|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 4:16 am
After the Battle
Gahiji was sitting out in front of the house that he shared with Kinte and Meint, chewing slowly on a dehydrated, perfectly spiced piece of janarim meat. It was something that he'd made himself, a treat that he was enjoying at the moment, while he was trying to figure things out in his head. He was feeling... frustrated. No, that didn't feel like a strong enough word for the feelings he was experiencing. Frustration, annoyance, confusion, and various other feelings all rolled up into one giant ball in his chest. Lifting a hand he set to scratching at his neck for a moment before he lifted his hand, taking hold of his yaotl mask, and tugged it down over half of his face. The mask helped to hide his eyes which in turned helped him to hide his level of confusion from the world around him. That didn't so much help with the rest though.
He'd been in this state ever since he'd run into that full Matorian warrior a few days back. It was at that point that everything ended up all mixed up in his brain. He'd started to battle with him, he always tended to be the instigator, and it had been a grand battle. The most exciting part was the fact that he'd actually almost taken the powerful man down! A shame that he'd failed in the way that he had, a shame that he'd messed up at the last possible moment. That was the most embarrassing moment of his life up to this point, that he'd managed to trip himself up on his own feet in the middle of a battle. After that it was kind of a blur for a while. He'd fallen, hit his head, and then ended up in a that dazed state. It was a horrible thing, an embarrassing thing, compounded by the fact that the Matorian had then saved him. He'd picked Gahiji up, carried him away from the scene of their battle, and sat with him in the shade of some trees while he waited for him to come to.
It was then that everything just got complicated and annoying! He came to near the guy, a guy who was only too happy to compliment him for his skills in battle, his looks, and various other things, before he'd... argh! Just thinking about it was enough to make Gahiji's temper flare a bit. He gave a hissing around the food in his mouth before tugging his mask down a bit more over his face. Damn, sneaky, Matorian b*****d! He caught him when his guard was down and he... and he... damn it! Lunging up to his feet he set to pacing a bit while he continued to chew on the janarim jerky before he swallowed the piece of it.
It wasn't that the warrior wasn't interesting, it wasn't that he wasn't strong and someone that really interested Gahiji... but the guy had stolen a kiss from him! Not just a regular one either but the sort that he'd only ever seen adults share before. The guy said that it was recompense for the battle that Gahiji had started with him. He supposed that he should be happy. It wasn't like he wanted to owe the guy since he'd definitely been the one to start the fight with him... but still, was that really a fair payment? A kiss for a battle? It sounded completely foolish in his mind and made him want to... want to... what? Go and pick another fight with the guy to get back at him? What would happen then? Would he want more kisses if Gahiji lost again? Just thinking about it made his cheeks color a bit before his mask.
Giving a bit of a grumble he continued with his pacing. He wondered if he should go after him again, fight him again, risk losing more kisses in his attempt to win. He could just forget about him, continue to strive toward the power to fight the yaotl, ever looking forward. He could do that but at the same time he hated the idea. To find a powerful rival and just leave them alone? Never battle them again? Act the part of a coward around them because he was afraid to lose kisses of all things to him? Was that payment worth paying for a good fight? He really couldn't say since it sounded crazy in his mind. What sort of warrior would ask for kisses as payment? It was a strange thought that almost made no sense... except he knew it was real because it had already happened once before. So what did he do then?
He supposed that he could always train for a rematch, that way he wouldn't be risking his kisses for nothing. Right? If Jonal was willing then the next time that he met with the Matorian then he would be able to take him down! After that it would be up to Gahiji what he chose as his prize for winning. The Matorian had wanted that kiss and Gahiji... well, to be honest didn't really want for anything. He was just happy to get the fight. So the prize for winning the battle would be the battle itself. So that meant he was now training to take on both the Yaotl and that particular Matorian. Giving a nod of his head he muttered, "I will offer of a prayer to you then, Jonal. I will get strong enough to take on all comers without losing." A powerful vow but one that he meant to fulfill with the strength of his own willpower.
Giving a grumble he turned his attention toward where he had the janarim hides staked out, circling around them a couple times, before he squatted down in front of them. They were getting closer and closer to ready. Soon enough he would be able to make his armor out of those hides. Once he had his armor he would become more powerful because he would have more protection then his current mode of dress offered. Once he had that he'd be able to take on more powerful opponents, including the two that he'd vowed to defeat... though in two vastly different ways. He didn't want to kill the Matorian after all, nor did he want to make him into armor. That was something he was saving for the yaotl... and well, any other giant beasts that might be out there. He would definitely like another go at a snaptrotter sometime too. Likely before he took on the yaotl since he could add to his armor if he got a snaptrotter hide.
Pushing to his feet again he started to pace for a moment before a sharp whistle drew his attention. Turning to the side he watched as Meint leaned out the door, looking at him, and then motioned with an arm, "Come on inside, Gahiji. You're pacing is driving me crazy!" A muffled voice behind him, likely that of Kinte, caused him to turn for a moment. He looked back inside the door a moment, nodded, then called out again, "Dinner is ready too. C'mon!"
An order he might normally ignore but he wanted the food. Food would also help him to get stronger after all. As such he had to fill his belly, then he could get back to his training! That thought in mind he turned and hurried back toward the house, eager to get to step one of his 'getting stronger soon' plan.
(( Word Count: 1253 ))
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 6:01 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:35 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 1:45 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:26 am
Stuck at Home
Gahiji was laying on the floor in the middle of the sitting room of the house, starring up at the ceiling through eyes of his mask. He was bored, painfully so, to the point that he was kicking his feet in boredom. He was stuck in the house again today, waiting on Kinte and Meint as they prepared, so that the lot of them could go fishing as a group. It was... well, it was awful per say, but it wasn't great either. He liked fishing, was always hoping that maybe he'd fish up a large monster instead of a fish but he'd yet to be so lucky. Instead he just caught fish after fish last time.
