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 Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:12 pm
Stepping up to a small pedestal, the six foot two man in his early sixties clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. When everyone's eyes were on him, he began to introduce himself. "My name is Jeremiah, you can call me Jeremy." The group was just the right size for his voice to reach when he speak loudly, so he don't need to use a megaphone. "I am a close and long time friend of Kyou's, and I am the one who organized this search party."
"According to the villagers, Kyou departed from this village heading due north. So we will be heading in the same direction." He pulled a map from one of the pockets of his hiking vest before he continued. "I've marked down seven search grids on this map." Unfolding the map, he pointed to the seven areas he marked with a blue pen. "We will be divided into seven teams, each team will have four people and we will search according to our grids, all heading north. This is so we cover as much ground as possible."
Folding the map back up again, he motioned to a pile of supplies stacked up next to a black board. "You could pick up the map - two for each team at the supplies area over there later. Along with the following to aid you in the search."
One Lightweight portable tent
Two compasses
One lighter and a box of matches
One hunting knife
One Multitool
Some Tinder
Two flashlights
A basic first aid kit
A sewing kit
Four bandanas
A few fish hooks
A survival guide for newbies
"Of course, if you brought along sufficient supplies, you could opt to drop a few things from your supplies package if you want to." Then from a utility belt on his waist, Jeremy pulled out a bright orange flare gun. "This is going to be the only way we could communicate between each team. When your team is in peril danger; when a man is down, fire a red flare and the rangers and villagers over here will come to your aid. You have six red flares, including the one already loaded in the gun, just in case. The green flare." He said the following parts more loudly as he lifted the green flare up. "Only use it when you had found Kyou!! This is important, DO NOT GO NEAR KYOU when you found him, even if he seemed like on the verge of death. WAIT FOR ME!!! I will head on over as fast as I could."
Even though he worries for Kyou's life, Jeremy also worries for the safety of the participants. He is the only one here that had went on fel hunts with Kyou before, and only he know for sure what to do if they really did found the fel essence with Kyou. Which he thinks is the most likely scenario right now.
"This is how you load the flares." Jeremy went on to demonstrate how to c**k the barrel open, taking out the red flare within and replacing it with another red one, then cocking it back in place. "To fire it, just c**k back the hammer here like this, then pull the trigger while aiming at the sky." He further demonstrated without actually pulling the trigger, then he gently clicked the hammer back.
"It's late afternoon now, only a few more hours until night. When it's dark, it's best to find somewhere to make camp. Do not wander around at night!! It's dangerous." He could not emphasize that enough in this case. Since he had already heard some stories from the villagers.
"Okay, now you can go and pick up your supplies. The team info is on the blackboard next to the supplies, you can depart into the forest when you're ready. And uhm... what else.?" Jeremy thought for a moment before speaking again. "Oh remember to bring lots of water! There's a well at the edge of the forest, you could fill up your bottles there."
"Stay safe everyone!! And God speed!"
---------------------------------------------
WHO: Rivener + Isobel + Axel + Ronan
WHERE: Kahadlok
---------------------------------------------
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:33 am
Rivener had half-expected Alex to come up to him and ask where Aphi was and why he wasn't here, but she didn't. Good. One less lie he would have to tell. There had been a lot of familiar faces on the bus and Riv made a point to talk to every person he knew, smiling and trying to lighten the mood a little. He'd been startled to find even young Rev here, thinking she was TOO young for this but saying nothing on the matter: that was her decision to make, and if she wanted to help, then more power to her. The Scorpion only mentioned that she should stay near her guardian.
Jeremy's explanation of how to proceed was sobering, though. It all sounded rather serious, and Rivener paid the utmost attention, feeling a chill settling in his bones. This wasn't just about being lost, was it. Something was WRONG with Kyou, and Jeremy knew what it was- why else would he caution them to not approach the man if they found him? Maybe this had something to do with the Starspeak Riv heard the night before. He'd thought it jibberish as always. The dark eye waits in the dark woods. Your own eyes deceive you. Conquer your fears. ...That certainly didn't bode well.
