【Aη Uηωaηтє∂ Gιƒт】✖ Lit RP ✖ [OPEN]

[Neve Corcair]

As soon as the teen gave the okay, Conor nodded before untying a strip of cloth from around his wrist and using it to tie his hair behind his head. If he wasn’t willing to let his unruly hair get in the way of his mechanical creations, he wasn’t about to let him get in the way of trying to fix a child’s leg. To say this was outside his comfort zone of things he liked to fix would be an understatement.

Once he saw Leon had bitten down on the leather, he started. Setting the bone was the easy part. He focused completely on the leg, reddish-brown eyes narrowing on the task at hand of pulling and twisting the leg to where it was supposed to be. Once he was sure that Leon understood what was going to happen and gave his consent, it was as though Conor’s whole mindset changed, and he didn’t even notice the teen start to pass out from the pain.

Nikola, however, had. Once the strange creature he had thought he had seen in the shadows disappeared, he shook his head in disbelief for a moment. Eyes darting around, he finally sneezed and huffed in annoyance. Finally assuming he must’ve imagined the shadow he turned to look at the two humans, and just in time. He noticed the younger one start to fall from shock and his dumb person paying no attention to it and hurried over. His frills flat against his spine as he dashed to be next to the boy in case he fell too hard, but luckily it didn’t come to that as the human caught himself. Sure, the fen didn’t trust the newcomer human in the slightest. Something was off even if the creature couldn’t tell what it was, but for some reason his human trusted them so Nik would help if he could.

Once he saw the two were in no immediate danger, he sat himself down next to them like a very large guard-cat, keeping an eye on them and the surrounding cave.

Meanwhile, with the ‘easy’ part out of the way, Conor’s hands were a blur as he hurried to do the hard part. As soon as the bone was in place, he had to hurry to put the metal bars in place and wrap them tightly with the bolt of cloth. As soon as he was satisfied with the makeshift splint, he used the rope to tie it together in place. Leaning back onto his legs he reached up to wipe the sweat out of his eyes that he hadn’t noticed he’d accumulated. Finally he looked up to the person he was fixing when he spoke, as though he had almost forgotten he was there completely and blinked. His brow furrowed for a moment, not at the language the child had just spoken, but at the fact that it actually seemed to work. “Sorry aboyt dat. It shud work for de time bein' ter make sure whaen it 'eals, it 'eals de way it shud. We shud still git yer ter a proper doc─” before he could finish the thought, a low growl started to come out of Nikola as the Fen stood up, narrowing his eyes at the entrance to the cave.

When the creature bounded over, Nikola quickly put himself between it and the humans. His frills stood on end like an angry cat’s fur would as his orange eyes narrowed down on it. His message was clear; despite the rabbit’s ‘cute’ appearance, he didn’t trust it and wouldn’t let it near his person or the other human. Nikola really didn’t trust anything, but that was besides the point. When Nahumar came through the clearing entrance behind the rabbit, Nikola’s eyes snapped between him and the rabbit as though annoyed that he couldn’t manage to watch them both at once.

Conor turned to see what the fuss was about. As soon as he saw the newcomer his eyebrows drew together even more than they already had. It seemed his mines were just full of children that had no business exploring them. Didn’t these kids have curfews or something? He frowned, opening his mouth to chastise the new child for exploring the mines that were crawling with monsters that night, but for some reason a completely different thought crossed his mind. It was one he had already, true, but for some reason it seemed to push to the forefront of his mind and he cleared his throat, the words he had before lost. Instead he asked a different question first before going into his torrent of chastising words. “Who ye? Yer nu, dees mines really ain't meant for kids. They're closed aff for a call.” He paused, realizing the child had mentioned medical assistance, before continuing, “Chucker yer, perhaps, nu av a doctor?”

Despite his human’s trusting nature, Nikola wasn’t having any of it. He stared down the newcomer intensely, nose twitching as he smelled as much as he could. There was something not right and he could tell, and the growling in his throat just grew louder and louder.

[Neve Corcair]

yoricksdadyoricksdadyor
yoricksdad
yoricksdadyoricksdadyorLOCATION ❜━Swamp━COMPANY ❜━A strange group━MOOD ❜━Embarrassed


• It was a relief to the cat sidhe to see that her cautious repositioning had gone unnoticed. The fear permeating off of the child almost choked her, but knowing where and who it came from made it much more easily manageable. As she stood she slowly shifted Aida’s weight in her arms to be more in one arm than the other, so that if she had to move she would hopefully be able to do so faster. She didn’t want to drop Aida in the mud, but if it came down to it…
  
  Midway through that thought, she saw the child start running at her and kick the gun. She instinctively flinched and glanced at the projectile, eyes wide. She felt more than a little ridiculous flinching when it didn’t even come anywhere near her, and her ears flattened against her head as she turned back to the child and started to hiss slightly. It was quickly cut off in a note of surprise as she suddenly saw the foot coming towards her face.
  
  Letting out a strangled yelp of confusion, Minnaloushe ‘bravely’ and abruptly turned herself back into the small feline she normally was before the foot can touch her face. Without time to think of any better of a plan and still in the mindset of ‘not dropping Aida into the mud’, she instead chose what was probably the worst course of action out of any possible. Turning back into a cat would still end up dropping Aida in the mud; however this route gave her the extra bonus of a cat cushion. So, instead Minnaloushe ended up being the one coated in mud and sandwiched under the thankfully light border guardian.
  
