Fantasy The Chosen of Seven

[TerraBooma]

Well, Adruo certainly gave him options. Romon mused with a smile. "Well the way I see it, there are two options that would aid me in some way." He held out two of his fingers as he spoke. "Firstly, the previous tales of the man who wielded my weapon would be...useful, to say the least. I know from what you said he was lazy, but any tricks I could learn may save my life one day."


Romon continued speaking, as he did so, he dropped his finger down to one. "The other options, would be to ask for the story of the other elf, as it would inform me of what life is like for our species. To adapt to the trials. Elvish culture isn't exactly...moving quickly." He chuckled. "Still, it gives me some choices, doesn't it?"


The elf paused for a moment. "So, I think I'll go with the claymore wielder." Romon waited for a confused look. "Not everything needs to be primed and packed for every bit of vital information. Nice stories can be appreciated after all but well..everyone." Romon chuckled. "I honestly care not which tale I hear first...but there is little time in the day, and I have a feeling that saying something along the lines of 'oh...your choice.' wouldn't be popular."


"So, let's hear of this dragonkin. I assume that as a wielder of a claymore, he must have been pretty big." Romon also noticed the setting sun. "I think it's about time we started considering breaking for Camp...What say we put your survival skills to the test? I'll set up the camp as long as you start working on a fire."

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo nodded as Romon spoke. She began thinking of the tales she knew about the elf and the human who had lived a thousand years ago. She had somewhat expected that answer. She had to hold back a small laugh at Romon's comment about elvish culture. He would be surprised at the change that had taken place because of which elf had been the one to take on the task as a Saviour.


The dragonkin blinked a few times, wide eyes on the elf next to her. Perhaps he thought that the last elf Saviour used the claymore. Had she said it wrong? She continued to look at Romon with a look of confusion as he continued speaking. Her features relaxed when she realised the truth. He knew exactly what he was talking about. "Surprisingly, he was actually rather short. Not a midget, but on par with your average female." Adruo interjected. She gave a small smile at Romon's suggestion. "You can leave it to me." She stated confidently. She glanced around before telling Romon to stay where he was. Without further explanation, her leathery wings extended. Using her legs to help, she was in the air in moments.


From her position in the air, she could see past the trees. She scanned the area. Spotting what she was looking for, she returned to where she had left the elf. "I saw a small break in the trees just ahead. It should be enough to make a comfortable camp, but not too open to the elements." She explained.

 

[TerraBooma]

"Works for me." The elf said with a grin. "What kind of elf would I be if I said no to some trees overhead? C'mon, let's go." Romon set the pace a little faster. Within a few more minutes the pair had arrived. Romon wordlessly began setting up camp. Packs were set down, bedrolls set out, and he also slipped away to begin hunting. It both would provide good eating, and give both of the pair time to think on whatever they wished.


For Romon, that meant steeling his will to the task ahead of him. He had trained for this...years of effort, the pain of the tattoos...all to be a hero. He couldn't let them down now. Not with everything on the line...The elf set some traps before returning to a clearing to practice by himself for a few minutes.


Having two weapons was certainly going to be a chellenge...still, he was up to it. After getting used to the blades in each hand, Romon started collecting berries. When he had enough, he checked the traps. Only one had any luck...but a big squirrel was hopefully enough for the both of them, they still had their rations after all.


Eventually, he returned to the clearing where Adruo was setting up the fire. Food in hand. It hadn't taken him long to set up the camp after all, so the Elf was happy he had found the time to gather food to boot.


"Hey Adruo, the hunt was good tonight. Squirrel and a story can't be a bad combination after all now can it?"

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo unbuckled the pouches on her legs and placed them gently on the ground. Since they contained many of the tales her grandmother had passed down to her, she didn't want to take unneeded risks. "So Romon, where..." She paused as she noticed the elf was no longer there. She hadn't heard anyone else in the area. The fact that the weapons he had just got were gone helped easing her worry.


The dragonkin got to work on setting up a fire. She stood looking over the area for a few minutes, just deciding where to place it. Once decided, she walked over to the spot and made sure it was clear of unwanted stones. She took a small step back and hit her heel of one foot on the ground. Rocks jutted up, forming a perfect circle. She gave herself a nod before setting off to find some wood and kindling.


Finding a mostly dead tree, Adruo used her claws to help her scale it. Closer to the top, she located dried branches that would probably fall soon anyway. After a few swings of her sword and some more searching, she had a decent pile of wood. Some scratching around on the forest floor revealed dry leaves and grasses. "Good thing I found this. I would have had to used that bird nest otherwise." She mused to herself.


Once she got back to the camp, she looked around for Romon or any signs of others. Seeing no one, she set about making fire. Sure, being a Fire Dragonkin would have been helpful, but being Earth had its own way to make fire. Adruo took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She moved slowly around the area, not lifting her feet. She paused. The girl smiled to herself. She opened her eyes, knelt down and shoved her hand into the ground without hesitation. She seemed to rummage around the earth as if it was her bag. Not long after, she pulled out a single stone. She peered at it carefully. "Pretty nice flint."


She shoved her sword in the ground at an angle and struck the flint against it. Soon, she had a fire burning strongly. There was still no sign of Romon's return. Adruo sat and watched the fire. She allowed herself the time to think. So much had happened in only one day. Not just to her, but in the world. As she considered all the details of what might change for Pangeros, her head began to swim with all the information. She took a breath and decided to focus on herself for the time being. What had happened to her? She had offered to help the new Saviours and they had accepted. How did she feel? Anxious. Excited. Curious. Worried. She was afraid too. Afraid of what dangers they would meet on their journey. However, she was grateful to those chosen for allowing her request.


She gave a small smile as she watched the dancing flames. She looked over her shoulder as Romon spoke. "Sounds like a plan." She gave the elf her usual smile. "Want a skewer to cook with?" She asked, holding up a straight branch she had found. "So, you want to know about the dragonkin who wielded Forest Edge? How early on in his life should I start?" She asked with a slight laugh.

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

Coarse hairs tickled the palms of her hands. Phoebe admired their lustre before clutching them as hard as she could, muscles unclenching when the animal gave no sign of discomfort and continued its slow trot, just like Destin said. It still felt odd to be on top of a horse like this, but having something she could hold on to at least took the edge off the fear of being this high up on a narrow stone path, with absolutely nothing to break their fall.


No reason to be afraid. If the simple-minded and untamed herbivore was alright with the situation, then so was she. Not afraid at all. Not one bit.


“I would like to hear more about Almas. How’d you come to be in her care?”


