[CLASS QUEST] Jacinthus

[Suhuba]

This Quest is for Jacinthus who desires to be an Archer.

OOC
||. You may not control any NPCs or other characters; Jacinthus must face his trials alone.
||. Respond to the prompts given as you would any other RP.
||. Your responses may be as long or short as you feel necessary.

IC
The sun had recently risen over Tale. Even so early, the soft sand was growing warm, deprived of any shade. The air was still, not even a slight breeze to allow reprieve from the sun’s merciless rays. It was going to be a hot one, there was no doubt. Of course, hot was the norm in Tendaji’s savannah.

In the middle of the grassy desert, beyond the sight of any forested clusters, a single, twisted, green tree rose from the sand. On the lowest branch of that tree, a Youngling girl sat. She looked quite content, enjoying the sparse shade offered by the wispy foliage. She was clearly of the Leaf Tribe, with her sun-kissed skin, speckled here and there with a spattering of small, pink crystals. Her hair was a medium brown, cut straight, an inch or so above her shoulders. The top half had been pulled back into a ponytail, making her resemble, quite astonishingly, a younger version of a Prentice within her tribe; Keilana.

The girl looked around, readjusting the simple, wooden bow that was slung over her shoulder. On the ground, a few feet below her gently kicking feet, a small quiver of arrows lay in the sand. The night before, a runner had been sent to Jacinthus’ home with directions for him to appear at this place the next morning.  

[Orpheus Solon]

Jacinthus stretched out all over, one ear twitching, as he hurried toward a meeting spot that a messenger had brought to him. It was strange that he would be called out like this, he couldn't help but to wonder if perhaps he'd upset someone? Or maybe Keilana had? He knew that she had a bit of a temper and he wouldn't put it passed her to take a swing at someone for making her angry. He would just have to apologize for... well, for whatever it was that had happened and hope that he could move on. He had big plans over the next few days that he wanted to see followed through. Best that he get this all figured out and squared away as quickly as possible so that he wouldn't be late.

As he reached the tall, twisted, lonely tree he found himself giving pause, "That's neat." He murmured to himself, trotting over to the tree. so this was where he was to meet with, well, whoever had called him out here. When lifted his gaze to look up at the one that was siting there he couldn't help but to stare a bit. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, sitting in the lone tree was a youngling, a girl one, and strangely one that looked a bit like little Kei. What was she doing up there? More over what was she doing here alone? Where were her parents? Her siblings? Someone? He couldn't believe that they would allow her to come out so far alone! If it were Kei at this age she wouldn't even be stepping outside of the village's boundaries if he had his way. Finally finding his voice the Leaf tribesman asked of the little girl, "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked, wondering if perhaps she'd gotten herself lost. Instantly, due to her age and appearance, he found himself almost instantly worrying over the girl, "If you come down from the tree I will bring you back to the village, sound good?" Better she was back there instead of out here he thought to himself.  

[Suhuba]

The young girl smiled at Jacinthus' approach. As he questioned her, a childish giggle bubbled from between her lips. "Waiting for you, of course." She chimed, a teasing grin playing across her face.

With expert ease, the Leaf Youngling dropped from the branch on which she sat. "Here..." She breathed, handing the bow that had been slung over her shoulder to the elder male. With her toes, she nudged the quiver of arrows, half-buried in the sand, in his direction. The grin on her face had grown into a full-fledged smile, her chest puffed out in girlish pride.

Without warning, she took off at a run. After a few feet, she spun on the spot, sticking her tongue out at Jacinthus. "Bet you can't beat me!" She screeched, before taking off once again with surprising speed.

An unnatural sight rose in the distance. A circular, rocky formation. It seemed natural, with its strong, impenetrable walls, but such things were almost unheard of within Tale. It was impossible to know just where this thing might have come from, but it was clear that this was the place towards which the Little Kei-look-alike was headed.  

