[FIN][PRP WE] [Zena] Creepy Crawlers [Amalric | Ergon]

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric huffed, a stiff breath turning white and ephemeral in the crisp evening air on his way to market. Haunted beasts, indeed. While growing up in a family with three sibling-aged cousins did tend to occasionally lend itself to wild stories from time to time, this had to be among the most absurd of things he’d heard come from the mouth of an adult—and in passing, too, as though this were a budding town rumor.

Were these people mad with the cold?

He didn’t suppose he could blame outsiders unused to Zena’s near perpetual winter, he thought as he pulled the hood of his own cloak more snuggly about his ears, but for natives, there was no excuse. They were supposed to be icelings. The cold oughtn’t bother them. And it certainly had no place driving them bat mad out of their minds.

Perhaps it was a fault of city folk, he mused, though the thought did nothing to lift his disinterested scowl as he trekked further down the path, boots occasionally making their mark in small pile ups of snow despite it being a designated walkway. Already, he wasn’t entirely sure why this had been deemed an appropriate location for the capital of anything: haunted serpents, mad upside the head icelings who couldn’t take their own snow, and even more snow than Coeld.

His grumbling fell unheard into the softly blustering wind.  

[Cornetified]

Ergon had spent most of the day in the town, walking through the blacksmith and weapons shops. It was getting time to decide what to do... While walking, he overheard the stories of a strange creatures being sighted.

A short trip off course couldn't hurt anything, right? If he could find it, it sure would bring a lot of praise. If nothing happened.. well, no one would find out he'd gone on a flight of fancy.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric was not looking for anything.

Unfortunately, that did not always coincide with not finding anything—particularly things of the unwanted and unwelcome variety. Such was the case today. It began when the snow hissed. Now, Amalric was not intimately familiar yet with Zidel, but he was familiar with snow, and that seemed distinctly out of line with how frozen liquid ought to behave. When it slithered, he wouldn’t have called the sound that jumped from his throat a ‘scream’ per se, it was more—

Well, he did jerk backwards, and perhaps ‘startled shout’ was more on par, but regardless, the sound inspired whatever-it-was — not snow, no that was definitely not snow — to abandon its hiding place and skirt across the path before him, and—

By the goddess, it was huge.

Amalric was fairly certain that the two thoughts, ‘Aren’t reptiles warmer-climate creatures?’ and ‘By the goddess I might die without ever having kissed a girl of snake bite in the snow a thousand miles from home—’ had never simultaneously coincided in his mind before the present moment.

But they did now.  

[Cornetified]

Ergon carried the small spear in both hands, looking along its length with pursed lips. If he did run into anything, could he really defeat it with this.. training weapon? Well, it couldn't hurt to try, right? ...Right?

His head snapped up when he heard the yell, and he hesitated for half a moment before hurrying forward. Maybe this time, he would find someone who did actually want help? Sliding down a short snowbank, he dropped down on the opposite side of the creature from the startled boy. The first thing he noticed was that the boy was not Zenan. Eww.

The blonde was nothing close to what Ergon realized was stretched out between them though! One end lifted to rattle sharply while the other end rose and hissed, exposing sharp teeth. With a small yelp of his own, Ergon jumped back and cocked his arm with the spear. "What is that thing?"  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

It was apparently to be an afternoon of many surprises.

No sooner had Amalric jerked back, the spark of his magic prickling to gather at his fingertips, than yet another unanticipated bit of company arrived. This time, at least, it was humanoid. An iceling boy who looked — from the briefest of glances — to be perhaps a couple years older than he, though Amalric was admittedly not paying the most attention. His gaze barely flit that way to take the iceling in before snapping back to the more immediate concern.

What is that thing?

It was a surprisingly relevant question, and Amalric’s mind flit over it in spite of himself. It certainly didn’t look like anything he’d ever personally seen, but—

“A snake, from the prisoners’ island, I think,” he said before he thought twice about it, but frowned immediately after because that didn’t make a wit of sense. “Though it couldn’t be—it shouldn’t…there oughtn’t be snakes in this climate—” And then, mid-thought he shot a look to the other boy because at least he was a native. “You’re from here, oughtn’t you know?”  

[Cornetified]

Ergon cocked his brow slightly. A snake? Here in Zena? He had never seen the likes of it. When the question was aimed at him, his eyes rolled without concern for being seen. "If I knew what it was, I would not be asking you."

Looking down at the serpent, he decided to experiment. He plucked up a small stick and threw it close to the creature. The animal hissed sharply, shaking its tail more before striking out with its sharp fangs. After a moment, Ergon straightened up and gestured to the stranger and the serpent. "Well, I won't stand in your way if you were trying to catch it. You were here first, after all."  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric tensed, posture visibly stiffening when the other boy threw a stick at the beast because — little as he knew of what exactly this creature was — it didn’t seem that throwing anything at any live creature with teeth and venom was ever a particularly ‘good’ idea. Not that the other boy seemed to be filled with much good thought or information to begin with. How helpful.

