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 Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:25 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:30 am
"Thanks Mister Beaaarrr!!" The little fox girl called as the cart he had helped get there drove away. Aleric nodded, waving slightly. Seems their beast of burdan made a miraculous recovery after Aleric pulled the cart a good twenty miles for a few days. A slight smile pulled at his lips. At least they had gotten to Terralusk safely. Their wares intact. He had done a good thing. Something that needed to be done.
Aleric sighed, reaching up and rubbing his shoulders. A good thing that had almost killed his back. Who knew traders carried so much heavy stuff? He paused, staring at Terralusk for a few minutes in a mix of awe and resignition. He didn't like the Elven town. Didn't much like the crowds, either. His entire life the biggest group of people he had had to deal with had been his tribe. Until he started going to towns, that was.
He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and surveying the land around him. He had stopped at the outskirts of the town, letting the traders go on without him, his small set of supplies on the ground beside him. And... he shook his hands in his pockets, mentally noting the lack of serious jingle... he was broke. Again. He would have to hunt for his supper.
He headed for the water, crouching down beside it and taking stock of the fish swimming there, his stomach almost grumbling. They were huge! And would be good eating for his afternoon meal. He nodded, ignoring the grumble of his stomach as he stood again. He would have to set camp first, build a fire, and maybe even go into town. He had a lot to do and little time to do it.
With that thought he got to work, efficiently setting up a one man camp, his father's training showing in his movements. Clear the ground, round the stones, set up wood. Wait... wood. He paused, looking around blankly. This was definitely not the Bestial forest. Wood would be more difficult to find.
But he hadn't been raised by a hunter for nothing. He stood, heading silently into the large opening, his natural instincts shouting that being this exposed was not right, but he ignored them, collecting enough tender to make a decent flame. The wood he piled beside his tent, taking only enough to set up a small flame. Too large a fire got noticed, and being noticed was not something Aleric appreciated. Especially when alone.
A slight smile pulled at his lips at that thought. Yes, he was alone, and it was a potentially dangerous situation, but he could handle it. He wasn't a warrior as of yet, but he was a decent fighter. And if worse came to worse, he knew when to take a loss. His old master had taught him that well.
He headed for the water again, watching the fish with an experienced eye, his hand shooting out and catching it, tossing it over his shoulder where it flopped wildly on the ground. He repeated the process, then turned, killing and cleaning both fish efficiently and mounting them on sticks.
They were almost cooked when the sound of someone walking into the clearing made him look up, blinking at the sight of two younger bestials staring at his fish hungrily. With a sigh he picked up the first fish and handed it to them. They finished it quickly, and still looked hungry.
"Here." He said, handing him the fish he had been about to eat. They smiled at him, taking it and biting into it happily. And then their parents showed up, looking just as hungry as their kids had been.
"I'm sorry, I'm a trader, but we had a little run in in the forest..." The father said, looking hesitant. "I apologize for my children--"
Without a word Aleric stood, heading for the water.
"We'll pay you back!" The trader said, making Aleric grunt and grab another fish. He had often heard those words, not often seen them being fulfilled. But it didn't matter. A need was seen, a need was fulfilled.
Half an hour later he watched the family head off, sighing as he finally started cooking his OWN fish. Again. It might have been a dangerous situation... had he not been in the habit of giving away what he had on a regular basis to begin with, he thought dryly. Then cursed as his fish caught on fire.
Just another trip to Terralusk.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 6:53 pm
What would Janel think of him if he could see him, Aleric asked himself, taking another drink from his canteen. He made a note to refill it before going into town the next day. As for now it was getting dark. And sure, the town would be up all night. But that was the town. Aleric preferred to get a good night's sleep when he got the chance.
He sighed, wishing he had enough gold for something other then water. Something sweet and refreashing. Something that didn't faintly taste like fish piss. He snorted at that thought, tossing the canteen to the side and turning to stare at the stars. He laid down on the log, propping one foot up on it, his hands behind his head.
He had a fight to find. And something else he wanted to look into. A few months before he had run into a small guy wearing a strange set of armor. He couldn't have been a fighter, he didn't have the stance or the power seen in most fighters, much less warriors, but he had been going through his opponents like a hunting knife through butter.
The man... an elf, Aleric thought now, seeing the delicate looking figure clearly in his mind, had barely touched his opponents with his sword and they had fallen, crying in pain. It hadn't been natural. Some of the guys falling had fought against Aleric. One of them had even beaten him. They had all been decent fighters.
There was only one explanation. The elf had been using magic. Maybe his own... but Aleric wasn't so certain. He scowled slightly, not liking where his thoughts were going. If it was possible to make armor that had spells built in... then this was the place to find it. And if he could find it he could figure out how to beat it.
A man that didn't work for his strength shouldn't be allowed to humiliate someone that worked hard for their own. It wasn't right. Magic or no magic.
He sighed, his eyes tracing designs into the stars as he thought over the question of magic enhanced weaponry. Sure, used for self-defense he would understand it. And he had nothing against magic, didn't have any of his own, but that didn't bother him. But using it to stroke one's own ego was something that rubbed him wrong.
He was a fighter. That's what he did. He won fights and lost fights, but either way it was done under his own power. And he would stay that way.
He sighed, shoving himself back into a sitting position and looking away from the fire for a second before grabbing the water canteen and pouring it out over the fire.
