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<\|description\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith Age: 28 Race: Human Profession: Warrior Weapoms: Sword, Bow and arrow Special abilities: Circulus ignis praesidio (engl.: protective circle of fire) For those encircled and protected the flames are cold, for the enimies it sears the skin. It is about 7 inches high and can be drawn around up to three people. Aureola ignis (engl.: halo of fire) This spell strengthens Ilinfer so that she can strike faster and harder – being blessed by the goddess of fire Ardebit</s> <\|message\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith They talked well into the night, the wine loosening their tongues. When they fell asleep it was close to each other, lulled by the drowsiness of alcohol. The days past in a blur as they settled into a strange routine: discussing customs and language lessons over a small breakfast, sparring and exchanging different fighting styles after and long personal conversations in the evenings. One evening a few crewmen joined them in merriment. At the end of that night Illinfer hand danced the dance of swords, impressing the crewmen and captain with her controlled and swift movements. Then they all sang drunkenly, teaching each other different songs. Although Illinfer felt right at home with the crew they still kept wary of Rhoynar. His noble status discouraged some from challenging him the way they did the warrior. She however had other plans and made him dance with her - well, swaying with her, laughing, as it was well into the night. A few days later they reached Juhad. The climate had gotten warmer, making them change into more appropriate clothing, preparing to leave the ship. Illinfer stood at deck, Rhoynar beside her, both staring at the huge city coming into view. As it grew closer the soft sounds of the sea were replaced with bustling liveliness and yelling. Around them the crew bustled past. Soon they said their goodbyes and left the ship to step foot into the next chapter of their journey. --- Illinfer stood on the pier, looking at the strange mass of people milling about. They men wore some sort of short dress, reaching to the middle of their thighs with open shoes that left their toes poking out. The women wore draped fabric, wrapping around their bodies in different manners. Awestruck the warrior stood there until Rhoynar nudged her shoulder with his and motioned her to follow. Overwhelmed by the spice filled air, the strange sounds of a foreign language surrounding her and the unfamiliar buildings she soon found herself unable to move. When he noticed the noble doubled back with a soft curse and pulled at the northern woman, grabbing her arm in an iron grip to pull her along. He led them to a tavern just by the market, weaving in and out of the crowd. Finally he shepherded Illinfer into the small room he'd booked for them in passing. She came from her stupor when she was pushed onto a bed. He'd said something, hadn't he? „Sire.... I do not understand." But before she could ask any further questions he had left the room. Was he mumbling about food? Irritated, she pulled off her shoes and leaned back against the wall, legs tucked close to her body. The bed wasn't big so she almost occupied the entire space of it. Her thoughts drifted to their mission. A lot had happened this past week. She thought back on it. She'd been summoned by the guild to an audience with Lord Ilyn Grey, a council member to the King of Illium. She was to protect Rhoynar and help him retrieve a scroll of some importance to the crown. They'd left the capital that day, happening upon an old friend of hers who woke unsettling memories. On their journey they had witnessed the Jakathra Plague, keeping a wide berth from those infected. It had made her spine crawl, thinking it was so close to the capital. They had then arrived in Astipor, at her travel companion's manor of all places. She'd snuck out of the manor to make preparations - protection for Rhoynars family. He'd been so afraid! And didn't she understand. The bargain she'd struck could damage her reputation, but she hadn't cared and still didn't. The next day she was introduced to the people she had made those arrangements for. They were kind and knowledgeable. As thanks for her help Rhoynar had embraced her. He'd been too close! It still made her feel uncomfortable and sent a shiver down her spine. She could still feel his fingertips lingering on her neck. Lifting her hand to her neck now, the bruises had turned a yellow and dark purple, slowly healing. Why had he touched her so intimately? Or was it perhaps just from a knight to a wounded warrior? It hadn't felt that way. But perhaps that had been her imagination. On their boat trip they were close throughout the days and he'd never invaded her personal space as he had that day. Had so much really happened in so little time? They'd known each other for a week! It felt longer, thanks to the long conversations they'd had on board. Thankfully he'd taught her a few customs and some basic language. She had understood a few snippets of conversations in passing but had been too shocked and overwhelmed to actually piece anything together. Now that she thought about it she felt a lot calmer. Nonetheless she moved with lighting speed and had her sword half drawn when the door swung open and Rhoynar appeared. With a huff she sheathed her sword. „You frighten me, sire." She mumbled, breathing deeply to quiet her heart. It would take a bit for her to get used to being so far from home.</s> <\|message\|>Second East The air had steadily begun to warm during their journey, shifting from the temperate weather of Illium to the sticky heat that clouded the coastal cities and towns of Jhun'k'ai. The nature of the heat would likely change the further East they travelled on their journey, shifting into and a parched and arid heat, pulled water from skin as the world slowly shifted into a desert that felt entirely endless. A place where the heat saw no pause between day and night, scorching the world on all sides. Should their journey lead them into the Dead Waste, they would need more than a guide. As the week long travelled finally ceased and the duo were given the ability to stand on solid ground, the rich hive of Juhad erupted before them. Whilst its streets were not alien to the elder of the pair, the time between his last arrival on its shores had felt too long. The smell of life within the city hung in the air like perfume, bringing with it the memories of a childhood on the eastern shores. Reminding an aging man of a youth spent abroad where the secret political games of the Western kings was no concern, and the hidden rules at play in the desert seemed simpler. It wasn't the petty sport of the ruling class that mattered in their current journey, though it was the source of their travel. Rhoynar guided Illinfer by the arm from the dock and onto the crowded streets that exploded into the markets of the vast city. The city of Juhad opened to its naval guests with a vast courtyard of vendors, exploding with the expansive and vibrant spectrum of silks, cloths and rugs, often variegated in design and colour. The selection stood out in high contrast to the bleached walls of the buildings surrounding, each of them brilliant white as it reflected the sun that lingered almost directly overhead, baring down on the city which paid it little mind under their creatively created shelters within the market. The man continued to hurry through the markets, stepping between the crowd underneath the cloth roofs that decorated the streets. Its design forced the heavy perfumes and spices to linger, catching on the clothing and skin of those who travelled though. It was heavy on the head, lasting in the nostrils as the pair escaped the restless and spirited agora as travellers and residents alike haggled with vendors for their goods. The clamour of the new world had seemed only larger than the furor that had developed within Astipor: a newly formed sanctuary for many that could afford the travel aboard ships from Juhad or Olas. In the former, the world felt more alive than before. Here was a world were the Western tongue was no longer common, but a language spoken by sailors alone. The Second East was a portal to more languages than knowable, though so many spoke a prevalent dialect, that danced along the air between the citizens across the city and deserts beyond. To hear ones mother tongue spoken so freely had felt comforting, adding to the distant memories of childhood yet the knowledge he had of the ancient world they were standing upon added an anxious fear. Time passed differently in Jhun'k'ai, it always had. Self-made kings and empires fell overnight as the power-hungry continued to squabble and fight for the riches they felt rightful to; his father had been right in choosing conquest in the West, where the games of the powerful travelled slowly. They soon settled into an inn, taking rest in the shade to allow Illinfer the moment to recapture her senses. He gave her leave to rest for a few moments whilst collecting food and drink, opting to choose food closer to her palate than might be provided the further they travelled from their home. Shouldering the door open, he was soon greeted with his partner's panicked uneasiness. "Here," Rhoynar offered as he placed a tray onto the table between them and sat onto the cushion lounge opposite. "You'll have already noticed the heat, you'll need to drink." He soon unsheathed his sword and set it by his side and relaxed in silence, taking in the natural chill of the shade the inn provided. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly helped. After a few moments, he spoke again, offering Illinfer a suggestion of their first potential direction in their quest. "We should check the temple first, the monks there collect knowledge from far places most have never heard of. I've never seen their library but it is said to be stretching far into the sky, with walls of tomes that pass back in time beyond the Gods we know. If anyone is to know where we might find what Grey was asking of us, its them." He paused to take a sip of the fruit wine he had purchased for them. "I don't know if you saw as we made port: the large temple on the hill." It had stood far from the ocean's edge, standing high on a hill with a forest of trees surrounding its walls from whatever may have chosen to threaten it. Its walls, whilst far from sight, had been tall columns, stretching high above the citizens that passed towards its doors. "We should head there once you're comfortable. I can understand this place is... Different." Rhoynar laughed. "I had the same reaction of your country when I first arrived. The culture is different, bland in comparison."</s>	<\|message\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith Laying her sword aside, Illinfer watched her companion. "You'll have already noticed the heat, you'll need to drink." Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the fruit wine he had brought and poured it into two shallow clay cups. She drank in small sips, letting her gaze wander to the food he had brought. Although a lot looked unfamiliar the smells were appealing. Slowly she started to pick small bites from every dish, tasting them curiously. At first the spices overpowered her senses, followed by a hesitant acceptance and finally joy. With a bit of time she thought she could get used to it. When Rhoynar spoke again she startled. She'd forgotten his presence, entirely entranced in her curiosity and culinary experience. With wide eyes she looked at him, slowly chewing on a green fruit coated in oil that tasted salty and slightly bitter. "We should check the temple first, the monks there collect knowledge from far places most have never heard of. I've never seen their library but it is said to be stretching far into the sky, with walls of tomes that pass back in time beyond the Gods we know. If anyone is to know where we might find what Grey was asking of us, it's them." As he spoke her eyes were fixed on him. Having him close calmed her somewhat. She would never have imagined a journey into a foreign land would rattle her into such a frightened state. Indeed, she had seen the temple, looming, marvellous and imposing. Lost in thought she tilted her head slightly, eyes unfocused. Would she be deemed worthy to enter those halls? She'd also noticed quite a difference between the clothes given to her by the guild and the garb those here seemed to favour. They should get the proper attire before trying to set foot into a holy place. Illinfer barely heard the next words he spoke, but his laugh captured her, bringing her full attention back to the man in front of her. Instinct made her reach for him and grasp his wrist tightly. On the ship this had not felt real. It had not felt like the big change it was. She'd been on ships before, even on the open sea. Never had she felt this uncertain, this lost. Not since her husband had died. The prick of loss and sadness came suddenly and threatened to overwhelm her. He'd spoken of adventures like these, her Jurlath. Her grip grew tighter around Rhoynars wrist. „Forgive me...." She whispered, her breath shallow as she was trying to gather herself, to not break down here in the strange place so far away from home and in the company of one she'd sword to protect. A shudder went through her body as she quietly gasped, her lungs constricted. „... forgive... me..." Illinfer slumped over the table, her hair spilling over her shoulders and hiding her expression, her breathing growing more laboured as the panic grew. Tears started to well in her eyes. This was not happening. Not now. She wasn't alone, she couldn't afford this right now! Why?! All the while the warrior was trying to gather her senses, her iron grip on Rhyonar did not loosen even when her body started to tremble.</s>
<\|description\|>There Are No Heroes There never have been and never will be among us. ---- Character Submission Form If you have a reserved slot and received acknowledgement from the game master, please post your character submission in this category for review and approval. Applications that do not receive approval are not valid. If you have questions, forward a message to The Harbinger of Ferocity. ----</s> <\|message\|>Henry Grimwald Moore The sound check ended, and Henry noted a wave of relief in the audience. There were a few nods between the guy mixing in the back of the bar and the band, and they took a few a minute or so to sip drinks and chat before the vocalist announced that they were indeed Amish Tech Support and introduced himself and his companions. No one cared. But that all took a few minutes. Henry returned from his thoughts and looked at George, who had a pensive expression on his face. At first, Henry thought he was watching the band, but on closer examination he was just spacing out. Henry decided to restart conversation, and put on a friendly smirk on his face. "What's on your mind?" he asked. He blinked slowly. "I was just connecting some dots, I guess." "What?" Henry's confusion was genuine. "Well, so I was hanging out at my sister's last weekend, and her son was watching Spongebob while we were just shooting the shit with my brother-in-law. Anyway, we get quiet for a little bit, and a new episode starts or something. It's Spongebob sitting at home, really intently watching a sea anemone" — he botched the pronunciation, Henry noticed, but he wasn't sure if it was the booze — "swinging around on its little stalk, like in an ocean current, on TV. Then the snail, Gary — I think I'm over there too often — comes in and Spongebob changes the channel really quick and looks all guilty." George was leaning back against the bar, facing toward the band, mostly talking to Henry but also to the new guy. Henry was sort of hunched over, facing out and in George's direction, making eye contact as he listened. Henry glanced occasionally at the new guy, who was paying special attention to some girl in the corner of the bar. He let the thought go and decided he wanted more to drink, so he held a finger up to pause George's tipsy philosophizing, turned to the bartender and asked for two of whatever was cheap and on tap. He signaled for George to continue. "So of course after that we adults were cracking up. I mean, it's a joke about porn in a kids' show, right? But then my nephew was just staring at us, asking over and over what was so funny, which only made us laugh harder." He looked at Henry, clearly about to make a point. "But the thing is, I watched that same show as a kid, and I was probably just like my nephew back then, and all that stuff went miles above my head." George said that with the intonation of finality, but Henry didn't see the point. The beers came though, and both of them took a sip. "But what does that connect to?" Henry asked, not wanting to overtly tell George to stop rambling. "Well, long story short, I've been learning Spanish, right, and I'm getting pretty good, talking with relatives and stuff. But there's still all kinds of stuff I miss, from subtext to massive chunks of sentences." He took a few sips, then continued. "And I've just been wondering if I missed as much as I did when I was a kid, except I never noticed it because it was just outside of what I could comprehend." He finished his beer in one final swig. Henry didn't interrupt him. "I guess the question is: what am I missing just because I can't even process it? There are things I know I don't get, like fine art and jazz and morse code and that sort of thing, but what about the things I don't even know of?" He stared intently at Henry, who stared back but saw much more. George had, over the past thirty seconds or so, gone from excitedly rambling to deeply serious, perhaps with a tinge of suspicion. Henry had tested that out plenty of times, though. George couldn't know of Henry's little abilities, but he was more than able to discern that Henry was letting himself behave a little weird. Shit. "Are you high?" he asked calmly, with a bit of judgement on his face for good measure. He didn't know whether he was at that in-the-zone level of buzz or he just thought he was. George rolled his eyes and looked back out at the band, who'd started playing something surprisingly unobtrusive but undoubtedly on the experimental side. George's eyes narrowed once the vocalist came in. "This is a Wilco song. I saw them live a couple years ago. The instrumentation is just really weird." He declared, and he was right, thought Henry. "I think they're holding off with the theremin until the bridge at the end of the song. Good thing, too." A large group stood up and left. Maybe it was a little too noisy for them, thought Henry, but they might also just have gone anyway. "Let's grab that table," George said, pointing. "This is no way to have a conversation and make friends." He nodded in the direction of the New Guy. Then, with a gregarious, not-entirely-sober smile, he looked over at the guy sipping sparkling water. "You look like you need to relax. Get yourself a beer and meet us over there." He motioned with his empty glass, put it down on the bar, and walked over to the table. Henry gestured to the bartender and followed.</s> <\|message\|>Michelle Darrens Time to have fun. It wasn't really a thought of hers, honestly. One of the flannel boys had put two and two together and realized that if they were going to spend the time chatting they might as well do it around a table. By the time they grabbed the guy at the bar she'd almost made up her mind, but that's what sealed the deal--if they were willing to grab some random asshole from the bar, they'd have to be down with her showing up. That was why guys went to bars, after all, to get drunk and hang out and pick up chicks. Right? Like she had any fucking clue, but that dandy appletini-Coors Light combo had the beginnings of a buzz in her temples and she was feeling a little rebellious. It was a night out, goddammit! Maybe she never had any fun because she never let herself have any fun. Maybe Big Bad (It's the alcohol talking, a little part of her hyperventilated, don't be stupid, don't fuck things up!) didn't have to be as much of a killjoy as she made him. It had been a while since she'd cut loose, since he'd ripped out, and even when the moon came along she had her little safety nets. When was the last time she actually got someone hurt? As was usual for Michelle, while she was busy thinking and exacerbating and freaking the hell out, her body had plans of its own and made them known. She was already on her way to the table when her stupid heart started beating faster, her lips pulling tight in a little catch-me-if-you-can smile. It felt like she was getting away with something, and that edge of going-to-get-caught, fuck-it-do-it-anyway abandon was making her a little giddy. If there was something to be said about her, she was a physical person. Mama might not have raised a dummy but she'd been a dancer and a cheerleader (Hah! What a fucking riot!) once upon a time and she knew how to slide her way across a floor. Effortless with all the confidence she didn't have, she got to the table just as the boys were settling down. A quick twist of a wrist on the back of a worn smooth wooden chair pivoted it on a leg and spun it around to let her straddle it, wrapped around the back rest while her chin rested in the groove between her wiry forearms. Her hoodie flopped across like a punk-rock circus tent in a breeze, the worn holes for her thumbs not the only ones where pale flesh peeked through. "Howdy gents." Her smile twitched to a grin before falling back to size. "Cool if I crash your stag party? And I'll have another, honey, thanks so much." She added to the waitress from before, snagging her as she passed to another table and wiggling her fingers by way of please-and-thanks before turning to her new partners-in-crime properly. Maybe things would be different now. Maybe this would be fun after all. Or maybe they'd tell her to fuck off! Never knew until you tried. It was a little funny--the more she stuck herself out there, the more she relaxed. She'd learned by now that if a pucnh was coming it was better to roll with it, and on the edge of watching her tentative good-time-girl bravado crumble she was oddly at ease. "How 'bout that fucking radio-thing, huh? You guys ever heard shit like that before?"</s>	<\|message\|>There Are No Heroes Drifting between toying with the phone, adding a pause brief enough to note the trio depart from the bar itself, Mercer couldn't help but feel a conflict of emotions - feelings as if to just call this meeting off, throwing it to when he wasn't more concerned with the booze or the cat, or if he was better off just taking the prying now. The contact would pry, no doubt about that. It wasn't in the slightest a matter of if, but when and how much... and given how easy to find Mercer was, often making one of a couple rounds to locales he frequented, they'd find him one way or another. Oh fuck this. I'll deal with it tomorrow. Mercer's thoughts wavered as he entered his reply, attempting his best to deflect their interest, at least for the time being. Fingers to the screen, it was done in a heart beat. There wasn't an immediate response. That's what drew the sigh of relief and eyes free of the phone; in that moment, Mercer caught the slight glimpse of movement. Not from the band who had just a few minutes before departed the stage, but instead from the last person he imagined to get up. Eyes tracking for the time being, he was curious as to where this was going, because the brief expression he caught? It wasn't matching the one she had before, but it certainly matched her actions as she whipped a chair about, sitting herself down and ordering another drink all in one fluid motion. At first Mercer wasn't sure what he just witnessed; as if the incident but ten feet away was in a fog, but the more he thought about it as she finished her remark about the theremin, the more he realized she was serious. Settling in, first checking the reaction of the two cowboy booted cohorts, then the waiter; he imagined, before checking back to his phone, they might prove a bit startled... or confused. Maybe both. Mercer certainly was, but all the same now he found himself feeling left out. These were his grounds, he might as well be comfortable around these people - sure the air that followed with them struck him as a bit odd, but there was no harm in that, right? Thinking as he was, his attention focused back to the screen in his palm. No reply. Not yet at least, which was all the more rationale and permission he needed to join in on whatever was about to happen. It didn't take him twice on the thought to stand, crossing the bar before kicking back the leg of a chair with a heel and proving to sit down. It was in that moment, slipping the phone away, he replied almost casually, to the woman - or rather on closer inspection what he'd almost consider a girl still - and her remark about the theremin. "Heard of it - can't say I've ever seen one in person." Mercer proved to nod in the direction of the man in the plaid shirt, keen to note the little, more than awkward moment they had between each other but a short time ago. Maybe now, he rationalized, things would settle down some; the atmosphere maybe left to calm, but it certainly didn't where he sat at the table's corner, maybe a foot away from the punk college student - or what Mercer assumed her to be. Before he could let go of the notion though, his mind toyed with the fact that the last thing he wanted was a reply now. What little interaction he had with anyone but his coworkers, even if this turned poorly, would be better than none at all.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s> <\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo saw them head back and he started to smell the air for the familiar smell of Alkah. He found it and started to swiftly move through the woods trying not to make too much noise. Finally He found Alkah and said, "We have to hurry back to the pack there's...humans out here."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike returned to the den as well, with Amber. He thought to himself about the recent events. The strange smell, the rabbits, and... he cut himself short to see a rabbit. He charged after it, grabbed the little creature, and wrestled with it, almost playing with the doomed mammal. He ended its misery when he bit its neck. "I got us some more meat!" For the first time in months, he was enthusiastic about it, as evidenced by the wagging of his tail.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty returned to the dens with Lila and then crawled inside with the rabbit still in her mouth. She lay down on her side and dropped the rabbit onto the soft ground of her warm comfortable den. She started to eat some of the rabbit, but not all of it, wanting to save some for later.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched as the young ones crawled to their respective dens. There were still others who were outside so he still opted to keep watch. He has not seen the Alpha Male as well so he must be outside. His senses still cautious in everything he picked up, he sat there almost motionless as he stood guard.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila managed to catch herself a small rabbit on the way back, padding into the clearing and plopping herself down near Renzo. "Care to share?" She asked, nosing her rabbit.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "It's all yours hunter. You earned it." Renzo said with a nod, gesturing her that it was alright for her to eat it herself. "I've already ate." The vole was actually enough for him so he didn't mind. "Anything suspicious happening?" He asked as he looked around.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and started eating, pausing and licking around her mouth when he asked about anything suspicious. "Yes, there's a pack of humans not far from here setting up temporary dens," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Humans? Well they haven't shown themselves for quite a while now." Renzo said as he looked at the young wolf. "They would have to leave eventually then. Does everyone know about this?" The Elder asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I was just starting to hunt with the patrols the last time they came close like this," She said, pushing the rabbit away, no longer hungry. "And maybe they'll leave but they could also attempt to stay. Misty, Postremo, Klondike and Amber know. Postremo went out to go find the other hunting parties while he sent Misty and I back here."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, I remember that time." Renzo said. He was still young back then and often went on hunts with the others. At least the humans did not do any damage. "Prostremo what?" He growled as he looked at the forest again. "He went on alone while the humans are near?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the wolf and nodded. "Yes, Why isn't you don't go on the patrols anymore?" She asked and then sighed as he growled. "Yes he went alone, but it's not my place to argue with the alpha, remember?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I'm too old they say." Renzo replied. "It's better that I stay here rather than go out and risk myself getting injured." He actually longed to go back and hunt. He went back to his calm demeanor. "Yes, I know but still... that's risky. He should know that being an alpha, he should at least have one other wolf with him. If he disappears, the whole pack will be left in disarray."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Too old, you're only a year older than me, you're not that old," Lila said. "Which is why Misty assumes total alphaship until Postremo has returned or a new alpha is selected. We have survived worse, we will survive this."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That's what they say. Besides, I've been injured remember? The small fight with a rogue tiger left me limping for more than a year." Renzo continued. "Alright, we will survive if Postremo ever disappears but the pack would get affected emotionally. It hurts to lose a member, does it not?"</s>	<\|message\|>Lila "I remember, I was there," Lila said, resting her head on her paws. "Of course it hurts, it always hurts. Especially when it's one we're close to." Lila had lost her brother over the winter, he had fallen through the thin sheet of ice that coated the river.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was about to reply when Postremo returned to camp and the two began talking and then Misty joined the group. "Pups would be wonderful to have, it's been a long time since there have been pups in the pack. And why don't you have a mate yet Renzo?" Lila asked.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber placed the still-fresh rat body she had collected on a nearby rock. Hopefully someone who was hungry would know to at least have that as a snack. She glared at the pathetic sight. She set out on a hunt and found a rat. She remembered the elk scent they had detected early in the hunt. Perhaps that would be the solution. She'd have to investigate later. Amber turned to glance at Klondike. She looked just in time to see him dart off and chase after a rabbit. He wrestled with the little thing then eventually killed it. "Good job!" She cheered for him. She smiled at his enthusiasm. She turned away and lay down on the ground. She yawned and rolled on her back. Perhaps she'd let Klondike into her little idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes... a long time indeed." Renzo said as he sat up again. He looked at Lila with a smile. "Romance never interested me. I was always out on hunts and patrols remember?" The Elder glanced back at the entrance when he heard something but it was only a bird fluttering through the trees so he looked back at Lila. "Besides, I didn't want to have a mate since I was most likely to die in one of those patrols. I was reckless whenever out on them hunts. That's how I got my injury from that tiger." He then glanced back at the camp where Amber and Klondlike were then back at Lila. "How about you Lila? Is there anyone you've taken an interest in?"</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia twisted in her den, she was having a nightmare. Any onlookers would see her in her twisted state, as she whimpered and cried. With a final whimper she was awake, standing up to her full height before stretching, her belly low to the ground. Her tail swayed back and forth and she huffed, feeling flustered. She hated having those random nightmares, and they were usually about the strangest things. She crawled out of her den and looked around, the crisp air running it's way through her fur. She loved the spring air, it was cool, and everything was melting around her, so she was usually covered in dew. She smiled, her tail swinging back and forth. She wondered where the others were, and sniffed the air lightly. The rest of the pack was gathered somewhere, and she hurried off to find them. She saw them all in their groups, and tilted her head to the side. "Have you already done everything without me, guys?" She barked, a calm smile dancing across her features. She walked cautiously over to Lily and Renzo, but her ears caught a fragment of a sentence, something about 'interests' and she backed off.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah, Zia. You are awake." Renzo said as he looked over at the shewolf. "All the hunting parties are already back. There are humans out there and we were discussing on the best course of action." He said. "We advise everyone to not go out alone because of the risks that will be involved when you encounter the humans alone."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike hang out at the den with the others. He knew that humans were near, but didn't want to act in a rash manner. Eventually, he got up and went to find Postremo, finding Renzo nearby as well. "Hi there! If there is danger at hand, we should handle it as a pack, for there is strength in numbers." It was a trite piece of advice. Still, Klondike knew it made sense in this case. "Just a suggestion" he added, not wanting to seem as if he was commanding the pack, for fear he might be labeled a challenger to the alpha male.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Exactly what we were thinking." Renzo said as he looked at Klondlike. "But we should only charge at the humans if they pose a threat to our home. As long as they keep their distance, there should really be nothing to worry about." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was thinking a little too quick when he heard about that humans were near."Sorry about that I kind of forgot." Then Renzo mentioned that he and Misty that they haven't had a cub yet. He hesitated when the question was asked was a bit nervous when he asked it and Misty looked at him. "W-well we are busy with watching over the pack and yeah we've been mates for a awhile and...," Postremo looked at Misty, "I-if you want to have a cub then I won't really mind when you want to have it." Postremo quickly turned to Renzo embarrassed and said to him, "Anyways if the humans get too close they might pose a threat to us so having patrols wouldn't be a bad idea."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled as Postremo started to feel nervous thanks to his question. He should do this more often. Once the subject was turned back to the humans, Renzo decided to just roll with it. "Alright then. Who will you send out then Postremo? Obviously, most of the wolves here are young but capable of handling themselves although I highly recommend that you send wolves that are experienced on those patrols." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't say much after she heard Postremo's response. So he wouldn't mind having pups. But did she want pups? She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the alpha female's job to have pups in order to make sure the pack had a future, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for pups or not.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo When Renzo asked about who to send out for the patrols, he thought about it for a minute. He was right about that only wolves that are experienced would be right to do the patrols. "Maybe the older wolves wouldn't mind patroling and I don't mind patrolling either."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "If you are to go on patrol, someone else must be with you." Renzo said. "It can't be Misty, we need her for another patrol." He then tried to think of which wolves are going to be sent out. "Three years and older, those wolves should be the ones participating in these patrols for the humans. The younger ones will have to hunt. I don't mind going on patrol from time to time."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We shouldn't go too far from the dens, though," said Misty. "Especially during the day. The humans can't see well at night, so we're better of if we send out patrols mostly after the suns sets." She sat down beside Postremo as the discussion went on.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded, feeling the hairs on her back come to life. She wanted to growl, feeling defensive and angry. "Humans? Around here though? My god, we have to be on high alert then. May I suggest patrols around the perimeter?" She didn't want to sound as though she was taking the lead, but it seemed like a good idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Misty's suggestion. "Yes, the night will cover us well. Although we may have to avoid sending wolves with bright fur... like yourself Misty. You will be spotted easily among the night as it will not cloak you as well as it should." He said before turning to Zia. "We are currently discussing who to send out in patrols."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, not arguing with that logic. In truth, she hadn't been wanting to go out on patrols at all, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary for the good of the pack.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now, the wolves that will be available to go on patrol is dwindling." Renzo sighed as he looked at the leaders of the pack. "We can send out three patrols at most with two wolves each every night." He said, recounting every non-white wolf they had. "It will be risky so, as you suggested Misty, we will have to stick close to our dens just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I will volunteer for the riskiest patrol" Klondike said to Renzo and anyone else who could hear him. "I'm not white-furred, and if you don't mind my saying it, I am probably the most vigilant among us."</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia looked towards Klondike and nodded in agreement. "I will also go willingly on patrol. I'm not white, and I can be just as sneaky as the rest of you. You all know I won't do anything irrational either." She stood up as tall as she could, and put on a mask of seriousness.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Very good, Zia. Just be careful. Humans once destroyed the world, so who knows what they are capable of" Klondike replied. "I hear they even tamed some of our kind and tied them up on a leash or something."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Then we have our first patrol." Renzo said, gesturing to the two as they volunteered. "I thank you for volunteering for such a risky patrol." Renzo looked at Postremo and said, "I'll go patrol as well. I know the humans since we encountered them before... and I still haven't forgotten what they did to my sister."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Do I dare ask what they did to her?" Klondike said, a bit nervous about the possibilities. He had heard no end of horror stories, even after the many generations since humans were in charge.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well... I don't mind telling the story." Renzo said. "It will prove useful as knowledge." He continued before taking a deep breath. "Much like now, the humans were close to the dens and we needed to drive them away. My sister, the previous pack leader and myself were the ones who were on the first wave. It was the night and we became slightly over confident. We sneaked into one of their dens and what we found was a surprise. There were 3 of them, all equipped with those things which release something that could kill and makes a loud sound." He breathed in again. "We were surprised as the noises grew louder and more frequent. We scattered and I ran away with my sister... While we were running, we heard another loud noise and then my sister dropped on the ground. I stopped and looked at her... she didn't breathe anymore. I started running again until I arrived at my den and well... The rest is history." He said and then breathed out the remaining air that stayed inside him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Those things that look like tubes? Made out of some hard material? Those launch sharp little rocks, don't they?" Klondike said. "I am sorry for your loss" he bowed his head and his tail drooped down. He sincerely hoped that these humans had none of those things with them.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, those things. I'm just not sure about those sharp little rocks... They're too hard." Renzo said. They found one before and it shone in the sunlight so it may not be a rock. "Thanks. That happened such a long time ago anyway so I'm over it... I think." He continued. "How about you? Have you had any horrible experiences with the humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, I do, but he never seemed interested in a romance and was busy moaning over how stupid he was acting when he was attacked by a tiger," Lila said, standing and stretching her back while the others talked. "Should I stay with the hunting patrols? I'm the best tracker," She said, sitting down.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well, I suppose you are right Klondlike." Renzo said as he rested once more. He looked at Lila. Well that seemed awfully like him... but that was quite impossible since he was a year older so he payed it no mind. "Yes, you should. It would be better with your tracking skills and if we ever need your help, we'll tell you." Renzo replied before standing up. "Well now that that is over, time to go back to my den. See you later and just call me if you need anything else." He said as he headed back to his den to leave the others to talk amongst themselves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila watched him for a moment, nodding as she was given her assignment. Of course he was a little dense, she'd been giving hints for the last year that she liked him. She let out a sigh and stood. "I suppose I'll head to my den as well," She said, turning to pad away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Now Renzo had more time to think about something. For the past year, Lila has been growing closer and closer to him and has been given small hints. He had caught on but he refused to believe it. "Ha! If I'm going to fall in love now, I should go straight for the humans." Although deep inside, his heart was screaming the exact opposite.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded at Klondike, giving him a gentle smile. She would have gone up to nuzzle him, but she felt like it would be an awkward gesture. "Klondike, I'm heading to my den, you can come over if you'd like to discuss the situation." Her tail swayed back and forth, and she started to walk towards her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the other wolves behind and then followed Lila to her den. She slipped inside, feeling a little uncertain about things with everything that was going on and the talk of pups. "Hey, how are you?" she asked her younger sister.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty plopped down beside Lila. "He still doesn't seem to know that you like him, huh?" She lay her head down on her paws. "I guess I'm just not sure. I mean, it's not that I don't want pups, but I want to make sure that now is the right time I guess."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s> <\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo saw them head back and he started to smell the air for the familiar smell of Alkah. He found it and started to swiftly move through the woods trying not to make too much noise. Finally He found Alkah and said, "We have to hurry back to the pack there's...humans out here."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike returned to the den as well, with Amber. He thought to himself about the recent events. The strange smell, the rabbits, and... he cut himself short to see a rabbit. He charged after it, grabbed the little creature, and wrestled with it, almost playing with the doomed mammal. He ended its misery when he bit its neck. "I got us some more meat!" For the first time in months, he was enthusiastic about it, as evidenced by the wagging of his tail.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Upon emerging from her den, Misty spotted Postremo returning and she felt a great deal of relief seeing that he was unharmed. She rushed over to him while he was talking with the elder and then stopped, her tail wagging she was so glad to see him safe. She listened to the words of the elder as well. "I think we should keep patrols out at all times," she said. "We don't want them coming too close to our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is a good idea Misty." Renzo said as he looked at the Alpha Female. He saw in her tail's gesture that she was glad to see her mate unharmed. "Those patrols must be experienced as well. We do not want a wolf who has not even seen a human, fight them." He continued. "We should not attack recklessly if we do not want our numbers to dwindle."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "You're right, Renzo. We must only send out the most experienced of hunters. It would be horrible if we were to lose anyone to the humans. Our numbers are low as it is." The pack was still quite small given that no pups had been born in some time.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "There are few wolves that are experienced with the humans. There's you two, me, Lila, Ian and Zia. Those of which are more than just two and a half years old. Sending the two years old would be a bad idea unless they have proven to be excellent hunters." Renzo said as he looked at the Alpha Male and Female. "Speaking of which, when are you two planning on having cubs? It has been long since you two have been mates."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty hadn't been expecting that question. She glanced at Postremo to see his reaction to the question and then turned back to Renzo. "Well, we haven't really decided I guess." She turned back to her mate. "W-what do you think, Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled at Misty. He just asked it because most mates would already have cubs by this time. He rested his head on his forelegs and looked at the two, waiting for an answer yet still vigilant about what's happening around.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was about to reply when Postremo returned to camp and the two began talking and then Misty joined the group. "Pups would be wonderful to have, it's been a long time since there have been pups in the pack. And why don't you have a mate yet Renzo?" Lila asked.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber placed the still-fresh rat body she had collected on a nearby rock. Hopefully someone who was hungry would know to at least have that as a snack. She glared at the pathetic sight. She set out on a hunt and found a rat. She remembered the elk scent they had detected early in the hunt. Perhaps that would be the solution. She'd have to investigate later. Amber turned to glance at Klondike. She looked just in time to see him dart off and chase after a rabbit. He wrestled with the little thing then eventually killed it. "Good job!" She cheered for him. She smiled at his enthusiasm. She turned away and lay down on the ground. She yawned and rolled on her back. Perhaps she'd let Klondike into her little idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes... a long time indeed." Renzo said as he sat up again. He looked at Lila with a smile. "Romance never interested me. I was always out on hunts and patrols remember?" The Elder glanced back at the entrance when he heard something but it was only a bird fluttering through the trees so he looked back at Lila. "Besides, I didn't want to have a mate since I was most likely to die in one of those patrols. I was reckless whenever out on them hunts. That's how I got my injury from that tiger." He then glanced back at the camp where Amber and Klondlike were then back at Lila. "How about you Lila? Is there anyone you've taken an interest in?"</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia twisted in her den, she was having a nightmare. Any onlookers would see her in her twisted state, as she whimpered and cried. With a final whimper she was awake, standing up to her full height before stretching, her belly low to the ground. Her tail swayed back and forth and she huffed, feeling flustered. She hated having those random nightmares, and they were usually about the strangest things. She crawled out of her den and looked around, the crisp air running it's way through her fur. She loved the spring air, it was cool, and everything was melting around her, so she was usually covered in dew. She smiled, her tail swinging back and forth. She wondered where the others were, and sniffed the air lightly. The rest of the pack was gathered somewhere, and she hurried off to find them. She saw them all in their groups, and tilted her head to the side. "Have you already done everything without me, guys?" She barked, a calm smile dancing across her features. She walked cautiously over to Lily and Renzo, but her ears caught a fragment of a sentence, something about 'interests' and she backed off.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah, Zia. You are awake." Renzo said as he looked over at the shewolf. "All the hunting parties are already back. There are humans out there and we were discussing on the best course of action." He said. "We advise everyone to not go out alone because of the risks that will be involved when you encounter the humans alone."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike hang out at the den with the others. He knew that humans were near, but didn't want to act in a rash manner. Eventually, he got up and went to find Postremo, finding Renzo nearby as well. "Hi there! If there is danger at hand, we should handle it as a pack, for there is strength in numbers." It was a trite piece of advice. Still, Klondike knew it made sense in this case. "Just a suggestion" he added, not wanting to seem as if he was commanding the pack, for fear he might be labeled a challenger to the alpha male.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Exactly what we were thinking." Renzo said as he looked at Klondlike. "But we should only charge at the humans if they pose a threat to our home. As long as they keep their distance, there should really be nothing to worry about." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was thinking a little too quick when he heard about that humans were near."Sorry about that I kind of forgot." Then Renzo mentioned that he and Misty that they haven't had a cub yet. He hesitated when the question was asked was a bit nervous when he asked it and Misty looked at him. "W-well we are busy with watching over the pack and yeah we've been mates for a awhile and...," Postremo looked at Misty, "I-if you want to have a cub then I won't really mind when you want to have it." Postremo quickly turned to Renzo embarrassed and said to him, "Anyways if the humans get too close they might pose a threat to us so having patrols wouldn't be a bad idea."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled as Postremo started to feel nervous thanks to his question. He should do this more often. Once the subject was turned back to the humans, Renzo decided to just roll with it. "Alright then. Who will you send out then Postremo? Obviously, most of the wolves here are young but capable of handling themselves although I highly recommend that you send wolves that are experienced on those patrols." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't say much after she heard Postremo's response. So he wouldn't mind having pups. But did she want pups? She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the alpha female's job to have pups in order to make sure the pack had a future, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for pups or not.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo When Renzo asked about who to send out for the patrols, he thought about it for a minute. He was right about that only wolves that are experienced would be right to do the patrols. "Maybe the older wolves wouldn't mind patroling and I don't mind patrolling either."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "If you are to go on patrol, someone else must be with you." Renzo said. "It can't be Misty, we need her for another patrol." He then tried to think of which wolves are going to be sent out. "Three years and older, those wolves should be the ones participating in these patrols for the humans. The younger ones will have to hunt. I don't mind going on patrol from time to time."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We shouldn't go too far from the dens, though," said Misty. "Especially during the day. The humans can't see well at night, so we're better of if we send out patrols mostly after the suns sets." She sat down beside Postremo as the discussion went on.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded, feeling the hairs on her back come to life. She wanted to growl, feeling defensive and angry. "Humans? Around here though? My god, we have to be on high alert then. May I suggest patrols around the perimeter?" She didn't want to sound as though she was taking the lead, but it seemed like a good idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Misty's suggestion. "Yes, the night will cover us well. Although we may have to avoid sending wolves with bright fur... like yourself Misty. You will be spotted easily among the night as it will not cloak you as well as it should." He said before turning to Zia. "We are currently discussing who to send out in patrols."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, not arguing with that logic. In truth, she hadn't been wanting to go out on patrols at all, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary for the good of the pack.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now, the wolves that will be available to go on patrol is dwindling." Renzo sighed as he looked at the leaders of the pack. "We can send out three patrols at most with two wolves each every night." He said, recounting every non-white wolf they had. "It will be risky so, as you suggested Misty, we will have to stick close to our dens just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I will volunteer for the riskiest patrol" Klondike said to Renzo and anyone else who could hear him. "I'm not white-furred, and if you don't mind my saying it, I am probably the most vigilant among us."</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia looked towards Klondike and nodded in agreement. "I will also go willingly on patrol. I'm not white, and I can be just as sneaky as the rest of you. You all know I won't do anything irrational either." She stood up as tall as she could, and put on a mask of seriousness.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Very good, Zia. Just be careful. Humans once destroyed the world, so who knows what they are capable of" Klondike replied. "I hear they even tamed some of our kind and tied them up on a leash or something."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Then we have our first patrol." Renzo said, gesturing to the two as they volunteered. "I thank you for volunteering for such a risky patrol." Renzo looked at Postremo and said, "I'll go patrol as well. I know the humans since we encountered them before... and I still haven't forgotten what they did to my sister."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Do I dare ask what they did to her?" Klondike said, a bit nervous about the possibilities. He had heard no end of horror stories, even after the many generations since humans were in charge.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well... I don't mind telling the story." Renzo said. "It will prove useful as knowledge." He continued before taking a deep breath. "Much like now, the humans were close to the dens and we needed to drive them away. My sister, the previous pack leader and myself were the ones who were on the first wave. It was the night and we became slightly over confident. We sneaked into one of their dens and what we found was a surprise. There were 3 of them, all equipped with those things which release something that could kill and makes a loud sound." He breathed in again. "We were surprised as the noises grew louder and more frequent. We scattered and I ran away with my sister... While we were running, we heard another loud noise and then my sister dropped on the ground. I stopped and looked at her... she didn't breathe anymore. I started running again until I arrived at my den and well... The rest is history." He said and then breathed out the remaining air that stayed inside him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Those things that look like tubes? Made out of some hard material? Those launch sharp little rocks, don't they?" Klondike said. "I am sorry for your loss" he bowed his head and his tail drooped down. He sincerely hoped that these humans had none of those things with them.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, those things. I'm just not sure about those sharp little rocks... They're too hard." Renzo said. They found one before and it shone in the sunlight so it may not be a rock. "Thanks. That happened such a long time ago anyway so I'm over it... I think." He continued. "How about you? Have you had any horrible experiences with the humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike did his best to assess the situation. "Amber, I... yes. I'll go with you. Renzo, you just do whatever you need to do, but please be careful!" He moved alongside Amber, ready to go with her.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postemo nuzzled Misty back and gave her an affectionate lick. "I went out for a last minute hunt and patrol then I smelled the humans and raced back to the dens. I thought they caught you and the pack when I saw them there, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe," He said then looked around. "Wait, what happened to Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "So am I," said Misty happily. But some of that happiness faded when Lila was mentioned. "She went to tiger territory to try and get them to help us with the human problem. I know I shouldn't have let her, but she was so insistent."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lifted her head and quickly started wagging her tail merrily at the sight of Postremo. He was okay! The two alpha wolves were a reassuring sight. For as long as she could remember, they always resonated an aura of safety. If only Lila was with them... Then there would seem to be no cause for fear anymore. She sighed and lowered her head to the ground. How long were they going to wait here though?</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She went on her own?" Postremo asked then sighed. "I wish you'd at least sent someone with her, it's not safe for her to be on her own."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go with her myself, but she refused to let anyone else go," Misty explained.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Is everyone here?" Klondike asked. "We've got to keep a watch on the entrance, and send some scouts out to find food and water. We can't stay in here forever. We-" he stopped himself. Klondike was still young and although a beta male, he realized he was quite literally barking orders as if he was an alpha. Although the pack had more to deal with than petty politics, he was still careful not to go too far above his station. His time would come, but not quite yet. Not while they still had these human matters to deal with. Klondike moved over to Amber and gave her a little nuzzle. "I know it is hard, but we've gotten through some tough times before."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber dipped her head sadly but welcomed Klondike's approach. She just hoped the humans would eventually leave the area. She hadn't ever been chased out of her home like this before. She hoped they'd be able to come back home soon. She glanced at Klondike with a little playful smile. "You'd probably make a good alpha," She whispered somewhat jokingly, thinking of the orders he had blurted out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo looked to Klondike, giving him a little look. "But you're right, sadly we're a little short on the pair of eyes we have. For now, everyone should get to sleep. Klondike, you can take the first watch, then I'll take next. Amber, you can take the dawn watch," He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down next to Postremo and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep. That was easier said than done, though. She was still so worried about her sister and the rest of the pack as well. The future had never been so uncertain for them.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Sleep Misty, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here," He said, gently nuzzling her before laying his head on his paws.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, I'll take watch" Klondike said, not wanting to argue and grateful that the others seemed not to mind his orders earlier. There was a fine line between a take-charge spirit and a bossy attitude. The former was a desirable trait but the latter would be seen as a challenge to the authority of the alphas. The last thing the pack needed right now was a fight for dominance.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes sir." Renzo replied. 'Tomorrow huh? Alright, I'll be able to get to her quickly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo nodded. "Now get some rest, you'll probably be running most of the day tomorrow," He said before going back to Misty and laying down. Lila growled at the wolf. "Stop that! Don't you know there are humans in these woods?!" She barked. "Come back in the morning and I'll talk to you then."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded and then shut his eyes as he lied back down to get some sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zera "Humans there are no humans here.I know because I watched them leave, or at least move from where they where camping." Zera turns around and walks far enough away to no longer be seen by Lila but close enough he can keep an eye on her and the pup.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the wolf and settled back down, curling up with Em close to her and eventually falling asleep. (And thus, the entire rp now skips to the next morning.)</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty woke the next morning and nuzzled Postremo to wake him. "Morning," she said. "I think we should go hunting for some food for the others. I'm not sure how long we're going to be in this cave, but we shouldn't go hungry."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo woke up a little bit earlier than the others. Might as well get a head start on what Postremo said he should do. He looked back at the sleeping wolves and then went out of the cave. He decided to hunt first before heading out to find Lila. He sniffed the air and spotted a rabbit. He quickly tracked it down and managed to catch it. After that meal, he headed off to find Lila.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as morning came and yawned, stretching before looking down to Em. She jumped when she saw the pup gone and looked to the thicket's entrance. She must have run off on her own. Lila sighed and crawled out of the thicket, looking around for that other wolf from last night. She could see him just a ways off and she huffed. What was it with stubborn males? She sniffed the air and padded off in the direction of a stream to get some water and then to find food. Postremo yawned as his mate nuzzled him and blinked to her sleepily. "Food? Okay," He mumbled, standing and stretching before moving to leave the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well you look like you just woke up." Renzo said as he spotted Lila going to the stream. Her and Em's scent were strong around here so he managed to spot them quickly. There was another scent too, must be a rogue. Well as long as the rogue meant no harm, he supposed it would be alright.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, and you look any better?" Lila asked, looking back at him. "The pup is gone, she ran off while I was asleep. Kinda sad she left." She continued down to the stream and took a long drink. "Is Misty safe?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I was awake for quite some time now and even got my prey. I think I'm in a better shape than you." Renzo said. "Oh, she's gone? Maybe she'll come back." He continued before nodding. "Yup, she and Postremo are safe. We found a cave and they're safe in there."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "If she meant to come back, she'd have told me she would come back," Lila said and nodded before turning to him. "Good, now, why are you here again?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I guess." Renzo said. "Postremo sent me after you, said it was dangerous for you to go to tiger territory alone."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Well then, I suppose I can't tell you to go away this time, but I really don't need two stubborn males following me around," Lila said, turning to find a prey scent. She found a deer's trail and licked her chops. "Follow me," She said then bolted in the direction of the trail.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Two?" Renzo asked. That stubborn male may be the one he managed to smell earlier. "The more the merrier." He said with a smile before nodding and following Lila.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila rolled her eyes and slowed down, dropping into a crouch as they found the herd. Lila scanned the deer and spotted one at the edge of the meadow. "See that doe on the edge? Looks like she hurt her leg on one of the human traps," She whispered. "You circle around and I'll try herding her towards you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded as he sneaked around the deer. He could smell the blood on the deer's leg. He already ate but eating deer would be much... much better.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila crept her way through the low brush and grass, generally being a white wolf would mean a difficult time hunting but Lila had enough practice. Once she was about 10 feet away she leaped into the meadow and howled, chasing the lame doe towards Renzo.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike woke and yawned. He was grateful that no one had attacked them overnight, but he was still vigilant as ever. Sniffing the air, he gradually made his way out of the cave, to check on the surrounding area.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lazily opened her eyes. She slowly looked around the cave, seeing that most of the others had already woken up. She yawned loudly and stood. She stretched and tiredly wandered out of the cave. She cringed and turned her head away at the unexpected morning light. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Klondike in front of her. "Hey, Klondike," She called. "Anything going on?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not that I can smell, hear, or see" he told Amber, listing the most important sense to a wolf in order. "You hungry? Want to get some food?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo quickly reacted and managed to tackle down the injured doe which was easy considering that it was hurt. It quickly fell down and he bit down on its neck. "You know, you could take that down considering that she was injured pretty bad." He said as he sat down beside the body.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I never hunt big animals alone, haven't since I learned, and it's much easier this way. And you always had a good take down," Lila said, padding over and sitting by the dead deer before starting to eat.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Despite her tired self, Amber's ears flicked up at Klondike's question. She was still a little weary, but she was already waking up at the thought of going out to hunt. It had been a while since her last real hunt, and she was eager to start hunting again. "Definitely," She said cheerfully.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A good take down huh? Guess I'm still fit after being so inactive lately." Renzo said with a smile. He then started to eat some as well and then licking the surroundings of his mouth once done. "Who was that other stubborn male you were talking about?"</s> <\|message\|>Zera Zera who had followed Lila and the new wolf scent, tracked them to the deer. "Well now that looks appetizing, although I know you won't share with a loner like me not that it matters. I managed to grab a few squirrels last night, tasty little buggers but hard to catch." he walks to a point in the area where both wolves could clearly see him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah greetings." Renzo said as he saw the loner. "You must be the other male Lila mentioned. I'm Renzo." He introduced himself and then bowed his head slightly. "It is alright if you take a few bites, this deer is big enough to feed four wolves."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stretched out and heard her stomach rumble. She was definitely hungry. She turned to Amber. "Why don't you and Klondike go out and see what you can find to eat?" She looked at Postremo. "I think it might be better if we stay here. We have a lot to discuss."</s> <\|message\|>Zera "No thank you, I prefer to keep to the smaller game. Eating to much causes one to get fat, which in my case would lower my ability to kill tigers." He bows his head in response to Renzo's bowing his head."My name is Zera, glad to meet you Renzo."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ate her fill while Renzo talked to the loner, straightening when she finished. "Well, I suppose I should get moving, there's a lot of ground to cover," She said, licking her chops before starting off in the direction of her original heading. Postremo looked to Misty and nodded. "What do we need to discuss?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Well, we have to think about the future and how long we can stay in this cave like this," said Misty. "It's sure to be a while before Lila and Renzo return, and I don't think that we should just sit here and do nothing while we wait for them to return."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo sighed and nodded. "I know, as of right now, we are safe in this cave that we can call our temporary home. The humans are still roaming near our old dens but for right now we need to play it day by day, we don't know what we are up against and how to defend ourselves adequately," He said. "I pray that Lila and Renzo are successful."</s> <\|message\|>Ruka Ruka was running as fast as she could away from the the acid-like smell of blood and fur, occasionally stumbling and falling over exposed tree roots or her own legs. As she ran she was constantly looking around with her eyes wide with fear and her ears always on alert, until she spotted a cave further ahead and made a bee-line for it almost not caring if there was something else in it. When she reached the cave she practically skidded to a stop at the mouth of it smelling something familiar but looked back and decided to venture inside "hello...." she called before she walked in.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You hunt tigers?" Renzo asked. "Well that is an interesting hobby for a wolf." He then smiled. "Nice to meet you too Zera." He then faced Lila as she spoke. "Well I'm following you Lila, Postremo's orders remember?" The older wolf said as he stood up and followed Lila. "It would be a hard task to talk to the tigress queen but it's worth a shot I guess. Zera, you coming?"</s> <\|message\|>Zera "No I can't the tigers would probably recognize me, I know they have been watching me since the first tiger I killed. But if you know a safe place that I could go to so I can get some sleep? I haven't slept in weeks for fear of tiger sneak attacks." Zera walks over to the deer and sniffs savoring the smell but doesn't make a move towards eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think our pack will welcome you for the meantime." Renzo said. "You think you can track my scent all the way back to a cave? That's where they are resting in and tell them you met me and told you to come there for the meantime. I doubt the tigers would go there."</s> <\|message\|>Zera "Thank you I will make my way there." Zera quickly picks up Renzo's scent and follows it right to where Renzo said it would lead him in front of a cave, where he sees other wolves. " Hello my name is Zera and I was told to come here by a wolf named Renzo."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded as Zera made his way back to where the others were. He turned back to Lila, waiting for her to lead them to the tiger territory.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Well, then Amber, let's go!" He wanted to hunt, but he also wanted to get out of the cave for a bit. He had discovered it, but that didn't mean he liked staying in it.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the humans nearby. They were very close and getting closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before they had reached the dens. She was sure of it. She went to hide in her own den, hoping that they wouldn't find her in there. She hoped that the rest of the pack was all safe.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, be safe you two." Renzo said before quickly running towards the dens. The human scent was so powerful that he was sure that they could only be a few feet away from him. He reached the clearing. "Misty?" He called out and kept looking back. The humans weren't here... yet. "Where are you?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty poked her head out of the den when she heard Renzo's voice. She was relieved to see that he wasn't harmed. "I'm here," she said and then came all the way out of the den. "Where are the others?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They're out there hiding. Come on, we have to get you out of here too." Renzo replied, urging Misty to get out of the den. "I'm sure they'll find you in here. We have to go." The elder said before looking back at the entrance. No sign yet but the scent was strong... and growing stronger.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't want to leave the dens behind, but she knew that they had no other choice. They had to leave. She nodded and then got out of the den and followed Renzo. "Show me to the others," she said to him as she smelled the humans so close that it was a wonder that they couldn't see them. But she could hear them. They were speaking to one another in their own strange language.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright. Let's go." Renzo said as he quickly ran towards the entrance but not the same way he took. He heard humans conversing there. Oh how he wished he knew what they were talking about but he couldn't understand them. It was quite a long run since when they all parted ways, it was quite a distance. "You doin' alright Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty did her best to keep up with them, but was feeling a little tired and slower. "I'm fine. We just need to catch up with the others. I'm worried about everyone else. Were they all okay when you last saw them?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber scoffed. Renzo didn't think she could take care of herself. She was perfectly capable of handling the danger! She considered running after him, but for once she decided not to. She really wanted to, but they were in real danger. She couldn't risk the others like that. "Klondike," She glanced at him as she said his name. She glared at him briefly, then her expressions softened, "What now? Should we tell them about the cave?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They were absolutely fine. I sent them to find a hiding place..." Renzo started. "I thought I can still pick up their scents but in conditions like now where humans are near, I can't seem to find it." He sighed. "Let's just hope they haven't moved much." He continued, slowing down the pace as he feels tired as well. "I really thought that we had time to prepare for these humans... turns out we don't." He muttered.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, we really don't. I just hope that we can find somewhere to lay low for a little while. Until the humans move on." She was also thinking about her sister and hoping that she would reach the tigers okay and be able to convince them to help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, we're almost there." Renzo informed Misty. Once he saw the two wolves, he sighed in relief. "Hey you two, I thought you already found a hiding spot." The elder said as he looked at Amber and Klondlike. He had something to ask Misty later as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s>	<\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s>
<\|description\|>Ian Age: 3 Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality; Ian is a kind and caring member. He is often perceived as serious and shy, often not making himself known, yet he will fight to the death for those he cares about. Name: Jackie Age: 2 Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: Jackie is an outgoing member, often making a fool of herselfC but very confident, she doesn't particularly care, however she is an excellent Hunter and can hide extremely well</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s>	<\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike did his best to assess the situation. "Amber, I... yes. I'll go with you. Renzo, you just do whatever you need to do, but please be careful!" He moved alongside Amber, ready to go with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the humans nearby. They were very close and getting closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before they had reached the dens. She was sure of it. She went to hide in her own den, hoping that they wouldn't find her in there. She hoped that the rest of the pack was all safe.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, be safe you two." Renzo said before quickly running towards the dens. The human scent was so powerful that he was sure that they could only be a few feet away from him. He reached the clearing. "Misty?" He called out and kept looking back. The humans weren't here... yet. "Where are you?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty poked her head out of the den when she heard Renzo's voice. She was relieved to see that he wasn't harmed. "I'm here," she said and then came all the way out of the den. "Where are the others?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They're out there hiding. Come on, we have to get you out of here too." Renzo replied, urging Misty to get out of the den. "I'm sure they'll find you in here. We have to go." The elder said before looking back at the entrance. No sign yet but the scent was strong... and growing stronger.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't want to leave the dens behind, but she knew that they had no other choice. They had to leave. She nodded and then got out of the den and followed Renzo. "Show me to the others," she said to him as she smelled the humans so close that it was a wonder that they couldn't see them. But she could hear them. They were speaking to one another in their own strange language.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright. Let's go." Renzo said as he quickly ran towards the entrance but not the same way he took. He heard humans conversing there. Oh how he wished he knew what they were talking about but he couldn't understand them. It was quite a long run since when they all parted ways, it was quite a distance. "You doin' alright Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty did her best to keep up with them, but was feeling a little tired and slower. "I'm fine. We just need to catch up with the others. I'm worried about everyone else. Were they all okay when you last saw them?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber scoffed. Renzo didn't think she could take care of herself. She was perfectly capable of handling the danger! She considered running after him, but for once she decided not to. She really wanted to, but they were in real danger. She couldn't risk the others like that. "Klondike," She glanced at him as she said his name. She glared at him briefly, then her expressions softened, "What now? Should we tell them about the cave?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They were absolutely fine. I sent them to find a hiding place..." Renzo started. "I thought I can still pick up their scents but in conditions like now where humans are near, I can't seem to find it." He sighed. "Let's just hope they haven't moved much." He continued, slowing down the pace as he feels tired as well. "I really thought that we had time to prepare for these humans... turns out we don't." He muttered.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, we really don't. I just hope that we can find somewhere to lay low for a little while. Until the humans move on." She was also thinking about her sister and hoping that she would reach the tigers okay and be able to convince them to help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, we're almost there." Renzo informed Misty. Once he saw the two wolves, he sighed in relief. "Hey you two, I thought you already found a hiding spot." The elder said as he looked at Amber and Klondlike. He had something to ask Misty later as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postemo nuzzled Misty back and gave her an affectionate lick. "I went out for a last minute hunt and patrol then I smelled the humans and raced back to the dens. I thought they caught you and the pack when I saw them there, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe," He said then looked around. "Wait, what happened to Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "So am I," said Misty happily. But some of that happiness faded when Lila was mentioned. "She went to tiger territory to try and get them to help us with the human problem. I know I shouldn't have let her, but she was so insistent."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lifted her head and quickly started wagging her tail merrily at the sight of Postremo. He was okay! The two alpha wolves were a reassuring sight. For as long as she could remember, they always resonated an aura of safety. If only Lila was with them... Then there would seem to be no cause for fear anymore. She sighed and lowered her head to the ground. How long were they going to wait here though?</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She went on her own?" Postremo asked then sighed. "I wish you'd at least sent someone with her, it's not safe for her to be on her own."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go with her myself, but she refused to let anyone else go," Misty explained.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Is everyone here?" Klondike asked. "We've got to keep a watch on the entrance, and send some scouts out to find food and water. We can't stay in here forever. We-" he stopped himself. Klondike was still young and although a beta male, he realized he was quite literally barking orders as if he was an alpha. Although the pack had more to deal with than petty politics, he was still careful not to go too far above his station. His time would come, but not quite yet. Not while they still had these human matters to deal with. Klondike moved over to Amber and gave her a little nuzzle. "I know it is hard, but we've gotten through some tough times before."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber dipped her head sadly but welcomed Klondike's approach. She just hoped the humans would eventually leave the area. She hadn't ever been chased out of her home like this before. She hoped they'd be able to come back home soon. She glanced at Klondike with a little playful smile. "You'd probably make a good alpha," She whispered somewhat jokingly, thinking of the orders he had blurted out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo looked to Klondike, giving him a little look. "But you're right, sadly we're a little short on the pair of eyes we have. For now, everyone should get to sleep. Klondike, you can take the first watch, then I'll take next. Amber, you can take the dawn watch," He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down next to Postremo and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep. That was easier said than done, though. She was still so worried about her sister and the rest of the pack as well. The future had never been so uncertain for them.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Sleep Misty, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here," He said, gently nuzzling her before laying his head on his paws.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, I'll take watch" Klondike said, not wanting to argue and grateful that the others seemed not to mind his orders earlier. There was a fine line between a take-charge spirit and a bossy attitude. The former was a desirable trait but the latter would be seen as a challenge to the authority of the alphas. The last thing the pack needed right now was a fight for dominance.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched as everyone came together. He was glad the Postremo was alive and well and Misty relieved and not worrying that much about her mate. He looked back at Klondlike. It was good that there was someone who could be a possible Alpha when the two would disappear. Now the only problem is Lila and her meeting with Kava. No use worrying about it now. He lied his head back down on his paws.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo waited until Misty fell asleep before going over to Renzo. "Still awake?" He asked quietly.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Thinking so yes, I am awake." Renzo said as he looked at Postremo. "Glad you're alive. Misty was really worried about you. Where were you?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hunting. And she's not just worried about me, did you see which way Lila went?" Postremo said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I see. You shouldn't have gone alone then." Renzo said before sitting up. "I was with her before Klondlike and Amber found us. She told me to go back to get Misty out of the dens." He replied. "She's heading for tiger territory."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Do you know where she is?" Postremo asked.</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "If she hasn't moved from her position, then yes, I know where she is." Renzo replied. "She's not far from here. I can pick her scent up as easy as I can pick up yours so tracking her down would be easy."</s>
<\|description\|>Alkah Age: 2 years Looks: Position in Pack: Hunter Personality: Although Alkah is serious when the situation calls for it, he is often laid back and maybe goofy. He likes giving gifts to pretty much anyone in the pack, be they bones, interesting rocks, lumps of wood or abandoned wasp nests.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s>	<\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s>
<\|description\|>Newlyn Age: 2.3 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Is healer a good position? If not then he'll just be a hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): He takes everything a little too seriously. He cares about all members of the pack equally and would die for all of them. He can be very blunt and rude but he is also kind and considerate. He's still new to this whole "healer" thing, so he still messes up from time to time</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s>	<\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s>
<\|description\|>Zia ~°~°~ Age Three Years Old ~°~°~ Position Hunter/Possible Female Beta? ~°~°~ Personality Zia is respectable, and though she can be stern, she is usually seen with a playful smile on her face. Zia enjoys being active, and loves to hunt. She dreams of being the leader of her own pack in the future, but for now she stays in her own respectable rank. As a wolf, she is a predator, and enjoys going after prey.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, I do, but he never seemed interested in a romance and was busy moaning over how stupid he was acting when he was attacked by a tiger," Lila said, standing and stretching her back while the others talked. "Should I stay with the hunting patrols? I'm the best tracker," She said, sitting down.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well, I suppose you are right Klondlike." Renzo said as he rested once more. He looked at Lila. Well that seemed awfully like him... but that was quite impossible since he was a year older so he payed it no mind. "Yes, you should. It would be better with your tracking skills and if we ever need your help, we'll tell you." Renzo replied before standing up. "Well now that that is over, time to go back to my den. See you later and just call me if you need anything else." He said as he headed back to his den to leave the others to talk amongst themselves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila watched him for a moment, nodding as she was given her assignment. Of course he was a little dense, she'd been giving hints for the last year that she liked him. She let out a sigh and stood. "I suppose I'll head to my den as well," She said, turning to pad away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Now Renzo had more time to think about something. For the past year, Lila has been growing closer and closer to him and has been given small hints. He had caught on but he refused to believe it. "Ha! If I'm going to fall in love now, I should go straight for the humans." Although deep inside, his heart was screaming the exact opposite.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded at Klondike, giving him a gentle smile. She would have gone up to nuzzle him, but she felt like it would be an awkward gesture. "Klondike, I'm heading to my den, you can come over if you'd like to discuss the situation." Her tail swayed back and forth, and she started to walk towards her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the other wolves behind and then followed Lila to her den. She slipped inside, feeling a little uncertain about things with everything that was going on and the talk of pups. "Hey, how are you?" she asked her younger sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty plopped down beside Lila. "He still doesn't seem to know that you like him, huh?" She lay her head down on her paws. "I guess I'm just not sure. I mean, it's not that I don't want pups, but I want to make sure that now is the right time I guess."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s>	<\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s>
<\|description\|>Aubrey Marshall Nickname: Hasn't obtained one yet. Gender: Male Age: 17 Age Appearance: Teenager Appearance: Personality: Aubrey was always one to stand out from the crowd. Whether by being loud and boisterous or by performing some daring act, he has a way of getting attention. He will often take on a tough, cool persona to make himself appear "cooler", particularly around attractive girls. However, most of his flashy behavior hides a compassionate side. In fact, most of his bravery is actually a well made lie, with a good example being his pathological fear of the dark. While he does pursue admiration, he also aspires for fortune. Though most see that behavior as selfish, the truth behind it links to his hidden compassionate nature. Though he can be quite a scrappy and energetic fellow, when the odds are against him he tends to be more cowardly. This results in him often starting fights that he ends up running from. Backstory: Though he was born into Crucible territory, Aubrey and his mother moved far away soon after his birth. This led to them living on Krukow. Though Aubrey would often ask about his father, his mother Melanie would simply say he was a good man and that Aubrey would be able to meet him one day. At the age of six, Melanie grew ill and was bed ridden. At first, the two relied on the support of the town to even survive. But as Aubrey grew older, he took it upon himself to take care of his mother. He had to forfeit his education to be able to have the time for oddjobs he needed to stay afloat. At the age of ten he began working in the lumber industry on Krukow island. Though his mother felt that he was being too risky with his own health, no misfortune related to his job ever came to be. However, one night as he walked home from the mill on a particularly dark night, a Rift opened right next to him. Due to the darkness, he failed to notice the danger in time and was attacked by several Rift Monsters. He was saved by the local Rift Hunter guild, Maximus, and brought home with only minor injuries. But what stayed with him was the fear of being attacked in the night. No longer willing to work the long hours, due to not wanting to come home late at night, Aubrey quit the job. At the age of fourteen he quit to pursue a surprisingly more childish endeavor: racing. The neighboring island of Kuiper was more industrial and had more money. The underground racing circuit appealed to his youthful and thrill-seeking nature. Though it was a gamble, one his mother also didn't approve of, Aubrey found that he could actually make a living this way. Soon afterwards he told his mother he quit racing, but in reality that was a lie. While she believes he works in the lumber yard, Aubrey has actually spent the past few years going to Kuiper once a week to win money. His skills on an air bike, one of the more risky and entertaining forms of racing, had made him a local superstar on Kuiper. And with that fame came problems. Though he quickly learned how to fight and to defend himself, there would be nights he would go home to his mother with cuts and bruises and not a penny in his pocket. But for the most part, he has been keeping her alive with the ultimate dream he could save up enough money to take his mother somewhere that could properly treat her. Mage: N/A Skills: Boxing, Flying Techniques: -To Be Determined- Equipment: Aviator Shades - Can't leave home without these babies. Red Key - The key to his race bike, the Danger Close mk2. Hidden Blade - A tiny knife hidden in his right boot. Position: Cabin Boy Theme Song: I've Got This</s> <\|message\|>Pansy Jermaine Spitz Pansy She was right. They couldn't escape the island without a ship of some kind. Pansy licked his lips nervously and stared into the younger girls face. She was just as scared as him. He looked around him briefly, terrified that a man with a gun would jump out from behind a corner before revealing a crude plan he had come up with moments before "We need to get out of this town and hide somewhere. If there are...men with guns around, we can escape into the countryside or something until it dies down, then we can go to Kuiper and get help. We can't stay in Krukow town, though. It's much too dangerous, especially for people like you and me". It was a silly plan and he could already see several flaws in it. But it was the best they had. Escaping the island was an issue, though. If they could get to Kuiper, where Pansy's mother worked, perhaps they could escape the entire archipelago together and set up shop somewhere else. Pansy, like everyone else, had heard stories of the Crucible and their harsh treatment of dissent on the new islands. Something else scared the baker more about the Crucible, however. It was rumoured that their treatment of people with black skin, such as Pansy and his family, was a lot rougher than with people with lighter skin. Whether this was true or not, Pansy didn't want to find out. Now that the Crucible was here, he needed to escape. "My Mum has a shop in Kuiper. When we make it there, we should be safe" he smiled weakly, trying to calm both his nerves and hers. "Now come on...." He paused, realising he didn't know the girls name yet. He shook those thoughts out of his head. They couldn't waste anymore time. "Come on, follow me. I know a way out of the town" he whispered, darting down a nearby alley. Pansy just hoped they could escape before they were caught.</s> <\|message\|>Katherine Harvey "Yeah, that's our ship," the more older of the two guards answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "The solar rails finally gave out and the aura generator hasn't turned on in years. We coasted for miles to make it here and survive." "That's quite an astounding feat for an older model airship." Katherine said with a genuinely impressed tone. The crew may be living up to the rumors and legends after all to sail a powerless, more ship than air vessel and make a... controlled landing. The man motioned for Katherine to follow him as he continued walking toward Krukow. "Would you happen to know any mechanics or people who know a thing or two about generators?" he asked as the party exited the woods and began crossing a grassy field. "I can pay, though sadly not much. Thankfully it isn't a rush job." "Oh sadly I can't help you there. You see, much like you and your group, I am not a native of these lands. I'm simply a wandering pilot, seeing what the world has to offer." As the three walked through the field, the man stopped and looked to his left as if he heard something. Katherine tilted her head slightly, pondering what he may have heard. For a few seconds he continued staring at the ground several meters away but soon relented and continued walking. "As I was saying, we aren't under any pressure to-" The sound of a distant gunshot echoed across the field. It was hard to hear, given the distance from Krukow, but the low ambience let it carry easily. The man paused when he heard it and looked to Katherine. "That came from the town," he commented. "Is everything okay here?" Katherine gave a nervous shrug. "I wouldn't know. It was quiet when I left the place... There was a sleek looking airship coming in for a landing while I was heading towards you guys..." One of the younger guards who had remained relatively quiet the whole walk volunteered to scout ahead. Almost right as he left did her pet, Ava, return, flustered and distraught. "Ava! Calm down, calm down. What's up?" The panicked Kulca motioned and pushed Katherine in the direction of her plane, now somewhat visible as they neared the outskirts of the town. "Uh oh... Um sir, usually when my friend here wants me to get to my plane as soon as possible, we can safely assume that something terrible has moved into town. I'm gonna go get my plane started if you don't mind! Wish I could help, but I'm no good with aura engines bigger than a dog, so best of luck!" With that, Katherine gave a short wave and began to jog towards her aircraft in a field next to the town. She now had a better view of the airship parked over the town and her eyes began to widen. "The Crucible...."she muttered aloud, staring blankly at the airship as she ran towards her own aircraft. "Dammit! I really need to get the hell out of here!" she thought, now sprinting towards her craft.</s>	<\|message\|>Aubrey Marshall Aubrey was about to break into full-sprint alongside Emery when Varren appeared. Like Emery, he also stopped and grew suspicious. The blonde teenager was moderately surprised to see Emery get defensive so fast, particularly that she was protective of him. Her courage had to be repaid. Aubrey stepped past his female friend and approached Varren. Though this outsider was older and noticeably larger than him, he kept his face of determination. "You aren't one of them, are you?" he asked, pointing at Varren for emphasis. This man was clearly an outsider, as Aubrey didn't recognize him and the community was relatively small. His inquisition for a mechanic was particularly odd. "Wait, are you from the ship that went down earlier?" Suddenly his tough attitude seemed to fade away as an optimistic facet took hold. "That ship is our only way out of here." He looked back to Emery. "This guy's our ticket." He looked back at Varren with a grin on his face. "We might not be the best mechanics but with our lives on the line I'm sure we can get that thing flying." While Aubrey had some mechanical knowledge, it was Emery that was the superior mechanic, unquestionably. But his confidence was too high to make an immediate distinction between the two. --- The one-eyed first mate watched silently as Katherine and Varren took off in their separate directions. It was clear to Weston that the Crucible had sent an annexation regiment to this part of Aurelia. "Damn," he muttered to himself as he began walking towards the town. "Should've brought my swords." He scratched at the stubble on his chin as he casually walked into the town, making his way to the densest part. The town square. --- "It is one thing to acquire new territory for your country, but to be so malicious in the process is completely unnecessary and I will not tolerate it." The mayor looked rather intimidating, considering his grizzly appearance and large stature. But the small officer only chuckled at his words. "You won't tolerate it, you say?" He steadied the aim of his hand, pointing his finger at Vladmir's chest. "I suppose you won't be mayor of this hamlet any longer." Storm's hand recoiled like a gun, though no noise was made. A blast of pressurized air slammed into the mayor, sending him flying backwards like a rocket and crashing into the town hall. In fact, the impact was so powerful it entirely brought part of the building down. The Rift Hunters in the square did not approve of this, and it appeared the crowd was about to riot. The lines of soldiers all took aim at the Rift Hunters, preparing for imminent combat. "Do not worry, people. We will assign a new mayor in due time. But first..." The sound of shifting rubble interrupted the captain. Turning around, he saw Vladmir picking himself up from the wrecked town hall. He was clearly hurt and breathing heavily, but alive. "You survived? Well then, I hope you're prepared for seconds." As Captain Storm began to take aim at the mayor again, the sound of footsteps broke the silence that had fallen over the town square. All eyes looked towards the newcomer. Weston continued walking until he was only a few meters away from the Captain and Lieutenant. "You..." the captain said, bringing his hand down. The mayor let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't about to be attacked again, but he felt uneasy about the newcomer. "If it isn't the man himself. I recognize that face anywhere." While the officers and soldiers seemed excited now, Weston seemed almost entirely uninterested. "I wouldn't have guessed you would hide in some backwater town like a scared dog but I suppose it is fitting for scum like you, Two Hand. For having the highest bounty in the world it would only make sense to hide here and hope we never come. Why-" "Are you ever going to shut up?" The interruption seemed to stun the Lieutenant and all the soldiers. Storm looked furious. And all the while, Weston seemed to hardly care. "I would've taken you alive but now you're asking for it! Lieutenant! Kill him!" The large man, Lieutenant Armstrong, dashed forward in the blink of an eye. With both his fists raised over his head, his arms began to glow blue as he swung them down in a smash. His attack only hit air as Weston stepped to the side with impressive speed but casual form. Before Armstrong could get another chance to attack, a fist came up into his chin, sending him flying into the sky. The Rift Hunters and the soldiers looked stunned as Weston stretched his fingers out. His eye settled on the captain now, who looked moderately frightened. After a moment of silence, Lieutenant Armstrong landed on the ground with a thud and stopped moving. "Uh..." The captain began stuttering for words. "What are you fools waiting for!? Shoot him!" As the soldiers began aiming their weapons at Weston, a strange sensation swept over the town square. A wave of intimidation spread across the yard, freezing the soldiers in place. While their weapons pointed at the man, not a single soul fired. Even the Rift Hunters in the square felt the fear and couldn't take their eyes away from Weston. "You picked a bad time to visit," Weston spoke up. "I happened to be in town." Fury overcame his fear and Storm swiped his hand in front of him like it was a blade. Weston ducked low and grabbed the gun that the mayor's assistant had dropped earlier. The invisible attack from Storm sliced a building in half across the courtyard, and as it began crumbling down Weston made his move. The glasses that had rested on the gun were flung forward, pelting Storm in the face and distracting him briefly. With that opening, Weston aimed the weapon at the man and fired two shots. As the gunshots echoed across the square, Storm smirked. "You must not know who I am," Storm said. The two bullets were floating in the air in front of the captain, slowly losing their spinning motion. "Guns can't overcome my power. I am one of the world's strongest Wind Mages. I can harness the power of the very air around you and slice you to rib-" The bottom of the gun smacked into his forehead after leaving Weston's hand. While Storm stumbled backwards, Weston grabbed him by his collar and tossed him at the pile of weapons that were in front of the Rift Hunters. "If you spent less time talking you might actually get a point across one day," the Free Wind's first mate commented. While Storm began picking himself up, he noticed he was surrounded by Rift Hunters. And they all looked at him threateningly. Weston stretched the fingers on his hand again before turning around to leave. Vladmir, however, stopped him. "I don't know who you are, but you might've just gotten Krukow into more trouble than it already was in," he began. "Your intervention wasn't helpful at all." Weston's eye looked into both of his and he too became paralyzed with fear. "Your town was in more trouble than you think, buddy."</s>
<\|description\|>Aubrey Marshall Nickname: Hasn't obtained one yet. Gender: Male Age: 17 Age Appearance: Teenager Appearance: Personality: Aubrey was always one to stand out from the crowd. Whether by being loud and boisterous or by performing some daring act, he has a way of getting attention. He will often take on a tough, cool persona to make himself appear "cooler", particularly around attractive girls. However, most of his flashy behavior hides a compassionate side. In fact, most of his bravery is actually a well made lie, with a good example being his pathological fear of the dark. While he does pursue admiration, he also aspires for fortune. Though most see that behavior as selfish, the truth behind it links to his hidden compassionate nature. Though he can be quite a scrappy and energetic fellow, when the odds are against him he tends to be more cowardly. This results in him often starting fights that he ends up running from. Backstory: Though he was born into Crucible territory, Aubrey and his mother moved far away soon after his birth. This led to them living on Krukow. Though Aubrey would often ask about his father, his mother Melanie would simply say he was a good man and that Aubrey would be able to meet him one day. At the age of six, Melanie grew ill and was bed ridden. At first, the two relied on the support of the town to even survive. But as Aubrey grew older, he took it upon himself to take care of his mother. He had to forfeit his education to be able to have the time for oddjobs he needed to stay afloat. At the age of ten he began working in the lumber industry on Krukow island. Though his mother felt that he was being too risky with his own health, no misfortune related to his job ever came to be. However, one night as he walked home from the mill on a particularly dark night, a Rift opened right next to him. Due to the darkness, he failed to notice the danger in time and was attacked by several Rift Monsters. He was saved by the local Rift Hunter guild, Maximus, and brought home with only minor injuries. But what stayed with him was the fear of being attacked in the night. No longer willing to work the long hours, due to not wanting to come home late at night, Aubrey quit the job. At the age of fourteen he quit to pursue a surprisingly more childish endeavor: racing. The neighboring island of Kuiper was more industrial and had more money. The underground racing circuit appealed to his youthful and thrill-seeking nature. Though it was a gamble, one his mother also didn't approve of, Aubrey found that he could actually make a living this way. Soon afterwards he told his mother he quit racing, but in reality that was a lie. While she believes he works in the lumber yard, Aubrey has actually spent the past few years going to Kuiper once a week to win money. His skills on an air bike, one of the more risky and entertaining forms of racing, had made him a local superstar on Kuiper. And with that fame came problems. Though he quickly learned how to fight and to defend himself, there would be nights he would go home to his mother with cuts and bruises and not a penny in his pocket. But for the most part, he has been keeping her alive with the ultimate dream he could save up enough money to take his mother somewhere that could properly treat her. Mage: N/A Skills: Boxing, Flying Techniques: -To Be Determined- Equipment: Aviator Shades - Can't leave home without these babies. Red Key - The key to his race bike, the Danger Close mk2. Hidden Blade - A tiny knife hidden in his right boot. Position: Cabin Boy Theme Song: I've Got This</s> <\|message\|>Pansy Jermaine Spitz Pansy "Okay, Enna, whatever you say" replied Pansy dryly, massaging his eyeballs with his palms. The pair sat in silence for several minutes as their pulses slowed and their own thoughts swirled around their heads. The baker wondered briefly about his next move - finding a way off of Krukow with Enna. How would they make it? Steal a ship? Smuggle themselves aboard a skiff bound for Kuiper? The possibilities were endless yet each was more unlikely than the next. He spent more of his thoughts on his family and friends. He didn't have many people he was close to - his overbearing mother who lived with him when not in Kuiper, his bratty sister who worked on skiffs, his kindly old boss in the bakery and the cat who sometimes came to his door looking for milk were the closest things to proper friends he had. There were others who he'd know by face and could talk to but at the end of the day, Pansy was a rather solitary figure. But he tried to stay positive no matter what. Even now, as the Crucible took over the island, he realised his family were on Kuiper. His mother had her shop and Tully was delivering parts to the mechanics over there. They'd surely hear about the annexation soon. This positive attitude had taken him through life and would take him further if he let it. Even in the dark times, he appreciated the good things about life. There was always a silver lining. Pansy pulled himself to his feet suddenly and looked down at his companion. "We'd best keep moving, Enna. We can't stick around this place for too long" he said, glancing through the gaps in the trees to the town below. He walked cautiously through the trees. On many an occasion, he'd walked through the forest, admiring nature. He loved the singing of the birds, the beautiful colours of the flowers and the springy grass. But now it felt different. It was if the entire forest was holding it's breath. The birds didn't sing, the trees didn't sway in the wind and the flowers had closed. It was if the island sensed what was happening and was holding it's own silent protest to the Crucible taking over. The baker bent down beside a wild daffodil, which grew comfortably in a tree stump. He delicately stroked the petals with one large finger. Pansy had been around flowers all his life but they never ceased to amaze him. The yellow petals, the bell shape of the flower, the delicate stalk - he loved all flowers. "My mother is a flower mage. She taught me some tricks" he smiled, giving a wink to Enna. He slowly slid his finger into the flower of the plant. When he withdrew the finger, just as slowly, he pulled a thin thread of glowing gold. "Nectar" he muttered. The nectar seemed to keep flowing from this thin thread as a bead of sweat appeared on Pansy's brow. "Useful for all sorts of things". He slowly roped the thread around his index finger, where it glistened in the sunlight. The thread of nectar disconnected from the tip of his finger and sucked its way back into the flower. Pansy examined the nectar that was wrapped around his finger for several moments and when happy, lifted it in the air to show Enna. "Give it a few hours. It'll harden and form a shell around my finger. It could stop me bleeding out if I was injured, depending on the flower and the amount of nectar I pull out. But it's kinda hard to pull loads out at once. If I do it too much, I'll start getting these crazy headaches. Gosh, they hurt like a bitch" he explained, slowly turning his index finger. Already, the thin layer of nectar was beginning to harden. "Tis the life of a flower mage". He stood to his feet unsteadily as a wave of dizziness went across his head. "Anyways, gods, we'd better keep moving. We need to find a ship or something. Those Crucible guys won't stand around the town all day". 15 minutes later... "Oh my gosh. Is that a ship?" grinned Pansy, staring through a gap in the foliage. He didn't wait for an answer A ship lay in the clearing, with people crawling across it. It was without Crucible insignia and looked like some kind of trade ship. He couldn't believe his luck. They could be anybody - pirates, traders, merchants or even rebels. But they weren't the Crucible and that was all that mattered. "Come on, Enna!" he said, grabbing the girl by the shoulder and attempting to drag her behind him. They exited the foliage, looking a mess but all sense of dignity had been lost by Pansy when he'd fell into a puddle. "Oh my gosh, people are here!" he began shrilly, practically skipping through the clearing towards the ship. "The Crucible are here! The Crucible are here! I thought we'd be killed out there, it was so terrifying! You've got to help us, oh please!"</s> <\|message\|>Emery Cooke An ex-officer! How lucky were they? The trepidation that overwhelmed Emery just moments before had instantly been replaced with relief. Varren was not at all what she feared, and in fact had turned out to be their silver lining. He was armed and experienced and that meant they could rely on him. Already he had guaranteed them protection and a way out of the island; that was more than she could have hoped for. Even Aubrey had no qualms about following him, and that had been the definitive sign for her that they could trust this person. There was also something about the Free Winds that rang a bell, and for someone reason her sister's face came to mind, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. She'll just have to ask about it when they weren't in immediate danger. "Nice… to… meet you… Mr. Varren," Emery said in between breaths as she tried to match his and Aubrey's pace. Her shorter legs had to move twice as much just to keep up, and she was already getting winded. If she hadn't been exerting so much focus and energy into keeping herself upright, perhaps she could have been a bit speedier. "I'm… Emery." Still, despite being extra cautious, she nearly stumbled a couple of times, tripping over her own feet yet again. Each time she'd managed to find a way to steady herself—that is to say, she had to yank at Aubrey's arm twice and Varren's once—and she was just lucky she didn't accidentally drag them down with her. Their path to the forest had been mostly uneventful, thank goodness. She tried to steer them through rarely trodden roads or ones that had the most cover; focusing on directions had been the only effective distraction from the worries starting to catch up with her. Emery tried not to think of the others left behind, of the mayor and the dangers he may be facing, of Auntie Mel, and diverted her attention to doing what she can to keep them out of trouble. It worked for the most past. The closest to trouble they had gotten was an almost encounter with two soldiers, but thankfully her goggles alerted them just in time. The three of them managed to avoid engaging in any sort of combat, and soon they would find themselves surrounded by thickets of green. They had made it to the forest, and now all they had to do was reach the airship. If her calculation were right, and they always were, that should be no more than a ten minutes' walk away. What's the worst that could happen then?</s>	<\|message\|>Aubrey Marshall Aubrey felt uneasy about Varren's gun, but considering the circumstances it wouldn't be too terrible if the guard had to shoot one of the Crucible soldiers. He'd rather it be them than him. "My name's Aubrey," the blonde teenager responded, giving his own name in turn. He didn't have much else in regards to a title, given he wasn't even an adult yet. But now they all were able to communicate by name as they escaped they ran from the town. --- Speaking of the town of Krukow, the sounds of violence began to grow in volume and intensity. As the one-eyed first mate of the Free Wind walked away from the town square, battle began to ensue. His intimidation no longer kept the soldiers or the Rift Hunters at bay, and with the Crucible officers being defeated there was a golden opportunity for the townsfolk to fight back. Weston only let out a sigh as he left the scene, a scene which he was the cause. After a few seconds of walking, he began to pick up the pace. For a big guy starting to approach middle-age, he could sprint quite fast. His plan succeeded, now there was a window of opportunity for the Free Wind to escape. Provided Varren found a mechanic, that is. With the Crucible now forced to handle the townsfolk, the Interceptor wouldn't be manned in time to give chase once the Free Wind could get in the air. Despite the implications of his actions, Weston showed no signs of a burdened conscience. Something caught his attention and he skidded to a halt. As the dust from his sudden stop settled, Weston found himself in the middle of a field. The same one he and Varren had encountered Katherine earlier. Though he was now alone, but there was something new in the field. Just as he thought he had detected earlier there was a darkness in the air. A hole in the air, blacker than the darkest night. Wisps of black smoke flowed out the sides. Electrical pulses popped across the blackness every few seconds. The ominous portal made no sound, but that only made it more ominous. In all it was slightly larger than Weston himself. A rather large Rift, at least by Weston's uneducated standards. But something was strange about this Rift. Despite being more than big enough for human-sized monsters to fit through, nothing was coming out. And it seemed to be growing bigger. "Hmm..." he mumbled to himself, slowly picking up the pace again. As intriguing as the Rift was, it was only a distraction right now. Staying on this island any longer than he had to be was dangerous. Twofold, with the imminent threat of Rift Monsters arriving within the next few minutes. Now it was a rush to get off Krukow island. As Weston ran towards the forest a blue, ethereal glow began to radiate from his body. And interestingly enough: he began moving much inhumanly fast. --- The captain of the ship leaned over the rail along the top deck. Indeed there were two strange, random people shouting up at them. A look of annoyance took her face first, but after properly processing what Pansy was shouting she took a look of surprise. "What?" escaped her as she lost her balance. The momentary surprise was soon consumed by anger and she gritted her teeth. With a sharp kick to the Free Wind's deck, Summer began another one of her tantrums. "Of course the bloody Crucible has to show up now of all times! Today is just my lucky day!" Before she could begin cursing more, Varren arrived down below. Summer immediately recognized her first mate wasn't with him, and instead there was two teenagers. "I asked for a damn mechanic! And where the hell is Weston!?" Summer began to shout. Before Varren had a chance to explain himself, a port along the side of the ship opened up and a metal walkway extended out. Didn't quite reach the ground, due to the lopsided resting position of the ship, but it was close enough to step on easily. One of the other guards opened it, to let the passengers on board. Though this irked Summer greatly, she kept her mouth shut as letting the natives on board wouldn't have too much of an impact on their survival. Unless they could fix the Aura generator. Then letting them on greatly improved the odds. "We don't have much time before we're all dead or worse," Summer began, her tone already betraying the coming command. "So the whole lot of you better make yourselves useful and get this baby flying. Varren, take them to the engine room. I'll join you all in a moment. If we get enough monkeys in there we might get through this, but we aren't leaving without Weston."</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned. He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways. The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem. Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago! If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable shrugged in response to the Taskmage's jibes. "It sounded like…a taunt. It said there were no do overs…I suspect that it is the work of a Relic calling out to me, but I can't be sure. It didn't sound like it wanted to be found." The Crimson Streak paused in her walking, enough time to raise a hand to her chin and for a certain enthusiast to catch up to them. Turning around to face the bouncing form of Muzai, Sable frowned before shaking her head. "It's probably nothing," she reassured the eye-patched man. "In any case, we seem to have company…greetings there Miss," Sable said once the girl had joined them. "Is there a particular reason why you are following us?" A little farther away from them, the green Relic had begun to shine brightly. Twitching around, it crackled around lightly in Ugnis' hand. It seemed to be pulsing dangerously near Mal, no doubt sensing the spirit inside of him. However, that wasn't all. A few seconds later, a might roar rang out in the forest disturbingly nearby. From the way it sounded, it was much bigger than the dying bear from before.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Don't worry about it," Ugnis replied, waving it off with a hand as he stood back up. He could relate to fighting something within himself, though it was his own doing that caused his current condition. Nonetheless, it did put a certain strain on his body, as he had to stay constantly aware of both his emotions and what occurred around him. As Ugnis ran this thought through his mind, the relic in hand glowed a bright toxic light that shined through his blindfold. It jerked slightly and seemed to spark in his hand, sending shocks through his body. Despite how irritating these odd sensations were, Ugnis couldn't bring himself to drop it. Unintentionally cringing as he crashed backwards into a tree, Ugnis wondered why not. It wouldn't break, nor would there be some adverse effect if he did. "So why can't I... Oh, right." He was keeping the relic because Mal wanted him to. Why was he keeping a promise he didn't even make? Why should he? A pulse from dark emotions, seemingly cheered on by the relic, resonated in Ugnis's mind. He cringed and put his hand to his head. "I won't have to if he's dead, right?" "Wait, stop that. No. Stop." "Don't think that." Ugnis quickly restabilized his train of thought, before more bad thoughts surfaced. "That... could have gone worse, to say the least." A deep, somewhat hostile roar sounded from nearby. "Ah, that's good," he thought unfazed, a thick feeling of anger still lingering inside of him. An outlet would get rid of that disgusting feeling, and usually made it easier to happily go about his days afterwards. He didn't care about how terrible the monster was; he just felt like murdering something. Dusting off the cape on his back, Ugnis said to Mal, "You're still tired from before, right? Just stay out of sight, and let me handle this," This was partly out of a personal reason, not wanting others to see what he was like when he wasn't just carefree. But, it was more because he'd stab anything in his way when he pulled up his blindfold, Mal and other people included. As both threat and warning, with an uncharacteristic undertone of hostility, Ugnis said as if to confirm that Mal understood, "Got it?"</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva A decisive chill ran up Mal's spine as the man stepped away. The moment the blindfold fell from his eyes, it was almost like Mal was staring at a completely other person. He didn't know what caused the change. Maybe he held a more prominent spirit inside him? It wasn't completely impossible. He vaguely remembered reading something about spirit levels… maybe in his father's research. Dealing with both the heavy mist cloaking his past and the exhaustion that coiled around him made it difficult to recall. Still, Mal complied with the man's commands, not willing to deal with whatever was coming next. He was careless with this one. There was a reason he usually set up in bigger cities. It meant easier escapes, more places to hide, and plenty of time to rest between confrontations. "I'll just stay here then…" Mal grinned, stumbling back against the tree, "Maybe I'll try to catch a bit of rest." The moment he let go of the Ugnis, the spirit inside him started to calm. Its offensive thrashing around that wasted more energy that Mal was thrilled about. He would just have to hope he could stay out of this next encounter and recover whatever energy He could so he could deal with whatever was coming the next day. So, with a satisfied yawn, even as a monster stomped off in the distance. Mal leaned against the back of the tree, and willingly shut his eyes. Any amount of rest would help, even if only for a few moments. Besides, he had a sinking feeling that the man had more to him than originally suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides raised his head, already dismissing the follower as he heard the roar, narrowing his good eye as he worked on identifying the noise. Not another bear, nor nothing normally running about makes that much noise. Not many creatures make that much noise, and remain capable of fighting and hunting that is. That means big, fast, or just so plain dangerous that it doesn't need stealth or subtle approaches. There weren't many things like that out in these areas, and he drew his sword, looking in the direction of the roar, a thought dawning on his mind, one that he did not appreciate having cross his mind. One would hope he was wrong though. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." No sooner than the Taskmage had spoken the roar came again, much louder and clearer, which meant it was closer. Out of the woods, several hundred feet in the air, was the green scaled form of a Dragon, easily the size of any of the buildings within the small town nearby, as it circled overhead, a green hued flame belching from the creature's maw. Its wings easily eclipsed the sun whenever it came between the sun and each person's viewing point, casting grand shadows along the ground. The jagged horn looked almost broken, and it was clearly older than it appeared at first sound. Atreides scowled, kneeling to enchant his sword again, the blade this time growing darker then it should normally have been possible, leaving a trailing image behind it as he rose, electrical arcs bouncing along his left, off arm. The Taskmage frankly didn't have much interest in dealing with this on top of losing out on one of the Relics, but the thing was clearly agitated and couldn't be left just roaming about like some sort of overgrown torch. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing."</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "No miss Crimson Streak! I'm here on my own volition!" She said with a bright smile that dimpled her cheeks. Her bright pinkish buns seemed like it was glowing as she smiled. "You two are like, my idols! To see you face to face is like a dream come true you know!" She said as she jumped around in joy. "Please take me with you! I can be very useful!" She felt the earth rumble as the mighty roar resounded across the forest. Something is amidst and is within close proximity. She felt the trees growing restless as its branches wildly swayed as the rebelling winds swoop past it. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." The Taskmage wielded his sword, eyes straight towards the source of the roar. Muzai could be heard chuckling. The beast was close judging by its roar. Perhaps they had ventured to its territory and it wanted us to leave... But within the safety of the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage themselves... She felt unthreatened by its presence. Muzai followed the Taskmage's gaze. The flickering shadows made Muzai turn majestically as she tracked her eyes on the circling emerald dragon above them, roaring its cry loudly with its lethal maw. An old dragpm roaming about Rivenwood. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing." Muzai jumped joyfully. "Aren't you amazed at that giant winged lizard?! Look how pretty and green it is!" She said in almost like a shouting manner. "It's like she's the forest herself!" While both the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage was worried about the dragon at hand it seems like Muzai was more into glamouring the dragon. "I wanna keep it as a pet!"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed swordsman stood at the edge of the clearing, shrouded by leaves and dark foliage. The ghostly spectre had been observing the great beast, watching and waiting, hoping it would reveal a weakness to him. But alas, after he had watched it for what could have been days or weeks, the great thing awoke, and the specter was found. At the first roar the fatalistic dead man rushed the green scaled horror, slashing his ruined blade across its chest. Though the scales were barely scratched his blade cut a very different wound far deeper. It's essence, the beasts soul had been his target and he had given it a sound thrash with his blade. Unfortunately, dragons had strong souls to match their bodies, and the pain led only to anger the beast, but it did serve to drive the beast into the air, surprised by its damaged soul. Now, thought the impossibly old specter, now the chase would begin. The great green dragon soared into the air, green fire leaking from his maw. But the spectre could keep up... for a time, on foot. Giving his limbs the strength of the curse, and pouring his soul into his legs he kept pace with the flying lizard. It would land soon he thought... why did he think that? He could not remember... but he felt as though he had fought dragons before... when did he do that? It didn't matter though, as it flew he couldn't help but feel he was close to... something... people? He was unsure but as it landed he brought himself to a halt, allowing his body to return to its slow, dead and clumsy nature... Though now that he saw the beast again the spectre was no longer sure he could slay the great beast.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s> <\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides listened with surprising patience as the cursed soldier worked his way through his fractured mind and manner of speech, eventually giving forth the name of Gilligan. Well, that was better than Cursed one, although that would no doubt suffice in a pinch. The being proceeded to mention accompanying Sable and himself, and the matter was not up for debate. Well, that meant they had an undead and near indistructeable, from the showing he gave with the dragon, soldier following them around that could not speak very well. This would make visits to town far more entertaining, he thought with a mental sigh. Well, that did mean things would be easier in sheer violence situations, although why the cursed one insisted on the matter was a mystery to the Taskmage. Depending on how fractured the being was, Gilligan might very well see the past in them and be clinging to it. Or he was very perfectly all there and was putting on a show. He couldn't confirm that either way right now, and for now, it wasn't worth the pain. "Well, Sir Gilligan, I won't tell you where to go or who to go with, so by all means, let's get the ladies and get moving." Atreides turned towards Sable, seeing she already had a little gang of her own and snickered, a sound that she would be familiar with as a prelude to some sort of mockery or ribbing that was about to drop. Approaching the woman, whether cursed soldier was in tow or not, he crossed his arms with a sardonic smirk on his face. "Look at you Meat, got yourself a little girl's night out club and everything already. No more babysitting for me, it seems. On a serious note, its late, we need to find someplace to put up for the night. Town sound good?"</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's ears slightly twitched at the familiar snicker, a frown already deepening onto her face-wait, no. She was already frowning. Well that saved her some effort. Turning around, she met the image of her smirking partner with a look of clear disapproval. "We are not a girl's night out club Atreides," she pointed out with no emotion. "We are simply travelers going the same way. I think a fan club would be more appropriate to utilize." With that said, she looked back at the girl with the pink healing light. Testing out her hand, Sable nodded in approval at the renewed flesh. "Thank you…Exoris. I see there is no debating the issue of you following me. Therefore, do not expect me to save you in times of dire need. That is all." She turned then, giving Atreides a curt nod before heading for the nearest town. Dusk was soon approaching, and with it, the predators of the night. Not too far away from them, those very same predators had their sights on Ugnis and his green Relic. Watching. Waiting. Of course, none of that was on the Crimson Streak's mind. No, no, she was wondering just what ever happened to her first fan, Muzai? Back in town, Mal would find quite an interesting sight to greet him. For one reason or another, Imperium soldiers were on foot and looking for…something. Probably the Legend Relics, and that made the most sense. They didn't notice him, and probably wouldn't unless he caused a scene. He could probably slip by and get a room without worry if he kept his composure. With that demon festering inside of him, it was certainly a large gamble. Far away in a similar town, Yem had finished his attempted conversation with the black Relic. As he departed for the night, a presence was watching him from the darkness. They waited and watched, before slipping inside his lone room through a window. Keeping themselves into the shadows, they focused on his sleeping form. At once, they drew a crimson blade and became poised to strike.