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 Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:44 am
This Quest is for Yaholo who aspires to become a Guard.
OOC
||. Yaholo is allowed to get horribly, horribly lost to great hilarity. I've planned for this.
||. Yaholo must do this on his own. NPCs may be BRIEFLY used when soloing, and may not be used at any other time.
||. I reserve the right to take control of any NPCs used in a solo- I will attempt to keep to their personalities as much as possible.
||. Respond to the prompts given as you would any other RP.
||. Your responses may be as long or short as you feel necessary.
IC
Its a quiet day at home. Pahana has gone out to play, and the rest of the family is out being busy in some way- either out working or out hunting.
Without the injured Yaholo.
Yaholo: You awake to find that someone's left you a bowl of breakfast. There are two notes stuck underneath it, written on two very different types of paper.
The first note is on what appears to be paper made of dried and layered blue leaves, written in a precise and graceful hand:
I heard of your exploits in saving our young sister Tahigwa from a Menzuri and your strength and valor in fighting off the group of Shifters.
I would like to assess your capabilities myself.
In addition, your mother wishes to see you.
Please meet me at the Andile settlement in five days time.
- Yansa
The other letter is sun-dried and slightly sandy, made of tawny wood ground up and flattened. It is written in a jagged, strong hand:
You'r father told me you did a great thing the other day. Saving two younglings from danger like that? I'm impressed. I'd like to see what you can do for myself.
Meet me outside Vers in five days.
I know it's a bit out of the way, but I won't tell you why yet. Just trust me and come over here. It'll be good, I promise.
Hope to see a young hero in action soon! Don't get too lost, now!
- Enki
Here is what you know:
Andile and Vers are equally distant from Yera, where you are.
But Andile is in Jahuar and Vers is in the Tale.
Yansa is a high ranking Alkidike and Enki is a high ranking member of the Leaf tribe.
And they have both written to you.
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:57 pm
"Heeellloooo...?" Yaholo called, his voice echoing throughout the house. It was hallow, empty, no one seemed to be home. Hm. Well, alright, he could use a bit of alone time, considering all that just happened. He lumbered out into the kitchen and wandered towards the counter, where a bowl of food sat waiting for him. "Aw, someone left me food!" He exclaimed. No one had ever done that before! Dark hands tore the bowl off the counter and began to dig into the contents, until green eyes snapped upwards, captivated by the pieces of paper that fell out from under the bowl.
"The hell?" He said, snatching them up off the ground. Fingers traced the corner of Enki's note, his mouth held agape. ENKI WANTED TO SEE HIM?! No way, no way, no waaaaaay! Sure, Vers was far, but if Enki wanted to meet him he would be there in a heartbeat! But, what was this other note all about? He switched the notes, placing Enki's under that of Yansa's, and instantly, tears began to form in his eyes. Yansa, THE YANSA, wanted HIM to come see HER. The very thought of this both excited him and shook him to his very core. Two very high ranking officials from his life wanted to meet him and test his skills, including one that was from a side of his life that never really accepted him from the beginning. THIS WAS AMAZING! He felt so importa-
Then, as he scanned the notes again, to make sure he wasn't crazy, he skimmed over how much time he had to greet both. No. NO. Both wanted to see him in FIVE DAYS. That was impossible! He couldn't go see both! This... THIS WAS TERRIBLE! His heart dropped, along with his confidence, as he placed the notes at his side. It was time to make a decision, a decision of who was more important. Enki was part of his father's tribe, and would probably accept him a lot easier. However, Yansa was one person whom he thought would never give him a glance, much less write him a letter. He heaved a sigh and leaped off the table he had been sitting on. He paced, he muttered, and he groaned. Then, he took Enki's note and placed it back on the counter, whipping out a pen to write a letter of his own.
"Elder Enki,
I am eternally grateful for your offer and your notice of whatever talent I may possess. However, I have received an offer of the same from an Alkidike Elder named Yansa, whom I have been trying to impress. Well, not in a wooing sort of way, that's utter nonesense! But, the point is, I'm not able to greet you in Vers because Yansa has requested my presence at the same time. Please, understand, I have a burning desire to be accepted by the Alkidikes because they are my other half. I may never get this chance again, as I know I may never get the same with you.
