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 Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 4:32 pm
The sun was bright over head as Draven emerged with the rest for the underground Dretch tunnels. Blinking against the sun's glare, he looked around at the jungle he was in. Trees for days in all directions as he watched the others go their separate directions. Leaving him alone in the jungle. Where was he now? Last he remembered, before the tunnels was that he was in Zena. Regale and himself had wandered by a Dretch trap and Draven got off his mount to investigate. Not realizing the trouble he had gotten himself into as he was dragged down beneath the ground.
"I need to get back to Zena, who knows what condition Regale has come to be in." He said looking around, still squinting as his eyes adjusted back to the brightness of the surface.
Adjusting the sword at his side, the weight of it throwing him off balance as it had been a while since he really wore it. Listening to the surrounding, Draven also took the chance to look at himself. He was filthy! Dust and grim coated his clothing and even the skin beneath, he needed a bath.
"Perhaps there is a brook or something nearby." Draven muttered as he just picked a direction and headed in it.
As he walked, he looked for trail signs or signs of anything that wasn't an animal. While he wandered through the trees, he came across a shallow brook. That would do for a quick wash. Shrugging off his cloak and shirt, rolled up his pants to his knees, Draven waded in the started splashing water on his face. The water was cold, but it felt better then the caves, that was for sure..
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:14 pm
Maia 1 It felt good to be back on the metaphorical road. Maia had spent far more time in Neued this time than she would normally have liked to, being stuck
for over a week helping out her boss with a particularly large shipment of a large assortment of different artifacts and other things in tightly sealed boxes whose contents she didn't know nor really cared to ask about. She knew he made trade deals with other merchants and treasure hunters in other cities and regions and assumed that was what was inside each box. Something priceless he was passing along to the next person down the line or something sent to him to appraise before being sent back. It didn't matter. Especially not now that it was all done and she could return back to nature, where she truly preferred to be. Cities were far too stuffy and crowded and noisy.
The familiar, and now comforting, sounds of the many animals who lived up in the canopy surrounded the Shifter. She pulled out her waterskin, shaking it a little to hear the slosh of a tiny bit of water inside. Time to find that brook she knew was nearby. Fresh water form the forest was so much better than anything one could find inside the city. The sound of splashing didn't alert her to the fact that anything was diffferent than the dozens of other times she stopped here until she saw the distant figure. Close enough to see his state of half-undress, Maia went a dark shade all over her face and quickly turned her back before she had a chance to see anything she wasn't supposed to, uttering a very loud "Sorry!" in her panic. "I didn't mean to intrude!"
Of all the things to find in the forest, a half-naked man was far off her list.
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Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2023 3:43 pm
Draven, being focused more on cleaning off the grime that clung to him didn't notice anyone coming towards the brook. Really the flow of the water and splashing was though to block out most the other sounds around him. The loud uttering of another caused him to pause and turn quickly. With this motion, Draven tripped up over his own two feet and fell over backwards into the water. "Ack!" he gasped before landing in the water, Draven sat back up so that his head was above the surface he looked in the direction that the voice had come from. "It's fine!" he said loud enough to be heard. Pulling himself back up, completely drenched now. If there were any dirt left on his skin it was well gone now. Walking towards the shore and where his belongings were sat, he glanced toward the stranger that had their back turned towards him. "I was just trying to get some of the dirt and muck off. The underground tunnels aren't the cleanest." He said as if it weren't that big of a deal. Reaching down, he picked up his shirt and pulled it back on. Though he wished he a towel or something to dry off a bit fist, oh well, he could do that maybe if there were a town or something near by. "Don't suppose you could tell me where I might be."
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2023 4:22 pm
Maia 2 A giant splash behind her caught her attention and she turned her head to see the space he was occupying now empty. He might say it was fine, and maybe it was for him, but Maia felt like it was anything but. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life, stumbling upon someone in such a private moment as bathing. At least he had pants on, that she was at least grateful for. Who knew what other people got up to when they were this alone out in the woods. Or thought they were this alone. She shuddered to imagine!
