Fantasy The Omegas (always accepting)

[DergTheDergon]

Sai'Iri sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, in utter silence and darkness, reaching out towards the auras of her two companions for this job. She listened curiously, and though perhaps one or the other might consider her eavesdropping intrusive, she would not stop unless halted somehow. The emotions rising between both of them, anger and frustration foremost, did not seem to ultimately break the civility between the two. Even the foreigner, Vyrrasa, when faced with rather accusatory remarks from Desh, remained calm and civilly explained what she had meant in more apt words. For a moment, Sai'Iri could feel Desh's essence focusing on her, but only briefly... he had a feeling perhaps he could smell her, and considering what Sai'Iri has heard from a vampires senses he could most likely tell from that that she was awake and listening, or at least infer such with a moderate amount of certainty. Sai'Iri did not detect any hastily towards her, though. It would seem Desh was fine with her listening, and So Sai'Iri decided to remain sating her curiosity in the unobtrusive manner, that at least for now seemed to be a surefire way to not be expected to give her own input... talking was never her preferred way of interacting with others, and she had always preferred, when it was convenient and not potentially detrimental to her, to learn of other beings and not have to bring up her own culture that she so despised, her past that she hoped to forget, and her magics that had almost led to her demise, and already led to the demise of several innocents that, in a more sane state of mind than when the incidents occurred, she would never dream of hurting. Sai'Iri resumed this, watching listening, until such a time where the conversation ended or was interrupted in some fashion.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

 

[shadowz1995]

"Ahem. Sorry about that. 7 centuries of hate will make you a bit....bitter." Desh shook off the anger he never even realized he had built up. The vampire stayed silent as Vyrrasa spoke. As silent as the void. He watched her with careful eyes and couldn't help feeling a bit taken aback. She truly meant nothing ill by that it seemed. She was honestly just curious and wished to know how to end a conflict with a vampire before it began. That.....was rare. Incredibly rare. This country of hers started to sound like a damn paradise where Desh could finally live freely without being attacked simply because of what he was. It didn't hurt Desh. It just simply gets old after a long time of dealing with it. The same stupid reasons. The same stupid arguments. The same stupid ridicule. Same damn look in their eyes. All of them. Every single last one. Even Sai'Iri who can't SEE had the same look upon her face whenever he passed her by. Like if he was the embodiment of a plague.


Desh lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding before turning to Vyrrasa's gaze once more. "Humans or humanoids like Elves, Dwarves, Fae, Draconians, are essentially our main food source. It's not only for the taste. They give us the most strength. The most nourishment. That is what sates our thirst the most. Humans and their ilk are like what cows are to humans. Gazelle to Lions. Deer to tigers. Sheep to Wolves. Not the only thing we eat but you are our main food source. Humans are not on the top of the food chain as much as they like to believe. They have their own predators that survive off of them. Lycans, Ghouls, Vampires, Wendigo, and all manner of creatures. It's simply the food chain Vyrrasa. We eat what nature dictates. Sadly, that means humans. "





A slight pause before Desh moves on again. He always waited for her to take her notes. This time he couldn't look her in the eyes. Respect is one thing Desh valued highly and despite his subconscious anger, she remained respectful though the emotion could not be kept from her voice. A long sigh leaves the vampire's mouth before he speaks, "Vyrrasa, truly I apologize for that. The emotion that came up was completely subconscious. I didn't even realize how my words came out until I had already said them. I'm a little too old to be speaking like that with someone who means me no harm. It was childish of me. Something a fledgling would do. I'm almost old enough to be an elder for crying out loud hahaha! So again, my apologies. I won't promise it wont happen again because I don't make promises I can't keep. But as for your question, no there isn't any sure way to get a vampire to stop his assault just like there is no real way to stop a bandit from raiding or to stop a rapist from defiling someone. They have their own minds and if they have it set to kill you or drain you dry then they most likely will. Unless you stop them somehow. It's just how beings of higher intellect operate. I can't change them anymore than you can change the mind of the people you killed. Just...something that had to be done."





@Monstr Okhotnitsa @DergTheDergon

 

[Monstr Okhotnitsa]

Vyrrasa looked at Desh for a while, the corners of her mouth tightening. She sighed, looking away and muttering out of the corner of her mouth, "Thank you." She bundled her note papers together and stood, giving a halfhearted nod and bow before shuffling off to the corner of the room she'd staked out for herself earlier, laying ramrod straight on her back and ruminating on everything she'd learned before drifting off to sleep.


---


She awoke with the sun.


Normally, she and her people in general were of a more nocturnal bent, because that was when things went bump, and it was necessary to be ready to either fight or observe them. Though by now it was simply cultural. However, since arriving on the continent she had acclimatized herself to their sleep schedule, and, as she seemed to sleep a solid two hours less than they did -which she theorized had to do with different sleep cycle patterns- she was either up earlier than they were, or up at the same time despite actually sleeping later.


Propping herself up against the wall, she pulled out a book she had packed for the trip and began to read, though the scent of food wafted into her nose and she had to prevent herself from wandering through the inn to find the source. People here considered that somewhat rude, she'd realized, and so she remained seated, reading about cardioarcane augmentation and the role of the parasympathetic nervous system in thaumoorganic regeneration. Eventually she finished the chapter and placed the book back in its bag and stood, affixing her sword to her waist as she went about waking her companions so they could prepare, and catch the food while it was still warm - though whether or not Desh partook of human cuisine she was not sure.

 

[DergTheDergon]

After there was nothing more to be heard from her two curious companions, and the disappointing-seeming Vyrrasa began drifting off to sleep, Sai'Iri decided it was time for herself to rest as well. Overhearing that conversation was enlightening, though a bit disheartening having gained a greater understanding of the plight of vampires. The deep rage and despair Desh felt as he spoke was... harrowing to Sai'Iri's mind and senses. Finally settling down for the evening, Sai'Iri carefully laid down on her side and was asleep before long.