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina smiled as Sable mentioned that there would be food at the mess hall of the next town they were going to. "Yes ma'am!" She didn't really like waiting for food, but she was fairly used to being hungry and skipping meals. She had learned to take advantage of any meals she could get while she was in the desert, so food was especially important for her. Even if she could slow her metabolism down and go a few days before getting hungry. She then listened as Atreides and Sable spoke with each other and scratched her head at the phrase "fan club". She looked around and didn't see any fans. She knew what a fan was, she had seen her mother use one to cool herself off, but it sounded weird for someone to make a club out of them. She didn't even see any fans on Sable. "'Fan club'? I don't see any clubs made of fans... That doesn't sound like a very efficient weapon either." She was genuinely confused. She then realized that they were adventurers. She definitely wanted to come along. After all, adventurers traveled the world just like her dad did. "I'm definitely coming too!" She practically cheered. "You guys are adventurers, I can get to see the world with you all!" She didn't quite understand that most of them had only just met.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Well, this was quite a sight. As Mal limped up to the town gates and ditched the stick he used for support behind a fence, he noticed the glint of well-polished armor in the distance. Numerous men in metal helms wandered around the streets, knocking on doors, careening into bars and essentially walking across the territory as if they knew the place. He grimaced when he noticed the sigil on the shoulder plate of one of the men. In a fluid movement, he pulled his hood further over his face in an attempt to obscure his eyes as he slinked down the side of the road. The shadow inside him bubbled in frustration. This was one thing Mal and the shade could agree upon. The Imperium and all that protected them were scum. Even so, as much as Mal would've liked to rip them apart, he knew his body could not handle it. He needed to recover his energy with food and a good rest for the evening. It didn't help that Mal had multiple accounts of murder stacked against him that got his face on the posters of many large cities. He slinked in the shadows, keeping to the darker spots as darkness came closer. He was steps away from the inn he had passed the first time when he heard rumors of the Relics waiting in Rivenwood. The fact that Mal had travelled all that way after assassinating a classist aristocrat only to continue searching and using his magic was probably a bad idea in retrospect, but Mal wanted to get there before anyone else, and find those things before they ended up in the wrong hands. "Excuse me, sir," a heavy voiced asked as Mal took his first step towards the inn. The little wooden steps leading up to the main door were only feet away as Mal heard clinking armor behind him. "Can I help you?" Mal asked without turning around. The man cleared his throat, "You wouldn't happen to know of any strangers passing through that would know something about the Legend Relics?" Mal paused, "I wouldn't know. I'm a stranger myself." Before the man could continue, Mal slipped through the doors of the inn and approached the counter. A few moments later he was in a small room tucked away in the corner of the upper floor. The kind owners had promised to bring food up to his room as he was feeling "under the weather" as he put it. Sometimes, with just the right smile and proper politeness, it was easy to convince people to help him out. Especially if they didn't talk for extended periods of time. Mal didn't waste any time. He borrowed some of the linens from the drawers of a tiny cabinet and methodically tore strips from one of the sheets to wrap around his chest and shoulders. Then, with his hood wrapped around him once more, he tumbled onto the bed. It wasn't perfectly comfortable, but it was better than a dusty road. Mal was asleep within seconds, with the word Zyaxomort sitting on his tongue.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon It tastes so delicious dont you think? N'kara took another bite out of the meat she had in her hand. The meat was still fresh and tender, exactly the way she liked it. You're in my head arent you? You surely know wether I like it or not, dont you? She could hear the voice in her head laughing. Ofcourse I do and I know you love it. Just wanted to hear you say it.. N'kara was walking on a path through the forest towards the town of Rivenwood to find an inn to rest for the night. She wasnt planning on staying for long as she had other business elsewhere. N'kara took another bite out of the meat as she walked on. Fine, I like it, happy now or are you going to ask me again the next time I eat it? The voice let out a snicker. What do you think? N'kara let out a sigh. I was afraid you would say that... Just as she finished her sentence she heard the trampling of hooves, it didnt matter to her so she continued on her path, her cloak blowing in the light breeze. As the sound got closer there was also the sound of plate armour clanging against itself. Behind her was a horseman aproaching, he bore the banner of some Imperial priesthood. The man, who was of a small stature, hailed N'kara. "Hail traveller. Could you aid me in something?" N'kara covered her face with her hood as she stopped and took another bite of her meat, tearing a piece violently off before she grinned. That depends on what you require of me. The man responded with a hint of amazement: "You're a woman!?" Ooh boy... Wrong choice of words. The man quickly readjusted his speech. "I'm sorry, judging by your stature I assumed you were... ooh nevermind. Anyhow, am the bodyguard of a priest but I euhm... Lost him when he was "blessing" a young woman not far from here." And you want to know if I've seen him? she responded with a grin on her face. "Indeed madam, have you?" That depends...She turned around and faced the man, even though he was sitting on horseback they met eye to eye. When the man saw her face he turned pale in an instant. What he saw was something which was reminicent of the ghost stories he was told as a child. The woman infront of him had pitchblack eyes save for the near white iris and the pupil was very narrow and long. Her mouth was filled with teeth which seemed to come from a wolf and her face was covered in blood. She slowly turned her hand in which she held her food around to him and what he saw shocked him to his core. ...Is this the man you are looking for? The horribly mutalated head of the priest was resting in her hand. "Demonspawn!" the man shouted. Before he could do anything else however his horse was already dead. N'kara took one swing at the animal's head and fractured it's skull. With this the horse fell and the man became stuck under it. He was desperatly trying to get the horse off but he had no succes. N'kara on the other hand was taking her time as she walked over to him and eventually towered over the man. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Please, I have a family! They will die without me!" N'kara bend down next to the man. Ooh well that changes thing. She took one last bite out of the priest's head, ripping away the final piece of flesh. Blood fell on the man as he was crying out to her. "Please, dont let me die like this!" N'kara threw away the head and responded. Well... Alright, because you asked so nicely. With little effort she pushed the carcas of the horse away. The man couldnt believe it, she had been so close to killing him and now she was helping him? Surely the gods were- Before he could finish his train of thought he had a hand around his troat and it lifted him up in the air, slowly chocking the life out of him. You were right, I could let you die like that. I would much rather do it like this. She grinned widly, baring her teeth. At this point the man was starting to wet himself, thinking that his was the end for him... How wrong he was. 15 minutes later N'kara was continuing her path towards Rivenwood, hoping to be able to get a warm bed and meal. A soft moan was still audible and N'kara smiled, she had her fun for the day. As she was walking away the man was still alive... His hands and feet were impaled into a tree nearby and his entire body had runes carved into him. Another fitting sacrifise to the gods my dear. N'kara smiled. Indeed... Now lets hope that Rivenwood can provide us with some more entertainment then he could. Her bloodlust was tamed and with the totem in honour of the dark gods left in behind her she walked on to Rivenwood.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked. She had not been expecting this sort of activity to take place so early in the morning. She had slipped by Atreides back at the inn, figuring he still had his own thoughts to contend with. Now she stood in the center of the village…only to be approached by the rather rude fellow from yesterday. Sable scanned Mal up and down with a blank gaze. "We are in search for the other Relics," she answered honestly and methodically. "Therefore, there is no need to rush towards our next location. At most, I can guess the Imperium soldiers from last night were looking for them too. That means-oh." The Crimson Streak was interrupted by the girl with the floating balls; the rather eccentric one who spewed around literary titles everywhere. Sable gave her a small nod of greeting. "Good morning Exo. To answer your questions in sequential order: My name is Sable, though people tend to call me the Crimson Streak. The dragon attacked us out of pure instinct I imagine. I hope that sates your curiosity." And then, lo and behold, someone new showed up, promptly tackling Mal to the ground without reason or care. Watching the boy fall, Sable moved in to the new woman and did the polite thing. "Hello." Something was wrong. Sable could sense an unnerving aura surrounding the newcomer, though she couldn't place what it was nor did she comment on it aloud. She would have to ask Atreides to study her if possible. He was, after all, much more adept at seeing these kinds of things she was. "Please do not start fights," she told to both Mal and the newcomer. "The townsfolk are watching." Indeed, the citizens were watching, having gathered around outside their homes to witness the gathering of strange people. Some of them whispered among themselves, casting suspicious glances their way. "Mercenaries," one of them, an elderly man, spat. "No good comes from their kind. Especially with those accursed Relics popping up everywhere. First them, now the whole damn Imperium breathing down our backs…"</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides eventually strolled out of the tavern, having kept an eye on the comings, goings, and gossip for awhile, leaving payment for his drinks and time spent there, and unlike so many of the usual mercenaries and sort coming through the town, the Taskmage was one who was usually tolerated more than others, due to his beneficial nature alongside hte profit of having them paying to stay and resupply in such places. But as he walked out of the establishment and skirted down the sides of the road, he noticed something that made the man sigh. That punk ass with the shadow chains was getting in Sable's face, and to make matters worse, some barbarian that reeked of the Old Gods had went and tackled him, which would no doubt start some fight that would destroy far too much property to ever be welcome again. And would bring Sable into the line of fire, which simply would not do. But he couldn't just blast both into oblivion, god knows what the woman would do if she died with that stinking aura of the Old Gods, and punk ass probably had something nasty up his sleeves too. "What in the blazing fucks are you two damn clowns doing? Making some big stinking scene in the road, let me address both of you. One, lady, really need to ditch that Old God thing you got going, you reek of it, from a mile away. Secondly, if you need male attention that badly, tackling strangers in the road ain't the easiest way to go about it. As for you, punk, getting up in a ladies face, rude and uncalled for. No one sees you big and tough getting in her face like that. Especially considering she cold filet you and string you up to dry before any of us blinked. Secondly, none of your damn business what other folks are doing or why, savvy? Try being polite and not barging into another persons business, aye?" Atreides was giving his speech all as a front, walking in a circle around the group, his movements seperating Sable from the tackled pair of fools, and outside the circle in the dirt that eventually was formed as he finished speaking, standing beside Meat with his arms crossed and a very, very dissaproving look on his face. The two idiots try something, that circle was one of his dirty tricks, it formed a barrier that nothing gets in or out of, so any damage would be contained and prevent harm to the surroundings. Second, if either of them came after himself or Sable, same deal, and he would leave them to either figure out how to get out, or starve in the street. He didn't take kindly to these sort, especially the kid who was so damn determined to not come across as some weak ass punk. No one cared, Atreides certainly didn't, about what the kid thought he had to prove. The Taskmage had been there, done that, and all he got was a lousy shirt from the whole mess. Let the kid try something stupid, either of them, Atreides had some energy to burn for once.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Now, Mal was planning on leaving them alone and waiting for the guy with the eye-patch to get there. He had only the one target (two if you counted the information he needed). The Crimson Streak had done nothing to convince him that she needed to be dealt with. Was he a little brash? Maybe, but then again, he wasn't really sure about the idea of a "comfort zone" either. He was only really asking her to wait out the other man, and possibly weasel out any information the mercenary had. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. He got a closer look at the other people that were approaching. One of the figures he saw seemed unfamiliar, but she appeared to be rather friendly with the red warrior. He was about to introduce her to the conversation when a quiver went through his body. The spirit inside him started to shudder violently, as if it had discovered another force coming his way. He glanced upwards, trying to find the source. Then, with a mighty yell his perception changed. Mal's eyes went wide as a heavy force smashed into his side. In the split second between the heavy blow and his impact with the ground, his body and mind did several different things: His eyes flashed bright red as the sigil on the side of his neck spiraled from its centre point. His body tensed all at once as he felt the spirit inside him beginning to explode. His grin disappeared as he already felt his skin begin to rip as the spirit rushed towards any opening it could find. "Fuck! Not now!" He snarled. His voice sounded like the cry of a frenzied, tortured animal. Blades of dark energy burst from his core. Shaped like axe-blades, they blew out in all directions and smashed into the ground and the sides of buildings, leaving heavy gashes in the sturdy material. The largest blades struck out towards every possible threat in a close proximity. An asterisk-shaped wound slit through the top layers of the skin on his chest, causing blood to drip down once more as small shreds of fabric were torn off his hood. His back hit the ground. The blades exploded all at once in every direction in a similar fashion to how he'd torn apart that headmaster so long ago. And it frustrated Mal to every extent that he could not express any control over it.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva (OOPS IGNORE THIS POSTING MISTAKE)</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon Damn that kid! I swear I'm gonna kill hi-. As that thought crossed her mind N'kara started coughing up blood. She had to pull the piece of cloth off her mouth as it was stopping the blood from coming out, nearly letting her choke on her own blood. Several of the blades had pierced her armour and severly injured her. You're lucky you have me, if I wasnt protecting you against this kind of magic you would have been torn apart you fool! N'kara displayed a painfull grin as she pulled one of the blades out. Slowly she was starting to heal, the flesh wounds were already close to being healed. The gapping holes of the blades on the other hand would take a while longer to heal. If only there was a healer out here, then I could easily take this punk on! The thing in her laughed. Hey, it isnt his fault you tripped and fell on him now is it? N'kara spit out some more blood and groaned; Shut up... She looked up at the boy infront of her. If she were to attack him now it might cost her dearly. This boy obviously had more power then his appearance would make one believe. And besides that, attacking the kid now wouldnt help her find what she was looking for. She slowly rose up and looked at the gathering crowd. Great, exactly the thing she was hoping to avoid. She tried to walk away slowly but was then stopped by an invisible wall. She looked around for a few moments before she turned her attention to the man who had been scolding her. She grinned and bared her wolf-like fangs at him. Say, you wouldnt believe me if I told you that this was all an accident, would you?</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's eyes narrowed into slits. Quick on her feet, she pounced on Exo to bring her to the ground. Moments later, the area above became filled with flying blades conjured out of dark energy. Sable checked to make sure Exo was alright before slowly standing up. The destruction at hand was evident. Although Mal and the newcomer were still trapped in the circle, the blades were free to do as they pleased. They scattered everywhere, landing into the nearest buildings and sailing into the gathered crowds of people. Screams tore out as the citizens panicked and fled, some even becoming impaled by the summoned weapons. A small price to pay for Mal's lack of control. Soon enough, the attack halted and the deed was done. Several of the buildings lay in scattered ruins, with the injured, dead, and scared surrounding the small group. One of the citizens, a short man with a very, very red face stormed up to Atreides and frowned. He seemed to be the leader of this village. "Taskmage. I'm asking you and this group to leave this town immediately. I know we've done business with each other in the past, but lives have been lost today. I take it you hold responsibility for that one?" The man cast a sour glance at Mal. "For all of our sakes…I don't want to use force on you." "Do no let them escape village leader. Let the heretics stay to face their judgment." Sable tensed, drawing her blades up at once with RE-Arch. That voice was cold and metallic, echoing around them. Turning around with everyone else, her eyes caught sight of an armored warrior in white and blue. Resting on their shoulders was what appeared to be a massive cannon matching the color scheme of the knight, crackling with magical energy. "An enemy," she told Atreides. At once the village leader fell to his knees, bowing humbly before the warrior. Soon, the rest of the village-those who could still stand-followed suit as well. "S-Sapphire Guardian of the Imperium. Neflheim. Forgive us for not becoming aware of your arrival! W-Why do you grace us with your presence?" One of the Four Guardians of the Imperium. To warrant their interest was near impossible…unless… The Sapphire Guardian raised a clawed gauntlet and pointed right at the group. "I am to retrieve the Relic that spouts its energy near Rivenwood. However, now I have changed my approach to reprimand these mad heretics. They must each be cleansed by the purification of justice. And so I shall fulfill my purpose, as decreed by the Grand Imperator." The knight slung forth his mighty cannon, aiming at the group to purge them from this world. "As for you Crimson Streak…let your treachery burn away in the eternal hell fires of my judgment as well."</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva The spirit buzzed violently through his body. Even after a night of rest, it still seemed on edge at the limit. With a loud snarl, the Sigil receded back to its origin point as Mal pushed himself back up onto his feet. He casually glanced at the houses around him and cursed under his breath. It occurred to him that children might have been injured in his burst. That was shameful. He was about to give a piece of his mind to the muscular woman who had the audacity to trigger this event when the flickering of blue energy caught his attention. His head lifted up with the rest of his body as blood trickled to the ground, and immediately his eyes snapped into a harsh stare. Now Mal realized his initial confusion. This "Taskmage" was an enemy of the Sapphire Guardian? Mal had his targets confused. The man may have been a dick, but he wasn't an oppressive force. And any enemy of the Imperium was an ally of his. He ignored the stares of the older man as he reigned in the power of the spirit. It was an involuntary reaction more than anything. The spirit would severely overreact to the pain an attack would cause and lash out violently against whoever caused it and whoever was in the area. While the faces and the timestamp felt foggy, he could still clearly remember the headmaster with his body split in two when he "tested" the experiment by smacking him in the side. But Mal was back again once more as the sigil's lines fell back into the point and his predatory grin appeared at full force. "The Sapphire Guardian," Mal cackled under his breath as his hands latched onto the chains at his side. That cannon would be more than enough to wipe all of them out. He could not take on that power himself, of that much he was aware. God, what he'd give to go back to tracking people down, stalking them into alleys and tearing them apart before they were even aware of what was going. "Mr. Eye-Patch, I appear to have misjudged your intentions," Mal grinned, "I tend to get touchy around pushy people. They make me think of the Imperium, which makes me think of the squishy organs I've pulled out of people who hurt others to get what they want. So, unless that's in your career path, I'll be out of your hair after we rip this guy to shreds." Mood whiplash was pretty common when it came to Mal. While it usually took more convincing to prove that you weren't super oppressive, it became a lot easier when you were both on the opposite end of the same cannon. Then Mal's eyes snapped to the girl who had set off the spirit in the first place. "As for you, be careful. Your aura already makes the shadow antsy, and it really hates being jostled around…" At last, his head tilted back to the man in the armour in front of them. His eyes glowed ominously as he stood with his jagged grin. His hands wrapped gently around his chains as he stared at the man. Darkness spiraled around the chains as he stared at the man. "Crowley, Naga. Arise." The spikes at the ends of his chains rose to the same height as his head. He stared down the cannon like he wasn't afraid in the slightest. But he was seriously hoping that the others would not leave him in the dust, because otherwise he was pretty sure he wouldn't surprise.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara was waiting for the one-eyed man to respond. In the mean time she was looking at the damage the boy had caused with his attack. Eventhough it was very unlikely that it would have caused a carnage, the thought of a bloodbath exited N'kara. She appeared dissapointed at the sight, only a few had died or were mortally wounded. Her own wounds were now getting closer to being healed, most of the bleeding had already stopped and the pain of the healing was lessening. She glanced back at the one-eyed man. So if you dont mind, would you please rele- She got interupted by an Imperial soldier who seemed to be a rather important member of the Imperium. N'kara's grin turned into a furious look. She straightened her back, towering over all in the square, before she yelled out with an enraged voice audible over the entire townsquare; How dare you call me heretic!? You who serves the rotting edifice that is the Imperium! By Khârn I shall rip your head from your spine and grind it to dust! She looked back at the man who cast the dome. You! I demand that you release me from this wretched prison! I am willing to offer you a deal, you release me and I will fight with my life to make sure you get out of this town. I know you probably wont take my word for it so let me offer you a bloodpact! Because of the demon inside of her she would be unable to break a bloodpact and N'kara knew that this man must have atleast sensed the demon's presence eventhough he might not know what it exactly is. She continued staring at the man. So what say you? Do you want to keep me locked in here and die or do you want to live?</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had his arms crossed, and was about to give the elder of the town a response when an all too familiar voice rang out, decrying them heretics and he turned, a shit eating grin on his face as he dropped his arms to his side, one hand resting on his sword, as he looked towards that blue armored fellow. Neflheim, the man was known to Atreides. Rather bold, religiously focused on purging the heretic with that massive damn cannon on his shoulder, all around unpleasant and a fellow he had not wanted to have to cross paths with, not again. This man knew nothing of control, of precision, and would burn this village to the ground if it meant taking out his targets. And that, right now, was him and the clowns he had locked away, for better or worse. Which meant they were now stuck in the same lot right now, and he sighed, glancing to the village leader, and addressed him first. "Get everyone to a safe distance, this will get ugly before it gets better. We won't hang around once this unnecessary display of force is done." Next he kicked his heel into the ground, breaking the circle surrounding the demon whore and chains brat. Any other day he would have put more restrictions on the matter, addressing them without turning. He would know if they tried anything directed at him, the dead silence of a standoff made that much fairly easy. He scoffed at the offer of a blood pact, one did not lightly sign into any sort of deal with demons, let alone a blood pact. Blood held power, in the right hands, and he was not near knowledgeable enough in that application to trust any sort of deal. "How about this, you two try anything against me or Crimson Streak, I leave both of you near dead in a barrier circle in the woods. Let you two figure it out from there." Without warning, mid senteance, Atreides conjured a rock pillar from beneath the Sapphire Guardian, intending to throw him upwards enough to disrupt his aim, sword flying out of its sheath, mutterings from Atreides causing the blade to erupt in flames once more. It was a preferred talent of his, and he stood, a ball of fire erupting in his hand, electrical arcs bouncing up and down the very same arm, sword coated in arcane fire while he scowled at the cannon wielding enforcer, and he addressed the man boldly. "AND AS FOR YOU! Take your bullying and intimidation elsewhere. Your purpose is little more than the Imperator's bootlick, grovelling for favor and station while you mindlessly murder supposed heretics and obliterate the villages they happen to be passing through in the process. I know your handiwork, Neflheim, and you are no embodiment of Justice. You are little more than a prideful, boastful hound of the Imperator, and that's all you'll ever be, just to be put down once your no longer useful."</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Ignorant Taskmage." Neflheim was unfazed by the sudden appearance of a rock pillar beneath his feet, merely swinging his cannon back to his shoulder. Looking down on them all from below, he aimed once more and fired off a burst of magical energy directly at the two still in the dirt circle. Not bothering to check if they were dead, the armored warrior pointed a clawed hand both at Atreides and Sable. "Do not speak to me about reckless doings scum. The woman stated clearly to me that Khârn was amongst her soul. Worshippers of the Old Gods are to be seen as nothing but violent enemies to the Imperium and to the people." He was caught off by something swift and small. Sable had launched both her knives at him, already running along the stone pillar to meet him head on. Neflheim deflected both weapons with a swipe of his arm, sending them flying away. "RE-Arch." The blades appeared once more in Sable's and she leaped forward. Held aloft, she slashed downward at the Sapphire Guardian. Neflheim saw this and more, parrying with the brunt of his cannon and knocking her back down savagely. Sable plummeted to the earth below, twisting and skidding on the ground. Neflheim jumped then, landing with a massive impact on the ground, sending shock waves all throughout the village. By now, the village leader had taken Atreides' advice and was now directing everyone to the other side of the village. "Kneel Crimson Streak. Your betrayal to the Imperium shall be treated with the utmost diligence and efficiency."</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva A curse danced on the edge of Mal's tongue as Naga hit dirt instead of the relic. As his swinging slowed, he pulled Crowley from the tree's bark and stumbled to the ground. The shadows gripping his chains dissipated in seconds as he struggled off the ground using the tree as leverage. He grinned at the scarlet warrior who knocked his spearhead out of the way as he started to pull back on the chains and work them into loops. His panting was heavy, and sweat dripped from his brow as he tumbled to the ground and leaned back against the tree. He scanned for the Relic. His vision passed over the rocky hands reaching out of the ground with one or two dislodged fingers, and they fell to the blindfolded man once more, who was holding the very same Relic in his hand. When the Crimson Streak's knife hit the relic, it must've knocked it over in that direction. Mal's eyes widened. He may have lost the race, but at least there was hope. Unlike the others, the blindfolded man gave off a somewhat different vibe. Maybe he wouldn't be willing to sell that power to the oppressive rulers of their world. It appeared as though the women in red was distracted by something else at the moment, but that wasn't Mal's concern at the moment. As he lay panting against the tree, with most of his energy expunged, he called out to the man. "Hey... What're you planning on doing with that relic?" He yelled from his sitting position. He tightened the chains around his waist like a belt of stone, "Coz if you weren't gonna sell it, then it's all yours..." He leaned back against the tree, and toyed with the idea of a nap. He could really use it, after all...</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable shrugged in response to the Taskmage's jibes. "It sounded like…a taunt. It said there were no do overs…I suspect that it is the work of a Relic calling out to me, but I can't be sure. It didn't sound like it wanted to be found." The Crimson Streak paused in her walking, enough time to raise a hand to her chin and for a certain enthusiast to catch up to them. Turning around to face the bouncing form of Muzai, Sable frowned before shaking her head. "It's probably nothing," she reassured the eye-patched man. "In any case, we seem to have company…greetings there Miss," Sable said once the girl had joined them. "Is there a particular reason why you are following us?" A little farther away from them, the green Relic had begun to shine brightly. Twitching around, it crackled around lightly in Ugnis' hand. It seemed to be pulsing dangerously near Mal, no doubt sensing the spirit inside of him. However, that wasn't all. A few seconds later, a might roar rang out in the forest disturbingly nearby. From the way it sounded, it was much bigger than the dying bear from before.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Don't worry about it," Ugnis replied, waving it off with a hand as he stood back up. He could relate to fighting something within himself, though it was his own doing that caused his current condition. Nonetheless, it did put a certain strain on his body, as he had to stay constantly aware of both his emotions and what occurred around him. As Ugnis ran this thought through his mind, the relic in hand glowed a bright toxic light that shined through his blindfold. It jerked slightly and seemed to spark in his hand, sending shocks through his body. Despite how irritating these odd sensations were, Ugnis couldn't bring himself to drop it. Unintentionally cringing as he crashed backwards into a tree, Ugnis wondered why not. It wouldn't break, nor would there be some adverse effect if he did. "So why can't I... Oh, right." He was keeping the relic because Mal wanted him to. Why was he keeping a promise he didn't even make? Why should he? A pulse from dark emotions, seemingly cheered on by the relic, resonated in Ugnis's mind. He cringed and put his hand to his head. "I won't have to if he's dead, right?" "Wait, stop that. No. Stop." "Don't think that." Ugnis quickly restabilized his train of thought, before more bad thoughts surfaced. "That... could have gone worse, to say the least." A deep, somewhat hostile roar sounded from nearby. "Ah, that's good," he thought unfazed, a thick feeling of anger still lingering inside of him. An outlet would get rid of that disgusting feeling, and usually made it easier to happily go about his days afterwards. He didn't care about how terrible the monster was; he just felt like murdering something. Dusting off the cape on his back, Ugnis said to Mal, "You're still tired from before, right? Just stay out of sight, and let me handle this," This was partly out of a personal reason, not wanting others to see what he was like when he wasn't just carefree. But, it was more because he'd stab anything in his way when he pulled up his blindfold, Mal and other people included. As both threat and warning, with an uncharacteristic undertone of hostility, Ugnis said as if to confirm that Mal understood, "Got it?"</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva A curse danced on the edge of Mal's tongue as Naga hit dirt instead of the relic. As his swinging slowed, he pulled Crowley from the tree's bark and stumbled to the ground. The shadows gripping his chains dissipated in seconds as he struggled off the ground using the tree as leverage. He grinned at the scarlet warrior who knocked his spearhead out of the way as he started to pull back on the chains and work them into loops. His panting was heavy, and sweat dripped from his brow as he tumbled to the ground and leaned back against the tree. He scanned for the Relic. His vision passed over the rocky hands reaching out of the ground with one or two dislodged fingers, and they fell to the blindfolded man once more, who was holding the very same Relic in his hand. When the Crimson Streak's knife hit the relic, it must've knocked it over in that direction. Mal's eyes widened. He may have lost the race, but at least there was hope. Unlike the others, the blindfolded man gave off a somewhat different vibe. Maybe he wouldn't be willing to sell that power to the oppressive rulers of their world. It appeared as though the women in red was distracted by something else at the moment, but that wasn't Mal's concern at the moment. As he lay panting against the tree, with most of his energy expunged, he called out to the man. "Hey... What're you planning on doing with that relic?" He yelled from his sitting position. He tightened the chains around his waist like a belt of stone, "Coz if you weren't gonna sell it, then it's all yours..." He leaned back against the tree, and toyed with the idea of a nap. He could really use it, after all...</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s>
<\|description\|>Megumi Takaki Appearance: Height: 5' 9" Weight: 133 lbs Hair Color: White Eye Color: Blue Age: 18 Personality: She usually tries to be friendly and kind to others whenever possible. However, she will quickly react with hostile force whenever she feels it is required. During battle, she maintains a sense of honor and often asks her opponent to surrender before delivering judgement. During business transactions she will act business-like, often doing what she can to gain the most profit out of it. Weapon: Cresent Moon: the katana Megumi wields. Forged by a now-deceased master swordsmith, the blade is very valuable and high quality. Abilities (Magic): * Electric current: infusing her blade with electricity, she delivers a strong electric shock to anyone who even just touches the blade. * Magnet movement: by creating a magnetic current at her feet, she can hover an inch or so off the ground and move much more quickly than she normally can. Also useful for moving over water. * Railgun: by sending an electric current into a small metal object and flicking it with her finger, she fires a high-velocity projectile. However, it has a short range and currently requires 2 hands to use, so it isn't used that often.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This World is Broken... "We seem to be lost again Atreides." The voice came from the rather short girl in red, eyes scanning around the thick forest for anything worth noting. The Imperium's issue the enigmatic Legend Relics had been issued at least three days ago counting today, and the duo had still found nothing in their search. Treasure hunting was always more productive with a team after all. And more fun. And so the two had made their way to Rivenwood, a respectable start for their journey for riches. Hey, if the world was broken, then why attempt to fix it? Why not salvage all that you could for a good payoff? The job was to be taken seriously, or at least, as serious as Sable could keep her partner. The Crimson Streak was not a girl of many expressions; it was this stoicness that often kept both their heads on in one piece. Now the former assassin was displaying her other facial feature: frowning. "Do you know where we're going?" she asked, avoiding a spare branch hanging down in her line of view. She fully readied herself for a sardonic reply. Atreides had his hands in his coat pockets, deliberately whistling some old tune of some sort or another, mostly to be annoying. It was off tone and off beat, only stopping when she finally asked her last question on if they had any idea where they were going. She was seriously asking him that, when this was mainly her idea to begin with? He didn't really waste much time responding in his own way, as she was wisely bracing for. Oh, it seems we are heading down a path that has to be clear to your own lowered view point, I thought that would be clear down there under the clouds?" Atreides had agreed to come along since he was almost always having to follow the Crimson Streak around, showing her things she usually seemed to miss on a regular basis, which he would make gleeful fun in mocking her for time and again. The pay was supposed to be good, although he doubted that it would be easy as just grabbing some piece of old junk and pawning it off as a relic. "Seriously, did you have any idea where we are going to look beyond some border town? I barely remember Rivenwood, and it was a pisshole. Great choice there, Crimson." The girl shrugged, seemingly unaffected by his taunts. She was used to his sarcasm, just as he was used to her lack of emotion on the matter or...well, anything at all. "Rivenwood is, out of the other choices, more manageable and easy to navigate. Rexicorg is an endless maze and Exilia is a graveyard. Judging from those specifics, this was the utmost ideal option," she said, dodging another low branch. "Besides, I hear that people of my stature are more connected to the earth, both in literal and spiritual terms." "Keep your dirt then, Crimson, I'll actually enjoy seeing where I'm going every now and again. And that's all fine and well. Still doesn't mean that Rivenwood is any less a pisshole." Atreides was mostly ignoring branches, his comically vast difference in height compared to Crimson meant that most of the branches she was evading he just broke his way through, and he had to duck every now and again to avoid a branch about as thick as one's forearm. It shouldn't have been much more walking until they reached Rivenwood, and as much of a pisshole as the place was, it was better then walking in the woods. "Come on Crimson, short and stubby legs or no, I know you can move faster then this." Hearing this, Sable frowned slightly, doing as she was told and picking up the pace. It wasn't like her walking faster was going to make much of a difference anyway. Besides, causing too much sound might attract uneeded attention- Snap. The sound of something breaking immediately caught her attention, and Sable glanced to the side. Something was with them in the forest, be it a traveler, creature, or fellow Mercenary. Whatever it be, they really didn't have time for it. "It seems we are not alone," she stated rather obviously and rather matter of factly. She lay in wait, ready to summon her weapons just in case. The snap made Atreides sigh quietly, resting a hand on his sword while Crimson spoke a rather obvious statement, not resisting the chance to respond in his own manner. "The sudden branch breaking didn't give that away at all, thanks Crimson." Dominant hand on his blade hilt, he had his off hand raised, debating what to use if something unpleasant came crashing through. Fire, no, trees burn. Rock was too slow, so he kept a quick incantation for a lightning strike in mind, in case whatever it was did not prove friendly to either of them. A New Story Begins...</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis walked quietly through the foggy woods, his arm held up in front of him, as he couldn't anything. Which was really not unexpected, considering the fact that he was blindfolded. Certainly, years of walking without seeing taught him to hear what was around him, but the trees didn't make much noise. "I suppose it'd be bad if I were lost in these woods at night," he thought to himself as he strode aimlessly in the already-fading light. His fear gradually disappeared when a stick broke underfoot and he heard two voices near. Ugnis gently pushed through the tangle of brush, his caution as weak as the thin vine he broke through. "Hello," he said, his voice calm and light-hearted in the otherwise bleak woods. "Do you know the way to Rivenwood? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." Though Ugnis could tell they were quite tense, simply ignoring them wouldn't put them at ease; they'd probably have struck him down if he didn't talk to them. "I suppose it's not wrong to hope that they know the way, either," he thought to himself after speaking.</s> <\|message\|>Rorick X. Vaile Rorick wheeled his way into the city. He had just spent quite a while travelling, and boy where his arms tired. He sighed as he came to a slow stop. People walking past often shot odd glances his away. The more brash pointed, the less whispered to others. But that wasn't too unusual. His chair drew attention in some places...Rorick rubbed her arms up and down, putting some warmth and forced relaxation into their worn muscles. Not really knowing where they were going they scanned the area as they did this. Not spotting any inn or holding house in the immediate area he made the decision to extend an olive branch. "Excuse me!" She called out to one of the nearest passer-by's, nearly making them drop their basket of bread. The woman gave a somewhat worried look to the chair-bound individual. After a few lingering seconds they managed to speak. "Y-yes?" Quite the linguist it seemed. "I'm very sorry to bother, but would you be able to point me to somewhere I may spend the night?" The boy spoke politely and softly, hoping not to make the woman any more off-put than she already was. "...Down that road there...Take a turn on the second right." After the departed knowledge and eternity long stare, she went off to whatever business she had before their exchange. Rorick thanked her, and sighed once more. A new town, a new adventure..."I suppose off I go." She began moving himself closer towards the supposed inn. Going down the given directions he found a small place, light filtered out of closed shutters and the faint voices could be heard inside. It seemed lively enough. Rorick strained his eyes to read the sign in the ever looming dark. "The Green-bog inn...charming." He commented to himself, before rolling in. Meeting some more odd stares, he managed to quiet things down a bit. He made i through the door and took a once over of the place. Faces, often of older men, were looking back at him. One table had a card game going on, they all seemed to wear similar outfits, perhaps collegues of some sort. Another table was a young woman with scrolls and a staff at her side, next to a man in a robe and masked face. Interesting place for a meeting of minds..."A night in any open room please." Rorick stated once he rolled up to the counter. The tall and bearded man with sunken in eyes behind the counter gave him a stoic up and down, then nodded and took the coins placed in front of him. Getting a key he thanked the man and looked to where he was pointed. A narrow yet long set of stairs presented themselves, making the only path up to the rooms. It seemed the bottom floor was all used to for the common rooms. "I...suppose a drink wouldn't hurt." He added another coin to the pay, and sidled up against a table. The night was unfortunately, still young...</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s>	<\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s>
<\|description\|>Megumi Takaki Appearance: Height: 5' 9" Weight: 133 lbs Hair Color: White Eye Color: Blue Age: 18 Personality: She usually tries to be friendly and kind to others whenever possible. However, she will quickly react with hostile force whenever she feels it is required. During battle, she maintains a sense of honor and often asks her opponent to surrender before delivering judgement. During business transactions she will act business-like, often doing what she can to gain the most profit out of it. Weapon: Cresent Moon: the katana Megumi wields. Forged by a now-deceased master swordsmith, the blade is very valuable and high quality. Abilities (Magic): * Electric current: infusing her blade with electricity, she delivers a strong electric shock to anyone who even just touches the blade. * Magnet movement: by creating a magnetic current at her feet, she can hover an inch or so off the ground and move much more quickly than she normally can. Also useful for moving over water. * Railgun: by sending an electric current into a small metal object and flicking it with her finger, she fires a high-velocity projectile. However, it has a short range and currently requires 2 hands to use, so it isn't used that often.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s>	<\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s>	<\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned. He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways. The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem. Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago! If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Grace period? Ah, I'm still going to end up following you anyways. Besides! I'm great at healing wounds! Here, let's see, how about your friend over there that's wobbling a bit? Actually, that might scare him...Oh well. I'll just wait until later..." A cross of the arms and the separated orbs all converged back into a single one that performed a light rotation above her head as she listened to the lot speak. ...Sable? A woman without magic taking on a dragon? Sounded like a death wish in the making to her. But, might as well get to work if she wanted to try and stay close to this newfound interest of hers. And with that in mind, she clapped her hands together and held her hand up for the sake of drawing the red woman's attention. "Miss Sable! Are you injured anywhere in particular? Or your friends of varying eccentric backgrounds? Also, is that your kid? I don't think I've ever seen someone try to eat a dragon before...I wonder if it tastes okay..."</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s>
<\|description\|>Chi Muzai Appearance: Height: 4 ft. 3 in. Weight: 103 lbs. Hair Color: Ruby Red Eye Color: Rose Red Age: 20 Personality: Muzai may seem to look and feel as if she doesn't care about what's happening around her but in truth, she was just quiet and innocent, almost oblivious than emotionless. Weapons: Abilities (Magic): She possesses a unique ability to manipulate the natural world through Eco Kinesis. Normally, this only restricts her to use with plants and greens only. The extent of her Eco Kinesis stretches to other natural entities such as sand, rock, wood and ice. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis walked quietly through the foggy woods, his arm held up in front of him, as he couldn't anything. Which was really not unexpected, considering the fact that he was blindfolded. Certainly, years of walking without seeing taught him to hear what was around him, but the trees didn't make much noise. "I suppose it'd be bad if I were lost in these woods at night," he thought to himself as he strode aimlessly in the already-fading light. His fear gradually disappeared when a stick broke underfoot and he heard two voices near. Ugnis gently pushed through the tangle of brush, his caution as weak as the thin vine he broke through. "Hello," he said, his voice calm and light-hearted in the otherwise bleak woods. "Do you know the way to Rivenwood? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." Though Ugnis could tell they were quite tense, simply ignoring them wouldn't put them at ease; they'd probably have struck him down if he didn't talk to them. "I suppose it's not wrong to hope that they know the way, either," he thought to himself after speaking.</s> <\|message\|>Rorick X. Vaile Rorick wheeled his way into the city. He had just spent quite a while travelling, and boy where his arms tired. He sighed as he came to a slow stop. People walking past often shot odd glances his away. The more brash pointed, the less whispered to others. But that wasn't too unusual. His chair drew attention in some places...Rorick rubbed her arms up and down, putting some warmth and forced relaxation into their worn muscles. Not really knowing where they were going they scanned the area as they did this. Not spotting any inn or holding house in the immediate area he made the decision to extend an olive branch. "Excuse me!" She called out to one of the nearest passer-by's, nearly making them drop their basket of bread. The woman gave a somewhat worried look to the chair-bound individual. After a few lingering seconds they managed to speak. "Y-yes?" Quite the linguist it seemed. "I'm very sorry to bother, but would you be able to point me to somewhere I may spend the night?" The boy spoke politely and softly, hoping not to make the woman any more off-put than she already was. "...Down that road there...Take a turn on the second right." After the departed knowledge and eternity long stare, she went off to whatever business she had before their exchange. Rorick thanked her, and sighed once more. A new town, a new adventure..."I suppose off I go." She began moving himself closer towards the supposed inn. Going down the given directions he found a small place, light filtered out of closed shutters and the faint voices could be heard inside. It seemed lively enough. Rorick strained his eyes to read the sign in the ever looming dark. "The Green-bog inn...charming." He commented to himself, before rolling in. Meeting some more odd stares, he managed to quiet things down a bit. He made i through the door and took a once over of the place. Faces, often of older men, were looking back at him. One table had a card game going on, they all seemed to wear similar outfits, perhaps collegues of some sort. Another table was a young woman with scrolls and a staff at her side, next to a man in a robe and masked face. Interesting place for a meeting of minds..."A night in any open room please." Rorick stated once he rolled up to the counter. The tall and bearded man with sunken in eyes behind the counter gave him a stoic up and down, then nodded and took the coins placed in front of him. Getting a key he thanked the man and looked to where he was pointed. A narrow yet long set of stairs presented themselves, making the only path up to the rooms. It seemed the bottom floor was all used to for the common rooms. "I...suppose a drink wouldn't hurt." He added another coin to the pay, and sidled up against a table. The night was unfortunately, still young...</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s>	<\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s>
<\|description\|>Chi Muzai Appearance: Height: 4 ft. 3 in. Weight: 103 lbs. Hair Color: Ruby Red Eye Color: Rose Red Age: 20 Personality: Muzai may seem to look and feel as if she doesn't care about what's happening around her but in truth, she was just quiet and innocent, almost oblivious than emotionless. Weapons: Abilities (Magic): She possesses a unique ability to manipulate the natural world through Eco Kinesis. Normally, this only restricts her to use with plants and greens only. The extent of her Eco Kinesis stretches to other natural entities such as sand, rock, wood and ice. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s>	<\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s>
<\|description\|>Vance Appearance: Sort of like this Height: 6' Weight: 175 Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Emerald Green Age: 22 History: Not much is known about Vance, as he rarely speaks of his past, let alone speak at all. Hailing from the furthest reaches of the Imperium, the masked mercenary seems to march on to his own beat. His work as a mercenary allows him to support his nomadic lifestyle, as there is always work no matter where he is in the Imperium. Upon hearing of these Relics, Vance felt himself drawn to their pursuit. He is yet unsure why, be it for profit or glory, but something in him screams to be among those to uncover them. Personality: Very peaceful and laid back, but can became hostile at a moments notice. Caring and compassionate, but only to those he deems deserving. Weapons: Reinforced Bow, Katana, and two knives that are balanced for throwing. - The Katana has a "Lich" enchantment, which absorbs the energy of any living thing it cuts into and transfers it to Vance. This of course means it has no effect on undead or golem kind of beings. Also, Vance must be holding the blade for the energy to actually transfer, as the sword doesn't hold the energy. Abilities (Magic): Mist Fold – Can make himself camouflaged with his surroundings for as long as he remains still. Also has a time limit, as it drains his stamina rather than just magic energy. Mistwalker – Leaves a decoy of himself that evaporates the moment it's struck. Usually used in conjuction with Mist Fold. Not permanent, only lasts for fifteen seconds at most. Piercing Bloom - Allows him to pour energy into his ranged attacks (arrow or throwing knife) that causes the projectile to cause an explosion of energy on impact. Not used often, as each shot/throw takes a heavy toll on his stamina and magical energy. Can manage 2 - 3 blasts, but any more will knock him unconscious. Mainly used as a last resort or if a target requires a little extra "oomf" for the kill. Other: Rarely takes his mask off, but the portion covering his eyes folds in the mouth portion, revealing his emerald green eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s>	<\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides caught the tail end of the squabble and action going on between the various people. Sable seemed to be doing rather well by herself so far, then something happened. Something distracted her, he knew Meat well enough to know when that happened, and her next throw sent the relic hurtling off towards a blind man. Great, unknowns, of everyone here, he knew that blind was NOT defenseless. The man declaring it would be his and his alone didn't help, and his comment was not nearly as pleasant as everyone else so far, speaking from experience. "Or we take a relic of mysterious capacities, considering what it damn well did to that bastard of a bear, and get rid of it before it starts causing problems here? Turn a profit along the way as well, split it since you have custody. Everyone of us gets a cut and walks away a bit richer." Atreides glanced at Sable briefly, she knew the expression on his face. It was one of that they would talk over what happened. Later. But for now he returned his focus onto the kid and blind man, arms crossed like he was not going to be of any threat what so ever. His motions coming out here were precise and controlled, seeming to have moved in a small circle for no apparent reason, for those who were paying attention. Most probably missed his small oddity in his motions coming out to speak to the two younger folks. He didn't relish the thought of splitting the pay, but some money was better than none, so he awaited their responses, and keeping the corner of his vision on Sable just in case. He did make one last question, making sure they knew he expected an answer. "How about it kids? Relics tend to contaminate their surroundings or bearers when improperly built, and looking at the bear's remains, that damn thing leaks magic everywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's smile was softer than normal as he took the hand of the blindfolded man and hauled himself up to his feet. He barely managed to keep from stumbling into the man as exhaustion tried to weigh him down. Even at this distance he could feel the magic energy buzzing off his skin. He could feel the spirit inside him strain against his skin as if prepared to lash out at the object. "Thanks..." He chuckled, "and the name's Mal Tersva. Pleasure..." He struggled to keep his balance. The chains went from something bearable to the weight of the world as his legs shook. He was a legitimate glass cannon - he knew that. And the spirit sapped a lot from him too. His eyelids felt like falling down on him, which he really wish they didn't - Because with Eye-patch's last comment, Mal desperately wanted to drive one of his snakes through the man's throat. Still using Blindfold as support, he stepped towards the eye-patch guy, "Oh, because the people you're selling it to will just lock it away, right? Or are you apathetic to the rest of the world's plight? The 13 might've stopped the Shattering but this world is still in shambles, and I doubt some selfish ruler is gonna make it better..." And with his monologue, Mal fell to his knees, his breathing heavy as dark spots gathered at the edges of his vision. Damn it... don't pass out now! he thought as he held onto consciousness with heavy breathing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Chaotic neutral? No, I think I'm rather more in line with the true neutral variety, don't you think?" the Jester pondered. He appeared completely unfazed by Mal's worded threats or the growing dark energy around him. Before the Demon Prince could do anything, the masked man reached a hand out and held his palm before the boy's face. Then it curled into a pointed finger and he aimed at the boy's forehead. "You loathe me, yet I can give you purpose. Burn this moment into your memory Mal Tervsa. Rejoice for this grand shift in your story. Remember...Zyax….o…..mort." The Masked Jester pulled back, apparently satisfied by his actions. Stepping back, the Jester's body began to fade away into nothingness, leaving all traces of his presence and existence. "Farewell for now Mal Tervsa. It was….interesting chatting with you." And then he was gone. "Fuck off green prick!" There it was again. Except this time, the voice was more harsh, hatred and vulgarity spilling from its depths. Sable blinked, eyes shifting around to make sense of the voice as she fell to the earth with the dragon in tow. That's when she noticed a chained whip heading straight for her. Twirling her blade, she deflected the blow and leaped away from the dragon. As she clung onto the nearest tree, the sound of the forest crunching was heard, the dragon's body having completed its plummet. Regardless of Sable's failed fatal blow, the impact of the crash was enough to send the dragon into shock, earning it a quick death. Swinging from the tree branch, the Crimson Streak landed on the ground and observed the massive corpse. "Target eliminated," she told herself, already moving to regroup with the others. The first person her eyes caught sight of was a…very eccentric girl. The one with the floating orbs…what was with all these eccentric youngsters? Hearing her question, Sable cleared her throat before answering robotically with, "That will not be necessary. We are quite capable of traveling alone. However, if you really must, we will give you a one day grace period before ignoring your presence entirely. That is all, and apologies." With that said, she headed over to stand by her partner, who was speaking with the undead soldier. The assassin waited for Atreides to answer the being's questions, though she noted how the fallen knight kept directing its gaze at her. The voice from before, however, still played heavily on her mind. Twice now, it had interfered, whatever it was. The green Relic would hear it, unbeknownst to Ugnis, and instantly recoil back with recognition. Compared to the all too familiar voice, the green Relic's blood lusted nature was but a flickering flame to an inferno… The sinner had spoken.</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina watched as the red blur of a fighter slew the dragon and made her way back to the crowd. The fighting was over. The hunt was complete. She finally hopped down from the tree she watched from and walked towards the giant lizard which crashed not too far from the crowd. She turned and faced the crowd as soon as she was a few feet from the massive thing. "This thing is huge! That was a great hunt! I saw the whole thing!" She glanced back at the dead dragon. "What is this lizard? Are you guys going to eat it? Can you eat it? I could have thought of easier things to hunt! Wait, was this a test of strength? What are you going to do now? What are your names? I'm Katarina by the way!" She then climbed up the giant lizard with ease. "Wow! This thing is huge! When do we start cooking? We can't let any of this go to waste!" She hadn't actually had anything to eat yet, so she was really eager to dig into this new beastie and see how it tasted. She pulled a carving knife from her backpack and started to cut into the body of the dragon. The scales really made things difficult so she put a bit more umph into removing them first. All this time she payed attention to what was going on in the crowd of strangers. She remembered Mommy telling her about being careful around people, because not all of them are nice like she and Daddy were.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Zyax…o…mort? Mal snarled as the man began to dissipate, and with him went the anger of his inner spirit. Once the masked man was gone, Mal twisted around to see a forest torn by carnage, and the smoking carcass of an emerald beast. His hand grasped at the strap around his shoulder, holding the bag firmly in his gloved hands as he peeked into the distance. The crowd had increased in size from before his conversation. He could see that much based on the group that had surrounded that red girl. As for Ugnis, he appeared to have dashed off, screaming bloody murder as he went. The relic's energy still wavered on the air, but it wasn't enough to afflict Mal's magic in any way, shape, or form. Zyaxomort. And what had the man been saying about his "shift" in the story? The way he talked sounded almost like a deity out of a myth. He held onto that word though, and the man's shifty eyes. Had Mal been quick to judge the Jester of the Court? Exactly what court was he playing for if he called himself a true neutral? Either way, Mal was getting his second wind. He had enough energy to get out of that situation and recuperate, at least. With a tug at the straps of his bag, he turned towards the road that led back to the Rivenwood town. From there, he needed to find a library, or somewhat relatively intelligent. Zyaxomort. Zyax O'Mort? Zyax O. Mort? Zyaxo Mort? The collection of sounds didn't sound like the common dialect, but it stuck in his brain like a jagged thorn. He needed to find out the meaning of it all. So, clutching at his bleeding shoulder with one hand, he grabbed a stick from the ground as support and limped down the road. He glanced back one last time to the group. There was one relic there, as well as a man on whom Mal personally placed his mark. His signature grin broke wide again, "Well Buster, today has been quite unique. Unfortunately, I lack the energy to deal with any threats at the moment… I guess we dive in deeper tomorrow… once I've recovered." He adjusted his hood by lifting his hand away from his shoulder. The dark hood was starting to stain darker red as he stumbled down the road at a slow, but consistent pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s> <\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides listened with surprising patience as the cursed soldier worked his way through his fractured mind and manner of speech, eventually giving forth the name of Gilligan. Well, that was better than Cursed one, although that would no doubt suffice in a pinch. The being proceeded to mention accompanying Sable and himself, and the matter was not up for debate. Well, that meant they had an undead and near indistructeable, from the showing he gave with the dragon, soldier following them around that could not speak very well. This would make visits to town far more entertaining, he thought with a mental sigh. Well, that did mean things would be easier in sheer violence situations, although why the cursed one insisted on the matter was a mystery to the Taskmage. Depending on how fractured the being was, Gilligan might very well see the past in them and be clinging to it. Or he was very perfectly all there and was putting on a show. He couldn't confirm that either way right now, and for now, it wasn't worth the pain. "Well, Sir Gilligan, I won't tell you where to go or who to go with, so by all means, let's get the ladies and get moving." Atreides turned towards Sable, seeing she already had a little gang of her own and snickered, a sound that she would be familiar with as a prelude to some sort of mockery or ribbing that was about to drop. Approaching the woman, whether cursed soldier was in tow or not, he crossed his arms with a sardonic smirk on his face. "Look at you Meat, got yourself a little girl's night out club and everything already. No more babysitting for me, it seems. On a serious note, its late, we need to find someplace to put up for the night. Town sound good?"</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon It tastes so delicious dont you think? N'kara took another bite out of the meat she had in her hand. The meat was still fresh and tender, exactly the way she liked it. You're in my head arent you? You surely know wether I like it or not, dont you? She could hear the voice in her head laughing. Ofcourse I do and I know you love it. Just wanted to hear you say it.. N'kara was walking on a path through the forest towards the town of Rivenwood to find an inn to rest for the night. She wasnt planning on staying for long as she had other business elsewhere. N'kara took another bite out of the meat as she walked on. Fine, I like it, happy now or are you going to ask me again the next time I eat it? The voice let out a snicker. What do you think? N'kara let out a sigh. I was afraid you would say that... Just as she finished her sentence she heard the trampling of hooves, it didnt matter to her so she continued on her path, her cloak blowing in the light breeze. As the sound got closer there was also the sound of plate armour clanging against itself. Behind her was a horseman aproaching, he bore the banner of some Imperial priesthood. The man, who was of a small stature, hailed N'kara. "Hail traveller. Could you aid me in something?" N'kara covered her face with her hood as she stopped and took another bite of her meat, tearing a piece violently off before she grinned. That depends on what you require of me. The man responded with a hint of amazement: "You're a woman!?" Ooh boy... Wrong choice of words. The man quickly readjusted his speech. "I'm sorry, judging by your stature I assumed you were... ooh nevermind. Anyhow, am the bodyguard of a priest but I euhm... Lost him when he was "blessing" a young woman not far from here." And you want to know if I've seen him? she responded with a grin on her face. "Indeed madam, have you?" That depends...She turned around and faced the man, even though he was sitting on horseback they met eye to eye. When the man saw her face he turned pale in an instant. What he saw was something which was reminicent of the ghost stories he was told as a child. The woman infront of him had pitchblack eyes save for the near white iris and the pupil was very narrow and long. Her mouth was filled with teeth which seemed to come from a wolf and her face was covered in blood. She slowly turned her hand in which she held her food around to him and what he saw shocked him to his core. ...Is this the man you are looking for? The horribly mutalated head of the priest was resting in her hand. "Demonspawn!" the man shouted. Before he could do anything else however his horse was already dead. N'kara took one swing at the animal's head and fractured it's skull. With this the horse fell and the man became stuck under it. He was desperatly trying to get the horse off but he had no succes. N'kara on the other hand was taking her time as she walked over to him and eventually towered over the man. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Please, I have a family! They will die without me!" N'kara bend down next to the man. Ooh well that changes thing. She took one last bite out of the priest's head, ripping away the final piece of flesh. Blood fell on the man as he was crying out to her. "Please, dont let me die like this!" N'kara threw away the head and responded. Well... Alright, because you asked so nicely. With little effort she pushed the carcas of the horse away. The man couldnt believe it, she had been so close to killing him and now she was helping him? Surely the gods were- Before he could finish his train of thought he had a hand around his troat and it lifted him up in the air, slowly chocking the life out of him. You were right, I could let you die like that. I would much rather do it like this. She grinned widly, baring her teeth. At this point the man was starting to wet himself, thinking that his was the end for him... How wrong he was. 15 minutes later N'kara was continuing her path towards Rivenwood, hoping to be able to get a warm bed and meal. A soft moan was still audible and N'kara smiled, she had her fun for the day. As she was walking away the man was still alive... His hands and feet were impaled into a tree nearby and his entire body had runes carved into him. Another fitting sacrifise to the gods my dear. N'kara smiled. Indeed... Now lets hope that Rivenwood can provide us with some more entertainment then he could. Her bloodlust was tamed and with the totem in honour of the dark gods left in behind her she walked on to Rivenwood.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had eventually made his way back to town, alone for the time being. He avoided contact with the last few Imperial troops roaming about, still sniffing for further relics or hints towards those relics. The Taskmage really didn't feel like dealing with those mindless goons right now, so he skulked in the shadows until they left, sighing quietly as he walked down the empty streets. He wasn't tired, granted he slept little and ate less most days, but that was nothing unusual for him, not anymore. People commented on it, usually, but he shrugged them off for the most part. He still functioned normally, he just had to crash every once in a blue moon to catch up on what he missed. But he had to figure out the next general location for the next relic, Sable usually relied on him in that regard, if any others even existed. He had a knack for figuring out the right place and right time to pick out relics and their locations. The Taskmage headed for the seediest part of the town, he knew some people there that would be able to help him out. They would probably not be happy he was back in town, one of them might be dumb enough to draw on him, but that would be the blood he needed to intimidate the rest into cooperating, no doubt. He had no qualms doing so, as long as he got the information he needed, that would be that. He walked into a bar that only thieves, murderers, other equally dangerous sorts, and fools would walk into and began putting out feelers with the few night walkers that were there, digging around for information. The barkeep knew him and what he did well enough to not try and stop him, but several beatings tended to loosen tongues, and as he picked up the pieces of a table and set them aside, he was mulling over what he knew so far. Atreides wasted no time heading for the tavern that Sable was staying at, walking through the front doors like a shadow more than anything else, sitting himself in a corner of the main common room, eventually coming to have a drink in hand as he kept his peace, and someone who knew the man would recognize that he was guarding the only way up to the bedrooms, where Sable was asleep. He couldn't stop people trying for the windows, sure, but he trusted the woman was smart enough to take care of herself in that regard. He could keep an eye on the main way upstairs, she could handle herself in her own quarters.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" It was always so weird jumping into the middle of a story. Both figuratively and literally, in Exo's case, as she juggled two of her orbs at the side until the time came that she reached the town with the "protagonists" of her interests. It was an unfortunate event, indeed! When one jumped in the middle, they had almost no idea as to what went on or how things worked or anything in between and that in itself could be a poor existence. She was inclined to ask about what the lot of them were up to but- Well. Wouldn't you be cranky if you fought off a big green lizard with a penchant to act like a bull? So she remained quiet for the time being and had actually taken the time to politely ask the owner of the inn if she could stay on top of the roof before she came down to pay for a room. Perhaps it was a question that wasn't asked commonly, because the dumbfounded look on his face followed with a slow nod before she clapped her hands in delight and made a little staircase out of her orbs from the back of the building to get up there and settle down. Nighttime was always a time to look up at the stars and see how the shining lights connected -- especially for an adolescent so enamored with lasers and shining spells of varying degrees. She even played a small game of connecting the lines with tiny lights that patterned through her orbs, laying on her back to make it "fit" visually before the night finally got to her and she settled her way downstairs to pay for a room and get her ass to sleep. Well. As much sleep as someone like her could manage with this incessant question bothering her. And that is why she almost pounced on Sable the moment she saw the woman awake. "Miss Protagonist! I never got permission to use your name or the chance to ask why you guys were out fighting a dragon in the first place. Is it something confidential or could I be clued in?~ And good morning! I hope you slept well."</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara yawns as she wakes up, the bed creaking as she turns from one side to another. Well, she reached Rivenwood... Now what? Last night was not really that special. As soon as she entered into town she saw alot of Imperial soldiers patrolling around. Not sure to what their intentions were she hid herself under her cloak, covered her mouth with a scarf and went to the nearest inn as she could find. Once in there she asked the innkeeper for a room for one person. She also asked him if he could bring some food up to her room later. The innkeeper was suprised and said that she was his second guest to ask that today. Not caring about that statement, N'kara went straight up to the room. Now it was already morning and she was looking up the ceiling, lost in thought. Good morning, you didnt sleep that well, did you? Is something troubling you? A smile formed on her lips. Indeed... You always see right through me dont you? Now then, since you know everything, why do I feel like this? It chuckled in response. Well, your thoughts are not a secret for me so I guess you could say so. And I know what you're missing. You feel like you dont have a purpose anymore. N'kara let out a loud sigh. That was indeed what she was lacking, nothing drove her anymore. But somehow she had a feeling that in Rivenwood she would find her true purpose. Be it that the gods had something in store for her or just by pure chance, she knew that there was a reason which drove her to Rivenwood. Well, I guess you should get dressed if you want to find out what you're doing here. N'kara smiled as she sat up straight and put her chainmail on. Once she got down stairs and paid the innkeeper for his services N'kara spotted a boy who seemed very eager to get out of town. Although she did not know why, she had the feeling that this boy might be important, or atleast usefull, in finding out what she was supposed to do here. She proceeded to follow the boy and as she did he bumped into someone at the town square. A girl full clad in red. He seemed to act as if he knew the girl but his pose seemed aggressive. It didnt really seem like the girl was interested in him, she didnt even seem annoyed by him. That boy... He reaks of bloodlust. If you want to find out what you're here for you better stop him from doing something stupid before the guards get involved. A grin formed under the scarf which covered her mouth. Although the prospect of killing excited her she was more concerned that this might be her last chance at knowning what her true purpose was. Slowly she walked over to the pair, noticing that there were others interested in the two of them as she closed in. The boy was overconfident, if he were to start a fight he would have to face atleast three people; the girl in red and two others. He would surely lose, but then again, he was hiding some dark power. The best way to make sure that it wouldnt result in a slaughter would be to... No... What are you doing... Ooh damn it all. As N'kara got closer she could hear them speak. And then to make sure that they wouldnt attack eachother she decided to give the boy something else to think about. Oi, whelp! Get you're arse out of my way! As she finished her sentence she tried to push the boy with her shoulder. And here I thought you would do something sensible for once. Instead you try to avoid a fight by starting one. Perhaps this wasnt the person who would help her with her serious matters... That didnt mean she couldnt get abit of fun out of him though. Unfortunatly N'kara didnt look where she was walking and stumbled. Now she accidentily tackled the boy... This just keeps getting worse, doesnt it?</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked. She had not been expecting this sort of activity to take place so early in the morning. She had slipped by Atreides back at the inn, figuring he still had his own thoughts to contend with. Now she stood in the center of the village…only to be approached by the rather rude fellow from yesterday. Sable scanned Mal up and down with a blank gaze. "We are in search for the other Relics," she answered honestly and methodically. "Therefore, there is no need to rush towards our next location. At most, I can guess the Imperium soldiers from last night were looking for them too. That means-oh." The Crimson Streak was interrupted by the girl with the floating balls; the rather eccentric one who spewed around literary titles everywhere. Sable gave her a small nod of greeting. "Good morning Exo. To answer your questions in sequential order: My name is Sable, though people tend to call me the Crimson Streak. The dragon attacked us out of pure instinct I imagine. I hope that sates your curiosity." And then, lo and behold, someone new showed up, promptly tackling Mal to the ground without reason or care. Watching the boy fall, Sable moved in to the new woman and did the polite thing. "Hello." Something was wrong. Sable could sense an unnerving aura surrounding the newcomer, though she couldn't place what it was nor did she comment on it aloud. She would have to ask Atreides to study her if possible. He was, after all, much more adept at seeing these kinds of things she was. "Please do not start fights," she told to both Mal and the newcomer. "The townsfolk are watching." Indeed, the citizens were watching, having gathered around outside their homes to witness the gathering of strange people. Some of them whispered among themselves, casting suspicious glances their way. "Mercenaries," one of them, an elderly man, spat. "No good comes from their kind. Especially with those accursed Relics popping up everywhere. First them, now the whole damn Imperium breathing down our backs…"</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides eventually strolled out of the tavern, having kept an eye on the comings, goings, and gossip for awhile, leaving payment for his drinks and time spent there, and unlike so many of the usual mercenaries and sort coming through the town, the Taskmage was one who was usually tolerated more than others, due to his beneficial nature alongside hte profit of having them paying to stay and resupply in such places. But as he walked out of the establishment and skirted down the sides of the road, he noticed something that made the man sigh. That punk ass with the shadow chains was getting in Sable's face, and to make matters worse, some barbarian that reeked of the Old Gods had went and tackled him, which would no doubt start some fight that would destroy far too much property to ever be welcome again. And would bring Sable into the line of fire, which simply would not do. But he couldn't just blast both into oblivion, god knows what the woman would do if she died with that stinking aura of the Old Gods, and punk ass probably had something nasty up his sleeves too. "What in the blazing fucks are you two damn clowns doing? Making some big stinking scene in the road, let me address both of you. One, lady, really need to ditch that Old God thing you got going, you reek of it, from a mile away. Secondly, if you need male attention that badly, tackling strangers in the road ain't the easiest way to go about it. As for you, punk, getting up in a ladies face, rude and uncalled for. No one sees you big and tough getting in her face like that. Especially considering she cold filet you and string you up to dry before any of us blinked. Secondly, none of your damn business what other folks are doing or why, savvy? Try being polite and not barging into another persons business, aye?" Atreides was giving his speech all as a front, walking in a circle around the group, his movements seperating Sable from the tackled pair of fools, and outside the circle in the dirt that eventually was formed as he finished speaking, standing beside Meat with his arms crossed and a very, very dissaproving look on his face. The two idiots try something, that circle was one of his dirty tricks, it formed a barrier that nothing gets in or out of, so any damage would be contained and prevent harm to the surroundings. Second, if either of them came after himself or Sable, same deal, and he would leave them to either figure out how to get out, or starve in the street. He didn't take kindly to these sort, especially the kid who was so damn determined to not come across as some weak ass punk. No one cared, Atreides certainly didn't, about what the kid thought he had to prove. The Taskmage had been there, done that, and all he got was a lousy shirt from the whole mess. Let the kid try something stupid, either of them, Atreides had some energy to burn for once.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's eyes narrowed into slits. Quick on her feet, she pounced on Exo to bring her to the ground. Moments later, the area above became filled with flying blades conjured out of dark energy. Sable checked to make sure Exo was alright before slowly standing up. The destruction at hand was evident. Although Mal and the newcomer were still trapped in the circle, the blades were free to do as they pleased. They scattered everywhere, landing into the nearest buildings and sailing into the gathered crowds of people. Screams tore out as the citizens panicked and fled, some even becoming impaled by the summoned weapons. A small price to pay for Mal's lack of control. Soon enough, the attack halted and the deed was done. Several of the buildings lay in scattered ruins, with the injured, dead, and scared surrounding the small group. One of the citizens, a short man with a very, very red face stormed up to Atreides and frowned. He seemed to be the leader of this village. "Taskmage. I'm asking you and this group to leave this town immediately. I know we've done business with each other in the past, but lives have been lost today. I take it you hold responsibility for that one?" The man cast a sour glance at Mal. "For all of our sakes…I don't want to use force on you." "Do no let them escape village leader. Let the heretics stay to face their judgment." Sable tensed, drawing her blades up at once with RE-Arch. That voice was cold and metallic, echoing around them. Turning around with everyone else, her eyes caught sight of an armored warrior in white and blue. Resting on their shoulders was what appeared to be a massive cannon matching the color scheme of the knight, crackling with magical energy. "An enemy," she told Atreides. At once the village leader fell to his knees, bowing humbly before the warrior. Soon, the rest of the village-those who could still stand-followed suit as well. "S-Sapphire Guardian of the Imperium. Neflheim. Forgive us for not becoming aware of your arrival! W-Why do you grace us with your presence?" One of the Four Guardians of the Imperium. To warrant their interest was near impossible…unless… The Sapphire Guardian raised a clawed gauntlet and pointed right at the group. "I am to retrieve the Relic that spouts its energy near Rivenwood. However, now I have changed my approach to reprimand these mad heretics. They must each be cleansed by the purification of justice. And so I shall fulfill my purpose, as decreed by the Grand Imperator." The knight slung forth his mighty cannon, aiming at the group to purge them from this world. "As for you Crimson Streak…let your treachery burn away in the eternal hell fires of my judgment as well."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva The spirit buzzed violently through his body. Even after a night of rest, it still seemed on edge at the limit. With a loud snarl, the Sigil receded back to its origin point as Mal pushed himself back up onto his feet. He casually glanced at the houses around him and cursed under his breath. It occurred to him that children might have been injured in his burst. That was shameful. He was about to give a piece of his mind to the muscular woman who had the audacity to trigger this event when the flickering of blue energy caught his attention. His head lifted up with the rest of his body as blood trickled to the ground, and immediately his eyes snapped into a harsh stare. Now Mal realized his initial confusion. This "Taskmage" was an enemy of the Sapphire Guardian? Mal had his targets confused. The man may have been a dick, but he wasn't an oppressive force. And any enemy of the Imperium was an ally of his. He ignored the stares of the older man as he reigned in the power of the spirit. It was an involuntary reaction more than anything. The spirit would severely overreact to the pain an attack would cause and lash out violently against whoever caused it and whoever was in the area. While the faces and the timestamp felt foggy, he could still clearly remember the headmaster with his body split in two when he "tested" the experiment by smacking him in the side. But Mal was back again once more as the sigil's lines fell back into the point and his predatory grin appeared at full force. "The Sapphire Guardian," Mal cackled under his breath as his hands latched onto the chains at his side. That cannon would be more than enough to wipe all of them out. He could not take on that power himself, of that much he was aware. God, what he'd give to go back to tracking people down, stalking them into alleys and tearing them apart before they were even aware of what was going. "Mr. Eye-Patch, I appear to have misjudged your intentions," Mal grinned, "I tend to get touchy around pushy people. They make me think of the Imperium, which makes me think of the squishy organs I've pulled out of people who hurt others to get what they want. So, unless that's in your career path, I'll be out of your hair after we rip this guy to shreds." Mood whiplash was pretty common when it came to Mal. While it usually took more convincing to prove that you weren't super oppressive, it became a lot easier when you were both on the opposite end of the same cannon. Then Mal's eyes snapped to the girl who had set off the spirit in the first place. "As for you, be careful. Your aura already makes the shadow antsy, and it really hates being jostled around…" At last, his head tilted back to the man in the armour in front of them. His eyes glowed ominously as he stood with his jagged grin. His hands wrapped gently around his chains as he stared at the man. Darkness spiraled around the chains as he stared at the man. "Crowley, Naga. Arise." The spikes at the ends of his chains rose to the same height as his head. He stared down the cannon like he wasn't afraid in the slightest. But he was seriously hoping that the others would not leave him in the dust, because otherwise he was pretty sure he wouldn't surprise.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara was waiting for the one-eyed man to respond. In the mean time she was looking at the damage the boy had caused with his attack. Eventhough it was very unlikely that it would have caused a carnage, the thought of a bloodbath exited N'kara. She appeared dissapointed at the sight, only a few had died or were mortally wounded. Her own wounds were now getting closer to being healed, most of the bleeding had already stopped and the pain of the healing was lessening. She glanced back at the one-eyed man. So if you dont mind, would you please rele- She got interupted by an Imperial soldier who seemed to be a rather important member of the Imperium. N'kara's grin turned into a furious look. She straightened her back, towering over all in the square, before she yelled out with an enraged voice audible over the entire townsquare; How dare you call me heretic!? You who serves the rotting edifice that is the Imperium! By Khârn I shall rip your head from your spine and grind it to dust! She looked back at the man who cast the dome. You! I demand that you release me from this wretched prison! I am willing to offer you a deal, you release me and I will fight with my life to make sure you get out of this town. I know you probably wont take my word for it so let me offer you a bloodpact! Because of the demon inside of her she would be unable to break a bloodpact and N'kara knew that this man must have atleast sensed the demon's presence eventhough he might not know what it exactly is. She continued staring at the man. So what say you? Do you want to keep me locked in here and die or do you want to live?</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had his arms crossed, and was about to give the elder of the town a response when an all too familiar voice rang out, decrying them heretics and he turned, a shit eating grin on his face as he dropped his arms to his side, one hand resting on his sword, as he looked towards that blue armored fellow. Neflheim, the man was known to Atreides. Rather bold, religiously focused on purging the heretic with that massive damn cannon on his shoulder, all around unpleasant and a fellow he had not wanted to have to cross paths with, not again. This man knew nothing of control, of precision, and would burn this village to the ground if it meant taking out his targets. And that, right now, was him and the clowns he had locked away, for better or worse. Which meant they were now stuck in the same lot right now, and he sighed, glancing to the village leader, and addressed him first. "Get everyone to a safe distance, this will get ugly before it gets better. We won't hang around once this unnecessary display of force is done." Next he kicked his heel into the ground, breaking the circle surrounding the demon whore and chains brat. Any other day he would have put more restrictions on the matter, addressing them without turning. He would know if they tried anything directed at him, the dead silence of a standoff made that much fairly easy. He scoffed at the offer of a blood pact, one did not lightly sign into any sort of deal with demons, let alone a blood pact. Blood held power, in the right hands, and he was not near knowledgeable enough in that application to trust any sort of deal. "How about this, you two try anything against me or Crimson Streak, I leave both of you near dead in a barrier circle in the woods. Let you two figure it out from there." Without warning, mid senteance, Atreides conjured a rock pillar from beneath the Sapphire Guardian, intending to throw him upwards enough to disrupt his aim, sword flying out of its sheath, mutterings from Atreides causing the blade to erupt in flames once more. It was a preferred talent of his, and he stood, a ball of fire erupting in his hand, electrical arcs bouncing up and down the very same arm, sword coated in arcane fire while he scowled at the cannon wielding enforcer, and he addressed the man boldly. "AND AS FOR YOU! Take your bullying and intimidation elsewhere. Your purpose is little more than the Imperator's bootlick, grovelling for favor and station while you mindlessly murder supposed heretics and obliterate the villages they happen to be passing through in the process. I know your handiwork, Neflheim, and you are no embodiment of Justice. You are little more than a prideful, boastful hound of the Imperator, and that's all you'll ever be, just to be put down once your no longer useful."</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides caught the tail end of the squabble and action going on between the various people. Sable seemed to be doing rather well by herself so far, then something happened. Something distracted her, he knew Meat well enough to know when that happened, and her next throw sent the relic hurtling off towards a blind man. Great, unknowns, of everyone here, he knew that blind was NOT defenseless. The man declaring it would be his and his alone didn't help, and his comment was not nearly as pleasant as everyone else so far, speaking from experience. "Or we take a relic of mysterious capacities, considering what it damn well did to that bastard of a bear, and get rid of it before it starts causing problems here? Turn a profit along the way as well, split it since you have custody. Everyone of us gets a cut and walks away a bit richer." Atreides glanced at Sable briefly, she knew the expression on his face. It was one of that they would talk over what happened. Later. But for now he returned his focus onto the kid and blind man, arms crossed like he was not going to be of any threat what so ever. His motions coming out here were precise and controlled, seeming to have moved in a small circle for no apparent reason, for those who were paying attention. Most probably missed his small oddity in his motions coming out to speak to the two younger folks. He didn't relish the thought of splitting the pay, but some money was better than none, so he awaited their responses, and keeping the corner of his vision on Sable just in case. He did make one last question, making sure they knew he expected an answer. "How about it kids? Relics tend to contaminate their surroundings or bearers when improperly built, and looking at the bear's remains, that damn thing leaks magic everywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's smile was softer than normal as he took the hand of the blindfolded man and hauled himself up to his feet. He barely managed to keep from stumbling into the man as exhaustion tried to weigh him down. Even at this distance he could feel the magic energy buzzing off his skin. He could feel the spirit inside him strain against his skin as if prepared to lash out at the object. "Thanks..." He chuckled, "and the name's Mal Tersva. Pleasure..." He struggled to keep his balance. The chains went from something bearable to the weight of the world as his legs shook. He was a legitimate glass cannon - he knew that. And the spirit sapped a lot from him too. His eyelids felt like falling down on him, which he really wish they didn't - Because with Eye-patch's last comment, Mal desperately wanted to drive one of his snakes through the man's throat. Still using Blindfold as support, he stepped towards the eye-patch guy, "Oh, because the people you're selling it to will just lock it away, right? Or are you apathetic to the rest of the world's plight? The 13 might've stopped the Shattering but this world is still in shambles, and I doubt some selfish ruler is gonna make it better..." And with his monologue, Mal fell to his knees, his breathing heavy as dark spots gathered at the edges of his vision. Damn it... don't pass out now! he thought as he held onto consciousness with heavy breathing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "No miss Crimson Streak! I'm here on my own volition!" She said with a bright smile that dimpled her cheeks. Her bright pinkish buns seemed like it was glowing as she smiled. "You two are like, my idols! To see you face to face is like a dream come true you know!" She said as she jumped around in joy. "Please take me with you! I can be very useful!" She felt the earth rumble as the mighty roar resounded across the forest. Something is amidst and is within close proximity. She felt the trees growing restless as its branches wildly swayed as the rebelling winds swoop past it. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." The Taskmage wielded his sword, eyes straight towards the source of the roar. Muzai could be heard chuckling. The beast was close judging by its roar. Perhaps they had ventured to its territory and it wanted us to leave... But within the safety of the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage themselves... She felt unthreatened by its presence. Muzai followed the Taskmage's gaze. The flickering shadows made Muzai turn majestically as she tracked her eyes on the circling emerald dragon above them, roaring its cry loudly with its lethal maw. An old dragpm roaming about Rivenwood. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing." Muzai jumped joyfully. "Aren't you amazed at that giant winged lizard?! Look how pretty and green it is!" She said in almost like a shouting manner. "It's like she's the forest herself!" While both the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage was worried about the dragon at hand it seems like Muzai was more into glamouring the dragon. "I wanna keep it as a pet!"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed swordsman stood at the edge of the clearing, shrouded by leaves and dark foliage. The ghostly spectre had been observing the great beast, watching and waiting, hoping it would reveal a weakness to him. But alas, after he had watched it for what could have been days or weeks, the great thing awoke, and the specter was found. At the first roar the fatalistic dead man rushed the green scaled horror, slashing his ruined blade across its chest. Though the scales were barely scratched his blade cut a very different wound far deeper. It's essence, the beasts soul had been his target and he had given it a sound thrash with his blade. Unfortunately, dragons had strong souls to match their bodies, and the pain led only to anger the beast, but it did serve to drive the beast into the air, surprised by its damaged soul. Now, thought the impossibly old specter, now the chase would begin. The great green dragon soared into the air, green fire leaking from his maw. But the spectre could keep up... for a time, on foot. Giving his limbs the strength of the curse, and pouring his soul into his legs he kept pace with the flying lizard. It would land soon he thought... why did he think that? He could not remember... but he felt as though he had fought dragons before... when did he do that? It didn't matter though, as it flew he couldn't help but feel he was close to... something... people? He was unsure but as it landed he brought himself to a halt, allowing his body to return to its slow, dead and clumsy nature... Though now that he saw the beast again the spectre was no longer sure he could slay the great beast.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina had found her way into a forest. A wonderful place, with trees and streams and animal life she had never seen before. She practically danced as she went from one sight to another, absorbing all the spectacles she could. There were all these things she didn't know the names of. Things her parents hadn't even told her about! This was exciting, although she missed her parents dearly. Then came something spectacular, much more so than anything she had ever seen so far. A giant lizard landed on the ground and it had wings. It reminded her of some of the desert lizards she had eaten when she lived in Exilia, but much much bigger. She wondered just how it tasted if she ate its meat. She then saw there were people fighting the creature and yelling. They must be hunting it, of course they must be really hungry to fight something so large when there was other wildlife all over this forest. She wanted to see how they hunted such a huge monster of an animal. After all something of that size could only be a danger to hunt. Maybe it was some rite of passage into adulthood, but some of those people were plenty older than she was. Perhaps they simply were seeking a way to prove their strength. She climbed up a nearby tree and sat down on a branch at the edge of the clearing. Katarina saw another being that seemed to be fighting with the others, but it didn't seem to be human even if it held a human form. She kept herself ready to leap into battle when she felt she had a good sense of how to fight the monster.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Zyax…o…mort? Mal snarled as the man began to dissipate, and with him went the anger of his inner spirit. Once the masked man was gone, Mal twisted around to see a forest torn by carnage, and the smoking carcass of an emerald beast. His hand grasped at the strap around his shoulder, holding the bag firmly in his gloved hands as he peeked into the distance. The crowd had increased in size from before his conversation. He could see that much based on the group that had surrounded that red girl. As for Ugnis, he appeared to have dashed off, screaming bloody murder as he went. The relic's energy still wavered on the air, but it wasn't enough to afflict Mal's magic in any way, shape, or form. Zyaxomort. And what had the man been saying about his "shift" in the story? The way he talked sounded almost like a deity out of a myth. He held onto that word though, and the man's shifty eyes. Had Mal been quick to judge the Jester of the Court? Exactly what court was he playing for if he called himself a true neutral? Either way, Mal was getting his second wind. He had enough energy to get out of that situation and recuperate, at least. With a tug at the straps of his bag, he turned towards the road that led back to the Rivenwood town. From there, he needed to find a library, or somewhat relatively intelligent. Zyaxomort. Zyax O'Mort? Zyax O. Mort? Zyaxo Mort? The collection of sounds didn't sound like the common dialect, but it stuck in his brain like a jagged thorn. He needed to find out the meaning of it all. So, clutching at his bleeding shoulder with one hand, he grabbed a stick from the ground as support and limped down the road. He glanced back one last time to the group. There was one relic there, as well as a man on whom Mal personally placed his mark. His signature grin broke wide again, "Well Buster, today has been quite unique. Unfortunately, I lack the energy to deal with any threats at the moment… I guess we dive in deeper tomorrow… once I've recovered." He adjusted his hood by lifting his hand away from his shoulder. The dark hood was starting to stain darker red as he stumbled down the road at a slow, but consistent pace.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Grace period? Ah, I'm still going to end up following you anyways. Besides! I'm great at healing wounds! Here, let's see, how about your friend over there that's wobbling a bit? Actually, that might scare him...Oh well. I'll just wait until later..." A cross of the arms and the separated orbs all converged back into a single one that performed a light rotation above her head as she listened to the lot speak. ...Sable? A woman without magic taking on a dragon? Sounded like a death wish in the making to her. But, might as well get to work if she wanted to try and stay close to this newfound interest of hers. And with that in mind, she clapped her hands together and held her hand up for the sake of drawing the red woman's attention. "Miss Sable! Are you injured anywhere in particular? Or your friends of varying eccentric backgrounds? Also, is that your kid? I don't think I've ever seen someone try to eat a dragon before...I wonder if it tastes okay..."</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s>
<\|description\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Appearance: Found here. Height: 5'5'' Weight: 97 lbs. Hair Color: Onyx Eye Color: Crimson Age: 18 History (Optional): [REDACTED] [To be edited in as time progresses...or when my brain will let me do it.] Personality: Two contradicting tones lie in this girl. An imagination like no other on one end, and a nihilistic view of the world on the other. - Imagination. The normal persona seen when first meeting Exoris. To see her at first glance is to see her with a light in her eyes that want to know everything that she can about the person she's meeting or the place she's found. It's a childlike wonder that can't be stopped -- usually. And it's because it's so simple, so innocent, and so domineering, that she can reason with most rash and stupid decisions that it's for the sake of "imagination!" - Nihilism. A certain list of keywords can raise up poor memories for her. Which...Can basically kill off the happy, child-like wonder she has. Which, in turn, can reduce the potency of her magic if she begins to stop caring about what she could create. Her magic needs her to be an artist, and an artist that can't put the right emotion into her work can't create the art. Both sides are very simplistic on document, but there are always those little tidbits of her that can make things a bit more complicated. Just like normal life, ey? Weapons: - Inconsistencies: By her side at all times are orbs that seem like enlarged glass marbles containing something indescribable. Through the usage of these orbs, Exoris can enhance the capabilities of her other spells. Used for either trickery or to quite literally "shoot" spells through, they are utility tools that render no need for her to hold a weapon in her hands. The storing place for these orbs seen to be inside one another, as she only need have one for it to spawn more and more of its own size to create larger quantities of their presence. Nonsensical in storage and in usage, they are "Inconsistencies". Abilities (Magic): - Danmaku: The art of "bullet"-styled magic. By forging magical energy into bullets, lasers, and other shapes appropriate to her mind, the limit of how these spells forge are quite literally at the behest of Exo's creativity and energy. - Divining: The art of seeing beyond the present and glimpsing into the future itself. Not used often, since it spoils the surprise, but she is capable of doing it if someone can convince her with enough gusto! - Ars Diminutio: "The Theory of Decreasing". This magic attunes her orbs to reduce the size of her spells, increase their speed, and split them into thirds in order to compensate for power loss. - Ars Incrementum: "The Theory of Increasing". This magic attunes her orbs to increase the size of her spells, increasing the sheer power of it at the cost of speed. - Ars Convertio: "The Theory of Reversal". This magic attunes her magic to perform the opposite of its intended creation. Such as, a damaging spell will heal instead. A curing spell will poison instead. Etc. Other: She's really touchy feely. Incurring her admiration will result in being hugged at the worst possible moment. It is also possible that she might be able to use her Inconsistencies in fortune telling (read: swindling) for any money needs.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s>	<\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s>
<\|description\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Appearance: Found here. Height: 5'5'' Weight: 97 lbs. Hair Color: Onyx Eye Color: Crimson Age: 18 History (Optional): [REDACTED] [To be edited in as time progresses...or when my brain will let me do it.] Personality: Two contradicting tones lie in this girl. An imagination like no other on one end, and a nihilistic view of the world on the other. - Imagination. The normal persona seen when first meeting Exoris. To see her at first glance is to see her with a light in her eyes that want to know everything that she can about the person she's meeting or the place she's found. It's a childlike wonder that can't be stopped -- usually. And it's because it's so simple, so innocent, and so domineering, that she can reason with most rash and stupid decisions that it's for the sake of "imagination!" - Nihilism. A certain list of keywords can raise up poor memories for her. Which...Can basically kill off the happy, child-like wonder she has. Which, in turn, can reduce the potency of her magic if she begins to stop caring about what she could create. Her magic needs her to be an artist, and an artist that can't put the right emotion into her work can't create the art. Both sides are very simplistic on document, but there are always those little tidbits of her that can make things a bit more complicated. Just like normal life, ey? Weapons: - Inconsistencies: By her side at all times are orbs that seem like enlarged glass marbles containing something indescribable. Through the usage of these orbs, Exoris can enhance the capabilities of her other spells. Used for either trickery or to quite literally "shoot" spells through, they are utility tools that render no need for her to hold a weapon in her hands. The storing place for these orbs seen to be inside one another, as she only need have one for it to spawn more and more of its own size to create larger quantities of their presence. Nonsensical in storage and in usage, they are "Inconsistencies". Abilities (Magic): - Danmaku: The art of "bullet"-styled magic. By forging magical energy into bullets, lasers, and other shapes appropriate to her mind, the limit of how these spells forge are quite literally at the behest of Exo's creativity and energy. - Divining: The art of seeing beyond the present and glimpsing into the future itself. Not used often, since it spoils the surprise, but she is capable of doing it if someone can convince her with enough gusto! - Ars Diminutio: "The Theory of Decreasing". This magic attunes her orbs to reduce the size of her spells, increase their speed, and split them into thirds in order to compensate for power loss. - Ars Incrementum: "The Theory of Increasing". This magic attunes her orbs to increase the size of her spells, increasing the sheer power of it at the cost of speed. - Ars Convertio: "The Theory of Reversal". This magic attunes her magic to perform the opposite of its intended creation. Such as, a damaging spell will heal instead. A curing spell will poison instead. Etc. Other: She's really touchy feely. Incurring her admiration will result in being hugged at the worst possible moment. It is also possible that she might be able to use her Inconsistencies in fortune telling (read: swindling) for any money needs.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had eventually made his way back to town, alone for the time being. He avoided contact with the last few Imperial troops roaming about, still sniffing for further relics or hints towards those relics. The Taskmage really didn't feel like dealing with those mindless goons right now, so he skulked in the shadows until they left, sighing quietly as he walked down the empty streets. He wasn't tired, granted he slept little and ate less most days, but that was nothing unusual for him, not anymore. People commented on it, usually, but he shrugged them off for the most part. He still functioned normally, he just had to crash every once in a blue moon to catch up on what he missed. But he had to figure out the next general location for the next relic, Sable usually relied on him in that regard, if any others even existed. He had a knack for figuring out the right place and right time to pick out relics and their locations. The Taskmage headed for the seediest part of the town, he knew some people there that would be able to help him out. They would probably not be happy he was back in town, one of them might be dumb enough to draw on him, but that would be the blood he needed to intimidate the rest into cooperating, no doubt. He had no qualms doing so, as long as he got the information he needed, that would be that. He walked into a bar that only thieves, murderers, other equally dangerous sorts, and fools would walk into and began putting out feelers with the few night walkers that were there, digging around for information. The barkeep knew him and what he did well enough to not try and stop him, but several beatings tended to loosen tongues, and as he picked up the pieces of a table and set them aside, he was mulling over what he knew so far. Atreides wasted no time heading for the tavern that Sable was staying at, walking through the front doors like a shadow more than anything else, sitting himself in a corner of the main common room, eventually coming to have a drink in hand as he kept his peace, and someone who knew the man would recognize that he was guarding the only way up to the bedrooms, where Sable was asleep. He couldn't stop people trying for the windows, sure, but he trusted the woman was smart enough to take care of herself in that regard. He could keep an eye on the main way upstairs, she could handle herself in her own quarters.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's mind was sharp and his body refreshed as his eyes snapped open in the later hours of the morning. He stretched his back slowly as he moved to his feet and pulled back at the linens around his body. The wounds were still there, but they were already scabbing. They were bleeding quite a bit the day before, but they weren't all that deep. He quickly assessed himself and the bedroom. By taking a deep breath, he was relieved to feel that his magic was flowing through him again at his full strength. Sometimes all it took was a decent meal and a night's rest to reinvigorate him for another day. Carefully he coiled the spiked chains around his waist as he glanced out the window into the yonder. He knew that he needed to find a library stat, and the best place for that would be Infinitum, unfortunately. Already his spine was crawling at the idea of stepping into that over-glorified self-serving kingdom of which the Imperator calls his home, but he also knew that he wouldn't be finding this "Zyaxomort" any other way. Even so, it was several days away. Mal would probably have to walk a decent distance unless he could find some sort of ride. There was always the possibility of finding some other school along the roads: some place he had missed, but his main target was in mind. Carefully he placed his hand against his chest. The spirit inside was calm at the moment. Well, it was still slightly agitated, but the presence of that man and the relic was enough to put any magical being on edge. So, with his belongings back in order and his strength filled once more he shoved the bloody linens back in the drawer, descended the stairs and bolt towards the exit of town without a second thought. He was just passing through town square when his eyes caught sight of the woman in red from the day before. He paused for a second. Wherever that girl went he knew for sure that the eye-patched man followed her. He wanted eye-patch man dead. He also wanted to go to the library and figure out what that random guy had been talking about. His grin faltered only for a second, but the insatiable bloodlust was already twisting his intentions as he sauntered over to the girl. "My my," He chuckled, "I didn't expect that a relic hunter like yourself would stay here overnight. Are you not in a rush?" He was at full strength this time. His hands were crossed behind his back as he leaned towards Sable. This time, he would not let them think he was weak.</s>	<\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" It was always so weird jumping into the middle of a story. Both figuratively and literally, in Exo's case, as she juggled two of her orbs at the side until the time came that she reached the town with the "protagonists" of her interests. It was an unfortunate event, indeed! When one jumped in the middle, they had almost no idea as to what went on or how things worked or anything in between and that in itself could be a poor existence. She was inclined to ask about what the lot of them were up to but- Well. Wouldn't you be cranky if you fought off a big green lizard with a penchant to act like a bull? So she remained quiet for the time being and had actually taken the time to politely ask the owner of the inn if she could stay on top of the roof before she came down to pay for a room. Perhaps it was a question that wasn't asked commonly, because the dumbfounded look on his face followed with a slow nod before she clapped her hands in delight and made a little staircase out of her orbs from the back of the building to get up there and settle down. Nighttime was always a time to look up at the stars and see how the shining lights connected -- especially for an adolescent so enamored with lasers and shining spells of varying degrees. She even played a small game of connecting the lines with tiny lights that patterned through her orbs, laying on her back to make it "fit" visually before the night finally got to her and she settled her way downstairs to pay for a room and get her ass to sleep. Well. As much sleep as someone like her could manage with this incessant question bothering her. And that is why she almost pounced on Sable the moment she saw the woman awake. "Miss Protagonist! I never got permission to use your name or the chance to ask why you guys were out fighting a dragon in the first place. Is it something confidential or could I be clued in?~ And good morning! I hope you slept well."</s>
<\|description\|>Katarina A'Darran Appearance: Height: 5'2" Weight: 114 lbs Hair: Long, often tied into a ponytail Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Age: 17 History (Optional): Born to ex-criminal parents that had been exiled to Exilia, Katarina grew up in the desert. She was raised to survive, and then to leave the desert. Her father taught her the skill of quick drawing and how to fight with a katana. Mother taught her how to search for and get food and water; something that everyone needed to know in a desert. When Katarina became as good at the blade as her father was, he used a special forge he had created to smith a glass katana and wakizashi made out of a special mixture of sand and metal that made the glass as strong and sturdy as any steel. He then told her it was time for her to leave the desert and explore the world, because while he and her mother were unable to leave the desert due to their exile, they wanted Katarina to find her own place in the world. Personality: Katarina is a curious young woman with a love for learning new things. She has an aggressive personality when it comes to doing what she wants to do. Even with her stubbornness, she is as cautious as she is curious around new things as to keep herself from getting hurt. She is resourceful using what little she may have on hand to deal with any problems she may end up running into. She finds fun in the small things since there weren't that many large things in the desert. She has no understanding of law as there was none in the desert. When she feels that she's not a risk for injury she is bright and outgoing. Weapons: She has a glass katana and wakizashi forged by her father, a talented weaponsmith and glassmith. Their blades are sharp as any other and will not dull under normal circumstances. They are not susceptible to rust as they are not a metal blade. Even though they are glass blades, they will not shatter under normal circumstances either as they were made with a mixture of metal dust and sand that is resilient enough to be as sturdy and strong as any normal sword. She calls the blade Dawn as the hues of color within the blade look like the sky at dawn. The wakizashi is called Dusk for a similar reason. She keeps the both of them on the left side of her belt in simple leather sheaths. Abilities (Magic): Body Magic – Katarina's magic is focused completely on her own body, she can concentrate her power on her legs in order to help her run quicker or jump higher. She could focus it on her arms to give her attacks more power or speed. She can use it to accelerate her healing process in order to allow an injury that would take weeks to heal only days. She can slow down her metabolism allowing her to go longer without food or water. Her greatest weakness is that she can only chose one particular improvement to make, meaning she can't heal herself and improve her strength at the same time. Rapidly switching between multiple improvements in a short time wears her out, and she can only manage to do so two or three times in strenuous situations. She can only multiply her speed, strength, recovery, or whatever else by 4x, and that's only if she focuses on one arm, leg, or other single body part. That also doesn't go without risk as such an increase can strain the body depending on what type of increase she is focusing on. She can improve her entire body, but that is limited to doubling her ability. Shifting from a focused point to her entire body or vice versa multiple times in a short period of time can also exhaust her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina had found her way into a forest. A wonderful place, with trees and streams and animal life she had never seen before. She practically danced as she went from one sight to another, absorbing all the spectacles she could. There were all these things she didn't know the names of. Things her parents hadn't even told her about! This was exciting, although she missed her parents dearly. Then came something spectacular, much more so than anything she had ever seen so far. A giant lizard landed on the ground and it had wings. It reminded her of some of the desert lizards she had eaten when she lived in Exilia, but much much bigger. She wondered just how it tasted if she ate its meat. She then saw there were people fighting the creature and yelling. They must be hunting it, of course they must be really hungry to fight something so large when there was other wildlife all over this forest. She wanted to see how they hunted such a huge monster of an animal. After all something of that size could only be a danger to hunt. Maybe it was some rite of passage into adulthood, but some of those people were plenty older than she was. Perhaps they simply were seeking a way to prove their strength. She climbed up a nearby tree and sat down on a branch at the edge of the clearing. Katarina saw another being that seemed to be fighting with the others, but it didn't seem to be human even if it held a human form. She kept herself ready to leap into battle when she felt she had a good sense of how to fight the monster.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Chaotic neutral? No, I think I'm rather more in line with the true neutral variety, don't you think?" the Jester pondered. He appeared completely unfazed by Mal's worded threats or the growing dark energy around him. Before the Demon Prince could do anything, the masked man reached a hand out and held his palm before the boy's face. Then it curled into a pointed finger and he aimed at the boy's forehead. "You loathe me, yet I can give you purpose. Burn this moment into your memory Mal Tervsa. Rejoice for this grand shift in your story. Remember...Zyax….o…..mort." The Masked Jester pulled back, apparently satisfied by his actions. Stepping back, the Jester's body began to fade away into nothingness, leaving all traces of his presence and existence. "Farewell for now Mal Tervsa. It was….interesting chatting with you." And then he was gone. "Fuck off green prick!" There it was again. Except this time, the voice was more harsh, hatred and vulgarity spilling from its depths. Sable blinked, eyes shifting around to make sense of the voice as she fell to the earth with the dragon in tow. That's when she noticed a chained whip heading straight for her. Twirling her blade, she deflected the blow and leaped away from the dragon. As she clung onto the nearest tree, the sound of the forest crunching was heard, the dragon's body having completed its plummet. Regardless of Sable's failed fatal blow, the impact of the crash was enough to send the dragon into shock, earning it a quick death. Swinging from the tree branch, the Crimson Streak landed on the ground and observed the massive corpse. "Target eliminated," she told herself, already moving to regroup with the others. The first person her eyes caught sight of was a…very eccentric girl. The one with the floating orbs…what was with all these eccentric youngsters? Hearing her question, Sable cleared her throat before answering robotically with, "That will not be necessary. We are quite capable of traveling alone. However, if you really must, we will give you a one day grace period before ignoring your presence entirely. That is all, and apologies." With that said, she headed over to stand by her partner, who was speaking with the undead soldier. The assassin waited for Atreides to answer the being's questions, though she noted how the fallen knight kept directing its gaze at her. The voice from before, however, still played heavily on her mind. Twice now, it had interfered, whatever it was. The green Relic would hear it, unbeknownst to Ugnis, and instantly recoil back with recognition. Compared to the all too familiar voice, the green Relic's blood lusted nature was but a flickering flame to an inferno… The sinner had spoken.</s>	<\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina watched as the red blur of a fighter slew the dragon and made her way back to the crowd. The fighting was over. The hunt was complete. She finally hopped down from the tree she watched from and walked towards the giant lizard which crashed not too far from the crowd. She turned and faced the crowd as soon as she was a few feet from the massive thing. "This thing is huge! That was a great hunt! I saw the whole thing!" She glanced back at the dead dragon. "What is this lizard? Are you guys going to eat it? Can you eat it? I could have thought of easier things to hunt! Wait, was this a test of strength? What are you going to do now? What are your names? I'm Katarina by the way!" She then climbed up the giant lizard with ease. "Wow! This thing is huge! When do we start cooking? We can't let any of this go to waste!" She hadn't actually had anything to eat yet, so she was really eager to dig into this new beastie and see how it tasted. She pulled a carving knife from her backpack and started to cut into the body of the dragon. The scales really made things difficult so she put a bit more umph into removing them first. All this time she payed attention to what was going on in the crowd of strangers. She remembered Mommy telling her about being careful around people, because not all of them are nice like she and Daddy were.</s>
<\|description\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. Gender: Male Country: Imperialist China Personality: A very reserved individual who usually looks to history for advice in dealing with everyday life. A staunch student of Confucian philosophy Li would much rather debate his enemies to death than actually get into a fist-fight with them. As far as classes go he's got a keen mind for economics and is a god at standardized testing. Likes: Confucian Philosophy, History, Martial Arts, Filial Piety, Traditionalism, Economics, Standardized Testing, School Uniforms. Dislikes: Warfare/Violence, Corruption, Excess, Emotional Outbursts, Sloths, Westerners. Grudge against: Great Britain, France. Obsessed with/Past Girlfriends: Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Philippines. Biography Things: Li has developed an intense hatred of Britain and France for selling him over-priced candy at lunch during elementary school. He's rarely able to keep romantic relationships going for very long as his girlfriends often like to run off with other men. Work in Progress.</s> <\|message\|>Ada Stromgren The halls swell with students, overly excited to hear about each others vacations as they go on about every detail of their lives missed between the end of the last year and the beginning of this one. The ruckus makes the class bell practically inaudible, though the teachers were glad to help aid in the shuffling toward first class. The last to mosey out of the halls were Australia and America, comparing tans and biceps before it was left just as empty as this morning before the doors swung open. Part from the creaky janitor pushing his mop down the halls, the only sign that school was in was the cheers or murmurs that escaped from the classrooms. In one of these classrooms, Ada, Alexi, Min-Jun, Maeve, Huang, Katinka, Alejandro are standing uncomfortably around a classroom with no chairs among other smaller countries including Latvia and Costa Rica. It was obviously a science classroom, as there were lab stations in the back stocked with various beakers in an overhead cabinet. They look around, confused until a door squeaks open behind a cluttered oak desk. Through it, there are vials of colorful liquids and samples of different metals, even an incubator. A lanky man coughs into his lab coat sleeve and wafts air away from him, "My my that bacteria has been in there too long," he shakes his shoulders as if to cleanse himself of it, revealing his red-and-white checkered shirt tucked into his khakis. He looks up at the dumbfounded crowd and jolts upright, stuttering his words, "Ohhh yes yes yes, my my, you must be the class!" he pushes his thick-rimmed glasses further onto his nose. His grey prickly mustache switches over his mouth as he speaks, "You all are so early! So glad to see youngsters ready for class!" he pulls out a pocket watch and clicks it open. "Blugablehbleh!" his wiry eyebrows peek over the rims of his glasses, "Two in the morning?! My word" he scratches his thinly haired head, "I'm not even sure how you got in here!"</s> <\|message\|>Ada Stromgren Ada had been talking with one of her best friends, Claire (France, Female), about their trips when the bell rang. With a quick hug and cheek kiss she waved her friend bye and began walking with the herd to her first class. Upon entering the room, she noticed there was no teacher nor seemingly curriculum for that day. She decided this was a perfect moment to check out her classmates as she slid up onto a lab desk. She peered over their heads, picking out ones that seemed cute then betting which ones were better in bed with a very timid Latvian lady. When what appeared to be either a mad hobo or their teacher appeared from the cupboard, she quickly slid down and checked her watch, "Sir, your watch...it's upside down..." she fought the smile that was surfacing on her lips. "Oh right right right!" he fumbled with the metal and then turned it around, "Ah, 8:15, just on time...ish." He smiled to the class, "My name is Mr.B Turtles, but you can call me Mr.Turtles," Ada couldn't keep the smile that teased her whole body into giggling. They were soon dismissed to their seats as he halfway sat in his, bringing another problem. "Oh yes, the chairs!" he scurried back to the front of the class mid-sit, "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" He clapped his callused hands together once, "Alright, everyone stand up-er...Keep standing! And find a partner!" A groan escaped from the lips of some at the mention of "team-building" dreading the torture that ensued. People quickly shot their friends glances and scurried over to pair up with them.</s> <\|message\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. Li had never seen such a terrible display of academic funding on display. No chairs, really? His jade hues flashed an instant of annoyances before settling back into their usual cooled color. It was with these calculating eyes that he sized up the rest of his class and determined his general first impressions. He'd seen or met a couple of them before; some were friends, some were enemies. Specifically a frown alighted his face at the sight of Min-jun, they'd had conflicts in the past. "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" This last announcement seemed to cause a fair share of fidgeting between Li's classmates and so the Asian allowed himself to gently drift in the direction of known variables. He'd met and become half-friends with Katinka and Alexei last year, noting their similar view-points on a variety of issues. He also quite clearly remember the aforementioned female's quite boisterous claims of heroic leadership and demands that she be placed in charge of practically ever group project they'd done that semester. In truth, Li didn't really mind it, after all it kept him from having to deal with to many people. All the more time to focus on his philosophy and self-enlightenment. At the very least that irritable American wasn't in the class, his presence, above all others, always seemed to cause a fair bit of social drama and controversy; Li considered that a small victory.</s> <\|message\|>Maeve O'Sullivan Another year, another year. Perhaps if it had had a better start, Maeve would be more excited, but that English anchúinse rialú (control freak) had to go bossing her around this morning. Just because he's the oh-so-amazing English and his family adopted her, he thought she should work to make him look good. This was partly directed to the Welsh and the Scot too, but those boys are useless, especially the Welsh, he practically worships that English deachtóir (dictator). Whatever. Maeve would not let some stupid blokes ruin her first day back at school. She popped in her headphones and listened to some Mumford and Sons and Dropkick Murphys, her two favorite bands. Sure they lived in the American's country, but they were her territory, her property. Sure she didn't really get noticed much, (except in March when everybody over-celebrated her holiday - seriously, no one dressed in full out green and pinched people if they weren't wearing it, in Ireland the shamrock was enough. The American must have started that.), and sure she didn't really have friends, but she had music, and she knew her boys (English, Welsh and Scot) would be there for her if she needed their help, so for Maeve, that was enough. Maeve just blinked as she watched the eccentric man that must be their teacher enter the room. Honestly, Maeve had seen much weirder things. Then she was beginning to wonder if he was drunk, reading his watch upside down. It was kind of funny, actually. Then Maeve turned off her music and stashed her headphones away, groaning softly. Team-building exercise? Partner? This was a load of crap. Maeve took a look around at all her classmates. Ugh, Katinka, Alexei and Li, all of them in this class? She hoped she'd have different people in different classes, otherwise dealing with three control freaks all day long would mean a long year. Thankfully, Maeve didn't get noticed. At least North Korea wasn't here too. She looked around to see the others. Alejandro was here, nice to have another neutral at least. And Ada, Maeve liked intelligence and feminism, so it was likely that Maeve could have an ally in here. And there was Min-Jun, who she didn't really know very well but had to be better than North Korea. She sighed and just decided to look for one of her boys unless she was approached, and started wandering the classroom in search.</s> <\|message\|>Min-jun Park Min-Jun wasn't in the best of moods. Usually being surrounded by women would be great unless on of those woman happen to be the The Soviet Union. He was still a little mad at her for helping his older brother bully him when he was younger. Thens there's China, who also assisted his older brother when he bullied him. Min-Jun knows that mama Asia would love see all her children being a loving family but that's impossible when half of them are douches and others are to busy to notice him. He couldn't hate China for ever ,but the Soviet he could unless they both apologize for choosing his brother side when he clearly started their fuid. As for the other countries he could try to get along with them. Min-jun was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice there teach enter the room. When he stopped dwelling in his thoughts he heard the teacher say. "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" A wide smile appeared on his face. He was no slotch when it came to work. He examined his choices and gave China and the USSR cold stares. Min-jun then turned his attention to one of the feminine countrys. They all looks pretty attractive besides the USSR. He clearly forgot about the team building plan the teacher informed and was looking for a suitable "partner". This is probably the only greatful thing Min-jun learned from China , is how not to choose the wrong girlfriend.</s> <\|message\|>Katinka Stalin Katinka chuckled lightly at the foolish teacher. She eyed the various people laid out before her, for this... "team building exercise," giving a mild internal groan at the lack of true Stalinist Marxist nations, except for Russia. Katinka already had enough experience with Russia to begin with. She began glancing around the classroom. Already socialist but not enough, ought to be socialist, technically socialist, rebellious part of a true socialist family. None of these are an ideal choice for a temporary alliance. However, diplomacy must be done. Katinka thought to herself, running over the potential candidates, blowing bubbles out of her pipe, as she did not tolerate disobedience to laws regarding tobacco consumption for minors. "Oh, good morningGLORIOUS PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF-sorry, I have a bit of a cold, Min Jun. How are you CAPITALIST SWINE, sorry, doing today?" she asked in her most diplomatic tone of voice, which was known as shouting quietly.</s> <\|message\|>Alexei Mikhailov Alexi was sitting at his desk, staring over the potential candidates, It was that time of the year again, team-work building yayyyy, where all of the cool kids are picked, And then suddenly somebody yelled Immediately waking up Alexi within seconds, It was Alexi's older, more Radical Sister, Alexi put his hand up, Announcing his presence to all of the...ugh...capitalist People, I volunteer to go with Katinka</s>	<\|message\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. With his teammates firmly secured Li supposed it wouldn't hurt to at least extend some kind of formal gesture to the rest of the class? In particular he kept a keen on locked on Min-jun at all times. They'd had a rough past before, especially considering the way he and his brother feuded. Li had tended to support Jun's brother for obvious reasons, but that still didn't mean he'd given up on trying to include the younger Asian in the Communist group of friends. It was right about this time that Katinka allowed for her little outburst. Typical of her really, always the forceful one. Li liked to think that he acted as a sort of stabilizing force, being the more reserved of the two. Still, she'd left them in a rather disadvantageous situation, something Li tried to begin repairing immediately. "I think what my friend here meant to say, Jun, is that there's always room in our group for one more. Perhaps you'd like to join us?" This was the first time the tall foreigner had spoken and instantly his traditional upbringing began to show. A neatly pressed uniform and imposing, if gentle speech made for a rather intimidating visage despite his good intentions. Sadly Li sometimes felt his appearance worked against him; for some reason his sharply kept clothing and generally confident attitude tended to scare away a lot of people. "One must remember it's always good to try and accept new experiences. Self-cultivation is important, if you work with our group we can help to make you a smarter, better person." Li finished this statement with a small grin. Again, despite his good intentions, what the tall Confucian hoped would come across as a genuine smile really seemed to be more of a 'I'll rip your guts out and eat them when you're not looking' kind of expression. Sometimes being the strong silent type really worked against you.</s>