Please understand.
- Yaholo"
With legs shaking and heart quaking under his breath, Yaholo took Yansa's note and tucked it into his pocket before heading down from his house. He wouldn't be able to deliver the note himself, but he knew someone who could. "Elder Kuthun!" He cried, greeting the older man with a worried expression. "I have been summoned to Andile, in Jauhar! Could you please send this note along to Elder Enki? It would mean the world to me!"
"Summoned to Andile?" Kuthun echoed, scratching his beard. "My, last I heard from your father is that you had been summoned to Vers to meet Enki! You're not going to decline, are you...?"
"I'm afraid that I may have to..." Yaholo sighed. This decision was the hardest he had ever had to make. But... Was he really making the right choice...? He turned his head towards Jauhar and then towards Vers, and back to his elder. He wanted to make his father proud, but he wanted to be accepted by his fellow sisters. Minutes of silence wafted over him until a familiar whap on the shoulder woke him from his mental torment. He turned to see Kuthun, his arms folded and a smirk on his face, and arched an eyebrow. "What...?"
"Don't work yourself to the bone, Yaholo." Kuthun sighed, tapping Yaholo on the shoulder again. "You are still young and can prove yourself to anyone in due time. What matters now if that you do what means the most to you."
Do what means the most to him. That's right. This was his time to choose, his time to show what he was made of. This wasn't the time to doubt himself! He turned to Kuthun again and gave him a quick hug, before dashing off towards Jauhar. "MAKE SURE ENKI GETS THAT NOTE, KUTHUN!" He cried.
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:51 pm
Jahuar was loud. It was very loud. It had to be mating season or something.
Either that or Yaholo was causing the commotion.
Andile was a good way away- just running into the jungle wasn't going to do much but tire him out.
The thing is, did he know this part of the jungle?
Was he... LOST?
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:05 pm
"SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIIIIT!" Yaholo screamed. He'd picked the wrong side of the forest and gone down the wrong path! Now he was in unknown territory, and in for quite a long, mind numbing journey to find a familiar path. GREEEAAAAT. He had been too impulsive, running off like some sort of child! Yansa would be so cross with him if he was late! UGH. UUUUUGGGGH!
He kicked a few rocks around as he continued along his way. If he was going to be pissed off with himself, he was going to be pissed off with himself and get somewhere while doing it. But... Which way was the right way to go...?
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:21 pm
It was, of course, raining. Rolling thunder and pounding raindrops on leaves added to the din, and footsteps squelched in mud.
This whole area was unfamiliar-as Yaholo moves on, this becomes more clear.
But he had started into Jahuar now, there was no turning back. If he could even find the way back.
But how would he get out of this situation now? And find his way to Andile?
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:31 pm
Okay, rain, thundering ******** rain. Now Yaholo was certain that he was going to be here for a while. A low growl resonated from his chest as he plucked his feet continuously from the grip of the mud and back in again. He had to make it, he had to find his way, there was no way he was going to screw this up! No, he would get to Andile if it was the last thing that he would ever do!
He trekked through the mud, the rain, and the thunder, until AT LAST! There was marker! HIS MARKER! He raced towards the tree that held one of his favorite decorating feathers, sliding in the muck a little bit, and squealed with joy. "HA! TAKE THAT WEATHER! SCREW YOU!" He screamed, turning his attention to the feather again. Alright, so, he had left this here at the beginning of the path that lead him to Andile each day. All he had to do was follow this path and he was good! With a much lighter disposition, he walked several feet down the path.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:19 am
It was the path all right! He had found it, even through the miserable rainy-season weather.
Please solo Yaholos way to Andile. It can be as long or as short as you like.
Random events are possible, as is getting lost. Let me know when you are done/want a random event
Please try to keep it Yaholo only!