As soon as he started to rise, the Shifter turned her head back around, facing the oppposite direction, determined to give him privacy. And save her poor nerves. She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt, listening to his movements a little too keenly, hoping he never came too close.
"I...I don't know about any tunnels," she admitted, her Treasure Hunter's curiosity peeked by the mention of it. It sounded like a fantastic location to find something interesting. "At least around here. Have you taken a wrong turn somewhere? The closest big settlement is Neued a few day's south."
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Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 5:13 pm
"They aren't the kindest. Homes to some of the nastiest of creatures you might come across." Draven says as he looked back towards the woman whom had her back towards him. "The Dretch aren't something to really mess with." This he said as a warning, though only shook his head as he picked up the rest of his stuff. "Neued, never heard of that settlement. Then again, never been to this forest before. Last place I remember being, before the underground. Was Zena. My mounts and other gear is still there." This caused another wave of worry to sink through Draven, he worried that anything could happen to Regale and the bird his grandmother had left him. "I have to get back to Zena, the sooner the better." This he said in a low voice. Staring off into the distance a little he snapped back and looked towards the woman. "I am fully clothed, you don't have to stay turned away. If you can lead me to this settlement, or to where ever you are going. It would be helpful." Draven added, thinking that maybe he could get a mount to borrow to at least part way back to Zena.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2023 10:48 am
Maia 3 Maia wasn't quite sure where the conversation was going, but she let him talk regardless, not choosing to ask anything else about it. She'd lived in Jauhar her entire life. Had explored so many locations of its forests, with the exception of going too far north for fear of stepping onto Alkidike territory. She thought she knew everything about its creatures and what to find in it. Maybe she was wrong? Maybe there was still something out there, some untouched part that this man had found. It only made her all the more eager to get moving on this next adventure.
Caught off guard by the next statement, the Shifter turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder, not enough to really see him behind her, but enough that part of her face would come into focus. "Never heard of Neued?" she asked in astonishment, her eyes staring off into the distance, following the outline of a climbing vine that was twisted around the trunk of a smaller tree. How was that possible? It was one of the biggest cities in Jauhar. Even anyone traveling to Jauhar would be aware of it, as it would be one of the most likely stops to rest at an inn or browse the many shops to restock. Than she heard the rest and it all clicked. Somewhat. It still made no sense. Was there really a tunnel that stretched so far across Tendaji?
Turning her head around more so that she could properly see him, she confirmed that he was, indeed, now fully clothed. Maia breathed an obvious sigh of relief, turning herself around all the way to face him properly, pursing her full lips slightly in thought. Strange.
"You....Were last in Zena?" she repeated, hardly able to believe it. Nowadays with everyone doing so much traveling, the race of the other speaking to you wouldn't be much of an indication of your location. Or the fact her hair was blue. Not a common enough trait for anyone outside of Jauhar to not think her a hybrid of some sort. "You're very far from Zena. This is Jauhar. Neued is one of our largest cities and that is a few days travel south. I just came from it."
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2023 4:36 pm
Draven scratched at the back of his head as the surprise was there as the woman spoke. Yep, he had yet to explore everywhere in his life time. "Oba has been the farthest to this side of the territories I have been. And even then it was the more eastern parts of it close to Matori." he explained as he looked back towards Maia. "Jauhar is a place I have never thought I would find myself for some time yet."Draven gave a bit of a shrug before he glanced around at the trees. He had traveled through a couple of forests, on in Matori and then through Sauti. In truth, trees were trees to him, all looked the same from his viewpoint. "I would hate for you to have to back track to show me to the city. If you are headed for another I would gladly accompany you..." he offered, not wanting to have the woman turn completely around for his sake. Really he wished not to be a burden to anyone for that matter. He would likely wander lost for a while before stumbling upon a town or city on his own. "Also the name's Draven," he offered so that they weren't total strangers.