Phoebe’s head snapped back up from the seemingly endless abyss beneath them and tilted towards her partner, a frown settling on her brow when she realised that they wouldn’t be able to converse face to face like this. “Almas, she…” There was a long pause as she pondered over his question. “It was almost twelve years ago, I believe. I was wandering about without a purpose when I stumbled upon the Grand Library,” she spoke slowly, measuring her words. “I’d heard much about it, of course, and I was curious. So I waited for the cover of night and got past the little security they had.”


The wind rose in a sudden gust, blowing a mass of clouds across their path. The horse snorted and halted, but remained calm, much to Phoebe’s surprise. She clutched its mane and hunched over, the cold seeping through her clothes and nipping at her nose. When the clouds passed, she blinked her eyes open and rubbed at her nose, checking for any signs of discomfort in her partner before continuing.


“It was supposed to be a quick look, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the place.” A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Weeks passed. The staff noticed signs of an intruder but, try as they might, they could not catch me. Some even took to calling me the Ghost of the Southern Archives.” Her smile turned into a full blow smirk as she remembered her grand game of hide and seek with the staff and the many pranks she pulled.


Ghost. Somehow, she always thought that title suited her.


“Eventually someone did catch me. And that person was Almas. The woman found me reading one of her own books, and burst out laughing when she did. And she laughed… and laughed… and laughed,” a pout formed on her lips as she remembered the embarrassment she felt at that moment. “She gave me an ultimatum. Either I left and never set foot on those grounds again, or I accepted her offer to work there as her apprentice and personal assistant.” Phoebe's fingers curled around the tangles of the stallion’s mane, eyes watching the twitching muscles on its back. “There was never any choice, really. I couldn't go back to wandering aimless through the Southern forests. Not any more.” The path was clear once more, but a different fog began to fall over her mind as locked memories jerked awake and began their struggle to burst out of their cages.


“What about you?” she asked quickly, swallowing the lump in her throat. Staring straight ahead, she could already spot a few shapes in the distance that could only belong to the ruins of the Lake of the Fallen. They were close. “How did you and Darius meet?”

@Syvas​

 

[TerraBooma]

"Early?" Romon sat in silence for a few moments, pondering. "Well, I think the basics of who they were would be nice, but I don't think every minute detail of their childhood is exactly that important." He chuckled. "I've seen enough ballads to know the exciting bits are what's important, but there must always be groundwork I suppose." The elf shrugged, then stared into the campfire a bit.


"So I suppose about the time they started making a name for themselves would work." He smirked. "And whatever you feel is necessary to understand the story of course."


The elf took the aforementioned stick and started roasting the squirrel, as Adruo spoke, he would silently cook. The squirrel was first on the menu, and the berries too. Both of which were admittedly kind of bland. Nothing to explode in surprise over Romon's cooking skills. Still...they weren't bad, and had a bit of a comforting feel that comes with good food. After the hunted supplies were gone, Romon brought some rations out of the bag and handed out Adruo's share.


Throughout the story, Romon would remain focused but relaxed. His head nodded and eyes followed along with the story, but his posture was relaxed. About halfway through the story, a knife and small carving appeared in Romon's hand when Adruo looked away for some reason or other. The figure was hard to see what it was, as it had clearly only been started recently.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo tilted her head from side to side as she tried to recall all she knew about the dragonkin. She sifted through the facts to find the bits she thought Romon would find interesting. "Ezekiel Randahl was a fire dragonkin. He looked normal if it wasn't for his hight. He was surprisingly short. However, his strength proved enough to make up for it. He was also extremely skilled in his use of magic. It is said that his personality left something to be desired though. He was known by many for being the cause of several fires. Some tried to kill him when word spread of him coming into possession of Forest Edge as very few trusted Ezekiel." Adruo looked at Romon to gauge how the story was affecting him. Seeing that he still seemed interested, she continued.


"He wasn't very friendly towards the other Saviours and attempted to fight on his own on many occasions. If it wasn't for the healing properties of Forest Edge, he most likely would have died long before the Demon Lord was confronted. The exact facts of how are unknown, but Dylis Mikil - the wielder of Swift Drinker - seemed to heal Ezekiel several times." Adruo gave a small laugh. "You'd be surprised how many girls ask me about Ezekiel's tale. I suppose the romance that seemingly blossomed in such desperate times is fascinating to them." The dragonkin waved her hand in front of her face. "But I digress." A sound nearby caused Adruo to snap her head in its direction. Seeing it to only be a bird, she returned her attention to the fire. "Thanks to Dylis, Ezelkiel became more trusting of the others and began working with them properly." Adruo then summarised some of the more interesting battles that Ezelkiel had played a large part in. He acted mostly as a protector of the others as they readied attacks due to his thick scales and healing abilities. However, when he was on the offensive, he caused massive amounts of damage.


Adruo hadn't touched her food while she spoke. She had left it in a little pile next to her which she now happily depleted. As she chewed on some squirrel meat, she noticed the lump of wood in Romon's hand. She could see the beginnings of... something. From her distance and the objects completion, it was difficult to tell. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you making?" Her innocent curiosity was clear. Her neck was slightly strained as she tried to get a better look.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Mayweather & Severis

​

Severis was the first to react. Leaping down from his horse, he drew out his ceremonial knife, preparing to use his own blood to empower a summoning.


“You’d better learn fast how to use that scythe, die trying, or get out of here! Those are your only options!” He shouted at Mayweather, hoping she didn’t die before they could even get to Ladesh.


Opening his left palm, with his left hand he drew the ceremonial knife, with its gold inlay and rubies studded into the hilt, across the palm. Blood instantly began to well up, forming a small pool in his hand for just a moment, before he tipped his hand to face palm-downwards and let it drip to the surface of the road.


It didn’t stay long, though, before it began smoking, seeming to disappear, before from the fumes formed a red entity. It twisted and turned, like a tornado flipping over itself many times every second. Eventually, it settled into the form of a furious atronach, a summoned spirit at command of a summoner. Its was as red as the blood that called it forth, and seemed to be made of a thick, opaque gas, rippling with energy.


Without Severis even having to utter a command, it tore towards the bandits running after them, many of them now hesitating significantly, very few even turning ninety degrees to run for the forest that lined the path. They knew the power of a summoner, a few had even fought them before, but none a blood summoner of the Red Order.


It took May a few moments to realize what was happening and by that time, it was too late. The bandits were upon them and May could only stare with wide eyes. It was obvious the group meant them harm and they wanted their horses. She already knew there wasn’t much she could do to stop them, but figured she might as well try. It’d all be okay.