  Almost as quickly as she embarrassingly turned back to her true form, she shifted back again. She quickly struggled out from under Aida, picking her up as best she could with one-and-a-half arms. Her face and ears were burning red under the mud she was now covered in, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed as she looked around to see if her terrible decision making had let the child escape. With any luck her face not being where it was supposed to be put a damper on his takeoff and make him stumble. If that happened, than maybe she lucked out and gave one of the other two an opening to grab him. She certainly didn’t have the thumbs to have done anything in the last ten seconds.
  
  yoricksdadyoricksdadyoricksdadyoricksdad
  
  ooc; Silly cat.

[Taska Neko]

⊰ ＬＥ Ｏ Ｎ ★ Ｓ Ｏ Ｌ Ｏ Ｍ Ａ Ｎ ★ ＬＩＣ H T ＥＮ B U Ｒ G ⊱
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〖M0Y0.0L0I0F0E0.0O0F0.0B0E0A0T0S〗

★ Leon wished he hadn't gotten injured right now. His entire body screamed for him to run and get away but with his injured leg that was not an option. He'd have to rely on the older male to protect him if the newcomer meant them harm...that being said Leon didn't have much optimism on that point seeing as the man had a limp. At least his pet seemed ready to defend them.

Leon's less then confident trust in Conor was well founded as the man instead of being wary began chastising the newcomer. Was this man so trusting or just plain stupid? It was simply unfathomable to Leon. How could he not see the newcomer as suspicious?

While Leon was trying to comprehend the situation and think of possible means to defend himself if needed the newcomer offered him a weird drink that looked as horrible as it smelled. "You have to be crazy if you think I'm just going to down some nasty concoction made by a stranger. Looks more like poison then medicine," the teen grumbled wrinkling his nose up in disgust.

A look a surprise sprung forth on his face though when the other revealed himself to be a mystical. If this was true then was there really a hidden village of halflings here? As Nahumar moved closed Leon's body tensed, "I don't care what the hell you are, stay away from...huh....what the..." Leon started but a feeling washed over him and his body began to relax. The need to flee seemed to dim and was replaced instead by mild distrust. "What the hell did you do to me?" Leon questioned feeling odd. He had been living in high fear for so long that not having it strongly present there made him feel a bit off, so much so that he easily answer the spirit's question without much thought. "We were trying to find the village of halflings..." he stated before quickly lifting his hands to his mouth with a look of pure horror on his face. How could he have revealed that so easily?! He was always careful with what he said and now he suddenly blurts things out to a complete stranger. What the hell did that guy do to him?! It was like he was torn between being wary of him and trusting him.

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[Parth Makeo Here]

☢ Nahumar of Fear ☢

"Do not fear me. I am a simple spirit."

✥-━┈┈━-✥
〖 "The Halflings are still in this realm?" Nahumar thought of this to himself, overjoyed to hear it as he pulled his hand away with only enough of his fear to calm him. "The village...if my memory serves me, should be on the other side of this mountain. If you do not mind..." with a wave of his hand, the 'army' of rabbits stood up on their rear legs with their ears straight up. From there, they headed around and past the men down the tunnel like a neat line. Finding a way out for them and waiting at specific branching paths to 'point' in the right direction. Of course some of them would have to turn around if they didn't find the right path but it was convenient. Especially in this place. Nahumar then looked to Leon, trying once more to offer the potion that could hasten his leg recovery. "As for what I did, I removed some of the excess fright you were producing. It's far too much for someone like you to have. Even at your age." He spoke like an old man at times despite his voice and image looking young.

He noticed his female companion walking up and sitting before Leon, offering her head to be patted. Showing that they truly meant no harm and they shouldn't fear the strange creature. "While your fear and word about someone in the mines did bring me here first off, I am looking for a sibling of mine. She has a red motif about her attire and her eyes could very well catch ablaze with how they are colored. However, she is evading me and hiding somewhere in your realm...Truly a story not fit for a mine." Nahumar used his staff to find out if the exit was close or far. "If you are going to the village, allow me to accompany you. The village, if I remember, is trustworthy with humans but they can be a tad cautious. With me, you should not feel judged." and yet he left the bottle of fluid in Leon's hands. As if giving him a choice to walk soon or later. Nahumar started to walk ahead but halted. "Oh and one more thing...For the moment, you will not be as scared as you once was...but it will not last long. Soon your fear will build up again." His hand still glowing with the essence. Nahumar took out a jar, flipped the top up and placed the odd purple and black cloud in it. Storing it for later? Maybe.

Incubo, the male, walked up to Leon as well to offer his own head. Their size did not translate to their more friendly feline like nature. "I think they like you." he chuckled.〗
✥-━┈┈━-✥

"If you have a spare chocolate bar, mind if i have it?"

[Jasparla Xephyra]

David's eyes narrowed as he saw the surprise on his target's face. I... I can do this! I'll make it back home...! A brief rush of relief spread through him as he prepared to kick off...

... followed by confusion.

At first, the winged boy had no idea what just happened. His foot kicked through thin air and his stomach dropped out like he was riding a rollercoaster. With a yelp of surprise, he tried to flap his wings to regain his balance, but his foot ended up slipping in the mud and sending him tumbling over forward.