He knew that it was a good thing, it fed his family, and it gave them stuff to sell at the market... but it was still awful! Mostly because he wasn't along to leave home on his own. When his guardians told him that he wasn't allowed to go out on his own anymore, that there were dangerous bug mages out there, it was as though the entire world fell apart around him. How was he supposed to go hunting if he couldn't leave the house without his guardians? How was he supposed to find himself some good fights when it was impossible for him to skulk about in the manner that he preferred. It meant that he was just left to try to fill his time with stuff that he could do at home and with his guardians which sort of limited his options.
If nothing else at least they had offered to duel him from time to time to make up for the fact that he wasn't able to go around picking fights. The two of them were fishermen but he really wondered what they might be in the past, possibly warriors of some sort? Not that they had ever said anything about it to him. He'd asked before but Meint always just shrugged off the question while Kinte just didn't answer in any manner at all. It was suspicious but he cared too much for the pair to really hassle them. Instead he felt that he should just be happy that they were going to give him the offered duels. Some fights were better then no fights in Gahiji's mind.
The down side being that it wasn't something that they would do for him often since they had work to do. Balancing work with play was important for adults or so they had told him. Not that he saw the duels he got into as play... well no, that wasn't all true. There were some duels in which it was more of a game then anything but he didn't think that they all were. It all depended on the opponent he supposed.
Gahiji jerked up right, his mask falling into his lap, as he heard the door to one of his guardian's rooms open up. A moment later Meint came into the room, dressed and prepared, ready to face the day. He walked over to the table where food was waiting for him, lifting a hand to ruffle Gahiji's messy hair as he went by him, "Been up a while I take it?" He could vaguely recall him banging on the door earlier, before the sun was fully up, looking for someone to entertain him but he'd just rolled over and went back to sleep. Sitting down at the table he picked up a piece of the fruit that sat there, taking a bite out of it.
"I do apologize, Gahiji. It's just for the best until the issues with the Dretch are dealt with. You're a bit like a son to Kinte and I and we don't want anything else to happen to you." Meint said, wanting nothing more then to get the wild teenager to understand what it was that was going on. He didn't want for Gahiji to think that they were punishing him because they weren't, it was just for the best. He'd been through so much when he was little, still carried the scars from that incident, and if they could protect him from going through something else then it would be worth it. Even if Gahiji was left in a grumpy state.
Gahiji watched Meint for a moment before scooping up his mask, putting it on his head, before crawling over to the table. Once at his spot at the low table he laid his head down on it, watching his guardian, "I understand... it's just... boring. I should be out there fighting more beasts, gathering more bits and pieces, and continuing my work building my armor. Do you... think that we could... ahh... go hunting? All three of us so that nobody is left alone, so that I can get more pieces for the armor. I was thinking some snaptrotters so that I can add their hides to the janarim and drow that I already have."
Meint gave him a long look before he said, "Snaptrotters, huh? I feel that your best bet, at least as far as today is concerned, will be for us to keep our eyes open while we are out fishing today. We are going to go out in the boat which will give you a better chance at a fight with one of them." The snaptrotters were a giant pain when it came to the way that they stalked boats and stole fish. If Gahiji wanted to hunt those some of those ones then maybe the rest would learn?
"Really? Alright! I will bring my spear along in the boat so that I can take a shot at any snaptrotters that try to mess up the fishing expedition." He was quite excited about the fishing trip now. Reaching out he picked up a piece of the dried meat that was sitting on a plate on the table, dragging it over to put in his mouth, and chewed on it slowly. His mind was already wandering to the snaptrotters, thinking about what he could use each piece of them for. A nice necklace out of the teeth and some beads, armor pieces out of the hide, and they could cook up the meat!
Giving a smile he said, "Do you think we should dry some of the meat if I get a snaptrotter and sell it alongside the fish we get? I know there are a lot of people that like snaptrotter tails in stews." That was Gahiji's favorite way to eat the stuff personally so giving up the tail would be tough... but he knew that they sold well so it was something that he could give up if it helped their family. If they got more then one of the beasts though then he'd keep the second one for himself... well, not just himself, for all of them. They could make a good soup out of the tail and maybe some of the fish that they got. Oh! And if they could get some clams, some shrimp, maybe some crab... he sat up, drooling a bit at the thought.
"I think we should collect all sorts of tasty seafood so that we can cook it all up in a big, tasty, sea soup!" He told Meint, hopping up to his feet, tossing the last piece of dried meat into his mouth. He turned around, hurrying out of the room, passed Kinte who was just entering the room.
Gahiji gave the older fisherman a grin and announced in an excited manner, "It's gonna be a great day today I just know it!" The man gave Gahiji a curious glance as he then ran by before looking at Meint, seeking some explanation for the good mood that the teenager seemed to be in. His mood was vastly different from last night when they'd all gone to bed for the night.
"Don't worry about him. I gave him a few suggestions that helped him to get his mind off the fact that he's stuck at home at the moment. He's a good kid at heart, even if he is the sort that is stubborn and hardheaded." Meint said, giving a smile before he motioned to Kinte to sit down with him, "It seems we are going to probably have a sea soup as well if he has his way... which he often does." He said before he finished off the fruit that he was working on. The sea stew was something that was fairly involved as far as how many ingredients were present but it was simple enough to make. It was just a bunch of stuff thrown into the same pot of broth and cooked to perfection.