Even if she so happened to fall here, it was better than turning away or running.


May jumped down from her horse and unbound the scythe from the horse’s sadle. She clutched it like one might a baseball bat, swinging it at the bandits only to push them away. Her fingers clutched the pole so tightly her knuckles went as white as snow.


May stand corrected about what she said before; She didn’t even know how to hold the thing… Grace.


Severis had already jumped into battle, doing something she couldn’t wrap her head around. Perhaps one day she would be able to do the same, jumping into battle that was, but that day wasn’t today. May rested the weapon against a tree and turned back.


If she couldn’t fight, maybe she could help in a different way. The horses were going mad, frightened by the fighting at hand and the creature Severis summoned, something that made her uncomfortable but to be thought about later. May walked over to them and stroked the sides of their heads to calm them. It would do the two travelers no good whether they lost the horses to bandits or because they were startled and ran away.


“Shh… It’s alright sweet horses. Nothing will get you,” May cooed. It seemed to be starting to help but they were still restless and uneasy.


Serveris’ summon quickly destroyed the majority of the bandit group. The leader, who still lived, cursed loudly. “Screw this! Run for it!” He seemed to have given up on stealing the horses. There was only five of the bandits left. They each happily followed their leader’s command. There was a shadow creeping up as the sun was hidden behind a passing cloud. The bandits began running past the duo. The two at the back let out a scream. The others cursed but didn’t dare look.


There was a strange gurgle sound that barely resembled a laugh. A strange, misshapen creature stood over the now very dead bandit bodies. It seemingly disappeared for a brief moment. Soon, another bandit screamed as claws ripped through flesh. Another gurgling laugh sounded from the creature as it looked at Severis and Mayweather with sickly yellow eyes.

The wind carried a nauseating scent of something rotting. The creature slunk towards the two travellers, the remaining bandits having fled the area. Claws clacked against the road’s surface. The grin that the creature gave would make most freeze in fear, disgusting yellow teeth and blackened gums showing.


At first glance, May thought the grizzly looking creature was another one of Severis’ doings but when it turned it’s malicious gaze on them, she knew otherwise. The horses were beyond help now, rearing up in fear and whinnying loudly. May ran over to the tree where she’d laid Grace against and took her in her hands once more. Severis had said it was either use the scythe or die… May just hoped it would not be the latter. She took a place beside Severis silently and kept her wide eyed gaze on the creature. What is that thing? She thought to herself.


Severis leapt into action, immediately slicing for the demon, but it leapt back just in time to avoid him. Severis thought that he had it when his spirit’s arms closed in from behind, but it simply ducked, and rolled to one side.


There was a soft sound that resembles crumpling paper that only Mayweather would be able to hear. It steadily grew louder. Then it stopped. “Stupid girl.” A rather irritated male voice rang in her head, loud and clear. “You’re holding it wrong, for crying out loud. Your stance is pretty shit too. Wait, no. It’s very shit. It’s like you’ve never held a weapon in your life.” The voice continued its flow of insults directed at May which only she could hear.


May touched her ear when she heard the strange noise resounding around her… or maybe it was inside her. It was hard to tell the difference. She glanced over at Severis to see if maybe he heard it too or what he thought of it, but he didn’t seem to notice. Then someone started speaking to her. “Who are you? Are you… Grace? Those aren’t very nice things to say,” She scolded the voice aloud. “No, I’ve never held a weapon. Unless you count a brush to my raccoon, Ezi. He hates it.”


The voice seemed to take a deep breath. “Grace? Of all names, it had to be grace. I swear, if I had a body, I would whack you upside the head in hopes it would get your brain functioning.” The voice was clearly even more annoyed after May spoke. “But sure. I’m a scythe. Y’know, because inanimate objects can talk telepathically and all that.” The voice huffed. “In simple terms, I’m the mage who was put into the weapon. We’ll discuss the intricacies of that later. You seem to have a little demon problem on your hands. Since you’re useless in combat, you’ll need to listen very carefully to what I tell you to do, alright? My instructions should be simple enough for a dimwit like yourself.” Mayweather’s scolding, if anything, only made the voice insult the girl more.


Severis would have noticed May speaking, but right now his priority was the damned creature that kept avoiding his attacks.


“Oh, that’s cool…” May mumbled in a daze, still trying to wrap her head around what was happening. It seemed the ominous voice wasn’t going to lighten up any so she decided to ignore his harsh comments. “Grace seemed like a good name at the time… cause you’re graceful, Mr. Scythe. Sorry to offend you. I’ll listen to what you say.” Her eyes moved down to the weapon in her hands curiously. Grace… Greg… Perhaps it’d give her a name to call it later. The one Adruo mentioned just seemed to formal for her.


Suddenly, the impish creature leapt forwards, slicing at Severis. He was barely able to get back in time before it used its long, filthy claws to slash at his face, just making contact with his cheek.


“Bad idea,” Severis said, as he let the blood fall to the ground, and up rose more fumes, but this time they went into Severis himself, imbuing him with a fighting spirit, in a very literal sense.


The voice sighed. “You’re right handed, right? Move it up to about halfway. Left hand down… Actually, screw it. We don’t have time for this now.” The voice stated as the demon neared. “Slam the base into the ground. I’ll do the rest. Now!” He commanded with urgency.


“Uhh… okay!” May hefted the scythe up and slammed the rod against the ground like someone might a flag to claim land. It felt awkward and she wasn’t really sure what would happened, so she braced herself.


The demon had shimmered out of sight. A shadow cast by the clouds stretched unnaturally. In an instant, the demon was in front of Mayweather, claws poised to strike. The gem in the blade of the scythe glowed with a blinding white light. The creature screeched and stumbled backwards a few steps. The light in the gem faded. The demon gave another gurgling laugh.


Severis had been about to leap after the demon when he too was almost blinded by the brilliant light of the scythe, hand coming up in front of his face just in time.


The clouds covering the sky dispersed, showering the land in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun. The demon hissed as the light reached it. Its posture drooped and it started teetering like a drunkard. Angry, piss yellow eyes glared at Mayweather. “It’s weakened enough. Cut off it’s head. It’ll regenerate otherwise.” The voice told May, much softer than before. Seemingly tired.


Mayweather stared in wonder as light bathed the area around them, covering everything. The demon sauntered about, apparently handicapped by the blinding light. It took her a moment to realize that the scythe spoke again and she nodded grimly, not exactly sure if the scythe would know of the gesture. Cut off its head… Though it meant them harm, it was difficult to think she was ending life. She walked over to it and quickly placed the blade around the back of it’s head, resting the flat part against its shoulders. Closing her eyes tightly, she pivoted her body and roughly pulled the blade through its neck. The creature was dead and May wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about it. “Thanks, Mr. Scythe,” She whispered to it.