Then, in the slight gleam of light from the moon, and the garish lights and sounds coming from the city, he headed for his pallet, dropping down fully clothed and slowly forcing his mind to calm.
He would find someone that could tell him what he wanted to know. And that was all that mattered.
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:04 pm
Beauty and the Bestial With a grin and a yawn, a weary looking Tessa made her way into the Market Square from a side street. She had the appearance of someone who had spent a late night out enjoying the festivities, with her touseled hair loosely tied back in a black ribbon and a slight puffiness to her eyes that cleary indicated a lack of sleep. She paused at an exotic fruit merchant's stall and perused her wares for a long moment before deciding on a handful of dates which she folded up into the silk square of her handkerchief to carry. Chewing on one of the succulent foods she merrily looked around at those folks just waking themselves. It seemed she wasn't the only late night reveler in the city. She swallowed a mouthful of date as she began scouting for a stall that might have something to quench her thirst and soothe her throat so she might be able to sing later. Early morning brought a fully awake Aleric into town for the first time. He silently moved into the sleepy looking crowd, painfully aware of how at near eight feet tall and over four hundred pounds he... well... stuck out. THIS was why his people tended to stay in the forest, he thought dryly, keeping his hands free in case something happened. Idly he contemplated getting a staff like Janel had had... then nixed the idea. A bear bestial with a staff was probably more then most people wanted to handle. He needed some gold before he could buy anything, but he wasn't there to buy. He stopped, looking around for a second for an artificer's stall. He was there to find something out. Tessa was brought up short by the sight of an enormous creature at a near by artificers' stall. She stared opening at the bear bestial, in awe of it's size and mass. "Now I'm really glad Telperinquar sent me off to the festival..." she mumbled to herself. Forgoing the planned stop at a window a few stops down where someone was hawking fresh fruit juices, the bard meandered over to the artificers' stall to get a better look at the interesting being. She offered him a nod and a merry smile, forcing brightness to her weary eyes. Aleric looked up from where he was examining a small magical dagger, blinking at the sight of the human female. She was so... small. He thought finally, feeling extremely conscious of his own size. He nodded, smiling slightly, trying not to show his teeth. He didn't want her to be frightened! But he didn't know what to do, either. Had she been in trouble, or had a delimma, well he would have been fine dealing with her. Solve the problem, go on with your life, so to say. As it was... well, he waited for her to make the first move towards a conversation. Conversation was never something Tessa shrank away from, especially with someone as unusual in her experience as a bear bestial. Telperinquar was a bit of a purist and preferred not to have such mixed blood creatures around him. That left the human woman in a state of great curiosity. She knew of the bestials and had seen some from time to time at a distance, but up close and able to talk to them? She grinned. "Hello there! A fine morning for shopping, is it not? I must say, you're the tallest festival goer I've met thus far, I might have to write an ode to your impressive stature!" Aleric blinked, then raised an eyebrow in amusement. "An ode?" He repleated, wondering exactly how that would go. Something silly, no doubt. How could anything about being tall NOT be silly? "Can't help being tall." He went on softly, a little smile pulling at his lips. "Maybe everyone else is... short." He gently placed the dagger back, turning to look at her curiously. He didn't run into many humans in the bestial forest. And few of them talked to him while he was in the towns. This was a new experience, to say the least. Tessa's lips quirked upwards as her smile brightened. "Well I admit my odes are not nearly as good as my songs, but they aren't complete trash either. Let's see...an ode to a tall dark-furred stranger..." She cleared her throat and made a grandiose gesture with one hand. "Upon the festival did I meet A fellow soaring o'er eight feet with shoulders broad and eyes of gold of Ursine blood if truth be told. His shadow doth block sun from sky to shade this bard from heaven's eye. A boon to soothe my sun crisped skin So now I thank this gentleman. By writing verse to set him full By poets hand as immortal." A deep rumble of laughter came from the back of his throat, amusement in his eyes. "Never heard being compared to a sunblock sound so... interesting." He told her, still smiling even though his laugh was gone. He moved slightly, blocking the sun a little better. She was fairer then he was, and a burn didn't sound like much fun. "And how might I repay?" He asked. Tessa smiled. "I always find knowledge to be the best repayment for any service I render or smile I make blossom. I know very little of the bestial folks, but I would like to know more. My elven employer is a bit of a recluse, but I was fortunate to be attending his son at the festival, rather than him, and it's brought me into a wealth of new experiences! Was I correct in my guess at ursine blood in your veins, good sir? Can you tell me a bit of your tribe?" "I'm a bear bestial, yeah." He said, looking around. He didn't much like standing in the middle of the stall aisles. He was too big of a roadblock for one, too easy a target for another. He glanced over at the fountain, nodding towards it. "Shall we?" His hand came up just slightly, hovering beside her in an instinctively protective motion. He didn't want to accidentally run over her or anything, after all. Though how much he would tell her was another matter. He wasn't much for talking, after all. "Certainly..." Tessa conceded. The woman wove her way gracefully through the crowds towards the fountain, and seemed to have little trouble navigating through the masses. She perched lightly on the fountain's edge and leaned back on her hands. "So what brings you to the festival. I find it fascinating to discover why people come here. I was told to, so here I am. But many seem to be here for a myriad number of choices." He