Once Gahiji reappeared, armed with his spear, the trio finished a quick breakfast of dried meats, fruit, and juice before they were heading out for the day. They were going out in the boat today meaning it would be an all day venture, a good way to get enough fish to feed themselves and sell, not to mention it was a good way to keep Gahiji busy. Being on a boat would also keep him from wandering off. It was win win in that way.
(( Word Count: 1534 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:03 am
Fishing Fun
Gahiji gave a bit of a grin as he looked at the good sized fish that he'd speared with his yaotl fang spear. He was quite pleased with the looks of it because it was an impressive size that would help to either feed the family or it would be good to sell. It was mostly up to Kinte and Meint he thought to himself before he pulled the fish onto the boat they were all sitting in, whacking it with the butt end of his spear. Once that was done he turned back tot he water, looking around for something else to try to stab at.
"This is kinda fun." He said, his pink eyes locked on the surface of the ocean water. He didn't see any big water predators yet but at least the fishing was good? Better then staying home for sure. It wasn't hunting large, dangerous beasts but it was something. He'd take it because, due to the Dretch threat, he wasn't allowed to do what he wanted to do. He had to find fun where he could. Glancing over at his guardians he watched as Meint saw to cleaning out the fish that he'd caught, tossing the insides back into the water, something that seemed to draw in only that many more creatures. The rest of it was rubbed down with salt and wrapped up for later.
Turning back to the water Gahiji found himself watching the spot that was stained for a moment with red, watching as various creatures came in to grab at the offerings. It was only when he saw one that was worth while did he lift up his spear, thrusting it forward into another fish What he'd done to the first one was repeated first by Gahiji, then by Meint. It was a something that seemed to continue on for a while, with the three of them catching a decent amount of fish, something that would feed them as well as give them enough to fish to sell. It was Kinte that finally decided to call the fishing trip as done. They had a good amount of fish after all and they didn't want to risk sinking their small vessel.
It was as they were heading back that Gahiji spotted a shadow in the water that was following them, something that had him sitting up right, his eyes going wide, "Ahhh..." Something was following them! What was it? A snaptotter? A yaotl? Would it continue to follow them to the beach and offer him a good fight? It was something that had his fin ears twitching rapidly, his eyes filled with excitement, willing the beast to continue after them. It was impossible to tell what it was since it was deep enough under the water that it was just a shadow... but it seemed determined to continue to follow. It must know that they had lots of fish on board, could probably smell the blood from them, and that suited Gahiji.
"Something is following us. I will take it out once we get to the dock." He told Kinte and Meint without looking their way, keeping his gaze locked on the creature that was stalking them. The way that he was shifting in place, hands tightening on his weapon, showed how excited he was for the possible battle that was laying there before him.
Giving a bit of a sigh Kinte said, "Do be careful, Gahiji." He didn't want to see the teen get hurt because he was too eager to get into a battle against whatever it was that was coming after them.
"Yeah, don't go getting hurt, Gahiji. We can't very well carry both you and the fish to the village... and if it's me I will pick the fish since we can sell those." A comment that caused Kinte to give the man a nudge in the side to silence him and keep the pair from starting a fight. Not something Kinte wanted to deal with while they were all still aboard the boat. He'd leave them to fight it out on dry land since that didn't risk flipping the boat that they were on.
There was quiet on the boat between where Kinte silenced them with a nudge and the dock. The moment the boat hit the dock Gahiji was on the move, spear in hand. Standing on the end of the dock he watched the water, his heart thudding in his chest, and it was then that he saw it. The shadow was still there, circling around, and for a moment a fin broke the surface. Instantly he knew what it was and he called out, "It's a shark!"
Sharks were delicious! He wanted this one, wanted to catch it, kill it, and make it into a delicious soup! Before the others could even think about stopping him he'd already jumped off the dock spear first into the water. There was a great splash from Gahiji hitting the water, a lot of flailing, and a lot of red filling the water where he went under. A few tense moments later and he broke the surface, a look of delight on his face, "I got it! Let's cook it up, Kinte!"
The man hurried forward to the end of the dock, reaching down to catch hold of his arms, pulling Gahiji out of the water. He set to looking him over, making sure that he wasn't injured, before he said, "Damn it Gahiji! You need to be more careful! I said that I didn't want you to get hurt and that you were supposed to be careful." Once he was sure that the teen was alright he sighed and hugged him tight. It was something that seemed to confuse Gahiji a little bit.
"Kinte? It's alright... I mean, I'm alright... nothing to worry about." He lifted a hand to pat the man's back. It was strange that the man was so worried when it was just a shark. Still, he found himself feeling a tad guilty, "Sorry... I... I will be more careful next time I go after a shark."
"Yes, you will." Kinte said before he stepped back away from him, giving him a pat on the head, "Come on, get some rope off the boat and we will pull the shark out of the water." If it was a good sized shark then it would be worth dragging it to the village to sell some of the meat as well. Gahiji would be allowed to keep enough of it to make some soup but the rest would be sold since shark meat sold pretty well to Matorian chefs. There was just something about things like sharks and other dangerous beasts that had a taste to them that a lot of people liked. As much as he hated to admit it Gahiji had done really well.
Gahiji walked to the edge of the dock, reaching out, and caught hold of his spear. He pulled on it, using it to tug the shark closer, and once it was easier to see through the red tinged water Meint was able to lasso the tail of the beast. It took the three of them a bit of time to pull the shark onto the dock and then they went to work on the shark. They had to prepare it to make it easier to move around. That meant doing a basic sort of field dressing before Gahiji took the tail of the shark, claiming that piece as his own.