He shot the boy a look, miffed and aghast as he skirted back further to put space between himself and the serpent. If it was displeased with the unfolding events at least, hopefully, it would target the nearer and more aggravating of the two of them. Not him.

“Catch it?” he parroted, head already shaking. “I don’t want it—I’d kill it or leave it, but if you are interested in…” His eyes skimmed the beast skeptically, “…ice snakes, you are more than welcome.”  

[Cornetified]

Ergon couldn't help smirking slightly. He could at least try to not look as nervous as this other guy! He put the butt of his wooden weapon onto the ground, standing tall. He couldn't help the concern that rounded his gaze though. It really was a strange creature to be here...

"I have no need for something like a pet snake," he replied. "I see no need to try killing the creature. We should not further agitate it, I suppose." It would have been nice to try... but now there was someone watching him.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric pursed his lips.

He knew that look. Mouth cocked with smugness, weapon down, chin up, shoulders back—this boy thought he was something. Typical, for an iceling. Amalric gave another stiff, dismissive shake of his head and took a further step back. It didn’t matter. If the boy wanted to puff his chest, it didn’t affect anything and Amalric ought to have simply left then and there, strode around the beast and went on his way. Instead, apparently his tongue felt like moving of its own accord.

“I wasn’t agitating it,” he quipped. “But do with it what you will. Don’t let me interrupt.” He moved, stepping sidelong and at least intending to circumvent the entire interaction altogether. So long as he avoided being bitten, he didn’t suppose it mattered too much—other than a great hope that there weren’t more of these things lurking about in the snow waiting to launch themselves at him.  

[Cornetified]

Ergon shook his head. "As I said, I have no use for the creature." Looking around on the path, Ergon found himself wondering as well if there were more of these snakes hidden in the snow off the path. It made the idea of going through the snow to pass the creature rather.. unappealing. "We should at least try to get it off of the path, right? So that others can pass by safely." He looked at his weapon and pointed it at the snake. "I don't suppose you have some way to help move it?"  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric paused.

He didn’t want to think about the beast any more than necessary, let alone deal with it in any way that might put himself in danger. But, the iceling boy regrettably had a point. Help move it indeed. His gaze flicked from the dark serpent to the iceling, one brow raising skeptically. Then, taking another step further back just in case, he focused inward, on his magic, stirring the prickle of it beneath his skin to his fingertips.

“I would back up if I were you.”

He didn’t have a weapon of his own and no spellbook yet, but the most basic applications could be called on without. Thus, with a flick of his wrist and a murmured word, a flare pulsed out the next moment—simple and non-lethal, but enough to give a definite spark at the latter half of the serpent’s long body. ‘Agitation’ became an understatement, but at least it worked. Or rather, it worked if ‘success’ in this instance was defined as, ‘the snake moved.’ The angry hiss and reactive skitter wasn’t precisely controlled.

But it was changing location.  

[Cornetified]

Back up? Ergon looked over at the other teen, took a moment, and then jumped back a couple quick steps. Magic! Well, what was with the concern? With magic in his pocket, this guy should be able to take care of the snake with no- ..Oh.

"Now who's agitating it?" he grumped, watching the disoriented snake flail along the path. The creature finally made a move though, trying to get away from the point of attack. Of course, that had it aiming for Ergon. With a yelp, Ergon jumped back and and threw the spear. The weapon stuck in the path to the side of the snake. The creature hissed again, and snapped at the stick of wood. It held tight, rattling tail whipping around angrily as it tried to bring down its foe...

Ergon looked over at the blond male. "How about you not do that again?"  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Amalric blinked, watching the spectacle. He’d expected—well, no, that wasn’t fair. He hadn’t known what to expect out of a wild, agitated animal. But he had hoped the spurt of energy would inspire the beast to slither off and out of their way. Of course, as it grappled ‘fiercely’ with the wood of the spear, that wasn’t proving to be the case at all.

He puffed, but couldn’t help being very slightly amused at the other boy’s reaction.

“If you’re sure. Good luck with getting your spear, then. I think it likes it.”  

[Cornetified]

Looking at the snow on either side of the path, Ergon wondered how the snake was getting along in the first place. Could it actually get through the snow, or was it just following the path the whole time? Brow rising he glared over at the snake. "It will tire itself out eventually," he huffed. "Or you could throw some magic again~ That is sure to get it to let go." Sighing, he sat down to wait for the creature to calm down. After all... that was just a practice spear that he was only borrowing... It would be shameful to not return it.