He didn't have time to think about where that insipid cat had disappeared to. In fact, he didn't even open his eyes to look behind him. Recovering from his tumble as quickly as he could, David was back on his feet and running. With the mud coating his wings and the swamp-water weighing down his clothing, it would be difficult for him to get back up in the air. But he could make it. He just had to keep running. He was almost home.

Please... please...! Don't be upset with me, I... I just....

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Meanwhile, it seemed that a certain guardian was waking back up from her nap. She'd been out like a light this whole time, only mumbling something every now and then in a drunken stupor. But as her consciousness started to return, she was aware of quite a few things.

One: she was starting to sober up. Two: she was covered in something wet and disgusting. Three, somebody was underneath her. All three of these facts occurred to her at nearly the exact same time, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of them.

And as she opened her eyes and let the painful light jar her awake, she realized that she didn't really remember anything after she first stepped into this swamp. As much as she remembered loving the warmth of the sun and the beautiful scenery, it wasn't helping her hangover. As proof of such, her eyes were completely bloodyshot. Uuugh... what the hell just happened? Wha... where...?

Then, whatever was lying underneath her, started moving and trying to push her off. Blinking and straining to see against the harsh rays of the sun, Aida let out an unruly grumble and tried to move. Tried... and mostly failed. Her entire body felt mostly numb, just like when she sat on her foot too long and it fell asleep, but at least she was starting to feel a little more awake. Something just felt... off. Like she'd done something stupid.

Just to be sure, she blinked and looked down at the thing she was lying down on top of... or, to be correct, the person she was lying down on top of. Fluffy. But why was fluffy down there... and why this pain-train of a hangover? And why didn't she remember... anything....

"Holy almighty Fae, what the bleeding hell did we just do?!"

Her words were even more slurred than usual, which was saying something, and her face was beet red. No, from what Aida remembered, there was no danger, no crazy bird kid playing darts with living targets, and nothing to worry about. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten too drunk to remember what happened... which, now that she thought about it, made perfect sense. Had this happened before, and she just didn't remember it?

Completely overwhelmed, the barely conscious guardian continued to mumble slurred apologies to Fluffy, apparently getting the entirely wrong idea about what had just happened.

[Syn2]

Just because I
tab like Humans

Words, those sounds birthed of carbon-dioxide, whispered in the shadows of the mine may have believed that they were safe. That none, save the elected party, would steal the meanings for themselves. Perhaps that is what they thought. Maybe they believed that they were alone and so would have had no need for caution but there was for closer to the entrance lay a shadow. A dark silhouette of a raven nested in one of the many cracks in the mine wall. The words of this party's intentions drifted to him as his dark eyes opened with interest. Halfling. Village. These two words might as well have been screamed. Byron needed to hear no more and took flight to alert his companion.

Samael belonged to that village of the halflings who muttered about him amongst themselves always giving him a wide berth. No, to say he belonged would be a severe misuse of the word for he truly belonged nowhere. Hated by many, acknowledged by few and loved by none; this was his life. Self reliant he required no one and had need for nothing. Samael was fully capable of living alone. He had convinced himself of this reassuring that he was better off this way which wasn't entirely true. The loneliness had crept upon him gnawing upon his very soul but being the obstinate character that he was,Samael refused to admit that he needed companionship. Had it not been provided for him by some unforeseen circumstance, the valravn may have gone insane.

Five years he had lived in this state of solitary uneasiness. He may have continued living in it still if it weren't for Byron. Descended from Ruu, one of Samael's former gang* members, the raven had found himself in the company of the valravn when he had tried to steal a carcass. Many feuds and jokes found them to be friends not too long afterward.

Once found, Byron alighted onto the shoulder of his companion as his talons dug into the bony structure. Once situated, he turned to look at his living perch. " I don't know why you persist with this ugly form." He muttered with clear disdain. While ravens might not be as elegant or 'mythologically' pure as other avians, they certainly were proud. "No feathers. Strange weak fleshy creature." The raven continued to say as it placed Samael's earlobe in his beak muttering the word "fleshy" to himself as if it were an insult. Samael's dark eyes glanced upward as if that action alone would grant him patience. It didn't.

"Byron.." He sighed out the name the way parents do when they're exasperated with their child's behavior.

Once Byron quieted, Samael spoke. " You know, I have better things to do with my time then to listen to idle gossip-" he began. This wasn't true at all. He was overflowing with boredom and idle gossip was what he lived for. "Tell me what causes you to disturb me at this unceremonious hour."

"Trespassing Trio." Byron responded smug with the change of expression on Samael's face. " Who?"Samael asked his voice lowering in volume unconsciously as if this trio might mysteriously show up at any moment. The thought was quite ridiculous as he was aware that the only human presence was hours old and faint.

" Iso and two humans in Mine." Iso was their nickname for Connor as it stood for Isolated one. As the engineer lived far enough away, Samael hadn't bothered with learning who this person was after all, why should he care? However, at this news his lips parted into a sly smirk. Prepare yourself, Byron. We have company." Samael purred. The raven nodded in acknowledgement as he took to the skies. He knew better than to get in the way of Samael and his new....toys.

