|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:19 pm
Solo: Raiha
Word Count: 1,059
He had been out looking at several different traps for hours. After not finding any catches in the last few he'd located, his father had become suspicious and worried that someone or something had been releasing the small critters they were attempting to catch and sell. He didn't mind that the creatures were getting out somehow-better they escape and have their freedom than be caught by one of them. His father knew this, and had been attempting to blame him for the released animals. It wasn't him, but that hadn't convinced his father. So now he was to go and make sure the traps were working, and if nothing was caught he had to go and catch things himself. Neither of these things were appealing options. He had had no luck with either of the options, and with it steadily getting darker he would have to return soon empty handed. His father would be mad, and would potentially send him back out if he came back empty handed. He had to find something and fast. Sighing in defeat, he collapsed down next to one of the many traps his father had placed in the area. He really hated those things. He didn't want to be a trapper like his father was. He hated going out and having to catch the little creatures and sell them to merchants who would potentially harm them. It was terrible, but his father gave him no choice in the matter. What he really wanted to do more than anything else was to tame a familiar and become a rider. Like that would ever happen though. No animal would want to willingly stay with him, especially since he was so quiet in nature. A strong person needed to be able to command and train a familiar into an acceptable mount, and he honestly didn't think he could do it. He wasn't commanding at all, or even loud for that matter. A mount couldn't read what he was saying so he would have to actually speak to whatever he got. He just wanted to be a rider so bad, but everything was working against him! From his shyness to his lack of confidence, nothing he did made it seem like he would be a good rider. His father would be angry on top of all that too. He had made it very clear that he wanted him to pick up the family business, even though it was something he didn't want to do. It was his responsibility and no son of his was going to do anything else.
"Maybe I just won't be a son of his," Dezani grumbled to himself, leaning back against his tree once more. At the sound of his voice something squawked in the distance, causing him to jump up in panic. Had something gotten caught in one of the traps? What sort of thing even made that noise? Most the time Poscuta were the only thing to get in the traps, and that was definitely not a Poscuta. The noises continued on as he sat there, growing more frantic with each passing second. If it was something dangerous or a trap, he would be in big trouble. He had nothing to defend himself with, and not exactly a big chance of winning against someone. If it was an injured animal though....he needed to go check.
Inching closer to the noise, it wasn't long before he found the culprit in general. A baby kinfa had somehow made it's way too close to one of the traps and gotten its foot stuck! It was struggling its hardest to get out of the small trap, but no matter how hard it tried it couldn't get out. Inching closer to the bird, Dezani tried to think of a way to get the poor thing out without being pecked to death. There weren't really many options, so maybe he could just speak to it and ease the bird that way. It was worth a shot at least.
"Hey girl....just calm down. If you struggle it'll just hurt you more," he cooed softly, reaching close to the trap. The Kinfa squawked louder, attempting to peck at his hand as he got closer. Okay, that wasn't exactly the best reaction. Still, he couldn't just leave the girl in there. She'd either get eaten by another predator or die from her injury. He just couldn't have that! Steeling himself for the inevitable, Dezani moved forward and started trying to work her foot out of the trap. The small bird pecked at his head and back as he worked, but he tried his best to ignore the pain as he continued to work her foot out. Finally, after much pain and maneuvering, he managed to work her little foot out of the trap. Shifting away from her as she flew away from the trap, he moved to inspect his own wounds he had received from helping. They were a bit deep, but he'd be okay. At least the brightly colored Kinfa was free. Kicking the trap away, he was surprised when the little bird fluttered close to him and landed on the ground beside him. He figured she would have flown off back to whatever it was she was doing, but here she was.
"Come to peck me again have you?' he joked, picking his bag up and preparing to move to the next trap. He could see the little Kinfa flying behind him as he walked, and was honestly curious as to what she planned on doing. Did she want to stick around? Had he actually convinced a familiar to be his? Not exactly probable. As much as he wanted to be a rider, he doubted it was that easy. It wasn't like he could ask her really either. Well he could try.