Were it not for the fact that the Dretch were causing issues they might have split up then and there. Gahiji would have been allowed to head for home so that he could cook up his shark tail while Kinte and Meint headed to the market. Such things weren't really any option anymore though. The Dretch were far too dangerous and nobody could be left on their own. Once the shark was wrapped and prepared they then set to work on preparing the fish as well. All of it was moved from the boat to a travois that they had waiting for them on the dock, something that would make it a lot easier to move their catches from one place to another.
"Once we get the fish and shark sold off then we will head for home so that you can cook your shark tail, Gahiji." Kinte said, giving a bit of a sigh, "I'd like to allow you to avoid the merchant side of everything since it's not your thing but it's for your own good."
Gahiji nodded his head as he wrapped his shark tail and put it on the travois as well, "It's... alright. I mean shopping it painfully boring and I know I won't be allowed to pick fights with the warriors in town... but I guess it's better then getting taken by a Dretch?" There was a part of him deep down that kind of wanted a fight with a Dretch since they sounded so scary... a thought he'd keep to himself. If he spoke such things out loud his guardians would never let him out of their sight again.
After everything was on the travois and prepared the three of them started out, heading for town. They had a last bit of work to do and then they would be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor in the form of a fishy feast.
(( Word Count: 1572 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:48 am
Growth Solo: Hunting With Others
(( Gahiji joins a hunt for a snaptrotter dubbed the 'man killer' and instead of getting to take on the beast on his own finds himself teamed up with a group of other young hunters. He's brought out of his comfort zone by both having to work with others when it's the last thing he'd normally do and by the fact that the hunt was called before they could take the beast on. It was a day that he'd describe as 'not so bad'. Going forward Gahiji finds himself debating if he wants to continue solo hunting the 'man killer' or he wants to try another team hunt again. He finds himself a bit torn. ))
Gahiji walked into the village a few steps behind Kinte and Meint, his mind on other things now that fishing for the day was through. He'd had fun with the fishing trip, he was able to get that shark tail that he meant to cook up when he got home, and they would make a decent amount from selling the rest of shark alongside the fish that the three of them had caught. It had been a decent day but this had to be the worst part. He really did have zero interest when it came to the selling side of thing. It was painfully boring.
He supposed that he could always scan the area, see if there were any interesting warriors present, and maybe get himself a fight with said warrior? There wasn't much else to do after all. All he wanted was... let's see, perhaps a hulking wall of muscle carrying a giant hammer? That would be nice. That sort of warrior had to be a great fight. Finding that person would be the difficult part though.
As his guardians headed forward he turned off to the side, distracted by what seemed to be a gathering of people armed with various sorts of weapons. Now that was what he was looking for he thought to himself as he started forward, clutching his yaotl fang spear in his hands. So many gathered warriors meant that something interesting was going on, right? There was that part of him hoping it was a fighting tournament of some sort but he wasn't so lucky as that. Instead it was something else, but not something dull or boring. It seemed that they were readying for some sort of hunt? Something that made his pink eyes light up a bit. They were all going on a hunt? What were they hunting for? Was it a yaotl? That was probably his obsession with the giants speaking but that didn't meant it wouldn't be amazing if that were the case.
As he was thinking that he turned his head slowly to look at another armed woman that had come to stand beside him asking, "What is that is being hunted?" A question that earned him a look that said that he should probably know already exactly what was going on. He supposed that was what he got for having no interest in going to town normally. What if there was a chance that he could find large scale hunts though if he did? It was enough to have him at least considering the occasional trip into town.
At his continued starring and silence the woman gave a sigh and said, "You don't get out much, do you kid? Look, we are gathering so that we can deal with a problematic snaptrotter. It's gotten into the habit of attacking boats, attacking swimmers, and it's finally killed recently. The plan at first was to drive it away until it was confirmed as a man killer, now we have to hunt it down and kill it for the good of the village."
"Bad enough we gotta deal with the threat of those bug mages but now we gotta deal with this man killer as well? It's dangerous times we find ourselves in." Another of the warrios near to them spat out.
Gahiji's ears gave a little twitch as he took all that information in. So it was a hunt to deal with a dangerous beast? That was something that was definitely up his alley. He rather enjoyed the idea of getting to join this hunt. It seemed as though they were accepting anyone that was willing to help out and Gahiji was definitely that. The one in change, a broad shouldered Water Tribesman with a shield on his back, was talking about what the plan was to get rid of the beast, which seemed to involve going out in groups. Given the Dretch were still a threat it meant that they had to be cautious with this hunt. That made sense to Gahiji overall but he'd never hunted with others before. He did his hunts on his own, fought on his own, he didn't need help... but he doubted he could join this if he wanted to go solo.
A moment later Gahiji found himself getting pointed at and was grouped up with a trio of other warriors by the shield barer who was working on breaking the crowd up into groups. Walking over to the trio he was grouped up with he found himself giving them each a once over. Let's see... there was a swordsman, an archer woman, and one that had was carrying a... book? He was instantly starring at that person, head cocked to one side, trying to size them up. What was he doing here? Why did he have a book? Why no weapon? As though noticing him starring the young man turned to look at Gahiji, starring back.
As the two of them seemed to work on starring one another down the archer took charge saying, "We are going to go to the beach where the last attack happened. There is always the chance that it will see its kill as a victory of sorts and return." Making a motion with her hand she turned around and started on her way to the beach, with the swordsman following along after her. It seemed as though she'd taken charge and Gahiji was forced to break the stare down with the book boy so that he could follow.
The beach seemed to be a popular spot Gahiji realized as they got there. Several groups seeming as though they had the same idea. He glanced around for a moment, then sighed. There were way too many people... even the man eat wouldn't show up here, right? Turning to look at their self proclaimed leader he was about to say as much... but the one with the book said it first. Something that made him twitch a bit. A conversation ensued with the three of them talking about what they should do and almost instantly Gahiji was bored. Was this really what group fights were like?