IT Doesn't mean
tab That I like you personally

[Moke Moo Moo]

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*.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.: Presea Edhelwen .:｡✿*ﾟ’ﾟ･✿.｡*
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♩♪ ♫ ♪ ♬ Flower, gleam and glow...Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse...Bring back what once was mine
───────────────────────────────────────────

Presea hadn't let her guard down for a second. This boy was hostile and there was no telling what else he might have on him besides those darts. He may be holding a weapon, but it could also very well be a means of making them believe he had nothing else on him. It was one of the reasons she hesitated to conjure a bow and arrows. He seemed to be genuinely scared given his body language and the manner of which he now spoke, and certain creatures were known to be aggressive when hit with fear. And then suddenly the weapon he'd been holding onto was dropped and kicked in Minni's direction. What she hadn't expected was for the boy to try and literally use the Sidhe's face as a means of helping him take off into the air; Needless to say the whole ordeal ended rather sloppily when Minni reverted back into a cat and the winged boy went tumbling right into the mud.

Although Presea made an attempt to catch the boy, her feet clumsily slipped, no thanks to the nasty muddy wet earth they currently stood in. Thankfully Minni recovered rather quickly, and the boy now seemed incapable of flight judging by the fact he was simply running for dear life instead of flapping his wing-like arms. This gave them the chance to tail and find out where he was heading, which also meant getting some well deserved answers. Not to mention Minni looked rather livid after being forced to take the muddy route in order to save her face from getting boot-marked. Presea 'brushed' as much excess mud as she could from her clothes, which unfortunately wasn't much.

And then Aida started waking up from her forced slumber, rather drunk-ingly at that. Actually, she was certain she'd seen some movement from the guardian after Minni's transformation, but her attention had been on the boy much longer in order to see the direction he was headed. As much as she wanted to explain everything to Aida, at the moment she wasn't in the best state to understand things completely. Trying to tell what transpired would just be a waste of breath until whatever coated those darts lifted enough for her to think straight. Which looked like it might take awhile. "We were attacked by a boy with wings, he took you and I out with coated darts." She at least wanted to try giving Aida an answer she might understand in her current state of mind, but even if she didn't it mattered little until she was back to her old self again. Shifting her eyes between the scientist and Sidhe, she started after the boy, who, while having made some distance, had not gotten very far. "Let's get going after him before we lose him," she said, knowing full well Minni wasn't going to let what just happened go. She was aware the Sidhe probably wouldn't harm the boy, but it was better they resolve this whole situation as soon as possible before she got angrier than she already was. Not to mention she was curious where the strange boy was headed exactly

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*.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.: Elf, Healer .:｡✿*ﾟ’ﾟ･✿.｡*
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Heal what has been hurt...Change the Fates' design
Save what has been lost...Bring back what once was mine...What once was mine ♩♪ ♫ ♪ ♬
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[Neve Corcair]

As the ‘child’ began speaking and introducing himself, Conor’s eyes narrowed in confusion. He didn’t understand a lick of what the other person said. Nahumar? Tasty fear? Not to mention the fact that the child spoke as though he was even older than Conor was, which made no sense. When the strange creatures started to surround them, Conor cleared his throat and casually rested a hand on the oversized wrench on his belt. As Leon finally admitted the real reason he and his friend were in the caves, he turned to give a look that was crossed between disapproval and confusion

Nikola scootched closer to Leon, turning to scowl at any of the creatures as they got to close and hiss slightly. He wanted desperately to protect his oaf of a human, but for all his trusting and kindness he knew he could hold his own if push came to shove. They had fought back to back in the caves before. The child his person just helped, however, was obviously injured and needed the most protection at the moment. He didn’t trust him completely, sure, but Nikola really didn’t trust much of anyone other than Conor so there was no difference there.

The final straw that drove Conor over the brink from unsure to ‘really fricking confused’ was the newcomer’s hand glowing with what he claimed to be fear. Frowning deeply, Conor pushed to his legs and rubbed the back of his neck with the hand not resting on his wrench. “Nigh wait jist a minute. Ye tryin' ter tell me you're not 'uman? Waat next, you're gonna tell me Nikola is secretly a frog prince?” He laughed awkwardly, Nikola huffing indignantly at his person as he flicked his eyes to him for a moment before settling them back to the other creatures.

Once he realized the both of them were definitely not joking, he cleared his throat and sighed. “As foolish as it may be ter go somewhere so fierce lookin' for a fairy tale,” he paused, glancing to Leon and raising an eyebrow, “Oi can certainly see de allure. As for yer... while de whole idea av... oi'm sorry, oi'm not sure waaat de correct term wud be.” Sighing in frustration for a moment, he shook his head. While he was comfortable in groups of people, it didn’t necessarily mean he understood them. What he understood were his machines. Now, some strange child was trying to convince him that not only was he not human, but a whole village of not-humans were in his mines. It was just… well, unbelievable. His head was spinning with confusion, and he set his free hand on Nikola’s back to help comfort the both of them.

Cracking his neck, Conor continued, “While de whole idea av people who ain't 'uman is kind av bafflin', yer canny jist c** wi' an army av critters dat even put Nikola on edge an' gie…,” he hesitated, realizing he hadn’t actually exchanged names with the boy, “Gie de fella 'ere a poshun an' tell 'imself ter draink it withoyt knowin' exactly waat so'tiz. Oi don't nu aboyt yisser kind, but oi nu 'umans can 'ardly be trusted most av de time, so pardon us if we're a wee skeptical.” The irony in that he helped Leon when he hardly knew him wasn’t lost on the adult, but something about the whole situation made him uneasy. Magic clouds of ‘fear’, a potion that would apparently heal the child, an army of strange cats and rabbits… Perhaps he had actually fallen into the tunnels himself and hit his head? Shaking his head he stifled a slightly mad chuckle to himself. All in all, it just sounded a little fantastical. If Conor couldn’t see the gears behind whatever was happening, it made his head hurt. The only ‘potions’ he had ever heard of in the past were things like antibiotics and herbs that would help someone heal better, but not necessarily faster. Or poisons. And Conor really didn’t want to let the child drink a poison on his watch.

