Fantasy THE CHRONICLES OF EIRIOND: Chapter One

[Applo]

Ylva​

Location: Metsa Jungle, Southern Khauran
Time of the Day: Morning
Temperature: Very hot, humid

It was as she paused to catch her breath that Ylva felt a stinging sensation on the back of her neck. Using her injured hand she made to swat at whatever insect was trying to feast on her only for her eyes to water as her hand hit something solid behind her. Before she had a chance to think the spot of pain multiplied around her neck and now Ylva was able to see the source of her discomfort. There, under her nose she could see a slender wooden pole covered in ornate carvings and beyond that a set of razor like claws digging into the vegetation.

Ylva tried to look up at the people at the other end of the spears but the movement pushed the tip of a spear harder against her throat, sending a stream of blood to run down her neck. With a grimace Ylva bowed her head and tried to ignore the torrent of jorgethi that poured from unseen mouths all around her as she desperately racked her brain for any shred of an idea. Mostly however all she could think about was what a damned idiot she was. Of course that half breed abomination wouldn't have been alone, but she’d been so busy hunting the creature that taken Ash that she’d not noticed that she was the one being hunted and had wandered into the the trap like a half wit.

“Where is your companion?”

The question, spoken in crisp ardaric, caught Ylva off guard and was almost as surprising to her as the withdrawal of the spear that had been pressed into her throat. If the people at the other ends of the spears didn't know where ash was then they couldn't be the bandits Ylva had thought they were in which case who the hell were they and where was her friend.

Dumbstruck Ylva raised her gaze to meet that of her captors, her heart sinking as she took in the creature in front of her. The fur that surrounded a pair of stark yellow eyes was patchy with scars and had flecks of grey all through it. It was the face of someone who had gotten into a lot of fights and was in the habit of winning. It was probably the reason why despite the fact that Ylva’s hand still held the large knife she’d been hacking at the vegetation with the khaddorians decided to kneel in front of her, bringing his face level with her own.

“What is your business here?”

Ylva thought carefully on the question as her captor snapped something in jorgethii to one of the people behind her. What was their business here? Well she had a vague plan to try and catch up with one or two her contacts that made their living of ships at the southern end of the continent but that was an opportunity of happenstance rather than a reason. No the real reason they were headed south was because Ash wanted to see the soft green waters of the southern oceans and despite all her better judgement Ylva had agreed to take her. It had been the way her friend's eyes lit up whenever they talked on the subject that had won Ylva over and she had reasoned that she'd managed to survive venturing deep into khaddorians territory before without incident. Now her friend had been kidnapped by some half breed abomination and she was being held captive something something. On the whole Ylva decided that now was not the time to tell the whole truth. It sounded stupid to the point of being unbelievable to her let alone some khaddorians thug.

“So tell me, friend” her interrogator said with a smirk that told Ylva that he was expecting answers regardless of her own willingness to provide them.

“I sell medicinal herbs and powders.” Ylva said seeking refuge in lies omission. “I merely hope to collect some supplies”. That was all technically true, not that Ylva expected it to help her much; her captors were still khaddorians after all. Ylva deliberately avoided answering the question about Ash, partly because in her experience the answer ‘I don’t know’ never went down well and partly because Ylva had already failed her friend once today and she had no intention of making that mistake twice.

As she watched the beast’s eyes for a reaction a strange thought struck Ylva. This khadorian in front of her somehow reminded her of a stray tabby that had roamed the streets around her parents house on Dalvik and she suddenly had to suppress the urge to try and pet it behind the ears; stress did funny things to the mind.

The errant thought of home caused an idea to float to the top of Ylva mind as to how she might just escape her captors. It wasn't an especially good idea, there was a good chance she would end up being skewered or mauled to death. On the other hand Ylva knew that being a khaddorians prisoner didn't exactly have glowing long term health prospects, besides the arrogant ilivokens had left the knife in her hand. If she could just get behind the beast kneeling in front of her then she might just have a chance to escape and find Ash. That was all the incentive Ylva needed.

With only a whispered prayer to the gods she had no faith in as a warning Ylva lunged for her integrator, hoping to knock him off balance. The spears that had still been pressed to the side of Ylva’s neck took gouges out of her skin but nothing more, the reaction of the wielders to push the blades home coming fractions of a second too late as Ylva fell upon their comrade.