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 5:55 pm
Maia 4 The Shifter moved her feet, stepping to one side as her body started to become angsty at still remaining in one spot so soon after she had set out from Neued. It wasn't uncommon to find others out in the forest, especially this close to a city. But it still wasn't common enough that she was really used to it by now.
"Uh...This isn't too far from Oba." A quick survey around her, noting the little details of the area others might have missed who weren't as familiar with this area of the forest in particular. Judging Neued to be almost directly to her south, Maia looked to her right, pointing a finger in that direction. "It should only be a few weeks travel in that direction." Though she'd never travelled, or even thought about, travelling outside of Jauhar, she had looked closely at maps when planning out which direction had the most unexplored territory for her. Looking back at the hybrid man, she blinked a few times as she thought about an answer. No, she wasn't exactly going to another city. But considering the rest of the big Shifter settlements were all north of their location, it wouldn't be as much of an inconvenience to her to show him the way to one. With the exception of having to share that travel time with another Earthing. She wasn't used to company. Did he even have anything for spending the night outside? Or other gear for survival? There might be another village near who could help, but if not, she only had enough for one.
She frowned, again.
"I'm not...Really headed anywhere, exactly. I'm Maia. I'm a treasure hunter." She patted one of the traps of her backpack that lay across her chest as if in emphasis of this fact. "Keuta is probably the closest city. It still borders Oba. Sol is further north of it and borders Tale. Depending on where you are planning on going, I can guide you to one of those two. Or back to Neued. It's much closer."
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2023 6:43 pm
Draven stood there listening to the dark skinned female as she spoke of the places that were in this region. Sol seemed to be the place to head to. The sooner he could get back to Zena the less worried he would be. He can only imagine the havoc that Regale was causing as he was without Draven being remotely close. The woman introduced herself as Maia. "It is a pleasure to meet you Maia." He said with a small smile. "Sol might be the easiest place for me. It is closest to my destination." He nodded before looking around. Trying to get his own bearings, he hadn't really traveled that far from the exit that himself and the rest had used. The cave that lead down into the tunnels of the Dretch. Really a place he didn't want to return to, no matter what happens. "A treasure hunter huh? Think back that way." He points back behind them, not quite the direction that Maia had come, but further over. "The cave to the tunnels is located. But I would suggest having a couple friends with you. Dretch poison is not fun." Draven shuddered remembering the sting and grogginess. He wished that not even on his worst enemy. Certainly wouldn't wish Maia to become poisoned by the creatures..
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2023 9:19 am
Maia 5 The itch to move was growing ever stronger with each passing minute. Maia held her hands behind her back, just underneath her backpack and forced herself to keep still. He didn't seem to want to get moving and that was fine, she supposed. Since she didn't encounter many Earthlings out on her explorations, she could stay here for a little while.
The woman gave a small smile, unsure how to proceed further with the conversation. Unless he wanted her to guide him to Sol, he now had his destination.
But than he said something else that made one of her eyebrows raise in confusion and the smile to slip off her lips. Why was he talking about that, again? Did he somehow think she wanted to go there? Maia wasn't really much of a splunker, though she assumed some Treasure Hunters probably were. There were all sorts in every profession, after all. She was more interested in wandering and finding things naturally on the ground. Or digging, if she was feeling really ambitious that day. That was more where her interests lied, in digging up old things that had been left buried in the earth for so many generations, they had gone long forgotten. But the soil in Jauhar was often far too tough. It was almost like a solid rock.
"I wasn't going to go looking for it," she answered without emotion. "Even if you're suggesting there is treasure in there, that's a very simple assumption of what I do."