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:35 pm
"Damn this mud!" Yaholo barked, flailing his feet around as he walked. Man, Andile sure seemed farther away than usual, considering how rotten the weather was. He didn't seem to recall what rain was like most of the time because of how hot and dry Tale was, but how he felt about rain was a different story. It was mix between "This feels amazing!" and "******** THIS MUD, GARRRRAARRFFFFG!" Certainly wonderful emotions to feel, as you are walking towards the most important day of your life, with mud covering every inch of your body.
He knew he was more than halfway to Andile when he saw the fork in the road, the same fork that he had taken his sisters down the other day. His gut twisted as he made his way down, pleading with whatever God was out there that he didn't encounter a Shifter out here as he walked. Never once in his life did he think he was capable of murdering someone, much less beat someone into submission. But it was for the safety of his sisters and for the safety of all Younglings that may have been kidnapped after them. The idea of other children being kidnapped made his blood boil and his teeth clench. No. He had done the right thing, he had killed two bad people who wanted to harm innocent children. They were despicable, they were disgusting, they were-
They were people, too. Surely they had someone to protect. Not all Shifters were bad, just like not all Alkidikes were bad, or all Tribesmen. He was an example of what a loving family can produce, even if his family was a little disjointed. There were far more unfortunate people out there in this world that had no family and nowhere to be, because of who they were. If all of the people in the world could just be a little more accepting of each other, these things wouldn't have to happen. No one would have to die. No one would have to fight alone. We could all work together, and we could all just get along.
Bah, there he went with his whimsy. It would take tens of thousands of years for everyone just to bite their tongues, let along get along. A sigh was heaved as he wandered through the trees, his eyes falling on a familiar gate. "Andile!" He cried, racing forward. "I made it! I'm here!" Now to find Yansa and show her how strong he's become!
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:53 am
He was actually early. Five days was a fair amount of time to give someone that would have to pack up everything, finish unfinished business, and travel on a dime (and was known for having a terrible sense of direction), but he had made it in three- In part because he was slowed by the rain and in part because Yansa had decided to count the time that the messenger had taken to actually deliver the message. Not entirely fair, but he was still early.
Fortunately for Yaholo, Yansa was in town anyway and had miraculously found a rare lull in her duties that she was willing to fill.
She wanted to get this assesment done with sooner, rather than later.
So while she wasn't there to meet him, a lookout who knew him and knew about Yansa's request was, sending a fellow lookout to fetch Yansa.
It took a while for Yansa to finish up her business, but she soon arrived where Yaholo had been asked to wait- a rocky clearing outside of Andile, the lookout chatting a bit while keeping an eye on him (to make sure he didn't pull anything funny or wander off and get lost)
"Yaholo." she said, looking him over.
Another alkidike woman arrived, moving exhaustedly. She was wrapped in a blanket and helped by little Tahigwa and another youngling that Yaholo will recognize as one of Tahigwa's friends. It was his mother, out of bed to see her son on this special day.
Yansa nodded as she was seated. Tahigwa was a bit busy, but she probably gave her brother a fist pump. She was not allowed to interfere.
Yansa brought her spear to her hands, and motioned to Yaholo to draw his hammer.
"Well then," she said, leveling her spear, "Let us assess your skill."
This is a RP-only battle. No rolling will be involved at all. You post, I post.
Tahigwa is allowed on the sidelines, but she is not allowed to do much more than cheer her brother on. Mom is too weak right now to do more than watch, but she really wanted to.
Yansa is letting Yaholo go first
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:43 am
"Elder Yansa." Yaholo replied, bowing towards her. "I'm honored to be here, thank you for writing to me. You have no idea how much this means to me." He looked upon Yansa with both admiration and anxiety, was he really sure he could stand up against her...? He took a breath and seemed ready, until his sister, his sister's friend, and his mother showed up to watch. "Tahigwa? Mother? Eeeeeh?!" He squeaked. Okay, back to not being sure about everything he has ever done in his lifetime!
"Shut up and battle!" Tahigwa cried, throwing one of his fists in the air. "Don't mind us staring at you, you dummy!"
"Listen to your sister," His mother said, nodding. "You will fight as well as your father, I know you can."