D d1uni5ys24si3o G Giltine13 Green Pepper

 

[Green Pepper]

Tales as old as Time​

_{Location: Metsa Jungle, Southern Khauran
Time of the Day: Morning
Temperature: Very hot, humid
Collaboration between G Giltine13 and Green Pepper}

Zonran’s sprint slowed to a jog and then came to a complete stop. He looked back as if to measure the distance, his ears shifting to catch any hint of pursuers. For now, it looked safe enough, so he carelessly dropped his unsuspecting passenger by one of the many old trees. He knew the dangers this territory held for Khaddorians and hopefully that would be enough to scare them off. With a small nod, he set his bow down, left foot pressed on the grip part to keep it in place as he bent the upper limb to unstring it. Then he eased the bow back into his quiver - at this point Zonran had given up on the prospect of dinner.

“Ow!” Ashfa grimaced as she stood up, rubbing her lower back. She had certainly not expected being thrown to the ground like a child’s doll, but then she hadn’t expected being grabbed and spirited away to Ysmir knew where. There was a rather peeved look on her face, one that usually wasn’t there. Too many things had happened in too little time, and Ashfa was not at all pleased.

At least she knew her way back to Ylva. Still rubbing her behind, she turned around to look in the direction she had forcefully been carried from. The petals were still there, bright against the brown and green of the jungle floor.

If I run, will he come back after me? She thought yes, but then why? There had been no reason to bring her here! At least none he had cared to inform her of.

Well, I have to try! Maybe if she ran very fast, she could meet Ylva halfway. She was sure her friend would have spotted the trail she had created for and she would be more prepared than she had been previously. So, Ashfa took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and raced forward, away from the hybrid.

Zonran watched the small woman out of the corner of his eye, since he didn’t really have much else to do. She looked absolutely pissed at first, then her stare turned into a sterner, sharper one. He saw her tense, couldn’t help the tsk that escaped his lips when the Valekian leaped away. One big step and his tail coiled around her ankle, forcing her to drop and kiss the earth she walked on. He growled in the back of his throat at the sharp tug on the base of his spine, but didn’t show any other signs of discomfort. The mix-breed crouched down besides her, tilting his head to the side, “Where ya going?” he asked her in Ardaric, his voice gruff, leaking clear boredom.

“Where… where do you think I’m going?! I’m going back to my friend!” Ashfa looked at the hybrid, her agitation clearly showing on her face. Did he really think she wasn’t going to try to go back? His tone of voice seemed as if he didn’t even care, so why wasn’t he letting her go?

“Why are you stopping me?” she demanded, her voice getting stronger as her ire increased. She yanked herself away from his tail’s grip, stepping back with her hands clenched into tight fists. “What- what do you want of me and my friend? Y-you just… attack us from nowhere… and then you steal me away… and you don’t even say why? What kind of person are you?!”

Half-lidded eyes gazed at the fuming Valekian. Zonran understood some of what was thrown at him, but most of it went right over his head. However, that didn’t stop him from taking offence. She jerked away from him and he moved the abused tail back behind him just for it to resume twitching in annoyance. She was getting way too worked up over such a small thing; was she gonna run again? The mix-breed let out a deep sigh, standing up to his full height again to loom over the woman. “Your buddy would’ve killed yer hide,” he moved closer, so they were almost nose to nose as he lowly rumbled, “I told ya to get out. Ya didn’t listen, so it ain’t ma fault.”

Ashfa was not very pleased with the response, but now she was confused as well. “Ylva… Ylva would have gotten me… killed?” She blinked and then shook her head. “No… I… you have that wrong… Ylva wouldn’t do such a thing.”

She rubbed her forehead in frustration, trying to think of what to say. She wasn’t used to dealing with people alone anymore. She had always been the one to let her companion do the talking and dealing with folks, only stepping in to keep the peace. It suited her and her timid personality. Perhaps she had been using it as a crutch, but it felt right. They were a team!

Keep calm, she intoned to herself, trying to think of what the fellow may have meant. “You said leave or die. But… you’re not killing me… you’re saying Ylva would have killed me… but that doesn’t make sense…” Unless he had meant there was some danger up ahead that they might have encountered had they continued in that direction, something bad enough that they could have died? But what exactly? Jungle animals? Even Ashfa could deal with those. It was people that caused her trouble.

Then it came to her. That Khaddorian boy Ylva had accidentally shot at. He couldn’t have been alone. He had been running somewhere, probably to his people, or at least one other person, someone who was obviously not the hybrid before her.

“Khaddorians?” Her hands slackened, eyes widening. “Oh… oh no! I… I have to go back! Ylva… she’ll be in trouble!”

The Valekian almost grabbed him by the nose when she pulled her hand up to her forehead. Luckily for them both, Zonran leaned back just in time to avoid her incoming hand. ‘Geez, she’s as dumb as they come...’ he eyed her dubiously, although the woman didn’t bother to take note – she was too busy steaming in her own juice. While she did speak out loud, the words definitely weren’t meant for him. The mix-breed was about to give her a firm shake in hopes of snapping her out from wherever her head was stuck, when her face lit up like one of those funky bugs at night. And then she flat out announced that she’ll be running off. Again.