Frowning, he glanced behind them to where the creatures had went and Nikola had come from earlier. “Oi don't nu anythin' aboyt a village, an' oi nu dees mines preddy well. But if that's wha de other youngin' went, den... well, if Nik couldn't fend 'er, oi don't clap waat other possibilities dare cud be. ‘E can work 'is way raun de caves better than oi cud, so─” At the mention of the girl, Nikola perked his head up and glanced up to Conor with his eyes wide, as though to say ‘Oh, yea! I forgot!’

With a whine he dipped his head slightly, looking back the tunnel he came from and then back to Conor. Conor frowned, tilting his head to the side as he looked down the tunnel. “Did ye fend 'er, Nik? Or is it thar's somethin' else down dare?” The fen nodded his affirmative but looked back to the newcomer as though to announce that he didn’t trust them. Which, again, was not a surprise considering he was Conor’s polar opposite with trust. Conor sighed, looking back towards Leon. “'Tis up ter yer. We due nade ter fend yisser friend before wan av de nasties in de mines due, but oi'm still not sure on dis whole village idea.”

[Taska Neko]

⊰ ＬＥ Ｏ Ｎ ★ Ｓ Ｏ Ｌ Ｏ Ｍ Ａ Ｎ ★ ＬＩＣ H T ＥＮ B U Ｒ G ⊱
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〖M0Y0.0L0I0F0E0.0O0F0.0B0E0A0T0S〗

★ Someone like me...Leon couldn't help bit chuckle silently to himself. And just what was he really? He was a freak that everyone would be scared of if they learned the truth about his powers. He would get taken away and experimented on or something and he would most likely die a painful and agonizing death. Fear was the thing that kept him alive...and not having it like he normally did felt...odd.

He was a bit taken aback when one of the odd cat like creatures came up and sat before him, the fact that Nikola seemed to edge closer did give him some comfort though. While the odd creature didn't seem to like him much he did seem protective of them, and for that he was thankful. Animals...they were truly great. They never hide their feelings or lie. Looking at the bottle he slowly reached out to take the potion, staring at it as if it might be poison. He was still reluctant to take the plunge and drink the stuff though.

Leon listened silently to Nahumar speak making note of this so called "sister" and his comments about the village. If he could take them...he had to go. Luke could have found it so maybe she would be there, and if not he had to go for himself so that he could lead her there when they next met. Yes...he had to go no matter what.

Leon looked to Conor and then to the bottle. "I have to agree with him on this whole potion thing, I'm not foolish enough to just drink something a stranger gives me. I can't even tell if what you are saying is true or not right now..." the teen started before looking back to Conor "I think we should go though. If you couldn't find Luke then she didn't want to be found and she is more then capable of fending for herself no matter what is in the mines. We have a bit of an...advantage over others. She might have found the village on her own though so we should at least go to check. Besides...it isn't like we are looking for the village just for fun...we have a reason we need to find it. Fairy tales...they always have some sort of truth to them don't they?" Leon stated.

His eyes settled finally on the other large feline approaching him. His body tensed slightly and he tried to focus on the beast. Friend...? Safe...? No hurt...? Leon tried to force his questions through the crack in his mind barrier again. Every time he did though the creak seemed to slowly grow. He had to be careful, it could shatter at any moment and the mere whispers he could ignore for now would once again become a rampaging river of thoughts he could drown in. He knew the animals couldn't speak though, but he would still be able to get the jist of their feelings and emotions. He could trust them more then humans so if it was truly okay...

Sighing he looked at the potion again. "You take us to the village and if it is really there...I'll trust you with this potion," Leon decided looking at Nahumar. "My fear may be gone for now but that doesn't mean I trust you," he added though his hand slowly reached out towards the two feline creatures until he could finally petted both their heads.

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[Parth Makeo Here]

☢ Nahumar of Fear ☢

"Do not fear me. I am a simple spirit."

✥-━┈┈━-✥
〖The twin felines nuzzled into his hands. They didn't show much of spite to them. Nahumar listened with care about their words. Taking it all in and realizing that the man named Conor was not as easy to convince as Leon. Then again, he knew simple words were not going to cut it. When they mentioned of another person lost in the mines, Nahumar picked up a rabbit and whispered a command into it's ears. He marked the rabbit with a blue bandanna and let it hop away from them to find their other friend lost in the caves. "It's understandable that you do not trust me. But I am honest when I say that the village IS real." Nahumar looked over to the others as Sogno then walked off to Nahumar's side. He knelt before her, looking her right in the eyes and patting her gently. He then focused on Conor. "While you may know this land better than I do...It is possible that some can become confused. My rabbits will help guide us through the tiny maze of earthen rock and minerals once they find the entrance. From there, we will follow the trail they found. Each parasite stationed at an intersection or different pathway." it was odd hearing him sound so intelligent but between the critters and the jar, he was indeed not normal.