<\|description\|>Devon Devellah Gender: Male Age: 22 Race: Human Appearance: Height and Weight: 6 feet tall and 155 lbs Weapons/Items: twin blade swords, a whip, and a ritual dagger (family heirloom) Skills: lock picking, sweet talking, reading multiple languages Abilities: is a quick swordsman, or a rogue Magic: None to note Personality: Cocky, self absorbed, charming, cunning Bio: It is said the Devellah family are decendants of an ancient demon long since lost within the ruins of Crumbleport. He is looking to see is that rumor is real.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s>	<\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s>
<\|description\|>Ekra Gender: Female Age: 29 Race: Imp Appearance: She's quite feathery, and her markings can glow, generally at will though also if stressed. Height and Weight: 3'4" and 40 pounds Weapons/Items: A sack containing 50 feet of rope, 25 iron nails, a sturdy rock, five emptied and cleaned shells, a flask of alcohol, candle wicks, five prepared small bombs, and a piece of quartz. Skills: Ekra is capable of crafting small explosives using the materials on her person. However, these bombs cannot inflict much damage, though they are sufficient to stun and are easily thrown. She is also capable of crafting and concealing simple traps, tracking others even on stone due to her familiarity with the ruin grounds, and differentiating between plant types. Also, she seems immune to pain. Abilities: Imps, as a race, are very quick creatures, able to turn on a dime. They possess no self-beneficial magical abilities but between their speed, deftness, and sleight of hand, they are capable of appearing to turn invisible. In addition to their speed, they naturally produce a venom in their saliva which disorients an enemy. Magic: Imps can feed off of magic, thus tending to attract them to spellcasters; however, they are also easily bound to items. These items can grant them some magical properties but also can force an imp to curb their mischievous nature and serve the one who bound them. Personality: Ekra, like most imps, is quite curious about the going-ons of others and chatty. She jokes quite a bit and doesn't seem to take much seriously. Also like most imps, she's fairly lonely and tries to compensate by reaching out to others. Between her inability to register pain and her lack of empathy in general, however, her efforts haven't amounted to much and she doesn't seem interested in changing them. Bio: Ekra is an imp from the ruins outside of Crumbleport. She's wandered in and out of town to play with any unattended children and set up jokes, but her nature has resulted in many an angry worker and parent seeking her demise. She spends most of her time in the ruins, targeting would-be explorers and archaeologists.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s>	<\|message\|>Ekra From the top of a broken pillar, gleaming yellow eyes watched the approaching human. Pretty sure it was human anyhow. Well, well, well, what were they doing here, hm? Walking around her ruins like that? Probably another wannabe 'professor'. Those people were so boring. The 'raiders' were a bit more interesting, but also a lot louder and meaner. Rarely did anyone come out here that she thought was actually fun. Not that it ever stopped Ekra. She giggled, jumping over to a stone rooftop filled with holes and dodging past them. A little further up was a trick she had set up a while ago, one that had used up a fair amount of rope and time. She knew it'd work though. She watched the human, crouched on her perch as the human slowly began walking along the decaying pathway, pausing to write something - Ekra would have to grab it, she was fond of flipping through those; sometimes they even had pictures - before continuing on. Her smile grew into a grin as the human got closer. Right when the human was where she needed to be, Ekra yanked on the rope nearby. Ahead, suspended from an overhanging tree, a spiky log dislodged and immediately swung downwards. Fast enough to catch attention, certainly fast enough to be seen, aimed right at the human's midsection- And then, not a foot away, crumble into harmless wooden chips and sawdust. Ekra's raucous laughter tore through the quiet ruins.</s>
<\|description\|>Chak Gender: Female Age: Unknown, appears to be a young adult Race: Halfling Appearance: Instead of metal her armor plates are made of wood with bone and wood spikes. Height and Weight: 3'0" Weapons/Items: She carries several primitive weapons. A rough wooden boomerang, multiple flint knives, and a curved tusk with a grip that she wields like a mix of a sword (with the sharp point) or a club (the rest of the tusk). Her boomerang and knives aren't of exceptional quality, but as she knows how to make them she doesn't seem to mind treating them as totally disposable weapons. Skills: Chack is an exceptional climber, and while her movements may lack any sense of flair she is capable of being incredibly agile. She also knows how to construct simple weapons and armor using scavenged materials, and frequently spends her downtime chipping out a new knife or carving down a boomerang. She also makes small scrimshaw carvings, often crude representations of animals, or else just strange marks that she seems to invent. She's a middling shot with her boomerang, but she's terrifying with her other weapons in melee combat. She fights like an animal, jumping onto her target before pulling out her short, sharp weapons or else twisting joints and even biting at exposed flesh. Magic: She seems to treat some of her scrimshaw carvings as though they had some mystic significance, but nobody has ever seen them do anything. Personality: Chak is naturally clever, but she grew up without any exposure to civilization beyond seeing strange dangerous people go through the ruins. Her behavior is almost animalistic in some regards, and not in the cute or endearing way. She prefers to communicate in grunts when she can, mostly in regards to yes / no questions and the like, since she still doesn't have a good grasp on the common language and finds it unpleasant to try to express herself with it. Bio: Left at the Crumbleport orphanage at a very young age, the Halfling that would become Chak was a normal, curious child. Like any curious child, she wanted to explore. Nobody noticed until nightfall that she had wandered off, and by then she was lost to the ruins. She was quickly presumed dead. The lucky young Halfling wasn't dead though, and instead managed to survive and even eventually thrive living in the wilderness. She learned to make tools and protection from natural materials, patterned after the objects used by the tall creatures coming and going from the city. She learned to hunt, and in time became a dangerous predator herself.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s> <\|message\|>Ekra From the top of a broken pillar, gleaming yellow eyes watched the approaching human. Pretty sure it was human anyhow. Well, well, well, what were they doing here, hm? Walking around her ruins like that? Probably another wannabe 'professor'. Those people were so boring. The 'raiders' were a bit more interesting, but also a lot louder and meaner. Rarely did anyone come out here that she thought was actually fun. Not that it ever stopped Ekra. She giggled, jumping over to a stone rooftop filled with holes and dodging past them. A little further up was a trick she had set up a while ago, one that had used up a fair amount of rope and time. She knew it'd work though. She watched the human, crouched on her perch as the human slowly began walking along the decaying pathway, pausing to write something - Ekra would have to grab it, she was fond of flipping through those; sometimes they even had pictures - before continuing on. Her smile grew into a grin as the human got closer. Right when the human was where she needed to be, Ekra yanked on the rope nearby. Ahead, suspended from an overhanging tree, a spiky log dislodged and immediately swung downwards. Fast enough to catch attention, certainly fast enough to be seen, aimed right at the human's midsection- And then, not a foot away, crumble into harmless wooden chips and sawdust. Ekra's raucous laughter tore through the quiet ruins.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright Isabel cried out in surprise, and thrust her hand forward. The Bottle whirred as it discharged the prepared spell. A wave of force emanated from Isabel, blowing the crumbling bits of wood away from her at great speed. Isabel smiled and lifted her notebook to write again. K-field worked like charm. Disintegrated booby trap. Must prepare new one. She checked the ground for a loos bit of rock or a string that might have set the trap off, but found nothing. That meant, she reckoned, that it had been set off by some sort of magic. She lifted her gauntleted hand and started turning the dial on the back of it, trying to find traces of the magic for capture and study.</s>	<\|message\|>Chak "Tricky's trap. She near." The voice came from almost directly above Isabel, and a glance upwards would reveal a short figure, her clothing similar in colour to the forest around her. More notable at the moment was the fact that she was hanging upside down from a tree branch, seemingly completely at ease dangling with her knees hooked over the thin sprig of wood. With a slight swinging motion, she released her hold and began to fall, the branch springing back upwards without her weight. It looked like she was going to land heavily off balance, but as she hit the ground she crumpled into an inelegant but seemingly quite effective roll, if the way that she quickly sprung to her feet after the nearly fifteen foot drop was any indication. She didn't stand straight, instead her posture was more hunched, her center of gravity closer to the ground. Curious eyes peered up at Isabel, the Halfling's head tilted slightly. "You, Smarty out learning, yesyes? Here-" she gestured to the surrounding area, "safe most like. Tricky put traps around, scare ruin people." She peered closer, squinting slightly before creeping forward a bit, moving almost as though she was ready to drop to all fours. "You... IS Smarty, yes? Supposed to meet a Smarty here."</s>
<\|description\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Race: Orc Age: 28 Gender: Male Appearance: Tall, around 6'4", heavily muscled frame and wide stature. Pale green skin with black hair worn in the Orc mohawk though his time in slavery has made it a bit ragged and unkempt along with his goatee that is rapidly becoming what passes for a beard amongst Orcs. His eyes are a honey brown color that tend to be bloodshot and his tusks jut up from the growth of his beard, he has several bone spurs protruding from his brow. He carries an assortment of scars and has tattoos reminiscent of the patterns seen in Dwarven arms and armor as well as the swirls and lines of Skyforge Steel. Personality: He would much rather run a forge than spend an extended amount of time being involved with other people, however, his time in slavery has forced him to get used to interacting with others. Initially he is quiet and reserved, waiting and watching though he will speak when spoken to. He continues to live by the Code of Malacath as best he can while enslaved and believes that everyone gets a fair chance. Background: Born and raised in Narzulbur within Skyrim as the stronghold's head smith. He was forced out of the stronghold when a valuable collection of ebony ore from Gloombound Mine went missing, but not before he defended his innocence with a few good swings of his hammer. Mercenary work proved adequate for a time before he was captured and sold into slavery with his smithing background listed as a key selling point. Abilities: -Orc abilities -Skilled with axes and blunt weapons -Skilled blacksmith, desperately wants to know more about enchanting -Knows basic fire spell and basic alchemy -Amateur archer and hunter</s> <\|message\|>Ilvel Dalvilu From the Ashes shall be Woken Chapter I: Twin Lamps Ilvel woke with a start. He'd had that dream again, the one he'd been having for the past week. Always the same dream, and never any less disturbing. Worst of all, it robbed him of his sleep, and he wasn't getting enough of that as it were. Muttering softly under his breath, he looked around him. It was dawn; he could see the light from the sun slowly conquering the shadowy ground of the city, street by street. None of it fell on him yet, but he found that he could warm his leg by letting it dangle from the space in between the strange wooden bars of his cage. That felt really nice. He kept looking around him, and stopped at his peers. The other slaves. His fellow brothers and sisters in captivity. He knew so little about them, and he'd been with some of them for such a long time. Made him wonder. Most of them were still asleep, but he found to his surprise that one of them was looking back at him. Panicking, he set a mean frown and hissed at the other one. What do you think you're looking at, s'wit?</s> <\|message\|>Q'lar Q'lar was up early as usual. He never failed to get up before the sun even rose from the horizon. Most of the other prisoners were still asleep at that time. He waited for whatever orders were to be given now. He looked at the bars, oh how he hated this feeling. The feeling of not being free. He wanted to go back to his original profession, being a thief not a prisoner who does their bidding. He was sitting down leaning on the wall behind him. He looked at Ilvel as he talked to another prisoner. He looked pretty pissed off so he paid no mind.</s> <\|message\|>Jo'ari Raihan Jo'ari was startled by the dunmer, she hadn't expected him to be so aggressive. She had watched him for a bit upon waking, she was quiet so it wasn't surprising he just now saw her. Jo'ari didn't know what to think of Ilvel, he was always so hostile to every one, but he never tried to secluded himself... never strayed far from other slaves unless commanded to. Jo'ari had been a slave for about 5 or 6 years now... she wasn't sure timekeeping was hard, but Ilvel had already been a slave, and she wasn't sure for how long. "Oh... nothing! You woke me up with your thrashing... don't be so quick to wake!" She added a small snarl at this, not a hostile one more off an angry tired one. She sat up a bit, and checked the lynx like fur that stood at the top tips of her ears, she was happy they had never been cut, she liked that her hair grew that way. "But now we're awake, so you may as well prepare for when the masters get here... I'm sure it won't be long"</s> <\|message\|>Ayron Atticaron Ayron was awoken by a loud hiss and the following one sided conversation between the Khajit. He almost threw a shoe at them; however that dark elf Ilven or Alvin or whatever was very mean and any attempt of friendly slave conversation was met with a cold glance that would ice Ayron to his very bones. So he refrained from his most likely horrid idea and now that Aryon was awake before the day of work began he was stuck with only his thought. Thoughts, not of home, but of escape and macabre murder of the foremen through out this entire Telvanni complex that even a skeever is too good for. As he closed his eyes he concentrated on his dreams of making it outside. Left, right, up little lift, right, and continue straight till you reach fresh non dank spore filled air. Outside lay woody roots of the strange mushroomed capped trees and the small town around the tower. The high and mighty Dark Elves, who employed the sorry lot that is the confined group beneath the soil, who live above us all even though they simple own a large slavery operation. "What I wouldn't give..." Ayron muttered to himself, somehow waking the slave beside him.</s>	<\|message\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Kharrn growled and rolled over in his cage, "Shut up and let those who can keep sleeping do so," the line was uttered loud enough to address the others making a fuss in the predawn quiet. Lately he had noticed that scrawny Dunmer jerking awake like a mage had hit him with a lightning bolt. It varied day to day on who woke when, but the noise always roused him out of his own sleep and soured his mood. The barrel-chested Orc rammed an elbow against the thick wooden slats of his cage and growled again as he tried to block out the noise and go back to sleep.</s>
<\|description\|>Michael Jayla Race: Imperial Age: 20 Gender: Male Appearance: Michael stands 177cm(5'10) tall and has thick brown hair. His blue eyes compliment his pale complexion. He is thin, just shy of his ribs being visible on his stomach. His legs are barely able to keep himself up, forcing Michael to use restoration to stay standing. A scar from a sword runs down his left cheek, with whip scars all along his back. Personality: Michael is charismatic and charming, used to talking himself out of situations. He normally keeps quiet and out of the way unless he is needed, although he will stand his ground on all matters Empire related. He is a true patriot, holding zealot levels of pride for the Imperial Empire. He is more than willing to betray people to save himself, unless of course this would mean damaging the Empire in any way. He despises Dunmer. Background: Michael grew up in Cyrodiil, the Imperial Heartland. Originally from the town of Cheydinhal, he was forced to try talking himself out of sticky situations several times due to his slum upbringing. Growing up in a city mostly populated by Dunmer, he soon found himself developing a hate for them. At the age of 14, tired of going to bed hungry, he stole a sword and set out on a hike to the Imperial City. When bandits attacked him on the way, he managed to convince them that war-torn Skyrim had more opportunities. They left him with a mace, a spell book and a bellyful of mead. During the rest of his trip, he discovered a deep love for maces, despite being too weak to swing them properly. Michael soon realized that using restoration magic, he could augment his strength temporarily to allow him to fight. He arrived at the gates of the Imperial City starved, having used magic to keep himself from dying from malnourishment. He found someone shady enough to purchase his stolen sword and his spell book, the contents already memorized. A job opened up for him; the night shift at a small market stand. The money was used to finance his studies at a small magic academy. After his boss found out he was forging the books and embezzling, he fled the city. After weeks of walking he arrived in Morrowind, only to be accused of being an Imperial spy. Forced into slavery by the one race he hates, Michael eagerly awaits the chance to escape and help restore glory to the Empire. Abilities: -Skilled at Restoration magic -Good with words -Good at bartering -Can manage money well -Decent with a mace -Solidly OK at foraging</s> <\|message\|>Ilvel Dalvilu From the Ashes shall be Woken Chapter I: Twin Lamps Ilvel woke with a start. He'd had that dream again, the one he'd been having for the past week. Always the same dream, and never any less disturbing. Worst of all, it robbed him of his sleep, and he wasn't getting enough of that as it were. Muttering softly under his breath, he looked around him. It was dawn; he could see the light from the sun slowly conquering the shadowy ground of the city, street by street. None of it fell on him yet, but he found that he could warm his leg by letting it dangle from the space in between the strange wooden bars of his cage. That felt really nice. He kept looking around him, and stopped at his peers. The other slaves. His fellow brothers and sisters in captivity. He knew so little about them, and he'd been with some of them for such a long time. Made him wonder. Most of them were still asleep, but he found to his surprise that one of them was looking back at him. Panicking, he set a mean frown and hissed at the other one. What do you think you're looking at, s'wit?</s> <\|message\|>Q'lar Q'lar was up early as usual. He never failed to get up before the sun even rose from the horizon. Most of the other prisoners were still asleep at that time. He waited for whatever orders were to be given now. He looked at the bars, oh how he hated this feeling. The feeling of not being free. He wanted to go back to his original profession, being a thief not a prisoner who does their bidding. He was sitting down leaning on the wall behind him. He looked at Ilvel as he talked to another prisoner. He looked pretty pissed off so he paid no mind.</s> <\|message\|>Jo'ari Raihan Jo'ari was startled by the dunmer, she hadn't expected him to be so aggressive. She had watched him for a bit upon waking, she was quiet so it wasn't surprising he just now saw her. Jo'ari didn't know what to think of Ilvel, he was always so hostile to every one, but he never tried to secluded himself... never strayed far from other slaves unless commanded to. Jo'ari had been a slave for about 5 or 6 years now... she wasn't sure timekeeping was hard, but Ilvel had already been a slave, and she wasn't sure for how long. "Oh... nothing! You woke me up with your thrashing... don't be so quick to wake!" She added a small snarl at this, not a hostile one more off an angry tired one. She sat up a bit, and checked the lynx like fur that stood at the top tips of her ears, she was happy they had never been cut, she liked that her hair grew that way. "But now we're awake, so you may as well prepare for when the masters get here... I'm sure it won't be long"</s> <\|message\|>Ayron Atticaron Ayron was awoken by a loud hiss and the following one sided conversation between the Khajit. He almost threw a shoe at them; however that dark elf Ilven or Alvin or whatever was very mean and any attempt of friendly slave conversation was met with a cold glance that would ice Ayron to his very bones. So he refrained from his most likely horrid idea and now that Aryon was awake before the day of work began he was stuck with only his thought. Thoughts, not of home, but of escape and macabre murder of the foremen through out this entire Telvanni complex that even a skeever is too good for. As he closed his eyes he concentrated on his dreams of making it outside. Left, right, up little lift, right, and continue straight till you reach fresh non dank spore filled air. Outside lay woody roots of the strange mushroomed capped trees and the small town around the tower. The high and mighty Dark Elves, who employed the sorry lot that is the confined group beneath the soil, who live above us all even though they simple own a large slavery operation. "What I wouldn't give..." Ayron muttered to himself, somehow waking the slave beside him.</s> <\|message\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Kharrn growled and rolled over in his cage, "Shut up and let those who can keep sleeping do so," the line was uttered loud enough to address the others making a fuss in the predawn quiet. Lately he had noticed that scrawny Dunmer jerking awake like a mage had hit him with a lightning bolt. It varied day to day on who woke when, but the noise always roused him out of his own sleep and soured his mood. The barrel-chested Orc rammed an elbow against the thick wooden slats of his cage and growled again as he tried to block out the noise and go back to sleep.</s>	<\|message\|>Michael Jayla Michael's eyes shot open when he heard the Dunmer's hissing. "Would you be quiet!?" He stood from his cell and pushed himself up against the cage to stare at the Dumner. "The likes of you would be executed in the Empire!" Michael's attention then turned to the Orc. "I know it makes you feel tough to slam the cage but you're making too much noise!" It quickly set in to Michael that he shouldn't be yelling at the others. He rubbed his head and groaned. "I apologize. I just get mad when I'm tired." He scratched at the wrist of his left arm, under the shackles. "Being a slave to the dark elves doesn't help my mood either." He collapsed back and sat against the bars in his cell.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Red, blue, green...lock, unlock, spin... Adjusting the red-framed glasses on his face, the redhead sighed as it looked down from her place on the wall. It had long gotten bored of solving the Rubik's cubes and had eventually settled for taking them apart for no really clear reason than perhaps passive aggression. After all, he hated Rubik's cubes. She always had. It was a monstrous thing that they had been left in this chamber in the first place. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down every last one of the evil things and crush them into fancy toilet seats. Or rearrange them into nice trash bins, like she had already planned to do with these ones once they were all back into their tiny little pieces they had been constructed from. Sadly, the plinking in the bin below that signaled the imminent domination over these little pests was interrupted by the opening of the door. Giving an unamused look to the guard that appeared, it waited until they had finished their announcement to crawl over the top of the tank wall she had been throwing the plastic bits from and placed the glasses in a shirt pocket as he walked out the door. The guard and his companions outside didn't let her get very far, unfortunately, instead pushing him back in and pointing to the long garment in the corner that was to be worn.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy glared at the two guards that walked on either side of her. They acted like she was a criminal. She smirked. Ok so technically she was a criminal. But the crime she committed wasn't likely to be repeated. Although she supposed it was possible. After all she was surrounded by make bullies. But as long as they stayed out of her personal space they would've safe. She followed them to the donning room. To met the others.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas enter the room with a guard right behind him. He look at all the other "kids" around him, though he didn't know what to call them or himself. He stood there a moment evaluating all of them until the guard nudge him to keep walking with the butt if his gun. He took a seat in front of the feast but didn't take any food. He was already in enough trouble and he didn't want to accident eat someone else's food. Though it seemed the feast was for them, he simple took the possibility of them being inhuman and watched as guards ate something screwed up that comes up on TV shows. He looked at Tyrone first, seeing his stuff his face with food and then looked at Zac who was also eating. He looked down at the feast tempted just to take something, since it had been a while since he last ate. He turned toward the man, Vlad, at the end of the table, who looked like he was in charge and asked, "Is this food for use to eat?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Eat whatever appeals to you. Your duets might change as you get used to the animal I have combined you with. Now we are going to have a schedule but not today. Today I want you to spend the day getting to know each other. To do that we will have a few competitions." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Eventually, once the ridiculous peach dress-like garment was on properly, the unamused teen returned to the door and knocked to be let out again. The skirt went almost to the floor and was a bit heavy, honestly, but it served its restrictive purposes. At least the guards had the decency to let him change in private, though he still didn't discount the possibility of hidden cameras somewhere in the room. She could only hope that the scientists had the decency to actually keep them away from the curtain he used. It at least wanted to keep a little privacy, even if the scientists were supposed to be monitoring every bodily change. And boy, they had gotten a lot to monitor. She must have kept at least some of their lives interesting during the time it had been here. Once he was finally let out, the guards placed the cuffs on her wrists and they began to walk down the hall. With the dining hall soon in sight, the teen shook the medium-short hair out of its face and raised his head high before entering. Might as well not give too terrible an impression on the first interaction with the other experiments. Even if the situation was terrible, at least they still had some dignity left. He hoped so, anyway.</s> <\|message\|>Zac Shadow Zac was not-so-kindly escorted into the dining hall by a not-so-kind guard. But when he saw the food, it made him instantly forget all of that. He instantly sat down and started eating one of everything. There were three other teenagers already eating when he walked into the room. The fourth came in a while later. He looked a little confused and he asked a guard something but Zac didn't hear it. The guard then said something about 'getting to know each other' and 'having a few competitions'. Well, if there was competition he was all for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone KFC Tyrones eyes scanned the table, no KFC no Chicken, yippie, and then suddenly people arrived, one of them even askes "is this food to eat?" and was interrupted by some weird voice, Of course theres nothing good to eat! Tyrone thought. What kinda buffet is this! Tyrone decided not to eat, they're was barely anything healthy, no Mac Donalds either, so he decided he might as well talk to the new dude here, and then he saw a Man wearing a skirt walking through a door, at least Tyrone Thought it was a man, Tyrone giggled at the persons hilarious dress @YamiCuoreLaroux Nice giggle costume he commented on the persons unbelievably dumb outfit, and suddenly, giggling turned into laughing and Tyrone laughed out loud at the stupidest saddest, piece of clothing in the world</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas took a variety of food from the table and put it on his plate. He began to eat some of the chicken first and thought that it was not as good as the chicken he use to have. Then again nothing that he got was as good as he used to have it. He clear his plate of food anyway just to keep his strength up, but mainly because he was very hungry. When he hear him mention competition his mind began to race about what it could be, and possible consequence, good and bad. He got tired of worrying and eventually asked the man (Vlad) "Sir what exactly do you mean by competition, are there going to be competitive and what are the events in this competition?"</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The minute the cuffs were removed, the teen slowly started for the table, only to be stopped by what seemed to be a heckler who had no clue of his own situation. Walking straight up to the table as calmly as possible, she picked up a plate and started to fill it with various cut fruits. At the same time, two powerful tentacles shot out from under the skirt to bullet right past the heckler, never touching him, but certainly coming close enough to make any normal person flinch. Rather than just hitting him, though, they soon turned away after a second and picked up a plate of fish. "Oh, really? I'm glad you think so: I selected it especially to root out the easily overpowered." Curling one tentacle a bit tighter around the dish, she divided the fish on it into two pieces, flinging one in his general direction. "Here. You clearly need this more than anyone here. You might survive a few seconds longer."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone flinched, the tentacles barely missing his ear's, With a face of surprise, he lifted up and caught the piece of cooked fish with his fork, turning the fork and piece of fish into a Kebab He became more alive, taking a large bite out of the weird Fork/fish Kebab he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear him though, Damn.. and then yelled out Thats frackin' AWESOME!</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am open to ideas but I do have a couple competitions that I want to see you to compete in. With the DNA added to yours you will notice changes in your abilities. Some of you will run faster. Some of you will be stronger. I have come up with a few competition to test for these changes. You will also need to try to shift. Some will change easily. Others will strange." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas showed that he acknowledged Vlad's comment and turned his attention onto the 2 kids causing the ruckus. He noticed that one of the boys was facing a girl who looks like she wants to chop him up into sushi more then the fish with her big tentacle s. Though the boys simply doesn't care, probably because of the guards....I hope. Maybe they got a bit more of the animal DNA.....or there just being kids. He dogded a piece of fish flying toward him. He wanted to talk to Vlad about more ideas but since he didn't really know everyone's capabilities, he rather just wait and see for himself what they can do. So he sat there watching the 2 of them go at it.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snatched a steak off one of the tables. Since she ad recieved the anther DNA she had started eating food rawer and rawer. At first that had bothered her. But now she just accepted it. She leaned against one of the walls as she studied the other teens. She dismissed most of them as not being a threat to her. Even without her knives, which Vlad had taken, she coukd kick their asses.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Satisfied that the rude male had stopped, the redhead continued picking the foods he desired just as calmly as they had been. It wouldn't do to actually have a fight here, not at this time, and certainly not involving food like a wasteful delinquent. All he wanted was to assert that any attempt to mess with it would not be tolerated, and that appeared to have been achieved. Retracting the tentacles back under the skirt as if they had never appeared in the first place, she took the plate of fish in his free hand and brought the food over to a less occupied part of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone kept taking bites out of the fish, and in a couple seconds the fish was gone, he barely listened to Vlads intercom announcements. So, whats up everyone He introduced himself to the group, with bits and bobs of fish still in his mouth</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "The ceiling." Roxy replied sarcastically. She wasn't much of a people person. She had to admit that she was curious about her fellow 'criminals'. She wanted to know what they had done to get into this program. Did they have agreements with Vlad they way she did. If so she was curious what the terms of their agreement Vlad.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone actually looked up at the Ceiling, it was a Shiny metal ceiling but they're wasn't really anything on it. Tyrone kept looking at the ceiling and expected something to happen..But however nothing happened Tyrone looked down at the Girl who looked like she was on the streets for a couple years and with a confused look on his face he asked the girl Yeah, what about the ceiling?</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Although Lucas was disappointed that nothing drastic happened with the girl, he became very amused with Tyrone and Roxy. The fact that he didn't get the joke mean he must be on the slower side. As for The other girl she not only seemed to be a trouble maker, but she also seemed unfazed by all the guards, scientists, and so on. He noted to make a point to introduce himself to her after there done with their conversation.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht felt caught between rolling its eyes and smirking. Clearly, the assessment of the rude one had been correct: He wouldn't be much trouble unless he needed to use him for something. Which she would be making every effort to avoid for now. He had other observations to make about the others, like that witty girl who had just spoken. "They say that sarcasm is a foreign language for some, and a sign of a healthy mind for others." Looking up to the girl, he gave a slight smile. "Good to know that there are still some in this place."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You asked what was up." Roxy reminded him as she ate her steak. She smirked at the boy's question. Apparently he wasn't the brightest bulb in the group. Her sarcasm seemed to be completely lose on him. Which of course meant that she would have to find more ways to use it. She loved confusing people. "So I told you. At the moment the only thing that is up is the ceiling."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Saurcayshum?, what the heck does that mean? Tyrone thought and looked up a the ceiling, and looked back at the girl smiling and waving his left index finger back and forth, he smiled as if he found out the answer to a hard math question Now I get it!, I said whats up and you said the Ceiling, Because it was above me! @KatherinWinter he turned to the Squid-dude and asked him so what does "sarcasm" mean</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He looked at the girl with the ridiculous dress. He would laugh if he hadn't seen what happened earlier with the other boy. He kept analyzing her until she gave him a look, then realizing he had been starting at her for longish period of time. "Not really, at least nothing that I could openly speak about that's of any importance." He look at her for a second or two longer and then said "Actually what things do you know your capable of, as in your powers?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Alright teens. Our first competition is a race. The only rule is that you can not harm each other or the guards. The first one to find me in the facility will recieve a reward. The rest of you will recieve a demerit." Vlad announced.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht almost pouted at the initial response the boy finally gave before perking up a little at his question after. "Hmm...what indeed..." He gave a small smile and looked away slyly with a finger pressed under its lip, the skirt she wore seeming to rustle slightly on its own. The announcement from Vlad led her to grin a bit wider back at the male it had just been speaking with, however. "I suppose this will be how you find out, hmm? I'm sure it will be interesting." Standing up from his table, the redhead smoothed out the garments he wore. "So, where do we start?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat I know where I'm startin'! He enthusiastically yelled and ran out of the room, He ran past the table and ran back to his little room Tyrone slammed open the door and pretty much destoryed it, and looked inside of his little cramped room hoping to find the person on the intercom</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral A bit disappointed that he didn't get his answer, he still was going to see what she could do. He took 2 cans of soda and pocketed them then unzipped his jacket. He began concocting ideas on how to win since the only rule was that he can't hurt anyone. He sighed feeling a bit sorry for the boy, who he just saw running out of the room. He could of just simply asked Vlad himself. Now in mind that the boy was a idiot, he looked a Vlad waiting for him to answer the girl.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You start right where you are of course. Your all in the same place so no one gets a head start. You can start when everyone is done eating. You must all start at the same time. Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Tyrone immediately stopped, hearing the announcement he lost almost all of his enthusiasm, Cursing like crazy under his breath, he walked out from his pretty much destroyed room and walked back to the table, sitting down back on his spot and sitting kinda-patiently, tapping his foot on the ground and doing whatever he can to keep himself occupied for the next 5 seconds. Today... He whispered in his breath impatiently.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht looked around the room at the others once the announcement had finished. "Well then, are we all ready? Wouldn't want to leave anyone unfinished, after all." It walked toward the door, stopping just a little ways away and turning to wait for the others. "Take your time. Planning is always important, you know."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone I'm ready, don't know about you but I'm ready Tyrone says, tapping his foot a bit slower now, things were starting to move at last!.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He gave a shrug and gave a look like "does it look like I have anything better to do?" He went back to thinking of the ways to win without breaking the rules. "The boy probably doesn't know his left from his right, and the girl in the dress well unless she's going to change will have problem running or at least should." He thought to himself.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC (damnit sopa)</s> <\|message\|>Felix (No last name) Felix slowly walked into the gym, noticing everything that was happening. A whopping....nothing. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry I'm late. What is happening here?" To noone at all. His tail swished on the ground, and he was pretty sure something bad was going to happen.....to him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Man thats kawaii was the first thing that came through Tyrones mind and then answered the newcomer You didn't miss nothing, we were right about to go on a race to find some dude on a intercom Tyrone grabbed a piece of fish and ate it, and started tapping his foot again. now there was more people to wait for. yippie</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Let's go." Roxy headed out of the room hoping the others would follow. She wanted to use her increased sense of smell. She wanted to test just how increased it was. It would be great if she was the first to find Vlad. She could use a reward. Not wanting to get to far ahead of the others she looked over her shoulder.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht followed Roxy out of the room fairly quickly, ready to get moving already. "Well, then, do we have a plan, or is it everyone for themselves? I would imagine that the doctor would rather the latter, but if I received the correct program material, it might be in our better interests to work together for the first part. We can always split later and let fate decide from there." It took a moment to look around the current hall in thought before turning back to the others. "I don't expect any tricks to be revealed now, but might I ask what hybrids we have with us?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat Why the heck are we sitting here and chatting? I'm going to get a head start he told them. teamwork wouldn't work. theres only one reward for one person and Tyrone was going to get that reward Tyrone immediately walked the opposite way roxy did and ran to the dormitories, he started tearing apart everyone's room thinking thinking that The mysterious intercom dude would be hidden there</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy ignored the others. She didnt care where they went. As long as they didnt get into her way she was happy. She wanted to get the reward. She needed it. Vlad hated her. So she needed every advantage that she could get. She sniffed the air trying to remember what the old scientist had smelled like. She hadnt really been paying attention the last time they were there.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Nobody? Ah, well." The redheaded hybrid shrugged its shoulders at the lack of response to its previously posed question, taking one last look around the hall. "Well, I have an idea if what I want to do, anyway. If I'm needed for anything, I won't turn down any temporary alliances. Provided I find use in them, of course, but no obligation to carry through fully." With the suggestion in the open, she left quickly, walking normally down one of the halls and checking around occasionally for an area map. There had to be a few posted around somewhere for orientation purposes. If not, then perhaps a guard outpost would have a copy. Ater all, I might as well know where I'm going if I want to get anywhere close. A vague idea of possibilities is better than nothing, especially since I lack the kind of land-tracking skills others might have.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone checked all the rooms except for the Squid dudes one. since it was practically a fish tank. and then suddenly a feeling hit Tyrones nose. a a smell.. no more than a smell. lots and lots of smells. infact Tyrones nose was exploding with smells! each one different, about like. 30 different smells everywhere. it was nearly impossible to distinguish each one, Tyrone blinked a couple times and walked forward to the door. a whole bunch of smells gotten even smellier...the smell of something, Tyrone immediately went to the table and grabbed a piece of fish..the smell was overpowering but one smell was faint and far away, Tyrone gotten up and ran the same way that one tough chick was walking, bumping past her rather rudely Tyrone was tracking a smell..a rather faint but growing smell, it smelt empowering and wild and different, almost like perfume</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral With Lucas completely and utterly dissatisfied, and embarrassed, he put the cans back on the table and began his search. He was expecting a race of speed but it seemed more like a hide a seek game Vlad wanted. He watched as the others left on there search in different directions. He stood there and thought about how to find him. "Well he would probably be in one of the most secure areas of the facility, since he is the head of it. Oh how it would be so much easier if I just had a map of the facility...." He thought and turned to a guard and asked him for a map. The guard laugh and rejected him since he didn't have one to begin with but he gave the excuse that I would try to escape. "Man all the guards here suck. Well, I guess I'll go look for the blueprints of the building, should also keep a eye out for high security to snoop around in." He thought to himself. He finally left the room and searched the halls at a brisk walking pace, since there wasn't need to run rush to nowhere. He saw both the girl and the boy smelling the air and the boy turn in a sudden direction and started to run in one direction. He thought it was worth a shot so he to sniff the air and caught the old man's scent. But what he thought was odd was that he found it not only along the halls but he smelled it in the vents to. The vents would be a more direct way to him but there's a bigger chance of getting lost with all the airflow blowing the scent around. The regular way would take longer with the faint scent but was a pretty good bet that it would lead him to Vlad. He decide to take the vents since he was not only small enough, but since the boy already had a head start and since he put his traps back on the table he would most like win if the scent wasn't to screwed up from the airflow. He took off the cage to the vent and jumped inside extremely fast tos that the guard couldn't stop him. If they were smart enough the vents would be bolted from the outside if anyone could reach a exit to the compound. He moved swiftly though the vents hoping that he nose would lead him the right way.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone follows his nose's now better scent into a whiteish room. which has a counter and a few people in white suits and white labcounts, each one of them looking at Tyrone like he is some kind of weird thing they never seen before, the place was a tiny lab Tyrone follows the scent to a closet, the smell exploding in his nose, he opens the door hoping to find the person on the intercom @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht After walking for a short while, Acht eventually found one of the guard outposts and entered, pleased to see that the door was left unlocked. This seemed to be a smaller one, with little more than a break room and an office along with a card-access door, probably for a place to store equipment. Even if they had some freedom for the moment, it made sense that there would still be some things that they were denied access to. Wouldn't want a riot, after all. Taking little time to look at the few guards that were sitting in the break room, but noticing a reminder on one of the walls regarding the day's activities, the redhead moved to the unlocked office, seeing that it remained empty of humans. The first thing it noticed was how clean the room was...a bit too clean. It seemed like maybe there were things missing here...probably locked up in an effort to keep the experiments from getting into other business besides the hunt. Most of the file cabinets were locked, as were many of the desk drawers. Luckily, there did appear to be a map of some sort here, though it clearly wasn't a full map of the facility. It didn't even show the whole floor, for that matter! But it did have some notes on it...curious...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black There was nothing in the room other then things like blankets, towels, and sheets. The vent would be giant maze. It would lead him in circles. First the gym. Than the cafeteria, class rooms, training rooms. The guards would watch Acht carefully. He shouldn't be able to get into anything they didn't want him to. But he was a criminal and they had to be alert.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone says some nasty words under his mouth and closes the closet, he then sniffs the air around him, getting a few new scents, one that had the smell of sweat, he followed the scent. sniffing everything like a dog and then following it into a big open room, the room was a Gym he kept on following his smell on the big big Gym and to a Green door, he opened the Green door hoping to find anything, the sweaty smell growing bigger and bigger as he walks towards the door</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Finding nothing else of interest in the office for the time being, the redhead picked up a pen from the desk and left the outpost, glancing down at the map to see what other places she could reach. From the same hallway, he could tell that there were a few rooms on either side most of the way down, though not too many of them seemed very helpful. A few more turns away, though, was another guard outpost, a larger one this time. Thinking that perhaps a more complete map or even a few security screens might be available there, the hybrid wasted no time in making its way down the hall towards it.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht continued on to the next outpost, but found very little to help him once he arrived. If anything, it was pretty similar to the first one, only the office was completely locked this time. Perhaps it had been a mistake that the other one was open in the first place. Frowning to herself, the hybrid exited and decided to come up with another plan. Of course the people in charge wouldn't want them knowing where the cameras were...but what else could he use, then? Searching the entire floor would likely take too long...and anything important would be locked up tightly... Sighing, the redhead walked over to a wall and used the tentacles to climb up to the ceiling. He kind of doubted that she would be able to discern anything in the buzz of activity among the scientists in this place, but who knew? Maybe he'd feel something that gave her an idea. "After that, perhaps an alliance is indeed in order..."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral With lucas's pride hurt a little from falling and the feeling of complete and utter fail, he leaned on the wall of the hall and groaned. "I swear, this is way to much of a pain for some prize." He said out loud. He stood there a little and then had a really stupid idea that would probably work. "I'll ask one of the guards where he is" he said looking left to right marketing sure there aren't any guards around. He also thought he could follow the wire from the cameras down to him, but yea know luring a guard away and beating the answer out of him would be so much easier. He walked down to where the men's bathroom was and took the stale closes to the exit and sat there and waited for his prey to come.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Looks like its time for a hint. A new graduate is with me. She is really quite abuzz to met you. If you follow the sound of buzzing and rmthe smell of honey you might find her." Vlad suggested over the PA.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Hearing the announcement, Acht felt relieved to finally have something to go off of. This sounded like some kind of bee pun...was there a hybrid that attracted bees or something? Now she just had to find the right kind of buzzing... "...Oi! Could some of you top-notch scientists please fix your computer cooling systems? I'm ashamed to know some of you right now!" Grumbling to itself, the redhead moved back down the wall, using its suction cup on the the vertical surfaces and even the floor once it got to it in an attempt to compare the various whirring, hums, and other vibrations. A lot of this was likely machinery, but there had to be something at least a little different somewhere...</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Vlad you do think they are going to find us right. There are a whole lot of floors here." She said to vlad Sniffing her hand which of corse smelled like the honey cake she had ate. " Well maybe the honey could attract someone. Do i really buzz to much." A bit to talkative she was. Buzzing also sometimes was something Beatrice did a lot.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral The first victim passed by and tried going into one of the stalls. He jumped out and tackled he guard throwing him face down to the ground. He first throw his gun away so it wouldn't be a problem and then took his arm and twisted it. The guard screamed for the explosion of pain. "Where is Vlad." He said in a slightly hire toned and very intimidating voice. The guard just kept yelling let so hit twisted it more and repeated himself. "He's on bottom, ARG, floor and is, AAAHHH, with another, OOOOOWWW, hybrid." the guard said with tears coming down his eyes. "Thank you for your cooperation." He said and then bashed his head against the medal floor knocking him out. He sprinted out the door and ran behind the corner. From there he walked down to the bottom floor using his hearing and smell to find this other hybrid. Just then he heard Vlads announcement. "It seems the guard didn't lie, which means it truly is on the last floor." He said to himself. A few guards passed him one of them saying that they heard a scream this way. He laughed and walked down to the bottom floor.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "If they don't find us in the next hour I will have the guards guide them back to the gym. We have other things to do today. You fine Beatrice. I was only using the sound to focus their attention. No one of them are using their animal attributes well. I know it is all new... but I guess I cant expect too much out of criminals." Vlad shook his head.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC The vent didn't break. the damn thing was super strong. but then a Strange smell flooded through the vents. a Smell of Honey, Tyrone quickly racked his head and remembered the dude on the intercom was with another person and said something dumb about honey and bees and then he heard some whispering. whispering.....He's on bottom ARG Floor and is AAHHHH with another OWWWWW hybred damn... Tyrone whispered as he listened in. his Hearing growing extensively wait a minute. This is the smell!. the one that will lead him to Vlad!, Tyrone started sniffing the air and following the sweet smell of honey, crawling through the vent to wherever it might lead him. the vent started going down lower and lower remembering what the poor guard said and going lower down to some of the bottom floors as he followed the scent @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " If i was searching and you said honey i would be here already. Maybe thats just me though." She turned back to face he door. Patting her hair down over the small antenna that were poking out. Maybe one of the others likes sweets as much as her. Maybe they could be friends.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy stood at the top of the stairs. She hesitated going down. Mostly because the next floor could hold anything from nothing to a lazer maze. She smirked. She doubt the last possibility. Not because Vlad was incapable of it, he was definitely capable of it. But because the point of this exercise was to see how well they used their animal enhancements. She slowly started down the stairs. At the bottom she discovered another long hallway like the one above. It was lined with doors and guards.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral "Would you like some help with the guards? I mean not that you need it or anything." Lucas said walking down right next to Roxy. It would be interesting to see his ability in action especially against armed men. He was also little bit intimidated by the guards mainly cause he didn't know if the guns they had held real bullets or tranquilizers. He was certainly not looking forward to this, but he must progress if he wants to have a shot at winning. "If you don't want my help I'll happily stand here and watch you beat them up yourself."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Oh? Did I miss my chance to request an alliance? Or is the offer open to multiple people?" The hybrid pouted slightly as it finally made its way to the bottom of the stairs only to see that its target had already been confronted. Still, maybe there was a way to salvage this plan after all. "Of course, I wouldn't suggest taking out the guards. That's against the rules, he said~. Besides, there are other ways to get what we want and where we want to go, aren't there? We don't have the same limitations that we used to, do we?" @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am rather disappointed in you children. No wonder you were caught. Your terrible criminals. The minutes and the prize will e taken away." Vlad called --- @joeycbee Roxy studied the two beside her. She didn't trust them but time was running out. One of them needed to find Vlad. Or this other woman that is suppose to be here.""We can't take out the guards. They aren't a threat to us. If we can get information from them that would be helpful but I doubt that we can without getting ourselves into trouble. I think it is time that we start looking at what skills we have to work with. I can pick locks. But I doubt that will be beneficial."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato I wonder if threatening to take the prize away would encourage them." Beatrice said looking at the scientist. "Do you hear anything? i though i heard something." She asked Vlad curious if it was just her, hearing them on floors above or not.@KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht removed the glasses from its pocket inside its clothing, checking them for smudges as it spoke. "You never know, hon; sometimes the most basic-seeming abilities turn out to be the most useful. I'm not much of a lock-picker myself." Giving a little puff of air and rubbing at it with a clean part of the cloth, it continued. "I'm more of an analysis-and-distraction type, personally. I'm finding myself a little more sensitive to anything I can cling to, however."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone eventually makes it to a vent. a opened one too, and then he heard the intercom person and his smart butt comment, Tyrone?. Terrible Criminal? Hell no. Tyrone spent his entire friggin' life on the streets and this here dude was mocking him when he hasn't even ever commited a single CRIME? Tyrone was pretty pissed. he hopped out of the vent and followed the nearest honey smell, and broke into a angry run. He wanted that prize. whatever the heck it is. he wanted it. He turned a corner and ran down a long set of stairs, down to a hallway, to two people casually standing in Tyrones way!, Tyrone smashed past some girl who looked like she spent twice as long on the streets as Tyrone @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "My hearing isn't like yours. I cant hear what you hear. I am sure you hear the others getting closer. They are on this floor now. They just have to find what room we are in."Vlad answered. "You're lucky I don't have my knives."Roxy glared at the kid that bumped into her. She reached for her knives automatically. [color=8882be]"We were just discussing our available skills to put an end to this game of hide and go seek. Do you have anything thing worth while to contribute?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "What are we doing after someone finds us?" Again Beatrice asks vlad making sure to pat down her hair(again) As her antennae where slowly making her hair perk up. She really wanted to know if there was going to be another game after this.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "Once they find us we will go to the next activity. I was hoping to encourage them to work more as team but I can see that will take time. I will have you all taken to the lunch room. You can eat and get to know the others." Vlad told her.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Oh no a girl who owns knives I'm so scared man. Tyrone almost immediately stopped and confronted the "Tough" girl I spent my entire life on the streets, your lucky I didn't bring my knives girl! Tyrone Laughed at his own words and almost in a instant. and clapped too as if he was a One man Laugh Track. the prize and all of his ambition suddenly disappeared in his head replaced with Humorful and Funny Comments about the girl who dared to threaten him with knives.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht shook its head and sighed, pinching the bridge of its nose in irritation. Oh great, he's back. Are the guards to dumb to taze him themselves or something? Without looking at either of them, she removed his glasses and looked for the pocket they had previously been in. "The knives aren't what you should be worried about, boy. You remember how you almost got killed for making fun of people this morning, don't you? I should hope that you haven't managed to hit your head that hard in the time that has passed since then. Who's to say that this girl doesn't have a similar trick and less tolerance than I do? You seem to forget that we are all criminals, and killing is likely not beneath anyone here, regardless of the pity you force out of us for never learning how to not get killed by anyone you are forced into a room with." Finally placing the glasses into the right pocket, the hybrid started down the hall again, away from the scene and closer toward the vibrations he felt through the floor. "Of course, maybe even that shouldn't be your worry. Vlad said that we weren't allowed to hurt each other, so you should really be hoping that he didn't see that little stunt of yours just now. You could end up another failed experiment to be disposed of if he thinks you've damaged another of his carefully nurtured projects. He doesn't strike me as a reasonable man, though very capable of finding fault easily."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC All of a suddeny Acht's voice turned from the knives aren't what you should be worried about to blahblahblahblahblah don't do this and don't do that blah blah blah blah blah blah Etc Tyrone just nodded, sure, okay man. cool bro. awesome, sure. okay. cool bro. etc and droned on, trying to pretend he was listening, and turned around, now what was I doin' again. Oh yeah the prize! Tyrone remembered and ran through the hallway past Acht, following the Scent.</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht As Tyrone ran past Acht, the redhead suddenly launched to the side and smashed into the wall, as if having been pushed very hard. Making a very loud thump and a cracking sound as she connected and slumping to the floor, the hybrid gave a low groan and stopped moving. First rule of establishment, Perri: Show, don't tell. You should have learned it a bit sooner, but that's why you have me, isn't it? Just don't forget it in the future, or you'll be eaten alive... In fact, if you're not more careful, it might even be by those as close to you as I am...</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone ran almost halfway down the hallway and stopped, looking back curiously to see whoever is groaning and noticed the person who gotten hurt was on the ground. and looked pretty pretty hurt. Eh. It ain't my problem Tyrone thought and kept on running a bit further before stopping again. Tyrone left out a sarcastic sigh and walked down the hallway to the redhead kid who gotten hurt for some reason, Tyrone stood infront of him are you okay man?, ya look pretty beaten up He told him in a friendly tone, His face shown that he barely cared but at the same time he cared a lot, @YamiCuoreLaroux</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The hybrid didn't move for another few seconds, remaining crumpled on the floor. Eventually, a quiet, pained-sounding chuckle forced its way out of her mouth. "Well, well. That's quite an attitude to take after trying to sabotage someone. So your plan was to wait for my back to turn before ensuring that I would get no chance to complete the task..." Acht's face remained hidden behind one arm, but a sharp intake of breath could be heard before the pained voice spoke quietly again. "...But isn't that cheating? How cruel of you." He fell silent again after, letting only slow breaths out and keeping very still.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Well Your welcome man, I went back to help you and all ya doin' is accusin' me of stuff I didn't do! Tyrone exclaimed, turning his back to the person and leaving him, He didn't want to deal with someone who would yell at you for helping them Have a nice time bein' hurt because sure as heck ain't helping you next time Tyrone added before Running down the hallway again, Ditching the Hurt red-head.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Vlad opened the door and signaled the guards. Two guards grabbed Tyrone. "Take him to his room. He can stay there by himself. I will deal with him later. You were suppose to work as a team. I specifically told you not to hurt one another. Because you were abusive to the others Tyrone you will be punished. Ache is the only one who attempted to follow the rules."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone yelled bloody murder Thats Bull I never meant Ta push her!, this is a loada crap! Tyrone Turned his head to the guard with a angry face You believe me right? and the guard replied Shut up street punk. and carried Tyrone away, Tyrone stared back down the hallway yelling things that were half Intelligible He meant to get hurt!, This is all just some kinda stupid test!. This is bull! I swear its bull! the guards simply sighed and carried him off, Past the Hallways, Past the Gym. Past the Mess hall and swung open the door and shoved Tyrone in, Tyrone Scrambled to get up, Cmon man it was a- the door was slammed shut by the guards drowning out Tyrones voice with a large boom.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Well, now. How unfortunate. The hybrid listened carefully as the loud one was carried away. A test? Hmm... You aren't wrong, but sadly, you did fail it. You should have been far more careful. Letting out another groan, Acht moved a hand to the side of its head. It ached, but not as much as his arm or side, since they had hit the wall much harder. Still, that was the price she paid for quality. It had been a hard-learned lesson that one shouldn't cut corners on believable detail, and he would never forget that. Moving the hand back to the floor and using her good arm to slowly push himself into a sitting position, the redhead turned to inspect the injured shoulder. Blotchy. Not too incredibly so, but enough to tell that some sort of large bruise was forming at the very least. "Hmm...curious..." Acht poked at the oddly colored skin only to wince and pull its hand back. Still half-expecting to find that the arm had been sprained or worse later on, she looked back up toward those who were still in the hallway. "...Miss, it may have not been entirely intentional, but did we actually manage to find the good doctor just now?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Technically we didn't find him. He came out."Roxy pointed out. She crossed her arms and looked at the doctor. He hadn't had her taken away for punishment. Nor had he included he in the reward. She didn't know what that meant. She watched him uncertainly. What did that mean? What was he up to? She doubt it was anything good.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Well they were taking forever anyway." Beatrice commented on the doctor revealing their location, she was getting hungry and wanted to go meet everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Maybe so, but that little stunt that friend of ours pulled caused him to reveal his location. Luring a target should still count as an acceptable means of ascertaining location." The injured hybrid slowly rose to its feet, clutching at its arm. "Of course, it wasn't really planned this time, but it is still something to consider. Who knows, maybe that was the loud one's plan all along, and it just backfired a bit at the end. Probably doesn't know his own strength, or at least never considered how to be careful of its consequences." "You did quite a few helpful things yourself before that incident cropped up though, didn't you? Though it seems that you were much less reckless and more methodic about them. You probably added more to our team effort than I did, even. While it lasted, anyway." The redhead leaned against the wall and turned back to the girl as she spoke, only the very corners of his mouth quirking the slightest, as if subtly trying to refer to some sort of shared secret.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You didnt find me be you will still be rewarded Acht. We can discuss it now or later. You other two can go to the cafeteria and have lunch. You may have whatever you want."Vlad told them. He was not happy with them but they had almost completed the assignment that wasnt a half bad start for criminals.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That means i can go too right?" Beatrice said popping out from behind the doctor. Before shuffling back behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone sat in his room. not doing anything but sitting down, man that's stupid. I didn't even push him. and here I am sittin' in ma room like I'm grounded or something. wow man just wow He thought and sat on his bed, looking at the steel wall in front of him I thought this place would be different. I thought I would actually get some freedom but nope!, Here I am sittin' in my room. I'm just a glorified prisoner Tyrone thought, the Smells of the room was nasty and annoying, it was slowly driving him insane. Tyrone lifted his hands over his head, and opened his eyes, too his surprise his hand was rather hairy with brown hair covering a quarter of it I don't remember that hair bein' there. He thought and looked at his arm, which was also hairy must be nuffin' Tyrone thought, forgetting about his hairy arms.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Not like I can ask for more. I'd like to discuss a little later, though, if that's allowed. All this excitement has gotten me hungry." Acht shrugged, or at least attempted to, before turning back to walk upstairs. Before leaving, though, it turned back to Roxy. "Will you be going as well? It'll be quiet in the cafeteria otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Probably. Lets that held that way." Roxy headed back to the elveator. Vlad made no attempt to stop her so she figured that she was allowed to go with the others. She saw Vlad head off in the direction the one boy had been drug off to. She was glad it wasnt her. Vlad could be creative in his punishments when he wanted to be. She lead the other two test subjects back the way they came.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " So i am coming with you two." She said to the girl Quickly walking forwards to her. " Im Beatrice, Nize to meet you." She said to both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book The redheaded hybrid gave a small smile as it continued walking, noticing the potential pun in the innocent sentence. "Beatrice...that might be the first name that I've actually learned today. I'm afraid that we haven't been very good about introductions with all that has happened." The hybrid tapped a finger on its chin in thought before speaking again. "I'm sure you've heard the name 'Acht' used by the good doctor there, so if you want to use that as well for now, I won't stop you. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " I hope we have fun working together. " Beatrice said before one of the small antennae pops its way out from under her hair causing her to quick go into a fuss on making it stick back down. Which being as uncorupertable as a Antennae could be. Refuses to go back down.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy rolled her eyes as the other two introduced themselves. She didn't bother introducing herself. She wasn't here to make friends. "You will have to tell us what your reward is. I doubt it will be as good as it would have been if we had succeeded. But atleast we will get an idea of what the doctor considers a reward." She knew everyone's reward and punishment would be different. When they arrived at the cafeteria she helped herself to another steak.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht kept the slight smile on its face as the antenna continued its attempt to break free of Beatrice's hair. "Perhaps it would be best to leave it? It may make it easier to adjust to its uses in the new environment, anyway." The long skirt of the dress covering most of the hybrid's body rustled a bit oddly as they entered the cafeteria again. "Besides, I can assure you that there are much more...distracting...appearances among some of us." Still following the other female experiment with the more cynical attitude as she went to obtain food, it nodded in response to her request. "That assessment is likely true, but not much else to be done now, I suppose. I wouldn't mind to oblige for the sake of planning, though, Miss...?" The red-haired hybrid cocked its head to the side as it stared in slight curiosity. This one hadn't bothered to take the chance offered by Beatrice to clear up what name to go by. How odd. Did she not care, or just not want them to know? Not like it could blame her, were it the second option. For all it knew, even the girl they had just met could be using an alias. Still, it intrigued Acht that not even a temporary replacement had been provided. Or did she not understand the social cue? An interesting case to be sure. Will all the people I work with be this intriguing, or is this just a reflection of a desire for mental stimulation again? I wonder if any of the others have reactions like this to their enhancements...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I suppose I should identitify myslef." Roxy said with a sigh. She didnt really want to bother. They didnt care who she was. She didnt care who they were. But they were going to be stuck together. So they would probably need her name. "You can call my Roxy. So how did the two of you end up in here? Did you kill someone or just do something stupid?" Which was probably a rude way to ask but she wasnt known for her social skills. ------- Vlad made his way down the hall. He was looking forward punishing someone. He loved dishing out punishments. He opened the door to the boys room. "So you havent learned how to get along with the others yet. Well I am here to help you with that. I can beat you, starve you, or toture you. Last time we went with music. Shall we do that again?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "If i leave it up it causes problems. Like last time it went like this." Beatrice said As the other girl finished asking her own questions. " Nothing to bad. Well if you call what i did bad then who knows."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht @Song Book The redhead nodded in acknowledgement to Roxy's answer before turning back to Beatrice. "Problems? Well, you likely know better than I. Everyone adjusts in their own way, they say." Acht couldn't imagine exactly what kind of problem she could be referring to. Perhaps they had gotten caught on something before? Hard to say what it could be with no experience of one's own to go by. Turning to obtain some food as Roxy asked her second question, Acht thought for a good second before eventually stepping back with a plate of a few different foods. "I hope they improve their variety of seafood at some point. I'll starve." Shaking its head, it started toward one of the tables to sit down. "Hmm...are those our only options for crimes? One's clearly more specific than the other. I guess I'll take the second option for now, then."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book@YamiCuoreLaroux Roxy shook her head. She hadnt been expecting an answer. She was just curious what kind of answer they would give. She eat in silence for awhile. "Food will depend on performance. The better you perform the better you eat. Vlad will reward those who do their part. But he wont make it easy. He wants soliders and none of us are soliders."</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "You speak as one with experience. Is this not really your first attempt in this program after all?" Acht didn't really look up from the food as it asked, but couldn't hide the curiosity, nonetheless. There was plenty to wonder about in this facility, and the people just seemed to become more interesting as the day went on. "Now that I think of it, did you ever say which of the two got you in here before?"</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You didnt find me be you will still be rewarded Acht. We can discuss it now or later. You other two can go to the cafeteria and have lunch. You may have whatever you want."Vlad told them. He was not happy with them but they had almost completed the assignment that wasnt a half bad start for criminals.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That means i can go too right?" Beatrice said popping out from behind the doctor. Before shuffling back behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone sat in his room. not doing anything but sitting down, man that's stupid. I didn't even push him. and here I am sittin' in ma room like I'm grounded or something. wow man just wow He thought and sat on his bed, looking at the steel wall in front of him I thought this place would be different. I thought I would actually get some freedom but nope!, Here I am sittin' in my room. I'm just a glorified prisoner Tyrone thought, the Smells of the room was nasty and annoying, it was slowly driving him insane. Tyrone lifted his hands over his head, and opened his eyes, too his surprise his hand was rather hairy with brown hair covering a quarter of it I don't remember that hair bein' there. He thought and looked at his arm, which was also hairy must be nuffin' Tyrone thought, forgetting about his hairy arms.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Not like I can ask for more. I'd like to discuss a little later, though, if that's allowed. All this excitement has gotten me hungry." Acht shrugged, or at least attempted to, before turning back to walk upstairs. Before leaving, though, it turned back to Roxy. "Will you be going as well? It'll be quiet in the cafeteria otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Probably. Lets that held that way." Roxy headed back to the elveator. Vlad made no attempt to stop her so she figured that she was allowed to go with the others. She saw Vlad head off in the direction the one boy had been drug off to. She was glad it wasnt her. Vlad could be creative in his punishments when he wanted to be. She lead the other two test subjects back the way they came.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " So i am coming with you two." She said to the girl Quickly walking forwards to her. " Im Beatrice, Nize to meet you." She said to both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book The redheaded hybrid gave a small smile as it continued walking, noticing the potential pun in the innocent sentence. "Beatrice...that might be the first name that I've actually learned today. I'm afraid that we haven't been very good about introductions with all that has happened." The hybrid tapped a finger on its chin in thought before speaking again. "I'm sure you've heard the name 'Acht' used by the good doctor there, so if you want to use that as well for now, I won't stop you. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " I hope we have fun working together. " Beatrice said before one of the small antennae pops its way out from under her hair causing her to quick go into a fuss on making it stick back down. Which being as uncorupertable as a Antennae could be. Refuses to go back down.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy rolled her eyes as the other two introduced themselves. She didn't bother introducing herself. She wasn't here to make friends. "You will have to tell us what your reward is. I doubt it will be as good as it would have been if we had succeeded. But atleast we will get an idea of what the doctor considers a reward." She knew everyone's reward and punishment would be different. When they arrived at the cafeteria she helped herself to another steak.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht kept the slight smile on its face as the antenna continued its attempt to break free of Beatrice's hair. "Perhaps it would be best to leave it? It may make it easier to adjust to its uses in the new environment, anyway." The long skirt of the dress covering most of the hybrid's body rustled a bit oddly as they entered the cafeteria again. "Besides, I can assure you that there are much more...distracting...appearances among some of us." Still following the other female experiment with the more cynical attitude as she went to obtain food, it nodded in response to her request. "That assessment is likely true, but not much else to be done now, I suppose. I wouldn't mind to oblige for the sake of planning, though, Miss...?" The red-haired hybrid cocked its head to the side as it stared in slight curiosity. This one hadn't bothered to take the chance offered by Beatrice to clear up what name to go by. How odd. Did she not care, or just not want them to know? Not like it could blame her, were it the second option. For all it knew, even the girl they had just met could be using an alias. Still, it intrigued Acht that not even a temporary replacement had been provided. Or did she not understand the social cue? An interesting case to be sure. Will all the people I work with be this intriguing, or is this just a reflection of a desire for mental stimulation again? I wonder if any of the others have reactions like this to their enhancements...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I suppose I should identitify myslef." Roxy said with a sigh. She didnt really want to bother. They didnt care who she was. She didnt care who they were. But they were going to be stuck together. So they would probably need her name. "You can call my Roxy. So how did the two of you end up in here? Did you kill someone or just do something stupid?" Which was probably a rude way to ask but she wasnt known for her social skills. ------- Vlad made his way down the hall. He was looking forward punishing someone. He loved dishing out punishments. He opened the door to the boys room. "So you havent learned how to get along with the others yet. Well I am here to help you with that. I can beat you, starve you, or toture you. Last time we went with music. Shall we do that again?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "If i leave it up it causes problems. Like last time it went like this." Beatrice said As the other girl finished asking her own questions. " Nothing to bad. Well if you call what i did bad then who knows."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht @Song Book The redhead nodded in acknowledgement to Roxy's answer before turning back to Beatrice. "Problems? Well, you likely know better than I. Everyone adjusts in their own way, they say." Acht couldn't imagine exactly what kind of problem she could be referring to. Perhaps they had gotten caught on something before? Hard to say what it could be with no experience of one's own to go by. Turning to obtain some food as Roxy asked her second question, Acht thought for a good second before eventually stepping back with a plate of a few different foods. "I hope they improve their variety of seafood at some point. I'll starve." Shaking its head, it started toward one of the tables to sit down. "Hmm...are those our only options for crimes? One's clearly more specific than the other. I guess I'll take the second option for now, then."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book@YamiCuoreLaroux Roxy shook her head. She hadnt been expecting an answer. She was just curious what kind of answer they would give. She eat in silence for awhile. "Food will depend on performance. The better you perform the better you eat. Vlad will reward those who do their part. But he wont make it easy. He wants soliders and none of us are soliders."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "You speak as one with experience. Is this not really your first attempt in this program after all?" Acht didn't really look up from the food as it asked, but couldn't hide the curiosity, nonetheless. There was plenty to wonder about in this facility, and the people just seemed to become more interesting as the day went on. "Now that I think of it, did you ever say which of the two got you in here before?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "That's because I have been here the longest. I think. I am not good at following the rules so I have gotten past phase two. I can tell you the basics nothing more. Mostly because I ignored most of what the mad scientist said. Roxy explained while she eat. She know that this would make the others suspicious but there wasnt alot she could do about her knowledge. She would share but it was up to them whether they believed her or not.@YamiCuoreLaroux</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Ive been treated quiet nicely since I got here. though ive never met you guys till today." Beatrice smiled finnaly fixing her hair over the annouyance and finding some - insert treat with honey in it- and moving back to the table the two were at. " Why would you ignore the doctor, I don't think that has done you anything good."@KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book "Well, to be fair, the doctor doesn't speak in a way that inspires one to listen. That's why he uses other means." The hybrid took another bite of the food as it considered the information so far. Maybe... "I can listen to uninspiring speeches, but territory is something I'll have trouble with, I'm sure. As for why we haven't met, I suppose we weren't ready yet. It may have been dangerous to their plans in some way, or perhaps some of us..." A piece of fish fell apart under the fork, making the redhead frown at the failed attempt to pick it up. "...weren't exactly stable."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You only get to met the ones that survive round one. The first step is dangerous and not everyone survives. The thought is that you can morn people that you don't know. So only the survivors get to met." Roxy explained as she eat. She didn't bother telling them that making it to step two meant they would survive. Just that they were stronger than some.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Ever the courteous one, that doctor." Acht sighed and finished off the food on his plate before sitting back a bit. "For someone who doesn't listen, you certainly have learned quite a bit. Not that it's my business." "In any case, I do hope the doctor sees fit for a break at some point. I don't fancy drying out because he doesn't have the need for submersion every few hours, but perhaps he has a plan in place for that as well that he merely didn't care to share."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy shrugged. "I've learned alot. Mostly that Vlad is a mad scientist without a cue. He wthinks he can make criminals soldiers. I don't like, trust,or respect Vlad. I'll do as little as I can get away with."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " yeah I don't really like the doctor to much. But when faced with life sentence. I would rather be a soldier." She said eating a bit the small treat. All of a sudden both of her antennae pop out of her hair as if reacting to the sweet treat. Deciding to keep eating as if nothing happened, hoping no one else would notice them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Hmmhmm. I doubt anyone here truly likes the doctor, even the staff. Not really much you can do when he legally and somehow financially has what seems to be total control, though." Lowering its voice a bit further until it was almost muttering, the hybrid continued. "I wonder if perhaps we'll see the sun more often as soldiers, however. I'd love to see a bit more than just the facility someday." Returning its voice to a normal volume, Acht hummed a bit and propped a hand under its chin. "I know it's probably not the favored topic, but do you know what activity might be next?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato Being pleased that no one actually noticed that her antennae were out. she kept smiling trying to draw attention away from them. So didn't like the two much.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Since we're getting lunch it will most likely be gym." Roxy answered looking at the clock on the wall. She figured that Vlad would pick something that would make atleast one of them look foolish he liked to do that. He wanted them to be a team but he couldnt seem to resist the urge to pick on them. "You might as well get use to those stupid antennae. They arent going anywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Very well. I never liked gym, but what can we do? Besides, maybe a few things have changed." The hybrid picked at the skirt of its dress for a moment. "Anything we should be wary of, or is it just standard high school boredom with more chances for reward and punishment?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snorted at the question. "Vlad will expect you to preform above a high school level. Mostly it depends on where you are. He will want to evaluate how the animal DNA has changed you. He will do the tests you get in high school first. Strength, endurance, and speed. Once he had a basic number he will push you beyond that."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That sounds fun..." Beatrice said giving a evil eye to Roxy for mentioning her Antennea. It didn't seem like the other hybrid noticed though.</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "But still high school tests? So basically what I asked for. I'd honestly be disappointed if he really expected only that level of performance. Surely he didn't expect to fail that terribly." The hybrid smoothed out its clothes and gave a bored glance toward the others once more. "Well, then, here's to hoping that this will at least be entertaining in some manner."</s>
<\|description\|>Felix (No last name) Age: 16 Appearance: 5'4. Light build. He has black hair that goes down the sides of his head to about halfway down the ear and an inch and a half down in the front and back. Wears a black T-shirt and large black sweatpants. Sometimes wears a headband. Oh yeah, and he looks like a humanoid black cat. That's sort of important. He even has a tail. Has claws. Animal: Cat Personality: Felix is rather lighthearted and friendly, but when he gets agitated by something regarding him or his friends, he gets much more angry than he should, assuming he takes it seriously. He also gets bored easily. Hyperactive when cooped up. Notes: Likes cats, not because of the DNA. Likes animals in general, but mostly cats. Dislikes constant use of sarcasm directed towards him or other persons. Has a few small mental disorders that result in the agitation/boredom/hyperactivity. Very fast. Very agile. Bio: Felix lived in a house by himself from 7th grade onwards. His mother died and he never had a father, so he gets touchy about those subjects. His mother was ill for a long period of time, so he prepared for living alone in terms of capabilities. Nobody knows these things aside from people he tells. Anyways, he had a friend named Liam who was the only one who knew these things. Some person and their gang, basically stereotypical bullies, picked on him and his friend....for apparently no reason. When push came to shove, Felix got mad and beat the bully to death with a metal bat. He got locked up for premeditated murder (Which was true, but he doesn't see it that way). He doesn't consider himself a criminal, but he doesn't deny that he did that. Then the government guys came and took him to the facility-thing.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone KFC Tyrones eyes scanned the table, no KFC no Chicken, yippie, and then suddenly people arrived, one of them even askes "is this food to eat?" and was interrupted by some weird voice, Of course theres nothing good to eat! Tyrone thought. What kinda buffet is this! Tyrone decided not to eat, they're was barely anything healthy, no Mac Donalds either, so he decided he might as well talk to the new dude here, and then he saw a Man wearing a skirt walking through a door, at least Tyrone Thought it was a man, Tyrone giggled at the persons hilarious dress @YamiCuoreLaroux Nice giggle costume he commented on the persons unbelievably dumb outfit, and suddenly, giggling turned into laughing and Tyrone laughed out loud at the stupidest saddest, piece of clothing in the world</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas took a variety of food from the table and put it on his plate. He began to eat some of the chicken first and thought that it was not as good as the chicken he use to have. Then again nothing that he got was as good as he used to have it. He clear his plate of food anyway just to keep his strength up, but mainly because he was very hungry. When he hear him mention competition his mind began to race about what it could be, and possible consequence, good and bad. He got tired of worrying and eventually asked the man (Vlad) "Sir what exactly do you mean by competition, are there going to be competitive and what are the events in this competition?"</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The minute the cuffs were removed, the teen slowly started for the table, only to be stopped by what seemed to be a heckler who had no clue of his own situation. Walking straight up to the table as calmly as possible, she picked up a plate and started to fill it with various cut fruits. At the same time, two powerful tentacles shot out from under the skirt to bullet right past the heckler, never touching him, but certainly coming close enough to make any normal person flinch. Rather than just hitting him, though, they soon turned away after a second and picked up a plate of fish. "Oh, really? I'm glad you think so: I selected it especially to root out the easily overpowered." Curling one tentacle a bit tighter around the dish, she divided the fish on it into two pieces, flinging one in his general direction. "Here. You clearly need this more than anyone here. You might survive a few seconds longer."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone flinched, the tentacles barely missing his ear's, With a face of surprise, he lifted up and caught the piece of cooked fish with his fork, turning the fork and piece of fish into a Kebab He became more alive, taking a large bite out of the weird Fork/fish Kebab he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear him though, Damn.. and then yelled out Thats frackin' AWESOME!</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am open to ideas but I do have a couple competitions that I want to see you to compete in. With the DNA added to yours you will notice changes in your abilities. Some of you will run faster. Some of you will be stronger. I have come up with a few competition to test for these changes. You will also need to try to shift. Some will change easily. Others will strange." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas showed that he acknowledged Vlad's comment and turned his attention onto the 2 kids causing the ruckus. He noticed that one of the boys was facing a girl who looks like she wants to chop him up into sushi more then the fish with her big tentacle s. Though the boys simply doesn't care, probably because of the guards....I hope. Maybe they got a bit more of the animal DNA.....or there just being kids. He dogded a piece of fish flying toward him. He wanted to talk to Vlad about more ideas but since he didn't really know everyone's capabilities, he rather just wait and see for himself what they can do. So he sat there watching the 2 of them go at it.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snatched a steak off one of the tables. Since she ad recieved the anther DNA she had started eating food rawer and rawer. At first that had bothered her. But now she just accepted it. She leaned against one of the walls as she studied the other teens. She dismissed most of them as not being a threat to her. Even without her knives, which Vlad had taken, she coukd kick their asses.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Satisfied that the rude male had stopped, the redhead continued picking the foods he desired just as calmly as they had been. It wouldn't do to actually have a fight here, not at this time, and certainly not involving food like a wasteful delinquent. All he wanted was to assert that any attempt to mess with it would not be tolerated, and that appeared to have been achieved. Retracting the tentacles back under the skirt as if they had never appeared in the first place, she took the plate of fish in his free hand and brought the food over to a less occupied part of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone kept taking bites out of the fish, and in a couple seconds the fish was gone, he barely listened to Vlads intercom announcements. So, whats up everyone He introduced himself to the group, with bits and bobs of fish still in his mouth</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "The ceiling." Roxy replied sarcastically. She wasn't much of a people person. She had to admit that she was curious about her fellow 'criminals'. She wanted to know what they had done to get into this program. Did they have agreements with Vlad they way she did. If so she was curious what the terms of their agreement Vlad.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone actually looked up at the Ceiling, it was a Shiny metal ceiling but they're wasn't really anything on it. Tyrone kept looking at the ceiling and expected something to happen..But however nothing happened Tyrone looked down at the Girl who looked like she was on the streets for a couple years and with a confused look on his face he asked the girl Yeah, what about the ceiling?</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Although Lucas was disappointed that nothing drastic happened with the girl, he became very amused with Tyrone and Roxy. The fact that he didn't get the joke mean he must be on the slower side. As for The other girl she not only seemed to be a trouble maker, but she also seemed unfazed by all the guards, scientists, and so on. He noted to make a point to introduce himself to her after there done with their conversation.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht felt caught between rolling its eyes and smirking. Clearly, the assessment of the rude one had been correct: He wouldn't be much trouble unless he needed to use him for something. Which she would be making every effort to avoid for now. He had other observations to make about the others, like that witty girl who had just spoken. "They say that sarcasm is a foreign language for some, and a sign of a healthy mind for others." Looking up to the girl, he gave a slight smile. "Good to know that there are still some in this place."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You asked what was up." Roxy reminded him as she ate her steak. She smirked at the boy's question. Apparently he wasn't the brightest bulb in the group. Her sarcasm seemed to be completely lose on him. Which of course meant that she would have to find more ways to use it. She loved confusing people. "So I told you. At the moment the only thing that is up is the ceiling."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Saurcayshum?, what the heck does that mean? Tyrone thought and looked up a the ceiling, and looked back at the girl smiling and waving his left index finger back and forth, he smiled as if he found out the answer to a hard math question Now I get it!, I said whats up and you said the Ceiling, Because it was above me! @KatherinWinter he turned to the Squid-dude and asked him so what does "sarcasm" mean</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He looked at the girl with the ridiculous dress. He would laugh if he hadn't seen what happened earlier with the other boy. He kept analyzing her until she gave him a look, then realizing he had been starting at her for longish period of time. "Not really, at least nothing that I could openly speak about that's of any importance." He look at her for a second or two longer and then said "Actually what things do you know your capable of, as in your powers?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Alright teens. Our first competition is a race. The only rule is that you can not harm each other or the guards. The first one to find me in the facility will recieve a reward. The rest of you will recieve a demerit." Vlad announced.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht almost pouted at the initial response the boy finally gave before perking up a little at his question after. "Hmm...what indeed..." He gave a small smile and looked away slyly with a finger pressed under its lip, the skirt she wore seeming to rustle slightly on its own. The announcement from Vlad led her to grin a bit wider back at the male it had just been speaking with, however. "I suppose this will be how you find out, hmm? I'm sure it will be interesting." Standing up from his table, the redhead smoothed out the garments he wore. "So, where do we start?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat I know where I'm startin'! He enthusiastically yelled and ran out of the room, He ran past the table and ran back to his little room Tyrone slammed open the door and pretty much destoryed it, and looked inside of his little cramped room hoping to find the person on the intercom</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral A bit disappointed that he didn't get his answer, he still was going to see what she could do. He took 2 cans of soda and pocketed them then unzipped his jacket. He began concocting ideas on how to win since the only rule was that he can't hurt anyone. He sighed feeling a bit sorry for the boy, who he just saw running out of the room. He could of just simply asked Vlad himself. Now in mind that the boy was a idiot, he looked a Vlad waiting for him to answer the girl.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You start right where you are of course. Your all in the same place so no one gets a head start. You can start when everyone is done eating. You must all start at the same time. Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Tyrone immediately stopped, hearing the announcement he lost almost all of his enthusiasm, Cursing like crazy under his breath, he walked out from his pretty much destroyed room and walked back to the table, sitting down back on his spot and sitting kinda-patiently, tapping his foot on the ground and doing whatever he can to keep himself occupied for the next 5 seconds. Today... He whispered in his breath impatiently.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht looked around the room at the others once the announcement had finished. "Well then, are we all ready? Wouldn't want to leave anyone unfinished, after all." It walked toward the door, stopping just a little ways away and turning to wait for the others. "Take your time. Planning is always important, you know."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone I'm ready, don't know about you but I'm ready Tyrone says, tapping his foot a bit slower now, things were starting to move at last!.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He gave a shrug and gave a look like "does it look like I have anything better to do?" He went back to thinking of the ways to win without breaking the rules. "The boy probably doesn't know his left from his right, and the girl in the dress well unless she's going to change will have problem running or at least should." He thought to himself.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC (damnit sopa)</s>	<\|message\|>Felix (No last name) Felix slowly walked into the gym, noticing everything that was happening. A whopping....nothing. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry I'm late. What is happening here?" To noone at all. His tail swished on the ground, and he was pretty sure something bad was going to happen.....to him.</s>
<\|description\|>Javotte Dupont Glass Slipper Notable characters: (Obviously without the eyes) Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 25 About: Javotte is the eldest of three girls. When she was growing up she had a pretty terrible home life. In order to protect herself she cut herself off from all emotions and thinking. It was only recently that she regained her sense of self and is striving to become someone she wants to be. Because of that desire she's travelling to a different world to find her youngest sister Cinderella. Name: Cinderella Charming Status: Missing About: Cinderella was the youngest of three children. Her life was hard from the get go. Her parents hated her and raised her as a servant. Her oldest sisters either ignored her or tormented her. She never knew easy like they did. As she grew older she resented them and all they stood for. When she married Prince Charming she was able to get her Fairy Godmother to punish them for all their foul deeds. Cinderella can be just as cruel as her mother who raised her. Name: Lady Tremaine Dupont Status: Dead About: Madam Dupont didn't expect to have a third child. Upon discovering it was a another girl she blamed herself. For with their money problems they couldn't afford another daughter. After deciding to act like they never had her, Madam Dupont feel into a deep depression. By modern standards she would have been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Or a manic depressive. However left unhelped her mental state deteriorated and she became both mentally and physically abusive to all around her. After she was attacked by the Doves she took her own life. Name: Sir Dupont Status: Alive About: A loving man in a hard situation, forced to make a choice that destroyed him. Upon the mistreatment and deterioration of his wife, Dupont fled his home and went out travelling. He returned only upon the notice of his youngest daughter getting married to the Prince. However not all was happy for his wife and middle daughter died and his eldest was left crippled. Horrified he dedicated himself to keeping Javotte well and repairing the damage done. Name: Meava Dupont Status: Dead About: Unfortunately Meava suffered from the same mental affliction as her mother. Subjected to the mood swings Meave began to have some of her own. Her mother nurtured them and Meava turned out more cruel than her own mother. Unfortunately the object of her cruelty more often than not ended up being Cinderella. After the loss of her eyes Meava died of shock. And maybe a little of the horror at what she might look like being disfigured. Meava's vanity was legendary. Name: Prince Charming Status: Alive About: Prince Charming isn't all that bright. But he's a good man and a good husband. He's able to withstand Cinderella's quirks and equally detests her family. Now that Cinderella's missing he'll stop at nothing to get her back. Name: Fairy Godmother Status: Alive About: The Fairy Godmother of Cinderella was first drawn to the girl by her tears of anguish. Seeking to help the girl she transformed her into a princess. Of course a Fairy's power only lasts until the moon sets, so the girl was on her own after that. Still, she stuck around to make sure Cinderella was getting on all right. Though she deeply regrets letting Cinderella get a wish against her mother and sisters. If she had known what Cinderella had planned she wouldn't have gone through with it.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was quite surprised how easily her explanation was accepted. Though Cinderella's Godmother did say each world had a story. Perhaps this world was centered on lost sisters. The thought almost make a hysterical laugh escape her lips. But she forced it down. She had had lots of practice with good manners. Once the fit passed Javotte was able to detect the defensiveness in the woman's voice. She had heard of witches that ate children. And even of those who stole Maidens. Was this woman stealing people? She was thankful for the distraction of the food. Though now she was more worried about her own safety. "Perhaps I will." Javotte said as she brushed a deft finger of the plate and the silverware. High class. Javotte confirmed. There was more silverware here than in her home. It was like dining at the castle. ""I am not from this area and I'm very much turned around." Javotte asked slowly. "Do many people go missing in this area?" As soon as she finished she worried that perhaps she should have asked about the wedding instead. But Cinderella was out there somewhere and she had promised to find her. And that mean she couldn't shy away from information.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a slight smile to Javotte as she said perhaps she would go to the village and search. After all she didn't know this woman, perhaps she was lying about her sister. Or perhaps she was like the others, quick to judge and slow to forgive. I thought entered her mind that maybe she should inform her of the things that would be said about Adam now, pled his case to the new stranger before she went to the village and heard what she likely would. However, before she could, Javotte started speaking again and she took it as a sigh she should not. "Not many, no. Often times people get lost in the forest because of the storms, and Adam gives them food and shelter. Then I see them back in the morning." She said truthfully noticing the somewhat tenseness of her body and how slow her words were as she asked that question. "Lately there is only one person that hasn't come home, but it has been years since this time." She answered sadly before turning her attention to her food instead of going much farther into her answer. "I must ask though, if you are not from the village or city, why is it that you believe she is here?" Belle asked after thinking about it for a moment, before then it hadn't been much thought to her, someone looking for their sister seemed so simple that she had no real reason to question it. However, if she was from the city she would have known that no one really disappeared without returning home.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte forced herself to continue to eat normally. She gently checked all the silverware before she changed utensils. She also checked which food she had left still and mentally gauged her path. Manners, manners, manners. What else do you rely on when you might get eaten by a witch? As Belle continued to speak to Javotte, answering her many questions. At first her answer seemed logical then she added that yes, someone has gone missing. At first she hoped. If it was poor Ella, but no, it had been years. Javotte sighed and placed her silverware down. She couldn't see Belle, but she tilted her head, to hopefully be looking her, to where the woman's voice came from. "I was told she could be found here from a reliable source." Javotte dropped her head away and sighed again. "Apparently it wasn't as reliable as I had wished if you have truly not seen her." She tensed ever so slightly in her seat waiting for the woman's next words. Most people relied on physical cues for lies and deception. Javotte found the voice told a lot more. If Belle had seen Cinderella and was lying about it, Javotte was sure she'd know with her next words.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle watched as Javotte laid her silverware down looking at her, or perhaps if the girl could see she be looking at her. Though Javotte's head tilted a little to far to the left, Belle wouldn't be one to say anything to harm the girls feelings. Though she frowned a little at Javotte's answer, that a reliable source told her to come here. How lovely, now outsiders were sending people to the castle as well? She gave a soft sigh shaking her head a little. How she wished that she knew where the girls sister was. If nothing else, to prove to whoever sent her that they wouldn't steal away Javotte's sister. Her eyes looked over at her guest who now hung her head, from what Belle thought to be sadness. Reaching across from her hand found Javotte's and she patted it softly hoping to comfort her in some way. As it truly was the best she could do. "I am sorry that I couldn't be more help. I wish that I had seen her sister so I could send her back to you." Belle said sadly before removing her hand. She always hated to see someone even a stranger sad something that had always annoyed Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering the dining hall. Amelia looked at Javotte for a moment before her eyes looked over at Belle confused. Belle shook her head, to keep her from asking what was wrong. "Are you finished eating Madams? Shall I take your plates?" "Yes, Amelia." Belle said before looking at what was left on Javotte's plate, normally she would say something if one of her guests left food on their plate. Something that came from being poor for so many years, but she chose against it. "Are you finished Javotte?" Belle added as Amelia took her plate</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was startled by the touch. She couldn't help the slight flinch at it. It was startling. Yet compassionate. After her ordeal she knew patronizing or actions done just for show. How could she not? So it wasn't the touch itself that made her jump. It was the truth, and sincerity. Belle hadn't seen, not had anything to do with her sister. If Javotte had anymore doubts, the honesty and sadness in the woman's voice would have dispelled them. "Thank you." Javotte said quietly. And she remained quiet until Belle spoke to her again. She had no real way of knowing how much was left uneaten upon her plate. Nor did she know how to react to the question. After so many years of other people largely making the decisions for her left her speechless. Still, they were waiting for an answer. "Yes Madam." Javotte said finally. "Thank you." Javotte lifted the napkin out of her lap and placed it upon the table. "I am truly thankful for your hospitality, but I must be going. You said there was a village nearby that I might try?"</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle quickly removed her hand from Javotte's arm when she flinched away from her a little. The gesture was actually not just for show, she truly was trying to be comforting. However, it was becoming apparent her words were making things worse. Or at least it seemed like it was. She frowned and nodded as Jarvotte thanked her. She didn't say anything else either until Amelia came into the dining room to take their plates. Perhaps she should have stopped to think of the fact Jarvotte was unable to see if she was done with her plate. However, the thought never even entered her mind, as Jarvotte was the first blind person whom she had actually met, and she truly didn't know how hungry the girl was. As Amelia took their plates Belle took the napkin that lay on her lap and dapped her own mouth before sitting it on the table as well, as Jarvotte thanked her for her hospitality. Of course there really wasn't much need for thanks, it was the proper thing for a mistress of the castle to do such things as entertain guests and make sure they had been feed before they left, even offer a place to stay if they had nowhere else. Belle nodded about to thank Jarvotte for her company, before she asked about the village. Amelia let slip a snort of derision at the mention of trying for help from the village, the bunch of fools didn't know their hand from their feet in her opinion. Having been working in the castle before Beast was even born, she knew full well how hateful and ignorant the towns people were. "I would not expect much from them, Madame." She said before getting a dirty from Belle. "Amelia! You are being rude, please just take the plates and leave." Belle said both annoyed and saddened that she honestly doubted them able to be much help to Jarvotte either. Belle watched Amelia leave the room before turning her glaze back to her guest. "Please do excuse her Madame, she is still rather sore about the lack of help we have gotten from the town in finding my Adam." She said sadly, fighting the urged to cry once more at the fact she would truly be alone if he didn't return. "However, I am sure they will be much more willing to help you. Perhaps even be willing to speak to you in the first place." Belle finished her tone sounding hopeful.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte would have blinked, if such a tell still worked for her, when Amelia snorted. Alas there was no time to interject as Belle began talking. When the Lady finished Javotte just sat there, processing what she had said. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hadn't said anything about other people disappearing. Still, it wasn't something she could ignore. Not after she was sent here. Maybe Cinderella's Fairy Godmother knew more than she had told Javotte. "Your Adam is missing?" Javotte asked hesitantly. "For how long?" Not that the answer would make a difference. Javotte had paid no head to gossip and so she didn't know for how long Cinderella had been missing before they went to the Castle. It could have been days or for just hours.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle kept a hopeful smile on her face as her guest just sat there for a moment. However, she frowned a little at Jarvotte's question and nodded her head slowly although the girl clearly was unable to see her movements. "Yes, but he will come back. I know he will." Belle answered softly looking away from her guest, her voice breaking a little despite trying to keep herself from crying again. She should have guessed that such a question would have been asked, though she was so used to the subjected being changed whenever Adam came up with others. Much like with Jarvotte and her sister, Belle had no idea where to even start looking for Beast. "He was done yesterday morning when I went to wake him." She answered still looking away from Jarovtte, before wiping away the moisture that started to form around the corners of her eyes. "The servants other than Ameila are saying he left me for another so he wouldn't have to marry me. But I know it cannot be true, he wouldn't leave me after I broke his curse. Let alone, leave his own castle." Belle finished opening up a little bit more than she intended to her guest.</s>	<\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte wasn't a dog. Which was a good thing or else you would have seen her ears perk up and a tail wag. Magic. There was magic here. That was the best thing she had heard since she had gotten here. If Cinderella's Fairy Godmother could use magic to find Cinderella, or rather fail to find her, than surely a Fairy here could help her. Just as long as she didn't go to the one who was curing people. "He used to be cursed?" The blind woman asked innocently, trying to steer the conversation. And she didn't want to look too obvious. There was still always the chance of looking like a complete loon. Oh, I'm only asking because my sister got kidnapped from her universe yesterday and her fairy godmother sent me on what's looking like a wild goose chase through your universe. I was rather hoping I might have better luck talking to your absent fiance's godmother. Or godfather. "I can't imagine who would do such a terrible thing." Javotte hoped she wasn't laying it on too thick. It had been quite a while since she had been in 'polite' society. Let alone deal with politics. Or gathering information without revealing why. Her sisters had always been better at covert than she. Meava would have had Belle eating out of her hands by now. Well, the Meava that didn't go crazy like their mother that was.</s>
<\|description\|>Javotte Dupont Glass Slipper Notable characters: (Obviously without the eyes) Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 25 About: Javotte is the eldest of three girls. When she was growing up she had a pretty terrible home life. In order to protect herself she cut herself off from all emotions and thinking. It was only recently that she regained her sense of self and is striving to become someone she wants to be. Because of that desire she's travelling to a different world to find her youngest sister Cinderella. Name: Cinderella Charming Status: Missing About: Cinderella was the youngest of three children. Her life was hard from the get go. Her parents hated her and raised her as a servant. Her oldest sisters either ignored her or tormented her. She never knew easy like they did. As she grew older she resented them and all they stood for. When she married Prince Charming she was able to get her Fairy Godmother to punish them for all their foul deeds. Cinderella can be just as cruel as her mother who raised her. Name: Lady Tremaine Dupont Status: Dead About: Madam Dupont didn't expect to have a third child. Upon discovering it was a another girl she blamed herself. For with their money problems they couldn't afford another daughter. After deciding to act like they never had her, Madam Dupont feel into a deep depression. By modern standards she would have been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Or a manic depressive. However left unhelped her mental state deteriorated and she became both mentally and physically abusive to all around her. After she was attacked by the Doves she took her own life. Name: Sir Dupont Status: Alive About: A loving man in a hard situation, forced to make a choice that destroyed him. Upon the mistreatment and deterioration of his wife, Dupont fled his home and went out travelling. He returned only upon the notice of his youngest daughter getting married to the Prince. However not all was happy for his wife and middle daughter died and his eldest was left crippled. Horrified he dedicated himself to keeping Javotte well and repairing the damage done. Name: Meava Dupont Status: Dead About: Unfortunately Meava suffered from the same mental affliction as her mother. Subjected to the mood swings Meave began to have some of her own. Her mother nurtured them and Meava turned out more cruel than her own mother. Unfortunately the object of her cruelty more often than not ended up being Cinderella. After the loss of her eyes Meava died of shock. And maybe a little of the horror at what she might look like being disfigured. Meava's vanity was legendary. Name: Prince Charming Status: Alive About: Prince Charming isn't all that bright. But he's a good man and a good husband. He's able to withstand Cinderella's quirks and equally detests her family. Now that Cinderella's missing he'll stop at nothing to get her back. Name: Fairy Godmother Status: Alive About: The Fairy Godmother of Cinderella was first drawn to the girl by her tears of anguish. Seeking to help the girl she transformed her into a princess. Of course a Fairy's power only lasts until the moon sets, so the girl was on her own after that. Still, she stuck around to make sure Cinderella was getting on all right. Though she deeply regrets letting Cinderella get a wish against her mother and sisters. If she had known what Cinderella had planned she wouldn't have gone through with it.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle dropped her hand away from her eye as Jarvotte, a frown playing on her face. She hadn't meant to say that, it had just come out before her mind could stop her lips from spilling the words. Belle heisted to speak for a moment, shifting in her chair in the silence. "I…I shouldn't have told you that." She said in a soft almost whisper. Belle sighed a little at her own stupidity before she shook her head and answered her guest's question. "Yes, he was. He is no longer, however. Surely even where you are from there are stories about, The Beast of Le Château Rose. Who steals women and children, I assure you this is not true if that is why whoever sent you here did. I am the only one he has taken, and I was happy to trade my life so my father could live. I was reason he took something from the castle." She said her tone turning defensive. Everyone always would judge Beast no matter how many times Belle tried to preach the truth, no one ever would listen to her, not even her father. Belle sighed softly sadly, knowing that the woman was likely not even listening anymore. "It is not his fault he was cursed before he was even born." Belle looked up at the next words that Jarvotte spoke surprising her. It was uncommon for any kindness or sympathy shown towards her prince. No normally this would be the time that the person she was speaking to would do one of three things. Laugh in her face calling her a moron, simply walk away, or if they were at the castle, push her out of the way and start searching the castle to find nothing. "I…I'm sorry. What?" Belle said her tone giving away her surprise. "I have never had anyone care enough to ask such a thing." She answered after a moment of not speaking. "I do not know the whole story truly, Adam has tried to keep me from no such horrible things. He says that it was an enchantress who was in love with his father while he still ruled as king. So she tried to curse his wife, however she was pregnant and the curse laid on Adam instead." She answered with a frown as she tried to recall the story he had told her.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte fiddled with her skirt. Her fingers pulling the fabric, then smoothing it back out again. The motion was hopefully hidden by the table, but she had no way of really knowing. Yet the anxiety she felt was too much for her to stop the nervous gesture. Belle had gone on the defensive, arguing that her Adam was a good man. And yet her own words were a contradiction. He steals women, but he doesn't. He stole Belle yet she doesn't count? The blind woman kept her mouth shut, perhaps wisely, letting the other woman spill her secrets. She seemed almost eager. "An enchantress you say?" Javotte leaned back in her chair, having now received the tantalizing piece of information. She tried to wrap her mind around it. Back home she had only heard of benevolent magic users. Like Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Apparently that wasn't the case here. Which was truly a set back. She had hoped it would be easy. And so she found herself at a crossroads. Give up or continue down this hard path. To be frank, Javotte didn't imagine much would happen in this world. She saw herself quickly finding Cinderella. Upon the meeting she'd tell her younger sister her message and... Then what? They'd still be trapped. No wonder her world was a Fairy Tale. She was a ninny. She had walked out of her own Fairy Tale. If there was a Happily Ever After it had been left at home. She wouldn't find it here. There was no easy path. Javotte sighed heavily. "Have you not considered that this woman might be behind your Adam's disappearance?" The manipulative words were easier to find this time. Mostly because she believed them.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle nodded her head as Jarovtte spoke again. She hasn't even noticed the girls nervousness, nor the slight movement of her fingers under the table. Much to into her argument with more much herself, seeing how unlike everyone else. Jarvotte didn't even say anyone about her words, nor her story. Belle frowned a bit before talking. "That is what I have been told by Adam." She answered all of her defensiveness gone now, as she returned to her soft kind tone returning once more. Though the woman's next question surprised Belle a little bit. Though it was logical, Belle never would have thought to go looking for Adam with the enchantress. "Truly, I had not thought of that." She answered slowly and thoughtfully. The idea that maybe Adam had been taken by the woman that cursed him was frightening really. The thought of what the evil woman could want from her Adam scared her even more. "That is actually frightening to think of. I would not even know where to look for her" Belle said.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte had to pursed her lips to keep the sign from escaping her lips. A sad, very, very, depressed sigh. Square two. She mentally told herself. But at least she wasn't back at square one. She knew her next path. Now it was up to her to tactfully leave with her new information. "That is truly unfortunate. Your hospitality becomes you." Javotte inclined her head to where Belle's voice had last come from. "Thank you for the lovely meal. But I must be off. Every second I waste my sister gets further away." Javotte pushed the heavy chair backwards. She might be blind, but she wasn't an invalid. She was more than able to get out of the seat by herself. Though if it wasn't so sturdy and wooden, it would have been much easier. Still, she wiggled out of the chair and stood. She smoothed her dress down and unfortunately had to wait. If it had been back home, she could have made it out of anywhere, including the castle.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Jarvotte's purse of the lips didn't go unnoticed by Belle, and she almost felt the need to apologize for not being more helpful. Though she truly didn't know any more than she had said about the enchantress, if Adam did in fact know where to find the woman, he would have kept it from Belle. Not that she ever would have thought to ask in the first place. In the moment of quietness before Jarvotte spoke again, Belle's mind raced a little bit, the thought of this enchantress having her Adam only making her worries that much worse. Still when her guest spoke Belle looked up at her with a slight smile, and nodded her head. "It was a pleasure, if you are still in the village and unable to find a place to rest tonight, you are welcome to return for the night." She offered though she was quite sure that her guest would not return, it was still an offer Belle always made. Belle easily pushed the chair back so that she could get out of the table, quite used to the thickness of the chairs, she didn't have the same trouble that Jarvotte seemed to be having. Belle's hand reached for the blind girls arm softly, and started to lead her outside. "Perhaps, I should have one of the servants see that you make it to the village without the worry of getting lost." She said thoughtfully, the last she wanted was to actually be the reason that someone was lost.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was guided through the estate. It was very kind of Belle to do it herself. And the offer of a guide was also very kind and quite, unfortunately, necessary. This new place was nothing like her home and without her eye sight, there was no way she could navigate to the village. "Your offer is very kind. I would not like to impede any of their duties, but I would appreciate the courtesy." Javotte told Belle solemnly. "For I am afraid I could not find the village on my own." The woman's mouth twisted at mentioning her blindness. The only comfort was the Mistress of the home had not seen under the bandages. Of course neither had Javotte, but she had heard the screams and gasps and felt the gouges and scars that had been left behind. Maybe once upon a time she had been pretty. But now she was horribly disfigured, and loathed to point it out.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a sympathetic look towards her guest as she mentioned her own blindness. For it truly had been something Belle had made sure to refrain from mentioned at all. Though if anyone could see past the blindness and bandages, it would have likely been her. After all in Belle's mind, beauty came from within not from the outside. "No, it's quite alright. There are after all many servants here. I actually am in need of a few things from town, and I am not comfortable going there anymore. It really is no trouble." She tried to reassure her with a slight smile as she lead Jarvotte out of the castle and helped her into the carriage. After making sure she was comfortably inside, she went about getting a servant to help guide her around the town.</s>	<\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte stepped down from the carriage carefully. Even with the additional helping hand she felt awkward. But that was a normal feeling now and she pushed past it. She thanked the servant, male from the voice and hands. He quietly, but firmly, informed her he was going to stick to her side. He didn't give her a time frame, which slightly bothered Javotte, but she knew how to pick her battles. Javotte tilted her head and felt the sun on her face. If the sun behaved like her sun did, it was a little past noon. The carriage ride down to the village from Belle's castle wasn't quick by any means. Mayhaps if she had been on horse back it would have been quicker. If she could find somewhere for lunch maybe she could ask about her sister. Of course there was a problem of money. Javotte frowned but the servant himself suggested somewhere to eat and he even paid for it. (Belle was very generous). Javotte, in what must be a restaurant, inquired about her sister. No one had seen her. Most told her to go to Adam's castle. Which wasn't very helpful. Which left her with the option of going to the Enchantress' place. That took her longer to get directions to. Instead she was pointed to another town. She left Belle's servant and gained a ride with a nice farming couple headed back home. The couple insisted she spend the night, which Javotte was happy to oblige. From there she set off on a dirt track to another town. After that she was pointed to another town and then to a forest. At the forest she was directed to a dirt track that should lead her to her goal. The forest was loud to Javotte's ears. Everything made noise from the trees to the animals. For the city born and breed girl it was unnerving and by the time the dirt track turned into packed gravel, she was frightened and tense. The sun had set so she no longer had a way to judge time, but she knew it was late and no one was likely to be up. Still, she followed the hard gravel road in hopes of finding some shelter. She found a squat stone wall after a few minutes and happily hugged it. Civilization. Or at least a sign of human life. Javotte felt a little better and stepped away from the wall. She was foot sore and every second she stood still threatened to drag her to the ground. Javotte choose a direction and followed the wall. Her pale hand gently grazed the wall to keep her path. She hoped she had chosen the shorter direction to a gate and wouldn't have to walk around the entire wall. Thankfully after the thought had passed she did indeed come to a wooden gate. It was shorter than the wall which meant Javotte had no problems unlatching it and walking through the barrier. She closed the gate behind her. She lifted her head to the wind and sniffed. She couldn't smell anything so she judged the wind was blowing towards the domicile. With that mental picture she turned her back to the wind and set herself looking for a foot path to the door. "It's a little to the right." A woman's voice said. Startled, Javotte jumped and let out a little cry. "Who are-?" She started to ask when the other woman sighed. She sounded of age with Javotte. "No one comes here without good reason. So I'm going to assume that was a rhetorical question." The voice wasn't cruel, just dispassionate. Still Javotte flinched and she blushed. "You're the Enchantress." There was no response, but there wasn't a need for one, which Javotte was quickly realizing, meant the Enchantress wouldn't answer.</s>