Well, Zonran wasn’t in the mood to chase her around the dangerous parts of the forest, that was just asking for trouble. His eyes swept through the area above them, picking out a nice, lonesome but sturdy branch far away from the ground. Without a second thought, he hoisted up the Valekian on his shoulder for a second time. However, this time she better find a good grip if she didn’t want to land on her face. He took a few steps back, bared his claws with a snarl, then sped up and leapt onto his chosen tree. From there, he quickly clawed his way upward until he reached the isolated branch and dumped the woman there for safekeeping.

Once again Ashfa found herself lifted, carried, and dumped like a child’s doll. It was hard enough being small, but being hoisted around made her feel rather ill-treated, especially since the hybrid wouldn’t answer her questions. “H-hey!” she yelped, trying to free herself from his grasp, though she stopped trying to escape when she realized she could easily fall and hurt herself as the hybrid made his way up the tree. Resigning herself to her fate, Ashfa forced herself to remain relatively still despite the jostling she received, which in truth wasn’t worse than the hybrid’s shoulder in her stomach when he had first leaped onto the tree.

When she finally found herself dumped on a branch, Ash grabbed onto it tightly, not wishing to fall off and break some limbs or possibly die if she hit the ground. What am I going to do?! Her eyes were beginning to water; she couldn’t understand why this person wouldn’t just let her go. Did he want her for some reason?

“What… what do you want?” She raised her head and looked at the hybrid Khaddorian. She didn’t feel as scared of him, rather worried. Despite her glassy eyes, there was still a determined look on her face. By now Ashfa had decided it was pointless to run. Maybe he would talk to her if she stayed put in one place? She knew Ylva could take care of herself. Hopefully. “Who… are you? What’s your name?”

Zonran was pleased to see the Valekian immediately cling to the bark, at least she had enough common sense for that. The last thing he needed was her diving for the ground and breaking her neck. Although the look his captive shot his way made the mix-breed pause in his search for a nice napping spot. The moment their eyes met she gave him such a ridiculous question that for a moment his grip loosened up and he slipped down the trunk a good foot before he managed to tighten it again. He hardly could remember the last person whom wanted to know his name, or rather – his mind was trying to bury that memory.

Zonran cleared his throat, a soft dust of pink settling upon his cheeks at being caught so off guard. “Zonran,” he forced out in a low mumble. He wasn’t really sure how to address the whole ‘who are you’ thing, though. So he chose to ignore that bit like he did with most of the nonsense the woman was spouting. Perhaps now the Valekian would finally calm down enough to see reason or maybe even leave him alone. He hated to admit it, but he could kill for some shuteye right about now.

Ashfa was a little surprised when the hybrid actually gave her what she assumed was a name. It wasn't much really, just a single word, but at least there was nothing seemingly hostile in the manner that he said it. In fact...she blinked a few times before her eyes narrowed, focusing on the slight reddening of his cheeks. Was he actually... blushing? Her narrow eyes widened somewhat; that was more surprising than when he told her his name! It was hard to keep a straight face, but very soon there were crinkles by the side of her eyes, a small smile on her lips.

"Zonran... that's easy to say." She was still seated in a rather precarious way on the branch. Thank goodness she wasn't too big or heavy a person. "Uh... I'm just going to... settle back." Still holding on to the branch before her, she slowly scooted back until she could no longer, her backpack pressing against the trunk. Letting out a sigh, she relaxed the slightest bit; she was still gripping the branch tight enough that her knuckles were turning white, but at least her back had some support now. She tried to keep all of her limbs close together so that she wouldn’t accidentally take too much place.

"Uhm..." She looked back at Zonran, trying to keep her expression somewhat friendly. "So... uh... Do you mind telling me why I'm here…? My friend, Ylva... she needs my help. We travel together. We're companions."

Zonran felt his cheeks getting slightly hotter at the intense look the smaller Valekian was giving him. She looked rather amused too. Good thing she turned away right after those embarrassing words left her mouth, he didn’t think he could keep up with the staring contest for much longer – not after that. It strangely made him uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. He moved a bit to the side to allow the female to lean back how she wanted and silently thanked his mentor for all of that over-the-top training, otherwise his arms would be starting to cramp up.

