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 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:55 pm
Go out, they told her. Learn the land, they repeated. Alassiel could only oblige the elders as they shoo`d her off into Jauhar with a spear that could barely cut through a leaf. Of course, they had omitted to point out that she had not been sent out to fight; that was not the point of this exercise. She was suppose to learn the lay of the land, learn to feel her way through the forest so she could find her way back home even with her eyes closed. There was also the knowledge to gain about the fauna and plants in the forest, something Alassiel was quite terrible at if she were to be honest.
Others had joined her too; they made a small group of apprentice. Alassiel glanced at each one of them, making sure to remember their faces in case something happened in the forest; no one was never felt behind on her watch. They looked like a mix group of females and males, some taller than others, some unarmed. She wondered what their purpose was, if they couldn’t defend themselves would they lag the group if they got attacked? It wasn’t exactly the best though when one was about to go out with these people, count on them to watch her back, but they could run into big trouble. The voice of an elder ran in her mind, everyone has their own purpose Alassiel, patience.
Turning her back to the group, she went in head first. Alassiel kept a slow pace for the others; it not only allowed her to keep an eye out for people, but for other things too. She would have been content with staying with the group as a whole, but since no one else had stepped up, she`d stay here until someone came. Plus, it looked like some of them were still adjusting to the dark forest and all its glowing habitat. Alassiel only stopped when someone requested a break from their walk, they found a place between trees big enough for everyone to fit in and almost everyone relaxed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:09 pm
The dreamer was awake and semi-aware as she followed obediently behind the girl deemed their leader. To Ko'ma she was a pretty shifter, both in body and in soul, but no one ever asked Ko'ma what she thought and so her praise went unspoken. It was better that way, less people to frighten off. Then again most of the time Ko'ma didn't seem to know what was going on, choosing the path of the secluded as befitted one of her temperament.
After all she was useless with weapons and not good with children. But her memory was perfect if clouded and hazy in some spots.
Humming to herself she swept pale eyes over the others before settling back on Alassiel. "What are we doing?" She pipped up finally, voice soft and child-like. In all honesty the only reason why she'd joined the party was because they'd passed by her home and the urge to follow them had struck her. One day she'd pay for following such urges but until then she was content to sate them.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:26 pm
This was not Zuberi's first trip to the forest floor, but it was the first time he'd ventured down with a group of his peers - usually it was just him, poking around carefully, looking for the ever elusive Alkidike warriors. It was also the first time his visit was sanctioned by the elders - it was nice to know his ears wouldn't be boxed on his return. Though he knew the land that the group was currently treading fairly well, he didn't step forward as a leader; it was better to remain in the back, watching their rear, his own spear resting on his left shoulder. Let someone else take the leadership position and the glory - he was content to be a vanguard. After all... some people forgot that danger came just as easily from behind as from the front. They didn't need to be taken by surprise... he had a feeling half the group would faint dead away if they were.
While they walked, his sharp eyes kept a wary lookout for Menzuri webs - though there were other things he should perhaps be worried about, they were his chief concern at the moment. He was fairly good at spotting them, but oftentimes they weren't visible until you were right in front of them, and sometimes by that point, it was too late. Carrying a hallucinating prentice back to the safety of their tree-top home would not be an enjoyable experience. He walked along with the group for some time, keeping silent, a steady look on his expressive face. One of the others voiced a need for rest, and the girl who'd been leading them - Alassiel, he thought her name was - found a space between two trees for them to stop. Unlike many of the others, he didn't exactly relax - letting down your guard here on the floor could get you hurt... or dead. Spear still on his shoulder, he looked around the group, then smiled before heading to the girl who'd taken the lead.
He got there just as another girl - he wasn't sure of her name - asked what they were doing. Smiling, he shook his head, then spoke in a soft, pleasant tenor. "It's... Alassiel, right?" he murmured, then gave her a winning smile before casting his gaze over the forest again. "This is a good direction to head in... keep from bearing west though... lots of Menzuri that way. I'd hate to see someone so pretty get trapped in their webs. I'd be sure to suck out any poison should they bite you." he added teasingly, eyes still sharp. Then his gaze went to Ko'ma and he smiled again. "And while I should know the name of someone so pretty, I'm afraid I'm unsure of yours. I'm Zuberi."
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:42 pm
A small bug caught her attention, colorful and harmless, and distracted her long enough that it would seem as if she were ignoring the question and compliment given to her. "Ko'ma," She replied finally, turning her attention fully onto Zuberi. She seemed to stare right through him and added after a seemingly uncomfortable pause, "It is good to meet you Zuberi."
