed. “It was a joke,” he said, clapping Brandyl’s shoulder lightly.

Sylven and Veyen accepted some of the mushrooms with a “thank you”. The clanmaid’s eyes drifted over to Azaria, noticing her struggle with Haethryl and how normal it seemed to them. Her dark brows furrowed at the scene. What was that all about? Whatever - she didn’t dare ask.

The Virdan all glanced between each other and then into the trees when Azaria mentioned their next destination. Having finished eating some mushrooms and taking swigs from their waterskins, they were as ready as they’d ever be. Sylven gripped her staff tightly and moved forward with her hunters trailing behind.

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl did his best to make their dead fire spot look older, then brought up the rear. Azaria still led them, but decided to walk just a little bit closer to the clanmaid. She was significantly less angry than the eve before.

"Did you say, yesterday, that your clanmother has a wife?" The question came from the back of the party. Azaria glanced back at the large man curiously; he was full of questions for these southerners.

 

[PhoenixMire]

A gentle breeze tickled the elves’ skin as they traveled. Sylven wanted, for a moment, to shut her eyes and bask in the early morning sun and chill breeze, but she remembered once again their encounter with the orcs the previous day, and knew she had to be on her guard. Behind her, Veyen and Tethran kept watch on their surroundings as they walked. At least she wasn’t alone.

At Haethryl’s question, Sylven looked up at him and blinked in confusion. Was that odd to him? She tilted her head a little. “Yes, I did say that. Why?”

 

[Zazz]

"Duindôrin don't marry," he answered. "I thought that was a human tradition?"

Brandyl piped in, "Because of our.. short lifespans, we're encouraged to have many partners. For children, and whatnot."

Haethryl added, "Not that some don't settle down with one partner at a time, of course. Azaria's parents, for example."

"A fat load of children that brought them," she lamented.

 

[PhoenixMire]

“Our ways are not human ways,” Sylven replied. “I don’t know much about human marriage though, to be honest. I only know that for us Virdan, having a partner to share our journeys with is a beautiful thing. Two will decide they love each other, and agree to face life together, and then the rest of the clan will use this union as an excuse to eat too much meat and too many berries and drink too much wine.” She smiled fondly at the memories of parties lasting late into the night.

Tethran frowned at the mention of multiple partners. He narrowed his eyes. “That sounds vile,” he said. “To break someone’s heart like that? Doesn’t it hurt when your partner goes off and devotes themselves to multiple other elves? What kind of devotion is that, anyway?”

Sylven sighed. Spirits’ sake, she didn’t want any more contention. Things had been going somewhat all right last night and she wanted it to stay like that. “Tethran… it’s merely a different tradition. Be respectful.”

He huffed, but stayed silent anyway.

Veyen stared off into the forest very intently, lips pressed together into a thin line. The topic clearly made him feel tense.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria laughed at Sylven's description of a wedding. She could just imagine Tethran getting drunk. Perhaps that would loosen his britches enough to shut his mouth for an hour.

Haethryl, too, barked out a laugh, but at Tethran's indignant reaction. "Well, you could waste your air being heartbroken about it, or you could stop getting your knickers in a twist and join the fun." Azaria grinned back at the man and rolled her eyes.

But Brandyl noticed Veyen's unease. "What is it, friend?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven couldn’t help smiling at their laughter. It felt like a somewhat jovial moment, for once - despite Tethran’s whining.

Tethran shook his head. “Fun? How is that fun? I -“ He glanced to Sylven and huffed. “Whatever. Forget it.”

The clanmaid sighed. He was always so brash, and she wished he could tone it down a little. Tethran could be charming and funny when he wanted to be. But it was clear these Duindôr irritated him enough that he did not want to be charming nor funny. She’d been livid with them at first too, of course… but now she merely wanted peace, and hoped they were actually making progress toward that.

Veyen glanced nervously into Brandyl’s face, then back into the woods. He flexed his fingers on his bow. “N-nothing.” He hesitated for a long moment before admitting, “I don’t - I don’t like the idea of relationships.”

Sylven pursed her lips. “It’s all right, Veyen. You’re still young. Don’t stress yourself over these things.”

 

[Zazz]

Brandyl shrugged. "It's a little bit daunting." He, too, was still young. The alchemist slipped his fingers into a small, padded pocket and produced a vial of glowing blue liquid. "Mycelium Ingnaethium," he told Veyen. "In its healing form. Keep it."