<\|description\|>Belle Leclair Single Rose Notable characters: Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 24 About: Belle is a only child. As a child her life was pretty great, with two hard working parents and a wealthy lifestyle. Until her mother became deathly ill. With almost every penny of her parents money going to doctors, she was forced to give up schooling to care for her mother, until her death. Due to this she isn't the sharpest. After being locked in a castle for four years with only Adam and servants to keep her company, she developed what by modern standards would be called Stockholm Syndrome. Now with Adam gone her whole world seems to be falling apart before her eyes. Name: Madame Leclair Status: Dead About: A caring and hard working woman Madame LeClair, was a great mother and well liked person. Physically unable to have more than one child. A fact she and her husband kept hidden. She made sure to spoil her daughter and also teach her the value of hard work. It is unknown what actually killed her, as she became very weak in the end. Name: Monsieur Leclair Status: Alive About: After losing his wife to an unknown illness, and being forced to give his daughter to a monster. Monsieur Leclair went through a state of depression for almost a year before coming up with a plan to get his fortune back and get his daughter back. Then when Belle came back to him, giving him a little bit of hope she had returned. Until she left without notice, and went back to the monster again, agreed to marry him, and returned claiming he was a Prince. This caused Monsieur Leclair to snap and in a fit of anger he kicked Belle out of his house, disowning her and moving back to the city. Name: Prince Adam Beast Status: Missing About: Cursed before he was even born by a witch to look like a hairy monster, or what in modern terms would be known has Terminal Hypertrichosis. Prince Adam grew his whole life being called a monster or beast, causing him to turn a bit bitter towards only people even as a child. When it was discovered that only true love would break the curse, he tried his hardest to be kinder to travelers. Helping those that became lost in the woods. When Belle came to the castle, and he fell in love with her, it almost killed him. Now that he has her in his life things have changed greatly for him, he would never willingly leave her. Name: Enchantress Status: Alive About: W.I.P</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Once Upon a Time there was a girl named Belle. She was the only child, born to a wealthy merchant and his beautiful wife. Both of her parents were hard workers, from hard working families, and despite their wealth they did their best to teach Belle the value of hard work. At the age of eight she started helping her father in the market at his stand, being the only child selfless enough to do such a thing in the rich town they lived in. Belle was adored by all of her father's customers, something that soon he started to use for his own benefit. Belle was a common sight in the market place as she grew older. When she turned seventeen however, her mother Madam Leclair grew sick. Over the next two years Belle's father spent almost every bit of their wealth to get his wife the treatment she needed, including Belle's dowry. But the doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with her mother, and without their former wealth the three were forced to move to a small a farm house in a country side town. With barely enough money for them to live off of, Belle's father took both the money for her dowry and education to reopen his market and restart their life. As he hunted for the furs and meat for the new stall, he left his young daughter to care for his dying wife, until the sad day she died. After the death of Madam Leclair the two tried hard to get their life back together, and soon things started to even look as if they were getting better. Until one day while Monsieur Leclair was out hunting a great storm hit, driving him farther into the forest until he became lost. Belle of course was worried about her dear father, as he was the only person she cared for left. Not to mention that he was quite old at the time, and could easily die in the terribly cold rain. When he returned the next evening, she was so overjoyed, that she ran to greet him. When inquiring where he had been she got a dreadful story. Cold, soaking wet, and still being driven father from home, he came upon a large castle. Where he found food laid out for him and shelter for the night however, never despite his looking could he found the master of the castle. In the morning when he went to leave, he picked but a single rose from the rosebush outside to bring to Belle, when a horrible beast rose from the bush. Claiming him to be ungrateful, despite the fact the beast had given him a shelter from the storm. As he begging for his life, claiming the rose was for his daughter, the beast made a deal. He would have his life, if he gave up her daughter. Horrified, but given no chose, Belle was lead to the castle by her father. That is when she first met Beast, and despite his frighting appearance, he was quite kind to her. Over the four years she stayed in the beast's castle he did his best to make sure her every need was catered to. Food, clothing, the finest jewels, and whatever else she could want. Yet everynight he would ask her to marry him, and every night she would insist she could not. One day after they ate dinner, he took her out to the patio of the castle and asked her to marry once more. This time however, the Beast asked Belle she could not give her hand to him in marriage something he had never thought to do. Causing Belle to pause, for there really was no true reason behind her refusal, she give him without hurting his feelings. As much as she liked beast as a friend, that was as far as her feelings went. The seer idea of marrying someone who looked as he did, was unthinkable to her. "It is that I cannot do such a thing, without my father's blessing." She lied to him, knowing that if her father were ever to be asked he would refuse as well. Much to her relief he said that he understood, and the subject was dropped. Until the next morning over breakfast the beast gave Belle an offer she couldn't refuse, a chance to return home. If she asked her father to give him her hand, and she return that night. When she returned home, her father was happy to see her, having made up our fortune while she had been staying at the castle. Belle was enjoying being home so much that as she laid her head down in her bed that night she completely had forgotten about her promise to return that night. As she slept she had a nightmare which woke her of the beast laying next to rosebushes, begging her to returning to him as he died. Grabbing one of her fathers horses, she made hast to the castle to found him by the bushes, and as she cried over his half dead body, saying she loved him and would marry him. She broke the Beasts curse, one that had been laid upon him by an evil witch before he was even born. The next few weeks things were almost wonderful for the new lovers and were over ran with the wedding plans, the food, dress, and music as well as deciding who would be safe to invite to their wedding. Although Belle became as much an outcast as Adam, everyone wanted to see the Beast they before declared to be a monster, whoever was crazy enough to marry him get married. All that is besides her father, whom disowned her after she ran back to Adam. The day before the wedding however, she woke by herself to strangely quiet room, compared to the normally loud room next to hers belonging to the prince she was going to marry. To her shock she could find Adam nowhere in the castle, not even the the servants knew where he could have possibly could have went. Both she and the servants searched the village looking for him, until nightfall when they were forced to return to the castle. "Surely, he will return. There would be no way that Adam would leave me the day before our wedding." Belle said to Amelia one of the head servants of the castle, as she accompanied Belle to her room, holding the candle to light the dark halls. Worried as to where her love could have gone, she needed him. After all, he was the only one she still had that wanted to be in her life. "Of course Madame, perhaps he has just gotten a case of cold feet. Surely you will awake in the morning, him in his bed. With a reason as to why he had left without a warning." Amelia reassured Belle shaking her head slightly as she laughed trying to lighten the mood. As Belle got to her room, the candle lit on her bedside table was blown out. In the early morning while Belle was eating her breakfast, the servants gathered out in the garden to discuss what could be done to found the Prince, as without him not only would there be no wedding, but they would all be out of a job. As Belle was not the mistress of the castle, she had no way to ensure their jobs. "I couldn't blame the Beast if he left to find a new wife. As I think we can all agree Belle is a dense in the head at times." One of the male servants said rather loudly to the others. Only for one of the others to shhh him. "Surely he would at least give the poor girl warning if he was to do such a thing Markus. I would think three weeks would give him the time to tell her." The cook said crossing her arms at the man. "Do none of you think that he is simply gone to one of the far away villages? The Master maybe a little cruel, but I doubt he would do such a thing as leave, Belle." Amelia said her tone almost shaming the others before she sighed. "The poor thing hasn't even said a word this morning." The strange sudden voice pulled the servants from their conversion making them to turn and look at the young blonde girl as she asked if there was anyone there. At first the five of them couldn't not quite understand why she was standing but a few foots away, by the roses, yet couldn't see them standing there. Markus was the first to realize she was blind. "Careful with your footing girl! Those roses were planted for the Mistress!" He yelled towards the stranger harshly, being the gardener he didn't want to replace them. "Markus have you no manners!" Amelia yelled at his rudeness before turning to the girl. "Greeting Madame, please do excuse him. Are you lost? Would you like some breakfast? We have plenty."</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Roses? Javotte truly hesitated as she hadn't had since she had become accustomed to her blindness. She inhaled against the breeze and thought to herself that the smell did not smell like roses. Cinderella's Godmother grossly failed to explain the concept of a different world. Javotte had pictured them like another country. But this was almost alien. All the small, simple things she used to orient herself had shifted. "I would not step on your roses." Javotte immediately replied as soon as she got her bearings. She tilted her head towards the masculine voice. She didn't know what he looked like, but in her head she formed a mental image of a shorter man. Middle-aged. Possibly balding. He'd be browned from the sun, looking much like the plants he obviously cared for. The next voice was a chiding female. She spoke with the same strange accent as the man. She was obvious either a higher ranking servant or the mistress. She was leaning towards the former because her words were slurred, like mush was in her mouth. She pictured a fatter woman to go with the kindly words. For in Javotte's life everyone who had shown kindness had been on the rather portly side with no apparent beauty. "I am not lost." Javotte said then paused. "But perhaps I am. I know not where I am other than I am trespassing. For that I apologize. And you are most kind to offer breakfast. I wouldn't mind a few bites." Javotte would never turn down kindness, and who knew when she would again get the chance to eat in their strange world. Though if it was morning here, there would be a good chance she would get no sleep.</s>	<\|message\|>Belle Leclair "If you take a step forward you will be." Markus argued with the stranger frowning a little as the sun shined down upon his bald head, making it a little harder to see the stranger tilt her head at him, before Amelia yelled at him for being rude. Amelia smiled as the woman insisted she was not lost, only to decide that she was indeed lost after all. Of course the strange accent gave away the fact she was lost before the woman even admitted it. "There is no need for you to apologize Madame, for all guests are welcome to Le Château Rose." She said calmly her tone still polite and kind. As the woman agreed to stay for breakfast it made her smile even more, and she made her way to help guide her inside. Amelia wasn't a portly woman, however, she was on the older side in her early fifties. Even at her age she still was quite pretty, but she had been born in a poor family. As she came up to the woman, Amelia placed a hand on the woman's arm gently. "If I may Madame." She said softly waiting for an answer before guiding the blonde towards the door to the castle. As she passed the other two she stopped for a second looking at Elaina, the chief, who was rather portly with blonde hair and flour covering the dress she wore. "Elaina, prepare some breakfast for our guest please." She spoke calmly waiting for the woman to nod and turn towards the kitchen doors, before continuing to guide the blind girl into the castle, and through to the dining room. Belle had been sitting in the dining for the last hour, and though she was eating, it was mostly little bites. Mainly to avoid the servants, the few she had talked to since yesterday, other than Markus, had been giving her a look of pity. As if it wasn't hard enough for Adam to be gone, they all seemed to think they he had left her for someone else. However, she knew better, Adam loved her even after the curse was lifted. He wouldn't just up and leave her like this, and he would surely come back. She really paid no mind to Amelia coming into the room until she started to speak. "Madame Belle, we have company." "Adam?" She said looking up at the servant hopefully, only to see the blind blonde being guided into the room. Amelia cleared her throat uncomfortably, thinking perhaps she should have used the word guest. "No Madame, he isn't back yet.' She said sadly. Belle sighed sadly at the news of no news before hiding behind a smile as she often did, before getting up the heels she wore clicked against the floor as she made her way over to her guest, normally she would curtsy but as the woman clearly would be unable to see the gesture, she simply place her hand upon hers for a moment. "Welcome to our castle, Madame. I am the Mistress, however please do call me Belle." She said kindly before turning to Amelia. "You are having Elaina prepare a breakfast for our lovely guest yes?' She asked smiling as Amelia nodded her head letting go of the blonde, for Belle to take her arm instead. "Wonderful, please do have a seat."</s>
<\|description\|>Belle Leclair Single Rose Notable characters: Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 24 About: Belle is a only child. As a child her life was pretty great, with two hard working parents and a wealthy lifestyle. Until her mother became deathly ill. With almost every penny of her parents money going to doctors, she was forced to give up schooling to care for her mother, until her death. Due to this she isn't the sharpest. After being locked in a castle for four years with only Adam and servants to keep her company, she developed what by modern standards would be called Stockholm Syndrome. Now with Adam gone her whole world seems to be falling apart before her eyes. Name: Madame Leclair Status: Dead About: A caring and hard working woman Madame LeClair, was a great mother and well liked person. Physically unable to have more than one child. A fact she and her husband kept hidden. She made sure to spoil her daughter and also teach her the value of hard work. It is unknown what actually killed her, as she became very weak in the end. Name: Monsieur Leclair Status: Alive About: After losing his wife to an unknown illness, and being forced to give his daughter to a monster. Monsieur Leclair went through a state of depression for almost a year before coming up with a plan to get his fortune back and get his daughter back. Then when Belle came back to him, giving him a little bit of hope she had returned. Until she left without notice, and went back to the monster again, agreed to marry him, and returned claiming he was a Prince. This caused Monsieur Leclair to snap and in a fit of anger he kicked Belle out of his house, disowning her and moving back to the city. Name: Prince Adam Beast Status: Missing About: Cursed before he was even born by a witch to look like a hairy monster, or what in modern terms would be known has Terminal Hypertrichosis. Prince Adam grew his whole life being called a monster or beast, causing him to turn a bit bitter towards only people even as a child. When it was discovered that only true love would break the curse, he tried his hardest to be kinder to travelers. Helping those that became lost in the woods. When Belle came to the castle, and he fell in love with her, it almost killed him. Now that he has her in his life things have changed greatly for him, he would never willingly leave her. Name: Enchantress Status: Alive About: W.I.P</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Though the thought that perhaps Belle should have informed Javotte of her last name hadn't crossed her mind until then, thinking it only awkward to do so now, instead she smiled once more. "A pleasure Madame DuPonte." She answered softly before making sure that someone was making Javotte something to eat and helping her get to a seat. "I am sorry for intruding. I didn't mean to." "Oh please, do not be sorry. It is always nice to have guests." Belle said with slight laugh as she sat down nearly missing the face that Jarvotte made as she spoke. Or at least tried to speak, though her words seemed to be giving her trouble until Jarvotte finally settled upon saying she was looking for her sister. Belle raised an eyebrow finding it strange that it took her such a hard time saying such a simple thing. "Well that is quite sad that I have lost your sister. I'm afraid I haven't seen any guests other than you. Although we have been quite busy with wedding plans." Belle said and though it wasn't intentional her tone was slightly defensive. For years even after her coming to the castle the claiming "the beast" stole their wives or children. It didn't seem as though she was accusing, but the subject of missing people was always a cause for her to be worried. As Amelia brought Jarvotte her plate Belle cleared her throat breaking the silence. "Perhaps some of the villagers know where, or have seen your sister." She said cheerfully again in tone. They hadn't been any help to her, but than again Jarvotte wasn't looking for someone hated.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was quite surprised how easily her explanation was accepted. Though Cinderella's Godmother did say each world had a story. Perhaps this world was centered on lost sisters. The thought almost make a hysterical laugh escape her lips. But she forced it down. She had had lots of practice with good manners. Once the fit passed Javotte was able to detect the defensiveness in the woman's voice. She had heard of witches that ate children. And even of those who stole Maidens. Was this woman stealing people? She was thankful for the distraction of the food. Though now she was more worried about her own safety. "Perhaps I will." Javotte said as she brushed a deft finger of the plate and the silverware. High class. Javotte confirmed. There was more silverware here than in her home. It was like dining at the castle. ""I am not from this area and I'm very much turned around." Javotte asked slowly. "Do many people go missing in this area?" As soon as she finished she worried that perhaps she should have asked about the wedding instead. But Cinderella was out there somewhere and she had promised to find her. And that mean she couldn't shy away from information.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a slight smile to Javotte as she said perhaps she would go to the village and search. After all she didn't know this woman, perhaps she was lying about her sister. Or perhaps she was like the others, quick to judge and slow to forgive. I thought entered her mind that maybe she should inform her of the things that would be said about Adam now, pled his case to the new stranger before she went to the village and heard what she likely would. However, before she could, Javotte started speaking again and she took it as a sigh she should not. "Not many, no. Often times people get lost in the forest because of the storms, and Adam gives them food and shelter. Then I see them back in the morning." She said truthfully noticing the somewhat tenseness of her body and how slow her words were as she asked that question. "Lately there is only one person that hasn't come home, but it has been years since this time." She answered sadly before turning her attention to her food instead of going much farther into her answer. "I must ask though, if you are not from the village or city, why is it that you believe she is here?" Belle asked after thinking about it for a moment, before then it hadn't been much thought to her, someone looking for their sister seemed so simple that she had no real reason to question it. However, if she was from the city she would have known that no one really disappeared without returning home.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte forced herself to continue to eat normally. She gently checked all the silverware before she changed utensils. She also checked which food she had left still and mentally gauged her path. Manners, manners, manners. What else do you rely on when you might get eaten by a witch? As Belle continued to speak to Javotte, answering her many questions. At first her answer seemed logical then she added that yes, someone has gone missing. At first she hoped. If it was poor Ella, but no, it had been years. Javotte sighed and placed her silverware down. She couldn't see Belle, but she tilted her head, to hopefully be looking her, to where the woman's voice came from. "I was told she could be found here from a reliable source." Javotte dropped her head away and sighed again. "Apparently it wasn't as reliable as I had wished if you have truly not seen her." She tensed ever so slightly in her seat waiting for the woman's next words. Most people relied on physical cues for lies and deception. Javotte found the voice told a lot more. If Belle had seen Cinderella and was lying about it, Javotte was sure she'd know with her next words.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle watched as Javotte laid her silverware down looking at her, or perhaps if the girl could see she be looking at her. Though Javotte's head tilted a little to far to the left, Belle wouldn't be one to say anything to harm the girls feelings. Though she frowned a little at Javotte's answer, that a reliable source told her to come here. How lovely, now outsiders were sending people to the castle as well? She gave a soft sigh shaking her head a little. How she wished that she knew where the girls sister was. If nothing else, to prove to whoever sent her that they wouldn't steal away Javotte's sister. Her eyes looked over at her guest who now hung her head, from what Belle thought to be sadness. Reaching across from her hand found Javotte's and she patted it softly hoping to comfort her in some way. As it truly was the best she could do. "I am sorry that I couldn't be more help. I wish that I had seen her sister so I could send her back to you." Belle said sadly before removing her hand. She always hated to see someone even a stranger sad something that had always annoyed Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering the dining hall. Amelia looked at Javotte for a moment before her eyes looked over at Belle confused. Belle shook her head, to keep her from asking what was wrong. "Are you finished eating Madams? Shall I take your plates?" "Yes, Amelia." Belle said before looking at what was left on Javotte's plate, normally she would say something if one of her guests left food on their plate. Something that came from being poor for so many years, but she chose against it. "Are you finished Javotte?" Belle added as Amelia took her plate</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was startled by the touch. She couldn't help the slight flinch at it. It was startling. Yet compassionate. After her ordeal she knew patronizing or actions done just for show. How could she not? So it wasn't the touch itself that made her jump. It was the truth, and sincerity. Belle hadn't seen, not had anything to do with her sister. If Javotte had anymore doubts, the honesty and sadness in the woman's voice would have dispelled them. "Thank you." Javotte said quietly. And she remained quiet until Belle spoke to her again. She had no real way of knowing how much was left uneaten upon her plate. Nor did she know how to react to the question. After so many years of other people largely making the decisions for her left her speechless. Still, they were waiting for an answer. "Yes Madam." Javotte said finally. "Thank you." Javotte lifted the napkin out of her lap and placed it upon the table. "I am truly thankful for your hospitality, but I must be going. You said there was a village nearby that I might try?"</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle quickly removed her hand from Javotte's arm when she flinched away from her a little. The gesture was actually not just for show, she truly was trying to be comforting. However, it was becoming apparent her words were making things worse. Or at least it seemed like it was. She frowned and nodded as Jarvotte thanked her. She didn't say anything else either until Amelia came into the dining room to take their plates. Perhaps she should have stopped to think of the fact Jarvotte was unable to see if she was done with her plate. However, the thought never even entered her mind, as Jarvotte was the first blind person whom she had actually met, and she truly didn't know how hungry the girl was. As Amelia took their plates Belle took the napkin that lay on her lap and dapped her own mouth before sitting it on the table as well, as Jarvotte thanked her for her hospitality. Of course there really wasn't much need for thanks, it was the proper thing for a mistress of the castle to do such things as entertain guests and make sure they had been feed before they left, even offer a place to stay if they had nowhere else. Belle nodded about to thank Jarvotte for her company, before she asked about the village. Amelia let slip a snort of derision at the mention of trying for help from the village, the bunch of fools didn't know their hand from their feet in her opinion. Having been working in the castle before Beast was even born, she knew full well how hateful and ignorant the towns people were. "I would not expect much from them, Madame." She said before getting a dirty from Belle. "Amelia! You are being rude, please just take the plates and leave." Belle said both annoyed and saddened that she honestly doubted them able to be much help to Jarvotte either. Belle watched Amelia leave the room before turning her glaze back to her guest. "Please do excuse her Madame, she is still rather sore about the lack of help we have gotten from the town in finding my Adam." She said sadly, fighting the urged to cry once more at the fact she would truly be alone if he didn't return. "However, I am sure they will be much more willing to help you. Perhaps even be willing to speak to you in the first place." Belle finished her tone sounding hopeful.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte would have blinked, if such a tell still worked for her, when Amelia snorted. Alas there was no time to interject as Belle began talking. When the Lady finished Javotte just sat there, processing what she had said. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hadn't said anything about other people disappearing. Still, it wasn't something she could ignore. Not after she was sent here. Maybe Cinderella's Fairy Godmother knew more than she had told Javotte. "Your Adam is missing?" Javotte asked hesitantly. "For how long?" Not that the answer would make a difference. Javotte had paid no head to gossip and so she didn't know for how long Cinderella had been missing before they went to the Castle. It could have been days or for just hours.</s>	<\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle kept a hopeful smile on her face as her guest just sat there for a moment. However, she frowned a little at Jarvotte's question and nodded her head slowly although the girl clearly was unable to see her movements. "Yes, but he will come back. I know he will." Belle answered softly looking away from her guest, her voice breaking a little despite trying to keep herself from crying again. She should have guessed that such a question would have been asked, though she was so used to the subjected being changed whenever Adam came up with others. Much like with Jarvotte and her sister, Belle had no idea where to even start looking for Beast. "He was done yesterday morning when I went to wake him." She answered still looking away from Jarovtte, before wiping away the moisture that started to form around the corners of her eyes. "The servants other than Ameila are saying he left me for another so he wouldn't have to marry me. But I know it cannot be true, he wouldn't leave me after I broke his curse. Let alone, leave his own castle." Belle finished opening up a little bit more than she intended to her guest.</s>
<\|description\|>Phoenix Estrielle Gender: Female Age: 18 History The Estrielles: an unusual, gifted bloodline of mortals, holding affinities for magic yet no manifestable powers of their own, were identified by The Inquisition as a potential extension of their faction some 80 years ago. In return for magical prowess, unparalleled skill in the Healing Arts, protection and lavish treatment, members of the Estrielle bloodline were to be forever bound to the Holy Church and the deity responsible for their contracted wealth of power - Kal, the Goddess of Restoration. Details of their Contracted Powers: Each member of the bloodline harboured unharnessed magic mixed and diluted within their bloods. Thus, to ensure that these revenues could be tapped into, what used to be fragments of magic lying dormant in their bodies were forcefully extracted, compressed, and manifested into Sentinel Spirits, each taking varying forms of Kal's divine symbol - the phoenix. The Spirits, bound to their respective owners, became personalized, paradoxical weapons of healing and volatile firepower, leaving members of the Estrielle bloodline free to explore the depths of their newfound magical capabilities. Each family member wielded their Spirits differently, and while some excelled in the Healing Arts, others could manipulate their destructive flames with adroit precision. The Spirits mirrored certain characteristics belonging to their human owners, and logically so, because they were fundamentally a part of them. For example, Spirits despite being ironically called as such, are in fact mortal creatures with ages paralleling that of their masters'. Spirits can die from mortal wounds, but their deaths will not result in the deaths of their masters. On the other hand, the death of an Estrielle would consequently result in the eradication of his or her Spirit. Lastly, although Spirits may act independently, an Estrielle's command is absolute. For decades, the Estrielle bloodline served the Holy Church in their passionate and fiery endeavours, before the tainted fires of an offspring brought ruin and devastation upon the family. Zaire Estrielle, eldest son and brother to Phoenix Estrielle, cultivated an inexplicable and unfathomable interest in the hidden ones that dwelled in the depths. He had sought to collude with them, drawn by the mysterious allure of the underworld and its secrets. It was no surprise that the Holy Church promptly ordered a death warrant upon the discovery of his secret exchanges. The powers of Kal and the Healing Arts were not for the damned. Zaire Estrielle, the catalyst for the despair, became no more - dragging all those who had tried to defend him along with him to his grave. All except little Phoenix Estrielle, whom for five years quietly watched her brother make his hidden dealings, her lips silent and unmoving, motivated by nothing else but sheer curiosity and her eagerness to learn about a world kept secret from her all those years - without being caught, that is. Phoenix did nothing to save her brother that night when The Inquisition made the arrest, thinking she had saved herself from eternal damnation. She thought wrong - and was careless. The Inquisition, it seemed, were cleverer and more attentive than she had anticipated. It was brought to their attention that 16-year-old Phoenix Estrielle had stood at a corner, contrasted against her screaming parents, a mask of indifference implanted on her face. Suspiciously, they conducted an interrogation during which Phoenix, with her brazen personality, had nonchalantly admitted her knowledge of the matter without much fuss. For silence, she was duly awarded with a curse. Curse The Curse of the Phoenix is terrible indeed, causing the afflicted one to progressively age during the day, before ending dusk with a wrinkled, elderly form. She will die during the night and be reborn again at dawn, starting the day at her natural age. The process repeats itself daily. This is by no means a form of immortality, for the afflicted person remains mortal, susceptible to injury, natural aging, and death. Appearance After approximately two years of suffering from the effects of the curse, she has found the perfect clothing to accommodate her constantly aging body. Abilities and Equipment Her Spirit, Avrak, contains hawk-like features and a fiery, blood-red plumage. Avrak is rarely seen near his master, for he typically follows her around from the skies or atop the roofs of buildings. Phoenix's adept skill with her Sentinel Spirit lies primarily in its destructive abilities, her powers nurtured and cultivated through necessity - and indisputably so, for two years of roaming the dark streets of Sutton along with her obvious weakness has forced her rely much upon her relationship and synchronicity with Avrak. On the other hand, her skill in healing leaves much to be desired, having deteriorated over the past two years as a result of the lack of practice. For one, Phoenix's inherent cautiousness meant that her medical needs were scarce. Secondly, Phoenix is not one to administer her healing powers to others - not unless one had something considerably significant to offer her in exchange for her services. Most importantly, as part of her curse, Phoenix cannot perform the Healing Arts without accelerating her aging. In other words, the casting of restoration spells will cause her time of death to be brought forward (only for that day). She does not possess any note-worthy items - only a dagger which she hangs on her belt. Personality A self-interested and calculative character, and perpetually bored, Phoenix navigates life with an almost uncanny confidence as a cursed being. Typically, she comes across as calm and emotionally self-contained, yet is capable of displaying bouts of brash stubbornness akin to that of a child. Phoenix appears to be disinterested in interpersonal relationships, for she thrives inside her mind - an intellectual, observant and cautious individual. As many of her acquaintances would find, Phoenix's habitual bluntness can be unnerving.</s> <\|message\|>Avrion Whitlock Chapter 1 - Into the Depths Two days before the gathering: Ray Conover sat back in his chair. The mercenary's home was comfortable. It damned well better be after the blood he'd shed to buy it. He looked outside at the waxing moon rising just above the line of shingles and chimneys. Professor Whitlock had hired him to help with an expedition into the depths. Hopefully it wouldn't wind up like the last one. That aging fool was going to get what's coming to him if he didn't lay off on the adventures. Ray grinned at the thought. He couldn't deny the fact that the man had energy. Thud! Thud ! Thud! It was the door. The day had already died, whoever it is, is probably trouble. Ray grabbed his repeater crossbow, scratched his chin stubble with one wrist, and stretched his neck. Preparations complete he stomped down his stairs to the door. The thick glass made identifying the dressed figure outside impossible so he hefted the crossbow with one arm and opened the door. "What'ja want?" On the other side was a man dressed in fine black attire with a sharp black top hat and a black cane with a silver-bulbed handle. Barely affected by the deadly crossbow pointed at him, he adjusted his circular orange sunglasses and spoke with a practiced tone. "Well, sir. I came by in hopes of finding someone to help me with a job a month from now." "Why didn'ja just say so?" Ray stammered. "I've got a job soon. Should be done by then. What did'ja have in mind?" "I can explain. May I come in?" The man asked. "Well first things first. You already seem to know me. What's ya name?" The bespectacled man replied in a proud tone. "My name is Aran Vernus." Ray gave him a good once-over with his eyes. Aran was pretty pale and thin under his coat. Maybe it was just the light. "Well Aran Vernus. Sure. Come on in." His face shaped into a predatory grin. "Gladly." He lowered the spectacles revealing eyes the color of the deepest pit. Day of the gathering: Avrion surveyed the group. Two women, two men, a masked personage and himself. That made six. It would have to do. They were situated around a rented private room in a library. Though they hadn't all come in at the same time. The mercenary Ray Conover was of course a little late. He usually was. Avrion had hired the man before and he was just as sloppy looking as usual. The very reason Avrion trusted this man so much was set in his ability. He was not cursed or supernatural in any way. He simply was as some people would say, a badass. He was talented and despite his disheveled appearance was incredibly wary. "So uh, what's the spiel?" Ray piped in. There was a certain tension in the room waiting to be stilled by the professor. The merc peered around at the group, staring at Oswalt for a little too long. "Eh, sorry." He apologized, glancing away. "Yes of course. Let's get this underway. I'd let you bunch introduce yourselves to one another but we'll have plenty of time to do that over the course of our venture." He sighed and took a deep breath. In that moment the gravity weighing on his mind was visible in a brief and sad expression. "I have learned that creatures are appearing in the city at increasingly alarming rates. The guard are having difficulty keeping track of it all and I know precisely why. Someone is organizing them and increasing their numbers. If this continues the city will be overwhelmed and collapse. It could be any day now which is why we need to start moving as soon as possible." Avrion stares at the window for a good long moment. It was currently noon so the sun was still bright in the sky. It's obvious by his expression that though he knows this must be done he was having doubts as to what to do and says. "The guard won't help us down there. Our lord won't risk it. We're on our own for now until we get some more incentive. My suggestion is to enter the depths and find this incentive to stoke the guard. Any other thoughts?" He opened the discussion.</s> <\|message\|>Red Chambers "I have no objections to that plan," Red spoke. She neither smiled nor frowned. Red... you could murder them all. A voice in Red's head spoke. You could strangle them or stab them. I could teach you how. "I DONT WANT TO KILL THEM!" Red shouted. She hadn't meant to voice her thought. But she had accidentally let it slip through her mouth. Red. Your newfound companions are cursed as well. You aren't alone anymore.... Oh wait, you've never really been alone. As soon as human company fled we had already settled in. Another voice chimed in. It was sarcastic in tone and overall rude. "You don't count as company," Red snarled. It was aimed at the voices.</s>	<\|message\|>Phoenix Estrielle Avrak, it would seem, in that mere span of fifteen minutes they had been in that room, had developed a penchant for igniting little slimy paper balls - a concoction of bird saliva and viciously shredded pieces of paper, all thanks to the generosity of the library. Except that they were blissfully ignorant of the... minute destruction the bird had caused to some of their hopefully unimportant texts. Phoenix had been watching her Spirit with mild interest and amusement, her eyes regularly flickering across the room in an effort to appear intrigued by the several oddities that had gathered there. Not that she wasn't intrigued, but she had already been in that state and over it approximately five minutes ago. No reason to spoil the atmosphere, she mused, noticing Ray's enthralled expression as he stared a little too long at Oswalt, before blurting out an apology. In fact, Phoenix herself had been freely staring at the amphibian with morbid fascination just moments ago, but saw no reason to apologize. So she hadn't. The masked figure, Doctor Caldwell, held the record for holding Phoenix's attention. For a full six minutes, she had unashamedly dissected him with her gaze. Funny, because that's exactly what Doctor Caldwell did: dissect people, and quite literally so, she thought, spending the next minute mulling over that slice of mild humor, while her fingers twitched at the thought of waltzing right over to snatch the doctor's mask off. She grinned slightly. Across from her, Red was twitching as though a thousand conversations littered her mind. Upon her little outbursts, Phoenix cocked her head, raising a brow. She pondered over the red-haired girl's seemingly instable and volatile emotional state. A snarky comment almost crossed her lips, but she managed – barely – to halt the words. Then, she decided that she had waited and seen enough. "Two questions, if I may." Phoenix directed her inquiries to none other than Avrion. "Firstly, I'd like to know about the full terms of contract of this job." A mischievous smile lit her face. "A lifetime supply of breakfast, perhaps? Of course, rewards are not mandatory, but I do work better with extrinsic motivational factors. If you get what I mean." She winked. "Secondly, is The Inquisition going to be involved in this? Because I do find them greatly distasteful." Phoenix's expression darkened with those words.</s>
<\|description\|>Dr. Caldwell, usually called "The Doctor" Gender: Unknown Age: 28 Appearance: Equipment: Traditional plague doctor attire: A hooded suit with gloves and heavy boots, showing not even the glimpse of skin. One of the fairly well-known 'beaked' masks that have been used by plague doctors for decades, symbol of both dread and hope to equal amounts. Differently sized scalpels for medical purposes as well as general utility, together with a custom forged knife that resembles an oversized medical edge, but is primarily used for emergency self defense. All of those blades and some additional medical tools are being kept in a roll-out kit. Additionally, a bag filled with up to six round glass bottles that can hold different alchemical substances, from potions over glowing acidic liquids to handmade 'molotov'-esque 'thrown cocktails'. Wears a weighty ring on the right thumb that has a small clockwork mechanism built in. The ring has both a practical use and nostalgic value. Furthermore owns a custom made bow and a selection of special arrows that hold small vials at the needle-shaped tip. Those vials can be filled with medical substances to create a crude, unwieldy equivalent to modern tranquilizer darts. This one is mostly brought when a specimen can't be approached safely, and due to the fragile and awkward handling, it doesn't see much use. History: Not much is known about the young doctor Caldwell. Born into a family of surgeons and destined to take over the family business, a small private clinic for customers who would prefer paying twice the price over having their disgraceful indisposition be seen in a public medical center. Being shoehorned into the profession of a doctor and surgeon worked out well. Born with a talent for precise cuts, excellent memory and the genuine motivation to help people, the Doctor began working as a medical assistant before their fourteenth year of age, promoting to a full-fledged medical title before reaching eighteen. As to be expected in this line of work, more than one incident happened where the Caldwell family came in contact with the less known, 'cursed' part of the population. The private nature of their clinic played an obvious part in these circumstances, as often they revolved around a 'mysteriously ill' family member of any influential, wealthy family. When the Doctor was around the age of twenty-one, the number of incidents reached an inexplicable peak and took both Caldwell seniors into an early grave. The Doctor took it with dignity, knowing that they died trying to help people, and thus continued the family business with as little interruption as possible. It even birthed the plan to dabble in the field of alchemy - something the parents didn't support - in order to search for a cure rather than suppress the symptoms. The loss of the only other living family member - a half-brother who was in the business of medical supplies and helped the younger Caldwell sibling run the clinic after their parents passed away - two years later however was a hard hit that made the Doctors determination waver. What's known is that the clinic didn't close its doors for even a day, and that the Doctor was never seen without their typical work outfit since then. Rumor has it that it was an unfortunate incident somehow involving the cure, and people often bring up theories about murder and betrayal. Some of them claim that the child of the two Caldwell surgeons died that day and the presumably dead brother assumed that identity out of remorse. By now, five years have passed and whatever really happened was lost in gossip, rumors and paranoid theories. The Caldwell clinic is well-established and despite the odd tendency of the Doctor to always appear clad in the disheartening plague doctor attire, their competence is well-respected and consulted frequently, not only by the 'rich and famous' anymore. Other than Caldwell, only a single assistant is working at the clinic, a timid girl named Denise. Unknown to the public, the both of them are still working on a cure for the sickness that indirectly killed most of the Caldwell family. Due to facts and fiction blurring so heavily in Sutton, nobody can say with certainty if the Doctor was a man or woman anymore. Some older folks around town remember stories about the Caldwell child, but every single one of them completely different. Curse: /</s> <\|message\|>Red Chambers "I have no objections to that plan," Red spoke. She neither smiled nor frowned. Red... you could murder them all. A voice in Red's head spoke. You could strangle them or stab them. I could teach you how. "I DONT WANT TO KILL THEM!" Red shouted. She hadn't meant to voice her thought. But she had accidentally let it slip through her mouth. Red. Your newfound companions are cursed as well. You aren't alone anymore.... Oh wait, you've never really been alone. As soon as human company fled we had already settled in. Another voice chimed in. It was sarcastic in tone and overall rude. "You don't count as company," Red snarled. It was aimed at the voices.</s> <\|message\|>Phoenix Estrielle Avrak, it would seem, in that mere span of fifteen minutes they had been in that room, had developed a penchant for igniting little slimy paper balls - a concoction of bird saliva and viciously shredded pieces of paper, all thanks to the generosity of the library. Except that they were blissfully ignorant of the... minute destruction the bird had caused to some of their hopefully unimportant texts. Phoenix had been watching her Spirit with mild interest and amusement, her eyes regularly flickering across the room in an effort to appear intrigued by the several oddities that had gathered there. Not that she wasn't intrigued, but she had already been in that state and over it approximately five minutes ago. No reason to spoil the atmosphere, she mused, noticing Ray's enthralled expression as he stared a little too long at Oswalt, before blurting out an apology. In fact, Phoenix herself had been freely staring at the amphibian with morbid fascination just moments ago, but saw no reason to apologize. So she hadn't. The masked figure, Doctor Caldwell, held the record for holding Phoenix's attention. For a full six minutes, she had unashamedly dissected him with her gaze. Funny, because that's exactly what Doctor Caldwell did: dissect people, and quite literally so, she thought, spending the next minute mulling over that slice of mild humor, while her fingers twitched at the thought of waltzing right over to snatch the doctor's mask off. She grinned slightly. Across from her, Red was twitching as though a thousand conversations littered her mind. Upon her little outbursts, Phoenix cocked her head, raising a brow. She pondered over the red-haired girl's seemingly instable and volatile emotional state. A snarky comment almost crossed her lips, but she managed – barely – to halt the words. Then, she decided that she had waited and seen enough. "Two questions, if I may." Phoenix directed her inquiries to none other than Avrion. "Firstly, I'd like to know about the full terms of contract of this job." A mischievous smile lit her face. "A lifetime supply of breakfast, perhaps? Of course, rewards are not mandatory, but I do work better with extrinsic motivational factors. If you get what I mean." She winked. "Secondly, is The Inquisition going to be involved in this? Because I do find them greatly distasteful." Phoenix's expression darkened with those words.</s>	<\|message\|>Dr. Caldwell, usually called "The Doctor" One day before the gathering: A little bell mounted above the door of the Caldwell clinic rang for the third time this day. This time in specific, it signaled the departure of a guest who brought unexpected but decisive news. Denise Autumn, the assistant of doctor Caldwell, anxiously waited for the man to depart, throwing nervous glances at his intimidating appearance before getting up from the waiting room chair and slowly walking into the back of the clinic. The doctor was sitting behin a rustic wooden desk, staring at the young woman from behind the glasses of a familiar but no less troubling mask, staring right through her into blank space. It was not unusual for the doctor to do this, absentmindedly flexing the fingers of their right hand, but it never ceased to send shivers down Denise's spine. She silently stood in the doorframe, clutching a clipboard with both hands, waiting for the doctor to finish whatever train of thought they currently pursued. "I'll be gone for a few days.", the voice eventually proclaimed monotonously. The assistant immediately knew it was important, since the doctor never left the clinic closed without a good reason. "I think I could probably..." the girl started, but Caldwell cut her words off. "Take the rest of the week off. You've earned a break." Not failing to notice the melancholic look of their assistant, the doctor added "I don't doubt your ability to get it done, don't get the wrong idea. I'd just hate to have last weeks incident repeat without being around.". The 'incident' was still quite vivid in memory for the both of them. It involved a rather irritating client, his disregard for Denise's personal space and the attempt to bite her. The doctor had to step in, sedate and remove the individual from their establishment unceremoniously. The doctor's goodwill ended right at attempted harassment. That bastard could rot in a back alley for all Caldwell cared. Denise nodded, reliving the scene in memory with an expression of awe on her face. "Any preparations I can help you with, at least?" She had the decency not to ask about the occasion, but probably didn't want to know either. The girl had seen her fair share of otherworldly horrors in these four walls. "You can." The beaked mask nodded over to the less obvious door in doctor Caldwells office, leading to the laboratory rooms filled with alchemical and medical instruments. The masked figure slowly rose, producing a keyring to close the clinic entrance. It was implication enough for the girl to know they would be preparing potions and concoctions from a curious book about alchemy, the only book in the doctors library that didn't look like it was around for twenty or more years. Day of the gathering: The doctor had arrived and settled down as ordered by this unusual man. While the beaked mask limited the wearers field of view, it also concealed decently where they were looking at, making it relatively easy for its user to take a closer look at Grimsley specifically. He was a sight to behold anyway, but from a medical point of view even more so. The scientist in Caldwell itched to take samples of skin and saliva to conduct alchemical experiments on, but the human being Caldwell wanted to learn what happened to the man, and develop a treatment for whatever he was suffering from. The concept of curses was not new to the doctor and delving into the inexplicable darker branches of chemistry desensitized them from the supernatural even more than the occasional 'freak' client at the clinic, yet the victim of a curse was not much different from a patient in several ways. The other obvious 'anomaly' in the room - Phoenix' bird - underwent only a brief inspection. It was of little interest to the doctor, because... to put it bluntly, and to humorously mirror Phoenix' train of thought regarding the doctor, there was nothing to disect. Nothing to cut or scrape off that wouldn't end up being ash seconds later. The 'Monger' kept the doctors attention up until Conover arrived and the briefing began. Flexing their right hand mechanically, Caldwell nodded in agreement upon the mention of the creatures numbers increasing - the frequency of freakishly wounded and outright monstrous patients increased noticeably over the last weeks. Red's little outbreak didn't phase the doc as much as it would have two or three years ago. With the increasing number of 'incidents', an impressive amount of people with more or less frightful mental issues sought out the Caldwell clinic. While it was certainly unsettling, coming from a fourteen year old girl was not quite as threatening as it could have been. By speaking up, Phenix momentarily caught Caldwells interest again, reigniting the train of thought that earlier came to wonder what was wrong with her, but then was abruptly put aside upon Grimsley's arrival. There was a definite pattern in the people gathered here, the doctor thought. The twitchy girl who probably suffering from hallucinations and schizophrenia, the fish-man, that obviously unnatural bird tied to the young woman in some way... the only thing to be worked out were the effect of that binding and Conover. Possibly Avrion as well but the darkness surrounding him was so palpable, it was mysterious and obvious at the same time. While the doctor didn't quite care about a compensation for the job, they had their own 'payment' in mind. Going down there would inevitably get them into arms reach of worthwhile samples and insights. Easily enough for Caldwell to comply. That, and most likely saving the city they live in from certain doom, of course. The question concerning the Inquisition was a good one, and let the gaze of the beaked mask switch focus to Avrion. Making an educated guess, Caldwell would expect the Inquisition to stay far away from that place. The curse-ridden nature of this little party here furthermore implied that they would not seek out help of them. It was probably suicide to be seen with either of the people present, but the doctors relative anonymity felt reassuring. "Who would have an incentive to organize monsters? Who would benefit from the irreversible fall of Sutton?" The voice sounding from below the mask was dampened more than one would expect. Beyond that, it was of ambiguous tone, not obviously distinguishable as either gender. Furthermore, while the question was posed generally for everyone to ponder, Caldwell had a hunch that their host already had an idea about that.</s>

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<\|description\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith Age: 28 Race: Human Profession: Warrior Weapoms: Sword, Bow and arrow Special abilities: Circulus ignis praesidio (engl.: protective circle of fire) For those encircled and protected the flames are cold, for the enimies it sears the skin. It is about 7 inches high and can be drawn around up to three people. Aureola ignis (engl.: halo of fire) This spell strengthens Ilinfer so that she can strike faster and harder – being blessed by the goddess of fire Ardebit</s> <\|message\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith They talked well into the night, the wine loosening their tongues. When they fell asleep it was close to each other, lulled by the drowsiness of alcohol. The days past in a blur as they settled into a strange routine: discussing customs and language lessons over a small breakfast, sparring and exchanging different fighting styles after and long personal conversations in the evenings. One evening a few crewmen joined them in merriment. At the end of that night Illinfer hand danced the dance of swords, impressing the crewmen and captain with her controlled and swift movements. Then they all sang drunkenly, teaching each other different songs. Although Illinfer felt right at home with the crew they still kept wary of Rhoynar. His noble status discouraged some from challenging him the way they did the warrior. She however had other plans and made him dance with her - well, swaying with her, laughing, as it was well into the night. A few days later they reached Juhad. The climate had gotten warmer, making them change into more appropriate clothing, preparing to leave the ship. Illinfer stood at deck, Rhoynar beside her, both staring at the huge city coming into view. As it grew closer the soft sounds of the sea were replaced with bustling liveliness and yelling. Around them the crew bustled past. Soon they said their goodbyes and left the ship to step foot into the next chapter of their journey. --- Illinfer stood on the pier, looking at the strange mass of people milling about. They men wore some sort of short dress, reaching to the middle of their thighs with open shoes that left their toes poking out. The women wore draped fabric, wrapping around their bodies in different manners. Awestruck the warrior stood there until Rhoynar nudged her shoulder with his and motioned her to follow. Overwhelmed by the spice filled air, the strange sounds of a foreign language surrounding her and the unfamiliar buildings she soon found herself unable to move. When he noticed the noble doubled back with a soft curse and pulled at the northern woman, grabbing her arm in an iron grip to pull her along. He led them to a tavern just by the market, weaving in and out of the crowd. Finally he shepherded Illinfer into the small room he'd booked for them in passing. She came from her stupor when she was pushed onto a bed. He'd said something, hadn't he? „Sire.... I do not understand." But before she could ask any further questions he had left the room. Was he mumbling about food? Irritated, she pulled off her shoes and leaned back against the wall, legs tucked close to her body. The bed wasn't big so she almost occupied the entire space of it. Her thoughts drifted to their mission. A lot had happened this past week. She thought back on it. She'd been summoned by the guild to an audience with Lord Ilyn Grey, a council member to the King of Illium. She was to protect Rhoynar and help him retrieve a scroll of some importance to the crown. They'd left the capital that day, happening upon an old friend of hers who woke unsettling memories. On their journey they had witnessed the Jakathra Plague, keeping a wide berth from those infected. It had made her spine crawl, thinking it was so close to the capital. They had then arrived in Astipor, at her travel companion's manor of all places. She'd snuck out of the manor to make preparations - protection for Rhoynars family. He'd been so afraid! And didn't she understand. The bargain she'd struck could damage her reputation, but she hadn't cared and still didn't. The next day she was introduced to the people she had made those arrangements for. They were kind and knowledgeable. As thanks for her help Rhoynar had embraced her. He'd been too close! It still made her feel uncomfortable and sent a shiver down her spine. She could still feel his fingertips lingering on her neck. Lifting her hand to her neck now, the bruises had turned a yellow and dark purple, slowly healing. Why had he touched her so intimately? Or was it perhaps just from a knight to a wounded warrior? It hadn't felt that way. But perhaps that had been her imagination. On their boat trip they were close throughout the days and he'd never invaded her personal space as he had that day. Had so much really happened in so little time? They'd known each other for a week! It felt longer, thanks to the long conversations they'd had on board. Thankfully he'd taught her a few customs and some basic language. She had understood a few snippets of conversations in passing but had been too shocked and overwhelmed to actually piece anything together. Now that she thought about it she felt a lot calmer. Nonetheless she moved with lighting speed and had her sword half drawn when the door swung open and Rhoynar appeared. With a huff she sheathed her sword. „You frighten me, sire." She mumbled, breathing deeply to quiet her heart. It would take a bit for her to get used to being so far from home.</s> <\|message\|>Second East The air had steadily begun to warm during their journey, shifting from the temperate weather of Illium to the sticky heat that clouded the coastal cities and towns of Jhun'k'ai. The nature of the heat would likely change the further East they travelled on their journey, shifting into and a parched and arid heat, pulled water from skin as the world slowly shifted into a desert that felt entirely endless. A place where the heat saw no pause between day and night, scorching the world on all sides. Should their journey lead them into the Dead Waste, they would need more than a guide. As the week long travelled finally ceased and the duo were given the ability to stand on solid ground, the rich hive of Juhad erupted before them. Whilst its streets were not alien to the elder of the pair, the time between his last arrival on its shores had felt too long. The smell of life within the city hung in the air like perfume, bringing with it the memories of a childhood on the eastern shores. Reminding an aging man of a youth spent abroad where the secret political games of the Western kings was no concern, and the hidden rules at play in the desert seemed simpler. It wasn't the petty sport of the ruling class that mattered in their current journey, though it was the source of their travel. Rhoynar guided Illinfer by the arm from the dock and onto the crowded streets that exploded into the markets of the vast city. The city of Juhad opened to its naval guests with a vast courtyard of vendors, exploding with the expansive and vibrant spectrum of silks, cloths and rugs, often variegated in design and colour. The selection stood out in high contrast to the bleached walls of the buildings surrounding, each of them brilliant white as it reflected the sun that lingered almost directly overhead, baring down on the city which paid it little mind under their creatively created shelters within the market. The man continued to hurry through the markets, stepping between the crowd underneath the cloth roofs that decorated the streets. Its design forced the heavy perfumes and spices to linger, catching on the clothing and skin of those who travelled though. It was heavy on the head, lasting in the nostrils as the pair escaped the restless and spirited agora as travellers and residents alike haggled with vendors for their goods. The clamour of the new world had seemed only larger than the furor that had developed within Astipor: a newly formed sanctuary for many that could afford the travel aboard ships from Juhad or Olas. In the former, the world felt more alive than before. Here was a world were the Western tongue was no longer common, but a language spoken by sailors alone. The Second East was a portal to more languages than knowable, though so many spoke a prevalent dialect, that danced along the air between the citizens across the city and deserts beyond. To hear ones mother tongue spoken so freely had felt comforting, adding to the distant memories of childhood yet the knowledge he had of the ancient world they were standing upon added an anxious fear. Time passed differently in Jhun'k'ai, it always had. Self-made kings and empires fell overnight as the power-hungry continued to squabble and fight for the riches they felt rightful to; his father had been right in choosing conquest in the West, where the games of the powerful travelled slowly. They soon settled into an inn, taking rest in the shade to allow Illinfer the moment to recapture her senses. He gave her leave to rest for a few moments whilst collecting food and drink, opting to choose food closer to her palate than might be provided the further they travelled from their home. Shouldering the door open, he was soon greeted with his partner's panicked uneasiness. "Here," Rhoynar offered as he placed a tray onto the table between them and sat onto the cushion lounge opposite. "You'll have already noticed the heat, you'll need to drink." He soon unsheathed his sword and set it by his side and relaxed in silence, taking in the natural chill of the shade the inn provided. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly helped. After a few moments, he spoke again, offering Illinfer a suggestion of their first potential direction in their quest. "We should check the temple first, the monks there collect knowledge from far places most have never heard of. I've never seen their library but it is said to be stretching far into the sky, with walls of tomes that pass back in time beyond the Gods we know. If anyone is to know where we might find what Grey was asking of us, its them." He paused to take a sip of the fruit wine he had purchased for them. "I don't know if you saw as we made port: the large temple on the hill." It had stood far from the ocean's edge, standing high on a hill with a forest of trees surrounding its walls from whatever may have chosen to threaten it. Its walls, whilst far from sight, had been tall columns, stretching high above the citizens that passed towards its doors. "We should head there once you're comfortable. I can understand this place is... Different." Rhoynar laughed. "I had the same reaction of your country when I first arrived. The culture is different, bland in comparison."</s>	<\|message\|>Ilinfer Blacksmith Laying her sword aside, Illinfer watched her companion. "You'll have already noticed the heat, you'll need to drink." Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the fruit wine he had brought and poured it into two shallow clay cups. She drank in small sips, letting her gaze wander to the food he had brought. Although a lot looked unfamiliar the smells were appealing. Slowly she started to pick small bites from every dish, tasting them curiously. At first the spices overpowered her senses, followed by a hesitant acceptance and finally joy. With a bit of time she thought she could get used to it. When Rhoynar spoke again she startled. She'd forgotten his presence, entirely entranced in her curiosity and culinary experience. With wide eyes she looked at him, slowly chewing on a green fruit coated in oil that tasted salty and slightly bitter. "We should check the temple first, the monks there collect knowledge from far places most have never heard of. I've never seen their library but it is said to be stretching far into the sky, with walls of tomes that pass back in time beyond the Gods we know. If anyone is to know where we might find what Grey was asking of us, it's them." As he spoke her eyes were fixed on him. Having him close calmed her somewhat. She would never have imagined a journey into a foreign land would rattle her into such a frightened state. Indeed, she had seen the temple, looming, marvellous and imposing. Lost in thought she tilted her head slightly, eyes unfocused. Would she be deemed worthy to enter those halls? She'd also noticed quite a difference between the clothes given to her by the guild and the garb those here seemed to favour. They should get the proper attire before trying to set foot into a holy place. Illinfer barely heard the next words he spoke, but his laugh captured her, bringing her full attention back to the man in front of her. Instinct made her reach for him and grasp his wrist tightly. On the ship this had not felt real. It had not felt like the big change it was. She'd been on ships before, even on the open sea. Never had she felt this uncertain, this lost. Not since her husband had died. The prick of loss and sadness came suddenly and threatened to overwhelm her. He'd spoken of adventures like these, her Jurlath. Her grip grew tighter around Rhoynars wrist. „Forgive me...." She whispered, her breath shallow as she was trying to gather herself, to not break down here in the strange place so far away from home and in the company of one she'd sword to protect. A shudder went through her body as she quietly gasped, her lungs constricted. „... forgive... me..." Illinfer slumped over the table, her hair spilling over her shoulders and hiding her expression, her breathing growing more laboured as the panic grew. Tears started to well in her eyes. This was not happening. Not now. She wasn't alone, she couldn't afford this right now! Why?! All the while the warrior was trying to gather her senses, her iron grip on Rhyonar did not loosen even when her body started to tremble.</s>
<\|description\|>There Are No Heroes There never have been and never will be among us. ---- Character Submission Form If you have a reserved slot and received acknowledgement from the game master, please post your character submission in this category for review and approval. Applications that do not receive approval are not valid. If you have questions, forward a message to The Harbinger of Ferocity. ----</s> <\|message\|>Henry Grimwald Moore The sound check ended, and Henry noted a wave of relief in the audience. There were a few nods between the guy mixing in the back of the bar and the band, and they took a few a minute or so to sip drinks and chat before the vocalist announced that they were indeed Amish Tech Support and introduced himself and his companions. No one cared. But that all took a few minutes. Henry returned from his thoughts and looked at George, who had a pensive expression on his face. At first, Henry thought he was watching the band, but on closer examination he was just spacing out. Henry decided to restart conversation, and put on a friendly smirk on his face. "What's on your mind?" he asked. He blinked slowly. "I was just connecting some dots, I guess." "What?" Henry's confusion was genuine. "Well, so I was hanging out at my sister's last weekend, and her son was watching Spongebob while we were just shooting the shit with my brother-in-law. Anyway, we get quiet for a little bit, and a new episode starts or something. It's Spongebob sitting at home, really intently watching a sea anemone" — he botched the pronunciation, Henry noticed, but he wasn't sure if it was the booze — "swinging around on its little stalk, like in an ocean current, on TV. Then the snail, Gary — I think I'm over there too often — comes in and Spongebob changes the channel really quick and looks all guilty." George was leaning back against the bar, facing toward the band, mostly talking to Henry but also to the new guy. Henry was sort of hunched over, facing out and in George's direction, making eye contact as he listened. Henry glanced occasionally at the new guy, who was paying special attention to some girl in the corner of the bar. He let the thought go and decided he wanted more to drink, so he held a finger up to pause George's tipsy philosophizing, turned to the bartender and asked for two of whatever was cheap and on tap. He signaled for George to continue. "So of course after that we adults were cracking up. I mean, it's a joke about porn in a kids' show, right? But then my nephew was just staring at us, asking over and over what was so funny, which only made us laugh harder." He looked at Henry, clearly about to make a point. "But the thing is, I watched that same show as a kid, and I was probably just like my nephew back then, and all that stuff went miles above my head." George said that with the intonation of finality, but Henry didn't see the point. The beers came though, and both of them took a sip. "But what does that connect to?" Henry asked, not wanting to overtly tell George to stop rambling. "Well, long story short, I've been learning Spanish, right, and I'm getting pretty good, talking with relatives and stuff. But there's still all kinds of stuff I miss, from subtext to massive chunks of sentences." He took a few sips, then continued. "And I've just been wondering if I missed as much as I did when I was a kid, except I never noticed it because it was just outside of what I could comprehend." He finished his beer in one final swig. Henry didn't interrupt him. "I guess the question is: what am I missing just because I can't even process it? There are things I know I don't get, like fine art and jazz and morse code and that sort of thing, but what about the things I don't even know of?" He stared intently at Henry, who stared back but saw much more. George had, over the past thirty seconds or so, gone from excitedly rambling to deeply serious, perhaps with a tinge of suspicion. Henry had tested that out plenty of times, though. George couldn't know of Henry's little abilities, but he was more than able to discern that Henry was letting himself behave a little weird. Shit. "Are you high?" he asked calmly, with a bit of judgement on his face for good measure. He didn't know whether he was at that in-the-zone level of buzz or he just thought he was. George rolled his eyes and looked back out at the band, who'd started playing something surprisingly unobtrusive but undoubtedly on the experimental side. George's eyes narrowed once the vocalist came in. "This is a Wilco song. I saw them live a couple years ago. The instrumentation is just really weird." He declared, and he was right, thought Henry. "I think they're holding off with the theremin until the bridge at the end of the song. Good thing, too." A large group stood up and left. Maybe it was a little too noisy for them, thought Henry, but they might also just have gone anyway. "Let's grab that table," George said, pointing. "This is no way to have a conversation and make friends." He nodded in the direction of the New Guy. Then, with a gregarious, not-entirely-sober smile, he looked over at the guy sipping sparkling water. "You look like you need to relax. Get yourself a beer and meet us over there." He motioned with his empty glass, put it down on the bar, and walked over to the table. Henry gestured to the bartender and followed.</s> <\|message\|>Michelle Darrens Time to have fun. It wasn't really a thought of hers, honestly. One of the flannel boys had put two and two together and realized that if they were going to spend the time chatting they might as well do it around a table. By the time they grabbed the guy at the bar she'd almost made up her mind, but that's what sealed the deal--if they were willing to grab some random asshole from the bar, they'd have to be down with her showing up. That was why guys went to bars, after all, to get drunk and hang out and pick up chicks. Right? Like she had any fucking clue, but that dandy appletini-Coors Light combo had the beginnings of a buzz in her temples and she was feeling a little rebellious. It was a night out, goddammit! Maybe she never had any fun because she never let herself have any fun. Maybe Big Bad (It's the alcohol talking, a little part of her hyperventilated, don't be stupid, don't fuck things up!) didn't have to be as much of a killjoy as she made him. It had been a while since she'd cut loose, since he'd ripped out, and even when the moon came along she had her little safety nets. When was the last time she actually got someone hurt? As was usual for Michelle, while she was busy thinking and exacerbating and freaking the hell out, her body had plans of its own and made them known. She was already on her way to the table when her stupid heart started beating faster, her lips pulling tight in a little catch-me-if-you-can smile. It felt like she was getting away with something, and that edge of going-to-get-caught, fuck-it-do-it-anyway abandon was making her a little giddy. If there was something to be said about her, she was a physical person. Mama might not have raised a dummy but she'd been a dancer and a cheerleader (Hah! What a fucking riot!) once upon a time and she knew how to slide her way across a floor. Effortless with all the confidence she didn't have, she got to the table just as the boys were settling down. A quick twist of a wrist on the back of a worn smooth wooden chair pivoted it on a leg and spun it around to let her straddle it, wrapped around the back rest while her chin rested in the groove between her wiry forearms. Her hoodie flopped across like a punk-rock circus tent in a breeze, the worn holes for her thumbs not the only ones where pale flesh peeked through. "Howdy gents." Her smile twitched to a grin before falling back to size. "Cool if I crash your stag party? And I'll have another, honey, thanks so much." She added to the waitress from before, snagging her as she passed to another table and wiggling her fingers by way of please-and-thanks before turning to her new partners-in-crime properly. Maybe things would be different now. Maybe this would be fun after all. Or maybe they'd tell her to fuck off! Never knew until you tried. It was a little funny--the more she stuck herself out there, the more she relaxed. She'd learned by now that if a pucnh was coming it was better to roll with it, and on the edge of watching her tentative good-time-girl bravado crumble she was oddly at ease. "How 'bout that fucking radio-thing, huh? You guys ever heard shit like that before?"</s>	<\|message\|>There Are No Heroes Drifting between toying with the phone, adding a pause brief enough to note the trio depart from the bar itself, Mercer couldn't help but feel a conflict of emotions - feelings as if to just call this meeting off, throwing it to when he wasn't more concerned with the booze or the cat, or if he was better off just taking the prying now. The contact would pry, no doubt about that. It wasn't in the slightest a matter of if, but when and how much... and given how easy to find Mercer was, often making one of a couple rounds to locales he frequented, they'd find him one way or another. Oh fuck this. I'll deal with it tomorrow. Mercer's thoughts wavered as he entered his reply, attempting his best to deflect their interest, at least for the time being. Fingers to the screen, it was done in a heart beat. There wasn't an immediate response. That's what drew the sigh of relief and eyes free of the phone; in that moment, Mercer caught the slight glimpse of movement. Not from the band who had just a few minutes before departed the stage, but instead from the last person he imagined to get up. Eyes tracking for the time being, he was curious as to where this was going, because the brief expression he caught? It wasn't matching the one she had before, but it certainly matched her actions as she whipped a chair about, sitting herself down and ordering another drink all in one fluid motion. At first Mercer wasn't sure what he just witnessed; as if the incident but ten feet away was in a fog, but the more he thought about it as she finished her remark about the theremin, the more he realized she was serious. Settling in, first checking the reaction of the two cowboy booted cohorts, then the waiter; he imagined, before checking back to his phone, they might prove a bit startled... or confused. Maybe both. Mercer certainly was, but all the same now he found himself feeling left out. These were his grounds, he might as well be comfortable around these people - sure the air that followed with them struck him as a bit odd, but there was no harm in that, right? Thinking as he was, his attention focused back to the screen in his palm. No reply. Not yet at least, which was all the more rationale and permission he needed to join in on whatever was about to happen. It didn't take him twice on the thought to stand, crossing the bar before kicking back the leg of a chair with a heel and proving to sit down. It was in that moment, slipping the phone away, he replied almost casually, to the woman - or rather on closer inspection what he'd almost consider a girl still - and her remark about the theremin. "Heard of it - can't say I've ever seen one in person." Mercer proved to nod in the direction of the man in the plaid shirt, keen to note the little, more than awkward moment they had between each other but a short time ago. Maybe now, he rationalized, things would settle down some; the atmosphere maybe left to calm, but it certainly didn't where he sat at the table's corner, maybe a foot away from the punk college student - or what Mercer assumed her to be. Before he could let go of the notion though, his mind toyed with the fact that the last thing he wanted was a reply now. What little interaction he had with anyone but his coworkers, even if this turned poorly, would be better than none at all.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s> <\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo saw them head back and he started to smell the air for the familiar smell of Alkah. He found it and started to swiftly move through the woods trying not to make too much noise. Finally He found Alkah and said, "We have to hurry back to the pack there's...humans out here."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike returned to the den as well, with Amber. He thought to himself about the recent events. The strange smell, the rabbits, and... he cut himself short to see a rabbit. He charged after it, grabbed the little creature, and wrestled with it, almost playing with the doomed mammal. He ended its misery when he bit its neck. "I got us some more meat!" For the first time in months, he was enthusiastic about it, as evidenced by the wagging of his tail.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty returned to the dens with Lila and then crawled inside with the rabbit still in her mouth. She lay down on her side and dropped the rabbit onto the soft ground of her warm comfortable den. She started to eat some of the rabbit, but not all of it, wanting to save some for later.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched as the young ones crawled to their respective dens. There were still others who were outside so he still opted to keep watch. He has not seen the Alpha Male as well so he must be outside. His senses still cautious in everything he picked up, he sat there almost motionless as he stood guard.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila managed to catch herself a small rabbit on the way back, padding into the clearing and plopping herself down near Renzo. "Care to share?" She asked, nosing her rabbit.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "It's all yours hunter. You earned it." Renzo said with a nod, gesturing her that it was alright for her to eat it herself. "I've already ate." The vole was actually enough for him so he didn't mind. "Anything suspicious happening?" He asked as he looked around.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and started eating, pausing and licking around her mouth when he asked about anything suspicious. "Yes, there's a pack of humans not far from here setting up temporary dens," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Humans? Well they haven't shown themselves for quite a while now." Renzo said as he looked at the young wolf. "They would have to leave eventually then. Does everyone know about this?" The Elder asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I was just starting to hunt with the patrols the last time they came close like this," She said, pushing the rabbit away, no longer hungry. "And maybe they'll leave but they could also attempt to stay. Misty, Postremo, Klondike and Amber know. Postremo went out to go find the other hunting parties while he sent Misty and I back here."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, I remember that time." Renzo said. He was still young back then and often went on hunts with the others. At least the humans did not do any damage. "Prostremo what?" He growled as he looked at the forest again. "He went on alone while the humans are near?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the wolf and nodded. "Yes, Why isn't you don't go on the patrols anymore?" She asked and then sighed as he growled. "Yes he went alone, but it's not my place to argue with the alpha, remember?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I'm too old they say." Renzo replied. "It's better that I stay here rather than go out and risk myself getting injured." He actually longed to go back and hunt. He went back to his calm demeanor. "Yes, I know but still... that's risky. He should know that being an alpha, he should at least have one other wolf with him. If he disappears, the whole pack will be left in disarray."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Too old, you're only a year older than me, you're not that old," Lila said. "Which is why Misty assumes total alphaship until Postremo has returned or a new alpha is selected. We have survived worse, we will survive this."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That's what they say. Besides, I've been injured remember? The small fight with a rogue tiger left me limping for more than a year." Renzo continued. "Alright, we will survive if Postremo ever disappears but the pack would get affected emotionally. It hurts to lose a member, does it not?"</s>	<\|message\|>Lila "I remember, I was there," Lila said, resting her head on her paws. "Of course it hurts, it always hurts. Especially when it's one we're close to." Lila had lost her brother over the winter, he had fallen through the thin sheet of ice that coated the river.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was about to reply when Postremo returned to camp and the two began talking and then Misty joined the group. "Pups would be wonderful to have, it's been a long time since there have been pups in the pack. And why don't you have a mate yet Renzo?" Lila asked.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber placed the still-fresh rat body she had collected on a nearby rock. Hopefully someone who was hungry would know to at least have that as a snack. She glared at the pathetic sight. She set out on a hunt and found a rat. She remembered the elk scent they had detected early in the hunt. Perhaps that would be the solution. She'd have to investigate later. Amber turned to glance at Klondike. She looked just in time to see him dart off and chase after a rabbit. He wrestled with the little thing then eventually killed it. "Good job!" She cheered for him. She smiled at his enthusiasm. She turned away and lay down on the ground. She yawned and rolled on her back. Perhaps she'd let Klondike into her little idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes... a long time indeed." Renzo said as he sat up again. He looked at Lila with a smile. "Romance never interested me. I was always out on hunts and patrols remember?" The Elder glanced back at the entrance when he heard something but it was only a bird fluttering through the trees so he looked back at Lila. "Besides, I didn't want to have a mate since I was most likely to die in one of those patrols. I was reckless whenever out on them hunts. That's how I got my injury from that tiger." He then glanced back at the camp where Amber and Klondlike were then back at Lila. "How about you Lila? Is there anyone you've taken an interest in?"</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia twisted in her den, she was having a nightmare. Any onlookers would see her in her twisted state, as she whimpered and cried. With a final whimper she was awake, standing up to her full height before stretching, her belly low to the ground. Her tail swayed back and forth and she huffed, feeling flustered. She hated having those random nightmares, and they were usually about the strangest things. She crawled out of her den and looked around, the crisp air running it's way through her fur. She loved the spring air, it was cool, and everything was melting around her, so she was usually covered in dew. She smiled, her tail swinging back and forth. She wondered where the others were, and sniffed the air lightly. The rest of the pack was gathered somewhere, and she hurried off to find them. She saw them all in their groups, and tilted her head to the side. "Have you already done everything without me, guys?" She barked, a calm smile dancing across her features. She walked cautiously over to Lily and Renzo, but her ears caught a fragment of a sentence, something about 'interests' and she backed off.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah, Zia. You are awake." Renzo said as he looked over at the shewolf. "All the hunting parties are already back. There are humans out there and we were discussing on the best course of action." He said. "We advise everyone to not go out alone because of the risks that will be involved when you encounter the humans alone."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike hang out at the den with the others. He knew that humans were near, but didn't want to act in a rash manner. Eventually, he got up and went to find Postremo, finding Renzo nearby as well. "Hi there! If there is danger at hand, we should handle it as a pack, for there is strength in numbers." It was a trite piece of advice. Still, Klondike knew it made sense in this case. "Just a suggestion" he added, not wanting to seem as if he was commanding the pack, for fear he might be labeled a challenger to the alpha male.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Exactly what we were thinking." Renzo said as he looked at Klondlike. "But we should only charge at the humans if they pose a threat to our home. As long as they keep their distance, there should really be nothing to worry about." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was thinking a little too quick when he heard about that humans were near."Sorry about that I kind of forgot." Then Renzo mentioned that he and Misty that they haven't had a cub yet. He hesitated when the question was asked was a bit nervous when he asked it and Misty looked at him. "W-well we are busy with watching over the pack and yeah we've been mates for a awhile and...," Postremo looked at Misty, "I-if you want to have a cub then I won't really mind when you want to have it." Postremo quickly turned to Renzo embarrassed and said to him, "Anyways if the humans get too close they might pose a threat to us so having patrols wouldn't be a bad idea."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled as Postremo started to feel nervous thanks to his question. He should do this more often. Once the subject was turned back to the humans, Renzo decided to just roll with it. "Alright then. Who will you send out then Postremo? Obviously, most of the wolves here are young but capable of handling themselves although I highly recommend that you send wolves that are experienced on those patrols." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't say much after she heard Postremo's response. So he wouldn't mind having pups. But did she want pups? She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the alpha female's job to have pups in order to make sure the pack had a future, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for pups or not.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo When Renzo asked about who to send out for the patrols, he thought about it for a minute. He was right about that only wolves that are experienced would be right to do the patrols. "Maybe the older wolves wouldn't mind patroling and I don't mind patrolling either."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "If you are to go on patrol, someone else must be with you." Renzo said. "It can't be Misty, we need her for another patrol." He then tried to think of which wolves are going to be sent out. "Three years and older, those wolves should be the ones participating in these patrols for the humans. The younger ones will have to hunt. I don't mind going on patrol from time to time."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We shouldn't go too far from the dens, though," said Misty. "Especially during the day. The humans can't see well at night, so we're better of if we send out patrols mostly after the suns sets." She sat down beside Postremo as the discussion went on.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded, feeling the hairs on her back come to life. She wanted to growl, feeling defensive and angry. "Humans? Around here though? My god, we have to be on high alert then. May I suggest patrols around the perimeter?" She didn't want to sound as though she was taking the lead, but it seemed like a good idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Misty's suggestion. "Yes, the night will cover us well. Although we may have to avoid sending wolves with bright fur... like yourself Misty. You will be spotted easily among the night as it will not cloak you as well as it should." He said before turning to Zia. "We are currently discussing who to send out in patrols."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, not arguing with that logic. In truth, she hadn't been wanting to go out on patrols at all, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary for the good of the pack.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now, the wolves that will be available to go on patrol is dwindling." Renzo sighed as he looked at the leaders of the pack. "We can send out three patrols at most with two wolves each every night." He said, recounting every non-white wolf they had. "It will be risky so, as you suggested Misty, we will have to stick close to our dens just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I will volunteer for the riskiest patrol" Klondike said to Renzo and anyone else who could hear him. "I'm not white-furred, and if you don't mind my saying it, I am probably the most vigilant among us."</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia looked towards Klondike and nodded in agreement. "I will also go willingly on patrol. I'm not white, and I can be just as sneaky as the rest of you. You all know I won't do anything irrational either." She stood up as tall as she could, and put on a mask of seriousness.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Very good, Zia. Just be careful. Humans once destroyed the world, so who knows what they are capable of" Klondike replied. "I hear they even tamed some of our kind and tied them up on a leash or something."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Then we have our first patrol." Renzo said, gesturing to the two as they volunteered. "I thank you for volunteering for such a risky patrol." Renzo looked at Postremo and said, "I'll go patrol as well. I know the humans since we encountered them before... and I still haven't forgotten what they did to my sister."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Do I dare ask what they did to her?" Klondike said, a bit nervous about the possibilities. He had heard no end of horror stories, even after the many generations since humans were in charge.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well... I don't mind telling the story." Renzo said. "It will prove useful as knowledge." He continued before taking a deep breath. "Much like now, the humans were close to the dens and we needed to drive them away. My sister, the previous pack leader and myself were the ones who were on the first wave. It was the night and we became slightly over confident. We sneaked into one of their dens and what we found was a surprise. There were 3 of them, all equipped with those things which release something that could kill and makes a loud sound." He breathed in again. "We were surprised as the noises grew louder and more frequent. We scattered and I ran away with my sister... While we were running, we heard another loud noise and then my sister dropped on the ground. I stopped and looked at her... she didn't breathe anymore. I started running again until I arrived at my den and well... The rest is history." He said and then breathed out the remaining air that stayed inside him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Those things that look like tubes? Made out of some hard material? Those launch sharp little rocks, don't they?" Klondike said. "I am sorry for your loss" he bowed his head and his tail drooped down. He sincerely hoped that these humans had none of those things with them.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, those things. I'm just not sure about those sharp little rocks... They're too hard." Renzo said. They found one before and it shone in the sunlight so it may not be a rock. "Thanks. That happened such a long time ago anyway so I'm over it... I think." He continued. "How about you? Have you had any horrible experiences with the humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, I do, but he never seemed interested in a romance and was busy moaning over how stupid he was acting when he was attacked by a tiger," Lila said, standing and stretching her back while the others talked. "Should I stay with the hunting patrols? I'm the best tracker," She said, sitting down.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well, I suppose you are right Klondlike." Renzo said as he rested once more. He looked at Lila. Well that seemed awfully like him... but that was quite impossible since he was a year older so he payed it no mind. "Yes, you should. It would be better with your tracking skills and if we ever need your help, we'll tell you." Renzo replied before standing up. "Well now that that is over, time to go back to my den. See you later and just call me if you need anything else." He said as he headed back to his den to leave the others to talk amongst themselves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila watched him for a moment, nodding as she was given her assignment. Of course he was a little dense, she'd been giving hints for the last year that she liked him. She let out a sigh and stood. "I suppose I'll head to my den as well," She said, turning to pad away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Now Renzo had more time to think about something. For the past year, Lila has been growing closer and closer to him and has been given small hints. He had caught on but he refused to believe it. "Ha! If I'm going to fall in love now, I should go straight for the humans." Although deep inside, his heart was screaming the exact opposite.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded at Klondike, giving him a gentle smile. She would have gone up to nuzzle him, but she felt like it would be an awkward gesture. "Klondike, I'm heading to my den, you can come over if you'd like to discuss the situation." Her tail swayed back and forth, and she started to walk towards her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the other wolves behind and then followed Lila to her den. She slipped inside, feeling a little uncertain about things with everything that was going on and the talk of pups. "Hey, how are you?" she asked her younger sister.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty plopped down beside Lila. "He still doesn't seem to know that you like him, huh?" She lay her head down on her paws. "I guess I'm just not sure. I mean, it's not that I don't want pups, but I want to make sure that now is the right time I guess."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s>
<\|description\|>Lila Age:3 years old Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack:Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like):Lila is a sweet she wolf with a very easy going demeanor. She's a skilled tracker but prefers hunting smaller game due to her smaller stature.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s>	<\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s> <\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo saw them head back and he started to smell the air for the familiar smell of Alkah. He found it and started to swiftly move through the woods trying not to make too much noise. Finally He found Alkah and said, "We have to hurry back to the pack there's...humans out here."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike returned to the den as well, with Amber. He thought to himself about the recent events. The strange smell, the rabbits, and... he cut himself short to see a rabbit. He charged after it, grabbed the little creature, and wrestled with it, almost playing with the doomed mammal. He ended its misery when he bit its neck. "I got us some more meat!" For the first time in months, he was enthusiastic about it, as evidenced by the wagging of his tail.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Upon emerging from her den, Misty spotted Postremo returning and she felt a great deal of relief seeing that he was unharmed. She rushed over to him while he was talking with the elder and then stopped, her tail wagging she was so glad to see him safe. She listened to the words of the elder as well. "I think we should keep patrols out at all times," she said. "We don't want them coming too close to our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is a good idea Misty." Renzo said as he looked at the Alpha Female. He saw in her tail's gesture that she was glad to see her mate unharmed. "Those patrols must be experienced as well. We do not want a wolf who has not even seen a human, fight them." He continued. "We should not attack recklessly if we do not want our numbers to dwindle."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "You're right, Renzo. We must only send out the most experienced of hunters. It would be horrible if we were to lose anyone to the humans. Our numbers are low as it is." The pack was still quite small given that no pups had been born in some time.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "There are few wolves that are experienced with the humans. There's you two, me, Lila, Ian and Zia. Those of which are more than just two and a half years old. Sending the two years old would be a bad idea unless they have proven to be excellent hunters." Renzo said as he looked at the Alpha Male and Female. "Speaking of which, when are you two planning on having cubs? It has been long since you two have been mates."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty hadn't been expecting that question. She glanced at Postremo to see his reaction to the question and then turned back to Renzo. "Well, we haven't really decided I guess." She turned back to her mate. "W-what do you think, Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled at Misty. He just asked it because most mates would already have cubs by this time. He rested his head on his forelegs and looked at the two, waiting for an answer yet still vigilant about what's happening around.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was about to reply when Postremo returned to camp and the two began talking and then Misty joined the group. "Pups would be wonderful to have, it's been a long time since there have been pups in the pack. And why don't you have a mate yet Renzo?" Lila asked.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber placed the still-fresh rat body she had collected on a nearby rock. Hopefully someone who was hungry would know to at least have that as a snack. She glared at the pathetic sight. She set out on a hunt and found a rat. She remembered the elk scent they had detected early in the hunt. Perhaps that would be the solution. She'd have to investigate later. Amber turned to glance at Klondike. She looked just in time to see him dart off and chase after a rabbit. He wrestled with the little thing then eventually killed it. "Good job!" She cheered for him. She smiled at his enthusiasm. She turned away and lay down on the ground. She yawned and rolled on her back. Perhaps she'd let Klondike into her little idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes... a long time indeed." Renzo said as he sat up again. He looked at Lila with a smile. "Romance never interested me. I was always out on hunts and patrols remember?" The Elder glanced back at the entrance when he heard something but it was only a bird fluttering through the trees so he looked back at Lila. "Besides, I didn't want to have a mate since I was most likely to die in one of those patrols. I was reckless whenever out on them hunts. That's how I got my injury from that tiger." He then glanced back at the camp where Amber and Klondlike were then back at Lila. "How about you Lila? Is there anyone you've taken an interest in?"</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia twisted in her den, she was having a nightmare. Any onlookers would see her in her twisted state, as she whimpered and cried. With a final whimper she was awake, standing up to her full height before stretching, her belly low to the ground. Her tail swayed back and forth and she huffed, feeling flustered. She hated having those random nightmares, and they were usually about the strangest things. She crawled out of her den and looked around, the crisp air running it's way through her fur. She loved the spring air, it was cool, and everything was melting around her, so she was usually covered in dew. She smiled, her tail swinging back and forth. She wondered where the others were, and sniffed the air lightly. The rest of the pack was gathered somewhere, and she hurried off to find them. She saw them all in their groups, and tilted her head to the side. "Have you already done everything without me, guys?" She barked, a calm smile dancing across her features. She walked cautiously over to Lily and Renzo, but her ears caught a fragment of a sentence, something about 'interests' and she backed off.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah, Zia. You are awake." Renzo said as he looked over at the shewolf. "All the hunting parties are already back. There are humans out there and we were discussing on the best course of action." He said. "We advise everyone to not go out alone because of the risks that will be involved when you encounter the humans alone."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike hang out at the den with the others. He knew that humans were near, but didn't want to act in a rash manner. Eventually, he got up and went to find Postremo, finding Renzo nearby as well. "Hi there! If there is danger at hand, we should handle it as a pack, for there is strength in numbers." It was a trite piece of advice. Still, Klondike knew it made sense in this case. "Just a suggestion" he added, not wanting to seem as if he was commanding the pack, for fear he might be labeled a challenger to the alpha male.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Exactly what we were thinking." Renzo said as he looked at Klondlike. "But we should only charge at the humans if they pose a threat to our home. As long as they keep their distance, there should really be nothing to worry about." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was thinking a little too quick when he heard about that humans were near."Sorry about that I kind of forgot." Then Renzo mentioned that he and Misty that they haven't had a cub yet. He hesitated when the question was asked was a bit nervous when he asked it and Misty looked at him. "W-well we are busy with watching over the pack and yeah we've been mates for a awhile and...," Postremo looked at Misty, "I-if you want to have a cub then I won't really mind when you want to have it." Postremo quickly turned to Renzo embarrassed and said to him, "Anyways if the humans get too close they might pose a threat to us so having patrols wouldn't be a bad idea."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo smiled as Postremo started to feel nervous thanks to his question. He should do this more often. Once the subject was turned back to the humans, Renzo decided to just roll with it. "Alright then. Who will you send out then Postremo? Obviously, most of the wolves here are young but capable of handling themselves although I highly recommend that you send wolves that are experienced on those patrols." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't say much after she heard Postremo's response. So he wouldn't mind having pups. But did she want pups? She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the alpha female's job to have pups in order to make sure the pack had a future, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for pups or not.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo When Renzo asked about who to send out for the patrols, he thought about it for a minute. He was right about that only wolves that are experienced would be right to do the patrols. "Maybe the older wolves wouldn't mind patroling and I don't mind patrolling either."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "If you are to go on patrol, someone else must be with you." Renzo said. "It can't be Misty, we need her for another patrol." He then tried to think of which wolves are going to be sent out. "Three years and older, those wolves should be the ones participating in these patrols for the humans. The younger ones will have to hunt. I don't mind going on patrol from time to time."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We shouldn't go too far from the dens, though," said Misty. "Especially during the day. The humans can't see well at night, so we're better of if we send out patrols mostly after the suns sets." She sat down beside Postremo as the discussion went on.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded, feeling the hairs on her back come to life. She wanted to growl, feeling defensive and angry. "Humans? Around here though? My god, we have to be on high alert then. May I suggest patrols around the perimeter?" She didn't want to sound as though she was taking the lead, but it seemed like a good idea.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Misty's suggestion. "Yes, the night will cover us well. Although we may have to avoid sending wolves with bright fur... like yourself Misty. You will be spotted easily among the night as it will not cloak you as well as it should." He said before turning to Zia. "We are currently discussing who to send out in patrols."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, not arguing with that logic. In truth, she hadn't been wanting to go out on patrols at all, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary for the good of the pack.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now, the wolves that will be available to go on patrol is dwindling." Renzo sighed as he looked at the leaders of the pack. "We can send out three patrols at most with two wolves each every night." He said, recounting every non-white wolf they had. "It will be risky so, as you suggested Misty, we will have to stick close to our dens just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I will volunteer for the riskiest patrol" Klondike said to Renzo and anyone else who could hear him. "I'm not white-furred, and if you don't mind my saying it, I am probably the most vigilant among us."</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia looked towards Klondike and nodded in agreement. "I will also go willingly on patrol. I'm not white, and I can be just as sneaky as the rest of you. You all know I won't do anything irrational either." She stood up as tall as she could, and put on a mask of seriousness.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Very good, Zia. Just be careful. Humans once destroyed the world, so who knows what they are capable of" Klondike replied. "I hear they even tamed some of our kind and tied them up on a leash or something."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Then we have our first patrol." Renzo said, gesturing to the two as they volunteered. "I thank you for volunteering for such a risky patrol." Renzo looked at Postremo and said, "I'll go patrol as well. I know the humans since we encountered them before... and I still haven't forgotten what they did to my sister."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Do I dare ask what they did to her?" Klondike said, a bit nervous about the possibilities. He had heard no end of horror stories, even after the many generations since humans were in charge.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well... I don't mind telling the story." Renzo said. "It will prove useful as knowledge." He continued before taking a deep breath. "Much like now, the humans were close to the dens and we needed to drive them away. My sister, the previous pack leader and myself were the ones who were on the first wave. It was the night and we became slightly over confident. We sneaked into one of their dens and what we found was a surprise. There were 3 of them, all equipped with those things which release something that could kill and makes a loud sound." He breathed in again. "We were surprised as the noises grew louder and more frequent. We scattered and I ran away with my sister... While we were running, we heard another loud noise and then my sister dropped on the ground. I stopped and looked at her... she didn't breathe anymore. I started running again until I arrived at my den and well... The rest is history." He said and then breathed out the remaining air that stayed inside him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Those things that look like tubes? Made out of some hard material? Those launch sharp little rocks, don't they?" Klondike said. "I am sorry for your loss" he bowed his head and his tail drooped down. He sincerely hoped that these humans had none of those things with them.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, those things. I'm just not sure about those sharp little rocks... They're too hard." Renzo said. They found one before and it shone in the sunlight so it may not be a rock. "Thanks. That happened such a long time ago anyway so I'm over it... I think." He continued. "How about you? Have you had any horrible experiences with the humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike Klondike did his best to assess the situation. "Amber, I... yes. I'll go with you. Renzo, you just do whatever you need to do, but please be careful!" He moved alongside Amber, ready to go with her.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postemo nuzzled Misty back and gave her an affectionate lick. "I went out for a last minute hunt and patrol then I smelled the humans and raced back to the dens. I thought they caught you and the pack when I saw them there, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe," He said then looked around. "Wait, what happened to Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "So am I," said Misty happily. But some of that happiness faded when Lila was mentioned. "She went to tiger territory to try and get them to help us with the human problem. I know I shouldn't have let her, but she was so insistent."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lifted her head and quickly started wagging her tail merrily at the sight of Postremo. He was okay! The two alpha wolves were a reassuring sight. For as long as she could remember, they always resonated an aura of safety. If only Lila was with them... Then there would seem to be no cause for fear anymore. She sighed and lowered her head to the ground. How long were they going to wait here though?</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She went on her own?" Postremo asked then sighed. "I wish you'd at least sent someone with her, it's not safe for her to be on her own."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go with her myself, but she refused to let anyone else go," Misty explained.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Is everyone here?" Klondike asked. "We've got to keep a watch on the entrance, and send some scouts out to find food and water. We can't stay in here forever. We-" he stopped himself. Klondike was still young and although a beta male, he realized he was quite literally barking orders as if he was an alpha. Although the pack had more to deal with than petty politics, he was still careful not to go too far above his station. His time would come, but not quite yet. Not while they still had these human matters to deal with. Klondike moved over to Amber and gave her a little nuzzle. "I know it is hard, but we've gotten through some tough times before."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber dipped her head sadly but welcomed Klondike's approach. She just hoped the humans would eventually leave the area. She hadn't ever been chased out of her home like this before. She hoped they'd be able to come back home soon. She glanced at Klondike with a little playful smile. "You'd probably make a good alpha," She whispered somewhat jokingly, thinking of the orders he had blurted out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo looked to Klondike, giving him a little look. "But you're right, sadly we're a little short on the pair of eyes we have. For now, everyone should get to sleep. Klondike, you can take the first watch, then I'll take next. Amber, you can take the dawn watch," He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down next to Postremo and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep. That was easier said than done, though. She was still so worried about her sister and the rest of the pack as well. The future had never been so uncertain for them.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Sleep Misty, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here," He said, gently nuzzling her before laying his head on his paws.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, I'll take watch" Klondike said, not wanting to argue and grateful that the others seemed not to mind his orders earlier. There was a fine line between a take-charge spirit and a bossy attitude. The former was a desirable trait but the latter would be seen as a challenge to the authority of the alphas. The last thing the pack needed right now was a fight for dominance.</s>
<\|description\|>Klondike Age: 2.5 years old Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes sir." Renzo replied. 'Tomorrow huh? Alright, I'll be able to get to her quickly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo nodded. "Now get some rest, you'll probably be running most of the day tomorrow," He said before going back to Misty and laying down. Lila growled at the wolf. "Stop that! Don't you know there are humans in these woods?!" She barked. "Come back in the morning and I'll talk to you then."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded and then shut his eyes as he lied back down to get some sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zera "Humans there are no humans here.I know because I watched them leave, or at least move from where they where camping." Zera turns around and walks far enough away to no longer be seen by Lila but close enough he can keep an eye on her and the pup.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the wolf and settled back down, curling up with Em close to her and eventually falling asleep. (And thus, the entire rp now skips to the next morning.)</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty woke the next morning and nuzzled Postremo to wake him. "Morning," she said. "I think we should go hunting for some food for the others. I'm not sure how long we're going to be in this cave, but we shouldn't go hungry."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo woke up a little bit earlier than the others. Might as well get a head start on what Postremo said he should do. He looked back at the sleeping wolves and then went out of the cave. He decided to hunt first before heading out to find Lila. He sniffed the air and spotted a rabbit. He quickly tracked it down and managed to catch it. After that meal, he headed off to find Lila.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as morning came and yawned, stretching before looking down to Em. She jumped when she saw the pup gone and looked to the thicket's entrance. She must have run off on her own. Lila sighed and crawled out of the thicket, looking around for that other wolf from last night. She could see him just a ways off and she huffed. What was it with stubborn males? She sniffed the air and padded off in the direction of a stream to get some water and then to find food. Postremo yawned as his mate nuzzled him and blinked to her sleepily. "Food? Okay," He mumbled, standing and stretching before moving to leave the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well you look like you just woke up." Renzo said as he spotted Lila going to the stream. Her and Em's scent were strong around here so he managed to spot them quickly. There was another scent too, must be a rogue. Well as long as the rogue meant no harm, he supposed it would be alright.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, and you look any better?" Lila asked, looking back at him. "The pup is gone, she ran off while I was asleep. Kinda sad she left." She continued down to the stream and took a long drink. "Is Misty safe?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I was awake for quite some time now and even got my prey. I think I'm in a better shape than you." Renzo said. "Oh, she's gone? Maybe she'll come back." He continued before nodding. "Yup, she and Postremo are safe. We found a cave and they're safe in there."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "If she meant to come back, she'd have told me she would come back," Lila said and nodded before turning to him. "Good, now, why are you here again?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I guess." Renzo said. "Postremo sent me after you, said it was dangerous for you to go to tiger territory alone."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Well then, I suppose I can't tell you to go away this time, but I really don't need two stubborn males following me around," Lila said, turning to find a prey scent. She found a deer's trail and licked her chops. "Follow me," She said then bolted in the direction of the trail.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Two?" Renzo asked. That stubborn male may be the one he managed to smell earlier. "The more the merrier." He said with a smile before nodding and following Lila.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila rolled her eyes and slowed down, dropping into a crouch as they found the herd. Lila scanned the deer and spotted one at the edge of the meadow. "See that doe on the edge? Looks like she hurt her leg on one of the human traps," She whispered. "You circle around and I'll try herding her towards you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded as he sneaked around the deer. He could smell the blood on the deer's leg. He already ate but eating deer would be much... much better.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila crept her way through the low brush and grass, generally being a white wolf would mean a difficult time hunting but Lila had enough practice. Once she was about 10 feet away she leaped into the meadow and howled, chasing the lame doe towards Renzo.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike woke and yawned. He was grateful that no one had attacked them overnight, but he was still vigilant as ever. Sniffing the air, he gradually made his way out of the cave, to check on the surrounding area.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lazily opened her eyes. She slowly looked around the cave, seeing that most of the others had already woken up. She yawned loudly and stood. She stretched and tiredly wandered out of the cave. She cringed and turned her head away at the unexpected morning light. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Klondike in front of her. "Hey, Klondike," She called. "Anything going on?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not that I can smell, hear, or see" he told Amber, listing the most important sense to a wolf in order. "You hungry? Want to get some food?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo quickly reacted and managed to tackle down the injured doe which was easy considering that it was hurt. It quickly fell down and he bit down on its neck. "You know, you could take that down considering that she was injured pretty bad." He said as he sat down beside the body.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I never hunt big animals alone, haven't since I learned, and it's much easier this way. And you always had a good take down," Lila said, padding over and sitting by the dead deer before starting to eat.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Despite her tired self, Amber's ears flicked up at Klondike's question. She was still a little weary, but she was already waking up at the thought of going out to hunt. It had been a while since her last real hunt, and she was eager to start hunting again. "Definitely," She said cheerfully.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A good take down huh? Guess I'm still fit after being so inactive lately." Renzo said with a smile. He then started to eat some as well and then licking the surroundings of his mouth once done. "Who was that other stubborn male you were talking about?"</s> <\|message\|>Zera Zera who had followed Lila and the new wolf scent, tracked them to the deer. "Well now that looks appetizing, although I know you won't share with a loner like me not that it matters. I managed to grab a few squirrels last night, tasty little buggers but hard to catch." he walks to a point in the area where both wolves could clearly see him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah greetings." Renzo said as he saw the loner. "You must be the other male Lila mentioned. I'm Renzo." He introduced himself and then bowed his head slightly. "It is alright if you take a few bites, this deer is big enough to feed four wolves."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stretched out and heard her stomach rumble. She was definitely hungry. She turned to Amber. "Why don't you and Klondike go out and see what you can find to eat?" She looked at Postremo. "I think it might be better if we stay here. We have a lot to discuss."</s> <\|message\|>Zera "No thank you, I prefer to keep to the smaller game. Eating to much causes one to get fat, which in my case would lower my ability to kill tigers." He bows his head in response to Renzo's bowing his head."My name is Zera, glad to meet you Renzo."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ate her fill while Renzo talked to the loner, straightening when she finished. "Well, I suppose I should get moving, there's a lot of ground to cover," She said, licking her chops before starting off in the direction of her original heading. Postremo looked to Misty and nodded. "What do we need to discuss?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Well, we have to think about the future and how long we can stay in this cave like this," said Misty. "It's sure to be a while before Lila and Renzo return, and I don't think that we should just sit here and do nothing while we wait for them to return."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo sighed and nodded. "I know, as of right now, we are safe in this cave that we can call our temporary home. The humans are still roaming near our old dens but for right now we need to play it day by day, we don't know what we are up against and how to defend ourselves adequately," He said. "I pray that Lila and Renzo are successful."</s> <\|message\|>Ruka Ruka was running as fast as she could away from the the acid-like smell of blood and fur, occasionally stumbling and falling over exposed tree roots or her own legs. As she ran she was constantly looking around with her eyes wide with fear and her ears always on alert, until she spotted a cave further ahead and made a bee-line for it almost not caring if there was something else in it. When she reached the cave she practically skidded to a stop at the mouth of it smelling something familiar but looked back and decided to venture inside "hello...." she called before she walked in.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You hunt tigers?" Renzo asked. "Well that is an interesting hobby for a wolf." He then smiled. "Nice to meet you too Zera." He then faced Lila as she spoke. "Well I'm following you Lila, Postremo's orders remember?" The older wolf said as he stood up and followed Lila. "It would be a hard task to talk to the tigress queen but it's worth a shot I guess. Zera, you coming?"</s> <\|message\|>Zera "No I can't the tigers would probably recognize me, I know they have been watching me since the first tiger I killed. But if you know a safe place that I could go to so I can get some sleep? I haven't slept in weeks for fear of tiger sneak attacks." Zera walks over to the deer and sniffs savoring the smell but doesn't make a move towards eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think our pack will welcome you for the meantime." Renzo said. "You think you can track my scent all the way back to a cave? That's where they are resting in and tell them you met me and told you to come there for the meantime. I doubt the tigers would go there."</s> <\|message\|>Zera "Thank you I will make my way there." Zera quickly picks up Renzo's scent and follows it right to where Renzo said it would lead him in front of a cave, where he sees other wolves. " Hello my name is Zera and I was told to come here by a wolf named Renzo."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded as Zera made his way back to where the others were. He turned back to Lila, waiting for her to lead them to the tiger territory.</s>	<\|message\|>Klondike "Well, then Amber, let's go!" He wanted to hunt, but he also wanted to get out of the cave for a bit. He had discovered it, but that didn't mean he liked staying in it.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s>
