[CLASS QUEST] Chalcedony

[Suhuba]

This Quest is for Chalcedony who is striving to become a Guard.

OOC
||. You may not control any NPCs or other characters; Chalcedony 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 people of the Southwest, those from Jauhar and Tale, had found themselves in a strange, new world. What was this unfamiliar, unforgiving terrain? Why exactly were they here? When would they be returning home?

A woman sat atop one of the land's craggy boulders, a long, leather whip running idly between her fingers. Her ears were a similar shape to those of the Leaf Tribe, but her skin was different, strange, like the Shifters, only a much lighter, bluish hue. Dark blue-purple crystals, flat, almost like scales, ran in a curve across her body. At the base of the boulder lay a shield, a hammer, and a pair of gauntlets. She was waiting... very clearly waiting...

Not too much earlier in the day, Antiope had requested that the group split up to investigate some more of the land. They weren't to go far, but Chalcedony had been sent out here, in this direction.

Perhaps the woman was waiting for him...  

[Orpheus Solon]

Chalcedony glanced over his shoulder to look in the direction that he'd come from, wondering for a moment how the others were doing, as well as why he was the only that was sent out this way. Giving a half shrug of one shoulder he continuing on his way, taking in everything around him. There was so much ground to cover, it must be why they were split up in such a way, all of it filled with tall, spikes of stone that jutted up toward the sky, it really was something. He couldn't quite imagine living here but the visit was interesting enough, though it was an awfully long trip, something that made him think he wouldn't really end up here all that often without good reason. He would need to take in all that he could about the place while he was here since his siblings were sure to want to know about it.

Kneeling down for a moment he swept up a shard of stone that had a purplish hue to it, inspecting it closely, "They would like this." He murmured to him, giving a bit of a smile before he gave pause as he felt almost as though he were being starred at. Looking from side to side for a moment the Shifter inspected the surroundings before his eyes fell upon the strange woman that was sitting there. She was... amazing to look at, she looked like a mix between the Leaf and Shifter tribes, had the most interesting crystal scales on her skin, she was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Eyes a little wide, sparkling with amazement, he moved toward her, "Ahhh, hello there." He greeted her when he got closer. He glanced, for a moment, at the various weapons she had with her, and he couldn't help but to find himself a little curious what she was up to out here. Maybe she was trading the weapons? It was almost a shame he had nothing to trade for them, they could be of use to his people.

He found himself wondering for a moment if he'd been sent in this direction to find this woman, but decided that couldn't be. Antiope surely would warn him if he was supposed to be someone, right? This could be a coincidence, as such he figured he should keep going with his search of the place... but that meant leaving this interesting woman behind without offering her a hand if she needed it, "You needing any help?" He found himself asking, she was sitting out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of weapons, what if she was lost? Injured? He was probably thinking the worst, she was probably fine given she had so many weapons, but he was so used to helping those around him he figured he should offer.  

[Suhuba]

The strange, new world could certainly be daunting for strangers to navigate. After all, things began to seem a bit... repetative. Craggy rocks, some more mountainous, some creating valleys. Everything was a natural landmark... there were just too many that looked the same.

The woman was, in fact, watching Chalcedony, a slight smirk upturning the edges of her lips as the Prentice gathered up a trinket for his siblings... and then met her gaze. Were she a weaker-willed woman, she would have blushed under his intense stare, but as it were, it only seemed to solidify her amused expression. "Hello there." She repeated, unflinching, the whip still running smoothly between her bluish fingers.

"Actually..." a single eyebrow rose as the Shifter offered his assistance. "I was hoping I could help you." The woman's golden gaze studied Chal for a moment or two before she slipped from the boulder, the whip slipping into the belt at her waist with practiced ease. "But first... tell me: which of these weapons most appeals to you?" A finely manicured nail rested curiously against her chin as she questioned him, smirk unwavering.

"Perhaps..." The woman lifted the Shield with ease, her fingertips brushing against the cool, solid, metal surface. "You look to me like this would suit you best. Something to protect your family..." Her gaze had become intense, although her expression remained slightly aloof, as though she knew a secret; as though she was all too well aware of something that he wasn't. "Am I wrong?"  