Nahumar stood up, smiling despite them distrusting them. "Your other companion. I sent a rabbit to find her and guide her back to us. My 'children' know where I am at all times, so as long as I am with you, this person will find you all." he only offered help with no reward in exchange. "While my scouts are ahead...mind if I work on something quick? It is fairly dark in here..." Nahumar looked around in the dimly lit area. He placed a small cauldron down from his traveling sack as he then set fire to it. "You might want to cover your noses...it can get smelly." Nahumar forewarned them, preparing the small pot with a base component. He took a rolling kit, opening it and letting it roll out to expose a myriad of herbs, leaves, minerals and even certain animal parts like claws or whiskers. He plucked out five whiskers of varying color and some green circular leaves. He rolled it back up as he placed the few reagents into the pot and let it cook for a minute and a half. When it was done, he took a small vial from his pouch, scooped enough to the marked line and consumed it before them. He shuddered at the taste before opening his eyes once more. Looking more feline as he cooled the cauldron down to pack it up.

"Cat's Eye Elixir. Tastes pretty bad but it lets one see in the dark with no issue for a few minutes." and in truth he could see the cave much better in the dim lighting. Even spotting a mineral beside Conor. "Pardon me, sir...but if you turn to your right at the wall, there's a small deposit of Emerald beside you. Pray chance do you have a pick or some tool on hand? I would very much like to have some Emerald Dust." he asked so politely as they were there.

The rabbits would soon return. Five of them. They stood on their back legs and sniffed the air. Their ears perked up and looked at Nahumar. "Hmm...they seem to of found the exit. Shall we go?" He asked, slinging the satchel over his shoulder as Incubo and Sogno approached each side of him. He held his strange staff like a cane but walked perfectly fine without it. As he took a few steps forward to follow the rabbits, he looked behind him at Leon and Conor. "If it helps, the village has plenty of fresh vegetation and harvest to compliment their meats. Perhaps we can try some of their most beloved fruits when we get there?" in truth, Nahumar had no need to eat but he enjoyed the food still. He would lead on even without them as Nahumar was interested in seeing how the village was fairing since last he saw them...

"I do hope their missing friend finds the rabbit..."
〗
✥-━┈┈━-✥

"If you have a spare chocolate bar, mind if i have it?"

[Jasparla Xephyra]

┼ It's my responsibility. I'll keep them all safe. ┼

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How dare they? How dare they...? Bastards. It didn't matter. Nothing did. Not right now. Anything but right now. Anywhere but here. Anyone but me. Just... not this. Please. I didn't....

The scout that Nahumar had sent out, the one with the bandana tied to it, would have quite a trail to follow if it had a keen nose. Not very far from the group, it would smell like the blood of the creatues who inhabited the cave. Of course, that made perfect sense, seeing as Connor had dealt with one of them on the way in, but the smell would actually get stronger further into the cave, leading towards a sizable cave-in. For all that smell of blood that had been spilt not long ago, there were no monster corpses in sight. The smell, in fact, led past the cave-in, which would be along the route to the halfling village that Nahumar's other scouts had found.

There further down the cave, Lucretia would be standing with her back against the cold cave wall, panting for breath and wheezing anemically. In one hand was her staff, held tight with a white-knuckle grip and splotched here and there with bloodstains. She still had her bundle tied to the end of it, with her traveling supplies, but that somehow seemed to have been spared the carnage. Her other hand was brought up flush against her face, covering what little of her face there was that hadn't been hidden by the spiderweb tangle of her long black hair. The cap that she wore to keep it all contained wasn't there. Her clothes were a wreck as well, pockmarked with fresh blood that threatened to dry.

In between asthmatic wheezes, she tried to mouth a few words, but nothing came out. Instead, all she could manage were a few indiscernable sounds that sounded more like something a toddler would make. The area of the cave that Lucretia rested in was incredibly dark, so dark that she still couldn't see a thing. That was fine. Normal, even, right now. Yes, safety, hiding. Hide. Away. Anywhere but here. Stop it. Stop....

She could sense it. Feel it, somehow. Something coming closer. A small creature? Hostile? Dangerous...? Yes, must be. Another enemy. Everything. Enemies.

As soon as the rabbit got close enough, Lucretia would instinctually leap into action. With disturbing speed and a shriek, she whipped her staff across like a baseball bat, the heavy end of it with the pack heading straight toward the rabbit. It was too dark for her to see anything... yet she somehow knew precisely where it was. Assuming she didn't hit it, she would bolt after it like a predator.

Enemies. More of them. Anywhere... please, stop. Just.... Please.

[Neve Corcair]

It would have been foolish to drink the potion, surely, so Conor was very relieved to see Leon shared in his feelings of doubt. It would have been nice for a simple potion to be able to heal quickly, sure, but it was unlikely. Even if it was a simple antibiotic, they didn’t know the ‘spirit’─was that what he had called himself?─enough to just take something he handed them. While it was true enough if he wanted to attack them he could’ve done so already, especially with all of his… creatures, it was still possible that he didn’t want to take all of them on at the same time. That line of thinking was just silly, though. After all, Nikola and himself were obviously the bigger threats. Either way until they knew for sure, Conor would feel much more comfortable knowing the younger boy was safe.