The next morning, Sai'Iri was awoken by Vyrrasa's presence looming over her. "Ah... it is time to head out soon, is it Vyrrasa?" Sai'Iri asked curiously. Sai'Iri never had much of a concept of day and night. She just knew that other beings had a pattern of waking and sleeping that was more regular than her own. She simply fell asleep and found herself awake after some time, the rested feeling and perhaps some lingering sounds and sensations from her dreams her indication of how long or well she had slept. Sai'Iri smelled the food as well, and stood dressing and preparing herself to eat then go about the day's business. She followed Vyrrasa's presence towards the food and wherever they would be going later on and hoped she didn't find it unnerving. Sai'Iri had no qualms about explaining if she was asked, but the simple truth of the matter was that if she did not follow the essence of one who is sighted, the likelihood of bumping into walls, tripping over things and similar clumsy mishaps greatly increased. Sai'Iri would bid Desh hello and engage with him if he saw fit as well, but other than that she felt no need to interact with either of her party members at the moment.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

 

[shadowz1995]

As the two ladies went to sleep, Desh simply waited. The vampire could achieve "sleep" but it was more of an inactive state rather than sleep. Vampires didn't truly sleep anymore and it was honestly something Desh missed. The vampire silently lurked about the sleeping forms of Vyrrassa and Sai'iri during the night to make sure they were both completely asleep and luckily they were. Good. Doubt they want to know about this. The male set out silently into the dark of night, hunting for prey. There were plenty of humans in the immediate area where they had chosen to stop by. Most were asleep and Desh really counted his blessing this night. He stalked the vicinity for a good target when he finally laid eyes upon a lone woman walking by. Seemingly on her way home. Desh grimaced slightly as the scemt of this type of woman wasn't his particular taste. He would much rather prefer Sai'iri or Vyrrassa's blood, seeing as they were combatants in their own right. But she will have to do. Desh wasted no time. When the opportunity presented itself, Desh lunged towards her and aimed a quick, deadly strike to her right temple. The poor woman was instantly knocked unconscious and would soon die from the internal hemorrhaging. It was fatal but clean and it would give Desh the precious time he needed to drink her without her dying right before. The vampire quickly drags her away from the main path and sinks his fangs into her ebbing carotid artery.


While not his particular taste, blood was blood and it still tasted exquisite. Desh had not fed in roughly 3 days and this was a much needed meal. He was starting to lose control around his comrades and that was literally the last thing he wanted to do. For the lesser of two evils.... Desh continued to drain her life blood until there was literally nothing left. With a ragged gasp, Desh releases his victim and she drops to the floor. Completely lifeless and devoid of the color she once had to her skin. Her blood flowing out of Desh's mouth onto her corpse. The vampire's eyes had rolled back temporarily in the sheer ecstasy of the kill. It takes him a moment before he snaps back to reality and drags the woman's body a bit further out into the outskirts. He draws a breath and drives his hand through her chest, impaling her and completely destroying her heart. Desh draws his arm back, now coated in blood and drives a fist into her face....repeatedly. The vampire drove his fist into cranium over and over and over again until the only thing that remained was a gorey puddle where her head used to be. People would find her here eventually and it would look like she was viciously killed by a passing monster. Not entirely wrong... However, this also served another purpose. It was so she would not come back as a blood crazed vampire and start attacking everyone she saw for the next few days. Now she had no way of coming back. Byron proceeds to rip her clothing apart and claw into her torso a few times for good measure. No one would question it. A horrible twist of fate. A savage beast that needed to be slain took the life of this woman. The common rabble wouldn't know any better. Not even the experienced would figure out without closely analyzing the body.


Desh arrives back to the caravan moments later before anybody is even awake. No one awakens to his nightstalker steps and the kill was more or less clean. Sai'iri would probably smell the blood on Desh's person. Vyrrassa might as well but that was unlikely. It didn't matter. Desh was fed now and waited until the crack of dawn before recloaking himself and waiting for the girls to rise and finish their morning routine. As they made their way to eat, Desh pretends to catch up with them and smiles under his cloak, "Hey girls. Don't leave without me. I would die if I heard those merchants complain about taxes and haggling anymore than I already have."


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @DergTheDergon

 

[Monstr Okhotnitsa]

@DergTheDergon @shadowz1995


Vyrrsasa couldn't smell the blood on Desh, but she could tell from... something different about him that he had fed. Something different in the way he carried himself and spoke. He had seemed on edge beforehand, and now he seemed quite at ease around them. She would have to speak with him again later. But that could wait for later. "They were actually discussing their futile attempts to persuade the 'tavern wench' to share their beds last night." She scoffed, looking over at Desh, "Apparently this has not crossed their minds, but smacking women across the buttocks does not improve their opinions in the least. Quite the opposite, a fact they seem to have overlooked."


As she spoke one of the merchants groaned, evidently having indulged in one too many tankards of ale and neglected to drink enough water to compensate. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention to the food being presented, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the meal.


As she ate she was pleasantly surprised at the food. While obviously different from what she had grown up with or gotten used to in Din Ghulda, it was surprisingly enjoyable, especially considering the small size and lack of visitors this village would normally receive. She was tempted to ask for the cook so she could get a recipe, but figured she would probably survive without documenting every single detail about the continent. She had to carry all that paper back after all, and unlike some people she couldn't carry several hundred pounds of paper around plus other equipment.


Eventually they were finished with the meal, and preparations began to leave. Vyrrasa, for her part, had a relatively easy time of it, only needing to don her gambeson, hauberk, and then the lamellar, strapping her heavy sword to her waist, and the large knife to her thigh. Carrying out her bags to the merchant's cart, she plonked it into the back, grimacing at its weight and the noises it made as it hit the bottom of the cart. She was slightly tempted to see if the others needed help, but they were all big boys and girls and would almost assuredly be fine without her assistance.

★~★~★~★~★

​

The cobbled road drew Vyrrasa's interest as she sat on the merchant's wagon, examining the surrounding landscape for any potential threats. The cobbles made the ride bumpy and rather unpleasant, albeit better than just dirt. The wagon's wheels constantly thumped and bumped against the uneven surface, and she nearly fell off twice from the jostling. The trip so far was rather dull, with nothing but trees, grass, deer, and the occasional small little hamlet with dirt poor peasants toiling away on their fields that would in all likelihood die, or have a poor yield, or face a blight.


She looked over at Sai'Iri and Desh. "To pass the time," she began, "would any of you be interested in discussing how we all came to join this organization?"