"So little Raiha," he figured that's what he would call her while she stuck around,"Would you like to be my mount?" Obviously at the moment she was too small for it, but eventually maybe she could. The little bird just squawked at him again and fluttered onto his shoulder, tugging at his ponytail as she sat there. Well it looked like some god or goddess had answered his prayers. It looked like he had found his mount and would try to become a rider after all.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OpticPeach rolled 2 4-sided dice:
4, 4
Total: 8 (2-8)
|
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:45 pm
Quote: Spring Showers
Prompt 1
Solo or RP Format
Can be used toward Solo or RP req
After the frigid chill of the harsh winter had left Tendaji, it seemed that most were happy to just return to their normal routines, though the normal routine didn’t seem to be what the weather had in mind. It wasn’t long before almost everywhere noticed the way that the winter air had seemed to push precipitation onto the land in its place. Rain flowed seemingly non-stop, reaching all the areas of Tendaji, even frozen Zena saw its share of rain, though the temperatures were still much too cold to support such a thing and rain turned to hail, which froze over the ground.
The critters of Tendaji only wanted to seek shelter from their flooded homes and the wet downpour that surrounded them. They found their way into homes, huts, sheds, anywhere that could stay dry - and preferrably warm.
Roll 2D4
Roll 1: The type of familiar in the area you encounter.
xxxxxJauhar || 1: Illo, 2: Spitorog, 3: Maglardilla, 4: Nondwa
xxxxxTale || 1: Virma, 2: Merik, 3: Kuona, 4: Poscuta
xxxxxSauti || 1: Lerim, 2: Sailscale, 3: Moracker, 4: Capramel
xxxxxZena || 1: Parak, 2: Roati, 3: Awatta, 4: Raptrix pups
xxxxxOba || 1: Ward, 2: Perzi, 3: Impa, 4: Zore
xxxxxMatori || 1: Alol, 2: Sirenn, 3: Kehtra, 4: Zanteer
Roll 2: How many are encountered.
xxxxx1 || 5
xxxxx2 || 10
xxxxx3 || 20
xxxxx4 || 30
Quote: Capramel (pl. Capramel) - These creatures, commonly referred to as "capra," are surprisingly small in size. The top of the hump on their backs, which stores fat to provide them with food and water in the harsh environment, reaches no higher than the average person's waist. However, they are hearty, sturdy creatures capable of providing milk and meat to a small group of people. Capramel are easy to tame and function well as pack animals; the perfect addition to any nomadic family.Original Concept by ladyumbra Solo: Spring Showers Word Count: 881 Dezani had been minding his own business when they had come. It had been a long few days of traveling through Sauti on his way back to tale, and he had been quite exhausted from his journey. His father had sent him out to deal with more merchants and tamers again in order to make some sales, and now he was heading back through to head back to Isd with the payments he had received from his father's trappings. He personally hated dealing with the merchants, but it was apparently supposed to build character in some way or another. He highly doubted this concept, but his father was adamant in the fact that he would grow as a person and "become less useless" as he so kindly put it. Sure, he didn't deal well in social situations, but that didn't exactly mean he was useless, just unable to do many things involving social situations. Which was perfectly okay with him. He hated speaking to people and the anxiety that came with it. It was the entire reason he had continued to keep his journal with him. The ridiculous amount of pressure his father had been putting on him had only made his determination to stick to the journal more apparent. Was he being a bit unreasonable? He didn't think so. He had such intense panic attacks whenever he spoke to someone that he was really just keeping his best interest at hand as far as his health was concerned. He'd rather play it safe than continue to panic to the point of passing out. His father just didn't understand it. Deep in his own thoughts, Dezani hadn't even noticed the sound of hoof prints beating sloppily on the damp ground. That's what he got for not paying attention really. He was always too busy thinking to