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 5:53 pm
Draven looked at the woman a little confused, she had said that she was a treasure hunter right? To his mind he had thought that she would jump at the chance of adventure and the thrill of hard to get at riches. Well... He supposed that he could be wrong in his life, he did that with a lot of things it seems. The air around the area started to turn awkward as he looked away. Turning away from Maia, not really knowing where else to go with that conversation. Truly he had just stuck his foot into his out mouth and swallowed it with his words. There was also the itch to get moving, his mind went back to his mounts left in Zena, one being in the wilds somewhere. "Sol it shall be for me." He says almost softly, there was uncertainty in his voice. "Don't suppose you mind helping me to get at least part of the way there? I'd hate to take up too much of your time." Draven glanced back towards Maia. "I feel that I have taken up too much already."He was an awkward one when it came to interacting with those around him. Really he was a loner, being in the group beneath ground was a first for him. It had always been him and his critters. Hoisting his pack back upon his back, he glanced once more at Maia before turning towards where she had pointed for the direction of Sol.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2023 11:34 am
Maia 6 Maia chewed lightly on her lower lip, waiting to see if he insisted on saying anything more about it. Others might have expected an apology, but the Shifter woman never cared as much about things like that. So when the subject wasn't pursued, she just shrugged and also let it drop, deciding instead to adjust one of her backpack's straps. Though she might be quick to through some snark at someone when she felt slighted, Maia was also just as capable of letting it go. At least on the surface, depending on what had offended her. Since this was just a small misunderstanding, perhaps someone who wasn't as experienced with Treasure Hunters, she could let it slide. She certainly wasn't going to explain it to him if he wasn't interested. Wasn't like she cared about the tunnel, either.
"I suppose I could," she answered, jogging to catch up. "You might want to let me lead, though." Wasn't really wise for outsiders to wander aimlessly in the forests of Jauhar unless they knew the unique dangers that hide in the canopy. Or even hung down from it. "Unless you have knowledge of Jauhar and know what to look for. If not, avoid the vines. They're not all docile. And a Menzuri web is near impossible to get out of. I'm not really a fighter if you get into trouble. Not that I'm sure a blade would be effective against their bodies."
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 9:20 am
Draven was still feeling a bit awkward from this situation, but he shook his head to clear the feelings. He had no knowledge of the area, heck he hadn't even been to Jauhar before. Oba had been as far as he had ever gone, he never realized how far the dretch had dragged him in the underground. "Sadly this is my first time to this area. Think I had meant to come here earlier in life, but paths get changed with the people we meet." he shrugged thinking back to his meeting with the Alk V'Dem. The woman who took him in as her son. He still had to ask her about all that, he was sure they would meet up again somewhere. She had come all the way to Zena before he was taken. "I will keep the warnings in mind, I am ok with fighting. My plan is to become a sentinel and help defend others." He said patting the blade he carried. "We come against a hostile creature, I may be able to at least make it think twice about coming back." At least that was the idea... He wasn't sure how well that would work, but anything was worth a try. "I am ready to move on when you are." Draven commented as he hoisted his pack onto a shoulder.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2024 5:05 pm
Maia 7 Nodding her head a few times, Maia turned around to walk slowly in the direction towards Sol, her arms swinging lightly at her sides. She hadn't been to Sol herself for a while. Lately, she'd been more focused on the west side of Jauhar, where the only places to stop and restock were at the random villages scattered around the forest. Something much more to her own pace than a city. She briefly eyed the pack on the hybrid's back before turning her pale eyes back to the front. "I hope you have supplies for the night. Jauhar is not a small place and the next city is still a long way away."
The Shifter turned back around at his show of confidence, not impressed. Was he trying to reassure her that she'd be safe? That'd be a strange thing, if so. She was out here, alone, miles away from civilization, so clearly she knew how to handle herself out here. "Unless your sword can cut through crystal, I don't think you'll find Menzuri so easy." Waving her hand, Maia indicated the trees, towering over them far higher than trees normally would. That at least she knew about other countries, after listening to tourists and travelers exclaiming over how tall they were here. So tall, some Earthlings even lived inside them.
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