almost laughed again at how much she talked, taking a seat on the ground, worried that his weight might be a bit too much for the fountain. But he leaned back against it, smirking slightly as he looked up at her. "I'm a fighter." He said simply, as if that explained everything. "And I'm looking for some... information." he added, as an after thought. "Who told you?" He asked, changing the subject. "A fighter!" Tessa exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with interest. "Will you be fighting here in any of the events. I would certainly like to watch. I imagine I can craft a grand ballad of the might ursine warrior that way." She seemed lost in thought for a moment or two as her muse began chiseling ideas inside her skull. Then she snapped back to the moment when she realized she'd been asked a question. "Oh, my Lord Telperinquar En'Lojist. My family has served as his house bards for many generations. He is quite aged and could't make the journey himself to the festival, so he sent me with his youngest son. Alcion." She peered at him curiously. "What sort of info were you looking for. Those in my profession do tend to pick up bits and pieces quite readily." "A servant, huh..." He looked thoughtful for a second. He had been close to a servant for Janel, if you thought about it. But he had gained something from the experience. He wondered if this female did... "I might find a fight, I might see how the gladiator rings are ran here. But I'm here to find out more about..." He nodded towards the artificer's stall where they had met. "Magic items." He finished, not knowing how else to describe them. Tessa blinked. That was something she knew very little of, as the En'Lojist household kept their servants away from magical items. "Ah...very interesting. If I find out anything, I'll poke about. And I'll keep an eye out on the gladiator rings to see if I can spot you competing." She looked up and blanched at the time of day. "It was nice to meet you. I'm Tessa, by the way. But as the sun is climbing, I have to return to Alcion's lodgings and prepare for the day." With a wave, the woman rose from the fountain and headed off out of the marketplace at a hurried pace. He watched her go for a second, mentally noting who she was, then stood, heading back to the artificer's stall. Hopefully this time he might find someone that could answer his question...
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 9:48 pm
Aleric had found nothing out. But he wasn't worried... too much. There were still a few days left of the festival, and he planned on using his time to the best of his ability. Of course, he had yet to go to the gladiator stadium, he had been too busy trying to find out information. So when darkness started to set he headed towards the arena, planning on checking out the competition, perhaps even find out if a non-slave could get in.
He walked up the steps, heading through the doors, regardless of the weary looks people shot at him. He was a fighter, but no man's slave, he was thankful to say. And when asked he just gave the servants a look, and they backed down. If he wanted to fight, then let him, they said softly as he walked away. The more competetors, the more likely the high bidders were to spend their gold.
But he wasn't there to fight. Not yet. He sighed slightly heading to the area looking down at the fighting with a curious gaze. Two fighters, one a bestial, the other a halfbreed of some sorts. The halfbreed was losing, but he looked to be a decent fighter. The human blood weakened him, no doubt.
Aleric was so intent on his watching that he didn't even notice the slightly tipsy elven female heading down the stairs next to him. He blinked as she tilted, reaching out and grabbing her before she fell. She was small, as well. What was with all these tiny females? Honestly!
The first thing Miranda noticed was the large hands grasping her waist, making her look up in outrage that someone had been so bold as to touch without her permission. Then she stopped, her eyes widening slightly at the large bear bestial, taking in his muscle structure purely by instinct. He had strength. And a lot of it, if the fact she was still being held off of the floor meant anything.
"You can put me down, now." She said, smiling slightly. Aleric blushed, gently lowering her to the ground. "Thank you. Do you fight?"
"Yeah." He muttered, feeling uncomfortable beneath her evaluating gaze. Suddenly he felt as if he was on the auction block. But that was inconcievable. She was a female. Females didn't do such things! Besides, she was drunk. Who knew what was really going on in that elven head of hers.
"Such a... big... strong creature. And good breeding, no doubt. Your quite gorgeous, aren't you?"
He blinked, feeling the back of his neck heat slightly at her word choice. Then he blinked as he realized she was fingering the fur on his arm. "Ma'am?"
"Healthy coat, full sized and well nutritioned..." She said softly, as if speaking to herself. "Will you be fighting in the gladiator matches?"
"I... I think I should get going." He said, taking a step back. "And you should be sleeping it off." She reached up, playing with the fur on his neck.
"Tell me your name first." She asked, making him gulp for some reason as her bright green eyes focused on his. "Then I'll let you go."
"... Aleric."
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:14 am
Morning came too early, the light gleaming in his eyes, making him open them with a muffled groan. Somehow giving the female his name had led to him being offered free drinks. Needless to say, he was slightly hungover. But he was back at his camp, which was a good thing.
He sat up, heading for the lake and crouching down beside it to scoop up some of the water. He had to rinse his mouth out. It tasted as if something had died in there. And nothing that had tasted good.
After a second Aleric leaned back, looking out over the water as he tried to remember what had happened the night before. He had gone to see the fighting, gotten waylaid by a drunken elf, and wound up drinking beer as she... He frowned, foggy on this memory... she had shown him off to her friends. The ones up the stairs. He could still feel her fingers petting his arm, her body pressed into his side as she happily told everyone there his name.
But she hadn't wanted to sleep with him. He had known that from the beginning. It was almost as if she had been showing off her new... pet.