himself to notice anything. If it had been a bandit of some sort they would have surely stolen from him without him ever noticing a thing. Now the noises were closer, and he could feel the shaking of the earth beneath his feet. What in the world was going on? He'd never felt anything like this before while traveling through Sauti. It was such an odd sensation, but something about it made him quite uncomfortable. The sounds drew closer and closer still, but whatever it was still had a way before it reached him. He just needed to find some place to go or figure out just what it was. Perhaps you're just imagining things. What would even make a sound such as that? No, he definitely heard it. Keeping a tight hold on his pack, Dezani crept over towards a high sitting rock and perched upon it, hoping whatever it was would show up. Not long after he found his way up onto it is when the real trouble began. He had expected something more like a trading group or traveling merchants with the sounds he was hearing, but what he really hadn't expected was to see a herd of Capramel! No, not a herd. More like a stampede! Thirty Capramel came bounding through, their hooves beating against the wet earth and kicking up mud and dirt into the young Leafling's face. Whatever had spooked them had really done a good job at it with how they were reacting to everything. They stumbled into one another left and right while continuing to push forward towards whatever may be in their path. They practically plowed over everything, and if he wasn't careful he'd be in serious trouble. The rain made everything around him slick and sticky. His feet had gotten stuck in the mud several times already as it was, and now one wrong slip and he'd be among the stampeding Capra. There just had to be some way to stop them from causing more destruction than they already have. Perhaps if he found the leader of the herd he could get them all to follow its lead. That would take some serious skill to get them under control though. Maybe he could just leave them alone and hope for the best. There wasn't too much in Sauti for them to destroy as long as they didn't run too far. No, you have to stop them somehow. It would be far too dangerous for others if you don't.Sighing, he prepared himself for what he knew he had to do. Somehow he had to jump onto the small animal's back and manage to balance himself long enough to calm them. Oh this would be fun. Steeling his nerves he jumped off his slippery rock, stumbling slightly as he landed on the poor unsuspecting Capramel that looked to be in charge. The creature sunk to the ground with the weight, causing the others to skid to a halt and bump into one another. The rain made the fur on the small beast to drip and stick to Dezani uncomfortably as he tried to calm the beast. If he was ever to be a more capable animal rider he would have to get better at jumping onto animals. Though to be fair he hoped next time he made a daring stunt such as that it was with much larger creatures without fumbling around in the rain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 11:12 am
Quote: Did You Hear?
Prompt 1
Solo or RP Format
Can be used toward Solo or RP req
Word spread fast in a place like Tendaji. Surprising when the people were so spread out, but now that there was more traveling it was a growing rumor mill spreading word as fast as earthlings could move. It was little secret that a group of Alkidike were starting to cause problems in Tendaji. The extremist Alkidike felt that it was high time that Jauhar was taken back from the shifters and the alarming growth of others that were settling into their land.
There were growing accounts of ambushing in the jungles of Jauhar, where shifters and other earthlings were being beaten and sacked for their things before being threatened to leave Jauhar… and there was only so much these poor people could take before they fled the scene and packed their bags. What would happen if the Alkidike decided to spread out further than Jauhar and became a threat to all earthlings?
They were still rumors, and nothing could be proved, but many were beginning to cast a disapproving gaze toward the Alkidike and a weary eye to Jauhar’s borders...