With a shrug of his shoulders to try and loosen the tension from his neck, Rivener turned his attention to the people around once the elderly human gave them the green light to pack up. A quick look around revealed most were getting tense, but none more than poor Melisande who looked about ready to faint or bolt. Riv floated over to her with a strong-as-he-could-make-it smile. "You'll be fine." He spoke with all the confidence of someone used to facing danger every day, and he put his hand on her arm, squeezing softly, hoping to transfer some of that confidence to her. She looked up at him and smiled and Riv felt like he'd just done something amazing, his own smile growing. His reward was a Flower! Another to add to the one in his room! And her hand on his chest sent his heart racing. She gave him a few soft words and he nodded before turning away.
Laz received a hug from his spike-winged drinking buddy. "We'll find him, Laz. Don't worry. Be careful out there." A smile and a clap to the back, then Rivener moved to Zul. He smiled as he pointed at the flower on his belt, tucked into one of his few straps securely. "From Melisande! ...Be careful, Flower. Protect the ones you're with." He worried less for Zul than for the others: his beloved knew how to defend himself, Rivener was certain. He gave the Demon a private look full of affection, then moved to the board to see his grouping.
Hm. All people he'd never met, though Ronan's name rang a bell. Perhaps he'd spoken to him briefly at a party? At any rate, Riv turned his head towards the crowd of gathered people and called as he began floating through the throng, hoping to locate his teammates on the way to the supplies. They would need to make sure they had all they could carry. Riv himself would take the whole pack, on top of a few items he'd brought himself: a water bottle, his cellphone with battery fully charged, thinking he might take pictures to find his way, and a rather large and sharp hunting knife. The last he kept hidden, of course, but he figured in case bears or wolves showed up, it was good to be defended. "Isobel? Axel? And Ronan! Over here!" They'd need to make sure they all carried everything that might be necessary.
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:52 am
When Axel had received the phone call from someone called Alex from the lab, she’d grown nervous. She’d never actually met Kyou, but from what she’d learned she owed Isobel to this man, she owed him everything. So when Alex asked if she could come for the search party, she’d agreed right away. As for bringing Isobel, she wasn’t too sure but there was no way around it, Isobel would demand to come anyways. Because of the short notice, Axel left a quick brief message telling her secretary to cancel all her appointments saying she was sick until she could return. With that officially done, Axel left to go find some of the items that were on the list Alex had given her and pack some sort of bag before they left. She’d also decided to give Jez a quick phone call, he didn’t pick up she’d left him a message too.
The next morning the duo were up early, Axel had a mass of hair she wanted to keep under control and had put up in a bun. Running shoes, shorts and a simple tee shirt would be her attire for the day. Isobel had been a little fussier, she too had quite the amount of hair and all of it had also been put into a bun. Her bolero and shawl were left at home leaving her in a tank top. The bag Axel had prepared and left by the door so they wouldn't forget consisted of some dry goods like granola bars and bags of nuts, lots of water for both guardian and Raevan, sunscreen, and a small first aid kit just in case. Axel wasn’t the hiking type, she’d had no idea what to bring, but she knew food and water would be essential above all.
Isobel was thrilled to be going out and seeing so many Raevans, Axel had explained what was going on, but Isobel took it as more of a social gathering than something serious. Axel was a little disappointed not to see Jez, but she did see Luka. It was an interesting bus ride for both guardian and Raevan, Isobel was more than thrilled to see so many floating bodies in one place while Axel was impressed by their numbers. The bus ride would be a long one, but when they finally got to their destination, Axel was more than happy to finally be able to stretch out her legs. Gently grabbing a hold of Isobel’s arm to steer her around while the Raevan took in her new surroundings, they made their way over to first the man and then the board to look at their group.