Severis had fallen back from the scythe, and got up just as he saw Mayweather pull the scythe’s sharp blade as easily as a reaper through hay. That was a weapon deadlier than any he’d ever seen, even if it was of the goddess of light.


“Mr.Scythe?” The voice gave a hefty sigh. “Whatever. We’ll talk about that later. For now, let me rest.” The voice faded away as it spoke. The gem in the weapon went dim. There was no noise coming from the scythe other than the gentle hum that was always there.


“Mayweather, well done. I’d never have expected that of you. But who are you talking to? Your raccoon?”


“No… the scythe spoke to me. Apparently he doesn’t like the name I gave him. Um… are you alright?” May was a little pleased to hear praise, if not small, rather than the usual scolding she expected from Severis.


“Of course… the ones who created them. They’re inside the weapons... Huh? I’m fine. Just a cut.”


“Let me see. I wouldn’t want it getting infected… if that’s alright.” She tagged on the last part, not wanting to be too forward. After all, she was pretty good with such things.


“I said it’s fine. Anyway, we need to keep moving. There’s not much time left until we need to set up camp, for safety concerns alone. The faster we move, the better.”


Severis walked promptly over to the horses, leaping up onto his own and beginning to move ahead, sure that Mayweather would catch up.

 

[Syvas]

The sun had all but fallen beyond the horizon. It's last few rays struggled to provide its warmth and light to the world below. This caused the temperature to fall dramatically, leaving a crisp icy chill to the evening air.


His pace slowed, each breath exhaled through those massive nostrils created a cloud of steam left to swirl between the pair upon his back as they lurched forward. Despite the change in temperature, sweat had saturated the inky black fur of his coat. The weight upon him was of little encumbrance, but coupled with the length of the journey it had taken its toll. The stallion looked back to his riders and snorted loudly signaling that he was nearing the end of his hospitality.


Destin had listened intently to the story he was told, often Nodding, though she could not see, and offering the occasional "ahh" or "mhmm" to show his attentiveness. It was the space between her story ending and her question arising that the young wolf found himself lost in.


He remained silent for a time, swaying with the movement of the beast beneath him. A sudden breeze crept through the hills, the chill cut through his light clothing causing a shiver and him to, without thought, pull her closer. Wolves often huddled together for warmth, they hadn't the reservations with physical contact that humans hold. He held her tightly for just a moment before letting his hand fall to rest on her thigh.


"What about you? How did you and Darius meet?"


He pondered for just a moment as to how he should put these events into words. He hadn't thought to tell this story before. "Well," Began the shifter just before the horse turned and vocalized its intent to end the day's journey. Looking around Destin discovered the group was just on the outskirts of the ruins, they had made it to lake of the fallen, just as she said they would.


"Maybe this story will be for another time?" In truth he was relieved that things were unfolding as they had. These were not feelings he was yet ready to relive. "For now we should get to work setting up camp. Maybe get a fire going." Destin yearned for the warmth of his fur, thin human skin did little to protect from the elements.


The stallion stoped, and the wolf hopped off. He stood at the side with his hands up waiting to help Phoebe down, should she need it. "This looks as good a place as any, don't you think?"

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon had been contentedly listening along to Adruo's story, gathering the knowledge with a smile. The elf's mind could fill in the blanks that Adruo left out easily, and although he hadn't all the details, he could still follow along with contented smile. The story of the wielder was an interesting one to say the least, he sounded like a bit of a grump. The story seemed to end happily enough, which, Romon supposed, was all one could really ask for.


When Adruo confronted him about what he was carving, Romon chuckled and looked a bit sheepish, as if caught unexpectedly in the act. "This? Well, it's a carving. Not sure of who yet, probably a dragonkin from the way it's shape is turning out..." He held out the carved wood for inspection. "That trade I mentioned earlier, it's woodcraft." He'd let her take the wood to examine if she reached for it. It was rough for sure, but with enough squinting and a bit of self doubt, the makings of a dragonkin figure were within the wood. Romon grinned. "I figured I'd do something with my hands to pass the time...guess it's inspired by your story to make something akin to the legends of old." The elf shrugged. "It's just something I do in my downtime. Wood is plentiful in the forests afterall, and I spent more than my fair share of nights alone at a campfire when I was traveling between villages and work...so I kept my craft. I've always wanted to paint one, but money was never something i had much of an abundance of...and considering I've never done it, I wonder if I would be any good." The elf chuckles.


"You can keep it if you'd like, I don't think I'm quite happy with the way I turned out, one good thing about whittling wood as a passtime. There's always plenty of material isn't there?"

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus looked at the woman as she made her introductions, she didn't seem to be too unsettled, so he assumed that she'd kept to her word and hadn't looked, or maybe she was just that strongwilled that she hadn't been affected by the scene. But no matter. He bowed, his spider legs stretching out into the air, "My name is Sylvanus Rachnor, also known as The Dry Death which some prefer to refer me as for reasons unexplained to me" Sylvanus turned back towards the path he'd made on his way to the ambush, it wasn't too hard for him to notice his thread still sticking to the roots that he'd used to propel himself through the shrubbery. "Well then, I believe we should return to the road then, and continue this mission"





@KiKi Kitsune

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

When Destin pulled her close, Phoebe went stiff as a board. The shock at being touched without any warning was so much that, for a moment, her thoughts froze then stumbled in their haste to inject some sense into what had just happened. Because, there was no way another living being had just basically hugged her out of the blue.


Then a hand fell down on her thigh and something in her broke. Her knuckles turned paper white as she clutched the horse’s main. Head low and teeth gritted, she brushed the offensive appendage off her leg, trembling in her effort to not slap it away instead.


The male words fell on deaf ears, the haze in her mind too thick for them to get through. She did notice when the stallion stopped though. Eyes that once swirled with emotions turned stone hard when they fell on the hand offered to her. Frowning, she ignored the other shapeshifter and slithered off the horse.


Glad to be back on her feet, Phoebe stepped further into the clearing and let herself take in her surroundings. The place was overwhelmingly familiar, despite the fact that she’d only passed by it once in her lifetime. Few were the rays that escaped past the horizon, but even through the growing darkness it wasn’t hard to make out the towering and broken silhouettes of the ruins by the lakeside.