Solo: Did You Hear? Word Count: 770 Dezani knew that the Alkidike weren't exactly pleased with the Earthlings moving into Jauhar, but to outright attack them? It seemed a bit ridiculous to him. Tale was close enough to Jauhar to be a next target if the extremest decided to keep moving, and with that came more war. They had just dealt with the threat of the Oban, now would they have to deal with the Alkidike too? For once he just wished all of them would suck it up and get along! It wasn't like the Earthlings were trying to harm the Alkidike or anything! They were just going there to trade wares and explore. What was so wrong with that? The Alkidike themselves left to travel around sometimes and they weren't attacked, so why go and attack Earthlings for exploring their land? While all of these things were supposedly just rumors, he knew better than to believe that. They were warrior women, and if they didn't like you they would let you know. To think they would go so far as to ambush poor travelers though...it just didn't seem rightly. Something was surely wrong in some way, and he wanted to know what it was. Maybe their goddess was leading them that way? But that would mean all of them would be attacking, and it seemed to just be a select few that were causing the attacks from what the rumors were saying. There hadn't been any sort of weird troop movement or anything, so it was probably safe to assume that it wasn't a group effort and simply a few very loud extremest causing all of the issue. As much as he hated to admit it he was worried though. The Alkidike were not to be trifled with, and if more and more extremest started popping up it could cause issue for quite a few people, himself included. He was lucky enough to be traveling mainly through Sauti nowadays, but his father, as much as he disliked a lot of what his father did he knew that if something were to happen to him he would be devastated. Jauhar was so close that if anything were to happen they would all feel it. There would be no way to get out of it. They'd be the first to get attacked after the Shifters, and if the Alkidike ran all the Shifters out they would all run to Tale first. It would be total mayhem and he wasn't sure any of them could handle such destruction so soon after the other war. It was still all just rumors, but rumors always held some truth in them. They needed to prepare somehow just in case, but he doubted that the leaders would be so willing to do that with it still just being rumors. He was concerned for his family, his friends, everyone though. He wanted to make sure they were all safe and away from harm, but that was impossible of course. He would have to hope for the best and maybe, just maybe, things would calm down instead of getting much worse. That was of course wishful thinking though. Nothing ever got better. Once it started going downhill there wasn't much anyone could do to stop it other than fighting back. More bloodshed was coming one way or another if these rumors were true, and they would have to somehow calm the fierce warrior woman to make it stop. He hated throwing all of the women into that category, but with so little known he didn't know who to trust as far as they went. Who were extremest and who weren't? Who could he trust, and who was out to get every other race and push them out of Jauhar and even beyond if they so desired? There wasn't enough information known to make a logical decision about the situation, and with everyone being defensive over their own people something could go very wrong if emotions ran high enough. He just really hoped nothing had to come to that and that it was all just silly rumors. The fate of the Alkidike and of all the races could be changed once again if these extremest had their way and led the Alkidike somehow. If one wrong move happened the already on edge people could be turned into even worse things. He was afraid for everyone if the rumors were true, and if it came between defending his people and trying to make peace, he wasn't exactly sure just what he would do. It was a slippery slope, and one he didn't want to go down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:14 am
Solo: A Mount Above The Rest Word Count: 1,033 "You're getting so big, girl. Soon it'll be time for you to really be put to the test," Dezani smiled, patting his ever growing kinfa. He had been training Raiha to be his mount for a while now, but due to her size it had been hard for him to. Now she was finally almost ready. She may not have been full sized just yet, but she was no baby any more. He believed she was ready and it was time they tested a few things out. He was a bit nervous about it to say the least. There were very few things he had been able to teach her before now, and now that it was time he was just jumping right into it all. He felt that they both had a strong bond though, and he trusted her to be the best and only mount he ever needed. She was always his companion and friend, despite being just a kinfa. If he couldn't train her to be his mount then he didn't want to have a mount. It was Raiha or nothing in his eyes, and that determination fueled him forward and made him want to do his absolute best to make sure his favorite kinfa companion was prepared to take