★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★​

@Yesman @Imperator Penguin @CoreyXIX


As Darrick and Miles mentioned their concerns, another elf overheard them and stood to her feet, shadowing them for a short while before addressing them directly. "You are right to suspect there is more to this than the bears simply being unusually far roaming in their foraging. While nobody here is inclined to listen to me, I've been over there to take a look. Something nobody seems to have realized is that the bears are... how to put this - organized. I watched from a tree, they didn't move like bears. There was a... a uniformity about it. They seemed to be looking for something, or some other possibility I haven't considered. They didn't seem inclined to kill the villagers, only if they really got in the way. And even then, they didn't begin to gnaw at the body, but simply walked by it. It's absolutely unlike anything I have ever seen, and I've been scouting these forests for centuries."


She looked at them for a moment, her mouth set in a determined line, "Something is wrong over there, I'd like to help you. I can defend myself, obviously, but if one of them gets to close quarters..." She let the thought slide, "Everybody has just been waiting for someone else to do something. I know this whole region like the back of my hand, and I want to see those bears let back to doing as they naturally do."


Miles said nothing, letting the other members of the party take the lead on this one.

 

[CoreyXIX]

@DergTheDergon[/URL] @shadowz1995
Vyrrsasa couldn't smell the blood on Desh, but she could tell from... something different about him that he had fed. Something different in the way he carried himself and spoke. He had seemed on edge beforehand, and now he seemed quite at ease around them. She would have to speak with him again later. But that could wait for later. "They were actually discussing their futile attempts to persuade the 'tavern wench' to share their beds last night." She scoffed, looking over at Desh, "Apparently this has not crossed their minds, but smacking women across the buttocks does not improve their opinions in the least. Quite the opposite, a fact they seem to have overlooked."


As she spoke one of the merchants groaned, evidently having indulged in one too many tankards of ale and neglected to drink enough water to compensate. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention to the food being presented, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the meal.


As she ate she was pleasantly surprised at the food. While obviously different from what she had grown up with or gotten used to in Din Ghulda, it was surprisingly enjoyable, especially considering the small size and lack of visitors this village would normally receive. She was tempted to ask for the cook so she could get a recipe, but figured she would probably survive without documenting every single detail about the continent. She had to carry all that paper back after all, and unlike some people she couldn't carry several hundred pounds of paper around plus other equipment.


Eventually they were finished with the meal, and preparations began to leave. Vyrrasa, for her part, had a relatively easy time of it, only needing to don her gambeson, hauberk, and then the lamellar, strapping her heavy sword to her waist, and the large knife to her thigh. Carrying out her bags to the merchant's cart, she plonked it into the back, grimacing at its weight and the noises it made as it hit the bottom of the cart. She was slightly tempted to see if the others needed help, but they were all big boys and girls and would almost assuredly be fine without her assistance.

★~★~★~★~★

​

The cobbled road drew Vyrrasa's interest as she sat on the merchant's wagon, examining the surrounding landscape for any potential threats. The cobbles made the ride bumpy and rather unpleasant, albeit better than just dirt. The wagon's wheels constantly thumped and bumped against the uneven surface, and she nearly fell off twice from the jostling. The trip so far was rather dull, with nothing but trees, grass, deer, and the occasional small little hamlet with dirt poor peasants toiling away on their fields that would in all likelihood die, or have a poor yield, or face a blight.


She looked over at Sai'Iri and Desh. "To pass the time," she began, "would any of you be interested in discussing how we all came to join this organization?"

★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★​

@Yesman @Imperator Penguin @CoreyXIX


As Darrick and Miles mentioned their concerns, another elf overheard them and stood to her feet, shadowing them for a short while before addressing them directly. "You are right to suspect there is more to this than the bears simply being unusually far roaming in their foraging. While nobody here is inclined to listen to me, I've been over there to take a look. Something nobody seems to have realized is that the bears are... how to put this - organized. I watched from a tree, they didn't move like bears. There was a... a uniformity about it. They seemed to be looking for something, or some other possibility I haven't considered. They didn't seem inclined to kill the villagers, only if they really got in the way. And even then, they didn't begin to gnaw at the body, but simply walked by it. It's absolutely unlike anything I have ever seen, and I've been scouting these forests for centuries."


She looked at them for a moment, her mouth set in a determined line, "Something is wrong over there, I'd like to help you. I can defend myself, obviously, but if one of them gets to close quarters..." She let the thought slide, "Everybody has just been waiting for someone else to do something. I know this whole region like the back of my hand, and I want to see those bears let back to doing as they naturally do."


Miles said nothing, letting the other members of the party take the lead on this one.

"An organized bear raid?" Darrick says in a mixture of curiosity a little disbelief at the thought. Such a thought seemed rather crazy to him. He knew of some people who had the abilities to maybe command bear, but it was ever hardly in such a neat, organized manner. Maybe they weren't bears at all, but some sort of shapeshifters in disguise."That implies that they are actually bears and not something else entirely, although I'm willing to wager that they may just under the will of another." he says, his thoughts trailing at the possibilities for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Out in unfamiliar territory like this, I'd welcome another ally. My name is Darrick, and my companion here is Miles." he says, introducing himself and holding out a hand to shake hands in greeting with the elf. He wondered if all mission would be as odd as this one.

 

[DergTheDergon]

Sai'Iri observed, with her intact senses of course, as the band of merchants prepared themselves. She recognized the groans of one of the merchants as those of a hungover individual. Thankfully, Sai'Iri had no intention to deal with those sorts of consequences and so hasn't drunk in ages. The last, and in fact only time she had ever consumed enough alcohol to get drunk, she felt awful whilst intoxicated and even worse directly after the effects of the liquor wore off. It muddles her perceptions in such a way that confuses and distorts everything she perceives, this making it nearly impossible to get around. Her body has always been similarly sensitive to any drug, and so the risks and unpleasant side effects of most medicines she had ever been administered besides those meant to treat wounds have always outweighed thier benefits.