“Yes, this place will do,” she replied to Destin, a bit of confusion seeping through her tone as she replayed his earlier words in her mind. A fire? In all her journeys, not once had she ever made one. Cooked food was not a necessity for her (in fact, she’d rather avoid it al together), and besides, she always spent her nights in her animal form. It was the one time her body screamed for the change, promising a night spent in pain if she didn’t comply. But perhaps Destin was planning on them remaining human for a while longer. Truth be told, she had no qualms about that idea.


“Then I volunteer to gather wood for our fire, and,” the words died in her mouth when a pang of hunger hit her, at the same time as something occurred to her. “Perhaps you could go ahead and hunt.” There was no helping the shiver that ran down her spine at the thought of some herbivore's broken neck hanging from the wolf’s mouth. “You must be hungry, as am I. It’s been a stressful day and we haven’t had time to take care of our needs.” Her speech was turning out awkward, and she had to keep her head low so her hair would hide the heat spreading across her face. “It’s almost night time. I believe that would be the appropriate time for you to do so?”

@Syvas​

 

[Syvas]

Destin's brow raised and he cocked his head slightly to the side. There was a look of displeasure apparent in his features when she declined help from the mount. It seemed he had in some way offended her, though he was not sure how. An odor, maybe? He sniffed at himself as inconspicuously as possible, he smelled fresh enough. Herbivores, such a weird bunch. He sighed and pushed the issue from his mind.


"Perhaps you could go ahead and hunt."


The wolf knew the complications that shifting could cause traveling with one such as Phoebe, and while he thought to give voice to them he longed for the simplicity of his other self. The formalities and mannerisms of this human shape often proved much too complicated and tedious for him.


"If we are to shift, I suppose there isn't need of a fire." He stated flatly, his gaze shifting from her to the stallion once more. "Thank you my friend." He whispered, running his hand down the broad neck of the horse. "Go now. We will meet again." With a toss of his head the stallion disappeared into the darkness, the thundering sound of his hooves echoing long after he was out of sight.


Destin turned, walked a short way past her and begun removing his gear. "I believe it wise for us to head in opposite directions." The shapeshifter spoke without facing his partner. "There is a certain... loss of control that comes with my true form." His gear laid out before him, he stood and turned to face her. "Could prove perilous for us both if our paths happened to cross."


Turning once more he lingered only long enough for her reply before walking toward the east side of the lake. A large patch of forest he'd seen on their way in should prove fruitful.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo carefully took the little carving, weary of her claws and scales that would possibly cause damage. She peered at the little figure intently while turning it over in her palm. "I can see that you have great skill in your craft." She praised. The dragonkin gave a smile at Romon's next statement. "I'm glad I could inspire you with the tale." Adruo had been the same. Inspired by the legends of the Saviours, she had trained for most of her remaining life. She aimed to be like them. History was a powerful tool of motivation for many people.


"You can make your own paints out of different plants. It won't be of high a quality as shop bought paint, but it might be good to practice with." She turned the carving over in her hands once more before holding it out for Romon to take back. "I'm sure that you would do well with painting. Just seeing this shows that you are more artistic than many people I've met." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no! I couldn't. Thank you for the offer, but..." Adruo looked at the ground, somewhat embarrassed. "I'd probably fall and break it." She muttered.


She would continue giving reasons if Romon refused to take the carving back until he did. She was silent for a few moments. Her brow furrowed in thought. "Romon, this may seem strange, but would you mind if we had a quick spar?" She rushed to say something else to explain herself. "I think it would be beneficial if we knew each other's fighting styles. If we are attacked, it should help in stopping us getting in each other's way at very least." She looked at her feet. "If you don't want to, I understand. It has been a long day and you must be tired."

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon attempted to argue for a short time, but realized that it would fruitless. Adruo was clearly in no mood to take no for an answer so he relented, not quite willing to push the point to an actual argument, when Arduo suggested they would spar, Romon laughed, not mockingly, but...almost eagerly.


"it may have been a long day, but what kind of Chosen would I be to turn down a sparring match with my new found friend?" Romon stood up, stretching. "I hope you don't mind if I practice with my knew weapons, it would be good to get used to the style before I need to use it for real...I'm not exactly used to double bladed combat...so this will be an interesting fight indeed. You have my attention." Smirking slightly, Romon stood up. "Where should we do this? I would assume you have a better location then the camp for a match."


Romon awaited a response, but then realized something with a grin. "And let's put a bit of a wager on shall we? If I win, you have to take the carving and make your own with it, create somethign with your own two claws. Your portion of the bet is up to you, and to return your own words, I understand if you wish not to do so."


Romon looked around. "Which brings me to my next question, is this classic sparring, in that it is just our blades against the other, or am I allowed to use my minor glyphs and magic as well as my little bag full of tricks? I rely on them more then I care to admit, but I can get by without them so long as you wish. Finally, when do we decide the fight is over?"


Romon was, surprisingly enough, quite pumped. It had been a stressful day, and sparring could be a way to relieve all that, he hadn't been expecting to become a savior, but this was simple, a sparring match between allies...


It was something Romon hadn't done in a long time.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali nodded slightly. "It is an honour to meet you, Slyvanus." She said, testing out the name on her tongue. Realising the flow of air when she spoke, she quickly pulled up her face mask. Once it was securely back in place, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was slightly confused to the hybrid's explanation of his title, but held her tongue. She followed Sylvanus' line of sight and noticed the threads that seemed to come from a large spider, which made a lot of sense after a taking moment to think. "Yes, I agree. The sun is getting low and we have quite a distance to cover. Which weapon are travelling to first?" She asked, her tone almost businesslike. It seemed to her that Sylvanus was quite formal and preferred to keep his distance. Since she was the one joining him, it was only right that she replied in the same way. She still wasn't too willing to trust the spider yet either. She had seen he was strong and willing to... eat a person. Chilali held back a shudder. Lacus had told her to travel with Sylvanus. Even if she didn't know the male, she trusted the goddess' judgement. She would follow half a step behind the spider as they travelled, allowing him to choose the path they took. Her head would move from side to side, her eyes constantly scanning the area.


@minismurf

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

"I hope you don't mind if I practice with my knew weapons, it would be good to get used to the style before I need to use it for real...I'm not exactly used to double bladed combat...so this will be an interesting fight indeed.


"Not at all. If it gives you a chance to get used to them, I'm glad to help." Adruo replied with a wide smile. She took a minute to consider where they would be able to spar. Being in the forest put her at a disadvantage, she was sure. The trees would cause her wings to be close to useless. If she wanted to show that she wasn't a completely useless fighter, smacking into trees wouldn't help much. There was a fairly large clearing relatively close by by her standards. She shrugged to herself. She could carry Romon that distance.