Azaria glanced back at Sylven and Tethran. "I'd rather like to hear about what savagery he thinks of us," she said, no malice in her tone. "Why do our customs bother you so fiercely?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Veyen blinked in surprise, taking the vial with uncertainty in his face. “You’re sure?” He smiled a little, tucking the liquid into his own pouch. “Thank you, Brandyl.”

Sylven raised a brow. “You - you would?” She did not want to shatter the peace she was trying so hard to achieve, but…

Tethran frowned deeply, shaking his head. “It sounds… wrong. Don’t you feel betrayed when someone leaves you to be with another?”

Sylven sighed and could only hope the discussion did not turn into horrible tension and anger.

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl saw the exchange and protested. "That's a valuable commodity, Bran."

Brandyl grinned and turned to walk backwards, arms open. "Perks of making it yourself." And he promptly tripped and landed on his back. Haethryl merely shook his head, lifting the boy and righting him, giving him a light shove in the right direction. The clumsy alchemist grumbled and kept his eyes on the ground in front of him.

Meanwhile, Azaria kept up the conversation with the elder hunter. "Personally, no. I've no sense of ownership over my bedmates; they are free to do as they please, as I am free to do what pleases me. We respect each other's desires, and, frankly, our lives are too short to pine over a lover lost to death."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Veyen snickered when Brandyl tripped. He clamped a hand over his mouth immediately afterward, embarrassed he had laughed at the other elf’s misfortune. “I’m sorry. Are you all right?” he asked softly. He seemed to be entirely ignoring the other conversation happening at the moment, his mind focused intently now on the little vial he’d been given.

Tethran huffed in annoyance. “It’s not ownership, it’s being loyal! Your kind has no sense of loyalty at all? And you don’t mourn your dead?!” He threw his hands into the air in frustration. “I cannot believe your clan. So calloused.”

Sylven sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Tethran. That doesn’t seem like a good way to have a respectful conversation.” Honestly! Sometimes she felt like she was chiding a child.

“Hmph.” He was clearly stewing in many other thoughts and feelings, but thankfully, kept them to himself.

 

[Zazz]

"We do mourn our dead," Haethryl huffed. He removed his right bracer and pushed forward to show Tethran lines of silvery scars arranged along the outside of his forearm. "We carry them with us, always. This one is for Galathi," he told the hunter proudly, "who died the same day you uptight ninnies walked into our home with sticks up your arses."

"Haethryl," Azaria warned. If one looked, they would see that Azaria, too, had similar scars peeking out from beneath her left pauldron.

Brandyl did his best to not get involved with the others' conversation, instead telling Veyen all about how the mycelium Ingnaethium went from a glowy blue fungi to the thin liquid in the vial.

 

[PhoenixMire]

“Uptight -“ Tethran’s eyes burned in anger. “Lady Sylven. There’s no way we’re putting up with these soulless barbarians.”

“Don’t ‘Lady Sylven’ me,” she said sternly. “You started this.” She glanced to Haethryl with irritation in her face. “I am sorry about your friends. But I don’t see why I’m being included in your insults when I’ve done nothing except be civil.” Her eyes shot back to Tethran, the usually calm green irises suddenly sharp and cold. “And you. Look, Tethran. I know you are struggling to be here, in unfamiliar territory. I am too. So how does that give you the right to be so confrontational? Careful, or I’ll send you back to the clanmother, and you know how disappointed she’ll be.”

Tethran visibly shrank back at the threat. There was still anger etched into his expression, but now it was mixed with shame. He opened his mouth to reply - then closed it, and opened it again, struggling to find words. “I - I’m sorry, Lady Sylven.”

Veyen tried his absolute best to listen to Brandyl talk - he wanted nothing to do with the contention happening amongst the others, after all - but with voices rising, he found it harder to focus on anything but the argument. He nervously fidgeted with his hands and kept his eyes on the ground as he heard Sylven’s threat to send Tethran home. Veyen wouldn’t mind going back, himself… but the clanmaid was right. Their clanmother’s disappointment would almost be worse than anything else.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria gave Haethryl a stern look, until he grunted an apology to the clanmaid. She glanced at Tethran before rolling her eyes, muttering, "And we're the barbarians." She shook her head. At least Sylven was smart enough to shut him up. As they reached a rocky incline, she offered a hand to the Virdan woman.

"-and a bit of beeswax to thicken up the mixture-"

"Brandyl, pay attention." Haethryl grabbed the back of the boy's tunic to keep him upright on the incline. "Talk on flat ground."