The trip farther down the road, once it finally went underway, had gone by rather uneventfully so far. Sai'Iri had been hanging onto the side of the caravan with both hands the entire journey so far, and had no intention of stopping due to the many instances of feeling like she was going to fall off within the short duration of the journey thus far. The bumpiness of the road was also rather irritating, as she could feel acute and sometimes slightly painful vibrations throughout her entire body every time she was jostled along with the wagon itself. Sai'Iri found herself hoping they take some time to rest soon, or even have to stop due to minor problems arising with the caravan, anything to give her reprieve from the frequent and annoying sensations.


As Vrrasa spoke up, asking a question, Sai'Iri found herself so glad for the diversion that she'd happily divulge a bit of her past. Turning in Vyrrasa's direction, she looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, both hands still firmly gripping the closest part of the wagon they could get a hold of. As she divulged how she came to be here, omitting some rather undesirable details so close to the group's employers driving the wagon, she could be seen fingering the faintly glowing spherical jewel of pure white adorning the silver necklace she is never seen without.


"It is a fair question to be sure, this organization is rather varied and ambiguous as to how they come to recruit new members. For myself, without divulging rather personal and uncomfortable details, I was saved from a certain-death situation by a group of beings with brooding, secretive, yet kind and hopeful auras. There were three of them, and they promised me an escape from the circumstances that nearly doomed my soul. Turns out they were recruiters for the Omegas, of course. After they freed me from an inner turmoil that granted me no end of nightmares and tormented thoughts, I saw no reason to decline thier offer to join... in fact, if I hadn't, I would most likely have fallen to the ones that nearly killed me so long ago. Forgive my... ambiguity. This is a rather painful topic, you understand. My meaning may have been further obscured by my way of describing things... many sighted beings find it confusing. Regardless, that is why I am here. These mysterious recruiters... do they bare any resemblance to you, Vyrrasa? Desh?" She was curious as to if the others came to join the Omegas in a similar way.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

 

[shadowz1995]

Sai'Iri observed, with her intact senses of course, as the band of merchants prepared themselves. She recognized the groans of one of the merchants as those of a hungover individual. Thankfully, Sai'Iri had no intention to deal with those sorts of consequences and so hasn't drunk in ages. The last, and in fact only time she had ever consumed enough alcohol to get drunk, she felt awful whilst intoxicated and even worse directly after the effects of the liquor wore off. It muddles her perceptions in such a way that confuses and distorts everything she perceives, this making it nearly impossible to get around. Her body has always been similarly sensitive to any drug, and so the risks and unpleasant side effects of most medicines she had ever been administered besides those meant to treat wounds have always outweighed thier benefits.
The trip farther down the road, once it finally went underway, had gone by rather uneventfully so far. Sai'Iri had been hanging onto the side of the caravan with both hands the entire journey so far, and had no intention of stopping due to the many instances of feeling like she was going to fall off within the short duration of the journey thus far. The bumpiness of the road was also rather irritating, as she could feel acute and sometimes slightly painful vibrations throughout her entire body every time she was jostled along with the wagon itself. Sai'Iri found herself hoping they take some time to rest soon, or even have to stop due to minor problems arising with the caravan, anything to give her reprieve from the frequent and annoying sensations.


As Vrrasa spoke up, asking a question, Sai'Iri found herself so glad for the diversion that she'd happily divulge a bit of her past. Turning in Vyrrasa's direction, she looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, both hands still firmly gripping the closest part of the wagon they could get a hold of. As she divulged how she came to be here, omitting some rather undesirable details so close to the group's employers driving the wagon, she could be seen fingering the faintly glowing spherical jewel of pure white adorning the silver necklace she is never seen without.


"It is a fair question to be sure, this organization is rather varied and ambiguous as to how they come to recruit new members. For myself, without divulging rather personal and uncomfortable details, I was saved from a certain-death situation by a group of beings with brooding, secretive, yet kind and hopeful auras. There were three of them, and they promised me an escape from the circumstances that nearly doomed my soul. Turns out they were recruiters for the Omegas, of course. After they freed me from an inner turmoil that granted me no end of nightmares and tormented thoughts, I saw no reason to decline thier offer to join... in fact, if I hadn't, I would most likely have fallen to the ones that nearly killed me so long ago. Forgive my... ambiguity. This is a rather painful topic, you understand. My meaning may have been further obscured by my way of describing things... many sighted beings find it confusing. Regardless, that is why I am here. These mysterious recruiters... do they bare any resemblance to you, Vyrrasa? Desh?" She was curious as to if the others came to join the Omegas in a similar way.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

@DergTheDergon[/URL] @shadowz1995
Vyrrsasa couldn't smell the blood on Desh, but she could tell from... something different about him that he had fed. Something different in the way he carried himself and spoke. He had seemed on edge beforehand, and now he seemed quite at ease around them. She would have to speak with him again later. But that could wait for later. "They were actually discussing their futile attempts to persuade the 'tavern wench' to share their beds last night." She scoffed, looking over at Desh, "Apparently this has not crossed their minds, but smacking women across the buttocks does not improve their opinions in the least. Quite the opposite, a fact they seem to have overlooked."


As she spoke one of the merchants groaned, evidently having indulged in one too many tankards of ale and neglected to drink enough water to compensate. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention to the food being presented, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the meal.


As she ate she was pleasantly surprised at the food. While obviously different from what she had grown up with or gotten used to in Din Ghulda, it was surprisingly enjoyable, especially considering the small size and lack of visitors this village would normally receive. She was tempted to ask for the cook so she could get a recipe, but figured she would probably survive without documenting every single detail about the continent. She had to carry all that paper back after all, and unlike some people she couldn't carry several hundred pounds of paper around plus other equipment.


Eventually they were finished with the meal, and preparations began to leave. Vyrrasa, for her part, had a relatively easy time of it, only needing to don her gambeson, hauberk, and then the lamellar, strapping her heavy sword to her waist, and the large knife to her thigh. Carrying out her bags to the merchant's cart, she plonked it into the back, grimacing at its weight and the noises it made as it hit the bottom of the cart. She was slightly tempted to see if the others needed help, but they were all big boys and girls and would almost assuredly be fine without her assistance.

★~★~★~★~★

​

The cobbled road drew Vyrrasa's interest as she sat on the merchant's wagon, examining the surrounding landscape for any potential threats. The cobbles made the ride bumpy and rather unpleasant, albeit better than just dirt. The wagon's wheels constantly thumped and bumped against the uneven surface, and she nearly fell off twice from the jostling. The trip so far was rather dull, with nothing but trees, grass, deer, and the occasional small little hamlet with dirt poor peasants toiling away on their fields that would in all likelihood die, or have a poor yield, or face a blight.