Adruo's eyes went wide at Romon's suggestion. She smiled in response. "A wager will make it more interesting. I'll take you up on it." She looked around as she thought of what she would want in return. An image of a recent memory flashed up in her mind. "If I win, I want to see your back." She stated before thinking. She physically reeled back from her own words. "Uh... You had a tattoo, right? I was curious." She hastily explained.


The dragonkin calmed down enough to respond to Romon's next question. "I said it was to see how you fought, didn't I? Don't hold back just because we're allies." Adruo allowed her gaze to wander to the darkening sky. "As for when it's over..." She mimicked drawing her sword and pointed the imaginary blade at Romon's neck. "When we have the other at sword point." She then gave a small shrug. "Or someone forfeits." She stood and attached her sword hilt to her hip as usual. She held a hand out to Romon. "Shall we be on our way? I know of a place that would work well." If Romon took her hand, she would push up into the sky without any warning before gliding to a wide, open space where there were close to no trees.

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon chuckled at Adruo's side of the wager, if she wanted to see his tattoos all she had to do was ask, as they were admittedly a key part to understanding how he as a fighter did battle, still, he wasn't about to correct her, this was a bet he was more than comfortable making. That said, he was still planning on winning the sparring match, his mind was already analyzing what he knew about Adruo. She didn't trip often in battle, but his magic could still make traversal difficult, if he was actually fighting a dragonkin his first target would be the wings, clipping them to make fight prove impossible...but he wasn't about to do that in a sparring match, that meant he needed a way around them...


Few if any of these thoughts showed as Romon listened to the rest of Adruo's explanation, the rules of the match were fair if a bit difficult in that restraining oneself as to not maim the other would not doubt be a difficult task, still, he had to prepare. Adruo was picking the battlegrounds, where would it be? Not in the forest deep, that was for sure. The canopy was a death sentence. How about a riverbank? Plenty of room to fly...no, coming down in the river would play too much of a risk, underground was...Romon shuddered, both tactically unwise for her as well as a place Romon would refuse to spar. Where then...an open space, where wings would be at their greatest advantage, that would be it. Not the road...Adruo didn't want to attract too much unwanted attention onto the pair, and what seemed like a dual to the death between two warriors for the average tradesman would attract more attention than wanted...something simple then, a clearing. Yes.


So he knew the location, how could he turn it to his advantage? His magic cou- no...Adruo most likely know of the roots from his talks, she'd prepare counter measures, if her own earthen magics couldn't counter the vines she'd think fast and start cutting them, the smoke bombs were only as good as long as she was on the ground...and Romon wasn't willing to blow a mark on a sparring match for...obvious reasons. What other factors did he have to work with no sun...but the moon was out, but only halfway, that meant the sun was still in play. Romon grinned, he had a plan.


All of these thoughts processed in the time for Romon to grin, grab Adruo's hand with a "Sure", and to give a shout of surprise as they both lifted into the sky, not out of fear of heights mind you, but the sudden movement.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Romon & Ardruo

​

Adruo landed relatively gently and released her grip on Romon’s hand. “Alright then!” She felt surprisingly excited to have a simple spar. Her mind was constantly considering her best options when facing Romon. What did she know about the elf? She had heard enough stories about his battles in the tournament that she could more or less gauge how he fought. Hopefully that would give her enough of an advantage. She also knew that he was going to use weapons he was unfamiliar with. She would have to use that somehow.


She walked a few steps away from Romon before turning to face him. She unsheathed her sword. With confidence that was rarely seen in her movements, she shifted into a fighting stance. “Ready when you are.” She called out, a smile clear on her face.


Romon, instead of replying, pulled a smoke bomb out from his side and dropped it to the ground, within seconds the clearing was full of smoke and seeing seemed all but impossible, the fight was quite clearly on without anything close to a fanfare or a nod from the elf.


Adruo had asked for Romon at his fullest, so short of actually killing her he was going to give her just that, the look on Romon’s face when he had started the fight (Just before the smoke went out) was one of seriousness, Adruo was going to have to be on guard if she wanted to win this fight.


Adruo put her free hand in front of her mouth. She had been expecting a smoke bomb. Perhaps not so early, but expected it nonetheless. She flapped her wings in such a way that the immediate area around was cleared of the smoke. She was also now hovering a foot or so off the ground. She strained her eyes to try locate Romon in the smoke. Her eyes darted around constantly, hanging on the left slightly longer.


Suddenly she saw it, a flash of movement and shadows a few feet to her right. Something moving in the smoke just beyond where she could see, it was a shape Romon’s height, and the width was definitely enough to be an elf. It was making towards the treeline, trying to get into tree cover


Adruo narrowed her eyes. She landed and pushed her heel into the ground. Small stones popped up in the path of the figure that was presumably Romon. Something niggled at the back of her head. Would Romon get that close to her without attacking? Setting traps possibly? She quickly took back into the air.


As the stones struck the figure, it collapses in a soft flumfph to the ground, like the sound of plants falling to the ground from behind Adruo and out of the smoke Romon lept silently into the sky, runic symbols flaring across his back. Even though Adruo was still on guard she wasn’t that far up. Romon had managed to gain the height advantage, if at least temporarily, he came down at her, striking with the flats of his blades.


Adruo spun as something glinted in her peripheral vision. She barely had enough time to raise her arms to block the oncoming attack. She gave a smile. The air was somewhere she was far more familiar than the elf was. She raised a leg and kicked Romon away, still careful about her talons.


Romon wasn’t about to give up so easily however, and as he rolled back to recover his eyes flared green, and the roots and grass leapt up at Adruo, trying to clutch on in anyway to bring her to the ground or at the very least disarm her. Romon himself darted forward after recovery, attacking again. If he had been working with his one blade, the battle may have been over then, but Romon was still training with the dual blades and took a few moments longer to get them into position.


Adruo couldn’t help the yelp that escaped her as she was yanked to the round by foliage. She sliced at the roots attached to her legs, disentangling herself. A moment later, Romon was in front of her. Again, she was barely able to block. Her one blade against his two. She pushed back against the attack, giving her enough leeway to drag her one foot across the ground. A tremor spread out from her, hopefully putting Romon off balance enough that she could counter.


And it did just that. Romon’s stance was already a bit off from having to adjust to a new weapon, so the earthquake caught him at a surprise, while it didn’t send the elf off sprawling onto the ground like it would an untrained warrior, it did cause him to stumble a bit, slowing his attack and forcing him on the defensive.