“I’m not too sure as to whom Ronan and Rivener are…” Isobel had finally finished her assessment of all the colors around her and her attention was back on the Raevans. “There!” Iso’s eyes clamped onto the figure of the older Raevan as he said their names out loud, Axel turned her gaze to him. “Alrigh—“ The younger Raevan had grabbed hold of her guardian and was dragging her through the crowd until they were face to face with the Sigel. “Hi, we’re Axel,” The guardian pointed to herself. “And this is Isobel.” The Raevan gave him a short hand wave and a smile. “I guess we are partnered up, and we’re just missing one more before we can head out.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 12:25 am
Ronan's nerves had been on the rise for the last hour of the bus ride, and Jeremy's words did not help in the least. Hands gripping hard on one strap of his bag after the speech was finished he traveled over to the supply table and did a quick scan over. In his pack there was already a firestarter, a multitool, some rope, first aid, bug spray, a change of clothes, food and water, and at the bottom a slightly larger knife. More (or less) might have been better perhaps, but it's was what he'd been able to get at home. For now his outfit was heavy duty pants, steel toed boots, and a long sleeved working shirt rolled up past his elbows. Making sure to pick up the things he didn't already have Ronan then began to look around for the other people in his group.
"Isobel? Axel? And Ronan! Over here!"
Head swinging around the selkie found the speaker a few moments later and jogged on over, giving a short nod to each individual. For now, he was still too tense to really see if he recognized anyone in his group. "Sorry about the delay," he said, holding up the set of supplies. "Was doing some last minute stock up."
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:03 am
Rivener blinked at the two ladies that showed up first. He'd seen them on the bus of course, but this human did NOT look like an "Axel". Wasn't Axel a man's name? And this was definitely NOT a man. The Raevan girl drew his attention second, which was a rare thing indeed for Riv, though he smiled without hesitation at her and chuckled at her wave. "Axel, Isobel. Pleased to meet you both. I'm Rivener, as you might have guessed." He pulled the backpack onto one shoulder, not minding the weight. He'd even added most of his own items into it, though the knife remained strapped at his waist, dangling from one of his belts. Rivener hadn't bothered changing his outfit for this, seeing as it was the dead of summer, though after seeing everyone else changed he started to wish he had, just to fit in.
"We're waiting on one last person and we-..."
Ronan showed up then, looking quite stressed out, and Rivener smiled in sympathy. He settled the pack onto himself more comfortably and tilted his head up with confidence. "Don't worry, guys. And gals," he added with a nod towards the two women, unaware if they would mind being referred to as "guys". "I'm no stranger to fighting or defending people. I'll keep you safe out there. I'll carry all our gear for now, unless you want to have anything on you. Here, you can have the flashlight to show the way." He fished around in the bag and found the item in question, handing it to Isobel with a grin. "I brought one of my own. So let's get into those woods and find a place to camp, shall we? Are any of you good with a map?"
This he addressed to either humans, brandishing the map Jeremy had marked with their territory. "I'm not so good with maps, but if we ever lose our compass, just so you know, I'm quite skilled at navigating by stars. So you could tell me where you wanted to go and I would be able to direct us at night." If there was one thing Rivener knew, it was stars.
"Alright! As soon as we fill up all our water at the edge of the forest, we'll be ready to go in."
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:52 pm
“Pleased to meet you as well.” Axel gave a side glance towards Isobel, usually the Raevan made a huge fuss about proper introductions, but she seemed to be subdued for now. Axel wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she’d seen more colorful Raevans and was hoping to have been matched up with them instead. Or Iso simply understood the problem at hand and didn’t want to create more drama than there ought to be. Axel chuckled silently to her, it would be good to see the Raevan finally focused and not wandering about looking for the brightest color she could find.
“You must be Ronan.” Axel bobbed her head in greeting towards him as she listened to what Rivener had to say. “I don’t mind carrying my own backpack, it’s mostly things for Isobel and I and I wouldn’t burden you with more.” The guardian shifted the shoulder straps on the bag to make them more comfortable from the weight they carried. “I’m not exactly… Hiking material to be honest.” Axel said cheekily, she’d never done hiking and if she had in her younger years she did not remember it. She turned to Ronan hoping he at least could help them out; otherwise she didn’t know how they were going to manage in daytime.
While Isobel hadn’t exactly been impressed with the greeting she’d received from this Rivener Raevan, she’d forgotten about the party as a whole as she glanced about for something that wasn’t a shade of green. Axel had taken her to the park once, but otherwise she’d never seen so much vegetation in a single area. It unsettled her a little since her home had always been in a condo high enough that she could glance down and watch swirls of color play out on the grey city landscape. Though the older Raevan caught her attention soon enough when he mentioned defending people.