He turned back toward the water then took a couple steps forward, half wanting to just wander off on his own. Surely if there were so many people around he wouldn't have to worry about the Dretch right? He could hunt on his own and not worry about the others who weren't going to be helpful in his mind. He was a few steps along when someone grabbed hold of him by a handful of his hair, dragging him backwards and back toward the group. It was something that caused him to whirl around, glaring at the one that had caught him.
"No wandering off on your own to try to steal the victory for yourself." The archer said, before the discussion continued. There was a lot in the way of planning, in suggestions, and guesses as to where they should head first to try to get the man killer for themselves. It was something that wouldn't hurt when it came to helping the members of any of the groups to gain prestige among the villagers and beyond. It was something that he'd never really though about personally. He enjoyed fighting, enjoyed hunting, enjoyed winning but he'd never really thought about anything passed the moment of victory other then the next fight. Should he think about that? Should he consider what he might get for winning the fights that he fought?
The girl seemed to decide upon what their next move was to be and he found himself following along after the group. This was different for him and it felt... weird. They were talking among themselves in a friendly enough manner but making far more noise then Gahiji himself would choose to do. Weren't they afraid that they were going to scare of their quarry? They would find none of the glory they wanted if they were too loud and just scared the thing off. Yet it didn't seem to occur to them. It really was strange but he wouldn't complain, not when there was a chance of a fight against a massive and dangerous snaptrotter to be had.
As they walked along Gahiji found himself feeling very out of place and it was as though his entire form was itchy. He felt so strange traveling with so many other warriors and not starting a fight with even one of them. Normally when he found himself amidst other fighters he would try to find duels with them by just attacking... but it felt wrong to do so when they were all grouped up like this for a reason. There was so much about this situation that was just weird to the young lancer but he felt that if he focused, kept in check his desire to fight against the swordsman in particular, that they would have a snaptrotter fight soon enough. At least that was what he was hoping for.
The journey up and down the beach in search of the man killer was... strange and a tad uncomfortable for the more often then not loner but after a while he sort of got used to the presence of the others. It was still a bit stuffy and loud for his liking, and not a single beast was seen for it, but it wasn't horrible. It was almost like spending an afternoon with Kinte and Meint... except he liked his guardians far more then he did the trio of strangers, naturally. The three were... alright though. The archer was a bit on the bossy side, the swordsman was a bit quiet and just let himself get bossed around, and the guy with the book... was a mystery. He had zero clue even at the end of their patrol why he was sent along. Maybe he was just smart or something and the guy with the shield figured they could use someone with smarts on their team?
At the end of the day, when things started to get too dark to see well enough the hunt was called. To his knowledge the man killer hadn't been taken care of which confused him a bit. Shouldn't they keep at it until the creature had been dealt with? At the same time going around in the dark was just asking for people to be eaten by the man killer. Especially given that the entire group that he was with seemed to be new to the rank and weapons just as Gahiji had once been. It was a disappointment to be sure but the day wasn't an entire waste. In fact if he had describe it in simple terms he'd say that it 'wasn't that bad'. He wondered if he'd want to do the same thing again though or if he'd want to continue forward on his own from here.
Despite being unable to decide he was still given the names of the three just in case they wanted to try again to find the man killer another day. The girl's name was Riavi, the swordsman was Jino, and the book guy was called Gretl. Good to know since he'd spent the afternoon with them, and good to know in case he decided to hook up with them again for future hunts.
(( Word Count: 1884 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2017 4:51 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 2:17 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 2:32 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:15 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:34 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:35 am
A New Friend?
Gahiji was sitting in the warm sand, scratching at some dried blood that was on his cheek, looking out over the water. He'd gotten a lot done today up to and including stretching out the hides of the snaptrotter he killed so that they could become a leather. That leather was something he would like to make into some sort of armor in the near future though what kind of armor he really wasn't sure as of yet. He supposed some sort of arm protect could be useful, or something tougher for his legs so he didn't have to worry as much when he went into the ocean.
His armor was always a work in progress and something that he wanted to continue to upgrade as he took out stronger and stronger creatures so he could turn them into armor as well. He wanted to have more pieces made of yaotl other then just the 'blade' of his spear that was made out of a fang. Speaking of which he needed to see about getting a strong haft for his spear so that he could fight with stronger thigns as well. Hitting beasts with thick hides with a weaker haft meant that it risked breaking. It wasn't something that he could let happen since that would interrupt his hunting. It was likely to take far longer to take care of a broken spear out in the field then it would be to upgrade it on his own terms. It had been a while since he'd done any significant work on his spear and that was definitely something that he felt that he should do.
Lifting his hand he set to scratching at his cheek again before giving a grumbling sound. He really needed to get cleaned up he thought to himself, feeling overly itchy due to the blood that clung to his skin. He was tempted to just dive into the ocean since it was right there. Not to mention the fact that washing off the blood could lure in something else for him to hunt. It was tempting but bathing in the ocean just left a person coated in salt when they dried out and he'd be itchy all over again. He'd need to go to one of the fresh water oasis that were nearby to wash there. It was an extra bit of walking but he really didn't mind. In fact he was looking forward to it since trips like that were something he enjoyed. Instantly though he found himself wondering if he should let Kinte and Meint know since that meant them likely wanting to tag along. He wanted space damn it... how he longed for a chance to bury his spear in the 'bug mages' that were forcing him to plan out every step of the way. He'd rather just run around without any sort of plan like he used to do.