on the challenge. He'd been teaching her simple commands for a while, things like when to come to him and other small commands. Being the intelligent bird she was, she picked them up quite easily, but still he felt like he needed to do more with her. He'd been thinking about it for days, but now that he had the time to work with her once more he was sure they were both ready. He set out early that morning, making sure Raiha was bright and aware for the trials ahead they were both going to face. He was nervous to attempt to ride her, but it was now or never. He needed a mount and she was going to be trained to do it. "Okay girl, I need you to trust me on this. If you are uncomfortable or anything you have to let me know," he spoke to her, hoping that her kinfa mind understood just what he was saying. He hoped so or things could get bad fairly fast. She was still a bit smaller than a fully grown kinfa, but large enough that he could settle onto her for at least a small distance. They wouldn't try any crazy acrobatic moves way up in the air or anything, but being careful low to the ground would be okay. Just enough to get her used to it. Slinging his leg over her and being sure not to hurt her wings in the process, Dezani cooed to her and tried to coach her through settling with him on her. The kinfa panicked a bit, her wings flapping and hitting him in the process, but once she realized he wasn't there to harm her she settled back and attempted to turn her head to watch him. He was sure she was confused by the situation and the odd weight on her back, but in time he was sure she would get used to it. "Up Raiha," he ordered his feathery friend, hoping the command would get across to her. Unfortunately for him, she simply squawked cheerfully and fluttered her wings more at him. He really wasn't sure if she had understood him and was just ignoring him, or if she was simply happy to hear his voice. Kinfa were indeed strange creatures, and it wasn't like he could speak her chirpy language to understand her. All he could think to do was try and command her again. "Raiha, up." This time the bird huffed at him, tilting her head before slowly lifting him up on her back. It was a bit surprising to have her actually listen to him, but now that she was he couldn't lose the momentum they had going. Her movements were definitely shaky as she tried to adjust to him sitting atop her back, and he felt as if he were going to fall off at any second. Finally though, she seemed to find a decent rhythm and began to flap a bit harder, raising them slowly off the ground. Having no real control of the situation at the moment, Dezani didn't know what to do. He knew at some point he needed to be the one to take charge, but being fairly new to this all he had no plan on how to do it. He didn't have reigns or anything for her. Should he have had some? Were that what the other riders used, or did they just do what he was doing now? He had so many questions but really no one to answer them at all. He'd gotten this far on his own, but trial and error could only get him so far. "What am I supposed to do, girl? Do you have any idea?" he questioned, knowing she wouldn't have any suggestion. Raiha seemed to be thinking hard on what she was doing though, taking her small hovering flight slower than she usually did. They were both testing things out and neither seemed to know what the other wanted or planned on doing. He trusted her and could only hope she trusted him in return, but there was always that small chance she didn't. If there was any doubt they would not be able to do this.Shaking the thought away, he prepared for his final test. If he could at least somewhat guide her as she fluttered along there was a chance he could do this. "Ready?" he spoke more softly, patting her head gently as he used his legs to try and turn her. She resisted at first, wanting to go her own way, but eventually he could feel her resistance wither away until she was listening to his directions. Sure, they were both still shaky at best and would need a lot of practice, but Raiha was going to be his mount and they were going to keep working at it until they were the best pair around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 1:42 am
Solo: Thinking of the Future Word Count: 1,016 He'd been struggling to figure out what he wanted to do with his future. He knew he wanted to continue down his path as a rider and have Raiha as his wonderful riding companion, but where was that going to get him? What did he do with such a skill set? He wanted more than just traveling around and helping his father with his own job. He wanted to find his own place in Tendaji to settle and make a name for himself. Maybe not a big name or anything, but just a chance to work on his own. He could train others to become riders and continue on with that, but really that would just leave more Tendajians with the skills and nothing to do with them that he could really think of. He could start up a small military force for the leaflings, but he didn't enjoy war to begin with. There were just so many unknowns to him and with him getting older he wanted a clean cut plan of some sort. He was having an odd sort of crisis and he unfortunately had no idea what to do about it. He