[Orpheus Solon]

When she said that she was waiting for him Jacin couldn't help but to be a little confused. They didn't even know one another so how was it that she had been waiting for him? Was it possible that she was the one that sent the messenger that had led him out here? It was a strange thought but the one that made the most sense in this situation, "Wait for me, huh? Have we met before somewhere?" He asked as he watched the hop off the branch that she'd been perching on only to hand off the bow to him that she had been carrying slung over her shoulder. He looked at it, then down to the quiver of arrows that were sitting on the ground with the sands looking as though they might be trying to devour and bury the quiver. He reached down to pluck the quiver from the sand before it had a chance to completely bury it, "Got it, now wha..." Before he could finish his questions the girl was already racing off saying that she bet he couldn't beat her.

"Wow, she is just like little Kei." He said with a bit of a smiled as he put the bow over his shoulder and raced after her. She was a fast one he thought to himself, thinking that she must have been training hard to become as speedy as this. Someone so small one would think would be a little slower given that she had rather short legs but that didn't seem to hinder this girl at all, did it? Doing his best to keep up, but without beating her because nobody his age would actually want to beat a little kid, that would just be mean. Instead he tried to stay at her side instead or just behind her, "So where are we racing to?" He asked of her before he lifted his gaze from watching her to look toward the strange rocky formation in the distance, "Huh, what is that?" How had he never noticed that before? It looked neat, like a place he would enjoy exploring, to see if there were any treasures to be had there. Given the look of it the place appeared old so it was likely picked over many times over but it was still a place he'd like to explore.

Glancing back at the girl who seemed to be dressed up as his sister he asked, "Is that where we are heading? It looks pretty neat." He couldn't wait to get there, he wondered how far they would be able to see from on top of it? A good distance he hoped. Being up high was always something that Jacin had enjoyed, a good perch let one see for miles around, able to more easily spot danger and that made him better at avoid it. That place looked like the perfect sort of vantage point to do just that.  

[Suhuba]

The Youngling looked momentarily perturbed at the fact that he had so easily caught up with her... and was now jogging at her side as though it were no real task, continuing on with his questions and everything. Her bottom lip protruded in a slight pout, although she made no attempt to answer his questions and kept right on running at the same, surprising speed.

After a few moments, that broad smile had returned to her face. They were quickly approaching the strange, rocky enclosure. The closer they got, the more details they could see. The rocky slabs that comprised the walls were thin and tall, jutting from the ground in a U-shaped formation, the only visible entrance to and exit from the place being the one through the Leaf Girl was now running.

It was much more shaded within the strange space, the tall, rocky walls blocking portions of the sun. The often tough, pale grasses were softer and brighter here. Boulders were strewn here and there. The girl jumped onto one particular large boulder, hands on her knees, panting and grinning. "You're fast." She called to the Leaf Boy, laughing in delight to see that he was competent enough to keep up with her.

Various animals could be seen wandering throughout the enclosure, clearly enjoying the break from the sun and heat. A herd of Gani were gathered nearby and Kuona could occasionally be seen, meandering from one particularly grassy patch to the next.  

[Orpheus Solon]

This girl was rather fast, wasn't she? He would never have thought that a youngling would be able to keep up such a pace for so long, "You must spend a lot of time training, huh?" He asked as the two of them ran along. There was no other way to explain her speed other then her doing a lot of practicing to get so good, it wasn't a talent that one could just pull out of the air he thought to himself as the two of them moved along at such a blinding pace. He was never happier that he did a whole lot of running around himself or he was pretty sure he might have fallen over deal by now trying to keep up with the miniature Kei. Not that he would ever admit to even thinking that out loud, not the sort that wanted to be beat by anyone, especially a youngling.

His attention flickered from time to time between the girl and the structure that they were getting closer and closer to. It was bigger then he'd first expected and rather strange in it's shape and design. It was definitely not an average, ordinary building. It wasn't the sort he saw anyone living in either given it was on the ground and that was just a strange idea all together. Still, it had to have some purpose or it wouldn't have been built. What that purpose was though, that was the question. As they got close the girl jump up onto a boulder before seeming as though she was ready for a breather, something he was grateful for as he came to a stop in front of the rock and did his best to catch his breath, "Am I? Thanks, so are you. I'm impressed." He said, not often saying that to people that he didn't have some sort of ties with. Jacin was the sort that wanted to be better then others if only to have them notice him and find him useful, as such it was a little more difficult to get compliments out of him.