Of Sylven, Azaria asked, "What do you expect to find when we reach the Caverns?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven lightly inclined her head. "Apology accepted," she said quietly, even if she wasn't sure Haethryl meant it. Whatever. She reminded herself to be civil. Civil, no matter what. "And for what it's worth, I am sorry for Tethran." She cast him a quick glare, but he avoided her eyes, instead keeping his focus solely on his shoes. Hopefully, he could cool down later, and they could have a more productive conversation, and then she could get him to apologize to the other elves.

When they reached the incline, Sylven looked to Azaria's outstretched hand. She could climb the incline herself perfectly fine... but, ah well, Azaria was being polite, and there was no way the clanmaid would turn that down. With a faint smile, she took the other woman's hand and accepted the help up the incline.

Veyen couldn't help a small snicker when Brandyl almost tripped. It helped lighten his tension, just a little.

Sylven sighed and looked off into the woods. She hoped they were nearly out. They weren't making bad pace, but she couldn't help feeling like this forest was endless. She wanted to see the wide-open plains again. "I honestly do not know what to expect. Our old legends tell of horrible, unfathomable creatures. I don't wish to tangle with them, I refuse to put us in unnecessary danger. But I am hoping if we go deep enough into the caverns, I will be able to sense... the curse." She pursed her lips. "I can sense dark magic, in large enough amounts. Any time one of our herd has died, I've sensed a little. But I cannot figure out where it's coming from. The Virdan have wandered farther than we're used to in these past years, hunting for answers, a source for this plague, and finding nothing. The Dread Caverns are my only lead at this point."

 

[Zazz]

Azaria wondered what it felt like, to feel magic. Magic had been lost to them ages ago, if they had even had it to begin with. "Our animals have had more and more stillbirths. The trees grow black with disease, so we must burn them. Nobody has the time to figure it out. The alchemists have tried, but they have enough on their hands simply growing the crops we need to survive. The orcs only spread across the land, multiplying faster than we can reproduce."

She chewed her lip, brow furrowed. "I've seen death. So much death. But not like this."

Behind them, Brandyl stuck his tongue out at Veyen, relying very much on Haethryl's support. The bigger elf shook his head, grumbling something about two left feet.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven nodded. “It’s going to destroy the land. Our forests and our plains are sacred to us. I’d do anything to protect them, to stop this plague. It feels horrible, doesn’t it, the way the infected things die. Somehow it feels different - and I know it isn’t only because I can sense the dark magic.” She shook her head.

Veyen smiled at the scene with Brandyl and Haethryl. The young hunter went up the incline after them. He looked to Tethran, who walked off to the side of the group, a little separated from everyone else, clearly sulking. Veyen sighed and turned his attention back to Brandyl. “I love learning about the plants and mushrooms you’ve told me about,” he said timidly. “I wish we could grow some of these things in our own woods. But I feel like the climate further south may not make that possible…”

 

[Zazz]

Azaria helped Sylven up one last steep, mossy rock, and paused. The end of the forest was just up ahead. The Duindôr elf reached back down the incline for Brandyl, Haethryl, and lastly, Veyen, letting Tethran brood to himself. She shook his head at his constant moodiness.

"I'm sure with the right alterations, we could manage some of them," said the alchemist. "What's it like, down south? I've never been. Er, obviously."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran got up the incline himself, refusing to look in anyone’s direction. He seemed to take some small comfort in tightly clutching his bow and watching the forest intently. Veyen, however, smiled appreciatively at the help, and though he said nothing, he nodded his thanks.

“What’s it like?” Veyen blinked at the question. How to describe something you’d only known as home for your entire life? “Well, it’s - it’s beautiful. Not that it isn’t beautiful north too…” He ducked his head, flushing a little, worried already that he’d said something wrong. “I mean, it’s just that there are far more streams and rivers in the woods south. That means the trees are more lush, too.”

Sylven smiled. “It also means it’s a little more humid. It isn’t bad though. Our woods mean a lot to us. Often, we also travel to the plains eastward, where we graze our herds for the summer.”

“It’s drier here, a little bit,” Veyen continued. “It’s why some of these plants thrive more, I think, and why I don’t know if they’d do so well back home…”

 

[Zazz]

Brandyl nodded, his eyes wide in wonder. "I would like to see it, one day," he said in awe.