He groaned, reaching up and rubbing his temple as he gave up trying to figure that out. He was too hung over, and he smelled bad, to boot. With that thought he stood, kicking his boots off and letting his pants fall to the ground. With an easy movement his leather like breastplate fell to the ground as well, leaving him in all his furry glory. Not that there was anything to see. His fur was long enough to keep him covered.
He stepped into the water, then dived under, forcing himself to deal with the coldness even as his body quickly got used to it. Being a bear bestial came in handy when one couldn't afford a room with a bath. Or a room at all for that matter.
After a few minutes of bathing he stood again, flushing as the sound of a giggle reached his ears.
"Mister Bear is naaaaked!!" One of the two little human girls watching him said, making him laugh even as his hands went down to cover himself.
"I am. And why are you here?" He asked, leaning down slightly, watching as they went shy for some reason. One of them held out a bucket.
"W--water." She said, seriously.
He nodded, picking up his clothes and moving out of their way. He had his pants on by the time he realized the smaller one was watching him with big eyes. He cocked his head slightly as she came closer, reaching out to touch him. He held completely still, watching her from the corner of his eye. She crept closer, her eyes so large that they seemed to eclipse her face. Then she touched his arm, oh so gently, then ran as fast as she could to the other girl.
"I touched him." She whispered loudly. "He was soft!"
"I wanna touch him!" The other girl whispered just as loudly, looking irritated that she hadn't thought of it first. Aleric bit back the desire to laugh, deliberately leaving his shirt off as he crouched down to mess with the fire. He had never realized how curious human females tended to be until this trip, he thought, waiting patiently for the second girl to get up her nerve.
Sure enough a small hand touched his back, then the two girls ran away, giggling, their water bucket carried between the two of them. It seemed, he thought, finally grabbing his shirt and pulling it on, that little girls were the same no matter what the species. They were all too curious for their own good.
With that thought curving his lips he headed back for the water. He had breakfast to catch.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:40 am
After the encounter with the little girls Aleric had made his way into town. But the only thing he had found were a few of his old sparring buddies. No information.
So today he was sporting a fine black eye behind his almost black fur. He sighed, holding a slab of fish to his face and prodding the fire. There was no way in hell he was going to eat fish all day again. Even a guy that loved fish as much as he did couldn't handle eating it on a daily basis. Although it did make a decent cold pack. Mixed with a few herbs and things it made the swelling go right down. But he wasn't going to eat it. The very thought made him bite back a shudder.
He would just have to find a way to pick up some cash in town. Barter something... He paused, pulling the fish away from his face and looking at it. People liked fish, right? They were easy to get for him, but not as easy for others, he assumed. He had seen humans with sticks and string sitting by ponds for hours before. They didn't seem to be catching fish easily.
With that thought he nodded, standing and tossing his cold pack back into the water, then waiting for the fish to calm down again. As he waited he went to work weaving an impromptu basket of reeds, something his mother had taught him to carry his catch home. Soon he was standing hip deep and pantsless in the water, grabbing fish and tossing them into the basket with reasonable accuracy.
When he had a large enough pile he got out of the water, shaking himself to dry off before pulling his pants and shoes back on. Going into town with soaking wet clothes didn't seem the smartest idea, after all. He grabbed the bag of fish, wondering if he should kill them now or wait for the market. They always tasted better fresh.... He sighed, his stomach grumbling in irritation, his eye throbbing slightly. He would wait. The fresher the fish the more gold or trading it would bring.
And right then he was ready to trade. He paused, contemplating catching something else, then shrugged. There was much more food in the town then on the plains. And most of it was far better cooked then he would have managed. So trade it was!
He just hoped no one came around looking hungry before he got there.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:45 am
Aleric came into town with his basket of fish hanging over his shoulder, one eye slightly swollen shut. He wanted to trade, if possible. But he had honestly never tried bartering fish before. He was so used to living on his own. Being the son of a hunter did that to a guy. He nodded as he recognized a few passer-bys, then headed for the food stalls, looking for someone that might have a use for twenty decent sized fish.
Of course, considering he was almost eight feet tall his definition of decent sized fish was a little different from the rest of the world's. But he didn't realize that.
After a bit of bartering, Aleric soon had a full sized meal, complete with several glasses of fruit juice. He took his meal over to the fountain, sitting down beside it and opening the new basket that the merchant's wife had given him. This, he thought, relaxing against the side of the fountain, was how one was supposed to spend the festivities.
... Or at least how he wanted to spend it. He reached out, grabbing his first drink from the basket and sipping it slowly. It was so good not to be drinking water and eating fish. Then he grabbed the first of the sandwiches, smirking at the size. It was large enough to fit his hands, which was saying something since he had very big hands. With that thought he took a bite.
After finishing his meal, Aleric stood, heading back into the crowd, although he wasn't too fond of the stares his size merited. Worst part was? Even other bestials gave him a wide berth, as if worried he would run them over.
He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and contemplating returning to the gladiator arena. Watching a fight could be almost as enlightening as personal experience, after all.
Then he paused, catching sight of another artificer's stall and turning towards it. The fighting could wait. He didn't plan on being in an elven town for another year, at least. And elves knew the most about magic.
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 7:33 am
Once again he was sitting by the water fountain, a strange look on his face as he looked over the crowd. Surely ONE of them had to know how the magical weapons worked!