Once she was settled, the woman faced him again and proved that this Ylva, who he assumed to be her taller comrade, was the only thing on the Valekian’s mind. He gave her a slight shrug for an answer, “Safety. Don’t want ‘em ta kill ya. ” It was all that he offered on the matter, since he was quite sure the rest was more of a statement. Although the mix-breed could be wrong, gods knew he hadn’t spoken to more than 10 people throughout his life.

Ashfa looked down at her hands, thinking over what Zonran had just said, a pensive look on her face, brow slightly furrowed as her eyes shifted focus from her fingers to the markings of the branch. As she tried to figure out who he meant, her mind shifted to the young Khaddorian child. It did make sense that a child wouldn’t be left alone in such a dangerous place. Was that who Zonran meant? Perhaps she and Ylva should have left the jungle days earlier than they had.

A sigh escaped her, shoulders slumping slightly. She was safe, perhaps, but her friend wasn’t. Without help, what could she do? She lifted her head, turning it to look up at Zonran. “Uh… my name is Ashfa… or Ash if that’s easier…” She figured it was only polite to introduce herself. Thereafter, she looked to the side, involuntarily chewing on her lip as she thought of what to say next and it was a little while before she spoke again. “I… even if I’m safe… my friend isn’t. We… I need help, I need help for her… please. Can you take me back?”

Zonran patiently waited for her reply, something told him he wasn’t getting off the hook so easily. Sure enough, the Valekian turned back to him, although her introduction wasn’t what he expected to hear. He gave her a slow nod and she shifted away. He supposed that was the end of that, but before he managed to slide down more than another foot the small woman spoke up. Her words made the mix-breed grimace in distaste; to hide it he leaned his forehead against the cool tree, weighing his options. On one hand this ‘friend’ deserved what was coming to her, on the other – didn’t they get even when he kicked her in the guts? Besides, it didn’t sit right with him to just leave her in such a ditch.

Zonran heaved a heavy sigh, like his soul decided to abandon his body, and climbed up to be at an even level with the Valekian. “Fine, let’s go save yer girlfriend…”
D d1uni5ys24si3o G Giltine13 Applo

 

[★Under The Stars★]

Movement Post
Sorry for the wait
​

Hell Hath No Fury
Time: Morning
Location: Caelfath
Weather: Warm and Breezy

The Prince stood as the leaders of the Jotaig tribe arrived, with the Princess in tow. She was exceedingly beautiful and carried herself with utmost grace. He himself felt almost intimidated by her very royal presence. He looked down toward them, then made his way down some of the marble stairs that he stood upon. Her handmaiden introduced her and she stepped down to the ground. He was... Surprised by this. He had heard many things about the Princess. She was supposed to be much different from most royal figures and he wondered why she seemed much different from the rumors. He studied her eyes and some of her body language. She seemed to be exuding an aura of grace, however, there was a flaw in this. She nearly copied everything that the handmaiden had done since the start of their introduction. When he looked into her eyes, he saw that she was staring at him. This princess was staring him right in the face and creating a smile. Well... How wonderful this would be. She was putting on a show for everyone. He wanted to meet the true princess, but it seemed he would have to wait until they were behind closed doors. He had no problem with that. He knew the fierceness of politics and how they could destroy entire societies. It seemed that this Princess was smart to think of this.

"I welcome you to Caelfath, dear Princess of the Jotaig tribe. It is my pleasure, and my honor, to accompany you through the bonds of marriage." All while the Prince said this, he made his way down the stairs toward her. A symbolic gesture of his 'tribe' reaching out to her and her people. He took her hand and said, "If you would come with me, we have some royal festivities we would like to begin for this glorious occasion." He held out his arm and he expected her to grab it. "Even the Elven Princess has decided to attend such an affair. How lucky are we to be a part of such a wondrous conjoining of our two societies!" He raised up the hand which was not extended to the Princess. The crowd that had gathered cheered and the Prince summoned a large smile. He looked toward the Princess and his eyes seemed to say, 'You no longer need to follow your handmaiden. Follow my lead and this will be as painless as possible.'

---

Mālsträm
Location: Rakatstad's Isles, Southern Khauran
Time of the Day: Morning/Mid-afternoon
Temperature: Moderate.

Two of the Khaddorians stayed behind, taking care of the boat, while the other two followed after Nar'Vosi and his comrade. But Leon didn’t seem to pay them any mind, preferring to look ahead of the old road as he answered Nar’Vosi, “I assure you, there isn’t a safer one. And if something were to happen, we would take care of it.”

The sun was already past its highest point when the traveling group finally reached the border of the city. From there the two Khaddorians split off to their own road with a short farewell. Leon continued to lead his two guests back to his home as promised. Once there they were met by the fisherman’s wife whom introduced herself as Ardo, “Please, follow after me. I think you could use a shower and perhaps… some spare clothes?”