But his father was a freaking hunter! A HUNTER! He shot at things that were near miles from him! How could that be useful for face to face combaaaaat?! He wavered in his stance and let out a low, nearly inaudible whine, and faced Yansa again. He had to prove that he could do this. He had to prove it to himself that he wasn't useless and stupid. His elder was counting on him to show his skills... And he was going to do his best!
"Alright then," He said, taking a fighting stance and drawing his hammer. "I hope I can meet your expectations, Elder." He took a deep breath and lunged to her side, hoping to lay a blow to her lower hip.
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:07 pm
Yansa managed not to smirk at the squeak. She would treat him fairly, even if she personally wasn't happy with him or his existence.
He deserved a chance to prove himself a sister by his birth of Aisha, and he had earned the opportunity to take that chance with his heroics.
She watched him carefully- he seemed nervous, unsure. Was it because he was unaccustomed to fighting? To using his unusual weapon? Or because he did not want to hit her?
She dodged fairly easily, assessing. There was strength behind the blow. He seemed to handle it well.
But his motion...
She made a graceful motion with her spear, designed to cut but one that could be turned to blocking if she needed to, as she stood aside to try to anticipate his next move.
"Move with focus" she offered, "Not with fear. Do not fear me."
There were plenty of reasons to fear her, but not here. Besides, advice was free and she still had breath.
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:04 pm
Focus, not fear. Focus... Not FEAR. Yaholo wasn't certain what Yansa had meant by that. She really didn't want him to try and harm her, did she? Not that he could, but was he really supposed to calculate a move that could hurt her? He wanted to please her and make her see him as one of her people, not an assailant! He huffed, contemplating the thought again, and nodded. Okay, maybe she wanted him to really think about his move, execute it with grace, while trying to land a good hit? Maaan, when he fought those Shifters all he had to do was swing the freaking mallet around until they ******** died!
Then again, he did have something to protect in that instance. He was fighting for someone else, which is why he was so focused. He glanced to Tahigwa and his mother and tried his best to recall the emotions he felt when he saw Tahigwa being carted away. It was a sense of urgency, anger, and determination that caused him to be so bold. As the memory of the event washed over him, he turned his attention back to Yansa, and made his next move.
This time, he decided to target her left shoulder and then attempt to knock the spear out of her hands.
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:12 am
If Yansa had meant to win, she would have hit him when his guard was down. But you did not always fight to win- only immature and foolish warriors thought that. Yansa was neither. A loss, calculated, could be as beneficial as a win.
In this case, she was waiting to see what he would try. Would he take her advice? Or would he just keep swinging? She watched his movements carefully.
This was not just a test of skill, but of character. She had seen the look he had thrown to the one that had begged for his lotus. That spoke volumes to her.
If this was a normal fight and if Yansa was less experienced, his move would have been her downfall. She managed to notice in time and dodge back, enough so that the hit wasn't as damaging as it could have been. She managed not to lose her grip on her spear, but it was... rattling. Hammers were an interesting weapon, indeed.
"Exactly." she said, smiling slightly, "That was a good hit."
She rolled her shoulder. Ow. That would be worse later.
Since he was taking it seriously, it was time to step it up a notch- she attempted a jab with her spear. She was a bit slowed because of the pain in her shoulder, and she was not aiming for a kill, but she made it clear- if he wasn't careful, her spear was sharp. Could he dodge?
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:57 am
Yaholo barely heard Yansa praise him for his hit, he was too far in his zone to be reached. He anticipated a counter attack as soon as he found that he hadn't knocked the spear out of his hand, and posed in a half crouch, ready to leap away if needed. Green eyes followed her movements, and as the jab came towards him, he took a leap backwards, only to wobble a little upon a loose rock behind him.
"Ah!" He cried, sticking his hands out to properly balance himself again. Once righted, he took the same half-crouch stance again, anticipating another attempt to hit him.
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:06 am
"Good dodge," she said, sidestepping so that she could come closer without exposing herself to attack- an accidental bit of seriousness. She couldn't help a little competitive instinct.
Good dodge. Good focus. She mentally checked these off in her mind.
"Always be aware of your surroundings, but do not let it cost you your focus." she offered, feinting with a high blow before changing her grip and arching up with the back end of her spear.
Lets see if the man had wits.
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