<\|description\|>Misty Age: 4 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Alpha Female Personality: A bit temperamental and not trusting of anyone outside of her pack, she can however be gentle and kind to those in her own pack when they need her. She firmly believes that the needs of the pack should always be put before the needs of any individual member.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the humans nearby. They were very close and getting closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before they had reached the dens. She was sure of it. She went to hide in her own den, hoping that they wouldn't find her in there. She hoped that the rest of the pack was all safe.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, be safe you two." Renzo said before quickly running towards the dens. The human scent was so powerful that he was sure that they could only be a few feet away from him. He reached the clearing. "Misty?" He called out and kept looking back. The humans weren't here... yet. "Where are you?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty poked her head out of the den when she heard Renzo's voice. She was relieved to see that he wasn't harmed. "I'm here," she said and then came all the way out of the den. "Where are the others?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They're out there hiding. Come on, we have to get you out of here too." Renzo replied, urging Misty to get out of the den. "I'm sure they'll find you in here. We have to go." The elder said before looking back at the entrance. No sign yet but the scent was strong... and growing stronger.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't want to leave the dens behind, but she knew that they had no other choice. They had to leave. She nodded and then got out of the den and followed Renzo. "Show me to the others," she said to him as she smelled the humans so close that it was a wonder that they couldn't see them. But she could hear them. They were speaking to one another in their own strange language.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright. Let's go." Renzo said as he quickly ran towards the entrance but not the same way he took. He heard humans conversing there. Oh how he wished he knew what they were talking about but he couldn't understand them. It was quite a long run since when they all parted ways, it was quite a distance. "You doin' alright Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty did her best to keep up with them, but was feeling a little tired and slower. "I'm fine. We just need to catch up with the others. I'm worried about everyone else. Were they all okay when you last saw them?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber scoffed. Renzo didn't think she could take care of herself. She was perfectly capable of handling the danger! She considered running after him, but for once she decided not to. She really wanted to, but they were in real danger. She couldn't risk the others like that. "Klondike," She glanced at him as she said his name. She glared at him briefly, then her expressions softened, "What now? Should we tell them about the cave?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They were absolutely fine. I sent them to find a hiding place..." Renzo started. "I thought I can still pick up their scents but in conditions like now where humans are near, I can't seem to find it." He sighed. "Let's just hope they haven't moved much." He continued, slowing down the pace as he feels tired as well. "I really thought that we had time to prepare for these humans... turns out we don't." He muttered.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, we really don't. I just hope that we can find somewhere to lay low for a little while. Until the humans move on." She was also thinking about her sister and hoping that she would reach the tigers okay and be able to convince them to help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, we're almost there." Renzo informed Misty. Once he saw the two wolves, he sighed in relief. "Hey you two, I thought you already found a hiding spot." The elder said as he looked at Amber and Klondlike. He had something to ask Misty later as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s>	<\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s>	<\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo noticed how Renzo left but thought he might of found something close by to eat. Then Postremo felt a bit tired from what has happened so far today. He never thought that humans would be this close to the pack. Postrmo then remembered what the humans had done so far to his friends' family. He also remembered how they took the life of his parents and his little sister. He started to head to his den to get some rest but couldn't help but feel stressful and anger.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Prevent an attack? I'm not sure. Maybe if we attacked them first? But no, that's very dangerous" Klondike replied. "It isn't so easy, figuring these things out. If the stories about humans are true, all they have to do to kill us is point one of their... things at us, and there'd be a loud noise and we'd fall over, dead."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty suddenly sprung awake after having a bad nightmare. She panted and tried to clear her head of the nightmare before leaving the den, not wanting to try and sleep anymore. She went out to see who else was around.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "The plan was idiotic, you are not... you were just blinded by guilt." Renzo reassured the wolf as they walked back. He also wondered what would've happened if he didn't see her leave the dens. Maybe Amber would've turned back or maybe she would do the exact opposite. Either way, he was just glad that she was safe when he arrived. "No problem, just don'd do it again. I might not be there to stop you again." Renzo said. He noticed her going stiff and looked like she was being forced to go back. "Loosen up Amber. They will understand, they always do." He continued before they entered the clearing. His eyes scanned for the wolves but all seemed to be in their dens. "No one seems to be out, would you go to Lila and Misty or not? The choice is yours." He said walked to the entrance to his den and sat down, looking at Amber wanting to see what her choice would be.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila felt Misty bolt upright and opened her eyes, giving her sister a bleary look as she left. How long had they been asleep? She yawned and rolled to her stomach and then stood upright. Now she was thirsty. There was a stream close to the dens but she should have someone with her, just in case. She let out a huff and then padded out, seeing Renzo just return. Well, hopefully he wasn't busy. Lila padded over to the other den and peered into the dark hole. "I need to get a drink, would you like to come along?" She asked him.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Lila before looking back at the she-wolf whom he arrived with then back at Lila. "Sure." He said. He felt thirsty too at least and besides, it would be pretty dangerous to go alone even if the stream was just near. He stood up and walked towards Lila. "Come on." He continued before heading out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila smiled and backed away from the den before following after him. "What were you doing earlier when you ran out of the clearing?" She asked curiously.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber watched Renzo and Lila leave for the stream. She decided it would probably be best that she talked to Misty. She didn't know what to say, though. Should she simply confess that she ran away and Renzo caught her before she genuinely tried to steal from humans? Well, yes, but... Amber stopped outside Misty's den. It felt so strange and extremely uncomfortable to directly confess like this. She almost hoped everyone had noticed so she wouldn't have to have this talk. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. "Can I come in for a second?" Amber asked timidly, her eyes downcast.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty noticed Amber and she smiled at her. "Yes, of course you can. What's on your mind?" She scooted over so that the other wolf could sit beside her if she wanted to. She was happy to have someone to talk to so she could take her mind off of her nightmares.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber gratefully entered the den and lay beside Misty. She paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about confessing her mistake like this. Amber groaned and rested her head on the bare ground. "I'm such an idiot!" After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and launched into the story. She explained how she felt about her recent hunting failures. She explained her plan and how she had run away from the pack. She explained everything. "-And then that's when Renzo found me and brought me back to the clearing," She said, finishing up the story. Amber quickly glanced at Misty to see her reaction. Amber wasn't sure how Misty was going to react. She mentally braced her self in-case Misty grew to be furious with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty frowned, but didn't get angry with Amber. "You shouldn't have done that. You should know how important that you are to the pack and you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks like that. Just because you had some failures while hunting doesn't mean that you're not a good hunter. We're going to need you now more than ever with the humans nearby. Just make sure that you don't do it again, okay?" she told her firmly, but not unkindly.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at Misty in surprise. She had greatly underestimated Misty's kindness. She felt herself overflow with joy for merely being forgiven. She felt her tail wagging happily, but she made no effort to keep it under control. "Thank you so much, I won't let it happen again!" Amber said over-confidently. Amber exited the den and was about to make her way over to her favorite napping spot, but she paused when she thought of a question she had. She turned back to Misty and asked, "Are there any plans for the next hunt?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Amber out of the den and then shook her head at the younger wolf's question. "I don't think so. With the humans so close I don't think we should send out any hunting parties until we've finished with our first patrol to make sure that there are no humans too close to the dens."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's ears drooped at the news. She thought back to where she had found the elk trail. It wasn't all that far from their dens. There was no doubt in her mind that the humans could simply wander into the clearing. It was only a matter of time. "I don't know if you've already been talking this over with the others, but I'm afraid we may be attacked," Amber replied quietly. "The scent I found wasn't that far off. They could be closing in on us."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's eyes widened when she heard this. If the humans attacked them first that would be disastrous. "We need to make sure that all the others know. You should go down to the stream and tell Lila and Renzo. I'll talk to Postremo and let him know as well." With that, she turned and made her way to her mate's den.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I saw someone exit the clearing and found out that it was Amber. I went after her as she was alone of course." Renzo replied, sitting down and looking at the stream. "As for what she was doing... well, she will explain herself." He continued before bending down and drinking the water before sitting upright again.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Amber left? On her own?" Lila asked, her eyes widening. What was she thinking?! Lila let out a sigh and got herself a drink of water. "I need her for a hunt tomorrow, she wasn't injured at all, was she?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s>
<\|description\|>Amber Age: 2 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): She's reckless and impatient. More than one hunt has gone amiss due to her actions. She's terrified at the thought of being hated or abandoned by the rest of the pack, and always tries to make it up to the rest. She clumsily helps the rest as best as she can, and sometimes even tries to bring extra game to the pack by herself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "How can we?" Amber said irritably. "They look at us, they point it at us, we die." She really didn't like that... thing around, even if there was no human to hold it. Even if it had never fired before, it looked extremely dangerous. It simply looked dangerous; she couldn't trust it. She shook her head and turned to Klondike, "Should we go now, Klondike? What direction do you want to try for first?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Let's go north, first" Klondike suggested, not sure of which direction to take. Still, he didn't know of any dangers in that direction.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila curled up in her den, keeping her back to the entrance. Her ears flattened and then perked up slightly when she heard Misty. "Not if you're going to try and convince me to leave."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty realized that it wasn't going to be easy to convince her sister, maybe even impossible. "What are we supposed to do if the humans come here looking for us then? Do you really expect us to fight against them even though it might mean many of us will get hurt and likely die?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded at Lila as she said her part. It was true for the most part but there had to be something that could make it work. He also knew that testing it here would be a bad idea. He grabbed the tube like thing and went off to the forest, quite quietly too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "There weren't that many, maybe we could get them to move on," Lila said. "Or maybe the local tigers... Wait! I have an idea!" Lila bolted upright and turned around.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Alrighty," Amber agreed. She gave a quick glance back at Lila in worry. She had never realized how attached Lila was to their home. Amber didn't much like it either, but she knew perfectly well that leaving was their best option. She couldn't imagine how being this close to humans could be safe. She hoped Misty would be able to convince her to leave with them. "Okay," Amber said turning back to Klondike, "we better get a move on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and they went north, sniffing for any danger and to find a good spot. After about an hour, Klondike found a little cave. Its entrance was just big enough for a single adult wolf to enter, so they would have to go single-file when entering or leaving. The cave was nondescript and it was not obvious that anyone was there by sight, although a wolf could still smell if anyone was in it. It would be very dark in there, but it would do in the event of an emergency. "Say, Amber? What do you think of this place?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hmm..." Amber approached the cave and sniffed at the air. She took a few steps further in and sniffed at the ground. "Well," She said as she turned back to Klondike, "I don't smell anything in there. It looks kind of small though." She glanced back at the cave. It was too dark to see very far in. "Maybe we should go see where it leads," She suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "What? What is your idea?" Misty asked her sister, a bit surprised by her suddenly jumping to her feet.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "The tigers! You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe the tigers would agree to a temporary truce!" Lila said, pacing her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't like the sound of this idea. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? These are tigers we're talking about! They might just try to kill us."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Misty, I won't leave our home until I know I've done everything I could to protect it," Lila said. "If it helps, I'll go alone so there's no danger of losing anyone else in the pack if the tigers don't share the same sentiment."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, you won't go alone. If you refuse to leave then I have no choice but to stay and try and keep the pack safe. I'm going with you to talk with the tigers. I'm the alpha female after all. I should be the one to go."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "It's because you're the alpha female that you shouldn't go. Postremo wouldn't be happy if you left without him knowing," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I like you going on your own. I think you should at least take someone else with you."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Going alone will be simpler, I'm actually hoping to run into Kava, she was the most pleasant out of them," Lila said. Kava was an older tigress who lived at the edge of the tiger territories. She was brusque and rude but at least she'd hear you out before deciding to kill you.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If you're sure then I won't try and stop you. I'll make sure to keep everyone here safe while you're gone." She just hoped that the humans didn't try anything before they knew if the tigers would help or not.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll leave in a while, make sure no one tries to follow," Lila said. "And if I run most of the way, I should get there by tomorrow morning."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, Amber. Let's check it out" Klondike squeezed himself down the hole and into the cave. It was roomier than he had imagined it would be.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo As Renzo reached a far enough place and he couldn't detect any more scents that came from human, wolf or tiger he put the tube down. "Now... let's see here..." He examined it and saw the arc like thing on the bottom. He tried to reach out to it but he couldn't simply because his paw couldn't fit. He sat down. "Now... if I remember correctly..." He muttered to himself while looking at the arc like thing. He saw the humans with their hands in it so is it possible that that thing is used to make the tube pop?</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Alright, I'll keep everyone here and if they ask I'll tell them that you're scouting for me. Good luck, Lila."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo, having no luck whatsoever with the rifle, picked it up again and headed back to camp just in time to see Lila leaving. He watched as she left alone and he headed inside. Renzo saw Misty so it was probably just a scouting trip. He dropped the rifle on the ground and headed outside. "Hey Misty, I'm gonna head out for a bit." He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed once Lila was gone. She wasn't happy about her sister's plan, but she knew how stubborn that Lila could be and there was no stopping her once she had her mind made up. Just then, she heard Renzo say that he was going out for a bit. She poked her head out of her den. "Alright, but don't stray too far from the dens and watch out for those human traps!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ran until she was tired, moving to lay under a thicket to rest. It would probably be night in a couple hours and it'd take the better part of tomorrow to reach the tiger territories so it was probably a good idea for Lila to stay where she was for the night, maybe get a bite to eat. Lila sighed and laid her head on her paws, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had been sleeping in an abandoned den for quite some time now, she would hunt mostly early in the morning only rabbits and small animals because she was a bit frightened to hunt for the bigger animals. She sniffed the air and growled lowly on the scent of hunters and wolves, her skinny body slinked through the area with cation, she spotted a wolf hiding by a thicket not too far from her she laid low and watched over her as it seemedto have fallen asleep. Though Em wasnt a wolf she looked like one and could blend in with a pack if she could but, no pack has taken her just yet. Em was strong and could take care of herself.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop. "And what are you doing alone?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.</s>	<\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.</s>
<\|description\|>Ian Age: 3 Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality; Ian is a kind and caring member. He is often perceived as serious and shy, often not making himself known, yet he will fight to the death for those he cares about. Name: Jackie Age: 2 Appearance: Position: Hunter Personality: Jackie is an outgoing member, often making a fool of herselfC but very confident, she doesn't particularly care, however she is an excellent Hunter and can hide extremely well</s> <\|message\|>Lila Ah, spring. The time when life begins anew and there's not a care in the world. Lila was pondering such thoughts while she laid on a sun warmed rock in the pack's clearing. She'd probably have to go hunting soon so it was best to relax now while she had the time. Spring was also one of the busiest times to get food since it was so plentiful.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Knowing that this was the best time of the year, Klondike wanted to make the best of every day. It was warm and would only get warmer, while the sun was finally out for more of the day. Although he was a wolf and apt to prowl at night, Klondike enjoyed the sun. He had little time to think about that now, as other predators would be out and about. Wolves weren't the only ones who prowled these wilds. He was just grateful to have made it through the last winter.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s>	<\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yes, she did." Renzo replied, looking at Lila as she drank. "She wasn't injured, thankfully. Although she might have been if she didn't pick the human scent up." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila jerked back from the water. "What human scent? Just how far did she get before you found her?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Honestly... it wasn't very far." Renzo replied, standing up and looking back to the direction from where they came from. "Come on, let's get back. It's dangerous."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was still on his den unable to go to sleep thinking what the humans are planning. He was still wondering if he should talk to Renzo and Misty about something really important. There wasn't enough information for his to come to the decision unless they get even closer. In the middle of thinking he heard someone walking toward his den.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber nodded, turned and darted towards the stream. Renzo already knew and might have already told Lila, but Amber had to make sure. She was nearing the stream when she finally heard their voices. "Renzo, Lila!" She called, trying to sound calm. She arrived at the stream and spotted the two of them. She quickly hurried over to them. "There you guys are," She said, huffing for air slightly. "Are you coming back to the dens? I told Misty about what happened and how close the scent was. She looks really worried."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty saw Postremo lying in his den as she came to a stop at the mouth. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that's been going on."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike gave Zia a little nuzzle. She seemed to be drifting off. Not that he could blame her. It was not easy to take in all of these recent changes. "Listen, I think I should get back to the others. You can follow me if you want to, or stay here. Or do whatever you want. I'm not in charge." He got up and left to find Renzo, Lily, Amber, Misty, or anyone else he would run into first.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo found out that Misty came to talk to him about the situation so he said, "Sure I don't mind if you come in." He thought maybe she might have some important information about the humans.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty came into the den and then lay down next to him. "Amber found the scent of the humans not far from the dens. They might be a lot closer than we originally thought. What do you think we should do?"</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Hmm...," Is all Postremo could say because she told him that the humans are getting too close. Postremo couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the humans getting close to the clearing. Then Postremo thought that maybe he should tell her his idea on how to get out of this situation without bloodshed. He turned to her and said, "I was thinking... Maybe we should move, like the whole pack somewhere far from the humans so we don't have to worry about them." He didn't have a plan but it was his idea of trying to make sure no one gets hurt or worse die. It would take some time to plan out the moving but thought it might not be necessary but the humans keep getting closer.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty listened to him say that they should move, and she felt that it was probably the best idea. Sure, there was plenty of food here, but the risks were too great with humans around. They would be safer elsewhere, and maybe they would be able to have pups then when they were safe. She smiled and nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There is no point in staying where it's not safe. It's only a matter of time before the humans find us."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "We were just going back." Renzo replied to Amber. He walked past Amber and whispered, "Explain to Lila everything later." He then stopped once he was a good foot away from the she wolves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded and turned to head back with Renzo, thinking over this new information. Now what would they do? She looked up as Amber came running and watched the small exchange. "Come along, we need to see if I need to call off tomorrow's hunt," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo led the two back to the dens but as he continued down the path, he noticed a weird contraption. It was made of the same sharp, hard rocks the tube-like things held but this time it was shaped into a... mouth? It was opened wide with sharp teeth-like things on every end. He became cautious as he picked a rock up using his mouth and dropped it onto the contraption. The opened jaws snapped closed which made Renzo back up. "Interesting." He muttered to himself. This was probably from the humans. He looked at Lila and Amber and motioned them to hurry up as he, himself, sped through the forest and into the dens in hopes to see either Postremo or Misty.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had sped up to be closer to Renzo, also dropping her body slightly to the ground and closer to any bushes. She generally did this out of habit since her white coat was fairly easily seen, especially since it was a full moon. She cocked her head when she spotted the odd thing and then jumped as Renzo set it off with a rock. "It's like teeth without an animal," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Indeed." Renzo replied before picking up his pace once more and now in the clearing where their dens were located. He slowed down to a stop and looked back to make sure nothing else was following them.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped at the strange object and gingerly lowered her nose to smell it. It had a small assortment of strange and foul smells, but the most overwhelming smell was the human scent that lingered over the whole thing. There were faint traces of its past victim's blood. She smelled many different bloods on it, even tiger blood. Amber didn't want to guess for what or how it was used exactly, but she could tell it wasn't lying around by accident. She backed away from it and quickly caught back up to Renzo and Lila as they continued heading back to the rest. "That wasn't there before, was it?" Amber observed, "I think we would have noticed it sooner. When do you think they went through here?.."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike caught up with Amber and the others with her, having followed their scents. He also smelled some unfamiliar scents. Blood. "Hi guys! What'd I miss?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "When indeed." Renzo said, frowning as he thought ahead of it. The humans got this far then that means they are in danger of being exploited. "I need to talk to Misty and Postremo." He said, standing up and heading for the Alpha's den and passing by Klondlike without hearing what he said as he was too focused on thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "A great deal I'm afraid," Lila said, stopping in the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "So, what's been happening, Lila? I'm happy to help" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the den and went out to greet Renzo, Lila, and the others and tell them of the decision that she and Postremo had come to. She wasn't sure how well it would go over with the others, but hoped that they would all understand.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber listened intently to the idea Misty was presenting. She didn't know how she felt about leaving her home, but it was easily the best option they had at this point. If the pack confronted the humans... Well she didn't really want to think about what might happen. One thing was for sure, there was no escaping that situation if they hung around any longer. Every time they found evidence of humans, it was closer to the pack. It wouldn't be long before the humans simply walked into the clearing. "I think Misty's right," Amber put forward her opinion, "We found some kind of trap left behind by humans. It was even closer than the track I had found earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Misty and bowed his head as respect before looking at her again, listening to the explanation on their idea. This was their home but they could easily make another one. This place may have held his memories but it was needed. The humans are getting closer... and closer to the point where he feels restless. "Indeed." Renzo said, nodding at Amber. "We are in immediate danger and the relocation won't be so bad. But the question is, where would we go? We need to have a place in mind before setting off."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila listened to the plan, but unlike the others she didn't want to consider leaving. "So that's it? We're just going to leave our home?" She asked. "There's no way to know we'll find a place that is like what we have here or that there will be any place for us at all. What if we run into other packs or the tigers?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "If we stay there is even more danger," Misty said to Lila. "Tigers and other packs are easier to avoid than humans. And we know for a fact the humans are here. I would rather deal with the unknown then the dangers that are very real and very close."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "If we run into tigers, we have to gang up on them one at a time. Tigers don't hunt in packs as we do, so it will be several of us and one of them at a time. Even so, that's no excuse to get overconfident" Klondike explained, baring his fangs at the thought of the fighting he would have to do if it came to that.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "And then what happens when one of us is injured? We couldn't travel until they had healed or in the worst case died. No, if you want to leave then go ahead, I'm staying here and fighting to keep my home," Lila said, turning and going to her den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Lila-! Oh, fine" Klondike replied. "This is not a time for us to be divided" he said to the others. "We're stronger as a pack. That's what we do! We're not lone wolves!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo kept quiet and looked at Lila as she left. What a stubborn wolf... He then turned his gaze to Klondlike as he spoke up. "You're right, we can't be divided at a time like this but it is her own choice." He then looked at the forest entrance. "We can stay and fight but that would lead to more injuries but what if we go back here?" He asked Misty. "I'm pretty sure that the humans will leave sooner or later so we should just find a temporary home and stay there for a moon or two and then head back here." He suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "And just where would that be? "Klondike asked. "Even if we ran away to find a temporary home, some other pack would just move in on our territory while we are gone. That, or we might not find another territory. In any event, it's too big of a risk. Besides, we've never cut and run before, have we?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Another good point risen and nothing to counter it with. Renzo literally couldn't think of anything to counter that statement. But he knew full well that they can't dwell on what ifs. Suddenly, an event, similar to this one, hit him so suddenly. The leader and himself was talking about moving away from this home. Renzo insisted on staying because of the dangers that would arise if they left. The leader refused it but Renzo managed to convince him to stay here. 'I forgot that it isn't the first time we've gone through this.' He thought to himself. He looked at Klondlike. "You raise a good point there Klondlike. I must say that staying here would prove to be a good idea. We managed to stay here with the danger of humans before, why can't we do it now?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber "I have an idea!" Amber exclaimed suddenly. "For the next hunt, we can do some scouting too! We'd look for a spot we can settle down in, and we can sniff out any danger. That way, the entire pack doesn't have to move before we make sure its safe!"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "We have to do what is going to be best for everyone in the pack," said Misty after listening to what everyone had to say. She turned to Amber. "I think you have the right idea. I want you to go out with Klondike and see if you can locate some food as well as somewhere safe for us to stay at least until the human threat has moved on. We don't know if they're just passing through or mean to stay for awhile. We need someplace that is more defensible and easier to hide in. Okay?" She then started to walk over to Lila's den, hoping to talk to her sister. She poked her head inside. "Lila? Can we talk?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Got it. Alright, Amber. I guess it's us again" Klondike said, resigned to his task. "If we really must retreat, fine, but I am not going to a fallback position unless the danger absolutely forces us" he said, speaking aloud so all present could hear. "Even so, I suppose there is no harm in scouting one out, just in case."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Now that that's settled..." Renzo walked back to his den and looked at something he took from the humans years back. It was the tube-like metal thing that they use. He has been examining it for a long time yet nothing... nothing came out which greatly disappointed him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike's ears bent back and he got out of the tube's path, clearly shaken by it. "Careful where you point that thing!"</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "Don't worry, it's not going to fire." Renzo said as he stood up once again. "It never has before." He continued before looking lazily at it. "But we need to know how the humans use it so that we can create a strategy against it."</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now." He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her. She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently</s> <\|message\|>Amber "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike did his best to assess the situation. "Amber, I... yes. I'll go with you. Renzo, you just do whatever you need to do, but please be careful!" He moved alongside Amber, ready to go with her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty could smell the humans nearby. They were very close and getting closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before they had reached the dens. She was sure of it. She went to hide in her own den, hoping that they wouldn't find her in there. She hoped that the rest of the pack was all safe.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, be safe you two." Renzo said before quickly running towards the dens. The human scent was so powerful that he was sure that they could only be a few feet away from him. He reached the clearing. "Misty?" He called out and kept looking back. The humans weren't here... yet. "Where are you?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty poked her head out of the den when she heard Renzo's voice. She was relieved to see that he wasn't harmed. "I'm here," she said and then came all the way out of the den. "Where are the others?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They're out there hiding. Come on, we have to get you out of here too." Renzo replied, urging Misty to get out of the den. "I'm sure they'll find you in here. We have to go." The elder said before looking back at the entrance. No sign yet but the scent was strong... and growing stronger.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty didn't want to leave the dens behind, but she knew that they had no other choice. They had to leave. She nodded and then got out of the den and followed Renzo. "Show me to the others," she said to him as she smelled the humans so close that it was a wonder that they couldn't see them. But she could hear them. They were speaking to one another in their own strange language.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright. Let's go." Renzo said as he quickly ran towards the entrance but not the same way he took. He heard humans conversing there. Oh how he wished he knew what they were talking about but he couldn't understand them. It was quite a long run since when they all parted ways, it was quite a distance. "You doin' alright Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty did her best to keep up with them, but was feeling a little tired and slower. "I'm fine. We just need to catch up with the others. I'm worried about everyone else. Were they all okay when you last saw them?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber scoffed. Renzo didn't think she could take care of herself. She was perfectly capable of handling the danger! She considered running after him, but for once she decided not to. She really wanted to, but they were in real danger. She couldn't risk the others like that. "Klondike," She glanced at him as she said his name. She glared at him briefly, then her expressions softened, "What now? Should we tell them about the cave?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "They were absolutely fine. I sent them to find a hiding place..." Renzo started. "I thought I can still pick up their scents but in conditions like now where humans are near, I can't seem to find it." He sighed. "Let's just hope they haven't moved much." He continued, slowing down the pace as he feels tired as well. "I really thought that we had time to prepare for these humans... turns out we don't." He muttered.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty shook her head. "No, we really don't. I just hope that we can find somewhere to lay low for a little while. Until the humans move on." She was also thinking about her sister and hoping that she would reach the tigers okay and be able to convince them to help.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Alright, we're almost there." Renzo informed Misty. Once he saw the two wolves, he sighed in relief. "Hey you two, I thought you already found a hiding spot." The elder said as he looked at Amber and Klondlike. He had something to ask Misty later as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was very pleased to see the others safe. She turned to Renzo. "Thank you. If you hadn't come back for me then the humans surely would have found me."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Anything to save an Alpha... and a family member." Renzo said. "Although have you seen your mate? I haven't seen Postremo in quite a while now."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Family member?" Misty asked and then she shook her head. "No, either have I. I'm starting to wonder if something might have happened to him." She had a hard time getting the words out, but she knew she had to be realistic. If Postremo was gone, then leading the pack would fall entirely on her shoulders, at least until she took a new mate.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "A pack is considered a family, is it not?" Renzo asked to prove why he had said that. "Maybe he was out scouting for the humans and possible hiding places. Postremo is though, he should still be alive." He said although he wasn't sure himself.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled. "That's true." But her smile faded as her thoughts drifted to her mate again. "I hope you're right about that. I don't know what I would do if I found out that something happened to him."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I hope so too. It would be a great strain on your part as well as you would have to lead us in this disaster." Renzo said with a sigh. "For your sake, I hope he's alive and well."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down to catch her breath and rest a little while they had the chance. "There's probably not saying for sure if he's alright until the danger passes us by." She rested her head on her paws and looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Renzo Age: 4.5 Looks(Pictures are acceptable!): Position in Pack: Elder/Defender Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there. "If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.</s> <\|message\|>Em Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down. Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postemo nuzzled Misty back and gave her an affectionate lick. "I went out for a last minute hunt and patrol then I smelled the humans and raced back to the dens. I thought they caught you and the pack when I saw them there, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe," He said then looked around. "Wait, what happened to Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty "So am I," said Misty happily. But some of that happiness faded when Lila was mentioned. "She went to tiger territory to try and get them to help us with the human problem. I know I shouldn't have let her, but she was so insistent."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber lifted her head and quickly started wagging her tail merrily at the sight of Postremo. He was okay! The two alpha wolves were a reassuring sight. For as long as she could remember, they always resonated an aura of safety. If only Lila was with them... Then there would seem to be no cause for fear anymore. She sighed and lowered her head to the ground. How long were they going to wait here though?</s> <\|message\|>Lila "She went on her own?" Postremo asked then sighed. "I wish you'd at least sent someone with her, it's not safe for her to be on her own."</s> <\|message\|>Misty "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go with her myself, but she refused to let anyone else go," Misty explained.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Is everyone here?" Klondike asked. "We've got to keep a watch on the entrance, and send some scouts out to find food and water. We can't stay in here forever. We-" he stopped himself. Klondike was still young and although a beta male, he realized he was quite literally barking orders as if he was an alpha. Although the pack had more to deal with than petty politics, he was still careful not to go too far above his station. His time would come, but not quite yet. Not while they still had these human matters to deal with. Klondike moved over to Amber and gave her a little nuzzle. "I know it is hard, but we've gotten through some tough times before."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber dipped her head sadly but welcomed Klondike's approach. She just hoped the humans would eventually leave the area. She hadn't ever been chased out of her home like this before. She hoped they'd be able to come back home soon. She glanced at Klondike with a little playful smile. "You'd probably make a good alpha," She whispered somewhat jokingly, thinking of the orders he had blurted out.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo looked to Klondike, giving him a little look. "But you're right, sadly we're a little short on the pair of eyes we have. For now, everyone should get to sleep. Klondike, you can take the first watch, then I'll take next. Amber, you can take the dawn watch," He said.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay down next to Postremo and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep. That was easier said than done, though. She was still so worried about her sister and the rest of the pack as well. The future had never been so uncertain for them.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Sleep Misty, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here," He said, gently nuzzling her before laying his head on his paws.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright, I'll take watch" Klondike said, not wanting to argue and grateful that the others seemed not to mind his orders earlier. There was a fine line between a take-charge spirit and a bossy attitude. The former was a desirable trait but the latter would be seen as a challenge to the authority of the alphas. The last thing the pack needed right now was a fight for dominance.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo watched as everyone came together. He was glad the Postremo was alive and well and Misty relieved and not worrying that much about her mate. He looked back at Klondlike. It was good that there was someone who could be a possible Alpha when the two would disappear. Now the only problem is Lila and her meeting with Kava. No use worrying about it now. He lied his head back down on his paws.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Postremo waited until Misty fell asleep before going over to Renzo. "Still awake?" He asked quietly.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Thinking so yes, I am awake." Renzo said as he looked at Postremo. "Glad you're alive. Misty was really worried about you. Where were you?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hunting. And she's not just worried about me, did you see which way Lila went?" Postremo said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "I see. You shouldn't have gone alone then." Renzo said before sitting up. "I was with her before Klondlike and Amber found us. She told me to go back to get Misty out of the dens." He replied. "She's heading for tiger territory."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Do you know where she is?" Postremo asked.</s>	<\|message\|>Renzo "If she hasn't moved from her position, then yes, I know where she is." Renzo replied. "She's not far from here. I can pick her scent up as easy as I can pick up yours so tracking her down would be easy."</s>
<\|description\|>Alkah Age: 2 years Looks: Position in Pack: Hunter Personality: Although Alkah is serious when the situation calls for it, he is often laid back and maybe goofy. He likes giving gifts to pretty much anyone in the pack, be they bones, interesting rocks, lumps of wood or abandoned wasp nests.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty lay under a tree at the edge of the clearing in order to get some shade from the sun. She yawned and then got to her feet and stretched before walking towards the other members of her pack. Being the alpha female, she felt like she was responsible for all of the others and didn't want to make any mistakes. At least it was spring. The weather was good and food was plentiful, but that didn't mean that she would relax. There were still too many possible dangers.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stretched and yawned. She blinked lazily at the bright sky. Having just finished her nap, she felt ready to get to work. She picked herself and looked around wearily. The rest didn't seem quite ready to start hunting yet. She might have to take another nap, she thought exasperatedly. She quietly retreated to the cool shade of the trees, and lay back down.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to spot Misty making her way over. She stood and met the she-wolf part way, wagging her tail. "Morning Misty," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike walked over to Amber. "Hi. Are you all rested? It won't be light out forever, and I'm sure other predators aren't waiting around for us to take our turn." His apprehension was justified to an extent. Over the winter, they had to deal with the tigers which shared this wilderness, and those cats were too much for any one wolf to handle. Even the whole pack had trouble dealing with them.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "Morning, Lila. I don't think we should remain idle for much longer. We're going to need food sooner rather than later. I think you and Klondike should scout the area for prey," Misty said before looking around the clearing for Postremo.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Of course, do you want large or small game? Small game would certainly be plentiful, we'll need to have more of the large animals during winter so it may be best to hold off unless we're lucky and there's lame prey," Lila said, sitting while she talked.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Small game is fine," said Misty. "I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks right now with so much game around as it is. Just go with whatever is going to be easiest. You can take Amber with you as well if she wants to go."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh!" Amber quickly stood. "No, no, I'm ready." She continued to reassure. She looked at the rest and noticed that they were getting ready to start a hunt. Amber silently cheered inside herself. She wasn't going to need to have another nap after all! She paused. She knew she shouldn't be so excited. The land seemed to be getting increasingly more dangerous. She also had to calm her attitude during hunts. She hoped she'd be able to do it today.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded, wincing in her head. She liked Amber, she was a sweet pup but not a very patient hunter. "I'll hopefully return before the sun gets too high in the sky," She said, standing and padding to Klondike and Amber. "Let's move out," She said to the pair before turning to lead out of the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Lila and stayed near to Amber. He caught the scent of what he thought was some kind of deer. Maybe elk. Either way was fine with him. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Smell anything, ladies?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber followed the two hunters quietly but eagerly. She sniffed at the air and the dirt, searching any sign of prey. "There's something to the north of us, about one kilometer, I think." She heard Klondike say. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. Sure enough, she caught the scent of what might be a deer. The scent quickly made her feel hungry. She turned away and distracted her self on looking for any other scents. She froze when she smelled something off. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she didn't like it. She turned to the other two, "Hey, there's something in this direction. I-I don't know what it is..."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "What is it, Amber?" he smelled the air, not sure what it was. It made his nose itch and he lowered his ears in anger, baring his fangs and letting out a growl. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I smell it too. It's not a deer, whatever it is. I don't think its a tiger or another predator, either."</s> <\|message\|>Ian Jackie lay very still, the only movement a slight twitch of her ears at any sound. Even her breathing seemed slow, and made very little sound. She was crouched, ready to pounce but not so much that she was obvious. She took a moment, eyes watching the larger wolf that was her brother, and with a slight wriggle, she pounced on him. Her momentum took them to the ground. "Jackie!" Ian hissed, "this isn't the time for games! We are hunting!" Jackie rolled her eyes. But let out a heavy sigh. "We've been hunting for hours eld! Why did we have to get up before everyone else for anyway?" She grumbled, falling silent whenIan hissed again. "Somethings strange..." Jackie shifted, falling still once more</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was lying down on his belly as he enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on his skin. He watched as the hunters left, sighing as he remembered the times where he, himself, hunted for the pack. Now, he was merely an elder who gives advice to the current Alpha Male. "Spring... A time where the pack should be careful. More game means more competitors." He said to himself as he remembered what his father told him.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo was taking his usual nap in the middle of the day enjoying the rays of the sun on his back. He usually slept late since he always looks out for any predators that might attack the pack during the night. He also wakes up really early just because he like to watch the sun rise. He thought that maybe he should walk around and see what everybody is up to. He saw Misty and walked up to her and said, "So what's everyone up to, hunting I suppose?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded when Postremo asked her what everyone was doing. "Yes, they are all out hunting. Let's hope that they are successful. And more importantly, let's hope that none of them run into any trouble with predators."</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Yes let's hope, anyways I'm going out there to watch over them just in case, think of it like a test to see how they do." Postremo said to her.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Do you want some company?" she asked, not really feeling like being alone. She was always nervous was the pack was spread out and didn't want to be far from Postremo as well.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo "Sure why not." Postremo responded. He started to head into the woods and then he turned to Misty and said, "Oh and try to be sneaky I want to see if they can detect us or not and if they can't then we can see if they are hunting properly." He wanted to see if the other wolves are doing a good job or not. He also felt a bit hungry so he wants to see what's for dinner too.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Okay, I will be," Misty replied and then followed close behind him, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from want of food and just kept close to Postremo, knowing that she would have food soon enough with nearly all of the pack off hunting.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah Alkah lay half-awake and chewed on a bleached deer bone that must have been a year old; no meat or flavor was left but it still provided some entertainment. When he realized a large portion of the pack had left, he scrambled to his feet and tucked his tail between his legs. They'd think terribly of me if they came back and found me with no food. The dark wolf scratched some dirt onto the dry bone as a way of warning others off of it so that he could give it away later, on his own accord. With that task done, he slipped out of the clearing alone and decided that the risk of being found by a tiger was worth the chance of scoring some food for the pack and himself.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked to the two younger wolves and sniffed the ground until she caught the scent as well. "You two stay here, I'll investigate," She said, lowering her body closer to the forest floor and began tracking the scent.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded, insofar as a wolf could. He kept his eyes and ears on full alert, not wanting a repeat of that tiger incident a few months earlier. He was ill at ease, but then again, he had been that way since last fall had turned to winter. Spring made him no less vigilant.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber grudgingly sat and agreed to wait for Lila. She wondered curiously about the strange smell. It was unlike anything she had smelled before. It did not resemble any prey she could think of. Not even the tigers smelled like that. It was certainly a disturbing smell. She sat back up impatiently. "Klondike," She said, "I'm going to go sniffing around for some game." She then turned around and started quietly trotting off, keeping her ears and nose keen. She was careful to steer clear of the strange smell.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike nodded and wandered off to smell for some game as well. Soon, he found himself sniffing in the same place as Amber. "Oh, hello again. Any luck finding something? I do not know what that smell was, but I don't mind if I never smell it again. Do you think it has anything to do with those... what are they called... humans?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber wandered around, her nose to the ground. She picked up what smelled like a rabbit, but the trail seemed old. Soon she bumped into Klondike again. "Just an old rabbit trail," She replied when he asked for what she found. She sat down and let out a little sigh. "To be honest, I'd like to find out what that thing was. I just hope Lila comes back alright."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "You think we should have just let her go alone? I mean, she can handle herself, but we are a pack. I'm surprised we let ourselves get split, but there you go" Klondike said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Maybe you're right," Amber admitted. "But as you said, she can handle herself. I think she'll be able to get away if there's trouble." "Unless," Continued Amber, "You want to go looking for her."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Not yet. She hasn't been gone long. If she isn't back soon, then something might be up" Klondike replied. "Maybe she found something strange, like from the old stories. They say there used to be a lot of humans in the world, but something really bad happened and now there aren't so many" he added.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah A delicious smell wafted to Alkah's nose, which twitched eagerly when it hit him. It was only a mouse, but he figured that even a small morsel could help. He crouched low and followed the tempting, fresh smell, bunched up his muscles when the time was right, and pounced. It turned out he didn't even need to; the prey had been mortally wounded, maybe by some bird of prey, and was dying. He shook it to break the neck and put it out of its misery, then put it down and lifted his snout to the breeze. His packmates were near. Looking forward to showing off the tiny kill and giving it to whoever he decided should have it, he snatched the carcass and marched off to join the other hunters.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s>	<\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s>
<\|description\|>Newlyn Age: 2.3 years old Looks: Position in Pack: Is healer a good position? If not then he'll just be a hunter Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): He takes everything a little too seriously. He cares about all members of the pack equally and would die for all of them. He can be very blunt and rude but he is also kind and considerate. He's still new to this whole "healer" thing, so he still messes up from time to time</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Hm," Amber mumbled. She turned and walked in a few circles before lying down. She lowered her head and gave the ground a few more sniffs as if to find a scent she hadn't noticed before. Failing that, she simply rested her head onto her paws and waited. After a moment, she heard someone approaching close by. She lifted her head. "Alkah? What are you doing here?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yes, Alkah, weren't you supposed to be... never mind. We could use some help. I see you have made a kill already. Is there more where that came from? The herd could use the meat" Klondike replied.</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shrugged dismissively, although he was clearly delighted to be recognized for the small start. "It was the only one I found, and I think a hawk dropped it. But I smelled many dens. The problem is getting them out." He tilted his head and thought a moment, then dropped the mouse in front of Klondike's feet.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stared at the rat as it fell at Klondike's feet. It wasn't much, but she began to realized how very hungry she was starting to feel. She quickly jumped to her feet. "Where are the dens? We can think of some way to lure them out!" She stopped and silently cursed to herself. She had forgotten about Lila. Amber wouldn't feel good about running off after some rats and leaving Lila behind. "Wait," Amber started, "No... Lila. Probably shouldn't."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "A mouse? Really? That's not very..." he paused, not wanting to give offense. "It must have been hard to catch that little one, wasn't it? Thanks."</s> <\|message\|>Alkah He shook his head, his ears falling back slightly. "It was dying when I found it. Dropped by a hawk." He then turned his head to Amber. "If you follow my scent backward, you should be able to catch the dens' scent. I'll look for Lila if you'd like."</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Oh, no. That's fine," Amber mumbled. "She's fine. She should be back any moment now." She paused for a while, staring intently at seemingly nothing. She was thinking hard in reality. She wasn't sure if she should go after the rat dens or wait for Lila first. After a while, she made up her mind. It would only take a minute, and it shouldn't be too far away, right? "I'm getting a snack," Amber announced suddenly. She walked past Alkah and started following his scent back to the rat den.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike followed Amber, keeping a sharp vigil. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt very protective of her as of late. He didn't think anything of it, though. He just wanted to keep a fellow member of the pack safe. Yeah, that was it.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber stopped when she felt Klondike following her. She turned around and looked at him curiously. "Are you going to hunt rats with me?" She asked, half jokingly. She looked back at the direction Alkah had come from and continued walking. "We'd better try to be quick about it. Don't want Lila coming back before we're done."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Yeah, let's just get it over with" Klondike replied, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber kept her head low and followed Alkah's trail. It wasn't long before a second scent started appearing. She recognized it; the rats were nearby. The smell got stronger and stronger until—She stared at the rat that was only a few feet away. They stared each other down for approximately ten seconds before Amber lunged. She charged after the rat who squeaked in fear and ran. The rat nearly made it to a hole in the ground, but Amber's larger size was too big of an advantage. She caught up to it quickly and clamped down her jaws on the rat. Amber turned and faced Klondike happily. She cheerfully said something past the rat in her mouth. She then tightened her jaw and immediately killed the rat by breaking its spine. She turned away and wandered around the tiny clearing she had wandered into. She examined the ground, looking for the rest of the rat dens while she chewed and gnawed at the rat still held in her jaw.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike dashed over to the spot where Amber had killed the rat and he found several others. The silver wolf dashed after them, paws outstretched and fangs bared. Killing a big one with a single bit of his powerful jaws, he wondered if hunting rats was proper for a wolf. Such actions reminded him of his cubhood, when killing a rodent was a real accomplishment. Then his dismissed those notions. Meat was meat, and a rat would fill his stomach as well as anything else. Besides, he knew very well that he could not afford to be picky, even in the spring. "Good find, Amber!"</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila slinked her way closer to the source of the scent. It was one she had smelled before, but it was a long time ago when she was younger and was just starting to hunt with the patrols. Plus the scent had been old but the patrol leader had told them that it was humans and humans always brought trouble with them. There was a twig snap and Lila instantly dropped to her belly, flattening to the ground as she heard some more sounds. She hesitantly poked her head up and narrowed her eyes, seeing a group of them with those fur shelters. She turned tail and ran back to where she left Klondike and Amber, fixing a glare on the spot where they were SUPPOSED to have stayed. She put her nose to the ground and followed their scents, finding them easily. "I thought I said to stay put," She said to the pair.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I'm glad to see you too" Klondike replied. "Seriously though, we were worried for you. Have you found the source of that smell?" he sniffed the air and detected that horrible smell again, even as he could not place the source of it. "You don't think it has anything to do with humans or something, do you Lila?"</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber cheerfully started chasing the rats as well. She definitely felt like a cub again, but she didn't mind. It felt wonderful to have fun like this once in a while. She grabbed one of the fatter ones and tossed it up in the air. She stood on her rear legs and smoothly caught the rat in her jaws and crushed its skull. She landed back on all fours lightly and finished devouring the rat. "I thought I said to stay put," She heard Lila's voice. Amber cringed. Her ears flattened and her tail tucked between her legs. She had not expected Lila back so soon. They must have spent a lot more time chasing rats than she had expected. She slowly turned around and faced Lila. "Sorry..." She mumbled, blood messily dribbling out of her mouth. She sat back and decided to let Klondike talk to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "We need to get back to the dens, there are humans in these woods and Postremo needs to know. And for the record, when the patrol leader says stay put, it means stay put," Lila said, scolding the pair. She wasn't normally so serious, but humans were a very serious matter. "Ian and Jackie must be out hunting still, hopefully they'll return soon with something bigger but gather what rats you killed and haven't eaten yet and bring them along."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Alright. We'll get them. If humans are around, rats may be the only thing we get to eat for a while" he ran back to the rat nest, and picked up another one that had been killed. He had heard of humans and from the stories, they sounded terrible. Once, they had been powerful, capable of shattering the Earth and sky. But whatever they did to break the world broke them as well.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber quietly picked up one of the dead rats that hadn't been eaten yet. Humans... Once the top predators, but they were still extremely dangerous. She shivered at the thought of the pack being found. She greatly regretted that the whole pack might only eat rats for the next few days. In fact, it might be much longer than that. Perhaps just maybe she'd be able to find something bigger later if Ian and Jackie didn't. "Hey," Amber spoke up, "Alkah's still around isn't he? Does he know?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Wait, Alkah is out here? On his own? Forget what I said, you two head back, I'll go and find him," Lila said, turning and raising her nose into the air before sniffing at the ground. "No detours. I mean it, just head straight back." She found the trail and took off at a run, hopefully Alkah wasn't too far away.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo had came out of a bush and walked up to Lila and asked, "What did you say I couldn't hear what you guys were talking about, I was watching Amber and Klondike to observe them for a bit." Postremo could of sworn he heard Lila talk about humans and got a bit worried.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty followed Postremo as he came out of the brush, not at all pleased to hear that there was humans about. Just when it looked like things were going to get easier for the pack too.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila stopped as she heard Postremo behind her and turned back. "Amber picked the scent up not to far from here, I investigated and there is a small group not far from here setting up their shelters by the meadow and now I've learned that Alkah is out hunting on his own, he doesn't know there's danger," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Postremo Postremo knew there others that went out hunting as well which don't know that humans are near. "Okay I need you and Misty to go back to the pack while I go out and find the others quickly, and please don't worry I'll be back with the others safely." Postremo said to them. He couldn't believe that he has to deal with humans, he thought they all disappeared but he was wrong, there were more.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty wasn't happy about being told to go back to the pack while Postremo went out to search for their missing members, but she knew that she had to do whatever was best for the pack, and Postremo always had the pack's best interests in mind. She turned to Lila. "Are you ready to go?" she asked the other she-wolf.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber sighed and, tightly holding onto the rat she had, followed instructions and started making her way back to their den. "Come on, Klondike," She mumbled dejectedly. There had to be something they could do. Humans were the top predators, sure, but they lost their power. They were weak now. She just knew if the pack coordinated, they would be able to easily defeat the human survivors. Amber tilted her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't even allowed to go with the others yet. She was being told to return to the den like a cub. She lifted her lip angrily but made no noise as she headed back to the clearing.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila nodded her head in acknowledgement, padding over to Misty. "I'm ready, maybe we can find a couple of rabbits on our way back," She said, starting for home.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded, feeling her stomach growl again at the mention of food. She then followed Lila back towards the rest of the pack and the dens. She sniffed the ground, and stopped when she spotted a rabbit in the grass up ahead. She got down low and then charged and ran the rabbit down before it had a chance to make its escape. She picked the dead rabbit up in her jaws and started walking again.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo headed for the entrance of the pack's home. They weren't much wolves left and as a pack wolf, he must protect the camp while the hunting parties were out. His ears, eyes and nose were all alert, trying to spot something that seemed out of the ordinary. There weren't even much noise besides the wind, the leaves rustling against it and some birds. Other small animals tend to scamper away once they know that there is a pack of wolves that has made their home in one place. He smelled a single rodent, a vole, nearby. His stomach suddenly growled. "Better eat something then..." He muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground and slowly approached where he had smelled the vole. Once he spotted it, he sprinted towards it and caught it. It was quite plump. He picked it up and headed for the entrance once more and began to eat. He waited for the hunting parties to get back.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila saw Misty going for a rabbit and sat down to wait while she made the kill. "Good job," She said, standing and walking again. "Fish will be swimming up the rivers and creeks soon so if we absolutely had to, we could catch fish but we would also be competing with the bears." The bears were actually a preferred neighbor over the tigers, they generally ambled about to eat the berries and small mammals and then the fish when they migrated for spawning.</s>	<\|message\|>Newlyn Newlyne pecked at the frozen stream near his den. "Come on," he whined. "It's spring, you should be melting already!" A fish scurried under the surface, cause him to scratch at the ice with more oersistance. All he had eaten for the past few months were rats and the occasional small elk, and he was really starting to crave more.</s>
<\|description\|>Zia ~°~°~ Age Three Years Old ~°~°~ Position Hunter/Possible Female Beta? ~°~°~ Personality Zia is respectable, and though she can be stern, she is usually seen with a playful smile on her face. Zia enjoys being active, and loves to hunt. She dreams of being the leader of her own pack in the future, but for now she stays in her own respectable rank. As a wolf, she is a predator, and enjoys going after prey.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "I haven't, but I have heard stories" Klondike said, sighing. "I hear they used to cut animal skins off to cover up because they mostly don't have any fur themselves."</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Ah yes, that story. I find that true." Renzo said. "Doesn't it make you want to just avenge those animals that they killed to cover themselves up?" He growled in anger but it soon died down.</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "Well, considering we kill animals for food, I can't get too angry at them for that, but removing their skin and fur is going too far, I think" Klondike explained.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Oh, I do, but he never seemed interested in a romance and was busy moaning over how stupid he was acting when he was attacked by a tiger," Lila said, standing and stretching her back while the others talked. "Should I stay with the hunting patrols? I'm the best tracker," She said, sitting down.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo "Well, I suppose you are right Klondlike." Renzo said as he rested once more. He looked at Lila. Well that seemed awfully like him... but that was quite impossible since he was a year older so he payed it no mind. "Yes, you should. It would be better with your tracking skills and if we ever need your help, we'll tell you." Renzo replied before standing up. "Well now that that is over, time to go back to my den. See you later and just call me if you need anything else." He said as he headed back to his den to leave the others to talk amongst themselves.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila watched him for a moment, nodding as she was given her assignment. Of course he was a little dense, she'd been giving hints for the last year that she liked him. She let out a sigh and stood. "I suppose I'll head to my den as well," She said, turning to pad away.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Now Renzo had more time to think about something. For the past year, Lila has been growing closer and closer to him and has been given small hints. He had caught on but he refused to believe it. "Ha! If I'm going to fall in love now, I should go straight for the humans." Although deep inside, his heart was screaming the exact opposite.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia nodded at Klondike, giving him a gentle smile. She would have gone up to nuzzle him, but she felt like it would be an awkward gesture. "Klondike, I'm heading to my den, you can come over if you'd like to discuss the situation." Her tail swayed back and forth, and she started to walk towards her den.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty left the other wolves behind and then followed Lila to her den. She slipped inside, feeling a little uncertain about things with everything that was going on and the talk of pups. "Hey, how are you?" she asked her younger sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila had just settled down into her bed of moss and dry leaves when Misty had walked in. "I'm fine, a little frustrated with how dense Renzo is but I'm alright otherwise. What about you? You looked a little uneasy when everyone was talking about having pups," She said, moving over to make room in case her sister wanted to lay down as well.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty plopped down beside Lila. "He still doesn't seem to know that you like him, huh?" She lay her head down on her paws. "I guess I'm just not sure. I mean, it's not that I don't want pups, but I want to make sure that now is the right time I guess."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Apparently not," Lila said, absently batting away some stray moss. "And all last fall you were debating about pups, what stopped you back then?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty thought back to last fall. "Hmm, I guess it was just timing. I mean, food was so scare that year. I didn't want to risk bringing any more mouths to feed. But food is more plentiful now then ever."</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Hopefully humans move off soon then, I wouldn't mind being an aunt sometime this century," Lila said with a smile. "Seriously though, you'd make a great mom."</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber rolled back onto her feet. It had just occurred to her that most of the other wolves were being preoccupied with whatever they were talking about. She stood frozen in a half crouch before darting out of the clearing. She quickly but silently ran behind trees and bushes in an attempt to get out of view of the clearing. Once she had cleared a sufficient amount of distance away from the dens, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She definitely felt as though she had already made a mistake. She already started considering turning around and heading back to the rest. It was dangerous enough without the humans around. She steeled herself and stood. She paced around while sniffing for game. It took her about five minutes before she caught a scent. It smelled like... An elk? Yes! It was definitely an elk. She began following the scent trail as she pondered whether she had the skill to take down an elk by herself. It was possible, but it would be dangerous. She'd have to be quick and smart. She carefully tried devising a plan to take down the elk as she continued to follow the trail, but she stopped as a new smell entered the trail. Blood. Amber lowered her head close to the ground and sniffed it carefully. Even as she did, she started noticing how the ground was pockmarked by droplets of blood. Perfect, the elk was wounded. She was about to continue eagerly following the scent, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized there was a third scent further ahead that she had not realized earlier. She was paying so much attention to the elk and blood scent that she had completely disregarded the new smell. She could feel the fur on her back rising as she quickly recognized it. It was a human. She quickly sniffed at the air and whipped around to make sure that the human wasn't around. Once she was confident that she was safe, she straightened up and thought quickly. Did she dare continue? Should she return to the clearing? They might not have yet noticed that she was gone. She still had the chance to look for other game though. She lay down with a sigh and laid her head on her paws and simply waited, hoping she'd eventually make up her own mind.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "You think so?" Misty asked hopefully. Her mind was made up now. She wanted to have some pups, but would wait until the humans had wandered off.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I know so, you practically raised me and Nelo after our mother died," She said with a smile then looked to the ground. "I miss him, why'd he have to try chasing that stupid weasel on the river?"</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty smiled at that. "I guess that's true. I never really thought about it that way." Then when Lila mentioned missing Nelo, she nodded solemnly. "So do I. I wish that he never would have, but he did," she said as she thought of their brother.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila huffed and put her head on her paws, laying her ears back against her head. "I should get a hunting party set up for tomorrow," She said but didn't move.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "Who do you think you'll take with you?" Misty asked her sister.</s> <\|message\|>Lila "I'll have to take both Amber and Klondike, I'm too small to hunt big game with just myself and another wolf. Maybe Jackie if her and Ian ever make it back from their hunting trip," Lila said.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo was quietly lying down, his mind still wandering about as he watched the clearing from his den when he noticed a figure dart out. He stood up and walked outside, sniffing the air and he knew almost immediately who the wolf was. "Amber." He muttered before turning to the forest and let out a small sigh. He trotted over to the entrance and started sniffing again and still smelled Amber's scent. He followed it, sometimes getting distracted by the scent of prey before getting back to Amber's trail. After a few minutes of following the trail, he began to grow stiff as he noticed that next two scents. Blood and humans. This was a bad combination. If the blood he smelled belonged to Amber... He shook his head, trying not to think about it. He got on back to Amber's trail and sighed in relief as he saw the wolf. "What are you doing out here alone?" He asked Amber as he walked to her. "You know the humans are here and you'd be in danger if you went out alone." He warned before taking a seat next to her.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila looked out her den and saw Renzo leaving. She tilted her head and shifted, debating on going after him. What was he thinking, going out on his own? If he didn't return soon, then she'd go and find him.</s> <\|message\|>Amber Amber winced as she heard Renzo speak. She didn't expect someone coming out after her so soon. The fact that she wasn't getting yelled at was reassuring though. Well, at least not yet. Her ears flattened as she thought about his question. "I-It's just that... I've messed up so badly," She murmured, "I just don't have the right attitude to hunt. I mess up everyone's coordination. And then today, all I caught were rats! I just thought that maybe I could sneak out and get everyone a real meal. Even if it meant stealing it from the humans..." She said, trailing off. Having to explain it to someone, she realize how pathetic and desperate she must have seemed. Stealing from the humans? How on earth could she even pull that off? She shook her head and quietly waited for Renzo's reaction.</s> <\|message\|>Renzo Renzo sighed. He knew that Amber always felt really bad about her messing up in hunts but he didn't know she felt this guilty about it. "It's alright Amber. We all mess up from time to time." He reassured the she-wolf. "Rats are still food. Besides, prey is scarce since most are in hiding because of those humans and those tube-like things of theirs." He continued. He felt really bad that Amber felt this way. "Stealing from humans?" He repeated in a questioning manner. "I want to say that it is idiotic but I suppose feeling guilty makes you feel that bad. Don't do it again." He said as an order. "You don't know what you're getting into. Now come on, let's head back..." He stood up from his position and turned back to the direction of their dens. "Besides, we might catch some game while we're heading back."</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nodded. "That's probably best." Then she too noticed Renzo leaving. "That's odd. What do you think he's up to?"</s> <\|message\|>Lila "Not sure, maybe he spotted a quick meal," Lila said, shifting to lay partially on her side. "I'll try finding an elk tomorrow, they might've moved farther into the western forest, hopefully they haven't gone into tiger country."</s> <\|message\|>Klondike Klondike headed over to Zia's place, ready to discuss the recent events.</s> <\|message\|>Misty "That could be. I sure hope that the elk are still around. We're going to need more food soon than just rats and rabbits. We can't live on those alone." She stretched and then yawned, feeling a little tired and hoping that everyone would return to the dens soon so they could rest and be safe from humans.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep, I was about to do the same," She said.</s> <\|message\|>Amber "Yeah... I'm an idiot..." She said quietly. She stood and followed Renzo back to the dens. She was glad he had caught her. She was thinking so unclearly, who knows what could have happened if she had followed the trail any further. She had never seen a human before, but she knew that they never let bodies go to waste. They always made sure to use every part of the body, and it wasn't always for food. She heard what they used furs for, and the thought made her shudder. "Thanks..." Amber said to Renzo. As they walked back to the clearing, Amber's mind wandered to the other pack members. She was worried. How was Lila going to react? What if she was furious at her for running off again? Oh no, she was going to be furious. Amber visibly shrank back at the idea, but she steeled her emotions and continued walking with Renzo back to the rest of the pack. She was going to face her errors and accept her punishment.</s> <\|message\|>Misty Misty nuzzled her back. "Thanks. I think I will. Good night." She lay her head down on her paws and then shut her eyes. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep.</s> <\|message\|>Lila Lila yawned and turned fully to her side, laying her head on some moss before falling asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Zia Zia was laying down, waiting to see if Klondike was coming over or not. When he came in, she snapped to attention, raising herself. "Klondike, good to see you. Now, let's discuss the most important topic of the night...humans." She paced in the small area, thinking about what She would say next. "If they were to attack, what in the world would we do?"</s> <\|message\|>Klondike "We'd have to fight back, of course. If they are too dangerous to fight as a group, we would have to gang up on them one at a time" Klondike replied.</s>	<\|message\|>Zia "It isn't that easy, Klondike. We have to have a plan. How will we prevent an attack?" Zia looked at Klondike, her eyes soft and hazy. She was far too busy thinking to focus her attention on him, but she tried her best to.</s>
<\|description\|>Aubrey Marshall Nickname: Hasn't obtained one yet. Gender: Male Age: 17 Age Appearance: Teenager Appearance: Personality: Aubrey was always one to stand out from the crowd. Whether by being loud and boisterous or by performing some daring act, he has a way of getting attention. He will often take on a tough, cool persona to make himself appear "cooler", particularly around attractive girls. However, most of his flashy behavior hides a compassionate side. In fact, most of his bravery is actually a well made lie, with a good example being his pathological fear of the dark. While he does pursue admiration, he also aspires for fortune. Though most see that behavior as selfish, the truth behind it links to his hidden compassionate nature. Though he can be quite a scrappy and energetic fellow, when the odds are against him he tends to be more cowardly. This results in him often starting fights that he ends up running from. Backstory: Though he was born into Crucible territory, Aubrey and his mother moved far away soon after his birth. This led to them living on Krukow. Though Aubrey would often ask about his father, his mother Melanie would simply say he was a good man and that Aubrey would be able to meet him one day. At the age of six, Melanie grew ill and was bed ridden. At first, the two relied on the support of the town to even survive. But as Aubrey grew older, he took it upon himself to take care of his mother. He had to forfeit his education to be able to have the time for oddjobs he needed to stay afloat. At the age of ten he began working in the lumber industry on Krukow island. Though his mother felt that he was being too risky with his own health, no misfortune related to his job ever came to be. However, one night as he walked home from the mill on a particularly dark night, a Rift opened right next to him. Due to the darkness, he failed to notice the danger in time and was attacked by several Rift Monsters. He was saved by the local Rift Hunter guild, Maximus, and brought home with only minor injuries. But what stayed with him was the fear of being attacked in the night. No longer willing to work the long hours, due to not wanting to come home late at night, Aubrey quit the job. At the age of fourteen he quit to pursue a surprisingly more childish endeavor: racing. The neighboring island of Kuiper was more industrial and had more money. The underground racing circuit appealed to his youthful and thrill-seeking nature. Though it was a gamble, one his mother also didn't approve of, Aubrey found that he could actually make a living this way. Soon afterwards he told his mother he quit racing, but in reality that was a lie. While she believes he works in the lumber yard, Aubrey has actually spent the past few years going to Kuiper once a week to win money. His skills on an air bike, one of the more risky and entertaining forms of racing, had made him a local superstar on Kuiper. And with that fame came problems. Though he quickly learned how to fight and to defend himself, there would be nights he would go home to his mother with cuts and bruises and not a penny in his pocket. But for the most part, he has been keeping her alive with the ultimate dream he could save up enough money to take his mother somewhere that could properly treat her. Mage: N/A Skills: Boxing, Flying Techniques: -To Be Determined- Equipment: Aviator Shades - Can't leave home without these babies. Red Key - The key to his race bike, the Danger Close mk2. Hidden Blade - A tiny knife hidden in his right boot. Position: Cabin Boy Theme Song: I've Got This</s> <\|message\|>Pansy Jermaine Spitz Pansy She was right. They couldn't escape the island without a ship of some kind. Pansy licked his lips nervously and stared into the younger girls face. She was just as scared as him. He looked around him briefly, terrified that a man with a gun would jump out from behind a corner before revealing a crude plan he had come up with moments before "We need to get out of this town and hide somewhere. If there are...men with guns around, we can escape into the countryside or something until it dies down, then we can go to Kuiper and get help. We can't stay in Krukow town, though. It's much too dangerous, especially for people like you and me". It was a silly plan and he could already see several flaws in it. But it was the best they had. Escaping the island was an issue, though. If they could get to Kuiper, where Pansy's mother worked, perhaps they could escape the entire archipelago together and set up shop somewhere else. Pansy, like everyone else, had heard stories of the Crucible and their harsh treatment of dissent on the new islands. Something else scared the baker more about the Crucible, however. It was rumoured that their treatment of people with black skin, such as Pansy and his family, was a lot rougher than with people with lighter skin. Whether this was true or not, Pansy didn't want to find out. Now that the Crucible was here, he needed to escape. "My Mum has a shop in Kuiper. When we make it there, we should be safe" he smiled weakly, trying to calm both his nerves and hers. "Now come on...." He paused, realising he didn't know the girls name yet. He shook those thoughts out of his head. They couldn't waste anymore time. "Come on, follow me. I know a way out of the town" he whispered, darting down a nearby alley. Pansy just hoped they could escape before they were caught.</s> <\|message\|>Katherine Harvey "Yeah, that's our ship," the more older of the two guards answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "The solar rails finally gave out and the aura generator hasn't turned on in years. We coasted for miles to make it here and survive." "That's quite an astounding feat for an older model airship." Katherine said with a genuinely impressed tone. The crew may be living up to the rumors and legends after all to sail a powerless, more ship than air vessel and make a... controlled landing. The man motioned for Katherine to follow him as he continued walking toward Krukow. "Would you happen to know any mechanics or people who know a thing or two about generators?" he asked as the party exited the woods and began crossing a grassy field. "I can pay, though sadly not much. Thankfully it isn't a rush job." "Oh sadly I can't help you there. You see, much like you and your group, I am not a native of these lands. I'm simply a wandering pilot, seeing what the world has to offer." As the three walked through the field, the man stopped and looked to his left as if he heard something. Katherine tilted her head slightly, pondering what he may have heard. For a few seconds he continued staring at the ground several meters away but soon relented and continued walking. "As I was saying, we aren't under any pressure to-" The sound of a distant gunshot echoed across the field. It was hard to hear, given the distance from Krukow, but the low ambience let it carry easily. The man paused when he heard it and looked to Katherine. "That came from the town," he commented. "Is everything okay here?" Katherine gave a nervous shrug. "I wouldn't know. It was quiet when I left the place... There was a sleek looking airship coming in for a landing while I was heading towards you guys..." One of the younger guards who had remained relatively quiet the whole walk volunteered to scout ahead. Almost right as he left did her pet, Ava, return, flustered and distraught. "Ava! Calm down, calm down. What's up?" The panicked Kulca motioned and pushed Katherine in the direction of her plane, now somewhat visible as they neared the outskirts of the town. "Uh oh... Um sir, usually when my friend here wants me to get to my plane as soon as possible, we can safely assume that something terrible has moved into town. I'm gonna go get my plane started if you don't mind! Wish I could help, but I'm no good with aura engines bigger than a dog, so best of luck!" With that, Katherine gave a short wave and began to jog towards her aircraft in a field next to the town. She now had a better view of the airship parked over the town and her eyes began to widen. "The Crucible...."she muttered aloud, staring blankly at the airship as she ran towards her own aircraft. "Dammit! I really need to get the hell out of here!" she thought, now sprinting towards her craft.</s>	<\|message\|>Aubrey Marshall Aubrey was about to break into full-sprint alongside Emery when Varren appeared. Like Emery, he also stopped and grew suspicious. The blonde teenager was moderately surprised to see Emery get defensive so fast, particularly that she was protective of him. Her courage had to be repaid. Aubrey stepped past his female friend and approached Varren. Though this outsider was older and noticeably larger than him, he kept his face of determination. "You aren't one of them, are you?" he asked, pointing at Varren for emphasis. This man was clearly an outsider, as Aubrey didn't recognize him and the community was relatively small. His inquisition for a mechanic was particularly odd. "Wait, are you from the ship that went down earlier?" Suddenly his tough attitude seemed to fade away as an optimistic facet took hold. "That ship is our only way out of here." He looked back to Emery. "This guy's our ticket." He looked back at Varren with a grin on his face. "We might not be the best mechanics but with our lives on the line I'm sure we can get that thing flying." While Aubrey had some mechanical knowledge, it was Emery that was the superior mechanic, unquestionably. But his confidence was too high to make an immediate distinction between the two. --- The one-eyed first mate watched silently as Katherine and Varren took off in their separate directions. It was clear to Weston that the Crucible had sent an annexation regiment to this part of Aurelia. "Damn," he muttered to himself as he began walking towards the town. "Should've brought my swords." He scratched at the stubble on his chin as he casually walked into the town, making his way to the densest part. The town square. --- "It is one thing to acquire new territory for your country, but to be so malicious in the process is completely unnecessary and I will not tolerate it." The mayor looked rather intimidating, considering his grizzly appearance and large stature. But the small officer only chuckled at his words. "You won't tolerate it, you say?" He steadied the aim of his hand, pointing his finger at Vladmir's chest. "I suppose you won't be mayor of this hamlet any longer." Storm's hand recoiled like a gun, though no noise was made. A blast of pressurized air slammed into the mayor, sending him flying backwards like a rocket and crashing into the town hall. In fact, the impact was so powerful it entirely brought part of the building down. The Rift Hunters in the square did not approve of this, and it appeared the crowd was about to riot. The lines of soldiers all took aim at the Rift Hunters, preparing for imminent combat. "Do not worry, people. We will assign a new mayor in due time. But first..." The sound of shifting rubble interrupted the captain. Turning around, he saw Vladmir picking himself up from the wrecked town hall. He was clearly hurt and breathing heavily, but alive. "You survived? Well then, I hope you're prepared for seconds." As Captain Storm began to take aim at the mayor again, the sound of footsteps broke the silence that had fallen over the town square. All eyes looked towards the newcomer. Weston continued walking until he was only a few meters away from the Captain and Lieutenant. "You..." the captain said, bringing his hand down. The mayor let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't about to be attacked again, but he felt uneasy about the newcomer. "If it isn't the man himself. I recognize that face anywhere." While the officers and soldiers seemed excited now, Weston seemed almost entirely uninterested. "I wouldn't have guessed you would hide in some backwater town like a scared dog but I suppose it is fitting for scum like you, Two Hand. For having the highest bounty in the world it would only make sense to hide here and hope we never come. Why-" "Are you ever going to shut up?" The interruption seemed to stun the Lieutenant and all the soldiers. Storm looked furious. And all the while, Weston seemed to hardly care. "I would've taken you alive but now you're asking for it! Lieutenant! Kill him!" The large man, Lieutenant Armstrong, dashed forward in the blink of an eye. With both his fists raised over his head, his arms began to glow blue as he swung them down in a smash. His attack only hit air as Weston stepped to the side with impressive speed but casual form. Before Armstrong could get another chance to attack, a fist came up into his chin, sending him flying into the sky. The Rift Hunters and the soldiers looked stunned as Weston stretched his fingers out. His eye settled on the captain now, who looked moderately frightened. After a moment of silence, Lieutenant Armstrong landed on the ground with a thud and stopped moving. "Uh..." The captain began stuttering for words. "What are you fools waiting for!? Shoot him!" As the soldiers began aiming their weapons at Weston, a strange sensation swept over the town square. A wave of intimidation spread across the yard, freezing the soldiers in place. While their weapons pointed at the man, not a single soul fired. Even the Rift Hunters in the square felt the fear and couldn't take their eyes away from Weston. "You picked a bad time to visit," Weston spoke up. "I happened to be in town." Fury overcame his fear and Storm swiped his hand in front of him like it was a blade. Weston ducked low and grabbed the gun that the mayor's assistant had dropped earlier. The invisible attack from Storm sliced a building in half across the courtyard, and as it began crumbling down Weston made his move. The glasses that had rested on the gun were flung forward, pelting Storm in the face and distracting him briefly. With that opening, Weston aimed the weapon at the man and fired two shots. As the gunshots echoed across the square, Storm smirked. "You must not know who I am," Storm said. The two bullets were floating in the air in front of the captain, slowly losing their spinning motion. "Guns can't overcome my power. I am one of the world's strongest Wind Mages. I can harness the power of the very air around you and slice you to rib-" The bottom of the gun smacked into his forehead after leaving Weston's hand. While Storm stumbled backwards, Weston grabbed him by his collar and tossed him at the pile of weapons that were in front of the Rift Hunters. "If you spent less time talking you might actually get a point across one day," the Free Wind's first mate commented. While Storm began picking himself up, he noticed he was surrounded by Rift Hunters. And they all looked at him threateningly. Weston stretched the fingers on his hand again before turning around to leave. Vladmir, however, stopped him. "I don't know who you are, but you might've just gotten Krukow into more trouble than it already was in," he began. "Your intervention wasn't helpful at all." Weston's eye looked into both of his and he too became paralyzed with fear. "Your town was in more trouble than you think, buddy."</s>
<\|description\|>Aubrey Marshall Nickname: Hasn't obtained one yet. Gender: Male Age: 17 Age Appearance: Teenager Appearance: Personality: Aubrey was always one to stand out from the crowd. Whether by being loud and boisterous or by performing some daring act, he has a way of getting attention. He will often take on a tough, cool persona to make himself appear "cooler", particularly around attractive girls. However, most of his flashy behavior hides a compassionate side. In fact, most of his bravery is actually a well made lie, with a good example being his pathological fear of the dark. While he does pursue admiration, he also aspires for fortune. Though most see that behavior as selfish, the truth behind it links to his hidden compassionate nature. Though he can be quite a scrappy and energetic fellow, when the odds are against him he tends to be more cowardly. This results in him often starting fights that he ends up running from. Backstory: Though he was born into Crucible territory, Aubrey and his mother moved far away soon after his birth. This led to them living on Krukow. Though Aubrey would often ask about his father, his mother Melanie would simply say he was a good man and that Aubrey would be able to meet him one day. At the age of six, Melanie grew ill and was bed ridden. At first, the two relied on the support of the town to even survive. But as Aubrey grew older, he took it upon himself to take care of his mother. He had to forfeit his education to be able to have the time for oddjobs he needed to stay afloat. At the age of ten he began working in the lumber industry on Krukow island. Though his mother felt that he was being too risky with his own health, no misfortune related to his job ever came to be. However, one night as he walked home from the mill on a particularly dark night, a Rift opened right next to him. Due to the darkness, he failed to notice the danger in time and was attacked by several Rift Monsters. He was saved by the local Rift Hunter guild, Maximus, and brought home with only minor injuries. But what stayed with him was the fear of being attacked in the night. No longer willing to work the long hours, due to not wanting to come home late at night, Aubrey quit the job. At the age of fourteen he quit to pursue a surprisingly more childish endeavor: racing. The neighboring island of Kuiper was more industrial and had more money. The underground racing circuit appealed to his youthful and thrill-seeking nature. Though it was a gamble, one his mother also didn't approve of, Aubrey found that he could actually make a living this way. Soon afterwards he told his mother he quit racing, but in reality that was a lie. While she believes he works in the lumber yard, Aubrey has actually spent the past few years going to Kuiper once a week to win money. His skills on an air bike, one of the more risky and entertaining forms of racing, had made him a local superstar on Kuiper. And with that fame came problems. Though he quickly learned how to fight and to defend himself, there would be nights he would go home to his mother with cuts and bruises and not a penny in his pocket. But for the most part, he has been keeping her alive with the ultimate dream he could save up enough money to take his mother somewhere that could properly treat her. Mage: N/A Skills: Boxing, Flying Techniques: -To Be Determined- Equipment: Aviator Shades - Can't leave home without these babies. Red Key - The key to his race bike, the Danger Close mk2. Hidden Blade - A tiny knife hidden in his right boot. Position: Cabin Boy Theme Song: I've Got This</s> <\|message\|>Pansy Jermaine Spitz Pansy "Okay, Enna, whatever you say" replied Pansy dryly, massaging his eyeballs with his palms. The pair sat in silence for several minutes as their pulses slowed and their own thoughts swirled around their heads. The baker wondered briefly about his next move - finding a way off of Krukow with Enna. How would they make it? Steal a ship? Smuggle themselves aboard a skiff bound for Kuiper? The possibilities were endless yet each was more unlikely than the next. He spent more of his thoughts on his family and friends. He didn't have many people he was close to - his overbearing mother who lived with him when not in Kuiper, his bratty sister who worked on skiffs, his kindly old boss in the bakery and the cat who sometimes came to his door looking for milk were the closest things to proper friends he had. There were others who he'd know by face and could talk to but at the end of the day, Pansy was a rather solitary figure. But he tried to stay positive no matter what. Even now, as the Crucible took over the island, he realised his family were on Kuiper. His mother had her shop and Tully was delivering parts to the mechanics over there. They'd surely hear about the annexation soon. This positive attitude had taken him through life and would take him further if he let it. Even in the dark times, he appreciated the good things about life. There was always a silver lining. Pansy pulled himself to his feet suddenly and looked down at his companion. "We'd best keep moving, Enna. We can't stick around this place for too long" he said, glancing through the gaps in the trees to the town below. He walked cautiously through the trees. On many an occasion, he'd walked through the forest, admiring nature. He loved the singing of the birds, the beautiful colours of the flowers and the springy grass. But now it felt different. It was if the entire forest was holding it's breath. The birds didn't sing, the trees didn't sway in the wind and the flowers had closed. It was if the island sensed what was happening and was holding it's own silent protest to the Crucible taking over. The baker bent down beside a wild daffodil, which grew comfortably in a tree stump. He delicately stroked the petals with one large finger. Pansy had been around flowers all his life but they never ceased to amaze him. The yellow petals, the bell shape of the flower, the delicate stalk - he loved all flowers. "My mother is a flower mage. She taught me some tricks" he smiled, giving a wink to Enna. He slowly slid his finger into the flower of the plant. When he withdrew the finger, just as slowly, he pulled a thin thread of glowing gold. "Nectar" he muttered. The nectar seemed to keep flowing from this thin thread as a bead of sweat appeared on Pansy's brow. "Useful for all sorts of things". He slowly roped the thread around his index finger, where it glistened in the sunlight. The thread of nectar disconnected from the tip of his finger and sucked its way back into the flower. Pansy examined the nectar that was wrapped around his finger for several moments and when happy, lifted it in the air to show Enna. "Give it a few hours. It'll harden and form a shell around my finger. It could stop me bleeding out if I was injured, depending on the flower and the amount of nectar I pull out. But it's kinda hard to pull loads out at once. If I do it too much, I'll start getting these crazy headaches. Gosh, they hurt like a bitch" he explained, slowly turning his index finger. Already, the thin layer of nectar was beginning to harden. "Tis the life of a flower mage". He stood to his feet unsteadily as a wave of dizziness went across his head. "Anyways, gods, we'd better keep moving. We need to find a ship or something. Those Crucible guys won't stand around the town all day". 15 minutes later... "Oh my gosh. Is that a ship?" grinned Pansy, staring through a gap in the foliage. He didn't wait for an answer A ship lay in the clearing, with people crawling across it. It was without Crucible insignia and looked like some kind of trade ship. He couldn't believe his luck. They could be anybody - pirates, traders, merchants or even rebels. But they weren't the Crucible and that was all that mattered. "Come on, Enna!" he said, grabbing the girl by the shoulder and attempting to drag her behind him. They exited the foliage, looking a mess but all sense of dignity had been lost by Pansy when he'd fell into a puddle. "Oh my gosh, people are here!" he began shrilly, practically skipping through the clearing towards the ship. "The Crucible are here! The Crucible are here! I thought we'd be killed out there, it was so terrifying! You've got to help us, oh please!"</s> <\|message\|>Emery Cooke An ex-officer! How lucky were they? The trepidation that overwhelmed Emery just moments before had instantly been replaced with relief. Varren was not at all what she feared, and in fact had turned out to be their silver lining. He was armed and experienced and that meant they could rely on him. Already he had guaranteed them protection and a way out of the island; that was more than she could have hoped for. Even Aubrey had no qualms about following him, and that had been the definitive sign for her that they could trust this person. There was also something about the Free Winds that rang a bell, and for someone reason her sister's face came to mind, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. She'll just have to ask about it when they weren't in immediate danger. "Nice… to… meet you… Mr. Varren," Emery said in between breaths as she tried to match his and Aubrey's pace. Her shorter legs had to move twice as much just to keep up, and she was already getting winded. If she hadn't been exerting so much focus and energy into keeping herself upright, perhaps she could have been a bit speedier. "I'm… Emery." Still, despite being extra cautious, she nearly stumbled a couple of times, tripping over her own feet yet again. Each time she'd managed to find a way to steady herself—that is to say, she had to yank at Aubrey's arm twice and Varren's once—and she was just lucky she didn't accidentally drag them down with her. Their path to the forest had been mostly uneventful, thank goodness. She tried to steer them through rarely trodden roads or ones that had the most cover; focusing on directions had been the only effective distraction from the worries starting to catch up with her. Emery tried not to think of the others left behind, of the mayor and the dangers he may be facing, of Auntie Mel, and diverted her attention to doing what she can to keep them out of trouble. It worked for the most past. The closest to trouble they had gotten was an almost encounter with two soldiers, but thankfully her goggles alerted them just in time. The three of them managed to avoid engaging in any sort of combat, and soon they would find themselves surrounded by thickets of green. They had made it to the forest, and now all they had to do was reach the airship. If her calculation were right, and they always were, that should be no more than a ten minutes' walk away. What's the worst that could happen then?</s>	<\|message\|>Aubrey Marshall Aubrey felt uneasy about Varren's gun, but considering the circumstances it wouldn't be too terrible if the guard had to shoot one of the Crucible soldiers. He'd rather it be them than him. "My name's Aubrey," the blonde teenager responded, giving his own name in turn. He didn't have much else in regards to a title, given he wasn't even an adult yet. But now they all were able to communicate by name as they escaped they ran from the town. --- Speaking of the town of Krukow, the sounds of violence began to grow in volume and intensity. As the one-eyed first mate of the Free Wind walked away from the town square, battle began to ensue. His intimidation no longer kept the soldiers or the Rift Hunters at bay, and with the Crucible officers being defeated there was a golden opportunity for the townsfolk to fight back. Weston only let out a sigh as he left the scene, a scene which he was the cause. After a few seconds of walking, he began to pick up the pace. For a big guy starting to approach middle-age, he could sprint quite fast. His plan succeeded, now there was a window of opportunity for the Free Wind to escape. Provided Varren found a mechanic, that is. With the Crucible now forced to handle the townsfolk, the Interceptor wouldn't be manned in time to give chase once the Free Wind could get in the air. Despite the implications of his actions, Weston showed no signs of a burdened conscience. Something caught his attention and he skidded to a halt. As the dust from his sudden stop settled, Weston found himself in the middle of a field. The same one he and Varren had encountered Katherine earlier. Though he was now alone, but there was something new in the field. Just as he thought he had detected earlier there was a darkness in the air. A hole in the air, blacker than the darkest night. Wisps of black smoke flowed out the sides. Electrical pulses popped across the blackness every few seconds. The ominous portal made no sound, but that only made it more ominous. In all it was slightly larger than Weston himself. A rather large Rift, at least by Weston's uneducated standards. But something was strange about this Rift. Despite being more than big enough for human-sized monsters to fit through, nothing was coming out. And it seemed to be growing bigger. "Hmm..." he mumbled to himself, slowly picking up the pace again. As intriguing as the Rift was, it was only a distraction right now. Staying on this island any longer than he had to be was dangerous. Twofold, with the imminent threat of Rift Monsters arriving within the next few minutes. Now it was a rush to get off Krukow island. As Weston ran towards the forest a blue, ethereal glow began to radiate from his body. And interestingly enough: he began moving much inhumanly fast. --- The captain of the ship leaned over the rail along the top deck. Indeed there were two strange, random people shouting up at them. A look of annoyance took her face first, but after properly processing what Pansy was shouting she took a look of surprise. "What?" escaped her as she lost her balance. The momentary surprise was soon consumed by anger and she gritted her teeth. With a sharp kick to the Free Wind's deck, Summer began another one of her tantrums. "Of course the bloody Crucible has to show up now of all times! Today is just my lucky day!" Before she could begin cursing more, Varren arrived down below. Summer immediately recognized her first mate wasn't with him, and instead there was two teenagers. "I asked for a damn mechanic! And where the hell is Weston!?" Summer began to shout. Before Varren had a chance to explain himself, a port along the side of the ship opened up and a metal walkway extended out. Didn't quite reach the ground, due to the lopsided resting position of the ship, but it was close enough to step on easily. One of the other guards opened it, to let the passengers on board. Though this irked Summer greatly, she kept her mouth shut as letting the natives on board wouldn't have too much of an impact on their survival. Unless they could fix the Aura generator. Then letting them on greatly improved the odds. "We don't have much time before we're all dead or worse," Summer began, her tone already betraying the coming command. "So the whole lot of you better make yourselves useful and get this baby flying. Varren, take them to the engine room. I'll join you all in a moment. If we get enough monkeys in there we might get through this, but we aren't leaving without Weston."</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned. He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways. The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem. Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago! If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable shrugged in response to the Taskmage's jibes. "It sounded like…a taunt. It said there were no do overs…I suspect that it is the work of a Relic calling out to me, but I can't be sure. It didn't sound like it wanted to be found." The Crimson Streak paused in her walking, enough time to raise a hand to her chin and for a certain enthusiast to catch up to them. Turning around to face the bouncing form of Muzai, Sable frowned before shaking her head. "It's probably nothing," she reassured the eye-patched man. "In any case, we seem to have company…greetings there Miss," Sable said once the girl had joined them. "Is there a particular reason why you are following us?" A little farther away from them, the green Relic had begun to shine brightly. Twitching around, it crackled around lightly in Ugnis' hand. It seemed to be pulsing dangerously near Mal, no doubt sensing the spirit inside of him. However, that wasn't all. A few seconds later, a might roar rang out in the forest disturbingly nearby. From the way it sounded, it was much bigger than the dying bear from before.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Don't worry about it," Ugnis replied, waving it off with a hand as he stood back up. He could relate to fighting something within himself, though it was his own doing that caused his current condition. Nonetheless, it did put a certain strain on his body, as he had to stay constantly aware of both his emotions and what occurred around him. As Ugnis ran this thought through his mind, the relic in hand glowed a bright toxic light that shined through his blindfold. It jerked slightly and seemed to spark in his hand, sending shocks through his body. Despite how irritating these odd sensations were, Ugnis couldn't bring himself to drop it. Unintentionally cringing as he crashed backwards into a tree, Ugnis wondered why not. It wouldn't break, nor would there be some adverse effect if he did. "So why can't I... Oh, right." He was keeping the relic because Mal wanted him to. Why was he keeping a promise he didn't even make? Why should he? A pulse from dark emotions, seemingly cheered on by the relic, resonated in Ugnis's mind. He cringed and put his hand to his head. "I won't have to if he's dead, right?" "Wait, stop that. No. Stop." "Don't think that." Ugnis quickly restabilized his train of thought, before more bad thoughts surfaced. "That... could have gone worse, to say the least." A deep, somewhat hostile roar sounded from nearby. "Ah, that's good," he thought unfazed, a thick feeling of anger still lingering inside of him. An outlet would get rid of that disgusting feeling, and usually made it easier to happily go about his days afterwards. He didn't care about how terrible the monster was; he just felt like murdering something. Dusting off the cape on his back, Ugnis said to Mal, "You're still tired from before, right? Just stay out of sight, and let me handle this," This was partly out of a personal reason, not wanting others to see what he was like when he wasn't just carefree. But, it was more because he'd stab anything in his way when he pulled up his blindfold, Mal and other people included. As both threat and warning, with an uncharacteristic undertone of hostility, Ugnis said as if to confirm that Mal understood, "Got it?"</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva A decisive chill ran up Mal's spine as the man stepped away. The moment the blindfold fell from his eyes, it was almost like Mal was staring at a completely other person. He didn't know what caused the change. Maybe he held a more prominent spirit inside him? It wasn't completely impossible. He vaguely remembered reading something about spirit levels… maybe in his father's research. Dealing with both the heavy mist cloaking his past and the exhaustion that coiled around him made it difficult to recall. Still, Mal complied with the man's commands, not willing to deal with whatever was coming next. He was careless with this one. There was a reason he usually set up in bigger cities. It meant easier escapes, more places to hide, and plenty of time to rest between confrontations. "I'll just stay here then…" Mal grinned, stumbling back against the tree, "Maybe I'll try to catch a bit of rest." The moment he let go of the Ugnis, the spirit inside him started to calm. Its offensive thrashing around that wasted more energy that Mal was thrilled about. He would just have to hope he could stay out of this next encounter and recover whatever energy He could so he could deal with whatever was coming the next day. So, with a satisfied yawn, even as a monster stomped off in the distance. Mal leaned against the back of the tree, and willingly shut his eyes. Any amount of rest would help, even if only for a few moments. Besides, he had a sinking feeling that the man had more to him than originally suggested.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides raised his head, already dismissing the follower as he heard the roar, narrowing his good eye as he worked on identifying the noise. Not another bear, nor nothing normally running about makes that much noise. Not many creatures make that much noise, and remain capable of fighting and hunting that is. That means big, fast, or just so plain dangerous that it doesn't need stealth or subtle approaches. There weren't many things like that out in these areas, and he drew his sword, looking in the direction of the roar, a thought dawning on his mind, one that he did not appreciate having cross his mind. One would hope he was wrong though. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." No sooner than the Taskmage had spoken the roar came again, much louder and clearer, which meant it was closer. Out of the woods, several hundred feet in the air, was the green scaled form of a Dragon, easily the size of any of the buildings within the small town nearby, as it circled overhead, a green hued flame belching from the creature's maw. Its wings easily eclipsed the sun whenever it came between the sun and each person's viewing point, casting grand shadows along the ground. The jagged horn looked almost broken, and it was clearly older than it appeared at first sound. Atreides scowled, kneeling to enchant his sword again, the blade this time growing darker then it should normally have been possible, leaving a trailing image behind it as he rose, electrical arcs bouncing along his left, off arm. The Taskmage frankly didn't have much interest in dealing with this on top of losing out on one of the Relics, but the thing was clearly agitated and couldn't be left just roaming about like some sort of overgrown torch. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing."</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "No miss Crimson Streak! I'm here on my own volition!" She said with a bright smile that dimpled her cheeks. Her bright pinkish buns seemed like it was glowing as she smiled. "You two are like, my idols! To see you face to face is like a dream come true you know!" She said as she jumped around in joy. "Please take me with you! I can be very useful!" She felt the earth rumble as the mighty roar resounded across the forest. Something is amidst and is within close proximity. She felt the trees growing restless as its branches wildly swayed as the rebelling winds swoop past it. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." The Taskmage wielded his sword, eyes straight towards the source of the roar. Muzai could be heard chuckling. The beast was close judging by its roar. Perhaps they had ventured to its territory and it wanted us to leave... But within the safety of the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage themselves... She felt unthreatened by its presence. Muzai followed the Taskmage's gaze. The flickering shadows made Muzai turn majestically as she tracked her eyes on the circling emerald dragon above them, roaring its cry loudly with its lethal maw. An old dragpm roaming about Rivenwood. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing." Muzai jumped joyfully. "Aren't you amazed at that giant winged lizard?! Look how pretty and green it is!" She said in almost like a shouting manner. "It's like she's the forest herself!" While both the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage was worried about the dragon at hand it seems like Muzai was more into glamouring the dragon. "I wanna keep it as a pet!"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed swordsman stood at the edge of the clearing, shrouded by leaves and dark foliage. The ghostly spectre had been observing the great beast, watching and waiting, hoping it would reveal a weakness to him. But alas, after he had watched it for what could have been days or weeks, the great thing awoke, and the specter was found. At the first roar the fatalistic dead man rushed the green scaled horror, slashing his ruined blade across its chest. Though the scales were barely scratched his blade cut a very different wound far deeper. It's essence, the beasts soul had been his target and he had given it a sound thrash with his blade. Unfortunately, dragons had strong souls to match their bodies, and the pain led only to anger the beast, but it did serve to drive the beast into the air, surprised by its damaged soul. Now, thought the impossibly old specter, now the chase would begin. The great green dragon soared into the air, green fire leaking from his maw. But the spectre could keep up... for a time, on foot. Giving his limbs the strength of the curse, and pouring his soul into his legs he kept pace with the flying lizard. It would land soon he thought... why did he think that? He could not remember... but he felt as though he had fought dragons before... when did he do that? It didn't matter though, as it flew he couldn't help but feel he was close to... something... people? He was unsure but as it landed he brought himself to a halt, allowing his body to return to its slow, dead and clumsy nature... Though now that he saw the beast again the spectre was no longer sure he could slay the great beast.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s> <\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides listened with surprising patience as the cursed soldier worked his way through his fractured mind and manner of speech, eventually giving forth the name of Gilligan. Well, that was better than Cursed one, although that would no doubt suffice in a pinch. The being proceeded to mention accompanying Sable and himself, and the matter was not up for debate. Well, that meant they had an undead and near indistructeable, from the showing he gave with the dragon, soldier following them around that could not speak very well. This would make visits to town far more entertaining, he thought with a mental sigh. Well, that did mean things would be easier in sheer violence situations, although why the cursed one insisted on the matter was a mystery to the Taskmage. Depending on how fractured the being was, Gilligan might very well see the past in them and be clinging to it. Or he was very perfectly all there and was putting on a show. He couldn't confirm that either way right now, and for now, it wasn't worth the pain. "Well, Sir Gilligan, I won't tell you where to go or who to go with, so by all means, let's get the ladies and get moving." Atreides turned towards Sable, seeing she already had a little gang of her own and snickered, a sound that she would be familiar with as a prelude to some sort of mockery or ribbing that was about to drop. Approaching the woman, whether cursed soldier was in tow or not, he crossed his arms with a sardonic smirk on his face. "Look at you Meat, got yourself a little girl's night out club and everything already. No more babysitting for me, it seems. On a serious note, its late, we need to find someplace to put up for the night. Town sound good?"</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's ears slightly twitched at the familiar snicker, a frown already deepening onto her face-wait, no. She was already frowning. Well that saved her some effort. Turning around, she met the image of her smirking partner with a look of clear disapproval. "We are not a girl's night out club Atreides," she pointed out with no emotion. "We are simply travelers going the same way. I think a fan club would be more appropriate to utilize." With that said, she looked back at the girl with the pink healing light. Testing out her hand, Sable nodded in approval at the renewed flesh. "Thank you…Exoris. I see there is no debating the issue of you following me. Therefore, do not expect me to save you in times of dire need. That is all." She turned then, giving Atreides a curt nod before heading for the nearest town. Dusk was soon approaching, and with it, the predators of the night. Not too far away from them, those very same predators had their sights on Ugnis and his green Relic. Watching. Waiting. Of course, none of that was on the Crimson Streak's mind. No, no, she was wondering just what ever happened to her first fan, Muzai? Back in town, Mal would find quite an interesting sight to greet him. For one reason or another, Imperium soldiers were on foot and looking for…something. Probably the Legend Relics, and that made the most sense. They didn't notice him, and probably wouldn't unless he caused a scene. He could probably slip by and get a room without worry if he kept his composure. With that demon festering inside of him, it was certainly a large gamble. Far away in a similar town, Yem had finished his attempted conversation with the black Relic. As he departed for the night, a presence was watching him from the darkness. They waited and watched, before slipping inside his lone room through a window. Keeping themselves into the shadows, they focused on his sleeping form. At once, they drew a crimson blade and became poised to strike.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina smiled as Sable mentioned that there would be food at the mess hall of the next town they were going to. "Yes ma'am!" She didn't really like waiting for food, but she was fairly used to being hungry and skipping meals. She had learned to take advantage of any meals she could get while she was in the desert, so food was especially important for her. Even if she could slow her metabolism down and go a few days before getting hungry. She then listened as Atreides and Sable spoke with each other and scratched her head at the phrase "fan club". She looked around and didn't see any fans. She knew what a fan was, she had seen her mother use one to cool herself off, but it sounded weird for someone to make a club out of them. She didn't even see any fans on Sable. "'Fan club'? I don't see any clubs made of fans... That doesn't sound like a very efficient weapon either." She was genuinely confused. She then realized that they were adventurers. She definitely wanted to come along. After all, adventurers traveled the world just like her dad did. "I'm definitely coming too!" She practically cheered. "You guys are adventurers, I can get to see the world with you all!" She didn't quite understand that most of them had only just met.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Well, this was quite a sight. As Mal limped up to the town gates and ditched the stick he used for support behind a fence, he noticed the glint of well-polished armor in the distance. Numerous men in metal helms wandered around the streets, knocking on doors, careening into bars and essentially walking across the territory as if they knew the place. He grimaced when he noticed the sigil on the shoulder plate of one of the men. In a fluid movement, he pulled his hood further over his face in an attempt to obscure his eyes as he slinked down the side of the road. The shadow inside him bubbled in frustration. This was one thing Mal and the shade could agree upon. The Imperium and all that protected them were scum. Even so, as much as Mal would've liked to rip them apart, he knew his body could not handle it. He needed to recover his energy with food and a good rest for the evening. It didn't help that Mal had multiple accounts of murder stacked against him that got his face on the posters of many large cities. He slinked in the shadows, keeping to the darker spots as darkness came closer. He was steps away from the inn he had passed the first time when he heard rumors of the Relics waiting in Rivenwood. The fact that Mal had travelled all that way after assassinating a classist aristocrat only to continue searching and using his magic was probably a bad idea in retrospect, but Mal wanted to get there before anyone else, and find those things before they ended up in the wrong hands. "Excuse me, sir," a heavy voiced asked as Mal took his first step towards the inn. The little wooden steps leading up to the main door were only feet away as Mal heard clinking armor behind him. "Can I help you?" Mal asked without turning around. The man cleared his throat, "You wouldn't happen to know of any strangers passing through that would know something about the Legend Relics?" Mal paused, "I wouldn't know. I'm a stranger myself." Before the man could continue, Mal slipped through the doors of the inn and approached the counter. A few moments later he was in a small room tucked away in the corner of the upper floor. The kind owners had promised to bring food up to his room as he was feeling "under the weather" as he put it. Sometimes, with just the right smile and proper politeness, it was easy to convince people to help him out. Especially if they didn't talk for extended periods of time. Mal didn't waste any time. He borrowed some of the linens from the drawers of a tiny cabinet and methodically tore strips from one of the sheets to wrap around his chest and shoulders. Then, with his hood wrapped around him once more, he tumbled onto the bed. It wasn't perfectly comfortable, but it was better than a dusty road. Mal was asleep within seconds, with the word Zyaxomort sitting on his tongue.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon It tastes so delicious dont you think? N'kara took another bite out of the meat she had in her hand. The meat was still fresh and tender, exactly the way she liked it. You're in my head arent you? You surely know wether I like it or not, dont you? She could hear the voice in her head laughing. Ofcourse I do and I know you love it. Just wanted to hear you say it.. N'kara was walking on a path through the forest towards the town of Rivenwood to find an inn to rest for the night. She wasnt planning on staying for long as she had other business elsewhere. N'kara took another bite out of the meat as she walked on. Fine, I like it, happy now or are you going to ask me again the next time I eat it? The voice let out a snicker. What do you think? N'kara let out a sigh. I was afraid you would say that... Just as she finished her sentence she heard the trampling of hooves, it didnt matter to her so she continued on her path, her cloak blowing in the light breeze. As the sound got closer there was also the sound of plate armour clanging against itself. Behind her was a horseman aproaching, he bore the banner of some Imperial priesthood. The man, who was of a small stature, hailed N'kara. "Hail traveller. Could you aid me in something?" N'kara covered her face with her hood as she stopped and took another bite of her meat, tearing a piece violently off before she grinned. That depends on what you require of me. The man responded with a hint of amazement: "You're a woman!?" Ooh boy... Wrong choice of words. The man quickly readjusted his speech. "I'm sorry, judging by your stature I assumed you were... ooh nevermind. Anyhow, am the bodyguard of a priest but I euhm... Lost him when he was "blessing" a young woman not far from here." And you want to know if I've seen him? she responded with a grin on her face. "Indeed madam, have you?" That depends...She turned around and faced the man, even though he was sitting on horseback they met eye to eye. When the man saw her face he turned pale in an instant. What he saw was something which was reminicent of the ghost stories he was told as a child. The woman infront of him had pitchblack eyes save for the near white iris and the pupil was very narrow and long. Her mouth was filled with teeth which seemed to come from a wolf and her face was covered in blood. She slowly turned her hand in which she held her food around to him and what he saw shocked him to his core. ...Is this the man you are looking for? The horribly mutalated head of the priest was resting in her hand. "Demonspawn!" the man shouted. Before he could do anything else however his horse was already dead. N'kara took one swing at the animal's head and fractured it's skull. With this the horse fell and the man became stuck under it. He was desperatly trying to get the horse off but he had no succes. N'kara on the other hand was taking her time as she walked over to him and eventually towered over the man. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Please, I have a family! They will die without me!" N'kara bend down next to the man. Ooh well that changes thing. She took one last bite out of the priest's head, ripping away the final piece of flesh. Blood fell on the man as he was crying out to her. "Please, dont let me die like this!" N'kara threw away the head and responded. Well... Alright, because you asked so nicely. With little effort she pushed the carcas of the horse away. The man couldnt believe it, she had been so close to killing him and now she was helping him? Surely the gods were- Before he could finish his train of thought he had a hand around his troat and it lifted him up in the air, slowly chocking the life out of him. You were right, I could let you die like that. I would much rather do it like this. She grinned widly, baring her teeth. At this point the man was starting to wet himself, thinking that his was the end for him... How wrong he was. 15 minutes later N'kara was continuing her path towards Rivenwood, hoping to be able to get a warm bed and meal. A soft moan was still audible and N'kara smiled, she had her fun for the day. As she was walking away the man was still alive... His hands and feet were impaled into a tree nearby and his entire body had runes carved into him. Another fitting sacrifise to the gods my dear. N'kara smiled. Indeed... Now lets hope that Rivenwood can provide us with some more entertainment then he could. Her bloodlust was tamed and with the totem in honour of the dark gods left in behind her she walked on to Rivenwood.</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked. She had not been expecting this sort of activity to take place so early in the morning. She had slipped by Atreides back at the inn, figuring he still had his own thoughts to contend with. Now she stood in the center of the village…only to be approached by the rather rude fellow from yesterday. Sable scanned Mal up and down with a blank gaze. "We are in search for the other Relics," she answered honestly and methodically. "Therefore, there is no need to rush towards our next location. At most, I can guess the Imperium soldiers from last night were looking for them too. That means-oh." The Crimson Streak was interrupted by the girl with the floating balls; the rather eccentric one who spewed around literary titles everywhere. Sable gave her a small nod of greeting. "Good morning Exo. To answer your questions in sequential order: My name is Sable, though people tend to call me the Crimson Streak. The dragon attacked us out of pure instinct I imagine. I hope that sates your curiosity." And then, lo and behold, someone new showed up, promptly tackling Mal to the ground without reason or care. Watching the boy fall, Sable moved in to the new woman and did the polite thing. "Hello." Something was wrong. Sable could sense an unnerving aura surrounding the newcomer, though she couldn't place what it was nor did she comment on it aloud. She would have to ask Atreides to study her if possible. He was, after all, much more adept at seeing these kinds of things she was. "Please do not start fights," she told to both Mal and the newcomer. "The townsfolk are watching." Indeed, the citizens were watching, having gathered around outside their homes to witness the gathering of strange people. Some of them whispered among themselves, casting suspicious glances their way. "Mercenaries," one of them, an elderly man, spat. "No good comes from their kind. Especially with those accursed Relics popping up everywhere. First them, now the whole damn Imperium breathing down our backs…"</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides eventually strolled out of the tavern, having kept an eye on the comings, goings, and gossip for awhile, leaving payment for his drinks and time spent there, and unlike so many of the usual mercenaries and sort coming through the town, the Taskmage was one who was usually tolerated more than others, due to his beneficial nature alongside hte profit of having them paying to stay and resupply in such places. But as he walked out of the establishment and skirted down the sides of the road, he noticed something that made the man sigh. That punk ass with the shadow chains was getting in Sable's face, and to make matters worse, some barbarian that reeked of the Old Gods had went and tackled him, which would no doubt start some fight that would destroy far too much property to ever be welcome again. And would bring Sable into the line of fire, which simply would not do. But he couldn't just blast both into oblivion, god knows what the woman would do if she died with that stinking aura of the Old Gods, and punk ass probably had something nasty up his sleeves too. "What in the blazing fucks are you two damn clowns doing? Making some big stinking scene in the road, let me address both of you. One, lady, really need to ditch that Old God thing you got going, you reek of it, from a mile away. Secondly, if you need male attention that badly, tackling strangers in the road ain't the easiest way to go about it. As for you, punk, getting up in a ladies face, rude and uncalled for. No one sees you big and tough getting in her face like that. Especially considering she cold filet you and string you up to dry before any of us blinked. Secondly, none of your damn business what other folks are doing or why, savvy? Try being polite and not barging into another persons business, aye?" Atreides was giving his speech all as a front, walking in a circle around the group, his movements seperating Sable from the tackled pair of fools, and outside the circle in the dirt that eventually was formed as he finished speaking, standing beside Meat with his arms crossed and a very, very dissaproving look on his face. The two idiots try something, that circle was one of his dirty tricks, it formed a barrier that nothing gets in or out of, so any damage would be contained and prevent harm to the surroundings. Second, if either of them came after himself or Sable, same deal, and he would leave them to either figure out how to get out, or starve in the street. He didn't take kindly to these sort, especially the kid who was so damn determined to not come across as some weak ass punk. No one cared, Atreides certainly didn't, about what the kid thought he had to prove. The Taskmage had been there, done that, and all he got was a lousy shirt from the whole mess. Let the kid try something stupid, either of them, Atreides had some energy to burn for once.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Now, Mal was planning on leaving them alone and waiting for the guy with the eye-patch to get there. He had only the one target (two if you counted the information he needed). The Crimson Streak had done nothing to convince him that she needed to be dealt with. Was he a little brash? Maybe, but then again, he wasn't really sure about the idea of a "comfort zone" either. He was only really asking her to wait out the other man, and possibly weasel out any information the mercenary had. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. He got a closer look at the other people that were approaching. One of the figures he saw seemed unfamiliar, but she appeared to be rather friendly with the red warrior. He was about to introduce her to the conversation when a quiver went through his body. The spirit inside him started to shudder violently, as if it had discovered another force coming his way. He glanced upwards, trying to find the source. Then, with a mighty yell his perception changed. Mal's eyes went wide as a heavy force smashed into his side. In the split second between the heavy blow and his impact with the ground, his body and mind did several different things: His eyes flashed bright red as the sigil on the side of his neck spiraled from its centre point. His body tensed all at once as he felt the spirit inside him beginning to explode. His grin disappeared as he already felt his skin begin to rip as the spirit rushed towards any opening it could find. "Fuck! Not now!" He snarled. His voice sounded like the cry of a frenzied, tortured animal. Blades of dark energy burst from his core. Shaped like axe-blades, they blew out in all directions and smashed into the ground and the sides of buildings, leaving heavy gashes in the sturdy material. The largest blades struck out towards every possible threat in a close proximity. An asterisk-shaped wound slit through the top layers of the skin on his chest, causing blood to drip down once more as small shreds of fabric were torn off his hood. His back hit the ground. The blades exploded all at once in every direction in a similar fashion to how he'd torn apart that headmaster so long ago. And it frustrated Mal to every extent that he could not express any control over it.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva (OOPS IGNORE THIS POSTING MISTAKE)</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon Damn that kid! I swear I'm gonna kill hi-. As that thought crossed her mind N'kara started coughing up blood. She had to pull the piece of cloth off her mouth as it was stopping the blood from coming out, nearly letting her choke on her own blood. Several of the blades had pierced her armour and severly injured her. You're lucky you have me, if I wasnt protecting you against this kind of magic you would have been torn apart you fool! N'kara displayed a painfull grin as she pulled one of the blades out. Slowly she was starting to heal, the flesh wounds were already close to being healed. The gapping holes of the blades on the other hand would take a while longer to heal. If only there was a healer out here, then I could easily take this punk on! The thing in her laughed. Hey, it isnt his fault you tripped and fell on him now is it? N'kara spit out some more blood and groaned; Shut up... She looked up at the boy infront of her. If she were to attack him now it might cost her dearly. This boy obviously had more power then his appearance would make one believe. And besides that, attacking the kid now wouldnt help her find what she was looking for. She slowly rose up and looked at the gathering crowd. Great, exactly the thing she was hoping to avoid. She tried to walk away slowly but was then stopped by an invisible wall. She looked around for a few moments before she turned her attention to the man who had been scolding her. She grinned and bared her wolf-like fangs at him. Say, you wouldnt believe me if I told you that this was all an accident, would you?</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's eyes narrowed into slits. Quick on her feet, she pounced on Exo to bring her to the ground. Moments later, the area above became filled with flying blades conjured out of dark energy. Sable checked to make sure Exo was alright before slowly standing up. The destruction at hand was evident. Although Mal and the newcomer were still trapped in the circle, the blades were free to do as they pleased. They scattered everywhere, landing into the nearest buildings and sailing into the gathered crowds of people. Screams tore out as the citizens panicked and fled, some even becoming impaled by the summoned weapons. A small price to pay for Mal's lack of control. Soon enough, the attack halted and the deed was done. Several of the buildings lay in scattered ruins, with the injured, dead, and scared surrounding the small group. One of the citizens, a short man with a very, very red face stormed up to Atreides and frowned. He seemed to be the leader of this village. "Taskmage. I'm asking you and this group to leave this town immediately. I know we've done business with each other in the past, but lives have been lost today. I take it you hold responsibility for that one?" The man cast a sour glance at Mal. "For all of our sakes…I don't want to use force on you." "Do no let them escape village leader. Let the heretics stay to face their judgment." Sable tensed, drawing her blades up at once with RE-Arch. That voice was cold and metallic, echoing around them. Turning around with everyone else, her eyes caught sight of an armored warrior in white and blue. Resting on their shoulders was what appeared to be a massive cannon matching the color scheme of the knight, crackling with magical energy. "An enemy," she told Atreides. At once the village leader fell to his knees, bowing humbly before the warrior. Soon, the rest of the village-those who could still stand-followed suit as well. "S-Sapphire Guardian of the Imperium. Neflheim. Forgive us for not becoming aware of your arrival! W-Why do you grace us with your presence?" One of the Four Guardians of the Imperium. To warrant their interest was near impossible…unless… The Sapphire Guardian raised a clawed gauntlet and pointed right at the group. "I am to retrieve the Relic that spouts its energy near Rivenwood. However, now I have changed my approach to reprimand these mad heretics. They must each be cleansed by the purification of justice. And so I shall fulfill my purpose, as decreed by the Grand Imperator." The knight slung forth his mighty cannon, aiming at the group to purge them from this world. "As for you Crimson Streak…let your treachery burn away in the eternal hell fires of my judgment as well."</s>