The woman led the two away to the bath room, handing each a spare, but rather simply and worn out, set of clothes to change to. She also left a small box with medical supplies, although most of the jars weren’t labeled. Before leaving the two, she quickly added, “I’m just about to finish lunch - you are welcome to join in.”

When Nar’Vosi and Twumbo came back, Leon spread his hand to wave them over, “Come, sit down with us. I’m sure you must be starving,” then he fixed his two guests with a measured stare, “And perhaps afterwards you could come with me to see the house of elders.”

---

Seafaring Myths
Location: Barnacle Point Harbor
Time of Day: Afternoon/Midnight
Temperature: Humid, hot with no clouds.

Aymon politely turned away, favoring to watch the street for any signs of danger while Calindar re-dressed, “I was named Aymon and my female companion would be my sister – Elora.” Once he was sure the cost was clear he turned back to face the other elf, “Yes, we are planning to catch a boat there. However, until then we must stay low. It would be better to not run into further trouble.”

Elora heard a strange noise behind her and turned expecting to see one more of those no-good pirates. Instead she was greeted with the sight of a one-armed kid. She cracked another charming smile when she heard his mutter, “Unless you give me a good reason to, we should get along just fine.” He didn’t seem to be in best shape and her more feminine side felt a slight worry, “Everything fine on your front?” and after a moment of thought she decided to add a little more, “I’m leaving tonight if you’d like you can come along? Granted you mean no harm.” Although Elora was rather sure she could take him down if everything went that far south.

Midnight came much faster than anticipated and Aymon, with Calindar by his side, was still waiting for his sister to show up. They were stationed besides the South gate with the desired vessel in sight – a neat boat that should carry them over to the elven cities without a problem. Aymon was beginning to worry that perhaps he had overestimated his sibling then the familiar blond hair and emerald eyes finally came to view, “Sorry for making you wait, my prince,” she gave a nod to Calindar, “Aymon,” another nod, “On my way, I ran into-”

“No time!” Aymon silently hissed at her, “Either we take the chance now or we miss it.” With that he took Calindar by the forearm giving him an apologetic look and moved towards the swaying boats. Quietly, they maneuvered behind the guards’ backs untying the boat and jumping into it. By the time they noticed the group disembarking it was too late to stop them, leaving the guards to fruitlessly shouting insults while some tried to pursue them by smaller and slower vessels.

---

Tale As Old As Time
Location: Metsa Jungle, Southern Khauran
Time of Day: Morning
Temperature: Very Hot, Humid

Za'ashi looked over the girl as she answered his question. His smirk turned up just a little, revealing that he most certainly did not care about her answer. The other Khaddorians whispered curses as they wondered why Za'ashi was trying to get her to explain herself. Why hadn't they just captured her already? Since she was so seemingly defenseless, why did they need to interrogate her? She was an herb collector after all, so why not just nab her and get out?

However, their assumptions that she was defenseless became their downfall. Ylva lunged for Za'ashi and overtook his sense of balance. He fell onto the ground and the other Khaddorians tried sending their spears through her body. Despite their feline reflexes, they were not able to catch the diving girl in their deathtrap. They were ready for this encounter though. They flanked the girl as she fell on Za'ashi. She was welcome to stab him, but he had been doing this a long time. Even if they were able to get a few hits off of him, he was ultimately able to overcome them with sheer force. Za'ashi said nothing and the other Khaddorians closed in as Ylva would have to make the decision as to whether she would concede to them or find a not-so-glorious end to her life.

 

[conman2163]

Calindar
Location: Barnacle Point Harbor
Time of Day: Afternoon/Midnight
Temperature: Humid, hot with no clouds.

Calindar looked back at the guards who shouted at them from the harbor, watching with a smirk as they attempted a pursuit in slower ships, none of them capable of catching up to the vessel they had chosen. He looked back towards Aymon and Elora, who he was curious about. Several things he wanted to know they had knowledge of. For example, why were two elves from the mainland wondering about a den of pirates and slavers? Why did these two feel so strongly as to risk their lives to save him from the slavers? Then there was the question of how they knew who he was in the first place. It wasn't as though he had a large sign on him that read "Calindar, Elven Prince" or anything. That did not mean they didn't know who he was from his grandparents, they were no doubt looking for him, and that would come as no surprise to Calindar if he found out they knew him from some reward poster. Perhaps they had passed through the lands his father had been responsible for?