But maybe... His eyes grew slightly darker with this thought, maybe it wasn't that they didn't know... Maybe it was because they didn't want HIM to know. Not everyone liked bestials. He had figured that out the first time he had gotten out of the forest. Hell, a lot of people treated him like an idiot because he was a bestial. And because he didn't talk much. He snorted.
It kind of figured, really. Get this big guy that doesn't talk much and likes to fight, well of course you have an idiot. Cover him with fur? You're talking the village moron. Big and strong, and gives away everything he has.
Then Aleric shrugged and reached into his basket, pulling out another sandwich. Who cared what people thought? As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered, right?
The sound of giggling caught his ear, yet again. So many kids in this festival that no one seemed to notice. He smiled slightly as they rushed past him, playing tag. He bet they would tell him. He also bet they didn't know.
He finished off his sandwich, picking up a glass of fruit juice and drinking slowly. He wasn't giving up. Not this easily. With that thought he shoved himself to his feet and headed for yet another artificer's stall. He stopped, blinking at the sight of a simple silver piece of jewelry. It was tiny, almost too little for him to pick up, and the detail was astounding. The face of a bear. But...
"What does this do?" He asked, making the man in the stall glance up blankly.
"Dunno, just work here."
"Oh..." He paused, putting the piece down and reaching into his pockets. He had a little more gold than yesterday, but he didn't know if he could afford it. "How much?"
"Usually I'd say three pounds gold. But..." The man paused, looking him over. "I got a friend who needs a favor done. See, he has a horse, but he can't get near her. And he just sold her to this rich elf lady. You any good with animals?"
"Yes." Was all Aleric said, not bothering to complain about the unspoken assumption. Bestials were always good with animals, right? They practically WERE animals. Yeah right. He had seen just as many bestials thrown as humans or elves.
"Then you help deliver the horse and I'll give you the pin."
"But what does it do?"
"Like I said, I dunno."
Aleric blinked, not sure this was that good a situation to be in. But he looked down at the pin again, imagining how his little sister would like it... and how he could try to figure out how it worked before he gave it to her... And nodded.
"Where's the horse?"
The man smirked, picking up the pin and taking it into the stall. "She's over there. The dappled gray. Goes to a lady by the name of Miranda."
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 1:31 pm
"Matthais has gone berserker."
The sentence made Aleric jerk, cursing inwardly as the horse's teeth clamped down on his hand. He grabbed her reins and looked up at the group of fighters in the crowd that had gathered. He knew most of them, had heard about others. Strangely enough the fighters tended to meet each other on a regular basis. At least the ones that stayed in the same areas did.
"Why?" He asked, his tone calm for the mere purpose of keeping the horse calm. He was pretty sure she had a stone in her shoe, making her jittery and more likely to bite. But he hadn't been able to check. He had barely been able to catch her before the news had been delivered.
"Ran into the elf. The one with the armor? He almost died."
Aleric nodded, grimly turning to the horse and stroking her, trying to calm her down. It was harder to do when HE wasn't calm. "How long?"
"He was a good fighter to start with. It didn't take too long."
"A year... maybe two."
Aleric sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he whispered softly to the horse. Becoming a berserker was a risky move. Sure, they lasted through tough fights, but once the adrenaline was gone... "How many fights he been in?"
"Just two."
Aleric nodded, running his hand down the horse's leg, motioning for her to bring it up. She did, letting him look at her hoof. He pulled out the pick he had borrowed from the breeder and cleaned it, wincing at the bruise he found there. Of course, had he not been protected by his fur, he would probbly be bleeding to death at the moment, so he couldn't quite blame the human who had brought her. But he still didn't like him.
He moved to the second hoof, glancing up briefly at the solemn looking fighters. They were usually much... happier than this. But they had seen good fighters die trying to go berserker before. "How far gone is he?" He asked, the only response he got was a shrug from the spokesperson.
He felt guilty. He had been here for this long... and he had yet to find out anything about defeating the magical weapons. All he could do was look at them and say, "This elf... you run into him, don't fight him."
"He almost KILLED Mathias, Aleric! He's made a mockery of the fighters! The WARRIORS! What are we supposed to do? Run?"
"Fighters don't go out like that."
"I'll figure it out." He replied, so calmly that they couldn't help but nod. "But for now... don't fight him."
"Taken out by a non-fighter ELF, dammit. It's not right. It's just not right."
Aleric couldn't say anything to that. He had been thinking the exact same thing for even longer than they had been. He stood, finished with cleaning her hooves, and grabbed a damp cloth, wiping her down before he groomed her. She had calmed since he had gotten the stone out, but he hadn't. His eyes gleamed a dangerous brown.
"I have a horse to deliver." He said, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. The fighters nodded, moving out of his way as he took the horse by the reins again, leading her out of the pen. He glanced over at the owner who was still nursing a bleeding shoulder. "Miranda, right?"
"She's at the Old Mountain Inn. Her stablelad's been expecting the mare."
Aleric nodded, walking away from the crowd, the horse following dociley, looking more like a large dog then a horse next to the gigantic bear bestial.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:46 am
((Aleric/Miranda crossover))
"Lady Miranda?"
"Mmmm?" Miranda didn't even look up, she was still half asleep, buried in her covers.
"Your mare has been delivered."
"Oh..." She sat up, shoving her hair out of her face and looking at the servant. "And I care because..."
"The... man... he's a bestial, ma'am. But he said he needs to make sure you know something."