There was a thousand other things she wanted to say, things that she'd seen in her dreams but she chose not to. It was hard knowing only fragments of reality and dreaming up the rest. But she got by and now she was starting to interact with others. It was a relief to her adopted family whom she had grown to love, and a blessing to them when she moved out on her own free will and under her own power.
"Why do you fight with a spear and not a knife?" She asked, tilting her head to one side in puzzlement. "I have a knife but I do not like it. Weapons scare me."
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:51 pm
Alassiel hadn’t been paying attention to anyone in particular, liking to keep her eyes on the forest in case something decided to move. She was currently leaning against a tree while using her useless weapon as a stand to hold her up, so when the shifter girl moved to her Alassiel straightened up. “We’re just resting for a little; some of the others are finding this trek to be quite the exercise.” She spoke low and calm, dark orbs moving to the girls’ hair and thinking about her own short hair. She almost wanted to ask the girl how long her hair reached when it was unbraided; she’d always wanted longer hair.
The boy Alassiel noticed quicker than the girl, she stared at him as he got closer and stopped herself from gapping when he said her name. “Yes, that’s right.” His next words confused her, it was a compliment mixed with a warning of a danger and she was having trouble with the meaning behind his words. A slightly blush now appeared on her cheeks, confused surly written on her face, but Alassiel tried to recover with a quick question. “I’ll stick to the East then.” Her voice a low murmur as she turned her attention to the girl, this was not the time to get preoccupied by boy troubles. He carried a spear too, was he good with it?
“Nice to meet you Zuberi and Ko’ma.” Ko’ma’s question was intriguing, so the girl did use weapons, this was good. It would be a good time to ask her own question. “Are you proficient with the spear?” Maybe he could teach Alassiel a thing or too, elders only knew she needed much practice with it. A sound in the tree’s nearby made her turned from the duo for a split second, eyes narrowing as she scanned but found nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. What if a Menzuri did catch her, it would be very awkward to see Zuberi sucking poison from her. Very odd indeed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:34 pm
Beri winked at Alassiel, then looked to Ko'ma, smiling warmly. "Why a spear, little one? Well, the reach is much better than a knife, and I like that. Being able to pin someone or something before it gets close enough to stab you is a good thing. Besides... it feels good in my hands. Weapons can be scary, I suppose... if you don't know what you're doing with them." Turning back to the paler of the two females he was speaking with, he shrugged. "I'm not hopeless with it, at least. I managed to get one of the warriors to teach me a thing or two. Haven't had much of a chance to use it for real though... it's harder to sneak down here if you steal a weapon first." Laughing, he turned his back to the two females, surveying the rest of their group for a moment.
The all seemed a bit too unguarded... he did hope this wouldn't end in disaster. Sending a group of prentices down to the floor, without a guide and only a few weapons seemed a bit... careless. But for all he knew, some of the older members of the tribe were following, keeping silent and out of sight. It seemed like the sort of tricky thing an adult would do... He gave a soft 'hmph', then looked over his shoulder at Alassiel and Ko'ma, smiling again. "Well... I hope no Alkidike's descend upon us... would be all too easy for them to take us captive and roast us over a fire if they did." As he spoke of the green warrior women, an eager light entered his eyes; despite his words, he didn't seem too unnerved by the prospect that they might be discovered. He turned fully back to the two young woman, spear slipping from his shoulder as he placed the butt firmly against the ground.
As his eyes roamed over the two, he smiled again; they really were both quite pretty. Ko'ma somehow reminded him of a child, with her sweet voice and fear of weapons. He'd have to watch over her on the journey, make sure nothing happened. And Alassiel... there was something tough to her, and he liked that. It was good that she was in lead; she also seemed to have a clearer head and a more wary attitude than most of the rest of their fellows. "How long do we rest, my lovely and no doubt deadly leader?" he asked, eyes dancing with unvoiced laughter as he spoke. "After all, you carry a spear of your own... I'm sure you could pierce the heart of anyone you wished."
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:48 am
 ((Tasinei said I could post. But if needed, I can delete this and post it after Lirende, so as not to upset the posting order?))
Far above the group, hidden in the dark cover of leaves and branches hid a figure who was barely discernable save for the bright silvery eyes that peered curiously downward, and pale blue crystals that dotted her skin in strange designs. Her name was Laini, an Alkidike who was also a Shifter, blood melded to create a strange creature. She was quiet as she listened to the conversations below, her long knife-like ears perking at every noise, taking in her surroundings as much as she could. She knew there were others nearby, but as long as she didn't show hostility, perhaps they wouldn't bother her.