Either way they were here now, and they had saved him, for that Calindar was extremely grateful. The chaffing from where the iron restraints had been on his wrists and ankles were removed was slowly oozing some foggy fluid in parts, and Calindar wasted no time in searching the ships for some kind of bandage, which he found inside the crew quarters. This he wrapped carefully around his ankles and wrists before tying them tightly in place, after which he returned to the top deck, walking over to where Aymon stood.

D d1uni5ys24si3o Donut Under the Stars

 

[radiojelly]

Nar'Vosi could only hope that Leon's words were true. He wasn't at all familiar with the path he walked, and therefore was at the mercy of the Khaddorian sailor. The man's generosity hadn't failed the elf to that point, and so he was inclined to let his guard down insofar as the road took them. Behind him, Twumbo trailed at a comfortable pace, all the while keeping his eyes trained on the bush for signs of movement. Thankfully, it was a wasted precaution given the relative ease with which they made it into town.

For pirates, the luxuries that Ardo provided shortly after their arrival were a kindness unparalleled by most common folk. Simple clothes, medicinal salves, and the promise of a bath were worth more to both haggard sailors than any amount of money would've been in that instance. Nar'Vosi didn't speak as Ardo offered such things, but his downcast gaze and near-imperceptible slouch at her mention of a bath told Twumbo that his master was perhaps more ashamed than anything else.

Indeed, the Dunmas thanked the gods for his ashen colored skin, otherwise he would've been beet-red with blush. It was a shameful thing to be reduced so quickly from a master of the seas to a homeless, damaged, crew-less pauper. Neither crew member spoke a word as they washed themselves in the homely bathroom, nor as they stripped themselves of blood-soaked, and waterlogged cloths. As Nar'Vosi lay his coat out on the rim of the basin, he sighed deeply in remembrance: it was his favorite article of clothing, but it was totally and utterly ruined. Either he would need to pay some tailor a hefty sum he couldn't afford, or pray to find one in its likeness, because the coat before him was hardly better than rags.

Sensing his melancholy, Twumbo stepped towards his keeper and slipped the basic, beige linen shirt he had been given overhead. For a brief second, the first mate stared at the trashed clothing before patting his friend on the shoulder and--with a soft smirk--remarking, "She was a fine captain's cloak. Never again will there be one like her, I'm sure." Nar'Vosi shot Twumbo a hardened look, but couldn't help but smile.

"If there's not a half-decent seamstress, or proper tailor in this town then I'll be gone at first light." To this, both men couldn't help but smile at their misfortune. Nar'Vosi doubted he would be leaving Rakatstad anytime soon, and even if he could he wouldn't have had the first idea where to go.

Though neither man was keen on facing the hosts of the home, both of them--despite their coarse manners--felt more than obliged given the circumstances. Though they gladly took the bath and the clothing, neither of them bothered with the medicine. Scars were a point of pride for them, and though it was neither practical nor healthy, both of them would've preferred to suffer the discomfort of their cuts and minor burns than have to admit their weakness any more than was apparent.

Some time later, the two of them emerged into the dining space, and only barely summoned the courage to look their hosts in the eyes.

“Come, sit down with us. I’m sure you must be starving,” Leon waved them overly, all the while seemingly oblivious to their hesitation. Nar'Vosi and his mate shared a look, before seating themselves at the table. The Dunmas was about to begin eating at the behest of his groaning stomach before Leon piped up again.

“And perhaps afterwards you could come with me to see the house of elders.”

To this point, both pirates froze in their tracks.

Nar'Vosi replied in a measured tone. "Yes," He paused, his eyes flickering between the two Khaddorians. "Perhaps. Who are they?" Twumbo gave Nar'Vosi a disapproving look; the young sailor would've preferred his master to not reveal their ignorance on the matter, but then again Nar'Vosi was neither a sly nor reserved captain. Leon had not been unkind to them, and both pirates did feel some pang of obligation. Nonetheless, they were pirates, and were neither fond of nor beholden to authority figures. There of course was the issue that Twumbo's Jorgethi was far superior to his captain's. If they displeased the elders when set before them, Twumbo assumed that--at best--they would be exiled. This far from home, and with nothing to their collective names, he was certain that would be a death sentence in and of itself.

 

[Applo]

Ashfa | Ylva | Zonran​

Location: Metsa Jungle, Southern Khauran
Time of the Day: Morning
Temperature: Very hot, humid
Collaboration between: Applo Green Pepper G Giltine13

For a moment Ashfa thought she had misheard what the hybrid Khaddorian had just said to her. “Girlfriend…?” She looked at him with confusion written all over her face. Why would he even think that? She hadn’t said or indicated that in any fashion, not that she could remember anyway. “No… she isn’t my girlfriend... never mind that though…” There was no point in discussing that topic further as they had much more pressing things to take care of. Heading over to Ylva would firstly involve climbing down the tree. One glance over the side showed her how impossible that would be for her.