<\|description\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Appearance: Height: 5'3" Weight: 120 lbs Hair Color: Pale Blonde Eye Color: Yellow Age: 23 History: The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there. All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime. Personality: Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression. As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually. Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her. Weapons: Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function. Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations. When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat. Abilities: RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective. Other: Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva The spirit buzzed violently through his body. Even after a night of rest, it still seemed on edge at the limit. With a loud snarl, the Sigil receded back to its origin point as Mal pushed himself back up onto his feet. He casually glanced at the houses around him and cursed under his breath. It occurred to him that children might have been injured in his burst. That was shameful. He was about to give a piece of his mind to the muscular woman who had the audacity to trigger this event when the flickering of blue energy caught his attention. His head lifted up with the rest of his body as blood trickled to the ground, and immediately his eyes snapped into a harsh stare. Now Mal realized his initial confusion. This "Taskmage" was an enemy of the Sapphire Guardian? Mal had his targets confused. The man may have been a dick, but he wasn't an oppressive force. And any enemy of the Imperium was an ally of his. He ignored the stares of the older man as he reigned in the power of the spirit. It was an involuntary reaction more than anything. The spirit would severely overreact to the pain an attack would cause and lash out violently against whoever caused it and whoever was in the area. While the faces and the timestamp felt foggy, he could still clearly remember the headmaster with his body split in two when he "tested" the experiment by smacking him in the side. But Mal was back again once more as the sigil's lines fell back into the point and his predatory grin appeared at full force. "The Sapphire Guardian," Mal cackled under his breath as his hands latched onto the chains at his side. That cannon would be more than enough to wipe all of them out. He could not take on that power himself, of that much he was aware. God, what he'd give to go back to tracking people down, stalking them into alleys and tearing them apart before they were even aware of what was going. "Mr. Eye-Patch, I appear to have misjudged your intentions," Mal grinned, "I tend to get touchy around pushy people. They make me think of the Imperium, which makes me think of the squishy organs I've pulled out of people who hurt others to get what they want. So, unless that's in your career path, I'll be out of your hair after we rip this guy to shreds." Mood whiplash was pretty common when it came to Mal. While it usually took more convincing to prove that you weren't super oppressive, it became a lot easier when you were both on the opposite end of the same cannon. Then Mal's eyes snapped to the girl who had set off the spirit in the first place. "As for you, be careful. Your aura already makes the shadow antsy, and it really hates being jostled around…" At last, his head tilted back to the man in the armour in front of them. His eyes glowed ominously as he stood with his jagged grin. His hands wrapped gently around his chains as he stared at the man. Darkness spiraled around the chains as he stared at the man. "Crowley, Naga. Arise." The spikes at the ends of his chains rose to the same height as his head. He stared down the cannon like he wasn't afraid in the slightest. But he was seriously hoping that the others would not leave him in the dust, because otherwise he was pretty sure he wouldn't surprise.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara was waiting for the one-eyed man to respond. In the mean time she was looking at the damage the boy had caused with his attack. Eventhough it was very unlikely that it would have caused a carnage, the thought of a bloodbath exited N'kara. She appeared dissapointed at the sight, only a few had died or were mortally wounded. Her own wounds were now getting closer to being healed, most of the bleeding had already stopped and the pain of the healing was lessening. She glanced back at the one-eyed man. So if you dont mind, would you please rele- She got interupted by an Imperial soldier who seemed to be a rather important member of the Imperium. N'kara's grin turned into a furious look. She straightened her back, towering over all in the square, before she yelled out with an enraged voice audible over the entire townsquare; How dare you call me heretic!? You who serves the rotting edifice that is the Imperium! By Khârn I shall rip your head from your spine and grind it to dust! She looked back at the man who cast the dome. You! I demand that you release me from this wretched prison! I am willing to offer you a deal, you release me and I will fight with my life to make sure you get out of this town. I know you probably wont take my word for it so let me offer you a bloodpact! Because of the demon inside of her she would be unable to break a bloodpact and N'kara knew that this man must have atleast sensed the demon's presence eventhough he might not know what it exactly is. She continued staring at the man. So what say you? Do you want to keep me locked in here and die or do you want to live?</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had his arms crossed, and was about to give the elder of the town a response when an all too familiar voice rang out, decrying them heretics and he turned, a shit eating grin on his face as he dropped his arms to his side, one hand resting on his sword, as he looked towards that blue armored fellow. Neflheim, the man was known to Atreides. Rather bold, religiously focused on purging the heretic with that massive damn cannon on his shoulder, all around unpleasant and a fellow he had not wanted to have to cross paths with, not again. This man knew nothing of control, of precision, and would burn this village to the ground if it meant taking out his targets. And that, right now, was him and the clowns he had locked away, for better or worse. Which meant they were now stuck in the same lot right now, and he sighed, glancing to the village leader, and addressed him first. "Get everyone to a safe distance, this will get ugly before it gets better. We won't hang around once this unnecessary display of force is done." Next he kicked his heel into the ground, breaking the circle surrounding the demon whore and chains brat. Any other day he would have put more restrictions on the matter, addressing them without turning. He would know if they tried anything directed at him, the dead silence of a standoff made that much fairly easy. He scoffed at the offer of a blood pact, one did not lightly sign into any sort of deal with demons, let alone a blood pact. Blood held power, in the right hands, and he was not near knowledgeable enough in that application to trust any sort of deal. "How about this, you two try anything against me or Crimson Streak, I leave both of you near dead in a barrier circle in the woods. Let you two figure it out from there." Without warning, mid senteance, Atreides conjured a rock pillar from beneath the Sapphire Guardian, intending to throw him upwards enough to disrupt his aim, sword flying out of its sheath, mutterings from Atreides causing the blade to erupt in flames once more. It was a preferred talent of his, and he stood, a ball of fire erupting in his hand, electrical arcs bouncing up and down the very same arm, sword coated in arcane fire while he scowled at the cannon wielding enforcer, and he addressed the man boldly. "AND AS FOR YOU! Take your bullying and intimidation elsewhere. Your purpose is little more than the Imperator's bootlick, grovelling for favor and station while you mindlessly murder supposed heretics and obliterate the villages they happen to be passing through in the process. I know your handiwork, Neflheim, and you are no embodiment of Justice. You are little more than a prideful, boastful hound of the Imperator, and that's all you'll ever be, just to be put down once your no longer useful."</s>	<\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Ignorant Taskmage." Neflheim was unfazed by the sudden appearance of a rock pillar beneath his feet, merely swinging his cannon back to his shoulder. Looking down on them all from below, he aimed once more and fired off a burst of magical energy directly at the two still in the dirt circle. Not bothering to check if they were dead, the armored warrior pointed a clawed hand both at Atreides and Sable. "Do not speak to me about reckless doings scum. The woman stated clearly to me that Khârn was amongst her soul. Worshippers of the Old Gods are to be seen as nothing but violent enemies to the Imperium and to the people." He was caught off by something swift and small. Sable had launched both her knives at him, already running along the stone pillar to meet him head on. Neflheim deflected both weapons with a swipe of his arm, sending them flying away. "RE-Arch." The blades appeared once more in Sable's and she leaped forward. Held aloft, she slashed downward at the Sapphire Guardian. Neflheim saw this and more, parrying with the brunt of his cannon and knocking her back down savagely. Sable plummeted to the earth below, twisting and skidding on the ground. Neflheim jumped then, landing with a massive impact on the ground, sending shock waves all throughout the village. By now, the village leader had taken Atreides' advice and was now directing everyone to the other side of the village. "Kneel Crimson Streak. Your betrayal to the Imperium shall be treated with the utmost diligence and efficiency."</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva A curse danced on the edge of Mal's tongue as Naga hit dirt instead of the relic. As his swinging slowed, he pulled Crowley from the tree's bark and stumbled to the ground. The shadows gripping his chains dissipated in seconds as he struggled off the ground using the tree as leverage. He grinned at the scarlet warrior who knocked his spearhead out of the way as he started to pull back on the chains and work them into loops. His panting was heavy, and sweat dripped from his brow as he tumbled to the ground and leaned back against the tree. He scanned for the Relic. His vision passed over the rocky hands reaching out of the ground with one or two dislodged fingers, and they fell to the blindfolded man once more, who was holding the very same Relic in his hand. When the Crimson Streak's knife hit the relic, it must've knocked it over in that direction. Mal's eyes widened. He may have lost the race, but at least there was hope. Unlike the others, the blindfolded man gave off a somewhat different vibe. Maybe he wouldn't be willing to sell that power to the oppressive rulers of their world. It appeared as though the women in red was distracted by something else at the moment, but that wasn't Mal's concern at the moment. As he lay panting against the tree, with most of his energy expunged, he called out to the man. "Hey... What're you planning on doing with that relic?" He yelled from his sitting position. He tightened the chains around his waist like a belt of stone, "Coz if you weren't gonna sell it, then it's all yours..." He leaned back against the tree, and toyed with the idea of a nap. He could really use it, after all...</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable shrugged in response to the Taskmage's jibes. "It sounded like…a taunt. It said there were no do overs…I suspect that it is the work of a Relic calling out to me, but I can't be sure. It didn't sound like it wanted to be found." The Crimson Streak paused in her walking, enough time to raise a hand to her chin and for a certain enthusiast to catch up to them. Turning around to face the bouncing form of Muzai, Sable frowned before shaking her head. "It's probably nothing," she reassured the eye-patched man. "In any case, we seem to have company…greetings there Miss," Sable said once the girl had joined them. "Is there a particular reason why you are following us?" A little farther away from them, the green Relic had begun to shine brightly. Twitching around, it crackled around lightly in Ugnis' hand. It seemed to be pulsing dangerously near Mal, no doubt sensing the spirit inside of him. However, that wasn't all. A few seconds later, a might roar rang out in the forest disturbingly nearby. From the way it sounded, it was much bigger than the dying bear from before.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Don't worry about it," Ugnis replied, waving it off with a hand as he stood back up. He could relate to fighting something within himself, though it was his own doing that caused his current condition. Nonetheless, it did put a certain strain on his body, as he had to stay constantly aware of both his emotions and what occurred around him. As Ugnis ran this thought through his mind, the relic in hand glowed a bright toxic light that shined through his blindfold. It jerked slightly and seemed to spark in his hand, sending shocks through his body. Despite how irritating these odd sensations were, Ugnis couldn't bring himself to drop it. Unintentionally cringing as he crashed backwards into a tree, Ugnis wondered why not. It wouldn't break, nor would there be some adverse effect if he did. "So why can't I... Oh, right." He was keeping the relic because Mal wanted him to. Why was he keeping a promise he didn't even make? Why should he? A pulse from dark emotions, seemingly cheered on by the relic, resonated in Ugnis's mind. He cringed and put his hand to his head. "I won't have to if he's dead, right?" "Wait, stop that. No. Stop." "Don't think that." Ugnis quickly restabilized his train of thought, before more bad thoughts surfaced. "That... could have gone worse, to say the least." A deep, somewhat hostile roar sounded from nearby. "Ah, that's good," he thought unfazed, a thick feeling of anger still lingering inside of him. An outlet would get rid of that disgusting feeling, and usually made it easier to happily go about his days afterwards. He didn't care about how terrible the monster was; he just felt like murdering something. Dusting off the cape on his back, Ugnis said to Mal, "You're still tired from before, right? Just stay out of sight, and let me handle this," This was partly out of a personal reason, not wanting others to see what he was like when he wasn't just carefree. But, it was more because he'd stab anything in his way when he pulled up his blindfold, Mal and other people included. As both threat and warning, with an uncharacteristic undertone of hostility, Ugnis said as if to confirm that Mal understood, "Got it?"</s>
<\|description\|>Ugnis C'zair Appearance: Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lb Hair Color: Ash grey Eye Color: Black Age: 16 Personality: Ugnis is a hedonistic pacifist, preferring to talk things over a cup of tea instead of fighting. Normally with an amiable personality, he gets along with many types of people and can force himself to be absurdly optimistic if the situation is too dark for him. This lax personality, however, masks his separate half that made him a successful mercenary. When he stops covering his eyes with the band, Ugnis switches to an extremely aggressive and almost psychopathic persona. Weapons: Aegis - A long, extremely heavy, hilt-less sword with a three edges due to it's unique triangular shape. It has a foot-long grip, with a 4 1/2-foot blade that tapers to a point on the top. Abilities: Utilizes supplementary wind magic and offensive fire. Tailwind - Creates a decent breeze from behind, making it easier to move forward and allowing projectiles to go further than normal. Blaze Charge - Temporarily charges a weapon with magic, cloaking it with fire for one strike. Requires contact with the weapon. Flame Rip - Ugnis rips forward and upward along the ground with his charged weapon, sending out a short-ranged cone of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s>	<\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva A curse danced on the edge of Mal's tongue as Naga hit dirt instead of the relic. As his swinging slowed, he pulled Crowley from the tree's bark and stumbled to the ground. The shadows gripping his chains dissipated in seconds as he struggled off the ground using the tree as leverage. He grinned at the scarlet warrior who knocked his spearhead out of the way as he started to pull back on the chains and work them into loops. His panting was heavy, and sweat dripped from his brow as he tumbled to the ground and leaned back against the tree. He scanned for the Relic. His vision passed over the rocky hands reaching out of the ground with one or two dislodged fingers, and they fell to the blindfolded man once more, who was holding the very same Relic in his hand. When the Crimson Streak's knife hit the relic, it must've knocked it over in that direction. Mal's eyes widened. He may have lost the race, but at least there was hope. Unlike the others, the blindfolded man gave off a somewhat different vibe. Maybe he wouldn't be willing to sell that power to the oppressive rulers of their world. It appeared as though the women in red was distracted by something else at the moment, but that wasn't Mal's concern at the moment. As he lay panting against the tree, with most of his energy expunged, he called out to the man. "Hey... What're you planning on doing with that relic?" He yelled from his sitting position. He tightened the chains around his waist like a belt of stone, "Coz if you weren't gonna sell it, then it's all yours..." He leaned back against the tree, and toyed with the idea of a nap. He could really use it, after all...</s>
<\|description\|>Mal Tersva Appearance: He is consistently seen wearing a black-and-white hood with baggy pants, a metal chain belt and a bare chest. He also has tough leather gloves with the fingers torn off. A black mark in the shape of a triangle sits on the side of his neck, and his chest is covered with small scars from various encounters. Height: 5'9" Weight: 143 lbs Hair Color: dirty blond Eye Color: neon red Age: 19 History (Optional): While Mal would describe his history as "foggy", if it were clearer, he would probably tell people he came from a normal looking family with less-than-normal traditions. Both his mother and father were professors at a local university whose studies ventured into two very different types of magic. His father studied the embodiment of spirits and the energy surrounding them, while his mother studied Absence Magic, or magic that dealt with the lack thereof rather than the object itself. Darkness was a specific area of this study, but she also brimmed on other topics like cold, space, and other ideas that could only be defined by their lack of something else. Now, since his parents were lovers of the intellectual society, Mal grew up having access to many books and an abundance of tutelage in various subjects, some of which he jumped into excitedly, and others he did for as long as they held his attention (which was not that long, at all). Around eight years old, his parents noticed that he started to veer towards books about Mental Magic, specifically magical hypnosis and manipulation. They would occasionally find him attempting to hypnotize his stuffed animals with a silver coin tied to a string on their return from work. He was about twelve when a new Headmaster came into the picture with demands for research that were beyond obscene, and would terminate professors without a moment's notice. Even his ethical standards were quite lower than they should have been. Since their living space and amenities were funded by the school to compensate for the lower salaries, his parents were suddenly under a lot of pressure to perform admirably. Both of them were digging through their leads of spells that their last headmaster had deemed unethical just to make the ends meet on his massive demands. The issue was that many of the spells required living test subjects, which was something that neither of them had ever considered. Yet, it was Mal that came forward and suggested they test their spells on him. Now, his parents objected quite heavily at first, as neither of them wanted to try these dangerous spells on their only child, but when the considerate Mal reminded them of their deadlines, and that they really had no choice, he was led into their research facilities late at night. Now, in terms of their research, the spells were mostly successful. Both were spells designed to give the target specific abilities for extended periods of time. When they hadn't accounted for was the mental strain it placed on the subject. Mal left the lab that night considerably different than how he entered. His physical features hadn't changed (save for the triangular mark left on his neck) but there was still something about him that was off. Maybe it was the way his body moved around. Or the fact that his face was twisted in a constant smile. His parents brought him in a few days later to show their results to the headmaster, presenting their son who donned a monochrome hood. The headmaster's mistake was asking for a demonstration… Mal willed his new magic into life, using its power that amplified his own to tear the headmaster apart with the ripples of shadow the ripped off his body. His parents stood with astonished eyes. And Mal took off out a window with a gentle wave. It was a few months later that a Mercenary guild took him under their wing, his master calling him "his secret weapon" while others claimed he was possessed by a demon. It was a year after that when most of them were found dead at the gates to a city. Now, Mal works for himself as his own terms. He acquired the title "Astaroth" or "the Demon Prince" due to his cruel and tantalizing methods, but most knew he was successful in the jobs that he took. But occasionally, people would find those searching for mercenaries dead in alley ways or in the backs of taverns, with a cacophony of laughter dancing gently across the air. Personality: Mal has a very twisted sense of justice, and tends to show emotions in unusual bursts. His neutral expression is a large, twisted grin across his features, but usually this is a visual representation of his plucky attitude. This all seems to fall away, however, when he begins to speak. Mal's thoughts are brimming with intellect, but the way he describes them are rather sadistic (or even masochistic in some situations) and scary. He doesn't really have an understanding of what makes people uncomfortable anymore, even as he describes some of the easiest ways to cause pain to someone. Even so, he has an incredible fascination with magic of all kinds, and will pester people consistently with questions about it until someone tells him to lay off. He responds well to politeness, and if you show him the slightest amount of amicability he will treat you with incredible amounts of respect. A simple "please" is all you need to get him to stop asking questions if it's bothering you. Even his sadistic nature seems to be muted when he is in the presence of kids. Mal doesn't trust people in positions of power as he responds incredibly negatively towards oppression. This is where his twisted sense of justice comes in. If you offer him any possibility to assume that you might be the source of oppression for a group of people (or specifically children) he will find the quickest way to kill you, or worse, in the least amount of time. Mal has turned down high paying jobs because of their reasons, like a man wanting to kill another man in order to take his land, and instead has made the employer his target. He doesn't stick around for long after that, disappearing into the night like he had all those years ago. In conclusion, Mal has trouble with people because he could go from friendly to trying to kill for a Freudian slip, lacks a sense of empathy or sympathy for others (especially when discussing blood and murder) but if you prove to be nice to him and to children he will be incrediibly loyal to you. That is, unless someone tells him that you've supported oppressors, in which case you will have to deal with a very difficult and life-threatening conversation. Weapons: In his travels, Mal has picked up a set of chains with heavy spear spikes at the ends of them, that he swings around with a little assistance from the spells given to him by his parents. Also, while it isn't necessarily a weapon, Mal carries a flashy red gem attached to a black chain around for "interrogation" purposes. Abilities (Magic): - Sigil: The mark on his neck recieved from his father's research holds the secrets to this spell. His father used his research in spirits and spiritual energy to seal a dark spirit into his body. While the spirit is not incredibly powerful by any stretch, it can amplify Mal's speed and strength in exchange for part of his life source. The dark spirit also works in conjunction with his mother's magic to fire dark blades of energy off his body when someone makes it past his defenses, despite the damage it does to his own body. Drawbacks: - Mal has to flee when an encounter has gone on for too long, as the spirit needs a lot of energy to keep moving. - the Dark Blades cut Mal's own skin, hence the scars on his chest, and thus shorten the amount of time he can battle. - Mal's lifespan has taken a permanent toll due to the spirit (he is expected to pass away around age 25) - Shadow Control: Mal combines his Dark Magic with his chains to make them operate almost like living beings at his control. They can strike, wrap around opponents, or even wrap around his own body at command in order to defend him from attacks. In stronger forms, the chains will actually become dark snakes that will chase after prey at his command. In dire situations, he's been known to change his gloves into dark claws to use as melee weapons Drawbacks: - At this point, you've probably come to notice that maintaining energy levels is key to his success. He is not great when it comes to stall tactics, especially when both the Sigil and the Shadow Control are eating at his energy. - Shadow Control requires verbal commands to operate, meaning there will always be a slight delay when it comes to his chains. - At this level, Mal needs to be physically touching an object in order to operate his Shadow Control. He does this by holding his chain belt. He can get rocks and throwing arms to fly out of his hands at quick speeds, but he cannot control them in the air. - Oblivion Mal's secret technique, saved only for the worst oppressors (in his own mind) or the most desperate of situations. This was the only magical gift he achieved on his own merit without the experimentation of his parents, but the loss of his empathy gave this technique a much larger space to operate. Using the red crystal on the black chain, Mal begins to hypnotize an opponent, using magic to increase his target's suggestability, and force their subconscious to operate outside of the concsiousness' will. With this, he can issue one command that they have no choice but to follow, and it is enacted immediately. The title of this technique comes from the only two times he has used it. With his Mental Magic, he erases sections of the person's mind. Once, he erased someone's memories entirely, another time he simply removed a person's intelligent thought, leaving them with the thought processes of an infant. This being said, Mal also knows how to perform actual hypnosis, but that only works if the target is both suggestable and willing. It is impossible to naturally hypnotize someone to do something that they are completely opposed to. Drawbacks: - This spell can and will backfire if Mal tries to use it when exhausted. He can end up trapped in his own mental prison that could take weeks to break free from. - Even when he has enough energy, Mal will be out of commission for the next few days. He will enter a comatose state as his body tries to recover from the extent of the spell - He cannot use this magic in conjunction with other magic. The other magic will reject this spell and cause it to backfire as it could deem the spell dangerous to its host - His target needs to be sitting down and unable to move. Their eyes have to see both the red gem and Mal's eyes perfectly clearly and from up close. This usually means they need to be tied down and forced to look at Mal - This spell has serious strain on the mind of the user, sometimes forcing him to lose some of his memories, or make them incredibly fuzzy. For example: Mal cannot recall his parents names, faces, most of the rooms in his own house, or even what the city he lived in looked like after the two times he's used it. Other: Mal has one keepsake from his old life and he has been known to go mental without it (though you could argue that his constant talking with it could be described as mental). It is a stuffed red panda named Buster that is kept in a bag on his back at all times. He grabbed it on his leave from the university.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair While it seemed to Ugnis that everyone in the world was far too mature, far more grim than necessary, he found that mercenaries tended to be the darkest of all. But that Taskmage guy? He was like a really cynical flower, shooting out pessimistic pollen to make everyone cry and sneeze. Everyone knew about how bad the world was; there wouldn't be mercenaries everywhere if it were good. But to say that it's all bad is a vast overstatement, one that pissed off Ugnis to no extent. "That guy... why does he spend his time left in this 'doomed' world working for people that make it worse?" he thought to himself, tilting his head upwards towards what little of the sky showed through the canopy, burying his anger as he always did. "I'll invite him for tea the next time I see him." Talking couldn't change someone like that, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't give it a try. Ugnis sighed as he noticed the fatigued breaths. He stooped down and scooped up Mal, saying irritably, "How does someone get so tired that they can't stand from a short fight like that?" It was going to be a pain trying to find an inn, since Mal was half-asleep and... well, Ugnis wouldn't be able to find one in the first place. Sighing again, Ugnis plopped down beside Mal. "Anyways, my name's Ugnis C'zair. If you think you're awake enough to find an inn, I'll be fine with carrying you to it." It'd help if someone could direct them, but Ugnis didn't hear anyone nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The little Muzai quickly made her way over to her stars. The Crimson Streak and the Taskmage standing nearby and followed them purposelessly. Using her short height to her advantage to move through the natural lands easily to navigate her way along. "Heyy! Don't leave me behind! I wanna follow you!" She shouted the two. Seems like the two was dealing with something. All that Muzai could do at the moment was to stand by and watch, since she wasn't told to do anything yet anyway. How fun! Maybe she wanted to annoy them? Help them? Or maybe idolise them?? She doesn't know yet. All she knows is she wants in!</s>	<\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal gritted his teeth slowing his breath slightly as the shadows at the edge of his vision started to dissipate. He felt the man next to him lifting him back to a standing position, but his eyes were still focused on the back of the man as he walked away. His hand twitched at his side as he felt anger like magma melt through his veins. The next time the two of them met, Mal was going to put everything into destroying him. He could almost feel the red gem and dark chain in his pocket waiting for the next target, but Mal shook that thought away. The fate of his pendulum was for the worst of the worst. Simple death would be satisfactory for Patchy the Asshole. He patted at his bag. Assuring its position on his back acted as a security blanket for a second, briefly pacifying him as he glanced back at the blindfolded man - Ungis, with a toothy grin. "Well... It's been a long day. And when you have three different types of magic fighting for dominance of your body, one of which being nearly sentient, it tends to put a bit of a strain on you," Mal explained, "Anyway. If we turn left here, I think we can walk back the way we came and into the little townstead..." He stopped to catch his breath. The spirit inside him was still reacting quite violently to the power of the relic in the man's possession. It wasn't aggression, however. Actually, now that he had the time to stop and feel it out, it actually felt like fear. At least the nicest person in the group he had the pleasure of talking to now had his hands on it. Hopefully he did a good job protecting it. With a final glance back in the direction of the red woman and her clunky asshole lackey (who now had a mark on his back, according to Mal), he turned to Ungis once more. "Thanks a lot. I usually compensate better for my... endurance problems."</s>
<\|description\|>Megumi Takaki Appearance: Height: 5' 9" Weight: 133 lbs Hair Color: White Eye Color: Blue Age: 18 Personality: She usually tries to be friendly and kind to others whenever possible. However, she will quickly react with hostile force whenever she feels it is required. During battle, she maintains a sense of honor and often asks her opponent to surrender before delivering judgement. During business transactions she will act business-like, often doing what she can to gain the most profit out of it. Weapon: Cresent Moon: the katana Megumi wields. Forged by a now-deceased master swordsmith, the blade is very valuable and high quality. Abilities (Magic): * Electric current: infusing her blade with electricity, she delivers a strong electric shock to anyone who even just touches the blade. * Magnet movement: by creating a magnetic current at her feet, she can hover an inch or so off the ground and move much more quickly than she normally can. Also useful for moving over water. * Railgun: by sending an electric current into a small metal object and flicking it with her finger, she fires a high-velocity projectile. However, it has a short range and currently requires 2 hands to use, so it isn't used that often.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This World is Broken... "We seem to be lost again Atreides." The voice came from the rather short girl in red, eyes scanning around the thick forest for anything worth noting. The Imperium's issue the enigmatic Legend Relics had been issued at least three days ago counting today, and the duo had still found nothing in their search. Treasure hunting was always more productive with a team after all. And more fun. And so the two had made their way to Rivenwood, a respectable start for their journey for riches. Hey, if the world was broken, then why attempt to fix it? Why not salvage all that you could for a good payoff? The job was to be taken seriously, or at least, as serious as Sable could keep her partner. The Crimson Streak was not a girl of many expressions; it was this stoicness that often kept both their heads on in one piece. Now the former assassin was displaying her other facial feature: frowning. "Do you know where we're going?" she asked, avoiding a spare branch hanging down in her line of view. She fully readied herself for a sardonic reply. Atreides had his hands in his coat pockets, deliberately whistling some old tune of some sort or another, mostly to be annoying. It was off tone and off beat, only stopping when she finally asked her last question on if they had any idea where they were going. She was seriously asking him that, when this was mainly her idea to begin with? He didn't really waste much time responding in his own way, as she was wisely bracing for. Oh, it seems we are heading down a path that has to be clear to your own lowered view point, I thought that would be clear down there under the clouds?" Atreides had agreed to come along since he was almost always having to follow the Crimson Streak around, showing her things she usually seemed to miss on a regular basis, which he would make gleeful fun in mocking her for time and again. The pay was supposed to be good, although he doubted that it would be easy as just grabbing some piece of old junk and pawning it off as a relic. "Seriously, did you have any idea where we are going to look beyond some border town? I barely remember Rivenwood, and it was a pisshole. Great choice there, Crimson." The girl shrugged, seemingly unaffected by his taunts. She was used to his sarcasm, just as he was used to her lack of emotion on the matter or...well, anything at all. "Rivenwood is, out of the other choices, more manageable and easy to navigate. Rexicorg is an endless maze and Exilia is a graveyard. Judging from those specifics, this was the utmost ideal option," she said, dodging another low branch. "Besides, I hear that people of my stature are more connected to the earth, both in literal and spiritual terms." "Keep your dirt then, Crimson, I'll actually enjoy seeing where I'm going every now and again. And that's all fine and well. Still doesn't mean that Rivenwood is any less a pisshole." Atreides was mostly ignoring branches, his comically vast difference in height compared to Crimson meant that most of the branches she was evading he just broke his way through, and he had to duck every now and again to avoid a branch about as thick as one's forearm. It shouldn't have been much more walking until they reached Rivenwood, and as much of a pisshole as the place was, it was better then walking in the woods. "Come on Crimson, short and stubby legs or no, I know you can move faster then this." Hearing this, Sable frowned slightly, doing as she was told and picking up the pace. It wasn't like her walking faster was going to make much of a difference anyway. Besides, causing too much sound might attract uneeded attention- Snap. The sound of something breaking immediately caught her attention, and Sable glanced to the side. Something was with them in the forest, be it a traveler, creature, or fellow Mercenary. Whatever it be, they really didn't have time for it. "It seems we are not alone," she stated rather obviously and rather matter of factly. She lay in wait, ready to summon her weapons just in case. The snap made Atreides sigh quietly, resting a hand on his sword while Crimson spoke a rather obvious statement, not resisting the chance to respond in his own manner. "The sudden branch breaking didn't give that away at all, thanks Crimson." Dominant hand on his blade hilt, he had his off hand raised, debating what to use if something unpleasant came crashing through. Fire, no, trees burn. Rock was too slow, so he kept a quick incantation for a lightning strike in mind, in case whatever it was did not prove friendly to either of them. A New Story Begins...</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis walked quietly through the foggy woods, his arm held up in front of him, as he couldn't anything. Which was really not unexpected, considering the fact that he was blindfolded. Certainly, years of walking without seeing taught him to hear what was around him, but the trees didn't make much noise. "I suppose it'd be bad if I were lost in these woods at night," he thought to himself as he strode aimlessly in the already-fading light. His fear gradually disappeared when a stick broke underfoot and he heard two voices near. Ugnis gently pushed through the tangle of brush, his caution as weak as the thin vine he broke through. "Hello," he said, his voice calm and light-hearted in the otherwise bleak woods. "Do you know the way to Rivenwood? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." Though Ugnis could tell they were quite tense, simply ignoring them wouldn't put them at ease; they'd probably have struck him down if he didn't talk to them. "I suppose it's not wrong to hope that they know the way, either," he thought to himself after speaking.</s> <\|message\|>Rorick X. Vaile Rorick wheeled his way into the city. He had just spent quite a while travelling, and boy where his arms tired. He sighed as he came to a slow stop. People walking past often shot odd glances his away. The more brash pointed, the less whispered to others. But that wasn't too unusual. His chair drew attention in some places...Rorick rubbed her arms up and down, putting some warmth and forced relaxation into their worn muscles. Not really knowing where they were going they scanned the area as they did this. Not spotting any inn or holding house in the immediate area he made the decision to extend an olive branch. "Excuse me!" She called out to one of the nearest passer-by's, nearly making them drop their basket of bread. The woman gave a somewhat worried look to the chair-bound individual. After a few lingering seconds they managed to speak. "Y-yes?" Quite the linguist it seemed. "I'm very sorry to bother, but would you be able to point me to somewhere I may spend the night?" The boy spoke politely and softly, hoping not to make the woman any more off-put than she already was. "...Down that road there...Take a turn on the second right." After the departed knowledge and eternity long stare, she went off to whatever business she had before their exchange. Rorick thanked her, and sighed once more. A new town, a new adventure..."I suppose off I go." She began moving himself closer towards the supposed inn. Going down the given directions he found a small place, light filtered out of closed shutters and the faint voices could be heard inside. It seemed lively enough. Rorick strained his eyes to read the sign in the ever looming dark. "The Green-bog inn...charming." He commented to himself, before rolling in. Meeting some more odd stares, he managed to quiet things down a bit. He made i through the door and took a once over of the place. Faces, often of older men, were looking back at him. One table had a card game going on, they all seemed to wear similar outfits, perhaps collegues of some sort. Another table was a young woman with scrolls and a staff at her side, next to a man in a robe and masked face. Interesting place for a meeting of minds..."A night in any open room please." Rorick stated once he rolled up to the counter. The tall and bearded man with sunken in eyes behind the counter gave him a stoic up and down, then nodded and took the coins placed in front of him. Getting a key he thanked the man and looked to where he was pointed. A narrow yet long set of stairs presented themselves, making the only path up to the rooms. It seemed the bottom floor was all used to for the common rooms. "I...suppose a drink wouldn't hurt." He added another coin to the pay, and sidled up against a table. The night was unfortunately, still young...</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s>	<\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s>
<\|description\|>Megumi Takaki Appearance: Height: 5' 9" Weight: 133 lbs Hair Color: White Eye Color: Blue Age: 18 Personality: She usually tries to be friendly and kind to others whenever possible. However, she will quickly react with hostile force whenever she feels it is required. During battle, she maintains a sense of honor and often asks her opponent to surrender before delivering judgement. During business transactions she will act business-like, often doing what she can to gain the most profit out of it. Weapon: Cresent Moon: the katana Megumi wields. Forged by a now-deceased master swordsmith, the blade is very valuable and high quality. Abilities (Magic): * Electric current: infusing her blade with electricity, she delivers a strong electric shock to anyone who even just touches the blade. * Magnet movement: by creating a magnetic current at her feet, she can hover an inch or so off the ground and move much more quickly than she normally can. Also useful for moving over water. * Railgun: by sending an electric current into a small metal object and flicking it with her finger, she fires a high-velocity projectile. However, it has a short range and currently requires 2 hands to use, so it isn't used that often.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s>	<\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s>	<\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned. He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways. The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem. Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago! If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable saw the hooded boy lashing out with a chain and reacted appropriately. Gripping one of her knives, she hurled it downwards to intercept the attack, deflecting the blow. Now that the air was clear, she focused her descent on snatching the Relic. The Crimson Streak could see it clearly now, reaching out for the treasure… "There are no do overs." What? Caught off guard, Sable instinctive flashed her knife out, slashing once at nothing but thin air. The blade of her dagger clanked against the Relic, sending it flying towards the man with the blindfold. Landing on the ground, she wondered immediately why her legs weren't running after it. That voice…it took her a second to realize that it was coming from her head. Or rather, it came from her head, as now she heard nothing but the sounds of the external world. How odd. It had sounded…taunting. Sable frowned, interest in the green Relic gone for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Want…..Her….." The voice called out again, except this time in the presence of Yem. It called out, yearning for the boy to find it, to seek it out. Then all things would be aligned once more. The voice seemed to be coming from one of the many cavernous ruins. A faint purple glow reflected off of the walls.</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Yem looked at the light shining from within the ruins and frowned. He had of course heard about the purple relic as well, and he acknowledged that whatever was in there could be it, but seeking it out now was too risky. He was wounded and had spent his strength fighting the Drider. Using the amulet had saved him, but there were too many unknown factors in using it again while he was in this weakened state. It could also be another trap, or something completely different trying to lure him into its cavern. He would definetly return here later, as he could easily find his way back, but now was not the time. For now he would rest and heal and divine as much as he could about the relic currently in his possession. He turned away from the light and, supported by his spear, began limping away through the night. He reckoned he could retrace his steps to that old tavern at the crossroads by dawn if he kept up the pace.</s>
<\|description\|>Yem Yem in his transformed shape Age 205 Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face. Height: 196cm Weight: 80kg Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Green History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least. Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry. Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger. Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts: * Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age. * Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked. * Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Grace period? Ah, I'm still going to end up following you anyways. Besides! I'm great at healing wounds! Here, let's see, how about your friend over there that's wobbling a bit? Actually, that might scare him...Oh well. I'll just wait until later..." A cross of the arms and the separated orbs all converged back into a single one that performed a light rotation above her head as she listened to the lot speak. ...Sable? A woman without magic taking on a dragon? Sounded like a death wish in the making to her. But, might as well get to work if she wanted to try and stay close to this newfound interest of hers. And with that in mind, she clapped her hands together and held her hand up for the sake of drawing the red woman's attention. "Miss Sable! Are you injured anywhere in particular? Or your friends of varying eccentric backgrounds? Also, is that your kid? I don't think I've ever seen someone try to eat a dragon before...I wonder if it tastes okay..."</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s>	<\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s>
<\|description\|>Chi Muzai Appearance: Height: 4 ft. 3 in. Weight: 103 lbs. Hair Color: Ruby Red Eye Color: Rose Red Age: 20 Personality: Muzai may seem to look and feel as if she doesn't care about what's happening around her but in truth, she was just quiet and innocent, almost oblivious than emotionless. Weapons: Abilities (Magic): She possesses a unique ability to manipulate the natural world through Eco Kinesis. Normally, this only restricts her to use with plants and greens only. The extent of her Eco Kinesis stretches to other natural entities such as sand, rock, wood and ice. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis walked quietly through the foggy woods, his arm held up in front of him, as he couldn't anything. Which was really not unexpected, considering the fact that he was blindfolded. Certainly, years of walking without seeing taught him to hear what was around him, but the trees didn't make much noise. "I suppose it'd be bad if I were lost in these woods at night," he thought to himself as he strode aimlessly in the already-fading light. His fear gradually disappeared when a stick broke underfoot and he heard two voices near. Ugnis gently pushed through the tangle of brush, his caution as weak as the thin vine he broke through. "Hello," he said, his voice calm and light-hearted in the otherwise bleak woods. "Do you know the way to Rivenwood? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." Though Ugnis could tell they were quite tense, simply ignoring them wouldn't put them at ease; they'd probably have struck him down if he didn't talk to them. "I suppose it's not wrong to hope that they know the way, either," he thought to himself after speaking.</s> <\|message\|>Rorick X. Vaile Rorick wheeled his way into the city. He had just spent quite a while travelling, and boy where his arms tired. He sighed as he came to a slow stop. People walking past often shot odd glances his away. The more brash pointed, the less whispered to others. But that wasn't too unusual. His chair drew attention in some places...Rorick rubbed her arms up and down, putting some warmth and forced relaxation into their worn muscles. Not really knowing where they were going they scanned the area as they did this. Not spotting any inn or holding house in the immediate area he made the decision to extend an olive branch. "Excuse me!" She called out to one of the nearest passer-by's, nearly making them drop their basket of bread. The woman gave a somewhat worried look to the chair-bound individual. After a few lingering seconds they managed to speak. "Y-yes?" Quite the linguist it seemed. "I'm very sorry to bother, but would you be able to point me to somewhere I may spend the night?" The boy spoke politely and softly, hoping not to make the woman any more off-put than she already was. "...Down that road there...Take a turn on the second right." After the departed knowledge and eternity long stare, she went off to whatever business she had before their exchange. Rorick thanked her, and sighed once more. A new town, a new adventure..."I suppose off I go." She began moving himself closer towards the supposed inn. Going down the given directions he found a small place, light filtered out of closed shutters and the faint voices could be heard inside. It seemed lively enough. Rorick strained his eyes to read the sign in the ever looming dark. "The Green-bog inn...charming." He commented to himself, before rolling in. Meeting some more odd stares, he managed to quiet things down a bit. He made i through the door and took a once over of the place. Faces, often of older men, were looking back at him. One table had a card game going on, they all seemed to wear similar outfits, perhaps collegues of some sort. Another table was a young woman with scrolls and a staff at her side, next to a man in a robe and masked face. Interesting place for a meeting of minds..."A night in any open room please." Rorick stated once he rolled up to the counter. The tall and bearded man with sunken in eyes behind the counter gave him a stoic up and down, then nodded and took the coins placed in front of him. Getting a key he thanked the man and looked to where he was pointed. A narrow yet long set of stairs presented themselves, making the only path up to the rooms. It seemed the bottom floor was all used to for the common rooms. "I...suppose a drink wouldn't hurt." He added another coin to the pay, and sidled up against a table. The night was unfortunately, still young...</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s>	<\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s>
<\|description\|>Chi Muzai Appearance: Height: 4 ft. 3 in. Weight: 103 lbs. Hair Color: Ruby Red Eye Color: Rose Red Age: 20 Personality: Muzai may seem to look and feel as if she doesn't care about what's happening around her but in truth, she was just quiet and innocent, almost oblivious than emotionless. Weapons: Abilities (Magic): She possesses a unique ability to manipulate the natural world through Eco Kinesis. Normally, this only restricts her to use with plants and greens only. The extent of her Eco Kinesis stretches to other natural entities such as sand, rock, wood and ice. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s>	<\|message\|>Chi Muzai The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems! Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her. Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.</s>
<\|description\|>Vance Appearance: Sort of like this Height: 6' Weight: 175 Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Emerald Green Age: 22 History: Not much is known about Vance, as he rarely speaks of his past, let alone speak at all. Hailing from the furthest reaches of the Imperium, the masked mercenary seems to march on to his own beat. His work as a mercenary allows him to support his nomadic lifestyle, as there is always work no matter where he is in the Imperium. Upon hearing of these Relics, Vance felt himself drawn to their pursuit. He is yet unsure why, be it for profit or glory, but something in him screams to be among those to uncover them. Personality: Very peaceful and laid back, but can became hostile at a moments notice. Caring and compassionate, but only to those he deems deserving. Weapons: Reinforced Bow, Katana, and two knives that are balanced for throwing. - The Katana has a "Lich" enchantment, which absorbs the energy of any living thing it cuts into and transfers it to Vance. This of course means it has no effect on undead or golem kind of beings. Also, Vance must be holding the blade for the energy to actually transfer, as the sword doesn't hold the energy. Abilities (Magic): Mist Fold – Can make himself camouflaged with his surroundings for as long as he remains still. Also has a time limit, as it drains his stamina rather than just magic energy. Mistwalker – Leaves a decoy of himself that evaporates the moment it's struck. Usually used in conjuction with Mist Fold. Not permanent, only lasts for fifteen seconds at most. Piercing Bloom - Allows him to pour energy into his ranged attacks (arrow or throwing knife) that causes the projectile to cause an explosion of energy on impact. Not used often, as each shot/throw takes a heavy toll on his stamina and magical energy. Can manage 2 - 3 blasts, but any more will knock him unconscious. Mainly used as a last resort or if a target requires a little extra "oomf" for the kill. Other: Rarely takes his mask off, but the portion covering his eyes folds in the mouth portion, revealing his emerald green eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Perched atop a tree branch, Mal's vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn't quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. "Hey!!" Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an' all, and you usually wouldn't find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here."</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn't know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn't really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. "You are in Rivenwood sir." Next, the boy with the hood on. "I'm sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you're talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice." Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? "Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers." Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn't going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. "It seems we're not alone in our search," she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn't been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her "The Crimson Streak" or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. "Oh, you're looking for flowers…" he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, "Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils." He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal's fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.</s> <\|message\|>Yem As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.</s>	<\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Vance Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak This time it was Sable's turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner's arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… "RE-Arch," Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature's mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast's ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn't the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. "Atreides." The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear's left eye. A Legend Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun's departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn't take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's grin grew only wider at the man's response, "Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…" He didn't have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn't looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal's eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl's side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren't planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. "Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won't be wrong about myself." His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. "Snakes… Arise." He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. "Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can." With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her. "Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-" She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage. Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then. When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth. The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure. With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well. With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill. Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides caught the tail end of the squabble and action going on between the various people. Sable seemed to be doing rather well by herself so far, then something happened. Something distracted her, he knew Meat well enough to know when that happened, and her next throw sent the relic hurtling off towards a blind man. Great, unknowns, of everyone here, he knew that blind was NOT defenseless. The man declaring it would be his and his alone didn't help, and his comment was not nearly as pleasant as everyone else so far, speaking from experience. "Or we take a relic of mysterious capacities, considering what it damn well did to that bastard of a bear, and get rid of it before it starts causing problems here? Turn a profit along the way as well, split it since you have custody. Everyone of us gets a cut and walks away a bit richer." Atreides glanced at Sable briefly, she knew the expression on his face. It was one of that they would talk over what happened. Later. But for now he returned his focus onto the kid and blind man, arms crossed like he was not going to be of any threat what so ever. His motions coming out here were precise and controlled, seeming to have moved in a small circle for no apparent reason, for those who were paying attention. Most probably missed his small oddity in his motions coming out to speak to the two younger folks. He didn't relish the thought of splitting the pay, but some money was better than none, so he awaited their responses, and keeping the corner of his vision on Sable just in case. He did make one last question, making sure they knew he expected an answer. "How about it kids? Relics tend to contaminate their surroundings or bearers when improperly built, and looking at the bear's remains, that damn thing leaks magic everywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's smile was softer than normal as he took the hand of the blindfolded man and hauled himself up to his feet. He barely managed to keep from stumbling into the man as exhaustion tried to weigh him down. Even at this distance he could feel the magic energy buzzing off his skin. He could feel the spirit inside him strain against his skin as if prepared to lash out at the object. "Thanks..." He chuckled, "and the name's Mal Tersva. Pleasure..." He struggled to keep his balance. The chains went from something bearable to the weight of the world as his legs shook. He was a legitimate glass cannon - he knew that. And the spirit sapped a lot from him too. His eyelids felt like falling down on him, which he really wish they didn't - Because with Eye-patch's last comment, Mal desperately wanted to drive one of his snakes through the man's throat. Still using Blindfold as support, he stepped towards the eye-patch guy, "Oh, because the people you're selling it to will just lock it away, right? Or are you apathetic to the rest of the world's plight? The 13 might've stopped the Shattering but this world is still in shambles, and I doubt some selfish ruler is gonna make it better..." And with his monologue, Mal fell to his knees, his breathing heavy as dark spots gathered at the edges of his vision. Damn it... don't pass out now! he thought as he held onto consciousness with heavy breathing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Chaotic neutral? No, I think I'm rather more in line with the true neutral variety, don't you think?" the Jester pondered. He appeared completely unfazed by Mal's worded threats or the growing dark energy around him. Before the Demon Prince could do anything, the masked man reached a hand out and held his palm before the boy's face. Then it curled into a pointed finger and he aimed at the boy's forehead. "You loathe me, yet I can give you purpose. Burn this moment into your memory Mal Tervsa. Rejoice for this grand shift in your story. Remember...Zyax….o…..mort." The Masked Jester pulled back, apparently satisfied by his actions. Stepping back, the Jester's body began to fade away into nothingness, leaving all traces of his presence and existence. "Farewell for now Mal Tervsa. It was….interesting chatting with you." And then he was gone. "Fuck off green prick!" There it was again. Except this time, the voice was more harsh, hatred and vulgarity spilling from its depths. Sable blinked, eyes shifting around to make sense of the voice as she fell to the earth with the dragon in tow. That's when she noticed a chained whip heading straight for her. Twirling her blade, she deflected the blow and leaped away from the dragon. As she clung onto the nearest tree, the sound of the forest crunching was heard, the dragon's body having completed its plummet. Regardless of Sable's failed fatal blow, the impact of the crash was enough to send the dragon into shock, earning it a quick death. Swinging from the tree branch, the Crimson Streak landed on the ground and observed the massive corpse. "Target eliminated," she told herself, already moving to regroup with the others. The first person her eyes caught sight of was a…very eccentric girl. The one with the floating orbs…what was with all these eccentric youngsters? Hearing her question, Sable cleared her throat before answering robotically with, "That will not be necessary. We are quite capable of traveling alone. However, if you really must, we will give you a one day grace period before ignoring your presence entirely. That is all, and apologies." With that said, she headed over to stand by her partner, who was speaking with the undead soldier. The assassin waited for Atreides to answer the being's questions, though she noted how the fallen knight kept directing its gaze at her. The voice from before, however, still played heavily on her mind. Twice now, it had interfered, whatever it was. The green Relic would hear it, unbeknownst to Ugnis, and instantly recoil back with recognition. Compared to the all too familiar voice, the green Relic's blood lusted nature was but a flickering flame to an inferno… The sinner had spoken.</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina watched as the red blur of a fighter slew the dragon and made her way back to the crowd. The fighting was over. The hunt was complete. She finally hopped down from the tree she watched from and walked towards the giant lizard which crashed not too far from the crowd. She turned and faced the crowd as soon as she was a few feet from the massive thing. "This thing is huge! That was a great hunt! I saw the whole thing!" She glanced back at the dead dragon. "What is this lizard? Are you guys going to eat it? Can you eat it? I could have thought of easier things to hunt! Wait, was this a test of strength? What are you going to do now? What are your names? I'm Katarina by the way!" She then climbed up the giant lizard with ease. "Wow! This thing is huge! When do we start cooking? We can't let any of this go to waste!" She hadn't actually had anything to eat yet, so she was really eager to dig into this new beastie and see how it tasted. She pulled a carving knife from her backpack and started to cut into the body of the dragon. The scales really made things difficult so she put a bit more umph into removing them first. All this time she payed attention to what was going on in the crowd of strangers. She remembered Mommy telling her about being careful around people, because not all of them are nice like she and Daddy were.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Zyax…o…mort? Mal snarled as the man began to dissipate, and with him went the anger of his inner spirit. Once the masked man was gone, Mal twisted around to see a forest torn by carnage, and the smoking carcass of an emerald beast. His hand grasped at the strap around his shoulder, holding the bag firmly in his gloved hands as he peeked into the distance. The crowd had increased in size from before his conversation. He could see that much based on the group that had surrounded that red girl. As for Ugnis, he appeared to have dashed off, screaming bloody murder as he went. The relic's energy still wavered on the air, but it wasn't enough to afflict Mal's magic in any way, shape, or form. Zyaxomort. And what had the man been saying about his "shift" in the story? The way he talked sounded almost like a deity out of a myth. He held onto that word though, and the man's shifty eyes. Had Mal been quick to judge the Jester of the Court? Exactly what court was he playing for if he called himself a true neutral? Either way, Mal was getting his second wind. He had enough energy to get out of that situation and recuperate, at least. With a tug at the straps of his bag, he turned towards the road that led back to the Rivenwood town. From there, he needed to find a library, or somewhat relatively intelligent. Zyaxomort. Zyax O'Mort? Zyax O. Mort? Zyaxo Mort? The collection of sounds didn't sound like the common dialect, but it stuck in his brain like a jagged thorn. He needed to find out the meaning of it all. So, clutching at his bleeding shoulder with one hand, he grabbed a stick from the ground as support and limped down the road. He glanced back one last time to the group. There was one relic there, as well as a man on whom Mal personally placed his mark. His signature grin broke wide again, "Well Buster, today has been quite unique. Unfortunately, I lack the energy to deal with any threats at the moment… I guess we dive in deeper tomorrow… once I've recovered." He adjusted his hood by lifting his hand away from his shoulder. The dark hood was starting to stain darker red as he stumbled down the road at a slow, but consistent pace.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s> <\|message\|>Yem Time had passed, and Yem had made it to the inn. He was currently lying down on a straw mattress, thinking. He was in possession of a legendary old relic. By all means, he was now a rich man, should he decide to deliver the relic to the authorities. But Yem had little trust in said authorities, and craved no riches. He craved knowledge and power, and something told him the relics held both. He would have to learn to somehow decipher them to obtain it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he was looking at his amulet and thinking about the strange experience he'd had earlier that day. Someone had been in his body, making it move, using sorcery that Yem himself had no knowledge of whatsoever. That someone could still be in his body, Yem had to admit, but he thought it more likely that it was linked to the amulet. He wanted to communicate with it, speak with it, learn from it, but he was unsure how to do so. Letting it take over had come so naturally for him before, and he was sure he'd be able to do it again, but he couldn't for his life remember how he'd done it now that he was out of the moment. It was probably more of the relics doing than his own. He pondered some more, and then decided to just try something. Experiment. He held the black stone to his chest. Who are you?, he thought, And why are you in the stone? There was no answer. Who are you?, Yem asked again. He wasn't giving up that easy, Tell me who you are! Still no answer. Yem frowned. Can you even hear me, or am I making a fool of myself? Not a sound. Perhaps if he approached it differe- I can hear you, though whether you're a fool or not I'll leave to future judgement, a voice in his mind suddenly said. Yem was startled but quickly regained his calm. He collected his thoughts and emptied his mind; whoever it was could hear his thoughts. Best not give too much away. Why didn't you answer me before? I've been asking your name. Because you were rude. One doesn't ask for names before giving ones own. It's common courtesy, really. I see. In that case, I'm Yem. Yem. What an odd name. So I've heard. Will you not give me yours now that I've given mine? I never said I would. Yem smiled. Tricky. He liked that. That's rather rude of you, don't you think? Perhaps. But I've never claimed that I'm not. He could see that he wouldn't get anything else out of the entity living in the relic tonight, so he decided to retreat for now and return later when he was better prepared. Ah, I see. This has been illuminating, but I fear I must rest now. We will talk more later. If you say so, Yem. If you say so. He put the relic down beside him and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. Hopefully, it couldn't read his mind if he separated himself from it like that. He would have to think of a strategy to get the truth from the being in the amulet.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides listened with surprising patience as the cursed soldier worked his way through his fractured mind and manner of speech, eventually giving forth the name of Gilligan. Well, that was better than Cursed one, although that would no doubt suffice in a pinch. The being proceeded to mention accompanying Sable and himself, and the matter was not up for debate. Well, that meant they had an undead and near indistructeable, from the showing he gave with the dragon, soldier following them around that could not speak very well. This would make visits to town far more entertaining, he thought with a mental sigh. Well, that did mean things would be easier in sheer violence situations, although why the cursed one insisted on the matter was a mystery to the Taskmage. Depending on how fractured the being was, Gilligan might very well see the past in them and be clinging to it. Or he was very perfectly all there and was putting on a show. He couldn't confirm that either way right now, and for now, it wasn't worth the pain. "Well, Sir Gilligan, I won't tell you where to go or who to go with, so by all means, let's get the ladies and get moving." Atreides turned towards Sable, seeing she already had a little gang of her own and snickered, a sound that she would be familiar with as a prelude to some sort of mockery or ribbing that was about to drop. Approaching the woman, whether cursed soldier was in tow or not, he crossed his arms with a sardonic smirk on his face. "Look at you Meat, got yourself a little girl's night out club and everything already. No more babysitting for me, it seems. On a serious note, its late, we need to find someplace to put up for the night. Town sound good?"</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon It tastes so delicious dont you think? N'kara took another bite out of the meat she had in her hand. The meat was still fresh and tender, exactly the way she liked it. You're in my head arent you? You surely know wether I like it or not, dont you? She could hear the voice in her head laughing. Ofcourse I do and I know you love it. Just wanted to hear you say it.. N'kara was walking on a path through the forest towards the town of Rivenwood to find an inn to rest for the night. She wasnt planning on staying for long as she had other business elsewhere. N'kara took another bite out of the meat as she walked on. Fine, I like it, happy now or are you going to ask me again the next time I eat it? The voice let out a snicker. What do you think? N'kara let out a sigh. I was afraid you would say that... Just as she finished her sentence she heard the trampling of hooves, it didnt matter to her so she continued on her path, her cloak blowing in the light breeze. As the sound got closer there was also the sound of plate armour clanging against itself. Behind her was a horseman aproaching, he bore the banner of some Imperial priesthood. The man, who was of a small stature, hailed N'kara. "Hail traveller. Could you aid me in something?" N'kara covered her face with her hood as she stopped and took another bite of her meat, tearing a piece violently off before she grinned. That depends on what you require of me. The man responded with a hint of amazement: "You're a woman!?" Ooh boy... Wrong choice of words. The man quickly readjusted his speech. "I'm sorry, judging by your stature I assumed you were... ooh nevermind. Anyhow, am the bodyguard of a priest but I euhm... Lost him when he was "blessing" a young woman not far from here." And you want to know if I've seen him? she responded with a grin on her face. "Indeed madam, have you?" That depends...She turned around and faced the man, even though he was sitting on horseback they met eye to eye. When the man saw her face he turned pale in an instant. What he saw was something which was reminicent of the ghost stories he was told as a child. The woman infront of him had pitchblack eyes save for the near white iris and the pupil was very narrow and long. Her mouth was filled with teeth which seemed to come from a wolf and her face was covered in blood. She slowly turned her hand in which she held her food around to him and what he saw shocked him to his core. ...Is this the man you are looking for? The horribly mutalated head of the priest was resting in her hand. "Demonspawn!" the man shouted. Before he could do anything else however his horse was already dead. N'kara took one swing at the animal's head and fractured it's skull. With this the horse fell and the man became stuck under it. He was desperatly trying to get the horse off but he had no succes. N'kara on the other hand was taking her time as she walked over to him and eventually towered over the man. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Please, I have a family! They will die without me!" N'kara bend down next to the man. Ooh well that changes thing. She took one last bite out of the priest's head, ripping away the final piece of flesh. Blood fell on the man as he was crying out to her. "Please, dont let me die like this!" N'kara threw away the head and responded. Well... Alright, because you asked so nicely. With little effort she pushed the carcas of the horse away. The man couldnt believe it, she had been so close to killing him and now she was helping him? Surely the gods were- Before he could finish his train of thought he had a hand around his troat and it lifted him up in the air, slowly chocking the life out of him. You were right, I could let you die like that. I would much rather do it like this. She grinned widly, baring her teeth. At this point the man was starting to wet himself, thinking that his was the end for him... How wrong he was. 15 minutes later N'kara was continuing her path towards Rivenwood, hoping to be able to get a warm bed and meal. A soft moan was still audible and N'kara smiled, she had her fun for the day. As she was walking away the man was still alive... His hands and feet were impaled into a tree nearby and his entire body had runes carved into him. Another fitting sacrifise to the gods my dear. N'kara smiled. Indeed... Now lets hope that Rivenwood can provide us with some more entertainment then he could. Her bloodlust was tamed and with the totem in honour of the dark gods left in behind her she walked on to Rivenwood.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had eventually made his way back to town, alone for the time being. He avoided contact with the last few Imperial troops roaming about, still sniffing for further relics or hints towards those relics. The Taskmage really didn't feel like dealing with those mindless goons right now, so he skulked in the shadows until they left, sighing quietly as he walked down the empty streets. He wasn't tired, granted he slept little and ate less most days, but that was nothing unusual for him, not anymore. People commented on it, usually, but he shrugged them off for the most part. He still functioned normally, he just had to crash every once in a blue moon to catch up on what he missed. But he had to figure out the next general location for the next relic, Sable usually relied on him in that regard, if any others even existed. He had a knack for figuring out the right place and right time to pick out relics and their locations. The Taskmage headed for the seediest part of the town, he knew some people there that would be able to help him out. They would probably not be happy he was back in town, one of them might be dumb enough to draw on him, but that would be the blood he needed to intimidate the rest into cooperating, no doubt. He had no qualms doing so, as long as he got the information he needed, that would be that. He walked into a bar that only thieves, murderers, other equally dangerous sorts, and fools would walk into and began putting out feelers with the few night walkers that were there, digging around for information. The barkeep knew him and what he did well enough to not try and stop him, but several beatings tended to loosen tongues, and as he picked up the pieces of a table and set them aside, he was mulling over what he knew so far. Atreides wasted no time heading for the tavern that Sable was staying at, walking through the front doors like a shadow more than anything else, sitting himself in a corner of the main common room, eventually coming to have a drink in hand as he kept his peace, and someone who knew the man would recognize that he was guarding the only way up to the bedrooms, where Sable was asleep. He couldn't stop people trying for the windows, sure, but he trusted the woman was smart enough to take care of herself in that regard. He could keep an eye on the main way upstairs, she could handle herself in her own quarters.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" It was always so weird jumping into the middle of a story. Both figuratively and literally, in Exo's case, as she juggled two of her orbs at the side until the time came that she reached the town with the "protagonists" of her interests. It was an unfortunate event, indeed! When one jumped in the middle, they had almost no idea as to what went on or how things worked or anything in between and that in itself could be a poor existence. She was inclined to ask about what the lot of them were up to but- Well. Wouldn't you be cranky if you fought off a big green lizard with a penchant to act like a bull? So she remained quiet for the time being and had actually taken the time to politely ask the owner of the inn if she could stay on top of the roof before she came down to pay for a room. Perhaps it was a question that wasn't asked commonly, because the dumbfounded look on his face followed with a slow nod before she clapped her hands in delight and made a little staircase out of her orbs from the back of the building to get up there and settle down. Nighttime was always a time to look up at the stars and see how the shining lights connected -- especially for an adolescent so enamored with lasers and shining spells of varying degrees. She even played a small game of connecting the lines with tiny lights that patterned through her orbs, laying on her back to make it "fit" visually before the night finally got to her and she settled her way downstairs to pay for a room and get her ass to sleep. Well. As much sleep as someone like her could manage with this incessant question bothering her. And that is why she almost pounced on Sable the moment she saw the woman awake. "Miss Protagonist! I never got permission to use your name or the chance to ask why you guys were out fighting a dragon in the first place. Is it something confidential or could I be clued in?~ And good morning! I hope you slept well."</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara yawns as she wakes up, the bed creaking as she turns from one side to another. Well, she reached Rivenwood... Now what? Last night was not really that special. As soon as she entered into town she saw alot of Imperial soldiers patrolling around. Not sure to what their intentions were she hid herself under her cloak, covered her mouth with a scarf and went to the nearest inn as she could find. Once in there she asked the innkeeper for a room for one person. She also asked him if he could bring some food up to her room later. The innkeeper was suprised and said that she was his second guest to ask that today. Not caring about that statement, N'kara went straight up to the room. Now it was already morning and she was looking up the ceiling, lost in thought. Good morning, you didnt sleep that well, did you? Is something troubling you? A smile formed on her lips. Indeed... You always see right through me dont you? Now then, since you know everything, why do I feel like this? It chuckled in response. Well, your thoughts are not a secret for me so I guess you could say so. And I know what you're missing. You feel like you dont have a purpose anymore. N'kara let out a loud sigh. That was indeed what she was lacking, nothing drove her anymore. But somehow she had a feeling that in Rivenwood she would find her true purpose. Be it that the gods had something in store for her or just by pure chance, she knew that there was a reason which drove her to Rivenwood. Well, I guess you should get dressed if you want to find out what you're doing here. N'kara smiled as she sat up straight and put her chainmail on. Once she got down stairs and paid the innkeeper for his services N'kara spotted a boy who seemed very eager to get out of town. Although she did not know why, she had the feeling that this boy might be important, or atleast usefull, in finding out what she was supposed to do here. She proceeded to follow the boy and as she did he bumped into someone at the town square. A girl full clad in red. He seemed to act as if he knew the girl but his pose seemed aggressive. It didnt really seem like the girl was interested in him, she didnt even seem annoyed by him. That boy... He reaks of bloodlust. If you want to find out what you're here for you better stop him from doing something stupid before the guards get involved. A grin formed under the scarf which covered her mouth. Although the prospect of killing excited her she was more concerned that this might be her last chance at knowning what her true purpose was. Slowly she walked over to the pair, noticing that there were others interested in the two of them as she closed in. The boy was overconfident, if he were to start a fight he would have to face atleast three people; the girl in red and two others. He would surely lose, but then again, he was hiding some dark power. The best way to make sure that it wouldnt result in a slaughter would be to... No... What are you doing... Ooh damn it all. As N'kara got closer she could hear them speak. And then to make sure that they wouldnt attack eachother she decided to give the boy something else to think about. Oi, whelp! Get you're arse out of my way! As she finished her sentence she tried to push the boy with her shoulder. And here I thought you would do something sensible for once. Instead you try to avoid a fight by starting one. Perhaps this wasnt the person who would help her with her serious matters... That didnt mean she couldnt get abit of fun out of him though. Unfortunatly N'kara didnt look where she was walking and stumbled. Now she accidentily tackled the boy... This just keeps getting worse, doesnt it?</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked. She had not been expecting this sort of activity to take place so early in the morning. She had slipped by Atreides back at the inn, figuring he still had his own thoughts to contend with. Now she stood in the center of the village…only to be approached by the rather rude fellow from yesterday. Sable scanned Mal up and down with a blank gaze. "We are in search for the other Relics," she answered honestly and methodically. "Therefore, there is no need to rush towards our next location. At most, I can guess the Imperium soldiers from last night were looking for them too. That means-oh." The Crimson Streak was interrupted by the girl with the floating balls; the rather eccentric one who spewed around literary titles everywhere. Sable gave her a small nod of greeting. "Good morning Exo. To answer your questions in sequential order: My name is Sable, though people tend to call me the Crimson Streak. The dragon attacked us out of pure instinct I imagine. I hope that sates your curiosity." And then, lo and behold, someone new showed up, promptly tackling Mal to the ground without reason or care. Watching the boy fall, Sable moved in to the new woman and did the polite thing. "Hello." Something was wrong. Sable could sense an unnerving aura surrounding the newcomer, though she couldn't place what it was nor did she comment on it aloud. She would have to ask Atreides to study her if possible. He was, after all, much more adept at seeing these kinds of things she was. "Please do not start fights," she told to both Mal and the newcomer. "The townsfolk are watching." Indeed, the citizens were watching, having gathered around outside their homes to witness the gathering of strange people. Some of them whispered among themselves, casting suspicious glances their way. "Mercenaries," one of them, an elderly man, spat. "No good comes from their kind. Especially with those accursed Relics popping up everywhere. First them, now the whole damn Imperium breathing down our backs…"</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides eventually strolled out of the tavern, having kept an eye on the comings, goings, and gossip for awhile, leaving payment for his drinks and time spent there, and unlike so many of the usual mercenaries and sort coming through the town, the Taskmage was one who was usually tolerated more than others, due to his beneficial nature alongside hte profit of having them paying to stay and resupply in such places. But as he walked out of the establishment and skirted down the sides of the road, he noticed something that made the man sigh. That punk ass with the shadow chains was getting in Sable's face, and to make matters worse, some barbarian that reeked of the Old Gods had went and tackled him, which would no doubt start some fight that would destroy far too much property to ever be welcome again. And would bring Sable into the line of fire, which simply would not do. But he couldn't just blast both into oblivion, god knows what the woman would do if she died with that stinking aura of the Old Gods, and punk ass probably had something nasty up his sleeves too. "What in the blazing fucks are you two damn clowns doing? Making some big stinking scene in the road, let me address both of you. One, lady, really need to ditch that Old God thing you got going, you reek of it, from a mile away. Secondly, if you need male attention that badly, tackling strangers in the road ain't the easiest way to go about it. As for you, punk, getting up in a ladies face, rude and uncalled for. No one sees you big and tough getting in her face like that. Especially considering she cold filet you and string you up to dry before any of us blinked. Secondly, none of your damn business what other folks are doing or why, savvy? Try being polite and not barging into another persons business, aye?" Atreides was giving his speech all as a front, walking in a circle around the group, his movements seperating Sable from the tackled pair of fools, and outside the circle in the dirt that eventually was formed as he finished speaking, standing beside Meat with his arms crossed and a very, very dissaproving look on his face. The two idiots try something, that circle was one of his dirty tricks, it formed a barrier that nothing gets in or out of, so any damage would be contained and prevent harm to the surroundings. Second, if either of them came after himself or Sable, same deal, and he would leave them to either figure out how to get out, or starve in the street. He didn't take kindly to these sort, especially the kid who was so damn determined to not come across as some weak ass punk. No one cared, Atreides certainly didn't, about what the kid thought he had to prove. The Taskmage had been there, done that, and all he got was a lousy shirt from the whole mess. Let the kid try something stupid, either of them, Atreides had some energy to burn for once.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexander Atreides Height: 6'4" Weight: 211lbs Hair Color: Dull Brown Eye Color: Left Eye: Green Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing Age: 37 Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself. Weapons: +Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind. +Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking. Abilities (Magic): Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training. Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect. Current Known Rituals: Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade) +Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment) +Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks) +Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch) Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements) Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.) Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable's eyes narrowed into slits. Quick on her feet, she pounced on Exo to bring her to the ground. Moments later, the area above became filled with flying blades conjured out of dark energy. Sable checked to make sure Exo was alright before slowly standing up. The destruction at hand was evident. Although Mal and the newcomer were still trapped in the circle, the blades were free to do as they pleased. They scattered everywhere, landing into the nearest buildings and sailing into the gathered crowds of people. Screams tore out as the citizens panicked and fled, some even becoming impaled by the summoned weapons. A small price to pay for Mal's lack of control. Soon enough, the attack halted and the deed was done. Several of the buildings lay in scattered ruins, with the injured, dead, and scared surrounding the small group. One of the citizens, a short man with a very, very red face stormed up to Atreides and frowned. He seemed to be the leader of this village. "Taskmage. I'm asking you and this group to leave this town immediately. I know we've done business with each other in the past, but lives have been lost today. I take it you hold responsibility for that one?" The man cast a sour glance at Mal. "For all of our sakes…I don't want to use force on you." "Do no let them escape village leader. Let the heretics stay to face their judgment." Sable tensed, drawing her blades up at once with RE-Arch. That voice was cold and metallic, echoing around them. Turning around with everyone else, her eyes caught sight of an armored warrior in white and blue. Resting on their shoulders was what appeared to be a massive cannon matching the color scheme of the knight, crackling with magical energy. "An enemy," she told Atreides. At once the village leader fell to his knees, bowing humbly before the warrior. Soon, the rest of the village-those who could still stand-followed suit as well. "S-Sapphire Guardian of the Imperium. Neflheim. Forgive us for not becoming aware of your arrival! W-Why do you grace us with your presence?" One of the Four Guardians of the Imperium. To warrant their interest was near impossible…unless… The Sapphire Guardian raised a clawed gauntlet and pointed right at the group. "I am to retrieve the Relic that spouts its energy near Rivenwood. However, now I have changed my approach to reprimand these mad heretics. They must each be cleansed by the purification of justice. And so I shall fulfill my purpose, as decreed by the Grand Imperator." The knight slung forth his mighty cannon, aiming at the group to purge them from this world. "As for you Crimson Streak…let your treachery burn away in the eternal hell fires of my judgment as well."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva The spirit buzzed violently through his body. Even after a night of rest, it still seemed on edge at the limit. With a loud snarl, the Sigil receded back to its origin point as Mal pushed himself back up onto his feet. He casually glanced at the houses around him and cursed under his breath. It occurred to him that children might have been injured in his burst. That was shameful. He was about to give a piece of his mind to the muscular woman who had the audacity to trigger this event when the flickering of blue energy caught his attention. His head lifted up with the rest of his body as blood trickled to the ground, and immediately his eyes snapped into a harsh stare. Now Mal realized his initial confusion. This "Taskmage" was an enemy of the Sapphire Guardian? Mal had his targets confused. The man may have been a dick, but he wasn't an oppressive force. And any enemy of the Imperium was an ally of his. He ignored the stares of the older man as he reigned in the power of the spirit. It was an involuntary reaction more than anything. The spirit would severely overreact to the pain an attack would cause and lash out violently against whoever caused it and whoever was in the area. While the faces and the timestamp felt foggy, he could still clearly remember the headmaster with his body split in two when he "tested" the experiment by smacking him in the side. But Mal was back again once more as the sigil's lines fell back into the point and his predatory grin appeared at full force. "The Sapphire Guardian," Mal cackled under his breath as his hands latched onto the chains at his side. That cannon would be more than enough to wipe all of them out. He could not take on that power himself, of that much he was aware. God, what he'd give to go back to tracking people down, stalking them into alleys and tearing them apart before they were even aware of what was going. "Mr. Eye-Patch, I appear to have misjudged your intentions," Mal grinned, "I tend to get touchy around pushy people. They make me think of the Imperium, which makes me think of the squishy organs I've pulled out of people who hurt others to get what they want. So, unless that's in your career path, I'll be out of your hair after we rip this guy to shreds." Mood whiplash was pretty common when it came to Mal. While it usually took more convincing to prove that you weren't super oppressive, it became a lot easier when you were both on the opposite end of the same cannon. Then Mal's eyes snapped to the girl who had set off the spirit in the first place. "As for you, be careful. Your aura already makes the shadow antsy, and it really hates being jostled around…" At last, his head tilted back to the man in the armour in front of them. His eyes glowed ominously as he stood with his jagged grin. His hands wrapped gently around his chains as he stared at the man. Darkness spiraled around the chains as he stared at the man. "Crowley, Naga. Arise." The spikes at the ends of his chains rose to the same height as his head. He stared down the cannon like he wasn't afraid in the slightest. But he was seriously hoping that the others would not leave him in the dust, because otherwise he was pretty sure he wouldn't surprise.</s> <\|message\|>N'kara Kelborn, The Blood Demon N'kara was waiting for the one-eyed man to respond. In the mean time she was looking at the damage the boy had caused with his attack. Eventhough it was very unlikely that it would have caused a carnage, the thought of a bloodbath exited N'kara. She appeared dissapointed at the sight, only a few had died or were mortally wounded. Her own wounds were now getting closer to being healed, most of the bleeding had already stopped and the pain of the healing was lessening. She glanced back at the one-eyed man. So if you dont mind, would you please rele- She got interupted by an Imperial soldier who seemed to be a rather important member of the Imperium. N'kara's grin turned into a furious look. She straightened her back, towering over all in the square, before she yelled out with an enraged voice audible over the entire townsquare; How dare you call me heretic!? You who serves the rotting edifice that is the Imperium! By Khârn I shall rip your head from your spine and grind it to dust! She looked back at the man who cast the dome. You! I demand that you release me from this wretched prison! I am willing to offer you a deal, you release me and I will fight with my life to make sure you get out of this town. I know you probably wont take my word for it so let me offer you a bloodpact! Because of the demon inside of her she would be unable to break a bloodpact and N'kara knew that this man must have atleast sensed the demon's presence eventhough he might not know what it exactly is. She continued staring at the man. So what say you? Do you want to keep me locked in here and die or do you want to live?</s>	<\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had his arms crossed, and was about to give the elder of the town a response when an all too familiar voice rang out, decrying them heretics and he turned, a shit eating grin on his face as he dropped his arms to his side, one hand resting on his sword, as he looked towards that blue armored fellow. Neflheim, the man was known to Atreides. Rather bold, religiously focused on purging the heretic with that massive damn cannon on his shoulder, all around unpleasant and a fellow he had not wanted to have to cross paths with, not again. This man knew nothing of control, of precision, and would burn this village to the ground if it meant taking out his targets. And that, right now, was him and the clowns he had locked away, for better or worse. Which meant they were now stuck in the same lot right now, and he sighed, glancing to the village leader, and addressed him first. "Get everyone to a safe distance, this will get ugly before it gets better. We won't hang around once this unnecessary display of force is done." Next he kicked his heel into the ground, breaking the circle surrounding the demon whore and chains brat. Any other day he would have put more restrictions on the matter, addressing them without turning. He would know if they tried anything directed at him, the dead silence of a standoff made that much fairly easy. He scoffed at the offer of a blood pact, one did not lightly sign into any sort of deal with demons, let alone a blood pact. Blood held power, in the right hands, and he was not near knowledgeable enough in that application to trust any sort of deal. "How about this, you two try anything against me or Crimson Streak, I leave both of you near dead in a barrier circle in the woods. Let you two figure it out from there." Without warning, mid senteance, Atreides conjured a rock pillar from beneath the Sapphire Guardian, intending to throw him upwards enough to disrupt his aim, sword flying out of its sheath, mutterings from Atreides causing the blade to erupt in flames once more. It was a preferred talent of his, and he stood, a ball of fire erupting in his hand, electrical arcs bouncing up and down the very same arm, sword coated in arcane fire while he scowled at the cannon wielding enforcer, and he addressed the man boldly. "AND AS FOR YOU! Take your bullying and intimidation elsewhere. Your purpose is little more than the Imperator's bootlick, grovelling for favor and station while you mindlessly murder supposed heretics and obliterate the villages they happen to be passing through in the process. I know your handiwork, Neflheim, and you are no embodiment of Justice. You are little more than a prideful, boastful hound of the Imperator, and that's all you'll ever be, just to be put down once your no longer useful."</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Megumi Takaki After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.</s> <\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature's backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear's rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. "I think it's safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides," she called out to the man.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it. "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!" The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups? Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her. "C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Yem Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it. He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night. Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased. She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black. He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides The bear's roar didn't even phase the Taskmage, as Atreides used as a title as often as his own name, letting the beast focus its attention on him, and him alone. Of course, the rest of the present mercenaries and hunters present ganged up on the distracted creature and bring it down to its knees, the gem falling from its eyesocket. The thing limped away, already dying as it seemed the gem was fueling its survival. Sable would take care of the gem, probably, that bear was dying regardless of what it did. He quietly chased the creature, flames vanishing from his arm and sword, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, chasing the thing's wounded trail. It didn't take long to find, the exposed ribs and damage having slowed it down. "Don't know what the hell happened to you, creature, but you won't last long. Going to keep fighting?" It had not intended to continue the fight, but cornered it did, roaring and lunging at the Taskmage who had previously been sheathed in fire. One blow later, however, and it slammed into the ground behind the Taskmage, unmoving. Atreides cleaned the blood from his sword, shaking his head. Whatever had wounded the beast so and left that relic in its eye was cruel. Oh well, it was out of its misery now. Atreides started walking back to where the others were no doubt going to be squabbling over the relic. Frankly put, he was more vested in helping Sable then the relics themselves, but it was irrelevant either way. Arms in his coat pockets, he walked back to see how the petty squabble was going on, starting the same irritating whistle that he had been doing prior to them running into all those people.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal grinned as he felt brittle bone crack beneath his fist, but then he felt it shake beneath him as the earthen hands grabbed at the bear's side. He called back his chains, wiping one hand across his forehead to deal with access sweat as he panted while they returned. When he looked back, however, he caught the emerald gleam as the relic dropped from the creature's eye. The bear itself was shaking beneath him as it broke free of the rock's grasp, giving Mal little time to react. Already he was losing energy fast. His body was at the verge of aching as his adrenaline started to pewter away. He figured he could get two more commands in maximum, and that was giving up the strength and speed of the spirit to do so. He took a deep breath, and the mark's heat dissipated as the growing spirals returned to its point of origin. Then, with a quick glance at what was in front of him, and his hands firm on the two chains as they looped around his waist, he leaped off the giant creature and called to his chains. "Crowley, reach for the tree!" Mal shouted and the chain on his right complied. It stretched towards the bark and slammed the sharp point into the tree's side. Then, as his right hand grabbed the links firmly, he called the chain on his right into action, "Naga, grab that relic as we swing by!" His right chain pulled taut as his feet neared the ground. The left chain rushed forward towards the gemstone, and Mal's eyes widened as the girl in red leaped towards it from the tree. There was a split-second difference. It was still everyone's game, he told himself, but he knew that there was no way he'd have enough energy after this encounter to defend it feasibly. He really should've saved on the energy before coming here. Then again, he had not expected resistance. Or competition.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair "Hmm?" Midst the surge of spells stunning and suppressing the bear, Ugnis heard something like a small rock bouncing off the ground towards him. Unable to tell and curious as to what it was, he spun his leg out towards it and scooped it with his foot towards himself with surprising finesse and accuracy as he heard Sable and a chain lash out at it. But upon snagging it, Ugnis felt a dark, familiar pulse echo through his body and mind. He cringed slightly and started taking short, quick breaths. Was this what made that bear go wild? "I-is this a relic?" Ugnis asked with a slightly shaky voice. "This is... dangerous." He had no interest in the Relics or money in the first place and, now that he'd come into contact with one, had become absolutely clueless as to why anyone would want to collect them. Like dried skulls. Those are weird people.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Mimi's attention turned to the bear as it scampered away. Perhaps it wasn't so fierce after all, the poor little thing must have just been angry. She didn't notice Sable leaping down, but the lanterns recoiled away so as not to impede her fall. Something shimmered on the ground below, and she figured that must have been what Sable was after. It was certainly shiny enough to be considered a prize, and after such a riveting bout of cooperative and tactical combat it… She paused, was the air a bit more tense? A few people went for the gem, and Mimi had an uneasy feeling that the first person to grab it was going to make a few enemies on the spot. If a battle was to break out over it, she wanted to be out of its way. But then what of the red girl? Did she even need to worry about her? She had that burly looking man with the fire accompanying her, surely she could fend for herself with him at her side. So then, what of the others? Ugh, conflict always confused her. As the other lanterns returned to her own platform, Mimi resigned to simply observe, and only involve herself if someone seemed in true danger.</s>