[Orpheus Solon]

Chal cocked his head to one side when the woman said that she was hoping to help him, something that he didn't experience as often since he always took it upon himself to take care of others. Giving the whip a momentary glance he figured that she probably didn't really require the aid of a prentice, did she? Still, that she was offering him made her seem quite kind to him even though she was armed. Watching as she slipped down off the rock she'd been perching on smoothly, putting the whip on her belt, he gave a smile, "It's kind of you to offer me help." He said, wondering what exactly she had in mind before she posed the question to him, "Ahh, which weapon?" He asked, looking down at the lot of them. They all had their uses but instantly his eyes were on the shield. It was a good sized one, something he could use to defend others with, it was a useful item for sure.

When the woman touched a hand to it, commenting that it looked to her that it would suit him best, he couldn't help but not, "Yeah." He murmured, agreeing with her, though when she mentioned his family his eyes went wide again, "Wow! That is amazing. Are you a mind reader?" He asked of her, wondering if she knew that he was thinking about how such a thing could be useful in such a manner. He was impressed as well that she knew that he wanted to protect his family. Perhaps he was easily impressed but he couldn't help but to be in awe of her, "No, no you aren't wrong. You are spot on! I want to be able to keep my family safe! I have a lot of siblings I want to keep safe, not to mention my mother." Even his father though he knew the man really didn't need his help since he was so well trained himself. Still, he'd like to be useful to the man one day.  

[Suhuba]

"No. I'm not a mind reader." The woman said with a smile. The Prentice's awe-stricken naivety made him seem even younger. It was sweet, but being too kind could get you into trouble in the world.

The woman passed the shield towards Chal, offering him the chance to hold it, try it out, see how it suited him. As he spoke, she simply nodded. "I know a lot about you, Chalcedony." She returned to her perch on the boulder, the whip back in her hands. She dragged the leather strip along the ground, making idle patterns in the thin layer of dust. "So, I need to know, Shifter boy... why are you here?"

A slight frown had taken hold of her features. "...you personally. Why have you, personally, come all the way to Sauti?"  

[Orpheus Solon]

Chal took the shield in his hands, shifted it around, checking the weight of it before he put it in place on his arm, "What do you think?" He asked, wondering how he might look. It wasn't too heavy though it was thick and sturdy, it should be able to block a good deal of things and if needed used for the offensive as well, not that he was the most offensive of people. He was more on the side to defending others, not lashing out at them... though he supposed that there were some things that couldn't just be defended against until they gave up. He knew that from experience. He looked over at the woman in a curious manner, "You know a lot about me?" He asked, curiously. If she wasn't a mind reader then how did she know about him? Maybe from Antiope? Or was it from one of the others in the group? He wasn't sure but that she knew a lot about him made him kind of curious what she knew, what she thought, and if she thought him worthy of the shield he was testing out.

"Why am I here? I ended up getting nudged toward the group by my father after he helped me out when my little sisters and I had a run in with a beast that I couldn't quite handle on my own." That was putting it lightly but luckily the man had crushed the thing good, "It was my reason for coming along at first but then it seemed to change as we went to me wanting to keep an eye on the others in the group, my friend Takoda especially." He wanted to keep them all safe just as he wanted to keep his family safe.  

[Suhuba]

"Quite dashing." The woman replied with a smirk as the Prentice pulled the Shield onto his arm.

The woman nodded gently as he spoke, explaining his reason for coming to this place. "That's very kind of you. I'm sure your friend Takoda is very appreciative." The woman slid from the rock once more, taking a step towards the boy, whip still poised in her left hand. "But what about your family? What if something happens to your mother... or your father leaves again?" The woman's eyes narrowed, but she seemed more concerned than angry. "Do you want your siblings to think of you like him, as someone who is never around for them, never home? What will you do if you're never able to return to Jauhar again?"  