Was he perhaps a knight? That was what knights did, fight and defend those around him. Were they going to be in danger on this expedition? Perhaps she should have asked her guardian before coming along, the forest was certainly no place for a lady. “Sir, do you believe we will be encountering danger while out in the forest?” When he offered the flashlight to her, Isobel grabbed it offering him a smile. “Thank you.” The Reavan heard her guardian sigh softly and then chuckle. “You’re safe enough Isobel.” Hugging the flashlight to her chest with on hand, her free hand sought out Axels for reassurance.
“I’ve brought a couple bottles of water with me so I think we’re good on that front. Isobel fed the day before we left, but I brought extra water in case she needs a snack.” While the water wouldn’t really satisfy her hunger, Axel didn’t expect to be out here for very long. There were definitely enough people to be able to find Kyou, she didn’t worry on that front. When Isobel grabbed onto her hand, Axel squeezed it gently. They’d be okay, nothing to worry about. “I’m ready to head out when you guys are.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:37 pm
"I should be good with things for now, but I might take you up on that later, so thank you," Ronan said in response to Rivener's offer to carry the supplies. "And I don't know if I'm a pro with maps, but I can use them in a pinch." Hearing the whole speech about protecting the team he found himself forcibly reminded of his hedge adventure last year with Iorek, and while he was grateful for the sentiment part of him was still annoyed at the implication that the couldn't take care of himself. Then again, he had no idea how dangerous the jungle might be, so perhaps the scorpion was justified. As a personal compromise he took his own knife and moved it to the top of his pack, a small bit of insurance in case something did come up later.
"I'm alright with water myself, so I'm ready to go." And to be completely honest, Ronan wasn't sure if he'd have filled his bottle up at the stream anyway. There was a chance he'd be fine with some of his personal differences, but how would the others have handled jungle water with who knows what in it? Already he was seeing way too many possibilities for danger in this trip. Nothing like good old fashioned paranoia to make him even more tense.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:26 pm
As you enter the jungle, it feels as though you've stepped from backstage to the main stage. Instantly, the sounds of the jungle, a faint rustling before, come to full force. There is movement everywhere, like creatures are crawling and slithering on every surface. The canopy of trees blocks out most of the fast-dimming light. How on earth is there such a cacophony just beyond the line of trees?
Strangely, you can hear Axel's cell phone begin to ring...
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:40 pm
Rivener smiled encouragingly at the Frei girl as they by-passed the well, everyone's water already filled up. "There might be danger, yes," he replied. "It's a wilderness out there, and who knows what we might encounter. But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." His wings gave a slight rustle.
The Sigel was first to step into the forest, and he raised an eyebrow at the sudden noise. He remembered things being kind of like this back in the marshes, too: you'd hear faint sounds from outside but when you stepped into the swamp itself it was a symphony of crickets and frogs and birds... But this was ridiculous even by those standards. The noise was nearly deafening! "It's actually kind of pretty, when you try not to think about all the poisonous snakes and-..."
A sound that didn't match the others drew his attention and he turned to look at Axel, blinking a moment before his eyebrows shot up in amazement. "Holy hell, who is your provider? You get a signal out here?" Riv's own cellphone hadn't had a single bar for the last two hours of the ride out!
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:50 am
There was no description for the feelings Isobel was having as they entered the forest. While the city was always hustling and bustling with noise and people, the jungle somehow seemed scarier to the Frei. She floated lower and closer to Axel, using her other hand to wrap itself around her guardians forearm while the other still held her hand. She didn’t like this place, didn’t like it one bit and she missed the sun’s light on her very much at this moment. Though Rivener had said he’d protect them, she didn’t know what he’d do if a bunch of things grabbed them all at once.