This was the last kind of place Romon wanted to be fighting, as his fighting style was aggressive and analytical in nature. He had to disengage...Romon’s eyes flared again and the grass leapt at Adruo’s feet, not enough to hold her down as before, but to slow her own vicious assault. He then dropped a smoke bomb and vanished into the smoke once more.


Adruo cursed under her breath. She had just been getting the upper hand. She now had no clue where Romon was yet again. She used the sharp talons on her feet to cut the plants while she concentrated on finding the elf. She didn’t want to waste more energy flying if it just ended with the same result. Using her magic so much already had lowered her reserves a fair bit. However, it was clear that Romon was still struggling getting used to dual wielding. If she could keep him to just his new blades, she would have a chance of winning. First, she needed to find him. She moved her wings to shift the smoke away from her again. At least that would give her some time to spot him.


When the smoke finally cleared however, Adruo saw...nothing, it was as if Romon had vanished into the night, leaving nothing but the footprints of battle to show he had been there. There was however a small break in the foliage not far from where Adruo had broken off his fight.


Adruo hid her hand behind her mouth once again. However, this time it was to cover her laugh. “Instead of Elven Blade, your title should be Rabit. You disappear as quickly as one.” She called out in good humour. She assumed that Romon had headed to the safety of the trees, but with so many around… That could be anywhere. She wasn’t going to risk searching. She could be patient. The dragonkin stood her ground and continued scanning the area


Suddenly the world seemed to explode in a flash of light and sound as a new type of bomb exploded at Adruo’s feet, when she got her bearings back Romon had leapt back into battle quite literally. Jumping out of the trees and down with force. When they locked blades again their was a grin on Romon’s face. “I’ve been called worse than that, so rabbit’s a bit of a compliment.”


And then his onslaught continued.


Adruo reeled back from the sudden light. That was definitely something she wasn’t expecting. Understand the vulnerable state she was in, she raised her arms to protect her torso and head until her eyes readjusted. As soon as she removed her arms, she saw Romon attacking. It was difficult to get her sword up in time to defend. She could feel herself tiring.


She snorted a laugh at Romon’s comment. “Perhaps you would be closer related to a ferret then?” She replied. Her smile didn’t fade as she attacked the elf.


The two continued in a fierce clash of steel. They both stopped at the same time, sword tip pointing at their opponent’s neck.


Romon was panting hard, he was not prepared to be in open combat for so long but wasn’t about to have given up, instead they had fought to a tie. He was still grinning but clearly at his limit. As he catch his breath, only one word escaped his lips.


"Tie?"


Adruo, in a similar state, just nodded in reply. “Let…” She tried to catch her breath, sheathing her sword. “Let’s head back.” She suggested.


Romon nodded. “You up for flying?” He asked. “I know that fight put me to my limits.” He grinned. “Nice bladework you got going, and you didn’t fall for my traps either.”


Adruo couldn’t help but grinning a little smugly, straightening her back with pride. “I can be smart sometimes.” She deflated a bit as she tested her wings. They felt like lead weights on her back. She gave a shake of her head. “Way too much flying today. We’ll have to walk.”


Romon sighed, but nodded. ”Fair enough I suppose, it’s not that far after all, should only take what, twenty minutes?” He chuckled. “Works for me, no problems with that, just a bit more walking and we can sleep. That does raise a question.” He raised a brow. “What do we do for the bet?”


“If you want, we can rest for a moment before heading back.” She offered.


“It depends. Did we both win, or did we both lose?” She asked surprisingly seriously. “Actually… Either way, we both have to do it.” She gave Romon a wide smile.


Romon shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess we’ll have to have a rematch sometime.” He chuckled. “Anyway, you first.” He tossed her his unfinished totem with a grin on his face. “As for your side of the bargain, I’ve just got one request, why do you want to see my tattoos anyway?” He looked curious. “It’s probably not a big deal, but I’m curious.”


Adruo scrambled to catch the carving, having it hop between her hands. Once she had safely caught it, she let out a breath of relief. She jolted slightly at Romon’s question. “For the same reason you’re asking me this question. I didn’t see much before, but it looked interesting.” She gave Romon another smile. “Curiosity is a powerful thing, isn’t it?”


Romon shrugged. “Fair enough.” And without missing a further beat, stripped off and turned around, revealing his tatoos. They seemed normal enough at first, but if Adruo focused hard enough the tree upon Romon’s back seemed to be almost….alive. The tree depicted on his back had leaves that swayed and plants swirling all around, the exception was the various seals in the shapes of Acorns. “It’s not that special.”


Adruo felt a blush come to her face. She really hadn’t thought about what her side of the bet would mean. However, it quickly faded as she studied the intricate tree. It was clear that some sort of magic was at work. Normal tattoos didn’t move. She stepped a little closer, her eyes scanning a symbol she recognised. “Runic markings? This one is for… Agility?” She looked up before remembering Romon was turned around. “Wait a moment. These are seals! Complex ones too. Where in the world did you get these?”


“My master, she taught me how to use them.” Romon replied. “They’re sorta complicated, but she drew them herself.” Romon chuckled. “She’s not quite the person you say no too, but still..” Romon laughed. “It’s part of my fighting style and how I’m so agile. I’d be in a fair amount of trouble without them.” Romon glanced around with a grin. “They’re my secret weapon too.”


“Your secret weapon, huh?” Ardruo laughed a little at that. She didn’t know why, but it just seemed silly to her. Perhaps it was because of how formal Romon had been when they met compared to now. “I suppose as long as you keep a shirt on, it remains a secret.” She stepped back and turned around herself. “You can get dressed again.” She called over her shoulder.


Romon chuckled. “Alright, we should be heading to bed though soon shouldn’t we?” He redressed. “Bedrolls are set up by the fire, I wonder if we should keep watch…” Romon’s voice trailed off, and he looks to Adruo as if awaiting her opinion. “We are in rather dangerous territory aren’t we?” He sighed. “What do you think?”


Adruo paused for a moment as she considered. “There have been increased bandit sightings all over Pangeros. It would probably be best to have someone on watch as a precaution.” She let her gaze fall on the sky, now filling with inky darkness of the coming night. “We can take shifts. I’ll take the first one if you want.” She suggested.


Romon shrugged. “Sounds fine to me, just make sure to wake me up whenever you feel sleepy.” He smirked. “I know that fight tired me out well enough.” With that, Romon wordlessly climbed into his bedroll and closed his eyes. He uttered one phrase before falling asleep: “Hey Adruo….thanks for joining me on this quest.”