She looked over at Sai'Iri and Desh. "To pass the time," she began, "would any of you be interested in discussing how we all came to join this organization?"

★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★~★​

@Yesman @Imperator Penguin @CoreyXIX


As Darrick and Miles mentioned their concerns, another elf overheard them and stood to her feet, shadowing them for a short while before addressing them directly. "You are right to suspect there is more to this than the bears simply being unusually far roaming in their foraging. While nobody here is inclined to listen to me, I've been over there to take a look. Something nobody seems to have realized is that the bears are... how to put this - organized. I watched from a tree, they didn't move like bears. There was a... a uniformity about it. They seemed to be looking for something, or some other possibility I haven't considered. They didn't seem inclined to kill the villagers, only if they really got in the way. And even then, they didn't begin to gnaw at the body, but simply walked by it. It's absolutely unlike anything I have ever seen, and I've been scouting these forests for centuries."


She looked at them for a moment, her mouth set in a determined line, "Something is wrong over there, I'd like to help you. I can defend myself, obviously, but if one of them gets to close quarters..." She let the thought slide, "Everybody has just been waiting for someone else to do something. I know this whole region like the back of my hand, and I want to see those bears let back to doing as they naturally do."


Miles said nothing, letting the other members of the party take the lead on this one.

The girls seemed none the wiser to the events of last night and Desh sent a silent thank you to whatever god was out there that could make this possible. Being fully fed and with some halfway decent women had Desh in high spirits to say the least. The vampire had a good chuckle when Vyrrasa mentioned the rather idiotic tact the merchants used to persuade women to bed them. " Hahaha! I wish women were such simple creatures Vyrrasa. I'd be able to satisfy my desires much easier that way." Whether they knew it or not, Desh had meant that both sexually and as a way to get an easier snack. "No no no. They require much more tact then that. Coaxing and thorough seduction. You've got to make them want to crawl into bed with you all by themselves. Of course, as I said, much easier said than done. I've only been able to bed women of Vyrrasa's caliber 3 times in all my travels. I traveled a lot mind you." Sai'iri and Vyrrasa should both know that Desh is almost 7 centuries old and while it was a hidden message, the two should understand what he meant.


The ride was rather uneventful and Desh mainly spent it in the shadow of the wagon. It was bumpy and uneven but he had experienced far worse journeys. He spent the time writing in his journal, much like Vyrrasa, but the vampire's was a much much older journal thick with pages. Almost all of Desh's experiences in his entire lifespan were documented in detail and the vampire had to write about the interesting ladies he met recently. Vyrrasa's homeland was also a subject Desh very much wanted to learn about.





"I wish my story was as eventful as that. No, I simply came to The Omegas out of curiosity. Nothing really compelled me to do it. It was a whim. But I should probably be honest with you guys since Sai'Iri was. My full name is Desh Byron. Vyrrasa, you probably never heard of them but I know you have Sai'Iri." The vampire turns his attention to the warrior before proceeding. "The Byron family is a family of wealthy and powerful vampires off to the west. The live in an imposing castle, stereotypical I know, and have a strong hold over the city there. The Byron family's influence stretches far and they have allies in many places. That would be great....if my family weren't twisted, sadistic, perverted cur. They take pleasure in torture and seeing the pain in people's eyes. The despair. The agony." An involuntary shudder went down the vampire's spine, visible even through the cloak. "All of them, save my litter sister. She's an angel but she needs to play the part of a tyrannical bitch so that they don't turn their attention on her......like they did to me. I'll spare you the details....but whenever I was utterly broken and I mean BROKEN guys. I'm talking about missing limbs and both my eyes gouged out while being showered in


septic waste to infect the wounds. She would sneak into my cell and feed me. Try to help me as much as she could without putting herself in danger. I daresay the only reason I kept my sanity was because of her. Even then sometimes my mind broke. Long story short, I broke out and wandered the world for several centuries and well....here I am. That's my story. The details will be extra." The vampire winked but it obviously couldn't be seen under his cloak. Not that Sai'Iri could see it or that Vyrrasa would care.

 

[Monstr Okhotnitsa]

Vyrrasa frowned as Sai'Iri gave a stripped down version of her backstory. "Well... no. I've never met them. In all honesty, my reasons for being here are... rather dull in comparison, but I shall elaborate momentarily."


Turning to Desh, Vyrrasa smirked, "I could say the same for men, I can never figure out what it is they want. Shockingly enough I'm perfectly good at getting other women into bed, it's almost like I am one." She relaxed, or at least appeared to, reclining in the cart even as she surreptitiously slipped Desh a small note on a piece of scrap paper.


I know you fed last night. The note read. I'm assuming the villagers will have found a body by now. Next time we stop, and have some measure of privacy, I would like to discuss some things with you. I have a couple ideas in mind, but my goal is to avoid more people getting killed just so you can feed. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't attempt anything, as I won't be. Reciprocity is rather nice, at least in this context.





Continuing on as if she had done nothing at all, she replied to the second half of his speech, "It sounds to me like your family are the sort of vampires that mothers would scare their children into bed with stories about, then." There was little else to be said, they sounded like exactly the sort of monsters that most everyone she had encountered associated vampires with. She was tempted to ask if he knew anything about his sister now, but decided against it.


"Honestly, my story is much less interesting. Where I come from, we consider learning and knowledge to be one of the pinnacles of human existence, so to speak. Any religious fundamentalists you find over there will probably just be mad scientists." She cleared her throat, adjusting her armor to be slightly less uncomfortable. "When we turn twenty one, we collect some of our things and set off to some part of the world to... learn, essentially. To learn, acquire knowledge, educate ourselves and others, and after a while, it varies, my mother did not return for over three decades as a matter of fact, we return home. My people only recently discovered the existence of this continent, and, to my knowledge I am the first to make the journey over here, in a rickety wooden airship that should've been scrapped decades before. I arrived in Din Ghulda and learned the language and customs of the area, were it that either of you were from there I could speak fluently. That was where I learned to recognize vampires so well, Desh, I met and befriended an old man who had studied them for his entire life. Eventually I heard about this organization and came here to learn more about the heartland of this continent."