"What could I possibly--" She stopped, frowning slightly as the word bestial edged at her mind. It could be him... or someone that knew where to find him! She sat up. "Tell him I'll be out in a while."
"Yes ma'am."
*****************
Aleric scowled, fighting the urge to pace. She was still asleep? Who slept at this time of day? If he hadn't wanted to tell her about the bruise on the mare's foot he wouldn't have even bothered trying to talk to her. He was having a bad enough day as it was.
Finally he sat, looking at his hands and waiting, forcing his mind to clear of everything other than what he had come to do. Then the door to her room opened and she stepped out, making him go completely still. It was HER! The elf who had dragged him up to the platform!
"You!" She said. "I've been looking for you! We need to get you to the arena before the month is over!"
"Um... yeah." He muttered, not knowing what to do when she grabbed his arm. "Look, I need to tell you something about your new--"
"We'll get you signed up and fighting byt the end of the day. I might be able to recoup the losses I've gotten because of you being a no-show." She tugged again, then glared at him coldly. "You're supposed to stand now."
"I need to tell you about your new horse." He replied, going silently stubborn. "She's got a bruise."
"... Where?"
"Right front hoof. She'll be a little... testy."
"Fine. My lad can handle it. Now come! We have no time to waste!"
Aleric shrugged, getting to his feet. He had planned on entering the gladiator competitions, anyways. "I don't promise to win."
"Oh, you'll win. You had better." She replied, dismissing his comment as easily as that. "I chose you as my champion, after all. And I always win."
Aleric said nothing, merely made a note to pick up his pin sometime soon. This elf was rather... pushy, he thought, following her like a pet through the crowd and to the arena. It was... interesting.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:40 pm
((Crossover, I'll do different posts for them tomorrow))
"There he is, boys. My champion." Miranda gloated as she leaned back slightly in her chair, sipping her drink slowly. She wanted to see every second of this fight.
"You've never seen him fight before?"
"Blood will tell." She replied, not sounding bothered in the least. The arena seemed even better now. She turned looking down into the arena, watching as the fighters entered the stadium, their weapons in their hands. The bear bestial had a staff, the fox bestial had a whip. It would be... interesting, she supposed. The size and strength differences were vast, but the speed of the fox promised to make things entertaining.
Aleric looked over his opponent with a slight nod. He knew the fox. They had never fought before, but they knew how each of them operated. Speed versus strength. Aleric could live with that.
They took their stances, Aleric twirling his staff with an experienced hand as he waited for the fox to make his first move. It came quickly, a "SNICK!" snapping through the air as the whip wrapped around the end of Aleric's staff. The fox jerked quickly, trying to disarm him before the fight really began. Aleric didn't let him, jerking the staff loose.
"Good move." Aleric called, earning a nod. "Just not good enough." He lunged forward, catching the fox off guard as he flipped the staff, extending the length by holding it by the very end. It slammed into the fox bestial's side, sending him flying a few feet.
The fox recovered, rubbing his ribs with a slight wince of pain. "I knew you were strong..." The fox muttered, snapping his whip again before starting a strange sort of dance, the whip snapping through the air quickly.
Aleric braced himself ready for the whip to come out of no where. The point of the dance was distraction, and it often worked. The only problem was that it tended to waste energy that was better used battling. But he wasn't about to mention that to the fox. Not until after he had beaten him, that was.
The whip came then, wrapping around his forearm, cutting in deeply enough to draw blood. Aleric cursed. "Loaded!" He muttered, earning a triumphant smile from the fox as he loosed the hold of the whip. Aleric didn't let him take the end back, but wrapped it around his hand, yanking hard.
The fox's weight wasn't enough to resist, and he came flying, right into Aleric's over-sized fist. He seemed to stick to the first for a second, then crumpled, falling to the ground unconscious. Finally Aleric let go of the razor blade "loaded" whip, letting it fall onto the fox bestial's unmoving body.
He winced slightly, examining his left arm, where the blood dripped slowly down his forearm. Then he turned, looking directly at Miranda. She nodded, raising her glass to him with a little smile.
With that he turned and left the arena, planning on finding a healer before he left to rejoin the festivities. He still had yet to get his pin. Much less find out what he had come to learn. But hell. At least he had gotten in a decent fight.
"That was too easy, Miranda."
Miranda turned, shrugging slightly. "He's just begun." she replied, holding up her glass for a refill. Inwardly she was almost dancing. She had been right in her choice. "Oh, and have my winnings sent to the usual place. "I've got a horse to feed, after all."
Mentally she made a note to get a small sign of appreciation for her champion... Incentive always encouraged people in her experience.
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Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:33 am
Aleric dropped down by the water, examining his bandages with an experienced eye. They would need to be changed soon. He didn't want to risk infection. He had lucked out finding a decent healer after the fight.
Other then the arm, and his now scraped hand, he was good. He sat still for a second, mentally running over his body, checking for any pains that he hadn't noticed with the adrenaline rush. There weren't any, save the persistant muted throb of his arm. Then he forced his mind to clear, staring blindly out at the water as he meditated on his next match.
He would win. It was as simple as that. He nodded after a few minutes, then stood, pulling his sword from its sheathe and warming up. The movements were smooth, easy, as if he had done it a thousand times before, the words of Janel echoing in his head, telling him to straighten this, firm that, calling him a clutz every once in a while. The words of praise were few, making them more appreciated.