Speaking of, it just occurred to him that while his leg may look better, chances were walking would still pose a problem. Turning to Nikola, he patted the fen on the head. Nikola huffed in annoyance at his person’s seeming aloofness to the situation, but Conor ignored that and said what he had to say, “Nik, th' bay haur is gonnae hae a rouh’ time walkin' wi' his leg loch 'at. Dash haem an' grab mah crutch, it’ll be a big help.” Looking at Conor incredulously for a moment for thinking he would want to leave them alone for that long, the creature finally let out a long sigh. After giving a pointed look to the ‘spirit’ and back to Conor, he dipped his head in agreement before sprinting back the way they came.

While Leon seemed confident in his friend’s─Luke, he called them─ability, Conor was still skeptical. He knew the creatures of the mines better than any, and they still gave him plenty trouble. The gash on his arm from his round with the one earlier was still stinging something fierce. Still, he didn’t want to take away the child’s hope. Instead he gave him a careful nod and smile, not disagreeing, but not agreeing either. His nose crinkled up when he realized they were all going in further to the cave to chase the fairy tale after all. “Okay, but if thes turns it tae be a sham, we’re gonnae jist fin' yer frien’ an' lae, deal? Ye pure need tae gie tae a proper physic’n tae swatch at yer leg. While i’m sure it’s guid fur noo, I’m an engineer, nae a doctur.” While his words were as usual difficult to understand, if someone paid attention they would notice he said ‘if’, not ‘when’. Just because he really didn’t think there was any hidden society in his mines didn’t mean there wasn’t. Years before if someone asked him if strange fish-cat-poison creatures existed and could bond to a person like Nikola did he would’ve said absolutely not. It was obvious how that turned out. That wasn’t the only reason he learned to believe anything is possible, by any means, either. Was he constantly skeptical about everything? Of course. A healthy dose of skepticism was always useful. But that didn’t mean it didn’t leave room for things to prove him wrong either.

At the thought of the ‘tiny’ maze, Conor couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “Weel, if it’s a wee maze, 'at main pose a problem. In case ye haven’t noticed, I’m a tad bit bigger than th' tois ay ye.” Calling the creatures parasites admittedly put his nerves on edge, but other than tightening his hand around the massive wrench on his belt he said nothing. As soon as the spirit started brewing up something like a witch out of myth, however, his eyes narrowed to near slits. Whatever he was up to, Conor really didn’t trust it. He was a man of science and machine, and whatever this was it wasn’t either of those. Still, at the mention of it being dark in there he realized his lantern in the corner was beginning to dim down almost completely. Walking over to pick it up while still keeping an eye on the boy he decided was his job to protect, he returned to his position before and wound the lantern back up. In a moment it was shining with the same amount of light it had had from the beginning, illuminating the area around them as it was supposed to to begin with.

As he could see again, he easily noticed their ‘companions’ now strange eyes. Frowning slightly, he hooked the lantern onto his belt as he studied the spirit cautiously. “That’s… interestin'. Whit sort ay potions ur able tae dae 'at? I’ve gart mah shaur ay inventions tae lecht th' mirk, but nane 'at tem actually affect th' body sic' as 'at.” Right as he finished speaking, a sound came from above. Looking up, Conor saw the bright fur of his companion peeking down from the hole Leon had fell through. He was holding the crutch in his mouth, and once he had gotten Conor’s attention dropped it through. Reaching out, he caught it as it fell. Nikola huffed and disappeared from above them, presumably sprinting through the caves back to them. It just made more sense for him to do so without the cumbersome crutch the whole way too.

Glancing to the emerald, Conor grunted an affirmative, “Sure, in a moment. Fur noo, haur,” he turned to Leon after adjusting the crutch to better suit the boy’s stature. “Thes will help ye wal’ wi' yer leg as it is. Ah hud tae use it fur a lang time fur, weel, th' obvioos reason.” Handing him the crutch and offering to help him up with it if he needed, he turned back to the emerald. The only reason he had finally turned his back on the two to face the emerald was Nikola coming back into the clearing, his usual scowl planted on his face as he returned to his place by Conor’s side. Or, in this case, behind him as Conor pulled out the wrench from his belt and struck the stone around the emerald. After a few times of this it dislodged, unscathed. Picking it up, he turned back around and gently tossed it in the spirit’s direction. “Haur ye ur, 'en. If th' village is thaur, 'en Ah wooldn’t be opposed tae a guid meal.” Nikola seemed to roll his eyes, shaking his large head as he followed after them. He stayed as close as he could near both Conor and Leon, his orange eyes staying on the spirit and all of his strange critters.

[Parth Makeo Here]

☢ Nahumar of Fear ☢

"Do not fear me. I am a simple spirit."

✥-━┈┈━-✥
〖Nahumar took the handful he got and placed them in his pocket for the time. Thinking of organizing the rolled up bag later. Even with the extra light he could see farther as they started to walk down the way. Each of the rabbits latched onto the wall that directed them to the right way. Both funny but a tad off putting with how well they clung to them. "You will be pleasantly surprised yourself when we arrive." Nahumar smiled to the two. He had no intent to harm and only wished to aid them. The mines were indeed branching into different ways, passing by precious materials and ore along the way. Nahumar occasionally looked behind him to make sure they were with him and they were safe.
---
The first swing Lucretia swung at caused the parasite to side hop. It let out innocent chirps as if to tell her he was nice, but she was ignoring them. Each swing he tried dodging them only to notice she was slowly about to hit him. Taking the last option left, the bandanna wearing rabbit hopped away to bait her back to the main group, who by now were ahead of them. At one intersection with a faint light, the purple furred rabbit halted and stood up to try and show he was not a threat and that he was just looking for her...sadly that was not the case, as one last strike tossed the critter into the wall. It laid on the hard stone ground twitching a few before it's real image slowly unfolded. The parasite was like a large stag beetle with a variety of purple on it's shell and white star patterns. The shell was cracked, it's wings were broken and it was barely holding on by now. It's similar squeaks like before was like a painful cry of agony. The bandanna laid there under it.