She let out a soft sigh, looking a little beaten, shoulders slumping the slightest bit before stiffening once more. “Uh…” She looked to Zonran, uncertainty glinting in her eyes. She didn’t like being carried about, but it seemed there was no choice at the moment. “Will.. will you help me down… please?”

Zonran had started climbing down, not really caring about the Valekian’s - her name is Ashfa, remember it already! – chattering. Somehow he managed to completely forget that his unlikely companion wasn’t as adapt to the jungle life as he was. After a small pause, the mix-breed came back up and with one hand dragged her closer by the woman’s middle and lifted her over his shoulder, somewhat mindful of her comfort. Then he proceeded to cautiously climb down and once they reached the ground, he lowered his passenger with both of his hands, legs first. Right after, Zonran turned around and marched off the way he had come from – no use in wasting any more time.

As Zonran carried her down tree, Ash couldn’t help but notice that he was much more careful with her than he had been earlier when she had been snatched as well as when she had been dumped onto the branch. She was grateful for this much more mindful treatment; it was nice to touch the ground with her feet rather than her behind. She fixed her tunic, patting away small particles of wood, dead leaves and dirt.

Once she felt properly settled, she looked up to thank Zonran… and realized he had already started off without her. A sigh escaped her before she started forward as well, following after the hybrid but also keeping her eyes on the flower petals on the ground. She quickened her pace so that she managed to catch up, though with his long strides, it seemed she had to jog if she wished to stay by his side.

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In the moment after Ylva collided with the crouching khaddorian the world descended into tumbled confusion before a white hot pain exploded behind her eyes and then there was stillness. Ylva could feel her captors breathing underneath her and instinctively pressed her blade to the first piece of flesh that she could find with it. The kiss of steel had a wonderful effect on the body beneath her. Where before the khaddorian beneath her had squirmed with mindless activity now it was carefully, almost deathly still.

Making sure to keep her knife pressed tightly to whatever it was pressed against Ylva used her empty hand to push herself upright, straddling the haddorian's torso. The first thing that came into focus as she gingerly opened her eyes was the blood. It wasn’t a large patch but the bright red daubs stood out against the fur on the khaddorians chin and Ylva knew it was her own; she could feel it running from her nose now, hell she could taste it. The second thing she noticed was that her blade was pressed against her captors shoulder, hardly the best place to threaten someone.

With a laboured breath that sprayed strings of blood across her captors torso, Ylva reached back to her left boot and teased out the little blade that rested there. She was aware of movement around her as the other khaddorians repositioned themselves around her and so she let the edge of the smaller blade cut into the skin of her captors neck ever so slightly before repositioning the bigger blade over where she thought the heart to be. Spear tips weaved through the air at the edge of her vision but she took a little satisfaction in the fact that they were being kept just a little further back than before.

“Tell these padiovs to leave now!” Ylva spat spraying more blood. “I have no desire for your life but by the blood of my ancestors I will slit your neck wide open if I have to.”

“Then go right ahead, you’ll be dead before you even manage to see the first spurts of my blood!” Zha’ashi growled at the woman, at the same time waving off his men. The ugly Valekian had him intrigued and he wanted to see what she will do now.

“Do you want to die padiov” Ylva hissed while pushing the knife against the khaddorians throat as hard as she dared to make her point. Looking up at the other beasts Ylva couldn’t help but feel that they looked infuriatingly calm. That wasn't how this was meant to be go. Put a knife to the throat of the leader and the followers fell into line, that was what happened. “I will bleed this immatsu dry if all of you don’t get out of here right atostre now!”

Zha’ashi was rather disappointed with the response – he had wanted to see some intelligence behind those cold eyes, but it seemed all valekians were the same. All it took was a finger for two khaddorians to quickly move in and tear the crazed woman away from Zha’ashi. One drove his spear into the resisting valekians right arm - the one holding the bigger knife. Together they disarmed her and brought the woman to her knees, hands tied behind her back.

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Zonran continued to walk, but he couldn’t shake off a bad feeling about this. It was very likely they would be outnumbered and he didn’t trust the woman – Ashfa – to be of much help there. As much as he wanted to jump into this head first and see how it goes, he wasn’t that suicidal. “What will we do?” the mix-breed asked, hoping the Valekian had something better to offer than the empty space currently rolling between his ears.

“I’m not sure,” Ashfa replied, still concentrating on the ground. Keeping up the pace was a little tiresome but she dared not slow down, wishing to return to her friend’s side as soon as possible. The thought brought further tension to her, however; her forehead wrinkled and her eyes narrowed. Ylva was alone and could very well be in that sort of danger right now.