"Phew... now that we are here do you want your bow back?" He asked of the girl, tapping a hand against the weapon that she'd handed off to him before running, assuming she was just being like any other girl and wanted for a guy to carry her things, "And do you want to tell me yet what we are doing all the way out here?" He had no clue but as he looked around he found himself thinking that all the various animals out here were looking rather plump and delicious, weren't they? Bringing one of those back home would be useful in all manner of ways from dried meat to the bones and skins of the beasts. He couldn't help but to size them up as he saw them, picking out which was the most useful looking of the bunch before forcing himself to focus instead on his companion and not on the tasty looking beasts.  

[Suhuba]

The Youngling smiled at the compliment, her tiny chest puffing out in pride.

She looked at him quizically as he asked if she would like the bow returned to her, as if she didn't quite comprehend what he was asking. Without saying another word, she slipped from the boulder and took off at a run once again. The child disappeared on the other side of the enclosure, sliding into a crevice near the bottom of the rocky wall that would have been nearly impossible to see without first knowing of its origins.

Jacinthus was not given much time to make a decision on where he would go.
As soon as the child disappeared, one of the Leaf Tribe's Elders had appeared. With great fluidity and speed, he took the Youngling's place atop the boulder.

A grin broke out across the Elder's face. "Why don't you kill them, Jacinthus?" His voice was quiet, but crisp and impossible to mistake. His gaze flicked towards the herd of quietly grazing Gani. "What a fine prize to bring back to your tribe..."  

[Orpheus Solon]

Jacinthus took a couple steps after the girl, lifting a hand up to reach out after her, "Wait! Come back!" He called, not liking the idea of someone so small wandering off, what if she got herself hurt running around so much? He wanted to chase off after her, to toss the youngling over his shoulder, and then to carry her back where she would be safe! His chance to do so didn't come though, instead an elder arrived and he was instantly a bit nervous. An elder? Here? Why? This was more then a little out of his range of expertise, which mostly revolved around chasing down delicious things with a stick or a rock.

When the man made himself comfortable on the rock, smiling all the while he suggested killing the Gani. Turning to look over toward them he looked a little curious, one ear giving a little flick at the thought, "I have been considering just that." He admitted, then gave a nod when he was told that it would be a fine prize to bring home, which was exactly what he had been thinking as well, "What about the youngling though? Shouldn't we worry about her safety first and then about hunting the Gani?" He asked, it was likely the fact that she looked so much like Kei that it was getting to him that she was running around on her own. He really, really didn't want one of these Gani, to kill it, bring it home, to present it to his people, and yet he kept glancing over toward where the little girl had gone.

Damn it, this why Kei needed to stay home instead of going on dangerous adventures! Because he worried about her! Here he was so worried about his sister that he was becoming just as worried about those that looked like her. Giving a bit of a grumble he turned to look at the Gani again, they really would be useful to him, to his sister, to his tribe but... surely they would still be around after he found the youngling? They didn't seem as if they were going anywhere, right?  

[Suhuba]

The Elder watched Jacinthus, curious, his smile gone. The Leaf Tribe Prentice was thinking, questioning the thoughts of an authoritative figure, making his own decisions. It was important for a warrior to be able to follow instructions, but it was also important for him to be able to think for himself, especially when the lives of his tribesmen might be in danger.

A scream echoed around them, muffled strangely as it reverberated throughout the area, almost as though it came from within the stony structure itself. It was a feminine scream. A youthful scream. Clearly, the youngling girl was in danger.

”Remember, Jacinthus…” The elder began, his expression now grave. ”…never to take those feelings in your gut for granted. They’re there for a reason.” The elder remained seated on the large boulder, making now attempt to move from the spot, his hard gaze still locked on the Prentice before him.  

[Orpheus Solon]

The fact that the smile was wiped off of the elder's face so suddenly made Jacin's heart drop a little. He wasn't sure why he had come here exactly, other then to be given a bow and to get in a foot race with a speedy youngling, but given the look on the old man's face he was sure that he was going to fail. He couldn't care about that right now though, could he? He could mourn screwing up in front of an elder later, once the little girl was out of harm's way he thought to himself.