could go and talk to his father about it, but there wasn't much he could really say about it. He was coming to the realization that being an adult was hard work. Of course he knew it, but really thinking about it was another thing. He really had to applaud his father for knowing what he wanted to do despite all the things he had gone through. Losing his mother, having to raise him, all while working hard at his job. Now that he was older he knew just how lucky he was that his father hadn't simply left him all alone. He'd stuck around, and while he hadn't always been the best, he was still there and kept a roof over their head. While he didn't want to be like his father and raise children how he had, he could still appreciate everything he had done for him growing up. Though that was another thing he had to think about. He knew he wanted kids, that was definitely certain. Something he'd been thinking on more and more. How he planned on doing that he really had no clue. He had a strange relationship with Araie, but he couldn't really call it romantic. At least not yet. It was more...comfortable than anything else. He enjoyed being with her. He planned to keep her safe and taken care of. Then again he supposed that was a lot of what being with someone was. There was a lot happening in the near future and whether he was ready for it was up in the air. He knew he enjoyed taking care of different creatures. Always had and always would. Perhaps there was something he could do with that now that he thought of it. Something that could still go along and help his father, but be his own thing. It was worth thinking about it. He could potentially start up his own business, maybe have some sort of odd animal shelter smack in the middle of Tendaji. There could not only take care of multiple creatures, but train anyone who wanted to learn how to be a rider. It would take a lot of work to do, but he already had connections with a lot of the trappers. If they brought some of their creatures in he could train them and work with them so that others could have companions. Maybe even work with riders and their mounts. It was a long shot, but something he could potentially do if he raised enough money in order to do it. He'd have to either build or buy a home, then on top of that make sure it had pens and cages comfortable enough for all the creatures he would house there. It'd also be a stable place to start a family. "What do you think Raiha? You think we could have a little animal shelter all to ourselves? Maybe have miss Araie stay with us for a while longer?" he asked the kinfa, patting her gently on the head. "You think she'd want to stick around with us even though I'm sort of a boring guy?" Raiha squawked her approval, butting her head against his hand. He needed to see how she felt about the situation of course, but it was an option to consider. Maybe if she agreed she could even help. Potentially have a small magic school along the side of his riding classes. He knew she'd been wanting to teach younger kids magic for a while, and with her magic abilities growing even more it was definitely an option for her to do. He was sure she would be a fantastic teacher to the younger generations. Without really realizing it, it seemed like he had made a plan for both him and Araie. It really was just like him to do that despite trying his best not to plan so far ahead. He doubted Araie would agree to all of his planning so easily. He would question her sanity if she did. There was a lot that went into getting a home and starting up an odd sort of business such as the one he was planning on doing. It required constant upkeep, potential defenses from the elements and bandits a like. The two of them alone could run it, but it would be a hard thing to do. They would potentially need to hire help, which meant more hunting for food, obtaining food for the creatures. Especially the proper food from different regions. Was this something he really wanted to do? Was this even realistic for him to consider? He was old enough to plan his own way, but he didn't know the ins and outs of the world just yet. "I think this is something I want to do, Raiha. Hopefully you don't hate me for all the other animals being around. You're still my main girl after all."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 2:25 am
Solo: Split Decisions (Growth Solo) Word Count: 2,102 Things had been going so smoothly so far, of course it would change eventually. He was never allowed a quiet moment to simply be. He an Araie had been on the road for a while, but with her hurting her shoulder and he slowly training Raiha along the way it had been a bit of a task ahead of them. He'd thought they were slowly getting back on track and out of the clear, but that's when the rumors had all started. There was said to be a very large storm coming, of course he wasn't sure if he was to believe that or not. They'd already dealt with something a bit similar a week or so before. For there to be another one so soon was incredibly odd to say the least. Especially since the last storm had been bad enough. It had been the reason they'd went and hid in the cave and Araie had hurt her shoulder so bad. As much as he wanted to deny something like it happening so soon, there