[Orpheus Solon]

Chal's eyes went wide as the woman said such a thing, glancing away fro a moment and then back again, "My father always leaves, it's just a part of who he is. We are used to that." Used to it though it didn't mean that he much cared for it. If anything it kind of grated on him. When she continued on he felt his body go a little stiff, "I am not my father, I will not abandoned them at every turn, I am there often to look after things and help where I am needed." He said in a neutral sort of voice, not wanting to get upset with someone that, while claiming to 'know a lot about him' seemed to miss a lot of key factors. He wasn't his father, he didn't want to be him, he wanted to be...

"I will be more reliable then him when it comes to being around." He told her. Sure his father had an important job, he knew that, but he meant to be a more localized protector, one they could see more often then for short visits every few weeks, "This place might be interesting to visit, to get a feel for, but I will be going home. There is nothing that ties me to Sauti like there is tying me to Jauhar." He was as determined to get home safely as he'd been determined to get here safely. The first thing had gone smoothly enough so the return would as well. If they were lucky the Alkidike would keep their word about the alliance up until they were all safely home. It was once they got back, when they were all back across the borders of Jauhar, that he wondered how those women would act. He supposed they could only hope for the best.  

[Suhuba]

"Still..." The woman shook her head slowly, thinking. "...to have even made that decision. To take the risk." The woman made eye contact with Chalcedony.

Without warning, the whip that had been grasped in her hand lashed out, aimed at the Shifter. As soon as she struck, she was moving again, fast on her feet and disappearing beyond one of the rocky crags.

Moments after she had disappeared, a scream hit the air, a scream that clearly did not belong to the woman. It was too elderly... too masculine.  

[Orpheus Solon]

He wanted to argue with the woman further that he was going home, no matter what might happen. He didn't care if he were injured beyond repair and had to drag himself home he'd do so. He wasn't going to leave his family unprotected during the times his father was away! Before he could say a word though the woman snapped the whip out at him, causing him to jerk the shield up to protect himself on instinct... and when he lowered it the strangely colored, though facsinating still despite her words, woman was gone.

Standing there in confusion he found himself looking around to see if he might spot where she'd gotten herself off to but had no luck, "That was... strange." Was she some sort of strange spirit perhaps? Just his luck to run into something like that he thought to himself before he he heard the scream, something that sent a jolt through his whole body before instantly he was racing toward the sound. The strange woman, and her whereabouts, would have to wait it would seem, something else was happening, something that involved screaming which was never good.  

[Satin Doilee]

It would be clear, as Chalcedony followed the noise, that the scream belonged to an elderly man of the Wind Tribe. He was suspended a significant distance above the ground, trapped on a craggy platform. Above him, strange beasts were circling. They were large and winged, darkly hued and scraggly, very different from the colorful Kinfa of Tale. Their beaks were filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, marking them as clearly carnivorous.

A Wind Youngling was on the ground beneath them, fists clenched. "Grandpa! She yelled up to the man, who sheilded his face as one of the ugly creatures dive-bombed him.

The girl yelled in frustration and ran forward, making an eager attempt to climb the rocky mountainside. It was clear that she was quite adept at climbing in this landscape and likely would have been able to reach him, had those giant birds not begun dive-bombing her as soon as she touched the rock.

The girl fell back once again, covering her face with her arms, which had begun to bleed from the nips she had received from the disgusting birds.  

[Orpheus Solon]

As he arrived on the scene Chal felt as though he were having a strange sort of nighmare, a retelling of what happened to him back home only instead of both of his sisters it was just one of them and one of his grandparents. He shifted in place, looking between the two before he hurried forward toward the girl first. He had to get her out of harm's way, maybe to a place she could hide, while he went after the elderly man? With all the rocks about surely there must be some that she could take shelter under? He could just tell that she didn't want to because she was trying to save the man in the manner that he would try to save any member of his family.