Please keep a cool mind if that’s the case… She let out a cold sigh before looking at the back of Zonran’s head, speaking aloud. “Maybe we should stay a little hidden? The child saw me as well… if the Khaddorian have come for Ylva… well… they could very well be looking around for me…” She paused, looking up at the trees. “If… if you travelled through the trees… well, you would be able to spot danger more easily… Ylva and I hadn’t even noticed you before you showed yourself to us.”

“Gru and the Silvis do,” Zonran mumbled, although his chest did puff up a little in pride, “I can, but you need to go too.” Then Zonran stopped mid-step, his whole body freezing save for the ears. They moved around for a short while before he finally allowed himself to breathe again and gently set his foot down. “They’re too close – we should go up now,” he harshly whispered to the Valekian before tapping at her bag with a simple, “Off,” as an explanation.

What Zonran heard was slightly disturbing – they still had a lot ground to cover till they reached the spot their roads had crossed, so why were the Khaddorians so deep in the jungle from the main road? And it sounded like a struggle was going on, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have heard them with the mumbly Valekian by his side. In short, they got lucky at someone else’s misfortune and he didn’t like the odds of it being that dark-haired woman.

Ashfa wasn’t sure what Zonran meant by the off, head tilted slightly in confusion as she looked up at him. “They’re…” She trusted that his ears could hear much better than her own. If he said ‘they’re’, that could only mean that the other Khaddorian had caught up with her friend. For a moment she wanted to rush ahead, but she forced herself to stop, literally pressing her foot against the ground. I must be careful. She looked up at the trees once more and nodded. “You’re right… but uh…” There was that problem once more; she couldn’t rightly climb trees so big and tall.

Zonran huffed, the the woman was a rather slow thinker in his opinion. So he took off her bag against her will and went up one tree where he found a good spot to hide it alongside his bow and quiver. The less additional weight there was the better. Afterwards he came back down and lowered himself, back facing the Valekian, “Get on.” The mix-breed hoped the girl was strong enough to hold herself up, since he wouldn’t really have hands to spare and this way he could make sure she wasn’t seen even if they got noticed. If luck was still on their side, the Khaddorians would leave him alone.

There was no time for Ashfa to protest about her bag being taken, but she decided making a fuss about it was stupid since he had put it away with his bow. She hadn’t understood him at first, but it was clear enough to her now that she had to climb onto his back. Her pack was quite heavy, even if she barely felt the weight anymore. For someone else, however, it would be an extra burden.

Without wasting time, she clambered onto Zonran, holding on as tight as she dared to, not wanting to accidentally hurt the fellow or pull some fur.

“I’m ready,” she muttered.

 

[Furasian]

The Ranger's Awakening
Location: Caelfath, Main Gate
In Proximity: Calypso Major D d1uni5ys24si3o @Under the Stars

Time had passed as the guard got organized and the arrival of the royal guests went without incident. During all of it Ansen had stood on the sidelines with a watchful gaze. He couldn't help but observe the princess and her escort with a mixture of curiosity and concern in his gaze. Even with the festivities even the young ranger knew that tensions were high this very moment. One wrong move and war was certain. He was confident in the Tauren garrison though and even in their own hubris the royal guard could stand on their own. Caelfath was in good hands and no longer needed the ranger's wary attention. He was free do uphold his duties though, meaning he didn't have to hide in the barracks any longer... But what could he do? Maybe...

An idea struck him shortly after he started pondering over his options. In an almost instinctive manner the Khaddorian began fishing through his satchel so to dig out the scroll handed to him earlier that day. He peered over the scriptures and noticed his current orders were already complete for the princess had made it to the capital. Such realization made the ranger's heart sink with disappointment... His first day out and about and there was nothing for him to do. For the time being he was stuck being the keen watcher, his half-eyed gaze now darting between every sign of trouble he could make out in the masses. Occasionally he saw a potential 'threat' but it would turn out to be a mere trick his paranoia was playing on him. Minutes had passed now and he'd eventually decide that relocation was best. Soon he began inserting himself back into the crowds, parting those who blocked his path with appropriate terms depending on who he grabbed or nudged to the side. One individual who didn't notice his symbol decided to not move, but he was quick to address that with a mere nudge right below the shin where some unpleasant nerves rested. That was enough to make the man uncomfortable enough to make way for the ranger.

"This chaos is bound to stir trouble." He muttered to himself, the statement foreshadowing the mess he was about to get himself into as he shifted closer and closer towards the royal family and their prestigious or notorious guest depending on how you looked at her. . .