She reclined again, watching them calmly, "That is my background. As I said, nothing too interesting unfortunately."

 

[Yesman]

A thudding only describable as a dead weight hitting the ground from a high height could be heard followed by a louder sound of the same sort. After a short absence of sound, a body, the one responsible for the first thud rose up with a groan. A ghost floated down from the sky to meet the rising figure. "Oh, walk it off. You're already dead. How much more dead could you get?" said Xacular Anima to the zombie. "Besides, we killed the gryphon didn't we? I'd say that's a job wells done."


Xacular Corpus looked sideways at his ghost counterpart before giving a grunt and making his way to the monster's corpse. He took his spear and began hacking away at one of the gryphon's front paw, cutting it off and stuffing it into a bag. "Proof of a job well done, smart," commented Anima.


Well, I am the one with a brain, thought Corpus smugly.


"Hey, just because I don't have a brain doesn't mean I don't have a mind. Besides, you have a dead brain. A brain? Yes, but it's as dead as everything else you are."


Corpus would have replied but he was too busy looking off into the distance. Uh oh, elf.





Anima spun around, looking for the mentioned individual. As "dark creatures", Anima and Corpus were often lumped together with other evil monsters such as werewolves or orcs. This put them at odds with "light creatures" such as elves.


Both Anima and Corpus ducked behind the giant bird-lion and watched as the group drew closer. "You don't think this gryphon was that elf's mount, do you?"

 

[DergTheDergon]

As Desh spoke up, Sai'Iri simply silently listened as was her custom. His suggestive and at times flamboyantly bold use of language was still... unflattering, to say the least, but Sai'Iri did respect the way in which he was able to nonchalantly speak about the way he was tortured, and the legends of his family. Mentioning the name cuased her eyes to widen... he even seemed unbothered about mentioning it.If he had mentioned his infamous surname earlier it may have caused Sai'iri a great deal of unrest. Now however, in getting acclimatized to his aura and sensing, rather intensely, his hatred of his family and what they have done whilst speaking of them, Desha would notice Sai'Iri's front of annoyance hardheadedness around him gradually begin to fade.


Then, Vyrassa was the next to speak. Sai'Iri could sense her slight displeasure in revealing very little, but she felt as though it was ver y unwise to go into much detail at all. Perhaps she was being overly cautious, but caution has avoid many, many close calls and alleviated suspicion from many who may call for her execution if they knew of her past. In this area, there was less likely to be anyone of the sort than the town quite far from here that contained the angry mob she was rescued from. Still, it would take time to feel as though it was safe to tell Vyrrasa and Desh any details of her past.


Vyrrasa then responded to Desh, and Sai'Iri found herself raising an eyebrow at a rather off-color comment from the woman about getting other women into bed with her. It was strange, Vyrrasa seemed to be the rather down-to-earth, even uptight sort, but she seemed full of surprises as well. Being that she can joke about this sort of thing with a man with such ease honestly confused Sai'Iri. Then again, many social behaviors of humans boggled her mind. After this branch of conversation, there was a slight pause during which Sai'Iri heard the faint clinking of paper from Vyrassa's direction, towards Desh's side. Giving the both of them a rather curious glance to let them know she knew something was rather amiss, she didn't directly address this as she felt no need to pry in any real sense.


Sai'Iri listened to Vyrrasa's story and found herself listening quite curiously. She had never heard of this country, or such a bold and fortuitous tradition observed by an entire people. It certainly showed the ambition and curiosity humans are known for among Sai'Iri's generally more reserved and slow-going people. Once she was finished, she turned to look Vyrassa in the eyes. Of course, Sai'Iri had no way of telling if she was doing so correctly, but over the years she has learned to guess by the size and direction of a being's aura where thier eyes are, and taught early on that looking into a being's eyes whilst speaking to them was a sign of respect. She still found herself not attempting this very often because she ended up getting a rather uncomfortable feeling from it, as usually Sai'Iri could sense negative feelings radiating towards her from whoever she was attempting to speak to. These two, however, Vyrrasa especially, were slowly becoming a bit easier for Sa'Iri to look in the eyes without feeling too daunted.


"Nothing too interesting?" She repeated, rather incredulously. "To the contrary, it has been a while since I've heard anything quite as interesting as this coming-of-age tradition your people have. Requiring every person at a certain age to leave your homeland entirely and explore lands they know very little about would shock and confuse the average Elf. Our kind tend to stick to thier homelands for thier entire lives for the most part, which are quite longer than a human's I might add... If more of our people were as resourcseful and adventurous as yours, our society may be as wide-stretching as you humans' by now, perhaps even larger. Alas it can't be said that Elves posses the thirst for adventure most humans seem to have in spades, your people a prime example of such."


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

 

[shadowz1995]

Desh simply nods in response. He had not read the letter yet but if it was something she had to slip so secret like then it was probably important in some way or another. The vampire just idles in conversation with the ladies. Scribbling in his journal every once in awhile when anything worth noting happens. Desh found that times like these are his second favorite thing to a good fight. Just...idly talking with companions. The vampire was a loner for the most part and not by choice. He had a kind and social nature. He loved to mess around with friends and just have idle chats. Over seven centuries, this was something that was hard to find. Not only because they eventually died before the century mark but because it was hard finding compatriots who don't really care about what he is. Even more rare, interested like Vyrrasa. The anger he felt bubbling up from mentioning his family subsides rather quickly and Desh finds himself wondering how his sister is doing. He truly hoped that she was still the kind girl he knew her to be. That the Byron's malevolence hadn't rubbed off on her. She deserved better. Gods she deserved better.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @DergTheDergon

 

[Monstr Okhotnitsa]

Vyrrasa blushed slightly at the praise suddenly heaped upon her by Sai'Iri. "I would not say it is that interesting really, no stranger or unique than the religious pilgrimages some take. It is common practice to simply go to the home of a host who has offered a room and to learn new things there - it gets rather amusing actually, watching people clawing for position when a wealthy family has a child reaching 21." She took a sip of water before continuing, "Neither would I quite call it a coming of age tradition, nor is it a requirement to set out somewhere, many choose to simply stay home and study at a university instead - the whole point is to enrich yourself and others. Where and how you do so is your perogative."