Sliding to a halt so that he was right behind her he lifted his shirt up and over her, as well as leaning his body, so that she was offered the most protection, "Hello, youngling." He said, giving her a smile, "I am here to help, do you think you can find a place to hide? So that you can shield yourself from these... birds?" He was a touch uncertain if they really were birds. Back home the birds were beautiful, brightly colored, and made good pets. Here these beasts were a bit... creepy felt like the right word for them, "If you can find a place to hide from them I will go after your grandfather next, alright?" He couldn't protected two people at once, not yet anyway, but he would sure try to learn how starting now.

Giving a glance upward, toward where the old man was he said, "Move quickly to your hiding spot, the sooner I get to him the sooner I can get him back to you." He told her, not wanting those birds to be able to n** and peck at him anymore then they already had, certain that it wasn't good for the man's heart. Just a guess on his part, he was no Healer, he just knew that any time his grandfather was startled he would complain about it being 'bad for the heart' among other things.  

[Suhuba]

The Youngling shrieked in surprise as the man came up behind her, putting his shirt over her. Eyes wide in fear, she turned towards him - much more scared for her grandpa than of the strange, dark-skinned stranger who had approached her. "But... but... I need to help him..." She said, tears welling in her eyes as she turned around, straining to see her Grandpa.

She turned back towards the Shifter as he promised to go save her grandpa. With a hesitant sniffle she nodded and ducked away from the man's protection, disappearing behind a rocky outcropping a few feet away.

The Youngling peeked out from behind her hiding place, her eyes trained on her grandfather, albeit from afar. She glanced at Chal, her eyes welling up just a bit. He seemed nice... he'd tried to protect her from the birds. She would trust him to get her grandfather back for her.

The birds were now circling overhead. The man was not unconscious, but seemed weakened by the exertion made in trying to escape and the time spent out under the sun. Although it was not nearly as strong here as in Tale, it was still capable of draining one's energy after too long without water.  

[Orpheus Solon]

Chal watched the girl as she hurried to find herself a hiding spot, not at all surprised to see her peeking out from it to see what was going on. So long as she was out of the line of sight of the bird like creatures it should be alright, or at least he hoped so. Taking a deep breath he moved to start to climb up toward where the old man was. It seemed as though he'd gone quiet, no longer screaming, which was probably a bad sign. So was the birds circling over head, it meant they might start to dive bomb again at any time.

Doing his best to keep an eye on the bird, as well as listen for them, he continued upwards, scrambling a bit as it was quite different climbing rocks then it was trees, but did his best to keep from falling. He wouldn't be all that useful to either the girl or the old man were he to slide down the rocky outcropping and hurt himself. If anything that would be the polar opposite of useful, "Hold on! I'm coming!" He called up to the man as loudly as he dared speak. He wasn't sure how well the hearing of the birds was, if it were as sharp as that of some creatures the would have already have heard him. Given where they were though if he had to worry about anything it was their vision, he was completely out in the open and likely to be spotted by the scraggly birds and might end up the target of those weird toothed beaks of theirs... better him then the old man he figured, at least he knew a Healer that could patch him up if he were to get chewed up here. Keeping that in mind, that any wound he got could be healed, he kept up the climb.

He was never happier then when he reached where the man was at, though as he looked him over he found himself wishing that Takoda were around now. If a Healer was ever needed it was now he thought to himself before he glanced up toward the sky once more to check on their 'feathered friends' to see what they were up to.  

[Suhuba]

The birds seemed irritated by the fact that Chalcedony has begun climbing the wall. The tightened their circle, closing in on the man. They shrieked their displeasure, one occasionally flying towards Chal in an attempt to knock him from the mountainside.

The old man smiled weakly as the Shifter arrived. He seemed unconcerned with the fact that he had never seen this sort of person before. His lips were dry and cracked, but with a shaking finger, he managed to point upwards.

A few feet above, on another rock shelf, was a large nest. Within the nest, something glittered. "An heirloom..." The man managed to wheeze, licking his chapped lips without any sort of satisfying result. "I can't... leave..." He seemed to be losing consciousness on the ledge.

The birds were close to the nest, landing and taking back off, clearly concerned with maintaining its contents. Within it, broken bits of shells and fallen feathers intermingled with various glittering treasures.