He paused as the sound of hooves thudding against the ground made him look up, blinking at the sight of the familiar mare. She stopped, rearing and challenging him loudly.
"Shhh..." He said, reluctantly sheathing his blade. She would smell the blood. That was never a good thing. He moved towards her slowly, holding up a hand to placate her as she danced. The wild look was back in her eyes. It made him curse, but his tone was easy.
She gave a small rear again, her front hooves dancing in the air, but stood still as he finally got to her, running his hand over her nape and whispering to calm her down. "I should have known." He muttered, looking around for a cloth to wipe her off with. She would need a drink, but if she drank too quickly she might make herself sick. So he hobbled her to his seat log and grabbed a water holder to fill and bring back.
"Hey! You! That horse belongs to--"
"Lady Miranda." He replied, calmly placing the water for the horse to drink and turning to the gang of servants. "I delivered her this morning."
"... Oh. We'll want her back."
"How'd she get loose?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
Aleric nodded, finally finding a rag to wipe the horse down with. Inwardly he was seething. But he was just as angry with himself as he was with the idiots that had let her get loose. He should have made sure the stable lads knew what was going on.
"I'll deliver her when she's cooled off." He said, his tone not allowing for argument.
"But--"
He turned, finally looking them in the eyes. They shut up. "We'll inform her ladyship."
Aleric nodded, turning back to the horse. They left, leaving him to force himself to relax. He would deliver her before his next fight, he decided, looking for a grassy spot for her to graze. It would give her time to heal, as well as time for both of them to cool off.
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:08 am
((Crossover again))
Once again Miranda found herself in her usual spot, overlooking the arena, a glass in her hand. Her horse had been delivered earlier, the bear bestial giving a cold talking to to the stable manager. She hadn't been there. It was too bad, she would have liked to have seen it.
"He won't win, Miranda."
She looked up at yet another rich b*****d, raising one finely shaped eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
"Because I saw his arm yesterday. He'll be lucky to keep it."
"I think you underestimate his fighting spirit."
"I think you overestimate his size."
"We'll see." Was all she said in reply, turning to look down at the arena as the fighters entered the ring. The bear was on the left, a... "What is that, a halfbreed?"
"It appears to be half human half... what is that, a monkey?"
"He has the tail."
"Hmmm..." Miranda said, looking thoughtful as she watched the fight begin.
Aleric drew his bo, once again passing up on his blade. He knew the fighter he was facing, he didn't want to kill him. But it would be bo against bo this time, the monkey a long-time student of the staff. Even longer than Aleric himself. The only thing Aleric had going for him in this fight was his size and strength. Speed would be his weakness here.
He waited, holding his starting stance and watching as the cross-breed started moving. There was nothing more beautiful than a monkey-bestial in movement, for some reason. The moves were fluid and wild, with a hint of playfulness that proved deceptive. But it was the laugh that really messed with your head.
The monkey flipped, dancing playfully before striking out almost too fastly for Aleric to block. Then the blows and blocks came too quick for anyone other than the fighters to see. It was even fast enough to shut the laughing up for a while. Then a long tail whipped out, catching Aleric's legs and sweeping under him, sending him flying backwards.
Aleric cursed, hooking the monkey cross-breed's shirt with his bo and using the speed of his fall to send the monkey flying, slamming into the wall halfway across the stadium. The THUD of the body hitting the wall was the only sound in the room for a second. Then the cheering swept through the arena, deafening everyone around.
Aleric shoved himself to his feet, racing across the arena to drop down beside the fighter and check his pulse. It was weak, but steady. The monkey cross-breed was merely unconscious. He looked up, growling at nearby watchers. "Don't just stand there. Get a healer!"
"What do you care?"
"Yeah, he lost."
"Get a healer. NOW." Aleric replied, standing, his fists at his side. A fighter that fought bravely, with no tricks, deserved respect whether he won or lost.