had to be a reason they were saying what they were. Their best bet was going to be to find shelter unlike last time. Perhaps an inn or small settlement to room them for a few nights. Really as long as they weren't stuck in a cave again he would be okay. One night in the cave had been bad enough as it was. He really just hoped all of this was a mere rumor and nothing bad would come of it like before. He figured he'd had enough excitement for a while with everything else. Dezani wanted to stick to the plan. The plan was safe and secure and required no extra trouble or effort. With a plan in tact he could be reassured in his movements and what he was doing. Going without a plan was just....well that was Araie's way of doing things. He was not the type to go by the seat of his pants, which is why everything had been clear cut until now. Now his plan was a bit off track with this supposed coming storm. It was okay though, really. He just needed to adjust things. He could do that. Potentially. He really was glad he looked so calm on the outside, because internally he was screaming. All he had wanted to do was travel with his beautiful friend. Shaking his head, he sighed in relief as he finally spotted what they'd been hoping for. The chance to safely stay inside during the storm was an option after all it seemed. He could only thank whoever was looking out for them for their good luck. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He'd thought it to be good luck, but now he wasn't too sure about it all. The inn in question was a bit....well it looked fairly dangerous if he was being honest about it. Several intimidating looking Tendajians stared as he walked, Raiha following closely behind him. It was really enough to make him squirm. He felt like turning back, potentially going and trying to find somewhere else to hide. That wasn't an option though. Arriving at the inn he had noticed the clouds rolling in, dark and ominous. Signs of an impending storm coming upon them. He was glad he had listened to the rumors of course, but this inn didn't feel any less dangerous to him. Several older men in particular kept continuously staring at Raiha like she was some sort of prize to be won. He refused to let anything like that happen to her of course, but they seemed to be on the hunt for something. It might just happen to be Raiha they were after. Attempting to ignore it for now, Dezani went out of his way to ignore them as he walked up to the counter where the innkeeper was. She was a short little wisp of a woman, with long graying hair pulled back into a ponytail. Out of everyone here she seemed to be the most welcoming, though probably because that was her job more than anything else. " What can I do for you hun?" she drawled out, smiling at both him and Raiha. "You looking for a place to stay you just might be in luck." "Uh yes ma'am I am," he nodded, confused when she leaned closer to him, her eyes darting around before she spoke again. "I can give ya a place to stay, but you see them men over there," she motioned to the men in particular he had really been trying to avoid, "They are a bunch of trappers, and not friendly ones either. Been looking to catch a little bird just like yours." At the comment Dezani couldn't help but beckon his kinfa closer, even more nervous now that he knew that was what they were truly after. One man in particular, a surly looking iceling with a scarred face and eye-patch over his right eye, sneered at him as he made a quick glance at him. He wanted nothing more than to bolt out of there with Raiha right behind him, but he had to stay. The storm was looming ever closer and it would be far more dangerous going out on his own than to stay there with at least a little protection. "I will be sure to keep an eye out, thank you," he finally responded, handing over some gold to pay for the room. The old woman nodded, passing over a key to him. "I don't envy your situation right now, boy. You best be careful now and lock up real tight. I can promise you a lot of things, but safety from them isn't one of them unfortunately. If they want your little bird badly enough I can promise you they will go after it." With that in mind Dezani decided it best to retire for the night. He hated how off plan this was, how nervous he was to be in a place where he couldn't comfortably settle for fear that at any moment his precious companion could be stolen from him. He'd just have to keep her by his side and make sure to sleep with one eye open. That was all he really could do. He awoke with a start, panicking as he heard several squawks from none other than Raiha. He had thought he had kept her close, and even went as far as to sleeping with a candle lit, but apparently with the long journey he had slept right through everything. The winds howled outside as he stumbled out of bed, trying to rub at his eyes to see. "Raiha?" he called out, stumbling about as he heard her continued cries and what sounded like grunts of struggle. Everything else in the in seemed quiet as he stood there, trying to figure out just what was going on. Raiha was nowhere to be found, that much was certain. Running out of the inn, he was struck with a cold shiver that ran down his spine at the freezing rain hitting him. How