"As to 'sticking to your homeland' as you say... well... I will choose not to respond to that, as it would just raise more uncomfortable questions." She quirked an eyebrow at Desh, gesturing to where he had placed the folded slip of paper and raising an eyebrow.


She couldn't entirely be sure what Sai'Iri or Desh were thinking at this point. The former seemed mostly in awe, and latter seemed about ready to hop in a boat and paddle across the ocean himself. Sai'Iri was mainly amusing, she herself obviously didn't think much of her traditions, but evidently the elf found them fascinating. Granted, she found many Elven traditions, and many traditions of the cultures she had encountered thus far equally fascinating, so it could simply be the thrill of new knowledge at work.


Desh however... she wasn't going to tell him where to go. The ocean was enormous, mind numbingly vast, there was no way he would manage to make it over, and even if he did there was no way of guaranteeing he would arrive in the right area, and even if he managed that... he would probably just end up being dissected.


She watched the vampire for a bit, trying to gauge what he was thinking. Chances were, it was about his family - who just about sounded a little bit too evil - what on earth would drive almost an entire family to such vindictive pursuits? Surely it wasn't the vampirism, perhaps the social ostracization of vampirism? She would have to ask him later. For now tho-


The hairs of the back of her neck stood on end as she heard an all too familiar sound. "Chi’dyrihyrrah..." she breathed, eyes widening. How? How on earth was one of the children of the thirsting devourer here? On this continent? Out here in the wilderness?! The implications were terrifying.


Easing her sword out of its scabbard she turned to the section of woods the unsettling moan had originated from mouth set in a firm line. It wasn't even that they were dangerous really, the name was scary, the actual creature was intimidating, but they could be easily handled in a fight. "Stop the cart." She called to the merchants before turning to Desh and Sai'Iri, "So, you were curious about my homeland? Seems one of the fauna decided to pay us a visit."


---


The elf nodded to Darrick. "I wouldn't call it organized, in that sense. But they had a uniformity of purpose if that makes sense. They all seemed to be working together to look for something. They're actual bears though, that much I can tell." She paused for a moment, "Oh! Apologies, my name is Sarya, wonderful to meet somebody willing to listen and not just wait." She began walking with Darrick down the path, Miles following close behind. "I would definitely say they're being controlled, by who or what, I can't say."


Suddenly she picked out something ahead, and raised an eyebrow at the mutilated body of a griffin. "That... was not there before." She nocked an arrow quickly but did not draw the bow, instead calling out, "Whoever killed the griffin is welcome to step out now. I don't really have any plans of shooting." She paused, perhaps, whoever this person was, she could recruit them to join their little group. If they could kill a griffon then handling some bears wouldn't be nearly as big a deal.

 

[Yesman]

Corpus continued to lay low as the elf called out.


Don't really have any plans to shoot, sure. Probably going to place an arrow in my eye socket as soon as I poke my head up.





"Not very proud of your dead, physical body now, are you?" muttered the ghost, also hiding.


Why are you hiding? Even if she did shoot at you, there'd be nothing to shoot.





"Not if she uses a spell or enchanted arrows. Those things hurt, especially the arrows. Really stings."


The zombie let out a soft, undead chuckle.


I remember. You kept moaning and whining of how painful it was and how you were on death's doorstep. I had to remind you that you were perpetually at his doorstep anyway.





There was a short pause as the corpse and spirit considered how to get out of their current predicament.


"By the way, I wonder if death is ever annoyed that we're just standing at his doorstep, not going in or out."


As the ghost pondered his philosophical question, Corpus slowly rose and made himself (and his glaive) visible to the elf and her human companion. He kept low enough to duck back into cover should he be attacked.

 

[DergTheDergon]

Sai'Iri felt some embarrassment coming from Vyrrasa's aura, and only then did she realize that her enthusiastic musings on the woman's traditions seem to have caught her off guard. That could have partly been due to the fact that such enthusiasm hadn't been shown to her until now. If Sai'Iri finds new knowledge particularly interesting, it is one of the very few reasons she would act so uncharacteristically excited. A blush spreading across her own face. punctuated by a warmth in her cheeks letting her know full well it was there, Sai'Iri listened quietly to Vyrrasa's explanations, and when she was finished, spoke up softly. "I see... my assumptions seem to be far less accurate than I assumed. Regardless, it is no less intriguing. My people, as I discussed earlier, have no tradition even close to this sort."


As Vyrrasa addressed Sai'Iri's earlier comments about sticking to her homeland, which obviously she has not done for quite some time, she frowned slightly, looking down and blushing a bit again. "Yes, well, I appreciate your discretion... perhaps another time but not here." Sai'Iri wasn't so bothered about her comrades hearing about her past as much as the caravaneers... commoners such as them have had a tendency to react in very unpleasant and potentially life-threatening ways upon discovering some for the details of Sai'Iri's past, usually involving reporting her to the authorities, or worse, witch-hunters, paladins and other sorts that would behead Sai'Iri without a thought knowing what she's done. As far as Sai'Iri was concerned at this point, one can never be too careful about such things.


For a short while, quiet fell upon the group. Sai-Iri simply sat there, and could sense Vyrrasa's curiosity as to what Desh and Sai'Iri herself were thinking. Because of this, Sai'Iri couldn't help but wonder the same about Vyrrasa.