Pushing to his feet, still scratching, he was about to turn toward where he knew an oasis to be when he heard a voice calling out his name. It was a voice that was vaguely familiar though he couldn't really place it at first. Not until he turned around and spotted someone that he actually knew, Gretl. He was, as far as Gahiji knew from looking at him, a weirdo. He was of mixed blood like Gahiji himself and for some reason he was crazy enough to go hunting dangerous creatures carrying only a book. He'd never gotten a chance to demand an explanation and if he actually thought that he could take on snaptrotters with a book. He supposed that he could do it this time. Gretl was here after all so there was no reason not to ask him about it.
That was the plan at least until the guy suddenly rushed him, one hand outstretched... and just out of instinct Gahiji caught hold of said wrist and flipped the guy over onto his back before pinning him there. It was only after he'd done so that he realized that the guy was as unarmed as he ever was and looking quite startled by Gahiji's reaction. Blinking his pink eyes slowly the hunter said in a muttered tone of voice, "I... apologize... I tend get into a lot of fights. So you charging at me... ahh..." He gave a shrug instead of finishing, not sure what else to say. He had gotten in a lot of duels before but somehow this felt a bit like cheating since the guy was obviously easy to take down, more so then even the easiest fights he'd had in the past.
Below him Gretl opened one blue eye, starring up at Gahiji, before he said, "I suppose it was partly my fault too... I mean, I know what you're like so... I guess going at you like that wasn't the best idea." He'd traveled with him enough to know his mind was more that of a beast then a man he thought to himself in an idle manner, eyes closing as he worked on catching the breath that was knocked from his lungs.
Gahiji starred down at Gretl for a time before he sat up and plopped back on the ground next to the other guy before he asked, "Why did you charge me? You've never struck me as the fighting type." Was now the time to ask about that book? Even as he thought it he was saying, "You don't even carry a weapon... it's just madness!"
Gretl slowly sat up, giving himself a once over to make sure he was alright before turning toward Gahiji, starring back at him, "What? No, I am not a fighter or whatever you are but I am not some weakling and I do have a weapon, Gahiji, it's just not one that is meant to stab people like yours is."
A snort escaped from Gahiji as he didn't believe for second that the guy actually had a weapon. Making a motion with one hand toward Gretl he said, "Is that so? Then where is this weapon of yours? It can't be anything impressive if you can't even stab something with it. What if a giant beast attacked you, then what would you do?" He asked in a demanding tone. Given how easily he'd taken the guy down he didn't buy any of what he was saying. He was just a bookworm and nothing more! Just as that thought went through his head though he was suddenly struck on the top of his head by the book the man carried.
"See? Good weapon, isn't it?" Gretl snapped, not looking at all pleased with Gahiji and his words.
The look on Gahiji's face was a rather startled one, not having expected Gretl to actually hit him let alone hit him with a book of all things. It was just... just... ludicrous! A moment later he reached out, snatching the book from the man's hand, and sent it flying. The book sailed forward, flipping end over end, then hit the water where it proceeded to float on the top of the lapping waves.
A drawn out moment of silence followed before Gretl turned a icy blue glare on Gahiji... and then suddenly the sand erupted around the hunter, entangling him before he found himself thrown forward into the ocean via a powerful earth spell. Gahiji hit the water not far from the book, going under, where he flailed about for a time before he got to his feet. His pink eyes went wide before he gave a hiss, "You're one of those magic slingers!"
"Yeah, idiot, I am! Now get my book out of the water before the ink starts to run or I'm going to throw you even further in!" He snapped, making a few motions with his hands as he prepared a water spell this time, causing it to rise up around Gahiji in a threatening manner.
The pink eyed hunter gave a bit of a hiss between his teeth, glaring at the rising water, before he grabbed up the book. With it in hand he stalked forward toward where Gretl was standing, hand out stretched, demanding his book back. After getting close Gahiji gave the book a toss to one side... before catching hold of the hand so that he could flip Gretl again, once more bringing him to the ground. As he hit it the sand the spell he was summoning faltered, causing the water to crash back down into place.
Gahiji shifted so that he was sitting down on Gretl, pinning him in place, and said, "I still think you're pretty weak... but knowing that you can fight to a degree, even if it's with magic, it makes you more interesting." He found himself debating if he wanted a more serious fight with him now. Maybe one in which they were both ready, willing, and prepared for it? Giving a toothy grin he got up to his feet and said, "We should fight sometime soon."
Giving a heavy sigh Gretl remained where he was on the sand, shifting so he could cross his arms behind his head, working on catching his breath again. As he rested he said, "I... supposed, maybe? For now though, idiot, can I actually do what I approached you to do?" As much as he really didn't want to bother with it anymore now that he'd been tackled twice. Something that made the blue eyed healer a tad less amiable toward Gahiji.
As though having forgotten that there was even an alternative reason for why Gretl was around other then for Gahiji to fight he asked, "Yeah... I guess I should ask. Why are you here again?" He hadn't bothered to ask before, instead finding himself curious about other, more important things.
"You really are dumb, huh? It tends to be that warriors like you think with you weapons and not your head. I was worried about all the blood, Gahiji. You're covered in it and I thought that maybe you were hurt. Given the way you're flailing about though I feel it's safe to assume that you're fine." Shifting so that he was sitting up he looked Gahiji over, then reached out to pick up his book, using a minor air spell to try to dry it after its impromptu swim in the ocean.
"Blood? Oh, yeah... the plan was to go to the oasis to clean up before I thought you were picking a fight with me." Lifting a hand he set to scratching at his cheek, finding a lot of the dried blood was made sticky again after he'd been tossed in the water after Gretl's book. Shaking his head a bit he said, "It's not mine. I was skinning and butchering out a snaptrotter that I went hunting for. I guess... thanks for the concern?" So the guy was wanting to look him over and see if he was wounded, huh? That was rather nice of him. Which made Gahiji wonder what he was up to being so nice. He had to say he was a bit suspicious but maybe it was just him being nice? At least nice until Gahiji sent him flying.