had they even managed to go out in this rain? Surely they weren't that foolish enough, but there, he spotted a track and what looked like something being dragged beside it. Maybe a cage? He had to make a decision and fast. There was simply no time to plan anything out about it. Planning now would take time and with all the rain already washing away the tracks of the culprits he had to just go for it. It scared him to be running into the entire situation blind, but if he waited for even a second longer the tracks would be washed away by the raging storm. Raiha needed him now more than ever. He was going to rescue his best friend despite the consequences. With the tracks already starting to wash away every passing second he wandered in the storm was a second away from losing Raiha. The trappers had been fast in snatching her, but since he ran without thinking he was managing to catch up faster than he would have if he had waited. He'd forgotten to grab his lance when running out unfortunately, but if it came down to fighting them he would figure out a way. He was closing in on the trappers fast, and even with the wind and rain he was starting to see a light up ahead. Maybe a lantern ahead? Really he could only hope he wasn't just imagining things. There was a small cliff nearby, and that same steady light source. It just had to be their camp. Now, he wasn't one for stealth, but at this moment he was willing to do anything in order to get Raiha back. Creeping along the edge of their camp, he spotted a few of the men from the inn asleep in their bedrolls. He was not one for vengeance, but if he wasn't there on a mission he would have hurt them. The thought scared him, and he pressed on before really thinking about just what he was willing to do. His main goal was to find the man with the eye-patch. While the storm continued the rage, the hidden spot they had found was fairly well covered making it a lot easier for him to see where he was going. He was concerned about waking any of them up, but it looked as though they had all drank themselves into a stupor, most likely celebrating their supposed victory. The disgusting pigs they were. Raiha would have never went to them willingly. He just hoped they hadn't harmed her in the process of trying to steal her. The trek up the side of the cliff into a small cave led him right where he wanted thankfully. He'd feared the worst, but there she was, trying to peck her way out of a tight little cage they'd shoved her in. At the sight of him, she paused and tried to cry to him, but Dezani quickly tried to wave her off to hush. If anyone was alerted to his presence it would be all but over. With no weapon and Raiha stuck in a cage he was pretty well defenseless. Still edging closer to the cage, Dezani panicked when she started to squawk once more. "Raiha hush-" something hard slammed against his back, causing him to stumble forward. Pain shot through his shoulder as he attempted to spin around and see the culprit. "You think you can just take my prize so easily. You've got another thing coming boy," the man with the eye-patch laughed, preparing to charge at him hammer drawn and all. There was no time to think, no time to calculate. Dezani had an anger inside of him he'd never felt before. He was always the cautious one, always the one to never take a chance and plan things out. Right now that Dezani was gone and the one in his place was a terrifying being. He charged at the man, slamming into him and knocking him to the ground before he could react. The older man may have been stronger, but Dezani was younger and faster than him. They struggled like that for a while, rolling around on the ground in an attempt to gain an edge over the other. The eye-patch man pulled out a blade, slicing at Dezani's chest in an attempt to free himself from their entangled state. The pain was nearly unbearable, but he wasn't giving up. Raiha was his kinfa, his friend, and he wouldn't leave her to suffer. Finally, a mistake on the older man's part and Dezani got the upper hand he needed. Ripping the hammer from the man's hands, he swung it, striking a blow to his head. The man slumped over then, whether dead or alive he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he had been stopped for now. Beaten and bloody, he stumbled his way over to the cage once more, smashing the lock with the newly obtained hammer. He'd did it. Without a plan, without any guiding thing other than his will to save his companion. He may have been a bit injured in the process, but it would be okay. He had his companion and that all that mattered. He didn't look back as he wandered out of the camp, Raiha helping him along. He'd have to grab his things and keep moving, pick up Araie too. It would be a difficult venture, but one they could make. One they had to make. Quote: This solo shows that sometimes Dezani can't rely on a carefully thought out plan when things are going wrong. He's learned that one just has to act in some cases or everything he holds dear could potentially be lost. This will be a driving factor during his stage 3 with deciding just how he wants to proceed with his growing relationship with Araie as well as his future career as a rider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