Adruo sat against a tree that gave her a decent view of the surrounding area. She nodded at Romon’s instruction. “Will do.” She looked to her left, making sure nothing was there before returning to her travelling gaze. “Hm?” She had heard Romon call her name, but didn't catch what he had said after that. However, it appeared he was asleep. Adruo shrugged. It wasn't like she was going to wake him and ask.


She got out the unfinished carving that she was meant to complete. She turned it over in her hand. It was the first time doing something like carving. Not wanting to ruin the semi-complete totem from Romon, she retrieved a decent piece of wood from the stockpile. As carefully as she could, her claws recreated the other carving to the best of her ability throughout her shift.

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus spoke as they moved through the shrubbery back towards the path he and... Terra ... had followed, he noticed that the woman was keeping her distance however decided not to comment about it. "Well me and my companion were on our way to find her weapon before.. the event that happened, so I suppose that we'll continue our journey towards the Blue Isles and then head towards the Volcano Ignitus where Pyros, the god of fire's weapons resides" He used his spider limbs to cut or lift any vines that came in his way as they walked, once they reached the place where he'd met Chilali for the first time, he turned around and looked the woman, she seemed well prepared for the chills of The Blue Isles. "And plus, you seem well prepared for the cold up there"





@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali nodded at Sylvanus' response. He opened the path so she followed behind. "Prepared?" She looked down at herself. She was wearing her usual garb. Well, her usual garb was there to deal with ice, so she supposed that did make her seemed prepared for the cold of the Blue Isles. "Yes, it seems that way, doesn't it?" Her hand ran over the white pelt connected to her waist. "Furs are used to keep people warm." She mumbled to herself. She shook her head, returning to the moment. "And you are retrieving the weapon of fire? Will you be fine in the cold tundras? Surely you are more acquainted with heat if you have been chosen by Pyros." Chilali decided to try strike up conversation. It was best she learnt all she could about her new travelling partner in case it would help them later. However, asking outright may be considered intrusive. Despite not being sure of her opinion of the hybrid, she didn't want to be rude. 'Time is the best judge of character. I will just have to wait and see how things turn out.'


@minismurf

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus furrowed his brow a little over the girls comment about the furs, however decided not to get too much into it and answered her question instead. "Yes, I was born and grew up inside Fraiku desert with my brood, however humans murdered our mother, and without anyone to teach us about the world we had to survive on our own, however not many of us dared to leave our birthplace and eventually, we grew hungry, lack of food drove the others mad, and it ended up in a slaughter, a battle pit where only the strongest survive. And in the end I exited our home victorious" He looked down at his hands as the memories of his brothers and sisters getting slaughtered before his eyes, eventually by his own hands. "Not sure if it was such a victory though" He lowered his leg that had been torn off and caressed the end of the limb "One of them managed to do this to me" he twitched as a sting of pain went through it and he let it go and looked up at Chilalia again. "What about you then? What is your story miss Chilali?"





@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali's eyes widened at the tale. It surprised her in more ways than one. She hadn't expected Sylvanus to tell her everything straight away. She had been prepared for it to take days for her to learn the spider's history. The content of Sylvanus' history was another reason for her surprise. "I am sorry for your loss. Some humans..." She hung her head slightly. "Humans can be cruel." She decided it would be best not to comment on the other part of his story. It seemed to be something that was painful to remember, let alone speak about. She pulled on her face mask. "You want to know my history?" She looked at the hybrid with a mixture of curiosity and caution. She returned her gaze to the path ahead. There was little he could gain from her past. It would be a fair trade, if anything.


"I was born with... an illness. My parents, seeking aid, turned to a mage. He lessened the effects, thought I had potential, and took me to the Water Magic School. I trained there for several years. I was informed of my parents death and went home to investigate..." A shudder ran through Chilali's frame. "There were bandits there. I got rid of them, but..." She looked at her feet as they walked. "A friend was caught in the crossfire." She raised her head and took a deep breath. She had spent enough time mourning over the loss of her loved ones. It was not time to let those emotions rear their ugly heads again. The mage faced Sylvanus again. "I understand if you prefer not to answer this, but how... actually, never mind." She shook her head. "Where should we set up camp? It's getting dark." She asked instead.


@minismurf

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

“Agreed,” Phoebe replied to Destin.


After watching him disappear through the trees, she decided it was time for her to leave as well and began heading towards the west side of the Lake of the Fallen.


At the very edge she stopped and turned to bask in the moonlight. The still waters became a black mirror, her form reflected on the surface. A form that began to change.


A new white glow joined the moon, a pair of red eyes staring back at her from the depths of the lake. Her movements were slow as she lowered her neck, nose almost touching the black mirror. A quick sniff was enough to remind her why no land animals dared go near this place.


Shaking her head, she backed away and turned instead to the forest. Following her nose, she navigated up the terrain and between the trees. She took short steps and stopped at random intervals, ears alert for any strange sounds. The wind, though cold and weak, brought a whole plethora of smells and sounds to her nose. There were things she could eat, berries, mushrooms and some leaves, but there were also other animals nearby. She could see a few of them through the dark.


There were no predators, but their scent was still a distraction and she wanted it gone.


Eyes glowing hotter, she raised her head, tall and proud. Bones broke out from either side of her body, growing like tree branches until they stretched almost as far as her antlers. At the same time, a small white flame flickered on top of her skull before bursting into a blaze that licked at her ears and antlers but did not burn them, dancing and crackling but with no sound.


The animals grew silent at the silent fire. It wasn’t long before she was left alone, peacefully enjoying whatever the forest had to offer.


The night was hers and the moon her one and true companion.

@Syvas
​

 

[minismurf]

"Indeed" was Sylvanus' response to Chilali's words about humans. As he listened to the girls history many questions arised in his mind, however he decided to keep them to himself out of respect since most of them seemed a bit personal, it seemed that she too had a question about his past, however decided to keep it to herself too, even though they'd both told their stories to eachother there still was a lot that they didn't know about the other. As the girl asked where they should rest Sylvanus responded with "Let's walk a little bit and see if we might find a tavern or something similar, I don't mind too much about sleeping outside, I've done it many times before, however I still think that we should find a roof that we could have over our heads".


After a few more minutes of walking they indeed found a small tavern located by the side of the road, "The Roasted Legs" said the sign hanging outside the door, it had the image of a roast spitted spider on it, Sylvanus cringed a little as he looked at it, he might not be a very delicate hybrid, however the image still made him unsettled and he could clearly tell that this would not be a very pleasant experience. "Well, seems like we've found our home for the night" He said and looked at Chilali.


@KiKi Kitsune