<\|description\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training. Height: 5'9 Weight: 120lbs Hair Color: Pitch black Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange Age: early twenties History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained. Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest. In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it. On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure. Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with. Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone. That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits. Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood. Abilities (Magic): -Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat. -The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out. Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others. Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off. After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason." Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides caught the tail end of the squabble and action going on between the various people. Sable seemed to be doing rather well by herself so far, then something happened. Something distracted her, he knew Meat well enough to know when that happened, and her next throw sent the relic hurtling off towards a blind man. Great, unknowns, of everyone here, he knew that blind was NOT defenseless. The man declaring it would be his and his alone didn't help, and his comment was not nearly as pleasant as everyone else so far, speaking from experience. "Or we take a relic of mysterious capacities, considering what it damn well did to that bastard of a bear, and get rid of it before it starts causing problems here? Turn a profit along the way as well, split it since you have custody. Everyone of us gets a cut and walks away a bit richer." Atreides glanced at Sable briefly, she knew the expression on his face. It was one of that they would talk over what happened. Later. But for now he returned his focus onto the kid and blind man, arms crossed like he was not going to be of any threat what so ever. His motions coming out here were precise and controlled, seeming to have moved in a small circle for no apparent reason, for those who were paying attention. Most probably missed his small oddity in his motions coming out to speak to the two younger folks. He didn't relish the thought of splitting the pay, but some money was better than none, so he awaited their responses, and keeping the corner of his vision on Sable just in case. He did make one last question, making sure they knew he expected an answer. "How about it kids? Relics tend to contaminate their surroundings or bearers when improperly built, and looking at the bear's remains, that damn thing leaks magic everywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's smile was softer than normal as he took the hand of the blindfolded man and hauled himself up to his feet. He barely managed to keep from stumbling into the man as exhaustion tried to weigh him down. Even at this distance he could feel the magic energy buzzing off his skin. He could feel the spirit inside him strain against his skin as if prepared to lash out at the object. "Thanks..." He chuckled, "and the name's Mal Tersva. Pleasure..." He struggled to keep his balance. The chains went from something bearable to the weight of the world as his legs shook. He was a legitimate glass cannon - he knew that. And the spirit sapped a lot from him too. His eyelids felt like falling down on him, which he really wish they didn't - Because with Eye-patch's last comment, Mal desperately wanted to drive one of his snakes through the man's throat. Still using Blindfold as support, he stepped towards the eye-patch guy, "Oh, because the people you're selling it to will just lock it away, right? Or are you apathetic to the rest of the world's plight? The 13 might've stopped the Shattering but this world is still in shambles, and I doubt some selfish ruler is gonna make it better..." And with his monologue, Mal fell to his knees, his breathing heavy as dark spots gathered at the edges of his vision. Damn it... don't pass out now! he thought as he held onto consciousness with heavy breathing.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid. "Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day." With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the… "I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself. Something was…wrong here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Get the fuck back here!" A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity. "Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!" The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face. "So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That." Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?" Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.</s>	<\|message\|>Miramil (Goes by Mimi) The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything. She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while. On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay. So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "No miss Crimson Streak! I'm here on my own volition!" She said with a bright smile that dimpled her cheeks. Her bright pinkish buns seemed like it was glowing as she smiled. "You two are like, my idols! To see you face to face is like a dream come true you know!" She said as she jumped around in joy. "Please take me with you! I can be very useful!" She felt the earth rumble as the mighty roar resounded across the forest. Something is amidst and is within close proximity. She felt the trees growing restless as its branches wildly swayed as the rebelling winds swoop past it. "Meat, rook, looks like we might have a problem..." The Taskmage wielded his sword, eyes straight towards the source of the roar. Muzai could be heard chuckling. The beast was close judging by its roar. Perhaps they had ventured to its territory and it wanted us to leave... But within the safety of the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage themselves... She felt unthreatened by its presence. Muzai followed the Taskmage's gaze. The flickering shadows made Muzai turn majestically as she tracked her eyes on the circling emerald dragon above them, roaring its cry loudly with its lethal maw. An old dragpm roaming about Rivenwood. "Great, if things couldn't get more entertaining, we have some god damn Dragon flying about being angry. This pisshole sure hasn't gotten any better. We should probably go deal with that thing." Muzai jumped joyfully. "Aren't you amazed at that giant winged lizard?! Look how pretty and green it is!" She said in almost like a shouting manner. "It's like she's the forest herself!" While both the Crimson Streak and the Taskmage was worried about the dragon at hand it seems like Muzai was more into glamouring the dragon. "I wanna keep it as a pet!"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed swordsman stood at the edge of the clearing, shrouded by leaves and dark foliage. The ghostly spectre had been observing the great beast, watching and waiting, hoping it would reveal a weakness to him. But alas, after he had watched it for what could have been days or weeks, the great thing awoke, and the specter was found. At the first roar the fatalistic dead man rushed the green scaled horror, slashing his ruined blade across its chest. Though the scales were barely scratched his blade cut a very different wound far deeper. It's essence, the beasts soul had been his target and he had given it a sound thrash with his blade. Unfortunately, dragons had strong souls to match their bodies, and the pain led only to anger the beast, but it did serve to drive the beast into the air, surprised by its damaged soul. Now, thought the impossibly old specter, now the chase would begin. The great green dragon soared into the air, green fire leaking from his maw. But the spectre could keep up... for a time, on foot. Giving his limbs the strength of the curse, and pouring his soul into his legs he kept pace with the flying lizard. It would land soon he thought... why did he think that? He could not remember... but he felt as though he had fought dragons before... when did he do that? It didn't matter though, as it flew he couldn't help but feel he was close to... something... people? He was unsure but as it landed he brought himself to a halt, allowing his body to return to its slow, dead and clumsy nature... Though now that he saw the beast again the spectre was no longer sure he could slay the great beast.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The new man now at his side addressed him the way his old leige lord had... Who has he been... it didn't matter for, even with the new attack from above the dragon charged at him and the cursed swordsman, and without even a nod or indication the swordsman had even heard the man, he broke right as he had been asked to. His slow, heavy run made him an easy target to track, so did his size and the presence of his ghostly soul, and the dragon broke for him. Barely keeping out of the creatures gaping maw the spectre slashed across its face with his rotting blade, cutting a small furrow in its horn and soul. It grew anary and closes what little distance was between the two, smashing into the swordsman with his horn and knocking him back to the ground after a small summersault. He picked himself up with his blade, and hoped the plan if the strange man would work... he had said crimson... was that the small woman in red? He had a strange feeling about her... as if she were known to him or... surely though it was just some vestigial memory... but he could not be certain</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak The masked man chuckled, amused by the way Mal was so quick to go on the offensive, saying, "There's no need to be scared. You too are a piece in this grand tale of ours. What story you ask? Why, the one that surrounds us all." The man brought his arms to the air, as if representing the encompassing whole of the world. Masked freak who spouted flowery langue…who was this guy again? And how did he know Mal's name? Noting these lingering questions, the man bowed with a sweep of his arms before setting his red-eyed gaze on the boy before him. "Apologies for my lack of an introduction. You may call me…Jester. The Jester of the Court. A hand was placed softly on Mal's shoulder. When the boy turned around, he would be shocked to see it was the Jester, who was now gone from his spot just moments before. "The next chapter? Ah…it is an interesting development, no? Let's see….yes, shall we label you as a side character then, Mal Tervsa? Ah, that spirit inside you is…admittedly, disinteresting." Nearby, Sable saw the crazed Muzai charge for the dragon. At once she acted quickly, moving in to grab her by the arm and leap away into safety. Specifically, a nearby tree. Placing the other girl onto a resting branch she wagged her finger in a scolding fashion. "Please do not kill yourself," she said blankly, already leaping down to join the battle. As the dragon began to grow more desperate in its fighting style, rampaging throughout the forest, Sable heard her partner's words and nodded once. The lizard was too busy being distracted by what appeared to be a combination of her partner, an undead knight, and….a girl with floating orbs? She narrowed her eyes at the opening of weakness caused by the new girl's attack, her blast setting off the creature along with Atreides' strikes. Dashing in the smoke and debris, Sable ricocheted off of the tree trunks and landed on the monster's back. At once, she began hacking and slashing with her blades, eyes pinpointing a break in the green armor. The dragon howled, wings spreading out and taking to the sky. Sable tensed, shoving her knives into the dragon's back as she felt herself being carried away upward. The forest dragon launched another volley of fire towards the combatants below, racing up higher and higher. "Engaging. Target must not escape," Sable said to herself. Ripping her knives out of the dragon's hide, she ran across its body and launched each knife at a wing. The blades hit their mark, embedding themselves into the wings. The dragon snarled in pain, its body soon falling into a descent with its wings clipped. "RE-Arch." Summoning her blades back to her, Sable used the momentum of the rapidly falling creature to hurry along its exterior until she leaped forward and struck her knives into the creature's throat. Yellow blood sprayed down to the earth below, and Sable held onto to her ripping weapons as the dragon fell from the heavens towards the group. The Crimson Streak rose in her hand one knife, keeping the other lodged into its throat. Ready to make the killing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva As the smoke and colour magic flashed in the distance as the great creature tumbled to the ground, Mal was focused on a different point now. Even Ugnis with his relic had faded from his mind as Mal was confronted with this being. "The Jester… Of the Court?" Mal's teeth clenched tight at the mention of the authoritarian power. But just as he was taken off guard by the hand on his shoulder, he tumbled backwards, tripping over the root behind him so the masked man was towering above him. He hated the court. He hated everything and everyone that had to do with that group that let its people suffer. But even as he stared, his grin gaining an aggressive angle and an eerie darkness clouded his eyes, he knew at this point that there was no standing up to this man. The Demon Prince might have been his affectionate name from the underworld, but this man was at a whole different level. Even now as Mal tumbled back from his grip, the resident spirit surged towards the spot as if warding off a lethal virus, which, to Mal's chagrin, caused cuts to form on the bare skin. He didn't have the energy for this. The man hadn't made a single move yet, which meant that Mal should be safe for now. But his spirit? Disinteresting? He couldn't quite remember the details, but he had a faint understanding that some important people had sacrificed a lot to develop it and the form of magic that it represented. His hand scurried for the black chain in his pocket, searching for some form of comfort as the magic in his body buzzed on edge. The chain was still there, along with its entrancing red gem. Using that magic now would surely kill him. Mal's entire nervous system was a mess of signals, both telling him to run or to kill him for embodying the group that he hated. "Label me what you want," Mal grimaced, attempting to regain some dignity as he pulled himself out of the dirt with a hand clenching his now bleeding shoulder through his shirt, "But If you're labelling me a side character, then understand that I'll be writing the spin-off. Now are you here to entertain yourself with some anarchist refuse like me or do you have some grander purpose other than being some cliché chaotic neutral!?" Even his exhaustion seemed to dissipate under the steam of anger that boiled at his bones. Part of him understood where the anger came from. He hated what this man represented, he hated that he was some giant know-it-all who knew him down to his name, and subconsciously he could tell that he was angry at this man for insulting the person who developed the spirit, even if Mal hated it more than he let on. All and all, he was ready to let loose, and it was only the cold logic that he had nothing left that kept him from acting. He may put himself in danger, but Mal was not suicidal.</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Ugnis C'zair Ugnis flipped up his blindfold as he walked towards the roar. "Ha ha, it's been a while, hasn't it~!" Ugnis laughed to himself as he reached up to the sky in a stretch, looking around at his surroundings. "Rivenwood, again... Ha ha~" he chuckled under his breath as he drew Aegis and swung it around haphazardly, scarring the nearby trees with deep gashes. A wide grin crossed his face, remembering the other times he came here. "Ha ha ha~ I should come here more often!" Whether the monsters be beast or person, Ugnis liked to make deaths slow; making things bleed was almost artful to him, the light making the thick fluid glisten in the air and in pools on the ground. No one had agreed with him yet, but what did that matter to him? Hearing the roar, much closer and in the air, Ugnis looked up at the scaled beast. This would be interesting! He'd never seen a dragon before, much less gotten a chance to see its anatomy. His excitement grew when it faced him and a green burst of flame headed in his direction. "Yes! Come over here-- Hey, where're you going?!" The dragon didn't even fight him, dammit! It just ran away like a coward! Red filmed over Ugnis's vision as he released a fury-filled roar, as if to match the dragon's. "GODDAMNIT, GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE!" Ugnis clutched the side of his head as his face distorted into a snarl, unpleasant pulses pounding his head. His mind blanked out as a green blade replaced the relic in his left hand, at the same time both it and Aegis becoming whiplike blades. He sprinted tirelessly towards the injured dragon, possessed with the thought of murdering it, but it had already flown out of range. Noticing the Crimson Streak preparing a lethal strike, Ugnis became frenzied, letting out another bloodthirsty cry. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, flinging his two blades skyward like razor-edged bolas without any regard for the rider. It didn't matter if she got hurt. "It's ok if she dies too~!" he laughingly said to himself, the morbid, slasher smile returning with the beating pulses in his head. "Just some unimportant collateral damage, ha ha~"</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina had found her way into a forest. A wonderful place, with trees and streams and animal life she had never seen before. She practically danced as she went from one sight to another, absorbing all the spectacles she could. There were all these things she didn't know the names of. Things her parents hadn't even told her about! This was exciting, although she missed her parents dearly. Then came something spectacular, much more so than anything she had ever seen so far. A giant lizard landed on the ground and it had wings. It reminded her of some of the desert lizards she had eaten when she lived in Exilia, but much much bigger. She wondered just how it tasted if she ate its meat. She then saw there were people fighting the creature and yelling. They must be hunting it, of course they must be really hungry to fight something so large when there was other wildlife all over this forest. She wanted to see how they hunted such a huge monster of an animal. After all something of that size could only be a danger to hunt. Maybe it was some rite of passage into adulthood, but some of those people were plenty older than she was. Perhaps they simply were seeking a way to prove their strength. She climbed up a nearby tree and sat down on a branch at the edge of the clearing. Katarina saw another being that seemed to be fighting with the others, but it didn't seem to be human even if it held a human form. She kept herself ready to leap into battle when she felt she had a good sense of how to fight the monster.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s>
<\|description\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) Appearance: Height:6'2 (if he stood up straight) 5'9 in appearance Weight:237 lb. Hair color:Black Eye color:Red Age:? History:Though not a well known tale, there have long been rumours of a terrible specter in the west of the Imperium. Tales of a knight, hunched in rusting armor and draped in a tattered and dirty white cloak, haunts the Rivenwood. Rumors and speculation abound the mysterious specter, some say he is a demon, sent to harass the good and innocent, others claim he is a spirit of vengeance sent to punish the guilty and cruel, others say he is the ghost of a traitorous knight, who must atone for his sins with an eternity to wander the lands. This last one, is closest to the truth. Now he searches for the legend relics... for perhaps they can ease his suffering Personality:Gilligan is solemn and somber, an eternity of wandering has jaded him, and he seeks only salvation now. His mind has begun to fade... slowly with old memories gone or growing fuzzy in his mind, his solitude becoming his undoing. Though largely quiet, he can become a steadfast ally and friend... Despite his curse Weapons Rotted great sword A truly ancient blade, which appears to be dull and worthless. In spite of its appearance the blade is very dangerous, reathed in dark ether, its dark energy affects more than just the physical being and can even cleave the soul in twain Abilities (Magic) Spectral gaze:A cold, dead stare, with the power of the grave behind it. The weak willed are paralyzed with fear, or run from his terrible visage, even those with strong minds become deeply disturbed. Penitent spectre:Gilligan exist in both the physical world as well as the invisible realm of spirits, both of which he observes in tandem. This means that physical attacks as well as any magic or attacks from spirits effect him. However, it also means he can likewise interact with incorporeal beings just as he would a physical person. As well, attacks on either side of the spectrum injure him less as well, for he exists wholly in neither realm, allowing his seemingly physical body and meta-physical spirit to weather far more punishment than others. Strength of the dead:Far stronger than the average human, as this mortal coil no longer contains his strength. Also, for a short time he can will his limbs to move faster, overcoming his normally slow and clumsy gait, however temporary the ability is. Life hunt:His most powerful magical ability, this intensely draining and difficult power allows Gilligan to drain power from his targets soul, to temporarily boost his own abilities while weakening his opponent. He can only hold onto to the power for as long as he can will it to remain tethered to his own soul, after which the energy dissipates into the void. Other Veil of the curse This invisible magical force is a primary effect of his curse. It intercepts any words the cursed man speaks and tinges them with the vile sound of lies and treachery. This leads virtually all people to distrust him, all but a few. Oddly, a small number of people do not perceive the veil, and here the poor man's words for how he truly intended them. Rather than a vile traitorous ghost these people see the proud, and remorseful knight underneath the curse... a man simply trying to atone for his sins. These people are rare though, and none are sure of why they do not perceive the veil. The cursed wound Gilligan's left arm hangs, shattered and useless under his tattered cloak until it is disturbed. Broken when he was cursed, the wound can never heal, and the bones shall never set. However, through titanic effort, he can force the arm to move (it is the arm he must use for life drain, contributing to the abilities difficulty) with his ghostly soul. For most of tge time however, it hangs, hidden and broken, like the Knights on pain and pride</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Zyax…o…mort? Mal snarled as the man began to dissipate, and with him went the anger of his inner spirit. Once the masked man was gone, Mal twisted around to see a forest torn by carnage, and the smoking carcass of an emerald beast. His hand grasped at the strap around his shoulder, holding the bag firmly in his gloved hands as he peeked into the distance. The crowd had increased in size from before his conversation. He could see that much based on the group that had surrounded that red girl. As for Ugnis, he appeared to have dashed off, screaming bloody murder as he went. The relic's energy still wavered on the air, but it wasn't enough to afflict Mal's magic in any way, shape, or form. Zyaxomort. And what had the man been saying about his "shift" in the story? The way he talked sounded almost like a deity out of a myth. He held onto that word though, and the man's shifty eyes. Had Mal been quick to judge the Jester of the Court? Exactly what court was he playing for if he called himself a true neutral? Either way, Mal was getting his second wind. He had enough energy to get out of that situation and recuperate, at least. With a tug at the straps of his bag, he turned towards the road that led back to the Rivenwood town. From there, he needed to find a library, or somewhat relatively intelligent. Zyaxomort. Zyax O'Mort? Zyax O. Mort? Zyaxo Mort? The collection of sounds didn't sound like the common dialect, but it stuck in his brain like a jagged thorn. He needed to find out the meaning of it all. So, clutching at his bleeding shoulder with one hand, he grabbed a stick from the ground as support and limped down the road. He glanced back one last time to the group. There was one relic there, as well as a man on whom Mal personally placed his mark. His signature grin broke wide again, "Well Buster, today has been quite unique. Unfortunately, I lack the energy to deal with any threats at the moment… I guess we dive in deeper tomorrow… once I've recovered." He adjusted his hood by lifting his hand away from his shoulder. The dark hood was starting to stain darker red as he stumbled down the road at a slow, but consistent pace.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Once the cursed one managed to get out that he would not attack, Atreides let his hand drop from his sword hilt. He knew the truth of things, then, and would not remain any more hostile to him than he was normally to everyone. But he kept his tone in check as the being stuttered and forced the truth of its words out between whatever the curse attempted to wring them into, a considerable effort no doubt. As it finished speaking, he responded in kind, returning his hands to the pockets of his coat as he did so. "They don't swear fealty to me, soldier, though if this turns out to be one big band of people running around, I will at least try to talk sense into them before they run into bloody peril every five minutes. The red lady? Folks call her Crimson Streak, Sable to others, she's handy with the knives, enough so not to need magic to compensate. You got a name, or shall it remain cursed one or soldier?" Atreides had pretty much dismissed the other people running around, being problematic and talking FAR too much, too fast, and too loud for his own tastes. Sable eventually wandered over, and he glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the cursed soldier and await his response, speaking an aside to Sable as he did so. "Lot louder than planned, Meat. Got any suggestions for further planning? Can bet your arse at least one of that lot a raging murder desire for me now. Almost always happens." Darkness was falling fast, the sun setting over the land, and it wouldn't be too long before folks would have to turn in at the town's local inn. Atreides wouldn't mind a good night's rest, though some preparations would be necessary prior to falling asleep of course. Never trust his surroundings to be safe got him a good ways.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Grace period? Ah, I'm still going to end up following you anyways. Besides! I'm great at healing wounds! Here, let's see, how about your friend over there that's wobbling a bit? Actually, that might scare him...Oh well. I'll just wait until later..." A cross of the arms and the separated orbs all converged back into a single one that performed a light rotation above her head as she listened to the lot speak. ...Sable? A woman without magic taking on a dragon? Sounded like a death wish in the making to her. But, might as well get to work if she wanted to try and stay close to this newfound interest of hers. And with that in mind, she clapped her hands together and held her hand up for the sake of drawing the red woman's attention. "Miss Sable! Are you injured anywhere in particular? Or your friends of varying eccentric backgrounds? Also, is that your kid? I don't think I've ever seen someone try to eat a dragon before...I wonder if it tastes okay..."</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina finally managed to pop one scale off with the carving knife she was using. It took some real effort. Why would someone hunt something so hard to prepare for food? She sat down on the dragon and sighed. Maybe she was wrong. Something this big probably wasn't food anyways, maybe they were its food and it just wasn't prepared for such a tough fight. She checked her knife and realized that it was dulled just from prying away like she was and she frowned. She placed the knife back into her bag in its proper place making a note to sharpen it later. She then heard from the crowd: She stood up and hopped off the dragon with ease. "Dragon! That's what it's called... weird. And she isn't my Mum. My Mum and Pa sent me exploring to learn about the world! I'm not a kid either. I'm seventeen. That makes me an adult!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Then her stomach grumbled and groaned, causing her to frown again. "And I'm hungry..." Carving up the dragon was a waste of effort and now that she thought of it; the dragon was probably really tough and chewy to eat too. Any huge alpha predator like that would have a lot of tough muscle. She'd have to try and find some food, unfortunately, she didn't know which plants were edible and hunting animals would be a fair amount of effort too.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak Sable sighed. It was starting to get late, and frankly, she didn't like the idea of wasting any more energy mindlessly slaughtering the predators of the night. So she turned in the direction of the nearest town, ready to make the long trek there. She fully expected Atreides to follow her when he was done conversing…but what about the others? As if unconsciously, she felt her feet carry her towards the strange girl with the orbs, eyeing yet another stranger who was standing atop the dragon and ranting about food. Or something. It was probably best not to let these younglings run around. And at that, she sighed again. "No, that girl is not my offspring," she answered with no emotion to the girl with orbs. "Can you care to introduce yourself? Also…I see that I have mildly scratched myself during the last target elimination." She held up her left hand to reveal a small criss-cross of scratches, probably when slicing away at that dragon's scales. Nothing too serious, but she figured she might as give the girl what she wanted. "If you wait shortly, we will find food at the nearest mess hall in the nearest town," she called out to the girl still standing near the dragon.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" "Oh, alright. My name is Exoris.~ And it's a pleasure to meet you, madame. You're quite interesting despite your frosty demeanor- oh. You did get hurt? Alright, lemme fix it. Just stand still!" The orb at her side floated upwards, right over the woman's head as Exoris hummed a tune and held her index finger upwards against the sphere. A small beam, no bigger than a beam of her pinky, shot out from the tip and into the orb that had grown a bright, sweet pink color. Ah, yes, there it was. The shift in her weapon to turn it into a conduit for nice things!~ With the beam converging into the center of the orb, it would shoot right down on the entirety of the red-clad woman in front of her. What looked like an actual attack was instead a spell turned into a healing light. The crossed wounds would close up as it touched at her skin and Exoris would cross her arms soon afterwards with a satisfied look on her face. "I doubt the details of how it works is important, so I won't bother boring you with the details. I'm tagging along until you die, if you don't mind! And come on, little girl! Or do you wanna be carried?" Yes, despite the fact that the girl was only a year younger than her at most, she was still calling her "little". It was an endearing nickname! After all, who thought to go and try carving up a dragon for the sake of making a meal? That deserved some credit to her for creative eating...If not slight concern for how that thought process went to decide that big, green, and scaly equaled beef jerky for dinner.</s>	<\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) "Name... my... name..." the ghostly knight had not been asked for his name in... well he was unsure if just how long had passed. He began running through most all the words in his memory, desperately searching for something to call himself... what was his name? Finally a word caught his attention... it would have to do, "I... was once... ca... called... Gilligan... long ago..." hopefully that would suffice. Though the number of the living had quickly grown since the fight, with more coming from seemingly no where. A strange girl with floating orbs, her soul two very different sides of the same coin. A boy already walking... his soul lobotomized... and temperamental... and fraying. Another woman long in hair... and with the least of corrupted spirits... and a white haired man... wielder of the relic... but his soul carried terror... and the bloodthirsty amulet only inflamed the aggressive soul... a strange group... Gilligan was unsure if they truly knew about even themselves. Gilligan... he would have to become use to calling himself that. Again his vision strayed to the Crimson one... Sable... her soul was strange to him... almost familiar... again memory overtook him... bright light and green grass... a wide beautiful field... and the form of a person... obscured by the sun... and again he was wrenched back to his half existence... how strange... Returning his attention to the man before him, the soldier managed to sputter out, "You seek... the relics... I will accompany you... and... sable... this... is... Un... ne... negoti... negotiable..."</s>
<\|description\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Appearance: Found here. Height: 5'5'' Weight: 97 lbs. Hair Color: Onyx Eye Color: Crimson Age: 18 History (Optional): [REDACTED] [To be edited in as time progresses...or when my brain will let me do it.] Personality: Two contradicting tones lie in this girl. An imagination like no other on one end, and a nihilistic view of the world on the other. - Imagination. The normal persona seen when first meeting Exoris. To see her at first glance is to see her with a light in her eyes that want to know everything that she can about the person she's meeting or the place she's found. It's a childlike wonder that can't be stopped -- usually. And it's because it's so simple, so innocent, and so domineering, that she can reason with most rash and stupid decisions that it's for the sake of "imagination!" - Nihilism. A certain list of keywords can raise up poor memories for her. Which...Can basically kill off the happy, child-like wonder she has. Which, in turn, can reduce the potency of her magic if she begins to stop caring about what she could create. Her magic needs her to be an artist, and an artist that can't put the right emotion into her work can't create the art. Both sides are very simplistic on document, but there are always those little tidbits of her that can make things a bit more complicated. Just like normal life, ey? Weapons: - Inconsistencies: By her side at all times are orbs that seem like enlarged glass marbles containing something indescribable. Through the usage of these orbs, Exoris can enhance the capabilities of her other spells. Used for either trickery or to quite literally "shoot" spells through, they are utility tools that render no need for her to hold a weapon in her hands. The storing place for these orbs seen to be inside one another, as she only need have one for it to spawn more and more of its own size to create larger quantities of their presence. Nonsensical in storage and in usage, they are "Inconsistencies". Abilities (Magic): - Danmaku: The art of "bullet"-styled magic. By forging magical energy into bullets, lasers, and other shapes appropriate to her mind, the limit of how these spells forge are quite literally at the behest of Exo's creativity and energy. - Divining: The art of seeing beyond the present and glimpsing into the future itself. Not used often, since it spoils the surprise, but she is capable of doing it if someone can convince her with enough gusto! - Ars Diminutio: "The Theory of Decreasing". This magic attunes her orbs to reduce the size of her spells, increase their speed, and split them into thirds in order to compensate for power loss. - Ars Incrementum: "The Theory of Increasing". This magic attunes her orbs to increase the size of her spells, increasing the sheer power of it at the cost of speed. - Ars Convertio: "The Theory of Reversal". This magic attunes her magic to perform the opposite of its intended creation. Such as, a damaging spell will heal instead. A curing spell will poison instead. Etc. Other: She's really touchy feely. Incurring her admiration will result in being hugged at the worst possible moment. It is also possible that she might be able to use her Inconsistencies in fortune telling (read: swindling) for any money needs.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "How interesting. Are you taking a break from the story?" The voice came directly in front of Mal, which seemed pretty impossible given the circumstances. Indeed, one moment nothing was there, while the next a man had suddenly appeared before him. A gray mask covered his face which held deep, crimson eyes. A dark clock lay dormant on his frame while a necklace of locks and chains decorated his collar area. Finally, hair the color of snow covered his head and the man titled it curiously. He was looking straight at Mal with…apathy? Or something else? His face was as unreadable as his mask. "Tell me Mal Tervsa. Are you getting tired of this story?" Not too far away, the sound of a bellowing roar continued to shake the forest. Pain brought it rage, and so the woodland dragon took to the sky in an attempt to escape the spirit-like knight. As it did, it spotted the man with the blindfold, its primal mind considering if he was a threat. Sensing the power of the green Relic in his position, the forest dragon howled before turning its gaze in another direction. With another ear splitting roar, it launched a green-colored fireball straight toward Ugnis before twirling in the air and charging straight for a certain group of three down below. "…it's heading for us instead of the Relic," Sable noted blandly. "It must be able to sense its power…" As the scaled lizard made impact, aiming to ram them with its horns, Sable leaped out of the way, landing on the dragon's back and running the end of it until she jumped onto the ground again. Swerving, the angry dragon breathed a stream of green fire at her, eager to end all life that threatened its territory. "RE-Arch." Summoning her twin blades, Sable absorbed the attack before leaping away and landing near Muzai. "I'm afraid this thing is a little…big to keep as a pet," she said nonchalantly. "Can you substitute a salamander for it instead?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Rexicorg, Yem took pause in his step, the cursing having froze him in his tracks. Again, it seemed to be coming from the cave emitting the purple light, though he dared not venture there before recovering his wounds yet. Even so, the voice chilled him with how much ferocity and anger was present. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if maybe he should listen to the supposed Relic after all….</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva "Are you getting tired of this story?" Mal's fluttering eyes snapped wide open. His whole body jolted with magic as the spirt started to spiral inside him. He cursed as blood dripped from thin marks on his chest. They weren't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it was clear that something was wrong. Mal lifted himself up with one hand against the tree, still panting as he yearned for some way to regain his energy. "Where did you come from?" Mal grinned, "And what story are you talking about? I must admit, most of my reading has been… academic up to this point." His hands curled into his chains. It irked Mal how this man stood before him. There was no emotion, no intention to him at all. It was like staring directly at a wall. And given Mal's very two-sided philosophy, it made it really difficult for him to decide what was coming next. "If you're talking about the story of life… then you might have to fill me in on the exposition. It's kinda foggy back there, if you know what I mean. As things are, as long as those Relic things don't end up in the hands of the dicks of this world, then I'll be fine." Blood dropped on the ground beneath him as he drew his free hand across his chest. He had little magic left, only what the spirit could provide, and it was ready to rip him apart to protect itself. He was surprised that it hadn't decided to go for the dark wave spell it had used several times in the past. Not that Mal was complaining. It usually hurt like a bitch. Mal chuckled lightly, still with a few words curling on his tongue as he stared the man in the eyes. His face was incredibly passive, save for the shark-teethed grin and his vibrant red eyes. "Why? What do you have planned for the next chapter?"</s> <\|message\|>Chi Muzai "Salamanders too small! I wanna ride a big dragon like that!" She cried, her hair fluttered as she did. "Green Dragon-san! Where are you goiiinnngg??? You're not going anywhere else until you've received my good lovin'!" She followed the green dragon in hopes that it will see her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The cursed man saw them... heard their shouting voices. The dragon had landed in the midst of what appeared to be some sort of group. He could not count for he was unsure he had seen them all, but at least two were visible. One was draped in the color of blood, and was quick and appeared lithe, the other he saw wore cloth of darker hues, blue and purple, both were small to him, and both felt of magic... Though the red only slightly so. Their spirits though, they were something else, each a powerful soul, with purpose well known... they were no mere wanderers... Though the blades in the red ones hands told him as much. But it mattered little... as soon as the beast was slain they would run... or more likely fight the ghostly form of the knight... and again he would be forced to slay or retreat... bug another power was felt. One he knew... but knew not how he knew of it... or what part of him knew of it, though it was there... and it was very powerful. That was to be dealt with later, for now the dragon bared it's teeth and fire flew from its maw. The swordsman charged, his form pierced with arrows to ancient to ponder and broken blades rusting and rotting, trundled up to the beast in a slow, heavy run. As he closed the spectre hefted his great sword with his one arm, bringing it down across the dragons leg as its attention was pulled elsewhere. The beast roared as again it's soul felt cut, and it batted the offending party away with its clawed foot. The spectre flew a short distance, to heavier than his size could portray... the wait of his sins dragging him back to the ground. He stood as a gout of flame washed over him... but as it cleared it had served only to bring him to his knee, as his spirit weathered the blaze his physical form could not...</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides rolled his eye as the fangirl babbled on about the dragon and started chasing it, the roaring beast making its way straight for them all in the same instant. Atreides didn't say much now, instead dragging his foot and blade around himself, muttering as the dragon acted to attack that ghost of a soldier, which he would look at FAR closer after the threat was gone, and Sable went and absorbed the dragon fire with her blades. Awful useful little trick of hers, wasn't it? Circle around him complete, he smirked in a rather nasty manner, the afterimage growing greater in intensity as he flourished the blade, casting arcing lighting along the dragon's exposed side, which did little more than piss it off. Which was just as planned, as it turned and belched another wall of fire, and it englufed the Taskmage, obscuring him from sight. The smoke concealed the next barrage of lightning long enough to catch the Dragon in the snout, arcing upwards and rupturing one of its eyes, and left more glaringly obvious sears in its hide. It roared in pain and rage, and the Taskmage stood in his circle, the defensive barrier it generated fading still from the furious barrage of fire. The Taskmage stood proud in his arcane arts and barked out orders in a brief, simple manner, already bursting into a sprint to evade the things charge, which shattered the shield he left behind. "MEAT, GET BEHIND IT AND SEE IF YOU CANT SNEAK ON. ROOK, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN OR DO SOMETHING USEFUL TO KEEP IT OFF MEAT!" Atreides ended up near the spirit soldier, who looked like he had seen every war in existence. Atreides wasn't sure he wanted to see the truth behind that, but he would have to later. Unlike the beings expectations, most likely, he spoke calmly as he addressed the being. He knew soldiers when he saw them. "Right, cursed one, that thing is still pissed at me. It charges, you go right, I go left, and whoever it doesn't go after rips it a new asshole, or Crimson Streak does while we distract it. Agreed?" Atreides wasn't one to waste time with his usual demeanor in the field of battle, there was time for insults and berating others later. Right now he had to utilize everything at hand to the best of its apparent ability, and from what he knew about beings that were cursed, they tended to do some rather nasty work to things that opposed them, for whatever damned reason that was. Gods knew he had seen his fair share of curses happen, and some very well might haunt him still, but that was neither here, nor there, or anything close to what his gut, experience, and arcane prowess told him this soldier experienced. But the moment it charged, he would be moving and, hopefully, so would the cursed soldier.</s>	<\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Well, well! What a show! Dragons and people fighting against Dragons? It looked like a fairytale come to life! But this could prove to have some dire consequences if it started eating the main protagonist! Nono, Exoris couldn't let that happen. It would make her new-found interest a boring little thing now wouldn't it? Crouched down, eating an apple as her other hand hung onto a branch above her, the Grand Imagineer eventually stood up and dusted her hands of the small snack as her Inconsistency moved up and in the direction of the moving dragon. "Alright cranky. Let's see if I can get in on this fairytale...~" Holding her hand out, the orb before her went through a menagerie of colors within it before it changed up and switched to a solid mixture of red and orange, almost like a tornado was inside of the sphere and the eye of the storm just happened to be where she was aiming her spell to come. "Ars Incrementum. Now...aim at the big bad, pour my love right into this aaaand...." A pulsating ball in her hand forged as she hummed a little tune, calm as can be as she forged a chunk of her energy into the spell until she judged for it to be of significant size and power. Seemed right to her about now...At least something to knock that dragon right off its feet! Holding it up, she placed one of her hands into the pocket of her hoari and grinned as the energy shot forward, converging into the storm that she'd created within her ball and growing bigger by the second that it stayed inside. "Bang!" Look, heroes! A new challenger had arrived! From the small beam she'd shot into her orb, one comparable to the side of the thickness of the tree that she'd been on would come shooting out, aimed at the main antagonist of the scenario. A multitude of shards and what even seemed to be decorative stars flew out with it, giving it a certain flair that only Exoris could achieve with that kind of hers. If it hit? Go boy, that dragon might actually get mad at her! If not? Well, say goodbye to a large chunk of the woodland. Oh, casualties had to be made for the sake of the imagination. She'd surely be forgiven for it...hopefully.</s>
<\|description\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" Appearance: Found here. Height: 5'5'' Weight: 97 lbs. Hair Color: Onyx Eye Color: Crimson Age: 18 History (Optional): [REDACTED] [To be edited in as time progresses...or when my brain will let me do it.] Personality: Two contradicting tones lie in this girl. An imagination like no other on one end, and a nihilistic view of the world on the other. - Imagination. The normal persona seen when first meeting Exoris. To see her at first glance is to see her with a light in her eyes that want to know everything that she can about the person she's meeting or the place she's found. It's a childlike wonder that can't be stopped -- usually. And it's because it's so simple, so innocent, and so domineering, that she can reason with most rash and stupid decisions that it's for the sake of "imagination!" - Nihilism. A certain list of keywords can raise up poor memories for her. Which...Can basically kill off the happy, child-like wonder she has. Which, in turn, can reduce the potency of her magic if she begins to stop caring about what she could create. Her magic needs her to be an artist, and an artist that can't put the right emotion into her work can't create the art. Both sides are very simplistic on document, but there are always those little tidbits of her that can make things a bit more complicated. Just like normal life, ey? Weapons: - Inconsistencies: By her side at all times are orbs that seem like enlarged glass marbles containing something indescribable. Through the usage of these orbs, Exoris can enhance the capabilities of her other spells. Used for either trickery or to quite literally "shoot" spells through, they are utility tools that render no need for her to hold a weapon in her hands. The storing place for these orbs seen to be inside one another, as she only need have one for it to spawn more and more of its own size to create larger quantities of their presence. Nonsensical in storage and in usage, they are "Inconsistencies". Abilities (Magic): - Danmaku: The art of "bullet"-styled magic. By forging magical energy into bullets, lasers, and other shapes appropriate to her mind, the limit of how these spells forge are quite literally at the behest of Exo's creativity and energy. - Divining: The art of seeing beyond the present and glimpsing into the future itself. Not used often, since it spoils the surprise, but she is capable of doing it if someone can convince her with enough gusto! - Ars Diminutio: "The Theory of Decreasing". This magic attunes her orbs to reduce the size of her spells, increase their speed, and split them into thirds in order to compensate for power loss. - Ars Incrementum: "The Theory of Increasing". This magic attunes her orbs to increase the size of her spells, increasing the sheer power of it at the cost of speed. - Ars Convertio: "The Theory of Reversal". This magic attunes her magic to perform the opposite of its intended creation. Such as, a damaging spell will heal instead. A curing spell will poison instead. Etc. Other: She's really touchy feely. Incurring her admiration will result in being hugged at the worst possible moment. It is also possible that she might be able to use her Inconsistencies in fortune telling (read: swindling) for any money needs.</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "You've met with an interesting fate, now haven't you?" The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title. "J…Jester of the…Court…please…" The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator's closest benefactor. "Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?" The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man's body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that. "Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That's a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character." The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity. "Hmm." The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest. "It's you then, N'kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can't be helped then." The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere. "What a foolish little girl. Don't you know that all gods give worship to me?" By the time Sable's group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N'kara found themselves in. Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town's square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. The next Relic was close.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides had eventually made his way back to town, alone for the time being. He avoided contact with the last few Imperial troops roaming about, still sniffing for further relics or hints towards those relics. The Taskmage really didn't feel like dealing with those mindless goons right now, so he skulked in the shadows until they left, sighing quietly as he walked down the empty streets. He wasn't tired, granted he slept little and ate less most days, but that was nothing unusual for him, not anymore. People commented on it, usually, but he shrugged them off for the most part. He still functioned normally, he just had to crash every once in a blue moon to catch up on what he missed. But he had to figure out the next general location for the next relic, Sable usually relied on him in that regard, if any others even existed. He had a knack for figuring out the right place and right time to pick out relics and their locations. The Taskmage headed for the seediest part of the town, he knew some people there that would be able to help him out. They would probably not be happy he was back in town, one of them might be dumb enough to draw on him, but that would be the blood he needed to intimidate the rest into cooperating, no doubt. He had no qualms doing so, as long as he got the information he needed, that would be that. He walked into a bar that only thieves, murderers, other equally dangerous sorts, and fools would walk into and began putting out feelers with the few night walkers that were there, digging around for information. The barkeep knew him and what he did well enough to not try and stop him, but several beatings tended to loosen tongues, and as he picked up the pieces of a table and set them aside, he was mulling over what he knew so far. Atreides wasted no time heading for the tavern that Sable was staying at, walking through the front doors like a shadow more than anything else, sitting himself in a corner of the main common room, eventually coming to have a drink in hand as he kept his peace, and someone who knew the man would recognize that he was guarding the only way up to the bedrooms, where Sable was asleep. He couldn't stop people trying for the windows, sure, but he trusted the woman was smart enough to take care of herself in that regard. He could keep an eye on the main way upstairs, she could handle herself in her own quarters.</s> <\|message\|>Mal Tersva Mal's mind was sharp and his body refreshed as his eyes snapped open in the later hours of the morning. He stretched his back slowly as he moved to his feet and pulled back at the linens around his body. The wounds were still there, but they were already scabbing. They were bleeding quite a bit the day before, but they weren't all that deep. He quickly assessed himself and the bedroom. By taking a deep breath, he was relieved to feel that his magic was flowing through him again at his full strength. Sometimes all it took was a decent meal and a night's rest to reinvigorate him for another day. Carefully he coiled the spiked chains around his waist as he glanced out the window into the yonder. He knew that he needed to find a library stat, and the best place for that would be Infinitum, unfortunately. Already his spine was crawling at the idea of stepping into that over-glorified self-serving kingdom of which the Imperator calls his home, but he also knew that he wouldn't be finding this "Zyaxomort" any other way. Even so, it was several days away. Mal would probably have to walk a decent distance unless he could find some sort of ride. There was always the possibility of finding some other school along the roads: some place he had missed, but his main target was in mind. Carefully he placed his hand against his chest. The spirit inside was calm at the moment. Well, it was still slightly agitated, but the presence of that man and the relic was enough to put any magical being on edge. So, with his belongings back in order and his strength filled once more he shoved the bloody linens back in the drawer, descended the stairs and bolt towards the exit of town without a second thought. He was just passing through town square when his eyes caught sight of the woman in red from the day before. He paused for a second. Wherever that girl went he knew for sure that the eye-patched man followed her. He wanted eye-patch man dead. He also wanted to go to the library and figure out what that random guy had been talking about. His grin faltered only for a second, but the insatiable bloodlust was already twisting his intentions as he sauntered over to the girl. "My my," He chuckled, "I didn't expect that a relic hunter like yourself would stay here overnight. Are you not in a rush?" He was at full strength this time. His hands were crossed behind his back as he leaned towards Sable. This time, he would not let them think he was weak.</s>	<\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" It was always so weird jumping into the middle of a story. Both figuratively and literally, in Exo's case, as she juggled two of her orbs at the side until the time came that she reached the town with the "protagonists" of her interests. It was an unfortunate event, indeed! When one jumped in the middle, they had almost no idea as to what went on or how things worked or anything in between and that in itself could be a poor existence. She was inclined to ask about what the lot of them were up to but- Well. Wouldn't you be cranky if you fought off a big green lizard with a penchant to act like a bull? So she remained quiet for the time being and had actually taken the time to politely ask the owner of the inn if she could stay on top of the roof before she came down to pay for a room. Perhaps it was a question that wasn't asked commonly, because the dumbfounded look on his face followed with a slow nod before she clapped her hands in delight and made a little staircase out of her orbs from the back of the building to get up there and settle down. Nighttime was always a time to look up at the stars and see how the shining lights connected -- especially for an adolescent so enamored with lasers and shining spells of varying degrees. She even played a small game of connecting the lines with tiny lights that patterned through her orbs, laying on her back to make it "fit" visually before the night finally got to her and she settled her way downstairs to pay for a room and get her ass to sleep. Well. As much sleep as someone like her could manage with this incessant question bothering her. And that is why she almost pounced on Sable the moment she saw the woman awake. "Miss Protagonist! I never got permission to use your name or the chance to ask why you guys were out fighting a dragon in the first place. Is it something confidential or could I be clued in?~ And good morning! I hope you slept well."</s>
<\|description\|>Katarina A'Darran Appearance: Height: 5'2" Weight: 114 lbs Hair: Long, often tied into a ponytail Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Age: 17 History (Optional): Born to ex-criminal parents that had been exiled to Exilia, Katarina grew up in the desert. She was raised to survive, and then to leave the desert. Her father taught her the skill of quick drawing and how to fight with a katana. Mother taught her how to search for and get food and water; something that everyone needed to know in a desert. When Katarina became as good at the blade as her father was, he used a special forge he had created to smith a glass katana and wakizashi made out of a special mixture of sand and metal that made the glass as strong and sturdy as any steel. He then told her it was time for her to leave the desert and explore the world, because while he and her mother were unable to leave the desert due to their exile, they wanted Katarina to find her own place in the world. Personality: Katarina is a curious young woman with a love for learning new things. She has an aggressive personality when it comes to doing what she wants to do. Even with her stubbornness, she is as cautious as she is curious around new things as to keep herself from getting hurt. She is resourceful using what little she may have on hand to deal with any problems she may end up running into. She finds fun in the small things since there weren't that many large things in the desert. She has no understanding of law as there was none in the desert. When she feels that she's not a risk for injury she is bright and outgoing. Weapons: She has a glass katana and wakizashi forged by her father, a talented weaponsmith and glassmith. Their blades are sharp as any other and will not dull under normal circumstances. They are not susceptible to rust as they are not a metal blade. Even though they are glass blades, they will not shatter under normal circumstances either as they were made with a mixture of metal dust and sand that is resilient enough to be as sturdy and strong as any normal sword. She calls the blade Dawn as the hues of color within the blade look like the sky at dawn. The wakizashi is called Dusk for a similar reason. She keeps the both of them on the left side of her belt in simple leather sheaths. Abilities (Magic): Body Magic – Katarina's magic is focused completely on her own body, she can concentrate her power on her legs in order to help her run quicker or jump higher. She could focus it on her arms to give her attacks more power or speed. She can use it to accelerate her healing process in order to allow an injury that would take weeks to heal only days. She can slow down her metabolism allowing her to go longer without food or water. Her greatest weakness is that she can only chose one particular improvement to make, meaning she can't heal herself and improve her strength at the same time. Rapidly switching between multiple improvements in a short time wears her out, and she can only manage to do so two or three times in strenuous situations. She can only multiply her speed, strength, recovery, or whatever else by 4x, and that's only if she focuses on one arm, leg, or other single body part. That also doesn't go without risk as such an increase can strain the body depending on what type of increase she is focusing on. She can improve her entire body, but that is limited to doubling her ability. Shifting from a focused point to her entire body or vice versa multiple times in a short period of time can also exhaust her.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) There it was... the power... the spectre was certain of it now... a relic. He felt someone's soul empowered by it, but also the relics own soul. The powerful fragment of a legendary hero... dead like him... he saw it surge along with the blades at the plummeting dragon. These people... they had one... and the one they had sparked something in him. The spectre had long forgotten why exactly he sought the legend relics, only that he sought them. As he watched the blades and it's soul a vestigial, ancient memory blinded him. He was suddenly surrounded by screams... knee deep in gore and viscera... it was jarring. Suddenly he was returned to the moment at hand, a dragon rapidly falling towards him. He broke into his fastest run, quickly shambling away. However he didn't get quite far enough and when the beast... and the Crimson woman who... made the spectre feel some strange memory or... something, crashed to the ground he was flung from his heavy feat, landing hard on the ground. As the dust settled, he hoped the beast was finally dead, for he wished to know what the rapidly increasing number of living humans would do to the spectre... the ghost... the old dead one in their midst. He kept his sword arm tensed... just in case.</s> <\|message\|>Alexander Atreides Atreides moved at the same time as the cursed soldier did, the Dragon opting to pursue the slower, hardier, target out of the two. Lightning arcing along his left arm, he blasted additional blows against the beast's hide, splitting scales away now from the repeated attacks and starting to really get under the thing's skin, no pun intended. Of course, as planned, Sable was already up and moving, and the dragon started aiming for the skies. Nope, Atreides decided, not that easy. Changing up his magic, he started lobbing unstable looking stones from the ground, that shattered before impact, shredding wing fabric on one side as Sable went about taking the other wing apart. Not much else he was going to do from this range at the moment, not that he didn't want hitting Sable. She was in a lot of splash range, as it were. But down the beast came, Sable driving it into the dirt from on high. He reckoned she would be alright, all things considered, and he did indeed check briefly to ensure that, after the crash landing she was alright, he turned to address the most important thing in mind at the moment. The cursed soldier, the dead man still moving about under his own power. Well, whether it was his own or not was not necessarily the point right now. But he approached the man, for lack of better terms, hand resting on his sword just in case and spoke again to the deadman, although considering the previous silence, he was not sure what to expect out of the man. He remained frank and to the point still, he couldn't know how this soldier was going to act. "Good work, for working under a curse like that. So, biggest question I have out of all the ones I could ask is this. You going to remain friendly, or are we going to have to disagree after bringing that thing down?"</s> <\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina had found her way into a forest. A wonderful place, with trees and streams and animal life she had never seen before. She practically danced as she went from one sight to another, absorbing all the spectacles she could. There were all these things she didn't know the names of. Things her parents hadn't even told her about! This was exciting, although she missed her parents dearly. Then came something spectacular, much more so than anything she had ever seen so far. A giant lizard landed on the ground and it had wings. It reminded her of some of the desert lizards she had eaten when she lived in Exilia, but much much bigger. She wondered just how it tasted if she ate its meat. She then saw there were people fighting the creature and yelling. They must be hunting it, of course they must be really hungry to fight something so large when there was other wildlife all over this forest. She wanted to see how they hunted such a huge monster of an animal. After all something of that size could only be a danger to hunt. Maybe it was some rite of passage into adulthood, but some of those people were plenty older than she was. Perhaps they simply were seeking a way to prove their strength. She climbed up a nearby tree and sat down on a branch at the edge of the clearing. Katarina saw another being that seemed to be fighting with the others, but it didn't seem to be human even if it held a human form. She kept herself ready to leap into battle when she felt she had a good sense of how to fight the monster.</s> <\|message\|>Exoris \| "The Grand Imagineer" One orb after the other. Each spawning from the previous one as she stepped on it and began her pathway downwards to the messy scene ahead. Looks like one of the protagonists had gone berserk! Whatever could become of the heroes?! A small giggle fell from her lips as she eventually reached the ground close to where the others were and hummed in a sweet delight as the story unraveling before her eyes. Every little movement was just another fun thing she could create if she really put her mind to it... Maybe she could learn more? "So...What are you people doing picking on a dragon, out of curiosity? And why does that guy over there look like he has some raging anger problems? Probably not the time to ask these, but it's better than awaiting back up in the tree since I'm out of snacks...In fact, hey, after you solve your problems and get ready to go, can I join along with whatever journey you guys are going on? You all look like a bunch of fun.~" Current fucks given: 0.</s> <\|message\|>The cursed swordsman (Gilligan to those who ask for a name) The spectre stared at the man, no breath escaping his cold, dead lips. Slowly he lowered his blade, allowing it to rest on the ground, though his right hand still gripped the hilt. Staring at the man before him... wondering what to do... to stay silent would invite suspicion... or worse, they may attack him if he did not voice his intention. However... the veil made the dilemma more confusing... if he spoke the man would hear the revenants words as vile lies... but... perhaps one among the group did not register the veil... he knew such people existed... and it was better to appear to lie than to remain mute. So... with a rasping, gasping tune he began to speak. It came in clipped, monotonous tone, as if the ghostly apparition had not moved whatever passed for a tounge in a very, very long time. "I...will... no... not attack..." It would seem as though speaking was more difficult for the spectre than fighting, "You... carry... a relic... it's soul... I see.... an... and feel... it... I... see... seek the relics. You... are... their... their... leige lord... are you not?" This last comment a direct question for the man before him, "wh... Who..." a coughing wheeze escaped the spectre's mouth, it sounded as if dust should have come out with it, "who... is... the... the one... wreathed in... red?"</s> <\|message\|>Sable, the Crimson Streak "Chaotic neutral? No, I think I'm rather more in line with the true neutral variety, don't you think?" the Jester pondered. He appeared completely unfazed by Mal's worded threats or the growing dark energy around him. Before the Demon Prince could do anything, the masked man reached a hand out and held his palm before the boy's face. Then it curled into a pointed finger and he aimed at the boy's forehead. "You loathe me, yet I can give you purpose. Burn this moment into your memory Mal Tervsa. Rejoice for this grand shift in your story. Remember...Zyax….o…..mort." The Masked Jester pulled back, apparently satisfied by his actions. Stepping back, the Jester's body began to fade away into nothingness, leaving all traces of his presence and existence. "Farewell for now Mal Tervsa. It was….interesting chatting with you." And then he was gone. "Fuck off green prick!" There it was again. Except this time, the voice was more harsh, hatred and vulgarity spilling from its depths. Sable blinked, eyes shifting around to make sense of the voice as she fell to the earth with the dragon in tow. That's when she noticed a chained whip heading straight for her. Twirling her blade, she deflected the blow and leaped away from the dragon. As she clung onto the nearest tree, the sound of the forest crunching was heard, the dragon's body having completed its plummet. Regardless of Sable's failed fatal blow, the impact of the crash was enough to send the dragon into shock, earning it a quick death. Swinging from the tree branch, the Crimson Streak landed on the ground and observed the massive corpse. "Target eliminated," she told herself, already moving to regroup with the others. The first person her eyes caught sight of was a…very eccentric girl. The one with the floating orbs…what was with all these eccentric youngsters? Hearing her question, Sable cleared her throat before answering robotically with, "That will not be necessary. We are quite capable of traveling alone. However, if you really must, we will give you a one day grace period before ignoring your presence entirely. That is all, and apologies." With that said, she headed over to stand by her partner, who was speaking with the undead soldier. The assassin waited for Atreides to answer the being's questions, though she noted how the fallen knight kept directing its gaze at her. The voice from before, however, still played heavily on her mind. Twice now, it had interfered, whatever it was. The green Relic would hear it, unbeknownst to Ugnis, and instantly recoil back with recognition. Compared to the all too familiar voice, the green Relic's blood lusted nature was but a flickering flame to an inferno… The sinner had spoken.</s>	<\|message\|>Katarina A'Darran Katarina watched as the red blur of a fighter slew the dragon and made her way back to the crowd. The fighting was over. The hunt was complete. She finally hopped down from the tree she watched from and walked towards the giant lizard which crashed not too far from the crowd. She turned and faced the crowd as soon as she was a few feet from the massive thing. "This thing is huge! That was a great hunt! I saw the whole thing!" She glanced back at the dead dragon. "What is this lizard? Are you guys going to eat it? Can you eat it? I could have thought of easier things to hunt! Wait, was this a test of strength? What are you going to do now? What are your names? I'm Katarina by the way!" She then climbed up the giant lizard with ease. "Wow! This thing is huge! When do we start cooking? We can't let any of this go to waste!" She hadn't actually had anything to eat yet, so she was really eager to dig into this new beastie and see how it tasted. She pulled a carving knife from her backpack and started to cut into the body of the dragon. The scales really made things difficult so she put a bit more umph into removing them first. All this time she payed attention to what was going on in the crowd of strangers. She remembered Mommy telling her about being careful around people, because not all of them are nice like she and Daddy were.</s>
<\|description\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. Gender: Male Country: Imperialist China Personality: A very reserved individual who usually looks to history for advice in dealing with everyday life. A staunch student of Confucian philosophy Li would much rather debate his enemies to death than actually get into a fist-fight with them. As far as classes go he's got a keen mind for economics and is a god at standardized testing. Likes: Confucian Philosophy, History, Martial Arts, Filial Piety, Traditionalism, Economics, Standardized Testing, School Uniforms. Dislikes: Warfare/Violence, Corruption, Excess, Emotional Outbursts, Sloths, Westerners. Grudge against: Great Britain, France. Obsessed with/Past Girlfriends: Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Philippines. Biography Things: Li has developed an intense hatred of Britain and France for selling him over-priced candy at lunch during elementary school. He's rarely able to keep romantic relationships going for very long as his girlfriends often like to run off with other men. Work in Progress.</s> <\|message\|>Ada Stromgren The halls swell with students, overly excited to hear about each others vacations as they go on about every detail of their lives missed between the end of the last year and the beginning of this one. The ruckus makes the class bell practically inaudible, though the teachers were glad to help aid in the shuffling toward first class. The last to mosey out of the halls were Australia and America, comparing tans and biceps before it was left just as empty as this morning before the doors swung open. Part from the creaky janitor pushing his mop down the halls, the only sign that school was in was the cheers or murmurs that escaped from the classrooms. In one of these classrooms, Ada, Alexi, Min-Jun, Maeve, Huang, Katinka, Alejandro are standing uncomfortably around a classroom with no chairs among other smaller countries including Latvia and Costa Rica. It was obviously a science classroom, as there were lab stations in the back stocked with various beakers in an overhead cabinet. They look around, confused until a door squeaks open behind a cluttered oak desk. Through it, there are vials of colorful liquids and samples of different metals, even an incubator. A lanky man coughs into his lab coat sleeve and wafts air away from him, "My my that bacteria has been in there too long," he shakes his shoulders as if to cleanse himself of it, revealing his red-and-white checkered shirt tucked into his khakis. He looks up at the dumbfounded crowd and jolts upright, stuttering his words, "Ohhh yes yes yes, my my, you must be the class!" he pushes his thick-rimmed glasses further onto his nose. His grey prickly mustache switches over his mouth as he speaks, "You all are so early! So glad to see youngsters ready for class!" he pulls out a pocket watch and clicks it open. "Blugablehbleh!" his wiry eyebrows peek over the rims of his glasses, "Two in the morning?! My word" he scratches his thinly haired head, "I'm not even sure how you got in here!"</s> <\|message\|>Ada Stromgren Ada had been talking with one of her best friends, Claire (France, Female), about their trips when the bell rang. With a quick hug and cheek kiss she waved her friend bye and began walking with the herd to her first class. Upon entering the room, she noticed there was no teacher nor seemingly curriculum for that day. She decided this was a perfect moment to check out her classmates as she slid up onto a lab desk. She peered over their heads, picking out ones that seemed cute then betting which ones were better in bed with a very timid Latvian lady. When what appeared to be either a mad hobo or their teacher appeared from the cupboard, she quickly slid down and checked her watch, "Sir, your watch...it's upside down..." she fought the smile that was surfacing on her lips. "Oh right right right!" he fumbled with the metal and then turned it around, "Ah, 8:15, just on time...ish." He smiled to the class, "My name is Mr.B Turtles, but you can call me Mr.Turtles," Ada couldn't keep the smile that teased her whole body into giggling. They were soon dismissed to their seats as he halfway sat in his, bringing another problem. "Oh yes, the chairs!" he scurried back to the front of the class mid-sit, "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" He clapped his callused hands together once, "Alright, everyone stand up-er...Keep standing! And find a partner!" A groan escaped from the lips of some at the mention of "team-building" dreading the torture that ensued. People quickly shot their friends glances and scurried over to pair up with them.</s> <\|message\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. Li had never seen such a terrible display of academic funding on display. No chairs, really? His jade hues flashed an instant of annoyances before settling back into their usual cooled color. It was with these calculating eyes that he sized up the rest of his class and determined his general first impressions. He'd seen or met a couple of them before; some were friends, some were enemies. Specifically a frown alighted his face at the sight of Min-jun, they'd had conflicts in the past. "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" This last announcement seemed to cause a fair share of fidgeting between Li's classmates and so the Asian allowed himself to gently drift in the direction of known variables. He'd met and become half-friends with Katinka and Alexei last year, noting their similar view-points on a variety of issues. He also quite clearly remember the aforementioned female's quite boisterous claims of heroic leadership and demands that she be placed in charge of practically ever group project they'd done that semester. In truth, Li didn't really mind it, after all it kept him from having to deal with to many people. All the more time to focus on his philosophy and self-enlightenment. At the very least that irritable American wasn't in the class, his presence, above all others, always seemed to cause a fair bit of social drama and controversy; Li considered that a small victory.</s> <\|message\|>Maeve O'Sullivan Another year, another year. Perhaps if it had had a better start, Maeve would be more excited, but that English anchúinse rialú (control freak) had to go bossing her around this morning. Just because he's the oh-so-amazing English and his family adopted her, he thought she should work to make him look good. This was partly directed to the Welsh and the Scot too, but those boys are useless, especially the Welsh, he practically worships that English deachtóir (dictator). Whatever. Maeve would not let some stupid blokes ruin her first day back at school. She popped in her headphones and listened to some Mumford and Sons and Dropkick Murphys, her two favorite bands. Sure they lived in the American's country, but they were her territory, her property. Sure she didn't really get noticed much, (except in March when everybody over-celebrated her holiday - seriously, no one dressed in full out green and pinched people if they weren't wearing it, in Ireland the shamrock was enough. The American must have started that.), and sure she didn't really have friends, but she had music, and she knew her boys (English, Welsh and Scot) would be there for her if she needed their help, so for Maeve, that was enough. Maeve just blinked as she watched the eccentric man that must be their teacher enter the room. Honestly, Maeve had seen much weirder things. Then she was beginning to wonder if he was drunk, reading his watch upside down. It was kind of funny, actually. Then Maeve turned off her music and stashed her headphones away, groaning softly. Team-building exercise? Partner? This was a load of crap. Maeve took a look around at all her classmates. Ugh, Katinka, Alexei and Li, all of them in this class? She hoped she'd have different people in different classes, otherwise dealing with three control freaks all day long would mean a long year. Thankfully, Maeve didn't get noticed. At least North Korea wasn't here too. She looked around to see the others. Alejandro was here, nice to have another neutral at least. And Ada, Maeve liked intelligence and feminism, so it was likely that Maeve could have an ally in here. And there was Min-Jun, who she didn't really know very well but had to be better than North Korea. She sighed and just decided to look for one of her boys unless she was approached, and started wandering the classroom in search.</s> <\|message\|>Min-jun Park Min-Jun wasn't in the best of moods. Usually being surrounded by women would be great unless on of those woman happen to be the The Soviet Union. He was still a little mad at her for helping his older brother bully him when he was younger. Thens there's China, who also assisted his older brother when he bullied him. Min-Jun knows that mama Asia would love see all her children being a loving family but that's impossible when half of them are douches and others are to busy to notice him. He couldn't hate China for ever ,but the Soviet he could unless they both apologize for choosing his brother side when he clearly started their fuid. As for the other countries he could try to get along with them. Min-jun was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice there teach enter the room. When he stopped dwelling in his thoughts he heard the teacher say. "You see, today we're going to do a team-building exercise. I read that can help a classroom work better together!" A wide smile appeared on his face. He was no slotch when it came to work. He examined his choices and gave China and the USSR cold stares. Min-jun then turned his attention to one of the feminine countrys. They all looks pretty attractive besides the USSR. He clearly forgot about the team building plan the teacher informed and was looking for a suitable "partner". This is probably the only greatful thing Min-jun learned from China , is how not to choose the wrong girlfriend.</s> <\|message\|>Katinka Stalin Katinka chuckled lightly at the foolish teacher. She eyed the various people laid out before her, for this... "team building exercise," giving a mild internal groan at the lack of true Stalinist Marxist nations, except for Russia. Katinka already had enough experience with Russia to begin with. She began glancing around the classroom. Already socialist but not enough, ought to be socialist, technically socialist, rebellious part of a true socialist family. None of these are an ideal choice for a temporary alliance. However, diplomacy must be done. Katinka thought to herself, running over the potential candidates, blowing bubbles out of her pipe, as she did not tolerate disobedience to laws regarding tobacco consumption for minors. "Oh, good morningGLORIOUS PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF-sorry, I have a bit of a cold, Min Jun. How are you CAPITALIST SWINE, sorry, doing today?" she asked in her most diplomatic tone of voice, which was known as shouting quietly.</s> <\|message\|>Alexei Mikhailov Alexi was sitting at his desk, staring over the potential candidates, It was that time of the year again, team-work building yayyyy, where all of the cool kids are picked, And then suddenly somebody yelled Immediately waking up Alexi within seconds, It was Alexi's older, more Radical Sister, Alexi put his hand up, Announcing his presence to all of the...ugh...capitalist People, I volunteer to go with Katinka</s>	<\|message\|>Qin Shi Huang, prefers the nickname Li. With his teammates firmly secured Li supposed it wouldn't hurt to at least extend some kind of formal gesture to the rest of the class? In particular he kept a keen on locked on Min-jun at all times. They'd had a rough past before, especially considering the way he and his brother feuded. Li had tended to support Jun's brother for obvious reasons, but that still didn't mean he'd given up on trying to include the younger Asian in the Communist group of friends. It was right about this time that Katinka allowed for her little outburst. Typical of her really, always the forceful one. Li liked to think that he acted as a sort of stabilizing force, being the more reserved of the two. Still, she'd left them in a rather disadvantageous situation, something Li tried to begin repairing immediately. "I think what my friend here meant to say, Jun, is that there's always room in our group for one more. Perhaps you'd like to join us?" This was the first time the tall foreigner had spoken and instantly his traditional upbringing began to show. A neatly pressed uniform and imposing, if gentle speech made for a rather intimidating visage despite his good intentions. Sadly Li sometimes felt his appearance worked against him; for some reason his sharply kept clothing and generally confident attitude tended to scare away a lot of people. "One must remember it's always good to try and accept new experiences. Self-cultivation is important, if you work with our group we can help to make you a smarter, better person." Li finished this statement with a small grin. Again, despite his good intentions, what the tall Confucian hoped would come across as a genuine smile really seemed to be more of a 'I'll rip your guts out and eat them when you're not looking' kind of expression. Sometimes being the strong silent type really worked against you.</s>
<\|description\|>Devon Devellah Gender: Male Age: 22 Race: Human Appearance: Height and Weight: 6 feet tall and 155 lbs Weapons/Items: twin blade swords, a whip, and a ritual dagger (family heirloom) Skills: lock picking, sweet talking, reading multiple languages Abilities: is a quick swordsman, or a rogue Magic: None to note Personality: Cocky, self absorbed, charming, cunning Bio: It is said the Devellah family are decendants of an ancient demon long since lost within the ruins of Crumbleport. He is looking to see is that rumor is real.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s>	<\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s>
<\|description\|>Ekra Gender: Female Age: 29 Race: Imp Appearance: She's quite feathery, and her markings can glow, generally at will though also if stressed. Height and Weight: 3'4" and 40 pounds Weapons/Items: A sack containing 50 feet of rope, 25 iron nails, a sturdy rock, five emptied and cleaned shells, a flask of alcohol, candle wicks, five prepared small bombs, and a piece of quartz. Skills: Ekra is capable of crafting small explosives using the materials on her person. However, these bombs cannot inflict much damage, though they are sufficient to stun and are easily thrown. She is also capable of crafting and concealing simple traps, tracking others even on stone due to her familiarity with the ruin grounds, and differentiating between plant types. Also, she seems immune to pain. Abilities: Imps, as a race, are very quick creatures, able to turn on a dime. They possess no self-beneficial magical abilities but between their speed, deftness, and sleight of hand, they are capable of appearing to turn invisible. In addition to their speed, they naturally produce a venom in their saliva which disorients an enemy. Magic: Imps can feed off of magic, thus tending to attract them to spellcasters; however, they are also easily bound to items. These items can grant them some magical properties but also can force an imp to curb their mischievous nature and serve the one who bound them. Personality: Ekra, like most imps, is quite curious about the going-ons of others and chatty. She jokes quite a bit and doesn't seem to take much seriously. Also like most imps, she's fairly lonely and tries to compensate by reaching out to others. Between her inability to register pain and her lack of empathy in general, however, her efforts haven't amounted to much and she doesn't seem interested in changing them. Bio: Ekra is an imp from the ruins outside of Crumbleport. She's wandered in and out of town to play with any unattended children and set up jokes, but her nature has resulted in many an angry worker and parent seeking her demise. She spends most of her time in the ruins, targeting would-be explorers and archaeologists.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s>	<\|message\|>Ekra From the top of a broken pillar, gleaming yellow eyes watched the approaching human. Pretty sure it was human anyhow. Well, well, well, what were they doing here, hm? Walking around her ruins like that? Probably another wannabe 'professor'. Those people were so boring. The 'raiders' were a bit more interesting, but also a lot louder and meaner. Rarely did anyone come out here that she thought was actually fun. Not that it ever stopped Ekra. She giggled, jumping over to a stone rooftop filled with holes and dodging past them. A little further up was a trick she had set up a while ago, one that had used up a fair amount of rope and time. She knew it'd work though. She watched the human, crouched on her perch as the human slowly began walking along the decaying pathway, pausing to write something - Ekra would have to grab it, she was fond of flipping through those; sometimes they even had pictures - before continuing on. Her smile grew into a grin as the human got closer. Right when the human was where she needed to be, Ekra yanked on the rope nearby. Ahead, suspended from an overhanging tree, a spiky log dislodged and immediately swung downwards. Fast enough to catch attention, certainly fast enough to be seen, aimed right at the human's midsection- And then, not a foot away, crumble into harmless wooden chips and sawdust. Ekra's raucous laughter tore through the quiet ruins.</s>
<\|description\|>Chak Gender: Female Age: Unknown, appears to be a young adult Race: Halfling Appearance: Instead of metal her armor plates are made of wood with bone and wood spikes. Height and Weight: 3'0" Weapons/Items: She carries several primitive weapons. A rough wooden boomerang, multiple flint knives, and a curved tusk with a grip that she wields like a mix of a sword (with the sharp point) or a club (the rest of the tusk). Her boomerang and knives aren't of exceptional quality, but as she knows how to make them she doesn't seem to mind treating them as totally disposable weapons. Skills: Chack is an exceptional climber, and while her movements may lack any sense of flair she is capable of being incredibly agile. She also knows how to construct simple weapons and armor using scavenged materials, and frequently spends her downtime chipping out a new knife or carving down a boomerang. She also makes small scrimshaw carvings, often crude representations of animals, or else just strange marks that she seems to invent. She's a middling shot with her boomerang, but she's terrifying with her other weapons in melee combat. She fights like an animal, jumping onto her target before pulling out her short, sharp weapons or else twisting joints and even biting at exposed flesh. Magic: She seems to treat some of her scrimshaw carvings as though they had some mystic significance, but nobody has ever seen them do anything. Personality: Chak is naturally clever, but she grew up without any exposure to civilization beyond seeing strange dangerous people go through the ruins. Her behavior is almost animalistic in some regards, and not in the cute or endearing way. She prefers to communicate in grunts when she can, mostly in regards to yes / no questions and the like, since she still doesn't have a good grasp on the common language and finds it unpleasant to try to express herself with it. Bio: Left at the Crumbleport orphanage at a very young age, the Halfling that would become Chak was a normal, curious child. Like any curious child, she wanted to explore. Nobody noticed until nightfall that she had wandered off, and by then she was lost to the ruins. She was quickly presumed dead. The lucky young Halfling wasn't dead though, and instead managed to survive and even eventually thrive living in the wilderness. She learned to make tools and protection from natural materials, patterned after the objects used by the tall creatures coming and going from the city. She learned to hunt, and in time became a dangerous predator herself.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright To say that Isabel stood on the edge of the ruins would be inaccurate, because the ruins never ended. All of Crumbleport was an amalgamation of ruined, ancient structures, tumbledown but more recent buildings, and brand new construction. The "ruins" stretched from the coast, well into the jungle, and as Crumbleport shared no borders with other principalities, nobody had ever bothered to define exactly where it ended. And yet Isabel stood on the edge of something. Maybe it wasn't the edge of the ruins, and maybe it wasn't the border of Crumbleport, but it was some imaginary line. Some line that, it was understood, marked the barrier between safety and uncertainty. It looked no different from the rest of the town. There was no line, no sudden dropping or even a sudden increase in foliage. Nearest anyone could figure, the watchtower stretching out of the trees to her right(held up more by magic than by mortar these days) was the furthest one could walk without being prepared for danger. Isabel was as prepared for danger as she could be. She had practiced a few spells, and the Bottle on her back had just one prepared spell preserved inside of it. It was a kinetic field, which she could activate at a moment's notice, to protect her from attack, or a structural collapse or something like that. The rest of the Bottle's cells she left empty, to capture ancient magic for further study. She also carried a brand new leather bound notebook, held on a chain from her belt, to keep track of anything she needed to notate. Currently the only words in it were the day's date at the top of the first page. She wished she could bring a scribe student. When working at the University, there was an abundance of scribes in training who were perfectly willing to write down anything you said just to practice their calligraphy. But none were willing to go where she was going. Isabel took a final breath of safe air and then stepped forward, eyes scanning wildly around as she did so. When nothing happened, she took another step, and another. She smiled, pulled her notebook from her side and wrote: "Three steps in. Not dead yet." Then she continued walking.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon watched Isabel head off. He shook his head with a smug smirk. They won't likely see that one alive again. That was how life was in crumbleport. They stood on the grounds of untold evil waiting to grab you at every turn. Devon wasn't afraid though, evil was supposedly in his blood. In his lineage. He was looking for the answers, but he needed to go looking to know for sure what the truth really was. He strode through the ruins deciding it best to head to the tavern. It was run by dwarves to no ones surprise. It was called "The Stone Cellar" and it was very popular. He could use a drink of rum right about now.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Maverous Jack sat inside 'The Stone Cellar' at a table by himself. He had several documents about the ruins of Crumbleport. Deciding where to start is one thing but it's best to learn about the place before stepping in. Learning of its origin may help get an idea of what to expect and better prepare yourself. He was looking through them wondering where to start and what horrendous beasts he would find down in the ruins, especially on the deeper levels when it really gets underground. "This place really is more than just a maze isn't it. The entire place was covered in ruins. Choosing a place to start was deffinetly a tough decision. One misstep and it was over. Jack looked around to see others that looked like they wanted to check out the ruins. Some were here for the treasure, some for knowledge, and someay even find great power. Jack was looking for the ancient secrets hidden within. Who knows what lurked within those ruins. Jack was waiting and preparing for his long journey into the ruins of Crumbleport.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Devellah Devon sat at the bar, ordering himself some rum to drink. Looking behind himself, the pale man noticed Jack immediately. He stood out like a sore thumb, his armor, and his documents scattered about before him. This man wanted to explore by the looks of things. The thought had crossed Devon's mind immediately; he needed someone to travel with. Devon needed a party of his own if he intended to be successful. Being lost wasn't something he was used to, but all the same, he didn't want to be alone when he tried to discover his true lineage. Devon must have been staring for quite some time as he noticed a few people glance in his direction. Devon turned and took a drink of his rum. He wasn't sure he wanted to bother the knight, but in the same instance, he was curious if he'd help.</s> <\|message\|>Ekra From the top of a broken pillar, gleaming yellow eyes watched the approaching human. Pretty sure it was human anyhow. Well, well, well, what were they doing here, hm? Walking around her ruins like that? Probably another wannabe 'professor'. Those people were so boring. The 'raiders' were a bit more interesting, but also a lot louder and meaner. Rarely did anyone come out here that she thought was actually fun. Not that it ever stopped Ekra. She giggled, jumping over to a stone rooftop filled with holes and dodging past them. A little further up was a trick she had set up a while ago, one that had used up a fair amount of rope and time. She knew it'd work though. She watched the human, crouched on her perch as the human slowly began walking along the decaying pathway, pausing to write something - Ekra would have to grab it, she was fond of flipping through those; sometimes they even had pictures - before continuing on. Her smile grew into a grin as the human got closer. Right when the human was where she needed to be, Ekra yanked on the rope nearby. Ahead, suspended from an overhanging tree, a spiky log dislodged and immediately swung downwards. Fast enough to catch attention, certainly fast enough to be seen, aimed right at the human's midsection- And then, not a foot away, crumble into harmless wooden chips and sawdust. Ekra's raucous laughter tore through the quiet ruins.</s> <\|message\|>Isabel "Izzy" Allbright Isabel cried out in surprise, and thrust her hand forward. The Bottle whirred as it discharged the prepared spell. A wave of force emanated from Isabel, blowing the crumbling bits of wood away from her at great speed. Isabel smiled and lifted her notebook to write again. K-field worked like charm. Disintegrated booby trap. Must prepare new one. She checked the ground for a loos bit of rock or a string that might have set the trap off, but found nothing. That meant, she reckoned, that it had been set off by some sort of magic. She lifted her gauntleted hand and started turning the dial on the back of it, trying to find traces of the magic for capture and study.</s>	<\|message\|>Chak "Tricky's trap. She near." The voice came from almost directly above Isabel, and a glance upwards would reveal a short figure, her clothing similar in colour to the forest around her. More notable at the moment was the fact that she was hanging upside down from a tree branch, seemingly completely at ease dangling with her knees hooked over the thin sprig of wood. With a slight swinging motion, she released her hold and began to fall, the branch springing back upwards without her weight. It looked like she was going to land heavily off balance, but as she hit the ground she crumpled into an inelegant but seemingly quite effective roll, if the way that she quickly sprung to her feet after the nearly fifteen foot drop was any indication. She didn't stand straight, instead her posture was more hunched, her center of gravity closer to the ground. Curious eyes peered up at Isabel, the Halfling's head tilted slightly. "You, Smarty out learning, yesyes? Here-" she gestured to the surrounding area, "safe most like. Tricky put traps around, scare ruin people." She peered closer, squinting slightly before creeping forward a bit, moving almost as though she was ready to drop to all fours. "You... IS Smarty, yes? Supposed to meet a Smarty here."</s>
<\|description\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Race: Orc Age: 28 Gender: Male Appearance: Tall, around 6'4", heavily muscled frame and wide stature. Pale green skin with black hair worn in the Orc mohawk though his time in slavery has made it a bit ragged and unkempt along with his goatee that is rapidly becoming what passes for a beard amongst Orcs. His eyes are a honey brown color that tend to be bloodshot and his tusks jut up from the growth of his beard, he has several bone spurs protruding from his brow. He carries an assortment of scars and has tattoos reminiscent of the patterns seen in Dwarven arms and armor as well as the swirls and lines of Skyforge Steel. Personality: He would much rather run a forge than spend an extended amount of time being involved with other people, however, his time in slavery has forced him to get used to interacting with others. Initially he is quiet and reserved, waiting and watching though he will speak when spoken to. He continues to live by the Code of Malacath as best he can while enslaved and believes that everyone gets a fair chance. Background: Born and raised in Narzulbur within Skyrim as the stronghold's head smith. He was forced out of the stronghold when a valuable collection of ebony ore from Gloombound Mine went missing, but not before he defended his innocence with a few good swings of his hammer. Mercenary work proved adequate for a time before he was captured and sold into slavery with his smithing background listed as a key selling point. Abilities: -Orc abilities -Skilled with axes and blunt weapons -Skilled blacksmith, desperately wants to know more about enchanting -Knows basic fire spell and basic alchemy -Amateur archer and hunter</s> <\|message\|>Ilvel Dalvilu From the Ashes shall be Woken Chapter I: Twin Lamps Ilvel woke with a start. He'd had that dream again, the one he'd been having for the past week. Always the same dream, and never any less disturbing. Worst of all, it robbed him of his sleep, and he wasn't getting enough of that as it were. Muttering softly under his breath, he looked around him. It was dawn; he could see the light from the sun slowly conquering the shadowy ground of the city, street by street. None of it fell on him yet, but he found that he could warm his leg by letting it dangle from the space in between the strange wooden bars of his cage. That felt really nice. He kept looking around him, and stopped at his peers. The other slaves. His fellow brothers and sisters in captivity. He knew so little about them, and he'd been with some of them for such a long time. Made him wonder. Most of them were still asleep, but he found to his surprise that one of them was looking back at him. Panicking, he set a mean frown and hissed at the other one. What do you think you're looking at, s'wit?</s> <\|message\|>Q'lar Q'lar was up early as usual. He never failed to get up before the sun even rose from the horizon. Most of the other prisoners were still asleep at that time. He waited for whatever orders were to be given now. He looked at the bars, oh how he hated this feeling. The feeling of not being free. He wanted to go back to his original profession, being a thief not a prisoner who does their bidding. He was sitting down leaning on the wall behind him. He looked at Ilvel as he talked to another prisoner. He looked pretty pissed off so he paid no mind.</s> <\|message\|>Jo'ari Raihan Jo'ari was startled by the dunmer, she hadn't expected him to be so aggressive. She had watched him for a bit upon waking, she was quiet so it wasn't surprising he just now saw her. Jo'ari didn't know what to think of Ilvel, he was always so hostile to every one, but he never tried to secluded himself... never strayed far from other slaves unless commanded to. Jo'ari had been a slave for about 5 or 6 years now... she wasn't sure timekeeping was hard, but Ilvel had already been a slave, and she wasn't sure for how long. "Oh... nothing! You woke me up with your thrashing... don't be so quick to wake!" She added a small snarl at this, not a hostile one more off an angry tired one. She sat up a bit, and checked the lynx like fur that stood at the top tips of her ears, she was happy they had never been cut, she liked that her hair grew that way. "But now we're awake, so you may as well prepare for when the masters get here... I'm sure it won't be long"</s> <\|message\|>Ayron Atticaron Ayron was awoken by a loud hiss and the following one sided conversation between the Khajit. He almost threw a shoe at them; however that dark elf Ilven or Alvin or whatever was very mean and any attempt of friendly slave conversation was met with a cold glance that would ice Ayron to his very bones. So he refrained from his most likely horrid idea and now that Aryon was awake before the day of work began he was stuck with only his thought. Thoughts, not of home, but of escape and macabre murder of the foremen through out this entire Telvanni complex that even a skeever is too good for. As he closed his eyes he concentrated on his dreams of making it outside. Left, right, up little lift, right, and continue straight till you reach fresh non dank spore filled air. Outside lay woody roots of the strange mushroomed capped trees and the small town around the tower. The high and mighty Dark Elves, who employed the sorry lot that is the confined group beneath the soil, who live above us all even though they simple own a large slavery operation. "What I wouldn't give..." Ayron muttered to himself, somehow waking the slave beside him.</s>	<\|message\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Kharrn growled and rolled over in his cage, "Shut up and let those who can keep sleeping do so," the line was uttered loud enough to address the others making a fuss in the predawn quiet. Lately he had noticed that scrawny Dunmer jerking awake like a mage had hit him with a lightning bolt. It varied day to day on who woke when, but the noise always roused him out of his own sleep and soured his mood. The barrel-chested Orc rammed an elbow against the thick wooden slats of his cage and growled again as he tried to block out the noise and go back to sleep.</s>
<\|description\|>Michael Jayla Race: Imperial Age: 20 Gender: Male Appearance: Michael stands 177cm(5'10) tall and has thick brown hair. His blue eyes compliment his pale complexion. He is thin, just shy of his ribs being visible on his stomach. His legs are barely able to keep himself up, forcing Michael to use restoration to stay standing. A scar from a sword runs down his left cheek, with whip scars all along his back. Personality: Michael is charismatic and charming, used to talking himself out of situations. He normally keeps quiet and out of the way unless he is needed, although he will stand his ground on all matters Empire related. He is a true patriot, holding zealot levels of pride for the Imperial Empire. He is more than willing to betray people to save himself, unless of course this would mean damaging the Empire in any way. He despises Dunmer. Background: Michael grew up in Cyrodiil, the Imperial Heartland. Originally from the town of Cheydinhal, he was forced to try talking himself out of sticky situations several times due to his slum upbringing. Growing up in a city mostly populated by Dunmer, he soon found himself developing a hate for them. At the age of 14, tired of going to bed hungry, he stole a sword and set out on a hike to the Imperial City. When bandits attacked him on the way, he managed to convince them that war-torn Skyrim had more opportunities. They left him with a mace, a spell book and a bellyful of mead. During the rest of his trip, he discovered a deep love for maces, despite being too weak to swing them properly. Michael soon realized that using restoration magic, he could augment his strength temporarily to allow him to fight. He arrived at the gates of the Imperial City starved, having used magic to keep himself from dying from malnourishment. He found someone shady enough to purchase his stolen sword and his spell book, the contents already memorized. A job opened up for him; the night shift at a small market stand. The money was used to finance his studies at a small magic academy. After his boss found out he was forging the books and embezzling, he fled the city. After weeks of walking he arrived in Morrowind, only to be accused of being an Imperial spy. Forced into slavery by the one race he hates, Michael eagerly awaits the chance to escape and help restore glory to the Empire. Abilities: -Skilled at Restoration magic -Good with words -Good at bartering -Can manage money well -Decent with a mace -Solidly OK at foraging</s> <\|message\|>Ilvel Dalvilu From the Ashes shall be Woken Chapter I: Twin Lamps Ilvel woke with a start. He'd had that dream again, the one he'd been having for the past week. Always the same dream, and never any less disturbing. Worst of all, it robbed him of his sleep, and he wasn't getting enough of that as it were. Muttering softly under his breath, he looked around him. It was dawn; he could see the light from the sun slowly conquering the shadowy ground of the city, street by street. None of it fell on him yet, but he found that he could warm his leg by letting it dangle from the space in between the strange wooden bars of his cage. That felt really nice. He kept looking around him, and stopped at his peers. The other slaves. His fellow brothers and sisters in captivity. He knew so little about them, and he'd been with some of them for such a long time. Made him wonder. Most of them were still asleep, but he found to his surprise that one of them was looking back at him. Panicking, he set a mean frown and hissed at the other one. What do you think you're looking at, s'wit?</s> <\|message\|>Q'lar Q'lar was up early as usual. He never failed to get up before the sun even rose from the horizon. Most of the other prisoners were still asleep at that time. He waited for whatever orders were to be given now. He looked at the bars, oh how he hated this feeling. The feeling of not being free. He wanted to go back to his original profession, being a thief not a prisoner who does their bidding. He was sitting down leaning on the wall behind him. He looked at Ilvel as he talked to another prisoner. He looked pretty pissed off so he paid no mind.</s> <\|message\|>Jo'ari Raihan Jo'ari was startled by the dunmer, she hadn't expected him to be so aggressive. She had watched him for a bit upon waking, she was quiet so it wasn't surprising he just now saw her. Jo'ari didn't know what to think of Ilvel, he was always so hostile to every one, but he never tried to secluded himself... never strayed far from other slaves unless commanded to. Jo'ari had been a slave for about 5 or 6 years now... she wasn't sure timekeeping was hard, but Ilvel had already been a slave, and she wasn't sure for how long. "Oh... nothing! You woke me up with your thrashing... don't be so quick to wake!" She added a small snarl at this, not a hostile one more off an angry tired one. She sat up a bit, and checked the lynx like fur that stood at the top tips of her ears, she was happy they had never been cut, she liked that her hair grew that way. "But now we're awake, so you may as well prepare for when the masters get here... I'm sure it won't be long"</s> <\|message\|>Ayron Atticaron Ayron was awoken by a loud hiss and the following one sided conversation between the Khajit. He almost threw a shoe at them; however that dark elf Ilven or Alvin or whatever was very mean and any attempt of friendly slave conversation was met with a cold glance that would ice Ayron to his very bones. So he refrained from his most likely horrid idea and now that Aryon was awake before the day of work began he was stuck with only his thought. Thoughts, not of home, but of escape and macabre murder of the foremen through out this entire Telvanni complex that even a skeever is too good for. As he closed his eyes he concentrated on his dreams of making it outside. Left, right, up little lift, right, and continue straight till you reach fresh non dank spore filled air. Outside lay woody roots of the strange mushroomed capped trees and the small town around the tower. The high and mighty Dark Elves, who employed the sorry lot that is the confined group beneath the soil, who live above us all even though they simple own a large slavery operation. "What I wouldn't give..." Ayron muttered to himself, somehow waking the slave beside him.</s> <\|message\|>Kharrn gro-Narzulbur Kharrn growled and rolled over in his cage, "Shut up and let those who can keep sleeping do so," the line was uttered loud enough to address the others making a fuss in the predawn quiet. Lately he had noticed that scrawny Dunmer jerking awake like a mage had hit him with a lightning bolt. It varied day to day on who woke when, but the noise always roused him out of his own sleep and soured his mood. The barrel-chested Orc rammed an elbow against the thick wooden slats of his cage and growled again as he tried to block out the noise and go back to sleep.</s>	<\|message\|>Michael Jayla Michael's eyes shot open when he heard the Dunmer's hissing. "Would you be quiet!?" He stood from his cell and pushed himself up against the cage to stare at the Dumner. "The likes of you would be executed in the Empire!" Michael's attention then turned to the Orc. "I know it makes you feel tough to slam the cage but you're making too much noise!" It quickly set in to Michael that he shouldn't be yelling at the others. He rubbed his head and groaned. "I apologize. I just get mad when I'm tired." He scratched at the wrist of his left arm, under the shackles. "Being a slave to the dark elves doesn't help my mood either." He collapsed back and sat against the bars in his cell.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Red, blue, green...lock, unlock, spin... Adjusting the red-framed glasses on his face, the redhead sighed as it looked down from her place on the wall. It had long gotten bored of solving the Rubik's cubes and had eventually settled for taking them apart for no really clear reason than perhaps passive aggression. After all, he hated Rubik's cubes. She always had. It was a monstrous thing that they had been left in this chamber in the first place. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down every last one of the evil things and crush them into fancy toilet seats. Or rearrange them into nice trash bins, like she had already planned to do with these ones once they were all back into their tiny little pieces they had been constructed from. Sadly, the plinking in the bin below that signaled the imminent domination over these little pests was interrupted by the opening of the door. Giving an unamused look to the guard that appeared, it waited until they had finished their announcement to crawl over the top of the tank wall she had been throwing the plastic bits from and placed the glasses in a shirt pocket as he walked out the door. The guard and his companions outside didn't let her get very far, unfortunately, instead pushing him back in and pointing to the long garment in the corner that was to be worn.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy glared at the two guards that walked on either side of her. They acted like she was a criminal. She smirked. Ok so technically she was a criminal. But the crime she committed wasn't likely to be repeated. Although she supposed it was possible. After all she was surrounded by make bullies. But as long as they stayed out of her personal space they would've safe. She followed them to the donning room. To met the others.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas enter the room with a guard right behind him. He look at all the other "kids" around him, though he didn't know what to call them or himself. He stood there a moment evaluating all of them until the guard nudge him to keep walking with the butt if his gun. He took a seat in front of the feast but didn't take any food. He was already in enough trouble and he didn't want to accident eat someone else's food. Though it seemed the feast was for them, he simple took the possibility of them being inhuman and watched as guards ate something screwed up that comes up on TV shows. He looked at Tyrone first, seeing his stuff his face with food and then looked at Zac who was also eating. He looked down at the feast tempted just to take something, since it had been a while since he last ate. He turned toward the man, Vlad, at the end of the table, who looked like he was in charge and asked, "Is this food for use to eat?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Eat whatever appeals to you. Your duets might change as you get used to the animal I have combined you with. Now we are going to have a schedule but not today. Today I want you to spend the day getting to know each other. To do that we will have a few competitions." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Eventually, once the ridiculous peach dress-like garment was on properly, the unamused teen returned to the door and knocked to be let out again. The skirt went almost to the floor and was a bit heavy, honestly, but it served its restrictive purposes. At least the guards had the decency to let him change in private, though he still didn't discount the possibility of hidden cameras somewhere in the room. She could only hope that the scientists had the decency to actually keep them away from the curtain he used. It at least wanted to keep a little privacy, even if the scientists were supposed to be monitoring every bodily change. And boy, they had gotten a lot to monitor. She must have kept at least some of their lives interesting during the time it had been here. Once he was finally let out, the guards placed the cuffs on her wrists and they began to walk down the hall. With the dining hall soon in sight, the teen shook the medium-short hair out of its face and raised his head high before entering. Might as well not give too terrible an impression on the first interaction with the other experiments. Even if the situation was terrible, at least they still had some dignity left. He hoped so, anyway.</s> <\|message\|>Zac Shadow Zac was not-so-kindly escorted into the dining hall by a not-so-kind guard. But when he saw the food, it made him instantly forget all of that. He instantly sat down and started eating one of everything. There were three other teenagers already eating when he walked into the room. The fourth came in a while later. He looked a little confused and he asked a guard something but Zac didn't hear it. The guard then said something about 'getting to know each other' and 'having a few competitions'. Well, if there was competition he was all for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone KFC Tyrones eyes scanned the table, no KFC no Chicken, yippie, and then suddenly people arrived, one of them even askes "is this food to eat?" and was interrupted by some weird voice, Of course theres nothing good to eat! Tyrone thought. What kinda buffet is this! Tyrone decided not to eat, they're was barely anything healthy, no Mac Donalds either, so he decided he might as well talk to the new dude here, and then he saw a Man wearing a skirt walking through a door, at least Tyrone Thought it was a man, Tyrone giggled at the persons hilarious dress @YamiCuoreLaroux Nice giggle costume he commented on the persons unbelievably dumb outfit, and suddenly, giggling turned into laughing and Tyrone laughed out loud at the stupidest saddest, piece of clothing in the world</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas took a variety of food from the table and put it on his plate. He began to eat some of the chicken first and thought that it was not as good as the chicken he use to have. Then again nothing that he got was as good as he used to have it. He clear his plate of food anyway just to keep his strength up, but mainly because he was very hungry. When he hear him mention competition his mind began to race about what it could be, and possible consequence, good and bad. He got tired of worrying and eventually asked the man (Vlad) "Sir what exactly do you mean by competition, are there going to be competitive and what are the events in this competition?"</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The minute the cuffs were removed, the teen slowly started for the table, only to be stopped by what seemed to be a heckler who had no clue of his own situation. Walking straight up to the table as calmly as possible, she picked up a plate and started to fill it with various cut fruits. At the same time, two powerful tentacles shot out from under the skirt to bullet right past the heckler, never touching him, but certainly coming close enough to make any normal person flinch. Rather than just hitting him, though, they soon turned away after a second and picked up a plate of fish. "Oh, really? I'm glad you think so: I selected it especially to root out the easily overpowered." Curling one tentacle a bit tighter around the dish, she divided the fish on it into two pieces, flinging one in his general direction. "Here. You clearly need this more than anyone here. You might survive a few seconds longer."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone flinched, the tentacles barely missing his ear's, With a face of surprise, he lifted up and caught the piece of cooked fish with his fork, turning the fork and piece of fish into a Kebab He became more alive, taking a large bite out of the weird Fork/fish Kebab he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear him though, Damn.. and then yelled out Thats frackin' AWESOME!</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am open to ideas but I do have a couple competitions that I want to see you to compete in. With the DNA added to yours you will notice changes in your abilities. Some of you will run faster. Some of you will be stronger. I have come up with a few competition to test for these changes. You will also need to try to shift. Some will change easily. Others will strange." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas showed that he acknowledged Vlad's comment and turned his attention onto the 2 kids causing the ruckus. He noticed that one of the boys was facing a girl who looks like she wants to chop him up into sushi more then the fish with her big tentacle s. Though the boys simply doesn't care, probably because of the guards....I hope. Maybe they got a bit more of the animal DNA.....or there just being kids. He dogded a piece of fish flying toward him. He wanted to talk to Vlad about more ideas but since he didn't really know everyone's capabilities, he rather just wait and see for himself what they can do. So he sat there watching the 2 of them go at it.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snatched a steak off one of the tables. Since she ad recieved the anther DNA she had started eating food rawer and rawer. At first that had bothered her. But now she just accepted it. She leaned against one of the walls as she studied the other teens. She dismissed most of them as not being a threat to her. Even without her knives, which Vlad had taken, she coukd kick their asses.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Satisfied that the rude male had stopped, the redhead continued picking the foods he desired just as calmly as they had been. It wouldn't do to actually have a fight here, not at this time, and certainly not involving food like a wasteful delinquent. All he wanted was to assert that any attempt to mess with it would not be tolerated, and that appeared to have been achieved. Retracting the tentacles back under the skirt as if they had never appeared in the first place, she took the plate of fish in his free hand and brought the food over to a less occupied part of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone kept taking bites out of the fish, and in a couple seconds the fish was gone, he barely listened to Vlads intercom announcements. So, whats up everyone He introduced himself to the group, with bits and bobs of fish still in his mouth</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "The ceiling." Roxy replied sarcastically. She wasn't much of a people person. She had to admit that she was curious about her fellow 'criminals'. She wanted to know what they had done to get into this program. Did they have agreements with Vlad they way she did. If so she was curious what the terms of their agreement Vlad.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone actually looked up at the Ceiling, it was a Shiny metal ceiling but they're wasn't really anything on it. Tyrone kept looking at the ceiling and expected something to happen..But however nothing happened Tyrone looked down at the Girl who looked like she was on the streets for a couple years and with a confused look on his face he asked the girl Yeah, what about the ceiling?</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Although Lucas was disappointed that nothing drastic happened with the girl, he became very amused with Tyrone and Roxy. The fact that he didn't get the joke mean he must be on the slower side. As for The other girl she not only seemed to be a trouble maker, but she also seemed unfazed by all the guards, scientists, and so on. He noted to make a point to introduce himself to her after there done with their conversation.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht felt caught between rolling its eyes and smirking. Clearly, the assessment of the rude one had been correct: He wouldn't be much trouble unless he needed to use him for something. Which she would be making every effort to avoid for now. He had other observations to make about the others, like that witty girl who had just spoken. "They say that sarcasm is a foreign language for some, and a sign of a healthy mind for others." Looking up to the girl, he gave a slight smile. "Good to know that there are still some in this place."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You asked what was up." Roxy reminded him as she ate her steak. She smirked at the boy's question. Apparently he wasn't the brightest bulb in the group. Her sarcasm seemed to be completely lose on him. Which of course meant that she would have to find more ways to use it. She loved confusing people. "So I told you. At the moment the only thing that is up is the ceiling."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Saurcayshum?, what the heck does that mean? Tyrone thought and looked up a the ceiling, and looked back at the girl smiling and waving his left index finger back and forth, he smiled as if he found out the answer to a hard math question Now I get it!, I said whats up and you said the Ceiling, Because it was above me! @KatherinWinter he turned to the Squid-dude and asked him so what does "sarcasm" mean</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He looked at the girl with the ridiculous dress. He would laugh if he hadn't seen what happened earlier with the other boy. He kept analyzing her until she gave him a look, then realizing he had been starting at her for longish period of time. "Not really, at least nothing that I could openly speak about that's of any importance." He look at her for a second or two longer and then said "Actually what things do you know your capable of, as in your powers?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Alright teens. Our first competition is a race. The only rule is that you can not harm each other or the guards. The first one to find me in the facility will recieve a reward. The rest of you will recieve a demerit." Vlad announced.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht almost pouted at the initial response the boy finally gave before perking up a little at his question after. "Hmm...what indeed..." He gave a small smile and looked away slyly with a finger pressed under its lip, the skirt she wore seeming to rustle slightly on its own. The announcement from Vlad led her to grin a bit wider back at the male it had just been speaking with, however. "I suppose this will be how you find out, hmm? I'm sure it will be interesting." Standing up from his table, the redhead smoothed out the garments he wore. "So, where do we start?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat I know where I'm startin'! He enthusiastically yelled and ran out of the room, He ran past the table and ran back to his little room Tyrone slammed open the door and pretty much destoryed it, and looked inside of his little cramped room hoping to find the person on the intercom</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral A bit disappointed that he didn't get his answer, he still was going to see what she could do. He took 2 cans of soda and pocketed them then unzipped his jacket. He began concocting ideas on how to win since the only rule was that he can't hurt anyone. He sighed feeling a bit sorry for the boy, who he just saw running out of the room. He could of just simply asked Vlad himself. Now in mind that the boy was a idiot, he looked a Vlad waiting for him to answer the girl.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You start right where you are of course. Your all in the same place so no one gets a head start. You can start when everyone is done eating. You must all start at the same time. Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Tyrone immediately stopped, hearing the announcement he lost almost all of his enthusiasm, Cursing like crazy under his breath, he walked out from his pretty much destroyed room and walked back to the table, sitting down back on his spot and sitting kinda-patiently, tapping his foot on the ground and doing whatever he can to keep himself occupied for the next 5 seconds. Today... He whispered in his breath impatiently.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht looked around the room at the others once the announcement had finished. "Well then, are we all ready? Wouldn't want to leave anyone unfinished, after all." It walked toward the door, stopping just a little ways away and turning to wait for the others. "Take your time. Planning is always important, you know."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone I'm ready, don't know about you but I'm ready Tyrone says, tapping his foot a bit slower now, things were starting to move at last!.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He gave a shrug and gave a look like "does it look like I have anything better to do?" He went back to thinking of the ways to win without breaking the rules. "The boy probably doesn't know his left from his right, and the girl in the dress well unless she's going to change will have problem running or at least should." He thought to himself.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC (damnit sopa)</s> <\|message\|>Felix (No last name) Felix slowly walked into the gym, noticing everything that was happening. A whopping....nothing. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry I'm late. What is happening here?" To noone at all. His tail swished on the ground, and he was pretty sure something bad was going to happen.....to him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Man thats kawaii was the first thing that came through Tyrones mind and then answered the newcomer You didn't miss nothing, we were right about to go on a race to find some dude on a intercom Tyrone grabbed a piece of fish and ate it, and started tapping his foot again. now there was more people to wait for. yippie</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Let's go." Roxy headed out of the room hoping the others would follow. She wanted to use her increased sense of smell. She wanted to test just how increased it was. It would be great if she was the first to find Vlad. She could use a reward. Not wanting to get to far ahead of the others she looked over her shoulder.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht followed Roxy out of the room fairly quickly, ready to get moving already. "Well, then, do we have a plan, or is it everyone for themselves? I would imagine that the doctor would rather the latter, but if I received the correct program material, it might be in our better interests to work together for the first part. We can always split later and let fate decide from there." It took a moment to look around the current hall in thought before turning back to the others. "I don't expect any tricks to be revealed now, but might I ask what hybrids we have with us?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat Why the heck are we sitting here and chatting? I'm going to get a head start he told them. teamwork wouldn't work. theres only one reward for one person and Tyrone was going to get that reward Tyrone immediately walked the opposite way roxy did and ran to the dormitories, he started tearing apart everyone's room thinking thinking that The mysterious intercom dude would be hidden there</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy ignored the others. She didnt care where they went. As long as they didnt get into her way she was happy. She wanted to get the reward. She needed it. Vlad hated her. So she needed every advantage that she could get. She sniffed the air trying to remember what the old scientist had smelled like. She hadnt really been paying attention the last time they were there.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Nobody? Ah, well." The redheaded hybrid shrugged its shoulders at the lack of response to its previously posed question, taking one last look around the hall. "Well, I have an idea if what I want to do, anyway. If I'm needed for anything, I won't turn down any temporary alliances. Provided I find use in them, of course, but no obligation to carry through fully." With the suggestion in the open, she left quickly, walking normally down one of the halls and checking around occasionally for an area map. There had to be a few posted around somewhere for orientation purposes. If not, then perhaps a guard outpost would have a copy. Ater all, I might as well know where I'm going if I want to get anywhere close. A vague idea of possibilities is better than nothing, especially since I lack the kind of land-tracking skills others might have.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone checked all the rooms except for the Squid dudes one. since it was practically a fish tank. and then suddenly a feeling hit Tyrones nose. a a smell.. no more than a smell. lots and lots of smells. infact Tyrones nose was exploding with smells! each one different, about like. 30 different smells everywhere. it was nearly impossible to distinguish each one, Tyrone blinked a couple times and walked forward to the door. a whole bunch of smells gotten even smellier...the smell of something, Tyrone immediately went to the table and grabbed a piece of fish..the smell was overpowering but one smell was faint and far away, Tyrone gotten up and ran the same way that one tough chick was walking, bumping past her rather rudely Tyrone was tracking a smell..a rather faint but growing smell, it smelt empowering and wild and different, almost like perfume</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral With Lucas completely and utterly dissatisfied, and embarrassed, he put the cans back on the table and began his search. He was expecting a race of speed but it seemed more like a hide a seek game Vlad wanted. He watched as the others left on there search in different directions. He stood there and thought about how to find him. "Well he would probably be in one of the most secure areas of the facility, since he is the head of it. Oh how it would be so much easier if I just had a map of the facility...." He thought and turned to a guard and asked him for a map. The guard laugh and rejected him since he didn't have one to begin with but he gave the excuse that I would try to escape. "Man all the guards here suck. Well, I guess I'll go look for the blueprints of the building, should also keep a eye out for high security to snoop around in." He thought to himself. He finally left the room and searched the halls at a brisk walking pace, since there wasn't need to run rush to nowhere. He saw both the girl and the boy smelling the air and the boy turn in a sudden direction and started to run in one direction. He thought it was worth a shot so he to sniff the air and caught the old man's scent. But what he thought was odd was that he found it not only along the halls but he smelled it in the vents to. The vents would be a more direct way to him but there's a bigger chance of getting lost with all the airflow blowing the scent around. The regular way would take longer with the faint scent but was a pretty good bet that it would lead him to Vlad. He decide to take the vents since he was not only small enough, but since the boy already had a head start and since he put his traps back on the table he would most like win if the scent wasn't to screwed up from the airflow. He took off the cage to the vent and jumped inside extremely fast tos that the guard couldn't stop him. If they were smart enough the vents would be bolted from the outside if anyone could reach a exit to the compound. He moved swiftly though the vents hoping that he nose would lead him the right way.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone follows his nose's now better scent into a whiteish room. which has a counter and a few people in white suits and white labcounts, each one of them looking at Tyrone like he is some kind of weird thing they never seen before, the place was a tiny lab Tyrone follows the scent to a closet, the smell exploding in his nose, he opens the door hoping to find the person on the intercom @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht After walking for a short while, Acht eventually found one of the guard outposts and entered, pleased to see that the door was left unlocked. This seemed to be a smaller one, with little more than a break room and an office along with a card-access door, probably for a place to store equipment. Even if they had some freedom for the moment, it made sense that there would still be some things that they were denied access to. Wouldn't want a riot, after all. Taking little time to look at the few guards that were sitting in the break room, but noticing a reminder on one of the walls regarding the day's activities, the redhead moved to the unlocked office, seeing that it remained empty of humans. The first thing it noticed was how clean the room was...a bit too clean. It seemed like maybe there were things missing here...probably locked up in an effort to keep the experiments from getting into other business besides the hunt. Most of the file cabinets were locked, as were many of the desk drawers. Luckily, there did appear to be a map of some sort here, though it clearly wasn't a full map of the facility. It didn't even show the whole floor, for that matter! But it did have some notes on it...curious...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black There was nothing in the room other then things like blankets, towels, and sheets. The vent would be giant maze. It would lead him in circles. First the gym. Than the cafeteria, class rooms, training rooms. The guards would watch Acht carefully. He shouldn't be able to get into anything they didn't want him to. But he was a criminal and they had to be alert.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone says some nasty words under his mouth and closes the closet, he then sniffs the air around him, getting a few new scents, one that had the smell of sweat, he followed the scent. sniffing everything like a dog and then following it into a big open room, the room was a Gym he kept on following his smell on the big big Gym and to a Green door, he opened the Green door hoping to find anything, the sweaty smell growing bigger and bigger as he walks towards the door</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Finding nothing else of interest in the office for the time being, the redhead picked up a pen from the desk and left the outpost, glancing down at the map to see what other places she could reach. From the same hallway, he could tell that there were a few rooms on either side most of the way down, though not too many of them seemed very helpful. A few more turns away, though, was another guard outpost, a larger one this time. Thinking that perhaps a more complete map or even a few security screens might be available there, the hybrid wasted no time in making its way down the hall towards it.</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht continued on to the next outpost, but found very little to help him once he arrived. If anything, it was pretty similar to the first one, only the office was completely locked this time. Perhaps it had been a mistake that the other one was open in the first place. Frowning to herself, the hybrid exited and decided to come up with another plan. Of course the people in charge wouldn't want them knowing where the cameras were...but what else could he use, then? Searching the entire floor would likely take too long...and anything important would be locked up tightly... Sighing, the redhead walked over to a wall and used the tentacles to climb up to the ceiling. He kind of doubted that she would be able to discern anything in the buzz of activity among the scientists in this place, but who knew? Maybe he'd feel something that gave her an idea. "After that, perhaps an alliance is indeed in order..."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral With lucas's pride hurt a little from falling and the feeling of complete and utter fail, he leaned on the wall of the hall and groaned. "I swear, this is way to much of a pain for some prize." He said out loud. He stood there a little and then had a really stupid idea that would probably work. "I'll ask one of the guards where he is" he said looking left to right marketing sure there aren't any guards around. He also thought he could follow the wire from the cameras down to him, but yea know luring a guard away and beating the answer out of him would be so much easier. He walked down to where the men's bathroom was and took the stale closes to the exit and sat there and waited for his prey to come.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Looks like its time for a hint. A new graduate is with me. She is really quite abuzz to met you. If you follow the sound of buzzing and rmthe smell of honey you might find her." Vlad suggested over the PA.