Lifting his mossy gaze to look the walls over he saw instantly that there was no way to scale them so he was going to have to search for the way in, wasn't he? His eyes went from the wall to the elder as the man started to speak in a somewhat cryptic manner, making him wonder if he weren't going to get in trouble for his question. Giving a slow nod he turned away, "I... alright." He understood, at least he hoped he did he thought to himself as he rushed forward along the wall, looking for the way that the little youngling got in. He had to get in there as well, see if perhaps one of the animals inside was hassling her. This place was a magnet for the various prey animals due to how shaded it was. That meant that it might also very well call in the predators due to all of the food that was inside.

"Hey! Little one, can you hear me?" He called out as he shifted from side to side before continuing on his way. He had to find the way in, had to find her, feeling that despite moving quickly that he was just going far too slow. He didn't even know who the girl was exactly but that didn't even matter to him in this moment, all that matter was getting inside the structure to help her.  

[Suhuba]

Another sharp scream was Jacinthus’ only reply.

Just where the Youngling girl had vanished into the wall, the opening to a small cavern could be seen. Hairline fractures, like dark veins, wound their way up the wall, away from the opening. The thin cracks blended in well, looking much like the tall, crystalline grasses growing along the edges of the rock. The entrance could be seen, if it was being looked for, but was not something someone would likely stumble upon; it was clear that the Leaf Girl had been here before, despite the oddness of the structure.

Another scream. More panic-stricken. Filled with pain.

The crack in the wall was just large enough for an adult to slip through; thankfully, the ground along the edge of the wall was still primarily sand, making it possible to widen the hole, if necessary. Upon entering the hole, it became clear that the entirety of the enormous, rocky enclosure was hollow.

Halfway around the “u”-shaped structure, the rocky hollow widened, like in a cave. Here, the little girl stood, her back pressed against the cool, hard walls, her right arm gripping the left which had begun to drip blood. It would seem the Leaf girl had stumbled upon a pack of Witu. The incredibly territorial canines had surrounded her, teeth bared, prepared to attack the child for encroaching upon their den; one had gotten a brief n** at her shoulder – not too serious, she would not lose the arm, but it had been a sufficient enough wound to bleed, which only enraged the beasts further.  

[Orpheus Solon]

As he heard the scream, one of pain, Jacinthus felt two emotions over whelming him. The first of them was fear, fear that the girl was going to be hurt or killed before he was able to get to her. The other emotion he was feeling was utter frustration. Where was the girl's parents? Why were they letting someone as little as her roam around in such a dangerous area? She seemed way to free spirited and needed to be kept on a leash or something! She reminded him far, far too much of Kei in that manner he thought o himself before he finally found what he was looking for, a crack in the wall that would allow him to get to where the girl had gone. He swore if she was alright when he found her she wouldn't be afterwards, he was going to... to... do something, damn it!

Making his way forward the rather displeased Jacin had to kick and squirm to make his way through the crack that led from the outside to the inside, grumbling all the while before falling out the otherside. He had a moment where he was disorientated from the fall, forced to drag himself to his feet and shake his head to get his bearings again, "Hn...?" Looking around he finally spotted the girl that looked far to much like Kei for his own liking, pinned to a wall by a group of Witu, wounded, and afraid. Instantly his mind was whirling, what to do, how to do it, he had to get her out of there but also had to deal with the beasts... he couldn't waste time thinking though, could he? She was going to get eaten if he didn't do something fast. His hands tightened into fists and it was then that he realized he was still carrying the bow the girl gave him. The weapon was, at the moment anyway, useless to him for its intended purpose, he'd never held one before alone used it but it could still come in handy, couldn't it?

Jacin was quick to unstrung the bow, marveling at how like his usual choice of weapon it looked before he was lunging forward, giving his loudest impression of a roar so as to seem more intimidating, before he took a swing with the bow at the nearest Witu. He might not be much of an archer but he was good at beating things with sticks. He'd have to thank the girl for the weapon later, after he was done scolding her for wandering into such a dangerous place of course...  