Axel glanced at Isobel with a worried expression. The Raevan was looking up through the trees trying to catch a glimpse of the sun and she was certain Iso would wrap herself around the guardian if she wasn’t so large, at least she was restricted to a single arm for now. Axel gave her a gentle pat on one of her arms to reassure her, but kept moving. She didn't want to give the Raevan any time to mull over her surroundings for too long, the Frei was still young and she had a vivid imagination.
The sudden sound of classical music coming from Axel’s backpack, indicating an unknown called, made Isobel squeeze her guardians arm in alarm. “Oww, Isobel relax it’s my cell phone.” Prying off the Frei’s hands, Axel leaned down as she removed the bag to set it on the ground so she could search it easier. “Sorry, I was sure I’d closed the darn thing and I have no idea how I’m getting any signal." When her hands finally touched the phone she pulled it out and looked at the number, a quizzical look crossed Axel’s features and she took the call. “Hello?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:46 pm
Ronan breathed out hard though his nose as they went past the treeline, the sudden cacophony only further aggravating his nerves. While the ocean was also full of noise, it was a different sort of noise and this just served as one more reminder of the potential dangers they might face. Part of him knew if that if he were here on less stressful circumstances he'd would probably be fine, most likely even curious, but for now it was too late to climb out of his mental spiral.
It was for this reason that when Axel's phone went off Ronan almost tripped and went face first into the jungle brush. Planting his feet and taking several deep breaths the selkie regained his balance, if not quite all of his composure. He continued the breathing for awhile afterwards; it was one thing to be cautious, and quite another to freak at every single noise. Once he was reasonably sure his face didn't look like that of a horror movie victim he turned to the other party members, with an extra look at Axel. "Everything okay?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:58 pm
As Axel presses the call button on her cell phone, it becomes clear that things are certainly not okay. There is the heavy sound of sobbing on the other line, the sound incoherent and deeply distressed.
The jungle noise begins to heighten. The caws and hisses are now background to a heavy buzzing noise.
The voice on the other end of the phone is barely discernible as Idylla's. Static sharpens her consonants and drowns her vowels.
"Axel -- it's horrible ---"
The buzzing makes it harder to hear as it is obvious creatures are drawing nearer.
"Axel-- I n--"
A massive swarm of angry wasps, each as big as Isobel's palm, breaks the clearing.
You may want to move.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 7:16 am
Rivener smothered a laugh at Ronan nearly tripping over, amused at how tense the man was. Riv himself was not much better, feeling a knot at the base of his spine, but he liked to think he hid it better. He kept his eyes on Axel, honestly curious about her provider now. He couldn't believe she received a call. He'd have to swi-...
BzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-
Riv turned towards the buzzing noise and his eyes widened. He, being a Scorpion, a Sigel, and basically a poison-infused magical creature, was immune to bee venom. But that didn't mean he was immune to getting stung hundreds of times by giant ******** mutant wasps!! Now he flailed, wings spread wide and trying to snap down strong to send wind at the wasps, hoping to keep them away while he turned to his group: "Run! RUN!!!" He tried to herd the humans and the Frei as best he could, away from the incoming bees. They had to, like... Get to water, right? That's how you escaped this stuff in the movies. Jump in some water. "Find a pond, a river or something! Go, go go!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 7:32 pm
It was like someone had dunk her into a bath of ice cold water, Axel’s world had stopped moving in her mind. All other noises were gone as Axel clutched onto the phone as if her own life depended on it, what was wrong with her twin? “Idylla? I can’t hear you? Idylla? IDYLLA ANSWER ME!” Her voice had started out so smooth but had grown frantic as the voice of her twin on the line faded in and finally out. Even as Rivener yelled at them for some reason, the guardian was staring at her phone trying to will it back to life so she could get a hold of her sister.
With all the noise and buzzing that seemed to be getting louder, Isobel could barely make out what Axel was saying. She’d heard her aunts name though and from the look on her guardians face something terrible seemed to have happened. “Axel?” No time to think about someone hours away, Riveners yelling caught the Frei’s attention and she turned to see what was going on. Her eyes grew wide at the swarm and what he was saying. But water was bad, water was very bad. Maybe if they found something not too deep... Isobel tried not to think about it too much as she yanked her guardian into action and began pulling her the opposite way to get her to safety.
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