Giving a bit of a laugh he said, "I will probably still head there, especially since I am now going to be coated in salt as well as blood." He scratched at his neck in a thoughtful manner before he asked, "Do you want to tag along? It's something to do and since everyone is supposed to travel with a buddy or whatever." A rule he hated and skirted whenever possible since he tended to be a bit of a loner. Given everything that happened though he supposed that he should be nice to Gretl for a while. At the very least until he got that fair fight out of him.
"Snaptrotter blood? Why am I not surprised that one animal was fighting with another one." Gretl mumbled to himself before getting to his feet, continuing with the spell that he was casting on his book. So a trip to the oasis with Gahiji? He found himself thinking on it before he gave a slow nod of his head, "I suppose we can do that. No more flipping me around or throwing my book or else next time I might strike you with lightning instead of just some sand."
"Fair enough." Gahiji supposed that he could behave for now. Mostly because he wanted to get to the oasis sooner then later... and because if he pissed him off too much then Gretl might never fight with him. Even if he wasn't as interested in fights with magic slingers he wanted to at least have a go at him. Making a motion with his hand he said, "Come on then, let's get going. The salt is already getting itchy as it dries."
Giving a shrug Gretl said, "I'm glad to hear that." It was petty revenge to laugh at him being itchy but after being tossed about like he had he couldn't quite help it. He just felt like being a brat at the moment.
With that the two of them headed forward, away from the ocean where they had their little scuffle, and toward where the oasis stood. If they were lucky it would be abandoned at the moment so they could enjoy the bath that was waiting for them. It would appear that On'os was on their side because when they arrived it was empty. No other travelers about, no beasts looking for water, just the two of them able to enjoy their time at the oasis without worry. Gahiji was a tad disappointed as he was holding out that something big with a lot of teeth would be there getting a drink. Upon finding it empty though he gave a shrug and set about setting his things aside. His spear was first, then his mask, shoes, all of which was set just outside of the water's reach.
With that he headed toward the water, stripping down as he went, carrying the clothing with him since it would need washed as well. Bringing up the rear Gretl walked into the water as well, remaining far more modest about it. He wasn't in need of a bath so he was just wading in to cool himself off since it was a hot day as per usual in Matori. His attention wavered between Gahiji and his book for a time before he turned his full attention to the book, wanting to get it dried out and ready for future use. If it turned out it was ruined he merely have to take it out of Gahiji's hide was all.
Looking toward the beast that was splashing around in the water he said in a grumpy tone of voice, "You best hope my book isn't ruined or else you're going to have to get me a new one you idiot." He didn't want to consider being nice to Gahiji right now after all he'd done in the short time since their paths had crossed. The guy was just too rough around the edges to make chatting with him an easy thing to do, as though all he was good at was fighting. At the same time he had to wonder if that were so. He'd mentioned preparing the snaptrotter after all. Did that mean he could prepare leather and cook as well? Something one wouldn't expect just looking at him.
Gahiji glanced over his shoulder at the prickly bookworm and said, "Yeah, yeah... if it's broken I get a new one." Surely a book couldn't cost that much, right? No reason why he couldn't get the guy a new one if he actually did ruin the thing. Once his clothing had been cleaned off he tossed them onto some rocks that were near to the oasis so he could then get washed off himself. It didn't all that long before he was free of the old snaptrotter blood and salt, leaving him clean and ready to go on another hunt or to find another fight. Shaking himself off like a beast might he left the oasis, smiling out as he went, "That was great. Now... to figure out what I'm hunting next."
As he thought about the various things that he could go after now that he'd been refreshed he set about dressing in his still wet clothing. The sun would dry it soon enough so no real reason to worry about something as simple as his clothes being damp. Turning to look over at Gretl, who was sitting at the edge of the water, soaking his feet, he said, "I think I am gonna head out for another hunt... and you? Gonna see if that book still works? Or do you want to stick with me until you know if I have to replace it?" Either way he wanted to get moving himself, soon. He felt as though the walk to the oasis and the bath had been too long and he was already itching for another fight.
Gretl turned to look at him, starring, before he climbed to his feet, "I will tag along for a time. If only to see how you go about life." Might as well he thought to himself, moving to fall into step behind Gahiji, following him as they headed out looking for another hunt. He had no idea what they were going after but neither did Gahiji, so they were at least on the same page in that one aspect.
It wasn't too long before Gahiji seemed to pick up the trail of something, an excited look appearing on his face, before he pulled on his mask, "Let's get going Gretl. A janarim wasn't here too long ago and I think that we can catch up with it and take it out without much issue." Well, he could do it... but what Gretl could do, he wasn't sure yet. If he was nearby though he suppose he might see what he was made of. He was actually looking forward to it in way. As such he set to running that much faster, wanting to catch up with the creature sooner then later.
(( Word Count: 3034 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:35 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:21 pm
After the Battle
Gahiji plopped down in the sand before the janarim that he'd taken down and pulled a knife from a sheath at his side, checking the blade before he set to work field dressing the large beast before him. As he worked he could see it already, the carrion birds that were circling over head. He lifted his head for a moment, starring up at them, before he continued with what it was that he was doing. He had to get his work done quickly or else those birds would send a signal to other beasts that something was dead. It was always such a pain having to fend off the various carrion eats when he wanted nothing else then to get what was his back home so he could really go to work on it.