"Well... I hope no Alkidike's descend upon us... would be all too easy for them to take us captive and roast us over a fire if they did." Tch. She had to stifle a laugh, her lips pursing in amusement. As if she would want to eat the boy. She leaned down against the branch, her slim body pressing against it, carefully maintaining balance. At her side was a carved lance, the tip deadly sharp, but currently encased in a sleeve of hide to make it easier to travel with. No one could be too cautious anymore...
These Shifters, they were also of her, were they not? She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Would they accept her?
As she sat still upon the branch, she hurt the low snick.snick.snick of legs moving behind her. Tilting her head back to peer behind her, she saw the green-glassed Menzuri crawl toward her, and very slowly crawl over her leg. The girl yelped loudly, and losing her hold on the branch fell sideways off of it as the Menzuri raised it's jaws to strike, barely missing her as her foot left it's reach.
This is going to ruin my day. Laini thought as her hands grappled at the branches, her body slapping against them as she slowed her descent. She could feel the sting of welts and cuts on her skin, but they were worth not hitting the ground full-force, and would heal quicker than broken bones.
As she neared the forest floor in her untimely descent,she grabbed at one of the branches, her feet dangling a good ten feet from the ground. She breathed a sigh of relief, her heart hammering in her chest like a drum. Her white hair dangled messily around her face, free of the carefully tended braids they normally stayed in. And then she felt her breath still. Her silver eyes peered at the group of people not far from her and she quickly pulled herself up onto the branch she held on, feeling the burn of muscles as she strained. But she had no knowledge of how they would react, to someone... like her.
Laini's eyes peered upward disdainfully at where she had comfortably sat only moments before, and she swore she could hear the Menzuri complaining about it's lost meal.
Then it hit her, and her eyes swept over the clearing. Where was her spear? She felt naked and defenseless without it, especially amongst strangers.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:22 pm
Zuberi was so… Different than anyone else she’d ever met thus far, his wink almost made her blush again if she hadn’t turned her gaze to Ko’ma quickly. His response to why he liked a spear over a knife was similar to her own reasoning, though she liked the idea of being able to throw the thing too. Alassiel couldn’t help but chuckle when he spoke of stealing a weapon to train with it secretly, maybe she should try that. Her lessons with the trainers were good, but she wanted to be better faster. “Did you steal the one you’re holding right now?” Her gaze turned to him curiously.
Did they really eat people? Alassiel let the question stay silent; she didn’t want to seem stupid in front of Zuberi. “I don’t think we’d exactly be able to defend everyone.” She said quietly, her gaze looking about the other Shifters and the lack of weapons for some of them. She couldn’t go very far with all these people, it was too dangerous. Zuberi made her stare at him with her eyes a little wide, no one had ever complimented her like that and she was a little… Speechless, so she kept staring at him quite unsure of how she should act and completely forgetting what he’d actually asked of her in the first place.
The commotion and sudden noise seemed to bring her out of that weird state of mind, something had fallen out of the tree and was hitting a couple of branches on its way down. “Everyone move away!” Alassiel sprung from her position, weaving through the people to meet whatever was on coming. Everyone opened up a circle as Alassiel stepped through, and looked down. There was no way to describe her surprise and shock when she saw who or maybe what was a better word for the form laying on the ground. The girl, it looked like a girl seemed to be one of them, and really Alassiel could have seen it possible that some had followed the little group from behind.
But this. This was... Different. Alassiel starred down at the girl, spear still in her hand beside her unsure of what exactly she should be doing in such a situation. This was one of them, a Shifter, but also an Alkidike. Running a hand through her hair, Alassiel glanced around the group for support but found none. Most people either looked too scared to do anything, or looked disgusted. Planting her spear down into the soft ground, she offered the girl her hand. There was no reason thus far to be scared of the girl, she was unarmed. “You took quite a tumble there.” Alassiel gave a soft chuckle. She would not kill someone that looked so much like a Shifter and yet... This was better left to the Elders.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:41 pm
 ((I have asked permission from Tasi)) Maya had been quietly wandering the trees following a brightly colored Menzuri she had spotted a while back. The webbing the creatures made was highly prized among some of her older sister and with her great attention to detail they relied on her to bring back supplies every now and then. Pulling herself carefully and slowly into another branch Maya paused, her bug like eyes blinking as she glanced around the leaves. Strange and unfamiliar vibrations from the tree. Not wanting to be caught hanging from her branch Maya pulled herself carefully onto the branch, her eyes scanning the area for the Menzuri but the deadly creature had disappeared. Huffing indignantly at having lost track of her 'prey' Maya scrunched her nose into a light pout. Sitting upon the thick branch she had pulled herself onto, Maya's dark eyes continued to search for the Menzuri in case its trail could be picked up again when loud voices and even bigger