Once the unconscious fighter was taken away he turned, looking at the elf that had brought him into this, nodding slightly. That was two. She nodded back and he turned, leaving the arena. His work there was done.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 2:09 pm
No Honor His third fight, Miranda thought, calmly bringing the glass to her lips as the large bear bestial walked into the ring. His opponent was reported to be a knife weilder this time. A killer. "You going to bet on him now, Lady Miranda?" One of the men in the box asked, sounding smug. "I'll enjoy collecting my gold as he's dying." "He won't lose." She replied calmly, crossing her legs and turning to look down at the arena. "I chose him, after all." ****************** The scent of blood wasn't an unfamiliar one. Aleric himself had drawn blood before, or bled in a fight... but it was slightly unusual to smell it drifting off of his opponent BEFORE the fight began. He scowled slightly, looking the cat bestial over carefully as he drew his sword. The cat's movements were lazy, as if he didn't really expect this to be a problem. Then he looked at Aleric, and Aleric paused, feeling something strange rush through his veins. Something he hadn't felt this strongly in a long time. Fear. But he wasn't going to lose this fight. He had the feeling that this would be the only vengeance some fighters would ever get. Then the cat spoke. "So how do you want to die?" The box seat that Edgar had secured use of for Tessa and Alcion wasn't very large, nor in the best view of the battles, but it was certainly in a better spot than the milling masses were able to get without standing in line all day. The bard had arrived early, her belt pouch considerably lighter after paying off the man who arranged the place for her. Edgar had been true to his word, his contacts letting him pass on a request and quite a bit of coin to the human steward of the box owner. A greased palm was the only thing necessary to determine that the box's owners would not attend the arena battles today, and a scrawled note authorizing use of the space by the visiting noble and his entourage. The bard set down a heavy basket and began to spread out cushions, furs, and blankets over the seats and other furnishings. Fresh cut flowers were set into vases nearest where Alcion would settle, masking some of the acrid scents of blood, and death, and sweat from his nose. An easel was carried in by an urchin she'd paid to help her, and set up by his seat, leaving him full view of the battles but near enough at hand for him to sketch or paint what he saw. A bowl of fruit was placed near his drawing and painting implements on a small table. Satisfied that all was in order, the urchin was paid his coin and Tessa set about making herself a comfortable spot to sit in. She piled less fancy cushions on a bench and set her lute beside her. Then she leaned her arms on the box rail and peered down at the arena below. Squinting, she didn't need a spyglass to realize it was the bear bestial preparing to fight below. "Fortunate timing..." she murmured to herself. So how do you want to die? Arrogant b*****d... "Not by your hands." Aleric replied, showing his teeth as he motioned for the cat to come forward. "Then you had better be prepared for disappointment." The cat replied, lunging forwad. Aleric blocked, barely managing to keep from being skewered. The steel hit steel, clanging loudly as they circled, neither backing down. The cat was fast, Aleric thought, scowling slightly. But even he couldn't stand to the force of a full grown bear bestial's blows. Right as he thought that the cat bestial slipped past his defenses, cutting across his chest and leaving a long, thin slice in Aleric's leather like breastplate. A small trickle of blood dripped down Aleric's chest, making him growl slightly as he forced himself to ignore the pain. Tessa winced as the cat bestial made the slash across Aleric's chest. "That looks unpleasant at best..." she muttered. She glanced down under the bench and drew out the contraption the box owners used to magnify the action below. Setting the glasses to her eyes, she focused in on the combat. Seeing the blood up close made her flinch slightly. "That's going to leave a mark..." she murmured under her breath. "Come on Aleric! Give him what for!!!" She howled from the box, pumping her fist in the air like so many other spectators. Idly she mused how many of them were actually rooting for a combatant to do well, and how many were just shrieking to see blood spilled. The crowd was roaring, but all Aleric could hear was the thudding of his heart against his ribs in a slow, deep rhythm. And all he could see was the cat bestial in front of him, heading straight for him. The blade was aimed at the right angle to cut Aleric's head off, or at least slit his throat. "Now to finish this." The cat growled, starting his swing. Aleric ducked, then slammed forward, tackling the cat to the ground with the full weight of his four hundred plus pounds of muscle. He grabbed the hand holding the knife and slammed it into the ground, hearing the bones crack loudly enough to echo through the arena, had the crowd not been cheering so loudly. Then he took his own sword, bringing the edge to the cat bestial's throat, watching as it bit through hair into flesh, blood dripping down the silver of his blade. "Do you give." Aleric asked, his voice frozen with rage, his eyes a dark, dark shade of brown. "Do you GIVE?" "Y--yes, dammit." The cat bestial hissed, glaring at him. "Now get off of me." Aleric grunted, letting the cat bestial go and getting to his feet. Then he turned, looking at the elf in the boxes once again. "I'll kill you!" The cat said from behind him, making him turn in surprise. Tessa cringed back in the box as the cat bestial charged, murmuring urgent words of dodging or fleeing uselessly under her breath, completely drowned out by the crowd in it's wild throes at witnessing seemingly imminent death. "Bloody hell, Aleric...get out of..." The crowd sighed in collective relief and disappointment as the bear bestial turned the tables on the feline. The ursine's victory resulted in a jubilant yelp from the bard. A short lived yelp as the defeated creature turned on the ursine murderously. "Hey! That's not right! That b*****d LOST!" she yowled over the sound of the nearest patrons. Aleric growled, moving quickly as the cat lunged forward, grabbing him by the shirt and flipping him as he sent him flying. Then he cursed, falling to his knee even as the cat hit the wall. His hand reached up to his chest, touching the blood. Aleric raised his hand, looking at the blood for a second. It wasn't enough to make him feel-- He shook his head, shoving himself to his feet and heading for the exit. He didn't care what happened to this fighter. He had no honor. "You should have killed him." One of the men he passed said, making him blink and look over. "He's killed every fighter he's faced. They don't die in the ring, though. They die afterwards. Something on his blade keeps the wound from closing." The man glanced pointedly at his chest. "Not magic." Aleric grunted. There was a barrier against that. "Doesn't haveta be." Aleric nodded grimly, heading off to find a healer. If anything he could get someone to sew him up. Thankfully it was a shallow cut. The bard drew out a bound book of blank parchment and dipped a quill in ink to begin scribing a few notes about the conflict, even as she continually gazed down at it through the glasses. "Ah, this has the makings of an epic tale, of the noble warrior versus the violent coward." She frowned at the exchange she could disern between the ursine and another man. She couldn't read lips from so far, and couldn't tell if he was chiding or warning Aleric about something. "Too bad Alcion missed this. I think he'd have liked to have sketched it."
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