[Suhuba]

The girl stared pleadingly at Jacin as he appeared, her eyes wide, clearly straining to hold back an onslaught of tears. Her arm was now covered in thin rivulets of blood, making her wound look much more severe than it actually was.

The Witu had become a bit confused at the older male's arrival, turning their attention back and forth between the small child and the Prentice. Eventually, they seemed to come to a general consensus about who proved the bigger threat, especially as he began to roar and swing that long, curved stick.

The Witu who had been nearest to Jacinthus yelped in pain as the stick came in contact with its body. It lay on the ground for a few moments, clearly dazed. The rest of the pack, six of them in total, turned on the Leaf Tribe member, fangs bared and crystalline fur bristling. The Kei look alike gave out another scream, a loud, distinct "No!" as the canine creatures leapt towards their assailant.  

[Orpheus Solon]

Making the decision that he was never having youngling of his own after this, perhaps a hasty decision but one that fit the situation, Jacin set about doing his best to avoid the lunging beasts, though they did tag him here and there. He took wide swings with his bow turned bludgeoning weapon to keep them at bay best he could when the first wave of lunges had ended. What to do? There were... seven in all, one of him, one of the girl. The first one he'd hit seemed to be easily stunned when hit with the stick meaning their crystalline fur didn't make them invulnerable to damage. Did he want to fight them all though? It would be exhausting to say the least...

Jacin's green eyes flickered from side to side before he spotted something that could be of use to them, up above where miny Kei was, the wall seemed as though it weren't completely sheer. In fact he was sure that he could climb it. A ways up, while small and uncomfortable looking, there was a ledge... perhaps they could sit up there until the witu go bored? Or maybe the elder would think to call in back up? Hoping against hope that the old many might think to do so Jacin decided it was time to be more proactive int the rescue. Standing around, swing, and growling, wasn't going to end this after all nor was it going to save her. Taking a few more swings at the beasts closest to him, a couple of the blows landing, he continued to move himself more and more between the Witu and the youngling that looked far to much like Kei for his liking. Taking a deep breath to steady himself Jacin whirled around and ran toward the girl, scooping her up only to toss her over his shoulder like a half filled sack, "Don't wiggle too much." He said as he set to climbing the wall as quickly as he could, feeling a Witu or two snapping at his leg in an attempt to drag him down. Those bites, ones that were fairly painful were counted with sharp kicks to knock the snappy beasts away. Only when he felt, after a climb fueled by a whole ton of adrenaline, that they were safe to a point did he look at the girl that was tossed over his shoulder.

Starring at the one hanging over his shoulder he gave her a look, "You really should be grounded." He informed her, grumbling a bit, taking a breath, then continued up to that little ledge he'd spotted before. He needed a rest, needed to look at their wounds, and to see what he had on him that could stop the bleeding while they waited on the witu below to get bored.  

[Suhuba]

The Youngling stayed as still as possible, cooperating as much as she could while dangling above the ground. She watched as the Witu circled, still growling, some attempting to jump up after them, only to be battered back down by Jacinthus' hard kicks. The girl winced with every especially violent bounce, but did not wiggle.

As the older male chided her, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout, her brow furrowing. She glared at Jacinthus in the manner that all proud, little children who know that they've done something wrong do. "Hmph..." Was all that she could manage as a response.

Once they reached the ledge, the girl continued to sit relatively still, letting Jac do what he needed to do, as far as inspecting her wound went. The wound wasn't too deep and had begun to cease bleeding on its own, although could easily be torn back open with any sudden movements. The Witu below continued to stare and growl, circling, jumping, but in no way coming close to reaching the ledge that the Prentice had so fortunately spotted. Eventually, they began to settle down. As the adrenaline wore down, the canine-esque animals too began to limp, licking at the bruised and bleeding sections of their own bodies. Occasionally, one would turn to look up at the duo overhead, growl, and return to its business.

It was clear that they would not be leaving the area. This was their den.

Of course, the girl began to get antsy... as children do. She began to poke at the wall behind them. "Maybe there's another way out..." She breathed, squinting up at the darkness overhead.