This train of thought was halted by a sudden loud, nearly ear-piercing cry in the distance. Sai'Iri nearly jumped at the unfamiliar, yet very ominous noise, and whilst regaining her composure couldn't help but hear a foreign-sounding name muttered under Vyrrasa's breath. Turning towards the woman wide-eyed, wondering if omehow, she knew of these creatures. Sai'Iri's hunch seemed right. One of her homeland's fauna,... Sai'Iri found herself pushing back into her subconcious the questions of how it had gotten here, and why Vyrrasa seemed so terrified of the creature despite its, in her own words, apparent harmlessness, and simply nodded slowly at Vyrrasa's invitation to deal with the creature. "If this creature could cause the caravan any sort of... complications, than it would be proactive and wise to deal with it I suppose." Sai'Iri turned to Desh, and it was up to him if he followed the girls out or not, and to be honest, she'd feel safer with both of them even one being of an extremely infamous vampire bloodline, facing this strange, ominous new creature.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz1995

 

[CoreyXIX]

As Darrick watched the griffon and other being fall and the elf's quick, somewhat startled reaction he quickly found his crossbow in his hands. As many years and drills he had in most of his life he would grab for his weapon when he suspected something would be afoot out of pure instinct. Sometimes, he wouldn't even be fully aware that he had quickly taken it off his back until he already it's comforting weight of the old, magic weapon in both his hands. As he had it at the ready he witnessed the figure slowly rise, although it seemed rather obvious whoever it was had little interest in blindly charging and attacking. Hardly a surprise, given the long drop they probably just experienced. Hearing Sarya say they had no intention of shooting, Darrick decided to play along unless he had a good reason not to. "Come on, don't be shy." Darrick calls out. "We only have out weapons out as a defensive measure."


@Yesman @Monstr Okhotnitsa

 

[shadowz1995]

Chi’dyrihyrrah[/URL]..." she breathed, eyes widening. How? How on earth was one of the children of the thirsting devourer here? On this continent? Out here in the wilderness?! The implications were terrifying.


Easing her sword out of its scabbard she turned to the section of woods the unsettling moan had originated from mouth set in a firm line. It wasn't even that they were dangerous really, the name was scary, the actual creature was intimidating, but they could be easily handled in a fight. "Stop the cart." She called to the merchants before turning to Desh and Sai'Iri, "So, you were curious about my homeland? Seems one of the fauna decided to pay us a visit."


---


The elf nodded to Darrick. "I wouldn't call it organized, in that sense. But they had a uniformity of purpose if that makes sense. They all seemed to be working together to look for something. They're actual bears though, that much I can tell." She paused for a moment, "Oh! Apologies, my name is Sarya, wonderful to meet somebody willing to listen and not just wait." She began walking with Darrick down the path, Miles following close behind. "I would definitely say they're being controlled, by who or what, I can't say."


Suddenly she picked out something ahead, and raised an eyebrow at the mutilated body of a griffin. "That... was not there before." She nocked an arrow quickly but did not draw the bow, instead calling out, "Whoever killed the griffin is welcome to step out now. I don't really have any plans of shooting." She paused, perhaps, whoever this person was, she could recruit them to join their little group. If they could kill a griffon then handling some bears wouldn't be nearly as big a deal.

Sai'Iri felt some embarrassment coming from Vyrrasa's aura, and only then did she realize that her enthusiastic musings on the woman's traditions seem to have caught her off guard. That could have partly been due to the fact that such enthusiasm hadn't been shown to her until now. If Sai'Iri finds new knowledge particularly interesting, it is one of the very few reasons she would act so uncharacteristically excited. A blush spreading across her own face. punctuated by a warmth in her cheeks letting her know full well it was there, Sai'Iri listened quietly to Vyrrasa's explanations, and when she was finished, spoke up softly. "I see... my assumptions seem to be far less accurate than I assumed. Regardless, it is no less intriguing. My people, as I discussed earlier, have no tradition even close to this sort."
As Vyrrasa addressed Sai'Iri's earlier comments about sticking to her homeland, which obviously she has not done for quite some time, she frowned slightly, looking down and blushing a bit again. "Yes, well, I appreciate your discretion... perhaps another time but not here." Sai'Iri wasn't so bothered about her comrades hearing about her past as much as the caravaneers... commoners such as them have had a tendency to react in very unpleasant and potentially life-threatening ways upon discovering some for the details of Sai'Iri's past, usually involving reporting her to the authorities, or worse, witch-hunters, paladins and other sorts that would behead Sai'Iri without a thought knowing what she's done. As far as Sai'Iri was concerned at this point, one can never be too careful about such things.


For a short while, quiet fell upon the group. Sai-Iri simply sat there, and could sense Vyrrasa's curiosity as to what Desh and Sai'Iri herself were thinking. Because of this, Sai'Iri couldn't help but wonder the same about Vyrrasa.


This train of thought was halted by a sudden loud, nearly ear-piercing cry in the distance. Sai'Iri nearly jumped at the unfamiliar, yet very ominous noise, and whilst regaining her composure couldn't help but hear a foreign-sounding name muttered under Vyrrasa's breath. Turning towards the woman wide-eyed, wondering if omehow, she knew of these creatures. Sai'Iri's hunch seemed right. One of her homeland's fauna,... Sai'Iri found herself pushing the questions of how it had gotten here, and why Vyrrasa seemed so terrified of the creature despite its, in her own words, apparent harmlessness, and simply nodded slowly at Vyrrasa's invitation to deal with the creature. "If this creature could cause the caravan any sort of... complications, than it would be proactive and wise to deal with it I suppose." Sai'Iri turned to Desh, and it was up to him if he followed the girls out or not, and to be honest, she'd feel safer with both of them even one being of an extremely infamous vampire bloodline, facing this strange, ominous new creature.


@Monstr Okhotnitsa @shadowz

"Oh?" Was all that left the noble's mouth when he had initially heard some manner of footsteps in the distance. It was of some creature Desh had never had the pleasure of hearing before. When the creature gave its cry, Desh grew a smile in anticipation, especially when he saw Vrryasa's reaction. Her eyes widening, her heart accelerating, the beginnings of a sweat breaking out. Oh, he was going alright


(On mobile and busy with work. Sorry guys)

 

[Yesman]

Corpus watched the human man with his crossbow. Magic held and slowly repaired the bones damaged by the fall but he still wasn't confident that he would win a fight against the two archers. On the bright side though, it didn't look like either of them had enchanted arrows.


I don't think death really minds us standing at his doorsteps. I mean, there are so many other zombies and ghosts and undeads around, I think he's just used to it. By the way, they don't seem to have enchanted arrows. I still wouldn't do anything hast-





Anima, though, was no longer with Corpus behind the gryphon's corpse. He had turned intangible, sunk into the ground, and snuck behind the elf and the human. He rose in between them and inspected their arrows.


"Nice arrows. Careful or you might poke somebody's eyes out."


@CoreyXIX @Monstr Okhotnitsa