vibrations. Curiosity had won over in her mind as she took hold of a part of the branch to lean forward and peer down at the noise. Her eyes turning into dagger like slits as she focused upon a group of Shifters. This wasn't the first time she had come across them, in fact they seemed to multiply out of thin air, which frustrated the young Alkidike. It wasn't like there was a tribe of them near here, and they were heading in the direction of her home. Reaching down to her belt in search of a weapon of some sorts, Maya silently cursed under her breath. She had left her weapon back in her room this morning and as much as she wanted to protect her home, at least two of the Shifter's carried weapons of their own and unless they lacked brains she wasn't going to be able to make them leave. Pulling herself back towards the trunk of the tree, Maya decided it would be best to follow the group of Shifters in case they did find their way towards her home. She would at least need to alert her sisters of any potential danger, and retrieve her own weapon for defense. Jumping, crawling, and pulling herself from branch to branch as she followed the group silently she was quite amused to hear the thoughts of the group. Eat them? Did they eat each other and in doing so know they tasted good in which case she should try it? Thoughts about how wonderful they might taste swirled around in her head. Giggling quietly as she noticed a few of the young shifters were starting to get weary at this point, Maya figured now would probably be a good time to steer them away from her home. Her eyes popping wide open when she suddenly picked up vibrations on the tree not far below her from the long antenna like appendages on her forehead. Her eyes snapped down just in time to see another Alkidike falling towards the ground. Her mind raced as she tried to process the strange difference the girl had, before casting them aside when the words one of her elders had spoken to her as a child. Aisha didn't bring forth half-breeds if the parents didn't deserve to raise them. This was bad, very bad! If the shifters saw her, death would almost be certain if she wasn't able to grab a foothold on a branch and soon! Licking her lips as she prepared to take on the challenge Maya sprung as she hurried towards the ground, branch after branch passed under her feet as the thrill of the air rushing by her increased the Alkidikes heart beat her hand reaching out to take hold of her fallen comrade. Snapping back almost instantaneously when the young girl managed to stop her fall. Taking in a sigh of relief her eyes darted back towards the group of Shifters, they had obviously taken notice of the girl. What was worse, a weapon she had not noticed before was now also in the midst of the Shifters though they seemed unaware of it from what she could see. If she was able to reach the spear in time she would be able to defend her fallen sister. Dropping from her perch directly above Laini, Maya's dark eyes stared towards the approaching Shifter girl stepping forward to stand beside Laini. Her hands were clenched tightly in fists, if nothing else she would punch her way through this.
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:31 am
Laini looked at the hand in front of her, just stared at it for the longest like it was a viper going to strike her down. When it did not, she extended her hand and lightly grasped the proffered one, and pulled herself to her feet. Her tall lanky body bore a few marks from her fall, but no broken bones had been caused. She didn't say a word, completely silent, though her silver eyes spoke of an inherent fear of strangers, but after a moment she raised a dark-skinned hand to her lips in a shy fashion. "Thank you. Your kindness is appreciated." Her words were a soft whisper- it was the only way she could keep herself from stuttering unnecessarily.
Blinking, she looked toward her sister that had suddenly appeared from the above branch - perhaps she wasn't the only one who had been a curious creature. Lightly, Laini pushed her arm out to stop Maya, silver eyes looking at the dark black pools that stared out at the shifters in front of them. "Calm, yes?" She murmured. Unlike her pure-blooded sisters, Laini had found the fire in her blood to be somehow less. She was not an avid fighter, and did so only when the need arose. This moment, she hoped it would not.
...but where was her spear...?
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:58 am
Alassiel almost felt a little silly that she’d offered the girl her hand because all she was doing now was starring at her hand like it was going to eat her. The Shifter thought that was a little silly an idea, but considering how others were looking at her, it was a little warranted that she’d be suspicious of someone helping her up. “No problem.” Alassiel whispered back in the same quiet tone, almost afraid the girl would stand up and run away any time. She didn’t want to scare her, she was part Shifter anyways and that meant that Alassiel felt the need to protect her like the others. No man, or woman in this case would be left behind.
Curiously as to whom the girl was talking too, Alassiel looked up and found her own eyes meeting the black ones of an Alkidike. Oh crap. Zuberi was right, they were going to get eaten! Finally, Alassiel turned her gaze back down to the girl before her. So maybe she’d been wrong, maybe this girl was more Alkidike than Shifter and they’d just stepped into some of their territory. It was better if they avoided a fight, Alassiel took her hand back and instead offered the gil her name. “I’m Alassiel.” She said quietly, before ehr voice dropped again. “I don’t want any fighting right now.” Her eyes glanced up once so the girl would know what she’d meant, and so she would know that she'd backed off and wasn't on planning on hurting her sister.
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