Emerging from the shadows, two more purple rabbits hopped to the dying sibling and noticed the bandanna color. One took the bandanna in it's little mouth and turned to face Lucretia. With a weird gesture it hopped away to the group, hoping she would follow it back to the group now that she saw what it was...The other one however nuzzled next to the dead parasite as if giving it a last moment before it would evaporate.
---

The deeper they went, the more it started to look the same. "Do not fear. This is the right way. I am sure of it." Nahumar announced until they reached a dead end to where a small group huddled around it. Nahumar raised a brow and walked towards them. Placing a hand on the stone before him and knocking on it, he smiled. "...Good news is we found the entrance. Bad news is that they sealed it up. The Halflings must of done so to stay hidden from humans..." Nahumar thought for a bit as he wondered how it would open. A parasite soon hopped away and found a loose red gemstone. "Hmm? Oh right, now I remember." he took the gemstone and started dusting around for the keyhole. "The seal was put in place to prevent any ordinary human from entering. Only those who either know of their people or are like myself can open this door...but i need time. Incubo! Sogno!" He called out as the two feline like creatures emerged once more. "Watch our backs in the event something will approach. If it smells unhuman...you are free to attack." and like that the two walked past Leon and Conor they took a defensive stance. Their fangs grew larger and more noticeable. A second set of eyes emerged above their already existing ones and the tails split into two with an odd blade design at the end.

Nahumar's attention was on the door before them as he called it. Placing the gem in the set emitted a soft glow as a design shot through the wall. Lines and symbols moved and turned. Like a puzzle of sorts. "...Crap. It's been so long since I did this. It may take me a little longer." Nahumar called out, starting with turning certain line segments around to try and create a shape. It was a slow turning process. A Halfling would easily solve this as each new generation were brought up to learn of their ancestors. Nahumar slept through that part of their lecture. He mumbled under his breath "Stupid seals...could of made a barrier..I hate puzzles so much..."

Suddenly, two voices spoke up that Leon could manage to understand due to his power...their voices sounded more like a couple of sorts. A Man and a Woman.
"Inucbo. Master said there was someone else in the mines too..."
"I know, Sogno. Which is why we need to be on guard. Who knows what will follow the missing one?"
〗
✥-━┈┈━-✥

"If you have a spare chocolate bar, mind if i have it?"

[Syn2]

Just because I
tab like Humans

Motionless he stood analyzing the reflections of those before him. The images of this trespassing trio shifted the smallest degree every so often due to the nature of the barrier. A marvelous contraption, it possessed similar properties to a one-way mirror if such an item were used as a reinforced gateway. It enabled the Halflings and those they protected to either allow or deny entry. There had been little use for this as few managed to even locate the entrance. Now, however, not one but three stood before him. Samael’s dark eyes watched with vague interest as the males halted temporarily. The barrier, due to its design, usually deterred most. These individuals were not like most. Dark eyes widened, intrigued, as one of them found the gemstone. As this stranger began to interact with the barrier’s seal, his smile slowly became an amused smirk. How long before he, too, gives up? The valravn wondered.

Had it been anyone else, they would have resolved to use the next line of defense. Instead he continued to wait, pacing impatiently as it were the way felines do when they know their prey lies outside their grasp. However, he knew better than to simply allow them to proceed. For no one’s benefit, aside from appeasing his own amusement, Samael toyed with the barrier’s seal. It was difficult without the valravn constantly adjusting what the stranger had done. Boredom is a dangerous thing. Soon that too became boring and he relinquished control. It was obvious that this one (he wasn’t sure about his companions) was determined to gain entry.

As he did so he watched the expressions on the faces carefully. The stranger looked annoyed or something to that affect. The adolescent appeared unsure of what he was thinking. Or maybe he had a lot of emotions that he couldn’t settle upon. Samael wasn’t sure quite what it was but he appeared to be nothing more than a child and thus uninteresting. Then there was Iso, who appeared to be the same as always save for being much closer and away from that cabin. He chuckled to himself but, what he saw behind the man caused the sound to die in his throat.

Cats? Were those-

Feline-like creatures were behind them. Samael couldn’t get a good glimpse of what exactly those creatures were but he had seen enough cats to recognize that saunter and tail wave. His dark eyes seemed to brighten for a moment like embers reawakened from dying coals. For a moment though before they resumed their dark color. He couldn’t risk it. The seal was starting to break and, as their reflection became more precise, his began to show through. It flickered but it would stabilized as the seal allowed their entry.

“ My, aren’t we persistent.” The words fell from his lips a strange mix of a hiss and a whisper. His piercing gaze took in each individual as he spoke. “ Such an interesting trio, humans yes?” He asked but did not pause to hear a response. “ You are an intriguing collection but,” Samael looked over at the adolescent, “ as fragile as you are, they will break you within a matter of minutes. Or seconds. It’s truly dependent on their mood….and mine so I suggest thinking very carefully before you respond. Why are you here, hn?”

Doesn't mean
tab That I like you personally