Once he was home would skin the janarim, save the spare parts that could be useful to him, butcher it out, and even go as far as boiling the bones to make broth. There was no part of the beast, save for the innards, that he wouldn't used. Even then that part of the beast would be used as bait to distract those over head while he dragged away what was his. He seemed to fall into a bit of a trance as he worked, having done this what felt like a million times, and would likely have gotten it done without issue if it wasn't for the fact that he felt someone approaching him from behind. The moment that a hand touched his shoulder he whirled around, eyes narrowed behind his mask, a snarl escaping him... and then he sighed, realizing the obvious.
"Gretl." Damn it, the magic slinger was still about? Here he'd thought that he might run away the moment that things go messy as Gahiji worked on the janarim. It seemed as though he wasn't so lucky though. Turning back to his work he said in a grumbling tone, "Surprised you're still here."
Gretl moved to settle down behind Gahiji in a slow, careful manner so as not to draw anymore of the man's ire upon him before he said, "So am I. You fight like an idiot you know... not to mention that you got hurt and you don't even seem to care. You should be tending to your wounds not to... to... all of that!" He sounded frustrated as he got out one of his water skins, drawing the water from it with his magic, and set to work using it to clean the would that Gahiji had on his shoulder. It look awful, bloody and coated in sand, not to mention whatever else might have gotten into it during the fight.
"I will fix up your shoulder and then we can head back. I think I'm about done with all of this hunting stuff." A comment that had Gahiji rolling his eyes, certain now that the book wielding magic man was a weakling through and through, not that he said as much. Instead he seemed to be waiting as patiently as he could, which was barely at all, for his shoulder to be fixed up. It was a strange, rather itchy feeling that went along with the magical mending. It was something that made him want to lift his hand up to scratch at it but the one time he tried he got smacked in the hand with Gretl's book.
Giving a bit of a growl under his breath after that he once more forced himself to sit still, one foot tapping against the ground. After what felt like an eternity he was finally given the go ahead and that had him jumping to his feet, "You didn't have to. I heal fine on my own." He said as he reached down, grabbing hold of one of the janarim's legs in one hand and his spear in the other, moving to drag the creature back toward home.
Gretl gave Gahiji a once over, his gaze showing that he didn't buy what Gahiji was saying at all, before he said, "Yeah, I'm sure. That is why you have so many scars, because you just fine on your own." Moving forward he grabbed another of the legs so that he could try to help, regretting it almost immediately. It seemed as though dragging a dead janarim through hot, shifting sands wasn't nearly as easy as Gahiji made it out to be. Despite that he still decided that he wanted to try to help. If he didn't try then he doubted that Gahiji was ever going to accept him and his way of fighting. Not that he liked fighter exactly, he'd leave that to the weirdos like Gahiji. He much preferred the taking care of the fighters aspect of everything.
"You know that I can be of help, Gahiji. As a healer I tend to the wounds of those that I travel with." He declared to the silent hybrid that was still wearing that weird mask of his.
Gahiji looked over at Gretl for a moment, giving him a once over, then returned to looking forward again. He could be of help? He didn't really buy it. The guy was so weak! Most of those that he'd run into that threw magic around tended to be weak, it was something that made him not care to fight with each of them more then once. Why should he waste his time with a weakling when there were bound of be real warriors out there, powerful ones, ones that could throw him around in the same manner that the Alkidike woman he'd run across in the past had. That woman was interesting but Gretl... he just couldn't see himself wanting to fight him again.
What about spending more time with him in a capacity that didn't involve fighting him? The healing thing was useful, he'd admit to that. Having a personal healer would mean that he could fight forever because the one he was dragging around with him would heal him forever, right? Glancing over at him again he gave a thoughtful sound in his throat. Did it have to be Gretl though? Would he prefer someone else that he'd met in the past if had to pick a personal healer? He'd met a few magic users after all, including a few girls and that one guy with the mask. Would he prefer any of them over Gretl? Should he go out seeking out personal healers now along with seeking out fun battles? Should he just claim Gretl since he was on hand now and continued onward with seeking battles? If he took Gretl along at least he didn't have to worry about wasting time looking for a different healer.
Giving another sound he said, "Maybe you could be useful." Maybe it would be worth keeping him around.Shaking his head he turned his focus back to the janarim, there was still a lot of work to be done as far as the janarim went. As such he couldn't really focus on what he was going to do in the future. It was something that he rarely did in fact. What mattered most of him was fighting, so why should he stress himself out worry about what came next? Especially when he didn't even know who his next opponent was going to be. Whoever or whatever it was he needed it to be powerful or else it would just be boring. So here was to hoping it tomorrow would bring a new and fun opponent.
"Come on, Gretl. I see my place on the horizon. You can help me drag it there and then I have a lot of work to do. Either you can stick around and help or you can leave, I'm fine either way." He hadn't decided if he wanted to keep Gretl so he saw no reason to beg him to stay.
The moment that they were back to his place he let the janarim drop from his grip, walking over to where he had his tools waiting for him. He gathered them up before returning to where he had the janarim waiting for him and he set to work on the task that was skinning out the large creature. Once that was done he'd see about butchering it. Janarim, as well as all predators, had a rather unique taste to them. Something that made him want to see about cooking up sooner then later. The meat of a powerful creature was the sort that he wanted to consume, certain that it would help to make him powerful as well. So lost was he in what he was doing that he didn't even notice that Gretl had moved to settle down nearby, watching him work.
Having him nearby but staying out of way being what was preferable to Gahiji as he didn't like it when others got under foot when he was doing something. It seemed that Gretl might have picked up on as much and fell into silence, just watching as the masked hybrid went about his work.
(( Word Count: 1510 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