A snort came from Haethryl, and he clapped the young alchemist's shoulder. Bran's knees nearly buckled under the impact. "Hope you're not walking," he teased.

"Maybe he'll ride a unicorn," Azaria said with a sly smirk.

"That would be so cool," said Bran. "I've never even seen a horse," he admitted.

"You might, soon," said the warrior woman. "We've reached the plains."

Sure enough, they stepped into tall grasses and more sun than had ever graced the forest floor. Fields of wildflowers blanketed rolling hilltops and the shallow valleys between.

 

[PhoenixMire]

“I’d like you to see it someday too!” Veyen gushed, suddenly excited about the concept of bringing a new friend back to his home.

Sylven just smiled at the interaction, and the mention of unicorns. Perhaps this other clan would someday travel southward and see the Virdan’s pride and joy, their herd of beautiful strong unicorns.

Finally, the party stepped out from the tree line, and the vast plains spread far ahead of them. Sylven shut her eyes and breathed in as a breeze carried the scent of wildflowers to her. Upon opening her eyes again, she could see the Lirya Mountains toward the north, from here seeming small. They had quite a ways to travel still.

Tethran still looked broody off to the side of the group. The clanmaid pursed her lips in worry. He could be an absolute pain, but he was one of her own, and she felt a need to talk to him. She glanced between the other members of the group. “We’re making good time, I think - should we have a very brief stop for lunch?”

 

[Zazz]

The two warriors surveyed the land around them. Azaria pointed to a hill where they could see all sides of their surroundings. "There. I'd like to be as far from the treeline as possible." Most of the orcs did not stray out of the forest, but if they did, she wanted to see them coming.

At the top of the hill, Brandyl removed his cloak and laid in the grass. "Is that where we're going, then?" He asked, pointing towards the mountains in the distance. "That's a long way. Will we see any human cities?"

"Aye," said Haethryl. "They've got plenty further north. A few farm villages and whatnot in the plains."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven nodded and followed Azaria to the hill, where the group stopped to relax for a brief moment. Veyen settled into the grass and produced some dried meat from a pouch, chewing on it contentedly as he soaked in the atmosphere of the wide rolling plains. “I’ve never seen humans,” he chimed in.

Sylven, meanwhile, approached Tethran, who still stood apart from the group. He only briefly looked in her direction before turning away again.

“Mind telling me why you’re so upset?” asked the clanmaid.

Tethran scoffed. “You already know. Why do I need to say anything more?”

Sylven shifted her weight, leaning a bit on her staff, studying the hunter. “I believe they’ve warmed up a little bit. At least, I hope. Why are you still so angry?” Her tone was soft.

“They’re barbarians.”

“Spirits’ sake, Tethran. That kind of thinking gets us nowhere.”

The hunter looked at her with anger in his eyes, clenching his hands into fists. “But you agreed. You called them all sorts of names.”

Sylven flushed, ashamed. “I know. I was angry. But I never said anything to their face, and I’ve been nothing but diplomatic. At least, I’ve tried. I think it’s working.”

Tethran just clenched his jaw and looked off into the distance again.

Brushing her long hair behind her ears, Sylven frowned and studied the other elf for a moment. “You just don’t want to accept their help, do you?”

“We should be strong enough to help ourselves. Relying on others like this is embarrassing.”

Sylven shook her head. “Relying on others is a beautiful thing, in a way. There is so much… connection in it. Virdan protects its own. None of us would survive alone in the wild - the entire clan helps each other. And what of all the trade we do with other clans? Our friendly relations with them? Should we not accept goods from them?”

Tethran crossed his arms. “It’s not the same. These ones are… different.”

“As are we all. No two elves are the same. I don’t really understand the ways of these Duindôr, but I would like to try. I want to understand all the world a little better. Isn’t there beauty in our differences, our uniqueness? Think of the Spirits. None of them are the same, and because of that, the world is the way it is. There are trees and rivers and mountains and flowers and deer and unicorns and on and on, all because the Spirits are unique from one another, yet they all work in harmony. Shouldn’t we try to emulate them with the Duindôr? To be united?”

Tethran sighed and slid a hand down his face. “Spare me the lectures, Lady Sylven, you’re starting to sound like the clanmother.” But there was the hint of a smile on his face.

“Good.” Sylven grinned. “Now could I ask you to apologize?”

The hunter groaned - but after a moment of hesitation, he gave her a single nod, then turned to make his way toward the rest of the group. “I’m… sorry. For insulting you.”