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Hearing the announcement, Acht felt relieved to finally have something to go off of. This sounded like some kind of bee pun...was there a hybrid that attracted bees or something? Now she just had to find the right kind of buzzing... "...Oi! Could some of you top-notch scientists please fix your computer cooling systems? I'm ashamed to know some of you right now!" Grumbling to itself, the redhead moved back down the wall, using its suction cup on the the vertical surfaces and even the floor once it got to it in an attempt to compare the various whirring, hums, and other vibrations. A lot of this was likely machinery, but there had to be something at least a little different somewhere...</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Vlad you do think they are going to find us right. There are a whole lot of floors here." She said to vlad Sniffing her hand which of corse smelled like the honey cake she had ate. " Well maybe the honey could attract someone. Do i really buzz to much." A bit to talkative she was. Buzzing also sometimes was something Beatrice did a lot.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral The first victim passed by and tried going into one of the stalls. He jumped out and tackled he guard throwing him face down to the ground. He first throw his gun away so it wouldn't be a problem and then took his arm and twisted it. The guard screamed for the explosion of pain. "Where is Vlad." He said in a slightly hire toned and very intimidating voice. The guard just kept yelling let so hit twisted it more and repeated himself. "He's on bottom, ARG, floor and is, AAAHHH, with another, OOOOOWWW, hybrid." the guard said with tears coming down his eyes. "Thank you for your cooperation." He said and then bashed his head against the medal floor knocking him out. He sprinted out the door and ran behind the corner. From there he walked down to the bottom floor using his hearing and smell to find this other hybrid. Just then he heard Vlads announcement. "It seems the guard didn't lie, which means it truly is on the last floor." He said to himself. A few guards passed him one of them saying that they heard a scream this way. He laughed and walked down to the bottom floor.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "If they don't find us in the next hour I will have the guards guide them back to the gym. We have other things to do today. You fine Beatrice. I was only using the sound to focus their attention. No one of them are using their animal attributes well. I know it is all new... but I guess I cant expect too much out of criminals." Vlad shook his head.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC The vent didn't break. the damn thing was super strong. but then a Strange smell flooded through the vents. a Smell of Honey, Tyrone quickly racked his head and remembered the dude on the intercom was with another person and said something dumb about honey and bees and then he heard some whispering. whispering.....He's on bottom ARG Floor and is AAHHHH with another OWWWWW hybred damn... Tyrone whispered as he listened in. his Hearing growing extensively wait a minute. This is the smell!. the one that will lead him to Vlad!, Tyrone started sniffing the air and following the sweet smell of honey, crawling through the vent to wherever it might lead him. the vent started going down lower and lower remembering what the poor guard said and going lower down to some of the bottom floors as he followed the scent @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " If i was searching and you said honey i would be here already. Maybe thats just me though." She turned back to face he door. Patting her hair down over the small antenna that were poking out. Maybe one of the others likes sweets as much as her. Maybe they could be friends.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy stood at the top of the stairs. She hesitated going down. Mostly because the next floor could hold anything from nothing to a lazer maze. She smirked. She doubt the last possibility. Not because Vlad was incapable of it, he was definitely capable of it. But because the point of this exercise was to see how well they used their animal enhancements. She slowly started down the stairs. At the bottom she discovered another long hallway like the one above. It was lined with doors and guards.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral "Would you like some help with the guards? I mean not that you need it or anything." Lucas said walking down right next to Roxy. It would be interesting to see his ability in action especially against armed men. He was also little bit intimidated by the guards mainly cause he didn't know if the guns they had held real bullets or tranquilizers. He was certainly not looking forward to this, but he must progress if he wants to have a shot at winning. "If you don't want my help I'll happily stand here and watch you beat them up yourself."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Oh? Did I miss my chance to request an alliance? Or is the offer open to multiple people?" The hybrid pouted slightly as it finally made its way to the bottom of the stairs only to see that its target had already been confronted. Still, maybe there was a way to salvage this plan after all. "Of course, I wouldn't suggest taking out the guards. That's against the rules, he said~. Besides, there are other ways to get what we want and where we want to go, aren't there? We don't have the same limitations that we used to, do we?" @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am rather disappointed in you children. No wonder you were caught. Your terrible criminals. The minutes and the prize will e taken away." Vlad called --- @joeycbee Roxy studied the two beside her. She didn't trust them but time was running out. One of them needed to find Vlad. Or this other woman that is suppose to be here.""We can't take out the guards. They aren't a threat to us. If we can get information from them that would be helpful but I doubt that we can without getting ourselves into trouble. I think it is time that we start looking at what skills we have to work with. I can pick locks. But I doubt that will be beneficial."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato I wonder if threatening to take the prize away would encourage them." Beatrice said looking at the scientist. "Do you hear anything? i though i heard something." She asked Vlad curious if it was just her, hearing them on floors above or not.@KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht removed the glasses from its pocket inside its clothing, checking them for smudges as it spoke. "You never know, hon; sometimes the most basic-seeming abilities turn out to be the most useful. I'm not much of a lock-picker myself." Giving a little puff of air and rubbing at it with a clean part of the cloth, it continued. "I'm more of an analysis-and-distraction type, personally. I'm finding myself a little more sensitive to anything I can cling to, however."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone eventually makes it to a vent. a opened one too, and then he heard the intercom person and his smart butt comment, Tyrone?. Terrible Criminal? Hell no. Tyrone spent his entire friggin' life on the streets and this here dude was mocking him when he hasn't even ever commited a single CRIME? Tyrone was pretty pissed. he hopped out of the vent and followed the nearest honey smell, and broke into a angry run. He wanted that prize. whatever the heck it is. he wanted it. He turned a corner and ran down a long set of stairs, down to a hallway, to two people casually standing in Tyrones way!, Tyrone smashed past some girl who looked like she spent twice as long on the streets as Tyrone @KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "My hearing isn't like yours. I cant hear what you hear. I am sure you hear the others getting closer. They are on this floor now. They just have to find what room we are in."Vlad answered. "You're lucky I don't have my knives."Roxy glared at the kid that bumped into her. She reached for her knives automatically. [color=8882be]"We were just discussing our available skills to put an end to this game of hide and go seek. Do you have anything thing worth while to contribute?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "What are we doing after someone finds us?" Again Beatrice asks vlad making sure to pat down her hair(again) As her antennae where slowly making her hair perk up. She really wanted to know if there was going to be another game after this.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book "Once they find us we will go to the next activity. I was hoping to encourage them to work more as team but I can see that will take time. I will have you all taken to the lunch room. You can eat and get to know the others." Vlad told her.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Oh no a girl who owns knives I'm so scared man. Tyrone almost immediately stopped and confronted the "Tough" girl I spent my entire life on the streets, your lucky I didn't bring my knives girl! Tyrone Laughed at his own words and almost in a instant. and clapped too as if he was a One man Laugh Track. the prize and all of his ambition suddenly disappeared in his head replaced with Humorful and Funny Comments about the girl who dared to threaten him with knives.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht shook its head and sighed, pinching the bridge of its nose in irritation. Oh great, he's back. Are the guards to dumb to taze him themselves or something? Without looking at either of them, she removed his glasses and looked for the pocket they had previously been in. "The knives aren't what you should be worried about, boy. You remember how you almost got killed for making fun of people this morning, don't you? I should hope that you haven't managed to hit your head that hard in the time that has passed since then. Who's to say that this girl doesn't have a similar trick and less tolerance than I do? You seem to forget that we are all criminals, and killing is likely not beneath anyone here, regardless of the pity you force out of us for never learning how to not get killed by anyone you are forced into a room with." Finally placing the glasses into the right pocket, the hybrid started down the hall again, away from the scene and closer toward the vibrations he felt through the floor. "Of course, maybe even that shouldn't be your worry. Vlad said that we weren't allowed to hurt each other, so you should really be hoping that he didn't see that little stunt of yours just now. You could end up another failed experiment to be disposed of if he thinks you've damaged another of his carefully nurtured projects. He doesn't strike me as a reasonable man, though very capable of finding fault easily."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC All of a suddeny Acht's voice turned from the knives aren't what you should be worried about to blahblahblahblahblah don't do this and don't do that blah blah blah blah blah blah Etc Tyrone just nodded, sure, okay man. cool bro. awesome, sure. okay. cool bro. etc and droned on, trying to pretend he was listening, and turned around, now what was I doin' again. Oh yeah the prize! Tyrone remembered and ran through the hallway past Acht, following the Scent.</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht As Tyrone ran past Acht, the redhead suddenly launched to the side and smashed into the wall, as if having been pushed very hard. Making a very loud thump and a cracking sound as she connected and slumping to the floor, the hybrid gave a low groan and stopped moving. First rule of establishment, Perri: Show, don't tell. You should have learned it a bit sooner, but that's why you have me, isn't it? Just don't forget it in the future, or you'll be eaten alive... In fact, if you're not more careful, it might even be by those as close to you as I am...</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone ran almost halfway down the hallway and stopped, looking back curiously to see whoever is groaning and noticed the person who gotten hurt was on the ground. and looked pretty pretty hurt. Eh. It ain't my problem Tyrone thought and kept on running a bit further before stopping again. Tyrone left out a sarcastic sigh and walked down the hallway to the redhead kid who gotten hurt for some reason, Tyrone stood infront of him are you okay man?, ya look pretty beaten up He told him in a friendly tone, His face shown that he barely cared but at the same time he cared a lot, @YamiCuoreLaroux</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The hybrid didn't move for another few seconds, remaining crumpled on the floor. Eventually, a quiet, pained-sounding chuckle forced its way out of her mouth. "Well, well. That's quite an attitude to take after trying to sabotage someone. So your plan was to wait for my back to turn before ensuring that I would get no chance to complete the task..." Acht's face remained hidden behind one arm, but a sharp intake of breath could be heard before the pained voice spoke quietly again. "...But isn't that cheating? How cruel of you." He fell silent again after, letting only slow breaths out and keeping very still.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Well Your welcome man, I went back to help you and all ya doin' is accusin' me of stuff I didn't do! Tyrone exclaimed, turning his back to the person and leaving him, He didn't want to deal with someone who would yell at you for helping them Have a nice time bein' hurt because sure as heck ain't helping you next time Tyrone added before Running down the hallway again, Ditching the Hurt red-head.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Vlad opened the door and signaled the guards. Two guards grabbed Tyrone. "Take him to his room. He can stay there by himself. I will deal with him later. You were suppose to work as a team. I specifically told you not to hurt one another. Because you were abusive to the others Tyrone you will be punished. Ache is the only one who attempted to follow the rules."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone yelled bloody murder Thats Bull I never meant Ta push her!, this is a loada crap! Tyrone Turned his head to the guard with a angry face You believe me right? and the guard replied Shut up street punk. and carried Tyrone away, Tyrone stared back down the hallway yelling things that were half Intelligible He meant to get hurt!, This is all just some kinda stupid test!. This is bull! I swear its bull! the guards simply sighed and carried him off, Past the Hallways, Past the Gym. Past the Mess hall and swung open the door and shoved Tyrone in, Tyrone Scrambled to get up, Cmon man it was a- the door was slammed shut by the guards drowning out Tyrones voice with a large boom.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Well, now. How unfortunate. The hybrid listened carefully as the loud one was carried away. A test? Hmm... You aren't wrong, but sadly, you did fail it. You should have been far more careful. Letting out another groan, Acht moved a hand to the side of its head. It ached, but not as much as his arm or side, since they had hit the wall much harder. Still, that was the price she paid for quality. It had been a hard-learned lesson that one shouldn't cut corners on believable detail, and he would never forget that. Moving the hand back to the floor and using her good arm to slowly push himself into a sitting position, the redhead turned to inspect the injured shoulder. Blotchy. Not too incredibly so, but enough to tell that some sort of large bruise was forming at the very least. "Hmm...curious..." Acht poked at the oddly colored skin only to wince and pull its hand back. Still half-expecting to find that the arm had been sprained or worse later on, she looked back up toward those who were still in the hallway. "...Miss, it may have not been entirely intentional, but did we actually manage to find the good doctor just now?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Technically we didn't find him. He came out."Roxy pointed out. She crossed her arms and looked at the doctor. He hadn't had her taken away for punishment. Nor had he included he in the reward. She didn't know what that meant. She watched him uncertainly. What did that mean? What was he up to? She doubt it was anything good.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Well they were taking forever anyway." Beatrice commented on the doctor revealing their location, she was getting hungry and wanted to go meet everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Maybe so, but that little stunt that friend of ours pulled caused him to reveal his location. Luring a target should still count as an acceptable means of ascertaining location." The injured hybrid slowly rose to its feet, clutching at its arm. "Of course, it wasn't really planned this time, but it is still something to consider. Who knows, maybe that was the loud one's plan all along, and it just backfired a bit at the end. Probably doesn't know his own strength, or at least never considered how to be careful of its consequences." "You did quite a few helpful things yourself before that incident cropped up though, didn't you? Though it seems that you were much less reckless and more methodic about them. You probably added more to our team effort than I did, even. While it lasted, anyway." The redhead leaned against the wall and turned back to the girl as she spoke, only the very corners of his mouth quirking the slightest, as if subtly trying to refer to some sort of shared secret.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You didnt find me be you will still be rewarded Acht. We can discuss it now or later. You other two can go to the cafeteria and have lunch. You may have whatever you want."Vlad told them. He was not happy with them but they had almost completed the assignment that wasnt a half bad start for criminals.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That means i can go too right?" Beatrice said popping out from behind the doctor. Before shuffling back behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone sat in his room. not doing anything but sitting down, man that's stupid. I didn't even push him. and here I am sittin' in ma room like I'm grounded or something. wow man just wow He thought and sat on his bed, looking at the steel wall in front of him I thought this place would be different. I thought I would actually get some freedom but nope!, Here I am sittin' in my room. I'm just a glorified prisoner Tyrone thought, the Smells of the room was nasty and annoying, it was slowly driving him insane. Tyrone lifted his hands over his head, and opened his eyes, too his surprise his hand was rather hairy with brown hair covering a quarter of it I don't remember that hair bein' there. He thought and looked at his arm, which was also hairy must be nuffin' Tyrone thought, forgetting about his hairy arms.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Not like I can ask for more. I'd like to discuss a little later, though, if that's allowed. All this excitement has gotten me hungry." Acht shrugged, or at least attempted to, before turning back to walk upstairs. Before leaving, though, it turned back to Roxy. "Will you be going as well? It'll be quiet in the cafeteria otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Probably. Lets that held that way." Roxy headed back to the elveator. Vlad made no attempt to stop her so she figured that she was allowed to go with the others. She saw Vlad head off in the direction the one boy had been drug off to. She was glad it wasnt her. Vlad could be creative in his punishments when he wanted to be. She lead the other two test subjects back the way they came.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " So i am coming with you two." She said to the girl Quickly walking forwards to her. " Im Beatrice, Nize to meet you." She said to both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book The redheaded hybrid gave a small smile as it continued walking, noticing the potential pun in the innocent sentence. "Beatrice...that might be the first name that I've actually learned today. I'm afraid that we haven't been very good about introductions with all that has happened." The hybrid tapped a finger on its chin in thought before speaking again. "I'm sure you've heard the name 'Acht' used by the good doctor there, so if you want to use that as well for now, I won't stop you. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " I hope we have fun working together. " Beatrice said before one of the small antennae pops its way out from under her hair causing her to quick go into a fuss on making it stick back down. Which being as uncorupertable as a Antennae could be. Refuses to go back down.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy rolled her eyes as the other two introduced themselves. She didn't bother introducing herself. She wasn't here to make friends. "You will have to tell us what your reward is. I doubt it will be as good as it would have been if we had succeeded. But atleast we will get an idea of what the doctor considers a reward." She knew everyone's reward and punishment would be different. When they arrived at the cafeteria she helped herself to another steak.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht kept the slight smile on its face as the antenna continued its attempt to break free of Beatrice's hair. "Perhaps it would be best to leave it? It may make it easier to adjust to its uses in the new environment, anyway." The long skirt of the dress covering most of the hybrid's body rustled a bit oddly as they entered the cafeteria again. "Besides, I can assure you that there are much more...distracting...appearances among some of us." Still following the other female experiment with the more cynical attitude as she went to obtain food, it nodded in response to her request. "That assessment is likely true, but not much else to be done now, I suppose. I wouldn't mind to oblige for the sake of planning, though, Miss...?" The red-haired hybrid cocked its head to the side as it stared in slight curiosity. This one hadn't bothered to take the chance offered by Beatrice to clear up what name to go by. How odd. Did she not care, or just not want them to know? Not like it could blame her, were it the second option. For all it knew, even the girl they had just met could be using an alias. Still, it intrigued Acht that not even a temporary replacement had been provided. Or did she not understand the social cue? An interesting case to be sure. Will all the people I work with be this intriguing, or is this just a reflection of a desire for mental stimulation again? I wonder if any of the others have reactions like this to their enhancements...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I suppose I should identitify myslef." Roxy said with a sigh. She didnt really want to bother. They didnt care who she was. She didnt care who they were. But they were going to be stuck together. So they would probably need her name. "You can call my Roxy. So how did the two of you end up in here? Did you kill someone or just do something stupid?" Which was probably a rude way to ask but she wasnt known for her social skills. ------- Vlad made his way down the hall. He was looking forward punishing someone. He loved dishing out punishments. He opened the door to the boys room. "So you havent learned how to get along with the others yet. Well I am here to help you with that. I can beat you, starve you, or toture you. Last time we went with music. Shall we do that again?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "If i leave it up it causes problems. Like last time it went like this." Beatrice said As the other girl finished asking her own questions. " Nothing to bad. Well if you call what i did bad then who knows."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht @Song Book The redhead nodded in acknowledgement to Roxy's answer before turning back to Beatrice. "Problems? Well, you likely know better than I. Everyone adjusts in their own way, they say." Acht couldn't imagine exactly what kind of problem she could be referring to. Perhaps they had gotten caught on something before? Hard to say what it could be with no experience of one's own to go by. Turning to obtain some food as Roxy asked her second question, Acht thought for a good second before eventually stepping back with a plate of a few different foods. "I hope they improve their variety of seafood at some point. I'll starve." Shaking its head, it started toward one of the tables to sit down. "Hmm...are those our only options for crimes? One's clearly more specific than the other. I guess I'll take the second option for now, then."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book@YamiCuoreLaroux Roxy shook her head. She hadnt been expecting an answer. She was just curious what kind of answer they would give. She eat in silence for awhile. "Food will depend on performance. The better you perform the better you eat. Vlad will reward those who do their part. But he wont make it easy. He wants soliders and none of us are soliders."</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "You speak as one with experience. Is this not really your first attempt in this program after all?" Acht didn't really look up from the food as it asked, but couldn't hide the curiosity, nonetheless. There was plenty to wonder about in this facility, and the people just seemed to become more interesting as the day went on. "Now that I think of it, did you ever say which of the two got you in here before?"</s>
<\|description\|>Perrivalt Acht Age: 19 Appearance: Medium-dark tan skin, dark red hair, dark gold eyes. The octopus tentacles are a rich orange color normally, but can change color. Often wears a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses when studying for long periods of time, if the chance is ever gotten to begin with. Animal: Octopus Personality: He's a bit slippery, often speaking a bit ambiguously or sometimes even acting in a way that seems deliberately evasive. Whether she realizes that he's doing this or not isn't really certain to a lot of people yet, as it seems that he may have trouble knowing when she's doing so himself. She's pretty intelligent and takes some pride in his now quite-limber form, but still gets irritated about certain assumptions regarding it, to the point where s/he can even become quite aggressive. Normally, though, he's not often quick to fight unless immediately in danger. Bio: (In Progress)</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You didnt find me be you will still be rewarded Acht. We can discuss it now or later. You other two can go to the cafeteria and have lunch. You may have whatever you want."Vlad told them. He was not happy with them but they had almost completed the assignment that wasnt a half bad start for criminals.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That means i can go too right?" Beatrice said popping out from behind the doctor. Before shuffling back behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone sat in his room. not doing anything but sitting down, man that's stupid. I didn't even push him. and here I am sittin' in ma room like I'm grounded or something. wow man just wow He thought and sat on his bed, looking at the steel wall in front of him I thought this place would be different. I thought I would actually get some freedom but nope!, Here I am sittin' in my room. I'm just a glorified prisoner Tyrone thought, the Smells of the room was nasty and annoying, it was slowly driving him insane. Tyrone lifted his hands over his head, and opened his eyes, too his surprise his hand was rather hairy with brown hair covering a quarter of it I don't remember that hair bein' there. He thought and looked at his arm, which was also hairy must be nuffin' Tyrone thought, forgetting about his hairy arms.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Not like I can ask for more. I'd like to discuss a little later, though, if that's allowed. All this excitement has gotten me hungry." Acht shrugged, or at least attempted to, before turning back to walk upstairs. Before leaving, though, it turned back to Roxy. "Will you be going as well? It'll be quiet in the cafeteria otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Probably. Lets that held that way." Roxy headed back to the elveator. Vlad made no attempt to stop her so she figured that she was allowed to go with the others. She saw Vlad head off in the direction the one boy had been drug off to. She was glad it wasnt her. Vlad could be creative in his punishments when he wanted to be. She lead the other two test subjects back the way they came.</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " So i am coming with you two." She said to the girl Quickly walking forwards to her. " Im Beatrice, Nize to meet you." She said to both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book The redheaded hybrid gave a small smile as it continued walking, noticing the potential pun in the innocent sentence. "Beatrice...that might be the first name that I've actually learned today. I'm afraid that we haven't been very good about introductions with all that has happened." The hybrid tapped a finger on its chin in thought before speaking again. "I'm sure you've heard the name 'Acht' used by the good doctor there, so if you want to use that as well for now, I won't stop you. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " I hope we have fun working together. " Beatrice said before one of the small antennae pops its way out from under her hair causing her to quick go into a fuss on making it stick back down. Which being as uncorupertable as a Antennae could be. Refuses to go back down.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy rolled her eyes as the other two introduced themselves. She didn't bother introducing herself. She wasn't here to make friends. "You will have to tell us what your reward is. I doubt it will be as good as it would have been if we had succeeded. But atleast we will get an idea of what the doctor considers a reward." She knew everyone's reward and punishment would be different. When they arrived at the cafeteria she helped herself to another steak.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht kept the slight smile on its face as the antenna continued its attempt to break free of Beatrice's hair. "Perhaps it would be best to leave it? It may make it easier to adjust to its uses in the new environment, anyway." The long skirt of the dress covering most of the hybrid's body rustled a bit oddly as they entered the cafeteria again. "Besides, I can assure you that there are much more...distracting...appearances among some of us." Still following the other female experiment with the more cynical attitude as she went to obtain food, it nodded in response to her request. "That assessment is likely true, but not much else to be done now, I suppose. I wouldn't mind to oblige for the sake of planning, though, Miss...?" The red-haired hybrid cocked its head to the side as it stared in slight curiosity. This one hadn't bothered to take the chance offered by Beatrice to clear up what name to go by. How odd. Did she not care, or just not want them to know? Not like it could blame her, were it the second option. For all it knew, even the girl they had just met could be using an alias. Still, it intrigued Acht that not even a temporary replacement had been provided. Or did she not understand the social cue? An interesting case to be sure. Will all the people I work with be this intriguing, or is this just a reflection of a desire for mental stimulation again? I wonder if any of the others have reactions like this to their enhancements...</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I suppose I should identitify myslef." Roxy said with a sigh. She didnt really want to bother. They didnt care who she was. She didnt care who they were. But they were going to be stuck together. So they would probably need her name. "You can call my Roxy. So how did the two of you end up in here? Did you kill someone or just do something stupid?" Which was probably a rude way to ask but she wasnt known for her social skills. ------- Vlad made his way down the hall. He was looking forward punishing someone. He loved dishing out punishments. He opened the door to the boys room. "So you havent learned how to get along with the others yet. Well I am here to help you with that. I can beat you, starve you, or toture you. Last time we went with music. Shall we do that again?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato "If i leave it up it causes problems. Like last time it went like this." Beatrice said As the other girl finished asking her own questions. " Nothing to bad. Well if you call what i did bad then who knows."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht @Song Book The redhead nodded in acknowledgement to Roxy's answer before turning back to Beatrice. "Problems? Well, you likely know better than I. Everyone adjusts in their own way, they say." Acht couldn't imagine exactly what kind of problem she could be referring to. Perhaps they had gotten caught on something before? Hard to say what it could be with no experience of one's own to go by. Turning to obtain some food as Roxy asked her second question, Acht thought for a good second before eventually stepping back with a plate of a few different foods. "I hope they improve their variety of seafood at some point. I'll starve." Shaking its head, it started toward one of the tables to sit down. "Hmm...are those our only options for crimes? One's clearly more specific than the other. I guess I'll take the second option for now, then."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Book@YamiCuoreLaroux Roxy shook her head. She hadnt been expecting an answer. She was just curious what kind of answer they would give. She eat in silence for awhile. "Food will depend on performance. The better you perform the better you eat. Vlad will reward those who do their part. But he wont make it easy. He wants soliders and none of us are soliders."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "You speak as one with experience. Is this not really your first attempt in this program after all?" Acht didn't really look up from the food as it asked, but couldn't hide the curiosity, nonetheless. There was plenty to wonder about in this facility, and the people just seemed to become more interesting as the day went on. "Now that I think of it, did you ever say which of the two got you in here before?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "That's because I have been here the longest. I think. I am not good at following the rules so I have gotten past phase two. I can tell you the basics nothing more. Mostly because I ignored most of what the mad scientist said. Roxy explained while she eat. She know that this would make the others suspicious but there wasnt alot she could do about her knowledge. She would share but it was up to them whether they believed her or not.@YamiCuoreLaroux</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " Ive been treated quiet nicely since I got here. though ive never met you guys till today." Beatrice smiled finnaly fixing her hair over the annouyance and finding some - insert treat with honey in it- and moving back to the table the two were at. " Why would you ignore the doctor, I don't think that has done you anything good."@KatherinWinter</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Book "Well, to be fair, the doctor doesn't speak in a way that inspires one to listen. That's why he uses other means." The hybrid took another bite of the food as it considered the information so far. Maybe... "I can listen to uninspiring speeches, but territory is something I'll have trouble with, I'm sure. As for why we haven't met, I suppose we weren't ready yet. It may have been dangerous to their plans in some way, or perhaps some of us..." A piece of fish fell apart under the fork, making the redhead frown at the failed attempt to pick it up. "...weren't exactly stable."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You only get to met the ones that survive round one. The first step is dangerous and not everyone survives. The thought is that you can morn people that you don't know. So only the survivors get to met." Roxy explained as she eat. She didn't bother telling them that making it to step two meant they would survive. Just that they were stronger than some.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Ever the courteous one, that doctor." Acht sighed and finished off the food on his plate before sitting back a bit. "For someone who doesn't listen, you certainly have learned quite a bit. Not that it's my business." "In any case, I do hope the doctor sees fit for a break at some point. I don't fancy drying out because he doesn't have the need for submersion every few hours, but perhaps he has a plan in place for that as well that he merely didn't care to share."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy shrugged. "I've learned alot. Mostly that Vlad is a mad scientist without a cue. He wthinks he can make criminals soldiers. I don't like, trust,or respect Vlad. I'll do as little as I can get away with."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " yeah I don't really like the doctor to much. But when faced with life sentence. I would rather be a soldier." She said eating a bit the small treat. All of a sudden both of her antennae pop out of her hair as if reacting to the sweet treat. Deciding to keep eating as if nothing happened, hoping no one else would notice them.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Hmmhmm. I doubt anyone here truly likes the doctor, even the staff. Not really much you can do when he legally and somehow financially has what seems to be total control, though." Lowering its voice a bit further until it was almost muttering, the hybrid continued. "I wonder if perhaps we'll see the sun more often as soldiers, however. I'd love to see a bit more than just the facility someday." Returning its voice to a normal volume, Acht hummed a bit and propped a hand under its chin. "I know it's probably not the favored topic, but do you know what activity might be next?"</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato Being pleased that no one actually noticed that her antennae were out. she kept smiling trying to draw attention away from them. So didn't like the two much.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Since we're getting lunch it will most likely be gym." Roxy answered looking at the clock on the wall. She figured that Vlad would pick something that would make atleast one of them look foolish he liked to do that. He wanted them to be a team but he couldnt seem to resist the urge to pick on them. "You might as well get use to those stupid antennae. They arent going anywhere."</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Very well. I never liked gym, but what can we do? Besides, maybe a few things have changed." The hybrid picked at the skirt of its dress for a moment. "Anything we should be wary of, or is it just standard high school boredom with more chances for reward and punishment?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snorted at the question. "Vlad will expect you to preform above a high school level. Mostly it depends on where you are. He will want to evaluate how the animal DNA has changed you. He will do the tests you get in high school first. Strength, endurance, and speed. Once he had a basic number he will push you beyond that."</s> <\|message\|>Beatrice Demato " That sounds fun..." Beatrice said giving a evil eye to Roxy for mentioning her Antennea. It didn't seem like the other hybrid noticed though.</s>	<\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "But still high school tests? So basically what I asked for. I'd honestly be disappointed if he really expected only that level of performance. Surely he didn't expect to fail that terribly." The hybrid smoothed out its clothes and gave a bored glance toward the others once more. "Well, then, here's to hoping that this will at least be entertaining in some manner."</s>
<\|description\|>Felix (No last name) Age: 16 Appearance: 5'4. Light build. He has black hair that goes down the sides of his head to about halfway down the ear and an inch and a half down in the front and back. Wears a black T-shirt and large black sweatpants. Sometimes wears a headband. Oh yeah, and he looks like a humanoid black cat. That's sort of important. He even has a tail. Has claws. Animal: Cat Personality: Felix is rather lighthearted and friendly, but when he gets agitated by something regarding him or his friends, he gets much more angry than he should, assuming he takes it seriously. He also gets bored easily. Hyperactive when cooped up. Notes: Likes cats, not because of the DNA. Likes animals in general, but mostly cats. Dislikes constant use of sarcasm directed towards him or other persons. Has a few small mental disorders that result in the agitation/boredom/hyperactivity. Very fast. Very agile. Bio: Felix lived in a house by himself from 7th grade onwards. His mother died and he never had a father, so he gets touchy about those subjects. His mother was ill for a long period of time, so he prepared for living alone in terms of capabilities. Nobody knows these things aside from people he tells. Anyways, he had a friend named Liam who was the only one who knew these things. Some person and their gang, basically stereotypical bullies, picked on him and his friend....for apparently no reason. When push came to shove, Felix got mad and beat the bully to death with a metal bat. He got locked up for premeditated murder (Which was true, but he doesn't see it that way). He doesn't consider himself a criminal, but he doesn't deny that he did that. Then the government guys came and took him to the facility-thing.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone KFC Tyrones eyes scanned the table, no KFC no Chicken, yippie, and then suddenly people arrived, one of them even askes "is this food to eat?" and was interrupted by some weird voice, Of course theres nothing good to eat! Tyrone thought. What kinda buffet is this! Tyrone decided not to eat, they're was barely anything healthy, no Mac Donalds either, so he decided he might as well talk to the new dude here, and then he saw a Man wearing a skirt walking through a door, at least Tyrone Thought it was a man, Tyrone giggled at the persons hilarious dress @YamiCuoreLaroux Nice giggle costume he commented on the persons unbelievably dumb outfit, and suddenly, giggling turned into laughing and Tyrone laughed out loud at the stupidest saddest, piece of clothing in the world</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas took a variety of food from the table and put it on his plate. He began to eat some of the chicken first and thought that it was not as good as the chicken he use to have. Then again nothing that he got was as good as he used to have it. He clear his plate of food anyway just to keep his strength up, but mainly because he was very hungry. When he hear him mention competition his mind began to race about what it could be, and possible consequence, good and bad. He got tired of worrying and eventually asked the man (Vlad) "Sir what exactly do you mean by competition, are there going to be competitive and what are the events in this competition?"</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht The minute the cuffs were removed, the teen slowly started for the table, only to be stopped by what seemed to be a heckler who had no clue of his own situation. Walking straight up to the table as calmly as possible, she picked up a plate and started to fill it with various cut fruits. At the same time, two powerful tentacles shot out from under the skirt to bullet right past the heckler, never touching him, but certainly coming close enough to make any normal person flinch. Rather than just hitting him, though, they soon turned away after a second and picked up a plate of fish. "Oh, really? I'm glad you think so: I selected it especially to root out the easily overpowered." Curling one tentacle a bit tighter around the dish, she divided the fish on it into two pieces, flinging one in his general direction. "Here. You clearly need this more than anyone here. You might survive a few seconds longer."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone flinched, the tentacles barely missing his ear's, With a face of surprise, he lifted up and caught the piece of cooked fish with his fork, turning the fork and piece of fish into a Kebab He became more alive, taking a large bite out of the weird Fork/fish Kebab he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear him though, Damn.. and then yelled out Thats frackin' AWESOME!</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "I am open to ideas but I do have a couple competitions that I want to see you to compete in. With the DNA added to yours you will notice changes in your abilities. Some of you will run faster. Some of you will be stronger. I have come up with a few competition to test for these changes. You will also need to try to shift. Some will change easily. Others will strange." Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Lucas showed that he acknowledged Vlad's comment and turned his attention onto the 2 kids causing the ruckus. He noticed that one of the boys was facing a girl who looks like she wants to chop him up into sushi more then the fish with her big tentacle s. Though the boys simply doesn't care, probably because of the guards....I hope. Maybe they got a bit more of the animal DNA.....or there just being kids. He dogded a piece of fish flying toward him. He wanted to talk to Vlad about more ideas but since he didn't really know everyone's capabilities, he rather just wait and see for himself what they can do. So he sat there watching the 2 of them go at it.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black Roxy snatched a steak off one of the tables. Since she ad recieved the anther DNA she had started eating food rawer and rawer. At first that had bothered her. But now she just accepted it. She leaned against one of the walls as she studied the other teens. She dismissed most of them as not being a threat to her. Even without her knives, which Vlad had taken, she coukd kick their asses.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Satisfied that the rude male had stopped, the redhead continued picking the foods he desired just as calmly as they had been. It wouldn't do to actually have a fight here, not at this time, and certainly not involving food like a wasteful delinquent. All he wanted was to assert that any attempt to mess with it would not be tolerated, and that appeared to have been achieved. Retracting the tentacles back under the skirt as if they had never appeared in the first place, she took the plate of fish in his free hand and brought the food over to a less occupied part of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone kept taking bites out of the fish, and in a couple seconds the fish was gone, he barely listened to Vlads intercom announcements. So, whats up everyone He introduced himself to the group, with bits and bobs of fish still in his mouth</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "The ceiling." Roxy replied sarcastically. She wasn't much of a people person. She had to admit that she was curious about her fellow 'criminals'. She wanted to know what they had done to get into this program. Did they have agreements with Vlad they way she did. If so she was curious what the terms of their agreement Vlad.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone actually looked up at the Ceiling, it was a Shiny metal ceiling but they're wasn't really anything on it. Tyrone kept looking at the ceiling and expected something to happen..But however nothing happened Tyrone looked down at the Girl who looked like she was on the streets for a couple years and with a confused look on his face he asked the girl Yeah, what about the ceiling?</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral Although Lucas was disappointed that nothing drastic happened with the girl, he became very amused with Tyrone and Roxy. The fact that he didn't get the joke mean he must be on the slower side. As for The other girl she not only seemed to be a trouble maker, but she also seemed unfazed by all the guards, scientists, and so on. He noted to make a point to introduce himself to her after there done with their conversation.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht felt caught between rolling its eyes and smirking. Clearly, the assessment of the rude one had been correct: He wouldn't be much trouble unless he needed to use him for something. Which she would be making every effort to avoid for now. He had other observations to make about the others, like that witty girl who had just spoken. "They say that sarcasm is a foreign language for some, and a sign of a healthy mind for others." Looking up to the girl, he gave a slight smile. "Good to know that there are still some in this place."</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You asked what was up." Roxy reminded him as she ate her steak. She smirked at the boy's question. Apparently he wasn't the brightest bulb in the group. Her sarcasm seemed to be completely lose on him. Which of course meant that she would have to find more ways to use it. She loved confusing people. "So I told you. At the moment the only thing that is up is the ceiling."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Saurcayshum?, what the heck does that mean? Tyrone thought and looked up a the ceiling, and looked back at the girl smiling and waving his left index finger back and forth, he smiled as if he found out the answer to a hard math question Now I get it!, I said whats up and you said the Ceiling, Because it was above me! @KatherinWinter he turned to the Squid-dude and asked him so what does "sarcasm" mean</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht "Exactly as I said..." Acht murmured as it returned to its food. She didn't want to bother with any more at the moment, so he looked over at the other male nearby instead. "And do you have an opening statement, sir?" It addressed him in a half-interested tone, somewhat curious about his quieter behavior. Was it a normal mode, or just a lull in conversation for him? Or perhaps he was just the type to wait for the right moment? It was important for analysis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He looked at the girl with the ridiculous dress. He would laugh if he hadn't seen what happened earlier with the other boy. He kept analyzing her until she gave him a look, then realizing he had been starting at her for longish period of time. "Not really, at least nothing that I could openly speak about that's of any importance." He look at her for a second or two longer and then said "Actually what things do you know your capable of, as in your powers?"</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "Alright teens. Our first competition is a race. The only rule is that you can not harm each other or the guards. The first one to find me in the facility will recieve a reward. The rest of you will recieve a demerit." Vlad announced.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht almost pouted at the initial response the boy finally gave before perking up a little at his question after. "Hmm...what indeed..." He gave a small smile and looked away slyly with a finger pressed under its lip, the skirt she wore seeming to rustle slightly on its own. The announcement from Vlad led her to grin a bit wider back at the male it had just been speaking with, however. "I suppose this will be how you find out, hmm? I'm sure it will be interesting." Standing up from his table, the redhead smoothed out the garments he wore. "So, where do we start?"</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone Tyrone immediately gotten off of his seat I know where I'm startin'! He enthusiastically yelled and ran out of the room, He ran past the table and ran back to his little room Tyrone slammed open the door and pretty much destoryed it, and looked inside of his little cramped room hoping to find the person on the intercom</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral A bit disappointed that he didn't get his answer, he still was going to see what she could do. He took 2 cans of soda and pocketed them then unzipped his jacket. He began concocting ideas on how to win since the only rule was that he can't hurt anyone. He sighed feeling a bit sorry for the boy, who he just saw running out of the room. He could of just simply asked Vlad himself. Now in mind that the boy was a idiot, he looked a Vlad waiting for him to answer the girl.</s> <\|message\|>Roxy Black "You start right where you are of course. Your all in the same place so no one gets a head start. You can start when everyone is done eating. You must all start at the same time. Vlad answered.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC tyrone Tyrone immediately stopped, hearing the announcement he lost almost all of his enthusiasm, Cursing like crazy under his breath, he walked out from his pretty much destroyed room and walked back to the table, sitting down back on his spot and sitting kinda-patiently, tapping his foot on the ground and doing whatever he can to keep himself occupied for the next 5 seconds. Today... He whispered in his breath impatiently.</s> <\|message\|>Perrivalt Acht Acht looked around the room at the others once the announcement had finished. "Well then, are we all ready? Wouldn't want to leave anyone unfinished, after all." It walked toward the door, stopping just a little ways away and turning to wait for the others. "Take your time. Planning is always important, you know."</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC Tyrone I'm ready, don't know about you but I'm ready Tyrone says, tapping his foot a bit slower now, things were starting to move at last!.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ferral He gave a shrug and gave a look like "does it look like I have anything better to do?" He went back to thinking of the ways to win without breaking the rules. "The boy probably doesn't know his left from his right, and the girl in the dress well unless she's going to change will have problem running or at least should." He thought to himself.</s> <\|message\|>Tyrone KFC (damnit sopa)</s>	<\|message\|>Felix (No last name) Felix slowly walked into the gym, noticing everything that was happening. A whopping....nothing. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry I'm late. What is happening here?" To noone at all. His tail swished on the ground, and he was pretty sure something bad was going to happen.....to him.</s>
<\|description\|>Javotte Dupont Glass Slipper Notable characters: (Obviously without the eyes) Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 25 About: Javotte is the eldest of three girls. When she was growing up she had a pretty terrible home life. In order to protect herself she cut herself off from all emotions and thinking. It was only recently that she regained her sense of self and is striving to become someone she wants to be. Because of that desire she's travelling to a different world to find her youngest sister Cinderella. Name: Cinderella Charming Status: Missing About: Cinderella was the youngest of three children. Her life was hard from the get go. Her parents hated her and raised her as a servant. Her oldest sisters either ignored her or tormented her. She never knew easy like they did. As she grew older she resented them and all they stood for. When she married Prince Charming she was able to get her Fairy Godmother to punish them for all their foul deeds. Cinderella can be just as cruel as her mother who raised her. Name: Lady Tremaine Dupont Status: Dead About: Madam Dupont didn't expect to have a third child. Upon discovering it was a another girl she blamed herself. For with their money problems they couldn't afford another daughter. After deciding to act like they never had her, Madam Dupont feel into a deep depression. By modern standards she would have been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Or a manic depressive. However left unhelped her mental state deteriorated and she became both mentally and physically abusive to all around her. After she was attacked by the Doves she took her own life. Name: Sir Dupont Status: Alive About: A loving man in a hard situation, forced to make a choice that destroyed him. Upon the mistreatment and deterioration of his wife, Dupont fled his home and went out travelling. He returned only upon the notice of his youngest daughter getting married to the Prince. However not all was happy for his wife and middle daughter died and his eldest was left crippled. Horrified he dedicated himself to keeping Javotte well and repairing the damage done. Name: Meava Dupont Status: Dead About: Unfortunately Meava suffered from the same mental affliction as her mother. Subjected to the mood swings Meave began to have some of her own. Her mother nurtured them and Meava turned out more cruel than her own mother. Unfortunately the object of her cruelty more often than not ended up being Cinderella. After the loss of her eyes Meava died of shock. And maybe a little of the horror at what she might look like being disfigured. Meava's vanity was legendary. Name: Prince Charming Status: Alive About: Prince Charming isn't all that bright. But he's a good man and a good husband. He's able to withstand Cinderella's quirks and equally detests her family. Now that Cinderella's missing he'll stop at nothing to get her back. Name: Fairy Godmother Status: Alive About: The Fairy Godmother of Cinderella was first drawn to the girl by her tears of anguish. Seeking to help the girl she transformed her into a princess. Of course a Fairy's power only lasts until the moon sets, so the girl was on her own after that. Still, she stuck around to make sure Cinderella was getting on all right. Though she deeply regrets letting Cinderella get a wish against her mother and sisters. If she had known what Cinderella had planned she wouldn't have gone through with it.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was quite surprised how easily her explanation was accepted. Though Cinderella's Godmother did say each world had a story. Perhaps this world was centered on lost sisters. The thought almost make a hysterical laugh escape her lips. But she forced it down. She had had lots of practice with good manners. Once the fit passed Javotte was able to detect the defensiveness in the woman's voice. She had heard of witches that ate children. And even of those who stole Maidens. Was this woman stealing people? She was thankful for the distraction of the food. Though now she was more worried about her own safety. "Perhaps I will." Javotte said as she brushed a deft finger of the plate and the silverware. High class. Javotte confirmed. There was more silverware here than in her home. It was like dining at the castle. ""I am not from this area and I'm very much turned around." Javotte asked slowly. "Do many people go missing in this area?" As soon as she finished she worried that perhaps she should have asked about the wedding instead. But Cinderella was out there somewhere and she had promised to find her. And that mean she couldn't shy away from information.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a slight smile to Javotte as she said perhaps she would go to the village and search. After all she didn't know this woman, perhaps she was lying about her sister. Or perhaps she was like the others, quick to judge and slow to forgive. I thought entered her mind that maybe she should inform her of the things that would be said about Adam now, pled his case to the new stranger before she went to the village and heard what she likely would. However, before she could, Javotte started speaking again and she took it as a sigh she should not. "Not many, no. Often times people get lost in the forest because of the storms, and Adam gives them food and shelter. Then I see them back in the morning." She said truthfully noticing the somewhat tenseness of her body and how slow her words were as she asked that question. "Lately there is only one person that hasn't come home, but it has been years since this time." She answered sadly before turning her attention to her food instead of going much farther into her answer. "I must ask though, if you are not from the village or city, why is it that you believe she is here?" Belle asked after thinking about it for a moment, before then it hadn't been much thought to her, someone looking for their sister seemed so simple that she had no real reason to question it. However, if she was from the city she would have known that no one really disappeared without returning home.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte forced herself to continue to eat normally. She gently checked all the silverware before she changed utensils. She also checked which food she had left still and mentally gauged her path. Manners, manners, manners. What else do you rely on when you might get eaten by a witch? As Belle continued to speak to Javotte, answering her many questions. At first her answer seemed logical then she added that yes, someone has gone missing. At first she hoped. If it was poor Ella, but no, it had been years. Javotte sighed and placed her silverware down. She couldn't see Belle, but she tilted her head, to hopefully be looking her, to where the woman's voice came from. "I was told she could be found here from a reliable source." Javotte dropped her head away and sighed again. "Apparently it wasn't as reliable as I had wished if you have truly not seen her." She tensed ever so slightly in her seat waiting for the woman's next words. Most people relied on physical cues for lies and deception. Javotte found the voice told a lot more. If Belle had seen Cinderella and was lying about it, Javotte was sure she'd know with her next words.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle watched as Javotte laid her silverware down looking at her, or perhaps if the girl could see she be looking at her. Though Javotte's head tilted a little to far to the left, Belle wouldn't be one to say anything to harm the girls feelings. Though she frowned a little at Javotte's answer, that a reliable source told her to come here. How lovely, now outsiders were sending people to the castle as well? She gave a soft sigh shaking her head a little. How she wished that she knew where the girls sister was. If nothing else, to prove to whoever sent her that they wouldn't steal away Javotte's sister. Her eyes looked over at her guest who now hung her head, from what Belle thought to be sadness. Reaching across from her hand found Javotte's and she patted it softly hoping to comfort her in some way. As it truly was the best she could do. "I am sorry that I couldn't be more help. I wish that I had seen her sister so I could send her back to you." Belle said sadly before removing her hand. She always hated to see someone even a stranger sad something that had always annoyed Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering the dining hall. Amelia looked at Javotte for a moment before her eyes looked over at Belle confused. Belle shook her head, to keep her from asking what was wrong. "Are you finished eating Madams? Shall I take your plates?" "Yes, Amelia." Belle said before looking at what was left on Javotte's plate, normally she would say something if one of her guests left food on their plate. Something that came from being poor for so many years, but she chose against it. "Are you finished Javotte?" Belle added as Amelia took her plate</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was startled by the touch. She couldn't help the slight flinch at it. It was startling. Yet compassionate. After her ordeal she knew patronizing or actions done just for show. How could she not? So it wasn't the touch itself that made her jump. It was the truth, and sincerity. Belle hadn't seen, not had anything to do with her sister. If Javotte had anymore doubts, the honesty and sadness in the woman's voice would have dispelled them. "Thank you." Javotte said quietly. And she remained quiet until Belle spoke to her again. She had no real way of knowing how much was left uneaten upon her plate. Nor did she know how to react to the question. After so many years of other people largely making the decisions for her left her speechless. Still, they were waiting for an answer. "Yes Madam." Javotte said finally. "Thank you." Javotte lifted the napkin out of her lap and placed it upon the table. "I am truly thankful for your hospitality, but I must be going. You said there was a village nearby that I might try?"</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle quickly removed her hand from Javotte's arm when she flinched away from her a little. The gesture was actually not just for show, she truly was trying to be comforting. However, it was becoming apparent her words were making things worse. Or at least it seemed like it was. She frowned and nodded as Jarvotte thanked her. She didn't say anything else either until Amelia came into the dining room to take their plates. Perhaps she should have stopped to think of the fact Jarvotte was unable to see if she was done with her plate. However, the thought never even entered her mind, as Jarvotte was the first blind person whom she had actually met, and she truly didn't know how hungry the girl was. As Amelia took their plates Belle took the napkin that lay on her lap and dapped her own mouth before sitting it on the table as well, as Jarvotte thanked her for her hospitality. Of course there really wasn't much need for thanks, it was the proper thing for a mistress of the castle to do such things as entertain guests and make sure they had been feed before they left, even offer a place to stay if they had nowhere else. Belle nodded about to thank Jarvotte for her company, before she asked about the village. Amelia let slip a snort of derision at the mention of trying for help from the village, the bunch of fools didn't know their hand from their feet in her opinion. Having been working in the castle before Beast was even born, she knew full well how hateful and ignorant the towns people were. "I would not expect much from them, Madame." She said before getting a dirty from Belle. "Amelia! You are being rude, please just take the plates and leave." Belle said both annoyed and saddened that she honestly doubted them able to be much help to Jarvotte either. Belle watched Amelia leave the room before turning her glaze back to her guest. "Please do excuse her Madame, she is still rather sore about the lack of help we have gotten from the town in finding my Adam." She said sadly, fighting the urged to cry once more at the fact she would truly be alone if he didn't return. "However, I am sure they will be much more willing to help you. Perhaps even be willing to speak to you in the first place." Belle finished her tone sounding hopeful.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte would have blinked, if such a tell still worked for her, when Amelia snorted. Alas there was no time to interject as Belle began talking. When the Lady finished Javotte just sat there, processing what she had said. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hadn't said anything about other people disappearing. Still, it wasn't something she could ignore. Not after she was sent here. Maybe Cinderella's Fairy Godmother knew more than she had told Javotte. "Your Adam is missing?" Javotte asked hesitantly. "For how long?" Not that the answer would make a difference. Javotte had paid no head to gossip and so she didn't know for how long Cinderella had been missing before they went to the Castle. It could have been days or for just hours.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle kept a hopeful smile on her face as her guest just sat there for a moment. However, she frowned a little at Jarvotte's question and nodded her head slowly although the girl clearly was unable to see her movements. "Yes, but he will come back. I know he will." Belle answered softly looking away from her guest, her voice breaking a little despite trying to keep herself from crying again. She should have guessed that such a question would have been asked, though she was so used to the subjected being changed whenever Adam came up with others. Much like with Jarvotte and her sister, Belle had no idea where to even start looking for Beast. "He was done yesterday morning when I went to wake him." She answered still looking away from Jarovtte, before wiping away the moisture that started to form around the corners of her eyes. "The servants other than Ameila are saying he left me for another so he wouldn't have to marry me. But I know it cannot be true, he wouldn't leave me after I broke his curse. Let alone, leave his own castle." Belle finished opening up a little bit more than she intended to her guest.</s>	<\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte wasn't a dog. Which was a good thing or else you would have seen her ears perk up and a tail wag. Magic. There was magic here. That was the best thing she had heard since she had gotten here. If Cinderella's Fairy Godmother could use magic to find Cinderella, or rather fail to find her, than surely a Fairy here could help her. Just as long as she didn't go to the one who was curing people. "He used to be cursed?" The blind woman asked innocently, trying to steer the conversation. And she didn't want to look too obvious. There was still always the chance of looking like a complete loon. Oh, I'm only asking because my sister got kidnapped from her universe yesterday and her fairy godmother sent me on what's looking like a wild goose chase through your universe. I was rather hoping I might have better luck talking to your absent fiance's godmother. Or godfather. "I can't imagine who would do such a terrible thing." Javotte hoped she wasn't laying it on too thick. It had been quite a while since she had been in 'polite' society. Let alone deal with politics. Or gathering information without revealing why. Her sisters had always been better at covert than she. Meava would have had Belle eating out of her hands by now. Well, the Meava that didn't go crazy like their mother that was.</s>
<\|description\|>Javotte Dupont Glass Slipper Notable characters: (Obviously without the eyes) Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 25 About: Javotte is the eldest of three girls. When she was growing up she had a pretty terrible home life. In order to protect herself she cut herself off from all emotions and thinking. It was only recently that she regained her sense of self and is striving to become someone she wants to be. Because of that desire she's travelling to a different world to find her youngest sister Cinderella. Name: Cinderella Charming Status: Missing About: Cinderella was the youngest of three children. Her life was hard from the get go. Her parents hated her and raised her as a servant. Her oldest sisters either ignored her or tormented her. She never knew easy like they did. As she grew older she resented them and all they stood for. When she married Prince Charming she was able to get her Fairy Godmother to punish them for all their foul deeds. Cinderella can be just as cruel as her mother who raised her. Name: Lady Tremaine Dupont Status: Dead About: Madam Dupont didn't expect to have a third child. Upon discovering it was a another girl she blamed herself. For with their money problems they couldn't afford another daughter. After deciding to act like they never had her, Madam Dupont feel into a deep depression. By modern standards she would have been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Or a manic depressive. However left unhelped her mental state deteriorated and she became both mentally and physically abusive to all around her. After she was attacked by the Doves she took her own life. Name: Sir Dupont Status: Alive About: A loving man in a hard situation, forced to make a choice that destroyed him. Upon the mistreatment and deterioration of his wife, Dupont fled his home and went out travelling. He returned only upon the notice of his youngest daughter getting married to the Prince. However not all was happy for his wife and middle daughter died and his eldest was left crippled. Horrified he dedicated himself to keeping Javotte well and repairing the damage done. Name: Meava Dupont Status: Dead About: Unfortunately Meava suffered from the same mental affliction as her mother. Subjected to the mood swings Meave began to have some of her own. Her mother nurtured them and Meava turned out more cruel than her own mother. Unfortunately the object of her cruelty more often than not ended up being Cinderella. After the loss of her eyes Meava died of shock. And maybe a little of the horror at what she might look like being disfigured. Meava's vanity was legendary. Name: Prince Charming Status: Alive About: Prince Charming isn't all that bright. But he's a good man and a good husband. He's able to withstand Cinderella's quirks and equally detests her family. Now that Cinderella's missing he'll stop at nothing to get her back. Name: Fairy Godmother Status: Alive About: The Fairy Godmother of Cinderella was first drawn to the girl by her tears of anguish. Seeking to help the girl she transformed her into a princess. Of course a Fairy's power only lasts until the moon sets, so the girl was on her own after that. Still, she stuck around to make sure Cinderella was getting on all right. Though she deeply regrets letting Cinderella get a wish against her mother and sisters. If she had known what Cinderella had planned she wouldn't have gone through with it.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle dropped her hand away from her eye as Jarvotte, a frown playing on her face. She hadn't meant to say that, it had just come out before her mind could stop her lips from spilling the words. Belle heisted to speak for a moment, shifting in her chair in the silence. "I…I shouldn't have told you that." She said in a soft almost whisper. Belle sighed a little at her own stupidity before she shook her head and answered her guest's question. "Yes, he was. He is no longer, however. Surely even where you are from there are stories about, The Beast of Le Château Rose. Who steals women and children, I assure you this is not true if that is why whoever sent you here did. I am the only one he has taken, and I was happy to trade my life so my father could live. I was reason he took something from the castle." She said her tone turning defensive. Everyone always would judge Beast no matter how many times Belle tried to preach the truth, no one ever would listen to her, not even her father. Belle sighed softly sadly, knowing that the woman was likely not even listening anymore. "It is not his fault he was cursed before he was even born." Belle looked up at the next words that Jarvotte spoke surprising her. It was uncommon for any kindness or sympathy shown towards her prince. No normally this would be the time that the person she was speaking to would do one of three things. Laugh in her face calling her a moron, simply walk away, or if they were at the castle, push her out of the way and start searching the castle to find nothing. "I…I'm sorry. What?" Belle said her tone giving away her surprise. "I have never had anyone care enough to ask such a thing." She answered after a moment of not speaking. "I do not know the whole story truly, Adam has tried to keep me from no such horrible things. He says that it was an enchantress who was in love with his father while he still ruled as king. So she tried to curse his wife, however she was pregnant and the curse laid on Adam instead." She answered with a frown as she tried to recall the story he had told her.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte fiddled with her skirt. Her fingers pulling the fabric, then smoothing it back out again. The motion was hopefully hidden by the table, but she had no way of really knowing. Yet the anxiety she felt was too much for her to stop the nervous gesture. Belle had gone on the defensive, arguing that her Adam was a good man. And yet her own words were a contradiction. He steals women, but he doesn't. He stole Belle yet she doesn't count? The blind woman kept her mouth shut, perhaps wisely, letting the other woman spill her secrets. She seemed almost eager. "An enchantress you say?" Javotte leaned back in her chair, having now received the tantalizing piece of information. She tried to wrap her mind around it. Back home she had only heard of benevolent magic users. Like Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Apparently that wasn't the case here. Which was truly a set back. She had hoped it would be easy. And so she found herself at a crossroads. Give up or continue down this hard path. To be frank, Javotte didn't imagine much would happen in this world. She saw herself quickly finding Cinderella. Upon the meeting she'd tell her younger sister her message and... Then what? They'd still be trapped. No wonder her world was a Fairy Tale. She was a ninny. She had walked out of her own Fairy Tale. If there was a Happily Ever After it had been left at home. She wouldn't find it here. There was no easy path. Javotte sighed heavily. "Have you not considered that this woman might be behind your Adam's disappearance?" The manipulative words were easier to find this time. Mostly because she believed them.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle nodded her head as Jarovtte spoke again. She hasn't even noticed the girls nervousness, nor the slight movement of her fingers under the table. Much to into her argument with more much herself, seeing how unlike everyone else. Jarvotte didn't even say anyone about her words, nor her story. Belle frowned a bit before talking. "That is what I have been told by Adam." She answered all of her defensiveness gone now, as she returned to her soft kind tone returning once more. Though the woman's next question surprised Belle a little bit. Though it was logical, Belle never would have thought to go looking for Adam with the enchantress. "Truly, I had not thought of that." She answered slowly and thoughtfully. The idea that maybe Adam had been taken by the woman that cursed him was frightening really. The thought of what the evil woman could want from her Adam scared her even more. "That is actually frightening to think of. I would not even know where to look for her" Belle said.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte had to pursed her lips to keep the sign from escaping her lips. A sad, very, very, depressed sigh. Square two. She mentally told herself. But at least she wasn't back at square one. She knew her next path. Now it was up to her to tactfully leave with her new information. "That is truly unfortunate. Your hospitality becomes you." Javotte inclined her head to where Belle's voice had last come from. "Thank you for the lovely meal. But I must be off. Every second I waste my sister gets further away." Javotte pushed the heavy chair backwards. She might be blind, but she wasn't an invalid. She was more than able to get out of the seat by herself. Though if it wasn't so sturdy and wooden, it would have been much easier. Still, she wiggled out of the chair and stood. She smoothed her dress down and unfortunately had to wait. If it had been back home, she could have made it out of anywhere, including the castle.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Jarvotte's purse of the lips didn't go unnoticed by Belle, and she almost felt the need to apologize for not being more helpful. Though she truly didn't know any more than she had said about the enchantress, if Adam did in fact know where to find the woman, he would have kept it from Belle. Not that she ever would have thought to ask in the first place. In the moment of quietness before Jarvotte spoke again, Belle's mind raced a little bit, the thought of this enchantress having her Adam only making her worries that much worse. Still when her guest spoke Belle looked up at her with a slight smile, and nodded her head. "It was a pleasure, if you are still in the village and unable to find a place to rest tonight, you are welcome to return for the night." She offered though she was quite sure that her guest would not return, it was still an offer Belle always made. Belle easily pushed the chair back so that she could get out of the table, quite used to the thickness of the chairs, she didn't have the same trouble that Jarvotte seemed to be having. Belle's hand reached for the blind girls arm softly, and started to lead her outside. "Perhaps, I should have one of the servants see that you make it to the village without the worry of getting lost." She said thoughtfully, the last she wanted was to actually be the reason that someone was lost.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was guided through the estate. It was very kind of Belle to do it herself. And the offer of a guide was also very kind and quite, unfortunately, necessary. This new place was nothing like her home and without her eye sight, there was no way she could navigate to the village. "Your offer is very kind. I would not like to impede any of their duties, but I would appreciate the courtesy." Javotte told Belle solemnly. "For I am afraid I could not find the village on my own." The woman's mouth twisted at mentioning her blindness. The only comfort was the Mistress of the home had not seen under the bandages. Of course neither had Javotte, but she had heard the screams and gasps and felt the gouges and scars that had been left behind. Maybe once upon a time she had been pretty. But now she was horribly disfigured, and loathed to point it out.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a sympathetic look towards her guest as she mentioned her own blindness. For it truly had been something Belle had made sure to refrain from mentioned at all. Though if anyone could see past the blindness and bandages, it would have likely been her. After all in Belle's mind, beauty came from within not from the outside. "No, it's quite alright. There are after all many servants here. I actually am in need of a few things from town, and I am not comfortable going there anymore. It really is no trouble." She tried to reassure her with a slight smile as she lead Jarvotte out of the castle and helped her into the carriage. After making sure she was comfortably inside, she went about getting a servant to help guide her around the town.</s>	<\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte stepped down from the carriage carefully. Even with the additional helping hand she felt awkward. But that was a normal feeling now and she pushed past it. She thanked the servant, male from the voice and hands. He quietly, but firmly, informed her he was going to stick to her side. He didn't give her a time frame, which slightly bothered Javotte, but she knew how to pick her battles. Javotte tilted her head and felt the sun on her face. If the sun behaved like her sun did, it was a little past noon. The carriage ride down to the village from Belle's castle wasn't quick by any means. Mayhaps if she had been on horse back it would have been quicker. If she could find somewhere for lunch maybe she could ask about her sister. Of course there was a problem of money. Javotte frowned but the servant himself suggested somewhere to eat and he even paid for it. (Belle was very generous). Javotte, in what must be a restaurant, inquired about her sister. No one had seen her. Most told her to go to Adam's castle. Which wasn't very helpful. Which left her with the option of going to the Enchantress' place. That took her longer to get directions to. Instead she was pointed to another town. She left Belle's servant and gained a ride with a nice farming couple headed back home. The couple insisted she spend the night, which Javotte was happy to oblige. From there she set off on a dirt track to another town. After that she was pointed to another town and then to a forest. At the forest she was directed to a dirt track that should lead her to her goal. The forest was loud to Javotte's ears. Everything made noise from the trees to the animals. For the city born and breed girl it was unnerving and by the time the dirt track turned into packed gravel, she was frightened and tense. The sun had set so she no longer had a way to judge time, but she knew it was late and no one was likely to be up. Still, she followed the hard gravel road in hopes of finding some shelter. She found a squat stone wall after a few minutes and happily hugged it. Civilization. Or at least a sign of human life. Javotte felt a little better and stepped away from the wall. She was foot sore and every second she stood still threatened to drag her to the ground. Javotte choose a direction and followed the wall. Her pale hand gently grazed the wall to keep her path. She hoped she had chosen the shorter direction to a gate and wouldn't have to walk around the entire wall. Thankfully after the thought had passed she did indeed come to a wooden gate. It was shorter than the wall which meant Javotte had no problems unlatching it and walking through the barrier. She closed the gate behind her. She lifted her head to the wind and sniffed. She couldn't smell anything so she judged the wind was blowing towards the domicile. With that mental picture she turned her back to the wind and set herself looking for a foot path to the door. "It's a little to the right." A woman's voice said. Startled, Javotte jumped and let out a little cry. "Who are-?" She started to ask when the other woman sighed. She sounded of age with Javotte. "No one comes here without good reason. So I'm going to assume that was a rhetorical question." The voice wasn't cruel, just dispassionate. Still Javotte flinched and she blushed. "You're the Enchantress." There was no response, but there wasn't a need for one, which Javotte was quickly realizing, meant the Enchantress wouldn't answer.</s>
<\|description\|>Belle Leclair Single Rose Notable characters: Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 24 About: Belle is a only child. As a child her life was pretty great, with two hard working parents and a wealthy lifestyle. Until her mother became deathly ill. With almost every penny of her parents money going to doctors, she was forced to give up schooling to care for her mother, until her death. Due to this she isn't the sharpest. After being locked in a castle for four years with only Adam and servants to keep her company, she developed what by modern standards would be called Stockholm Syndrome. Now with Adam gone her whole world seems to be falling apart before her eyes. Name: Madame Leclair Status: Dead About: A caring and hard working woman Madame LeClair, was a great mother and well liked person. Physically unable to have more than one child. A fact she and her husband kept hidden. She made sure to spoil her daughter and also teach her the value of hard work. It is unknown what actually killed her, as she became very weak in the end. Name: Monsieur Leclair Status: Alive About: After losing his wife to an unknown illness, and being forced to give his daughter to a monster. Monsieur Leclair went through a state of depression for almost a year before coming up with a plan to get his fortune back and get his daughter back. Then when Belle came back to him, giving him a little bit of hope she had returned. Until she left without notice, and went back to the monster again, agreed to marry him, and returned claiming he was a Prince. This caused Monsieur Leclair to snap and in a fit of anger he kicked Belle out of his house, disowning her and moving back to the city. Name: Prince Adam Beast Status: Missing About: Cursed before he was even born by a witch to look like a hairy monster, or what in modern terms would be known has Terminal Hypertrichosis. Prince Adam grew his whole life being called a monster or beast, causing him to turn a bit bitter towards only people even as a child. When it was discovered that only true love would break the curse, he tried his hardest to be kinder to travelers. Helping those that became lost in the woods. When Belle came to the castle, and he fell in love with her, it almost killed him. Now that he has her in his life things have changed greatly for him, he would never willingly leave her. Name: Enchantress Status: Alive About: W.I.P</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Once Upon a Time there was a girl named Belle. She was the only child, born to a wealthy merchant and his beautiful wife. Both of her parents were hard workers, from hard working families, and despite their wealth they did their best to teach Belle the value of hard work. At the age of eight she started helping her father in the market at his stand, being the only child selfless enough to do such a thing in the rich town they lived in. Belle was adored by all of her father's customers, something that soon he started to use for his own benefit. Belle was a common sight in the market place as she grew older. When she turned seventeen however, her mother Madam Leclair grew sick. Over the next two years Belle's father spent almost every bit of their wealth to get his wife the treatment she needed, including Belle's dowry. But the doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with her mother, and without their former wealth the three were forced to move to a small a farm house in a country side town. With barely enough money for them to live off of, Belle's father took both the money for her dowry and education to reopen his market and restart their life. As he hunted for the furs and meat for the new stall, he left his young daughter to care for his dying wife, until the sad day she died. After the death of Madam Leclair the two tried hard to get their life back together, and soon things started to even look as if they were getting better. Until one day while Monsieur Leclair was out hunting a great storm hit, driving him farther into the forest until he became lost. Belle of course was worried about her dear father, as he was the only person she cared for left. Not to mention that he was quite old at the time, and could easily die in the terribly cold rain. When he returned the next evening, she was so overjoyed, that she ran to greet him. When inquiring where he had been she got a dreadful story. Cold, soaking wet, and still being driven father from home, he came upon a large castle. Where he found food laid out for him and shelter for the night however, never despite his looking could he found the master of the castle. In the morning when he went to leave, he picked but a single rose from the rosebush outside to bring to Belle, when a horrible beast rose from the bush. Claiming him to be ungrateful, despite the fact the beast had given him a shelter from the storm. As he begging for his life, claiming the rose was for his daughter, the beast made a deal. He would have his life, if he gave up her daughter. Horrified, but given no chose, Belle was lead to the castle by her father. That is when she first met Beast, and despite his frighting appearance, he was quite kind to her. Over the four years she stayed in the beast's castle he did his best to make sure her every need was catered to. Food, clothing, the finest jewels, and whatever else she could want. Yet everynight he would ask her to marry him, and every night she would insist she could not. One day after they ate dinner, he took her out to the patio of the castle and asked her to marry once more. This time however, the Beast asked Belle she could not give her hand to him in marriage something he had never thought to do. Causing Belle to pause, for there really was no true reason behind her refusal, she give him without hurting his feelings. As much as she liked beast as a friend, that was as far as her feelings went. The seer idea of marrying someone who looked as he did, was unthinkable to her. "It is that I cannot do such a thing, without my father's blessing." She lied to him, knowing that if her father were ever to be asked he would refuse as well. Much to her relief he said that he understood, and the subject was dropped. Until the next morning over breakfast the beast gave Belle an offer she couldn't refuse, a chance to return home. If she asked her father to give him her hand, and she return that night. When she returned home, her father was happy to see her, having made up our fortune while she had been staying at the castle. Belle was enjoying being home so much that as she laid her head down in her bed that night she completely had forgotten about her promise to return that night. As she slept she had a nightmare which woke her of the beast laying next to rosebushes, begging her to returning to him as he died. Grabbing one of her fathers horses, she made hast to the castle to found him by the bushes, and as she cried over his half dead body, saying she loved him and would marry him. She broke the Beasts curse, one that had been laid upon him by an evil witch before he was even born. The next few weeks things were almost wonderful for the new lovers and were over ran with the wedding plans, the food, dress, and music as well as deciding who would be safe to invite to their wedding. Although Belle became as much an outcast as Adam, everyone wanted to see the Beast they before declared to be a monster, whoever was crazy enough to marry him get married. All that is besides her father, whom disowned her after she ran back to Adam. The day before the wedding however, she woke by herself to strangely quiet room, compared to the normally loud room next to hers belonging to the prince she was going to marry. To her shock she could find Adam nowhere in the castle, not even the the servants knew where he could have possibly could have went. Both she and the servants searched the village looking for him, until nightfall when they were forced to return to the castle. "Surely, he will return. There would be no way that Adam would leave me the day before our wedding." Belle said to Amelia one of the head servants of the castle, as she accompanied Belle to her room, holding the candle to light the dark halls. Worried as to where her love could have gone, she needed him. After all, he was the only one she still had that wanted to be in her life. "Of course Madame, perhaps he has just gotten a case of cold feet. Surely you will awake in the morning, him in his bed. With a reason as to why he had left without a warning." Amelia reassured Belle shaking her head slightly as she laughed trying to lighten the mood. As Belle got to her room, the candle lit on her bedside table was blown out. In the early morning while Belle was eating her breakfast, the servants gathered out in the garden to discuss what could be done to found the Prince, as without him not only would there be no wedding, but they would all be out of a job. As Belle was not the mistress of the castle, she had no way to ensure their jobs. "I couldn't blame the Beast if he left to find a new wife. As I think we can all agree Belle is a dense in the head at times." One of the male servants said rather loudly to the others. Only for one of the others to shhh him. "Surely he would at least give the poor girl warning if he was to do such a thing Markus. I would think three weeks would give him the time to tell her." The cook said crossing her arms at the man. "Do none of you think that he is simply gone to one of the far away villages? The Master maybe a little cruel, but I doubt he would do such a thing as leave, Belle." Amelia said her tone almost shaming the others before she sighed. "The poor thing hasn't even said a word this morning." The strange sudden voice pulled the servants from their conversion making them to turn and look at the young blonde girl as she asked if there was anyone there. At first the five of them couldn't not quite understand why she was standing but a few foots away, by the roses, yet couldn't see them standing there. Markus was the first to realize she was blind. "Careful with your footing girl! Those roses were planted for the Mistress!" He yelled towards the stranger harshly, being the gardener he didn't want to replace them. "Markus have you no manners!" Amelia yelled at his rudeness before turning to the girl. "Greeting Madame, please do excuse him. Are you lost? Would you like some breakfast? We have plenty."</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Roses? Javotte truly hesitated as she hadn't had since she had become accustomed to her blindness. She inhaled against the breeze and thought to herself that the smell did not smell like roses. Cinderella's Godmother grossly failed to explain the concept of a different world. Javotte had pictured them like another country. But this was almost alien. All the small, simple things she used to orient herself had shifted. "I would not step on your roses." Javotte immediately replied as soon as she got her bearings. She tilted her head towards the masculine voice. She didn't know what he looked like, but in her head she formed a mental image of a shorter man. Middle-aged. Possibly balding. He'd be browned from the sun, looking much like the plants he obviously cared for. The next voice was a chiding female. She spoke with the same strange accent as the man. She was obvious either a higher ranking servant or the mistress. She was leaning towards the former because her words were slurred, like mush was in her mouth. She pictured a fatter woman to go with the kindly words. For in Javotte's life everyone who had shown kindness had been on the rather portly side with no apparent beauty. "I am not lost." Javotte said then paused. "But perhaps I am. I know not where I am other than I am trespassing. For that I apologize. And you are most kind to offer breakfast. I wouldn't mind a few bites." Javotte would never turn down kindness, and who knew when she would again get the chance to eat in their strange world. Though if it was morning here, there would be a good chance she would get no sleep.</s>	<\|message\|>Belle Leclair "If you take a step forward you will be." Markus argued with the stranger frowning a little as the sun shined down upon his bald head, making it a little harder to see the stranger tilt her head at him, before Amelia yelled at him for being rude. Amelia smiled as the woman insisted she was not lost, only to decide that she was indeed lost after all. Of course the strange accent gave away the fact she was lost before the woman even admitted it. "There is no need for you to apologize Madame, for all guests are welcome to Le Château Rose." She said calmly her tone still polite and kind. As the woman agreed to stay for breakfast it made her smile even more, and she made her way to help guide her inside. Amelia wasn't a portly woman, however, she was on the older side in her early fifties. Even at her age she still was quite pretty, but she had been born in a poor family. As she came up to the woman, Amelia placed a hand on the woman's arm gently. "If I may Madame." She said softly waiting for an answer before guiding the blonde towards the door to the castle. As she passed the other two she stopped for a second looking at Elaina, the chief, who was rather portly with blonde hair and flour covering the dress she wore. "Elaina, prepare some breakfast for our guest please." She spoke calmly waiting for the woman to nod and turn towards the kitchen doors, before continuing to guide the blind girl into the castle, and through to the dining room. Belle had been sitting in the dining for the last hour, and though she was eating, it was mostly little bites. Mainly to avoid the servants, the few she had talked to since yesterday, other than Markus, had been giving her a look of pity. As if it wasn't hard enough for Adam to be gone, they all seemed to think they he had left her for someone else. However, she knew better, Adam loved her even after the curse was lifted. He wouldn't just up and leave her like this, and he would surely come back. She really paid no mind to Amelia coming into the room until she started to speak. "Madame Belle, we have company." "Adam?" She said looking up at the servant hopefully, only to see the blind blonde being guided into the room. Amelia cleared her throat uncomfortably, thinking perhaps she should have used the word guest. "No Madame, he isn't back yet.' She said sadly. Belle sighed sadly at the news of no news before hiding behind a smile as she often did, before getting up the heels she wore clicked against the floor as she made her way over to her guest, normally she would curtsy but as the woman clearly would be unable to see the gesture, she simply place her hand upon hers for a moment. "Welcome to our castle, Madame. I am the Mistress, however please do call me Belle." She said kindly before turning to Amelia. "You are having Elaina prepare a breakfast for our lovely guest yes?' She asked smiling as Amelia nodded her head letting go of the blonde, for Belle to take her arm instead. "Wonderful, please do have a seat."</s>
<\|description\|>Belle Leclair Single Rose Notable characters: Status: Main Character, Alive, Travelling to different worlds Age: 24 About: Belle is a only child. As a child her life was pretty great, with two hard working parents and a wealthy lifestyle. Until her mother became deathly ill. With almost every penny of her parents money going to doctors, she was forced to give up schooling to care for her mother, until her death. Due to this she isn't the sharpest. After being locked in a castle for four years with only Adam and servants to keep her company, she developed what by modern standards would be called Stockholm Syndrome. Now with Adam gone her whole world seems to be falling apart before her eyes. Name: Madame Leclair Status: Dead About: A caring and hard working woman Madame LeClair, was a great mother and well liked person. Physically unable to have more than one child. A fact she and her husband kept hidden. She made sure to spoil her daughter and also teach her the value of hard work. It is unknown what actually killed her, as she became very weak in the end. Name: Monsieur Leclair Status: Alive About: After losing his wife to an unknown illness, and being forced to give his daughter to a monster. Monsieur Leclair went through a state of depression for almost a year before coming up with a plan to get his fortune back and get his daughter back. Then when Belle came back to him, giving him a little bit of hope she had returned. Until she left without notice, and went back to the monster again, agreed to marry him, and returned claiming he was a Prince. This caused Monsieur Leclair to snap and in a fit of anger he kicked Belle out of his house, disowning her and moving back to the city. Name: Prince Adam Beast Status: Missing About: Cursed before he was even born by a witch to look like a hairy monster, or what in modern terms would be known has Terminal Hypertrichosis. Prince Adam grew his whole life being called a monster or beast, causing him to turn a bit bitter towards only people even as a child. When it was discovered that only true love would break the curse, he tried his hardest to be kinder to travelers. Helping those that became lost in the woods. When Belle came to the castle, and he fell in love with her, it almost killed him. Now that he has her in his life things have changed greatly for him, he would never willingly leave her. Name: Enchantress Status: Alive About: W.I.P</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Though the thought that perhaps Belle should have informed Javotte of her last name hadn't crossed her mind until then, thinking it only awkward to do so now, instead she smiled once more. "A pleasure Madame DuPonte." She answered softly before making sure that someone was making Javotte something to eat and helping her get to a seat. "I am sorry for intruding. I didn't mean to." "Oh please, do not be sorry. It is always nice to have guests." Belle said with slight laugh as she sat down nearly missing the face that Jarvotte made as she spoke. Or at least tried to speak, though her words seemed to be giving her trouble until Jarvotte finally settled upon saying she was looking for her sister. Belle raised an eyebrow finding it strange that it took her such a hard time saying such a simple thing. "Well that is quite sad that I have lost your sister. I'm afraid I haven't seen any guests other than you. Although we have been quite busy with wedding plans." Belle said and though it wasn't intentional her tone was slightly defensive. For years even after her coming to the castle the claiming "the beast" stole their wives or children. It didn't seem as though she was accusing, but the subject of missing people was always a cause for her to be worried. As Amelia brought Jarvotte her plate Belle cleared her throat breaking the silence. "Perhaps some of the villagers know where, or have seen your sister." She said cheerfully again in tone. They hadn't been any help to her, but than again Jarvotte wasn't looking for someone hated.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was quite surprised how easily her explanation was accepted. Though Cinderella's Godmother did say each world had a story. Perhaps this world was centered on lost sisters. The thought almost make a hysterical laugh escape her lips. But she forced it down. She had had lots of practice with good manners. Once the fit passed Javotte was able to detect the defensiveness in the woman's voice. She had heard of witches that ate children. And even of those who stole Maidens. Was this woman stealing people? She was thankful for the distraction of the food. Though now she was more worried about her own safety. "Perhaps I will." Javotte said as she brushed a deft finger of the plate and the silverware. High class. Javotte confirmed. There was more silverware here than in her home. It was like dining at the castle. ""I am not from this area and I'm very much turned around." Javotte asked slowly. "Do many people go missing in this area?" As soon as she finished she worried that perhaps she should have asked about the wedding instead. But Cinderella was out there somewhere and she had promised to find her. And that mean she couldn't shy away from information.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle gave a slight smile to Javotte as she said perhaps she would go to the village and search. After all she didn't know this woman, perhaps she was lying about her sister. Or perhaps she was like the others, quick to judge and slow to forgive. I thought entered her mind that maybe she should inform her of the things that would be said about Adam now, pled his case to the new stranger before she went to the village and heard what she likely would. However, before she could, Javotte started speaking again and she took it as a sigh she should not. "Not many, no. Often times people get lost in the forest because of the storms, and Adam gives them food and shelter. Then I see them back in the morning." She said truthfully noticing the somewhat tenseness of her body and how slow her words were as she asked that question. "Lately there is only one person that hasn't come home, but it has been years since this time." She answered sadly before turning her attention to her food instead of going much farther into her answer. "I must ask though, if you are not from the village or city, why is it that you believe she is here?" Belle asked after thinking about it for a moment, before then it hadn't been much thought to her, someone looking for their sister seemed so simple that she had no real reason to question it. However, if she was from the city she would have known that no one really disappeared without returning home.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte forced herself to continue to eat normally. She gently checked all the silverware before she changed utensils. She also checked which food she had left still and mentally gauged her path. Manners, manners, manners. What else do you rely on when you might get eaten by a witch? As Belle continued to speak to Javotte, answering her many questions. At first her answer seemed logical then she added that yes, someone has gone missing. At first she hoped. If it was poor Ella, but no, it had been years. Javotte sighed and placed her silverware down. She couldn't see Belle, but she tilted her head, to hopefully be looking her, to where the woman's voice came from. "I was told she could be found here from a reliable source." Javotte dropped her head away and sighed again. "Apparently it wasn't as reliable as I had wished if you have truly not seen her." She tensed ever so slightly in her seat waiting for the woman's next words. Most people relied on physical cues for lies and deception. Javotte found the voice told a lot more. If Belle had seen Cinderella and was lying about it, Javotte was sure she'd know with her next words.</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle watched as Javotte laid her silverware down looking at her, or perhaps if the girl could see she be looking at her. Though Javotte's head tilted a little to far to the left, Belle wouldn't be one to say anything to harm the girls feelings. Though she frowned a little at Javotte's answer, that a reliable source told her to come here. How lovely, now outsiders were sending people to the castle as well? She gave a soft sigh shaking her head a little. How she wished that she knew where the girls sister was. If nothing else, to prove to whoever sent her that they wouldn't steal away Javotte's sister. Her eyes looked over at her guest who now hung her head, from what Belle thought to be sadness. Reaching across from her hand found Javotte's and she patted it softly hoping to comfort her in some way. As it truly was the best she could do. "I am sorry that I couldn't be more help. I wish that I had seen her sister so I could send her back to you." Belle said sadly before removing her hand. She always hated to see someone even a stranger sad something that had always annoyed Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering the dining hall. Amelia looked at Javotte for a moment before her eyes looked over at Belle confused. Belle shook her head, to keep her from asking what was wrong. "Are you finished eating Madams? Shall I take your plates?" "Yes, Amelia." Belle said before looking at what was left on Javotte's plate, normally she would say something if one of her guests left food on their plate. Something that came from being poor for so many years, but she chose against it. "Are you finished Javotte?" Belle added as Amelia took her plate</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte was startled by the touch. She couldn't help the slight flinch at it. It was startling. Yet compassionate. After her ordeal she knew patronizing or actions done just for show. How could she not? So it wasn't the touch itself that made her jump. It was the truth, and sincerity. Belle hadn't seen, not had anything to do with her sister. If Javotte had anymore doubts, the honesty and sadness in the woman's voice would have dispelled them. "Thank you." Javotte said quietly. And she remained quiet until Belle spoke to her again. She had no real way of knowing how much was left uneaten upon her plate. Nor did she know how to react to the question. After so many years of other people largely making the decisions for her left her speechless. Still, they were waiting for an answer. "Yes Madam." Javotte said finally. "Thank you." Javotte lifted the napkin out of her lap and placed it upon the table. "I am truly thankful for your hospitality, but I must be going. You said there was a village nearby that I might try?"</s> <\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle quickly removed her hand from Javotte's arm when she flinched away from her a little. The gesture was actually not just for show, she truly was trying to be comforting. However, it was becoming apparent her words were making things worse. Or at least it seemed like it was. She frowned and nodded as Jarvotte thanked her. She didn't say anything else either until Amelia came into the dining room to take their plates. Perhaps she should have stopped to think of the fact Jarvotte was unable to see if she was done with her plate. However, the thought never even entered her mind, as Jarvotte was the first blind person whom she had actually met, and she truly didn't know how hungry the girl was. As Amelia took their plates Belle took the napkin that lay on her lap and dapped her own mouth before sitting it on the table as well, as Jarvotte thanked her for her hospitality. Of course there really wasn't much need for thanks, it was the proper thing for a mistress of the castle to do such things as entertain guests and make sure they had been feed before they left, even offer a place to stay if they had nowhere else. Belle nodded about to thank Jarvotte for her company, before she asked about the village. Amelia let slip a snort of derision at the mention of trying for help from the village, the bunch of fools didn't know their hand from their feet in her opinion. Having been working in the castle before Beast was even born, she knew full well how hateful and ignorant the towns people were. "I would not expect much from them, Madame." She said before getting a dirty from Belle. "Amelia! You are being rude, please just take the plates and leave." Belle said both annoyed and saddened that she honestly doubted them able to be much help to Jarvotte either. Belle watched Amelia leave the room before turning her glaze back to her guest. "Please do excuse her Madame, she is still rather sore about the lack of help we have gotten from the town in finding my Adam." She said sadly, fighting the urged to cry once more at the fact she would truly be alone if he didn't return. "However, I am sure they will be much more willing to help you. Perhaps even be willing to speak to you in the first place." Belle finished her tone sounding hopeful.</s> <\|message\|>Javotte Dupont Javotte would have blinked, if such a tell still worked for her, when Amelia snorted. Alas there was no time to interject as Belle began talking. When the Lady finished Javotte just sat there, processing what she had said. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hadn't said anything about other people disappearing. Still, it wasn't something she could ignore. Not after she was sent here. Maybe Cinderella's Fairy Godmother knew more than she had told Javotte. "Your Adam is missing?" Javotte asked hesitantly. "For how long?" Not that the answer would make a difference. Javotte had paid no head to gossip and so she didn't know for how long Cinderella had been missing before they went to the Castle. It could have been days or for just hours.</s>	<\|message\|>Belle Leclair Belle kept a hopeful smile on her face as her guest just sat there for a moment. However, she frowned a little at Jarvotte's question and nodded her head slowly although the girl clearly was unable to see her movements. "Yes, but he will come back. I know he will." Belle answered softly looking away from her guest, her voice breaking a little despite trying to keep herself from crying again. She should have guessed that such a question would have been asked, though she was so used to the subjected being changed whenever Adam came up with others. Much like with Jarvotte and her sister, Belle had no idea where to even start looking for Beast. "He was done yesterday morning when I went to wake him." She answered still looking away from Jarovtte, before wiping away the moisture that started to form around the corners of her eyes. "The servants other than Ameila are saying he left me for another so he wouldn't have to marry me. But I know it cannot be true, he wouldn't leave me after I broke his curse. Let alone, leave his own castle." Belle finished opening up a little bit more than she intended to her guest.</s>
<\|description\|>Phoenix Estrielle Gender: Female Age: 18 History The Estrielles: an unusual, gifted bloodline of mortals, holding affinities for magic yet no manifestable powers of their own, were identified by The Inquisition as a potential extension of their faction some 80 years ago. In return for magical prowess, unparalleled skill in the Healing Arts, protection and lavish treatment, members of the Estrielle bloodline were to be forever bound to the Holy Church and the deity responsible for their contracted wealth of power - Kal, the Goddess of Restoration. Details of their Contracted Powers: Each member of the bloodline harboured unharnessed magic mixed and diluted within their bloods. Thus, to ensure that these revenues could be tapped into, what used to be fragments of magic lying dormant in their bodies were forcefully extracted, compressed, and manifested into Sentinel Spirits, each taking varying forms of Kal's divine symbol - the phoenix. The Spirits, bound to their respective owners, became personalized, paradoxical weapons of healing and volatile firepower, leaving members of the Estrielle bloodline free to explore the depths of their newfound magical capabilities. Each family member wielded their Spirits differently, and while some excelled in the Healing Arts, others could manipulate their destructive flames with adroit precision. The Spirits mirrored certain characteristics belonging to their human owners, and logically so, because they were fundamentally a part of them. For example, Spirits despite being ironically called as such, are in fact mortal creatures with ages paralleling that of their masters'. Spirits can die from mortal wounds, but their deaths will not result in the deaths of their masters. On the other hand, the death of an Estrielle would consequently result in the eradication of his or her Spirit. Lastly, although Spirits may act independently, an Estrielle's command is absolute. For decades, the Estrielle bloodline served the Holy Church in their passionate and fiery endeavours, before the tainted fires of an offspring brought ruin and devastation upon the family. Zaire Estrielle, eldest son and brother to Phoenix Estrielle, cultivated an inexplicable and unfathomable interest in the hidden ones that dwelled in the depths. He had sought to collude with them, drawn by the mysterious allure of the underworld and its secrets. It was no surprise that the Holy Church promptly ordered a death warrant upon the discovery of his secret exchanges. The powers of Kal and the Healing Arts were not for the damned. Zaire Estrielle, the catalyst for the despair, became no more - dragging all those who had tried to defend him along with him to his grave. All except little Phoenix Estrielle, whom for five years quietly watched her brother make his hidden dealings, her lips silent and unmoving, motivated by nothing else but sheer curiosity and her eagerness to learn about a world kept secret from her all those years - without being caught, that is. Phoenix did nothing to save her brother that night when The Inquisition made the arrest, thinking she had saved herself from eternal damnation. She thought wrong - and was careless. The Inquisition, it seemed, were cleverer and more attentive than she had anticipated. It was brought to their attention that 16-year-old Phoenix Estrielle had stood at a corner, contrasted against her screaming parents, a mask of indifference implanted on her face. Suspiciously, they conducted an interrogation during which Phoenix, with her brazen personality, had nonchalantly admitted her knowledge of the matter without much fuss. For silence, she was duly awarded with a curse. Curse The Curse of the Phoenix is terrible indeed, causing the afflicted one to progressively age during the day, before ending dusk with a wrinkled, elderly form. She will die during the night and be reborn again at dawn, starting the day at her natural age. The process repeats itself daily. This is by no means a form of immortality, for the afflicted person remains mortal, susceptible to injury, natural aging, and death. Appearance After approximately two years of suffering from the effects of the curse, she has found the perfect clothing to accommodate her constantly aging body. Abilities and Equipment Her Spirit, Avrak, contains hawk-like features and a fiery, blood-red plumage. Avrak is rarely seen near his master, for he typically follows her around from the skies or atop the roofs of buildings. Phoenix's adept skill with her Sentinel Spirit lies primarily in its destructive abilities, her powers nurtured and cultivated through necessity - and indisputably so, for two years of roaming the dark streets of Sutton along with her obvious weakness has forced her rely much upon her relationship and synchronicity with Avrak. On the other hand, her skill in healing leaves much to be desired, having deteriorated over the past two years as a result of the lack of practice. For one, Phoenix's inherent cautiousness meant that her medical needs were scarce. Secondly, Phoenix is not one to administer her healing powers to others - not unless one had something considerably significant to offer her in exchange for her services. Most importantly, as part of her curse, Phoenix cannot perform the Healing Arts without accelerating her aging. In other words, the casting of restoration spells will cause her time of death to be brought forward (only for that day). She does not possess any note-worthy items - only a dagger which she hangs on her belt. Personality A self-interested and calculative character, and perpetually bored, Phoenix navigates life with an almost uncanny confidence as a cursed being. Typically, she comes across as calm and emotionally self-contained, yet is capable of displaying bouts of brash stubbornness akin to that of a child. Phoenix appears to be disinterested in interpersonal relationships, for she thrives inside her mind - an intellectual, observant and cautious individual. As many of her acquaintances would find, Phoenix's habitual bluntness can be unnerving.</s> <\|message\|>Avrion Whitlock Chapter 1 - Into the Depths Two days before the gathering: Ray Conover sat back in his chair. The mercenary's home was comfortable. It damned well better be after the blood he'd shed to buy it. He looked outside at the waxing moon rising just above the line of shingles and chimneys. Professor Whitlock had hired him to help with an expedition into the depths. Hopefully it wouldn't wind up like the last one. That aging fool was going to get what's coming to him if he didn't lay off on the adventures. Ray grinned at the thought. He couldn't deny the fact that the man had energy. Thud! Thud ! Thud! It was the door. The day had already died, whoever it is, is probably trouble. Ray grabbed his repeater crossbow, scratched his chin stubble with one wrist, and stretched his neck. Preparations complete he stomped down his stairs to the door. The thick glass made identifying the dressed figure outside impossible so he hefted the crossbow with one arm and opened the door. "What'ja want?" On the other side was a man dressed in fine black attire with a sharp black top hat and a black cane with a silver-bulbed handle. Barely affected by the deadly crossbow pointed at him, he adjusted his circular orange sunglasses and spoke with a practiced tone. "Well, sir. I came by in hopes of finding someone to help me with a job a month from now." "Why didn'ja just say so?" Ray stammered. "I've got a job soon. Should be done by then. What did'ja have in mind?" "I can explain. May I come in?" The man asked. "Well first things first. You already seem to know me. What's ya name?" The bespectacled man replied in a proud tone. "My name is Aran Vernus." Ray gave him a good once-over with his eyes. Aran was pretty pale and thin under his coat. Maybe it was just the light. "Well Aran Vernus. Sure. Come on in." His face shaped into a predatory grin. "Gladly." He lowered the spectacles revealing eyes the color of the deepest pit. Day of the gathering: Avrion surveyed the group. Two women, two men, a masked personage and himself. That made six. It would have to do. They were situated around a rented private room in a library. Though they hadn't all come in at the same time. The mercenary Ray Conover was of course a little late. He usually was. Avrion had hired the man before and he was just as sloppy looking as usual. The very reason Avrion trusted this man so much was set in his ability. He was not cursed or supernatural in any way. He simply was as some people would say, a badass. He was talented and despite his disheveled appearance was incredibly wary. "So uh, what's the spiel?" Ray piped in. There was a certain tension in the room waiting to be stilled by the professor. The merc peered around at the group, staring at Oswalt for a little too long. "Eh, sorry." He apologized, glancing away. "Yes of course. Let's get this underway. I'd let you bunch introduce yourselves to one another but we'll have plenty of time to do that over the course of our venture." He sighed and took a deep breath. In that moment the gravity weighing on his mind was visible in a brief and sad expression. "I have learned that creatures are appearing in the city at increasingly alarming rates. The guard are having difficulty keeping track of it all and I know precisely why. Someone is organizing them and increasing their numbers. If this continues the city will be overwhelmed and collapse. It could be any day now which is why we need to start moving as soon as possible." Avrion stares at the window for a good long moment. It was currently noon so the sun was still bright in the sky. It's obvious by his expression that though he knows this must be done he was having doubts as to what to do and says. "The guard won't help us down there. Our lord won't risk it. We're on our own for now until we get some more incentive. My suggestion is to enter the depths and find this incentive to stoke the guard. Any other thoughts?" He opened the discussion.</s> <\|message\|>Red Chambers "I have no objections to that plan," Red spoke. She neither smiled nor frowned. Red... you could murder them all. A voice in Red's head spoke. You could strangle them or stab them. I could teach you how. "I DONT WANT TO KILL THEM!" Red shouted. She hadn't meant to voice her thought. But she had accidentally let it slip through her mouth. Red. Your newfound companions are cursed as well. You aren't alone anymore.... Oh wait, you've never really been alone. As soon as human company fled we had already settled in. Another voice chimed in. It was sarcastic in tone and overall rude. "You don't count as company," Red snarled. It was aimed at the voices.</s>	<\|message\|>Phoenix Estrielle Avrak, it would seem, in that mere span of fifteen minutes they had been in that room, had developed a penchant for igniting little slimy paper balls - a concoction of bird saliva and viciously shredded pieces of paper, all thanks to the generosity of the library. Except that they were blissfully ignorant of the... minute destruction the bird had caused to some of their hopefully unimportant texts. Phoenix had been watching her Spirit with mild interest and amusement, her eyes regularly flickering across the room in an effort to appear intrigued by the several oddities that had gathered there. Not that she wasn't intrigued, but she had already been in that state and over it approximately five minutes ago. No reason to spoil the atmosphere, she mused, noticing Ray's enthralled expression as he stared a little too long at Oswalt, before blurting out an apology. In fact, Phoenix herself had been freely staring at the amphibian with morbid fascination just moments ago, but saw no reason to apologize. So she hadn't. The masked figure, Doctor Caldwell, held the record for holding Phoenix's attention. For a full six minutes, she had unashamedly dissected him with her gaze. Funny, because that's exactly what Doctor Caldwell did: dissect people, and quite literally so, she thought, spending the next minute mulling over that slice of mild humor, while her fingers twitched at the thought of waltzing right over to snatch the doctor's mask off. She grinned slightly. Across from her, Red was twitching as though a thousand conversations littered her mind. Upon her little outbursts, Phoenix cocked her head, raising a brow. She pondered over the red-haired girl's seemingly instable and volatile emotional state. A snarky comment almost crossed her lips, but she managed – barely – to halt the words. Then, she decided that she had waited and seen enough. "Two questions, if I may." Phoenix directed her inquiries to none other than Avrion. "Firstly, I'd like to know about the full terms of contract of this job." A mischievous smile lit her face. "A lifetime supply of breakfast, perhaps? Of course, rewards are not mandatory, but I do work better with extrinsic motivational factors. If you get what I mean." She winked. "Secondly, is The Inquisition going to be involved in this? Because I do find them greatly distasteful." Phoenix's expression darkened with those words.</s>
<\|description\|>Dr. Caldwell, usually called "The Doctor" Gender: Unknown Age: 28 Appearance: Equipment: Traditional plague doctor attire: A hooded suit with gloves and heavy boots, showing not even the glimpse of skin. One of the fairly well-known 'beaked' masks that have been used by plague doctors for decades, symbol of both dread and hope to equal amounts. Differently sized scalpels for medical purposes as well as general utility, together with a custom forged knife that resembles an oversized medical edge, but is primarily used for emergency self defense. All of those blades and some additional medical tools are being kept in a roll-out kit. Additionally, a bag filled with up to six round glass bottles that can hold different alchemical substances, from potions over glowing acidic liquids to handmade 'molotov'-esque 'thrown cocktails'. Wears a weighty ring on the right thumb that has a small clockwork mechanism built in. The ring has both a practical use and nostalgic value. Furthermore owns a custom made bow and a selection of special arrows that hold small vials at the needle-shaped tip. Those vials can be filled with medical substances to create a crude, unwieldy equivalent to modern tranquilizer darts. This one is mostly brought when a specimen can't be approached safely, and due to the fragile and awkward handling, it doesn't see much use. History: Not much is known about the young doctor Caldwell. Born into a family of surgeons and destined to take over the family business, a small private clinic for customers who would prefer paying twice the price over having their disgraceful indisposition be seen in a public medical center. Being shoehorned into the profession of a doctor and surgeon worked out well. Born with a talent for precise cuts, excellent memory and the genuine motivation to help people, the Doctor began working as a medical assistant before their fourteenth year of age, promoting to a full-fledged medical title before reaching eighteen. As to be expected in this line of work, more than one incident happened where the Caldwell family came in contact with the less known, 'cursed' part of the population. The private nature of their clinic played an obvious part in these circumstances, as often they revolved around a 'mysteriously ill' family member of any influential, wealthy family. When the Doctor was around the age of twenty-one, the number of incidents reached an inexplicable peak and took both Caldwell seniors into an early grave. The Doctor took it with dignity, knowing that they died trying to help people, and thus continued the family business with as little interruption as possible. It even birthed the plan to dabble in the field of alchemy - something the parents didn't support - in order to search for a cure rather than suppress the symptoms. The loss of the only other living family member - a half-brother who was in the business of medical supplies and helped the younger Caldwell sibling run the clinic after their parents passed away - two years later however was a hard hit that made the Doctors determination waver. What's known is that the clinic didn't close its doors for even a day, and that the Doctor was never seen without their typical work outfit since then. Rumor has it that it was an unfortunate incident somehow involving the cure, and people often bring up theories about murder and betrayal. Some of them claim that the child of the two Caldwell surgeons died that day and the presumably dead brother assumed that identity out of remorse. By now, five years have passed and whatever really happened was lost in gossip, rumors and paranoid theories. The Caldwell clinic is well-established and despite the odd tendency of the Doctor to always appear clad in the disheartening plague doctor attire, their competence is well-respected and consulted frequently, not only by the 'rich and famous' anymore. Other than Caldwell, only a single assistant is working at the clinic, a timid girl named Denise. Unknown to the public, the both of them are still working on a cure for the sickness that indirectly killed most of the Caldwell family. Due to facts and fiction blurring so heavily in Sutton, nobody can say with certainty if the Doctor was a man or woman anymore. Some older folks around town remember stories about the Caldwell child, but every single one of them completely different. Curse: /</s> <\|message\|>Red Chambers "I have no objections to that plan," Red spoke. She neither smiled nor frowned. Red... you could murder them all. A voice in Red's head spoke. You could strangle them or stab them. I could teach you how. "I DONT WANT TO KILL THEM!" Red shouted. She hadn't meant to voice her thought. But she had accidentally let it slip through her mouth. Red. Your newfound companions are cursed as well. You aren't alone anymore.... Oh wait, you've never really been alone. As soon as human company fled we had already settled in. Another voice chimed in. It was sarcastic in tone and overall rude. "You don't count as company," Red snarled. It was aimed at the voices.</s> <\|message\|>Phoenix Estrielle Avrak, it would seem, in that mere span of fifteen minutes they had been in that room, had developed a penchant for igniting little slimy paper balls - a concoction of bird saliva and viciously shredded pieces of paper, all thanks to the generosity of the library. Except that they were blissfully ignorant of the... minute destruction the bird had caused to some of their hopefully unimportant texts. Phoenix had been watching her Spirit with mild interest and amusement, her eyes regularly flickering across the room in an effort to appear intrigued by the several oddities that had gathered there. Not that she wasn't intrigued, but she had already been in that state and over it approximately five minutes ago. No reason to spoil the atmosphere, she mused, noticing Ray's enthralled expression as he stared a little too long at Oswalt, before blurting out an apology. In fact, Phoenix herself had been freely staring at the amphibian with morbid fascination just moments ago, but saw no reason to apologize. So she hadn't. The masked figure, Doctor Caldwell, held the record for holding Phoenix's attention. For a full six minutes, she had unashamedly dissected him with her gaze. Funny, because that's exactly what Doctor Caldwell did: dissect people, and quite literally so, she thought, spending the next minute mulling over that slice of mild humor, while her fingers twitched at the thought of waltzing right over to snatch the doctor's mask off. She grinned slightly. Across from her, Red was twitching as though a thousand conversations littered her mind. Upon her little outbursts, Phoenix cocked her head, raising a brow. She pondered over the red-haired girl's seemingly instable and volatile emotional state. A snarky comment almost crossed her lips, but she managed – barely – to halt the words. Then, she decided that she had waited and seen enough. "Two questions, if I may." Phoenix directed her inquiries to none other than Avrion. "Firstly, I'd like to know about the full terms of contract of this job." A mischievous smile lit her face. "A lifetime supply of breakfast, perhaps? Of course, rewards are not mandatory, but I do work better with extrinsic motivational factors. If you get what I mean." She winked. "Secondly, is The Inquisition going to be involved in this? Because I do find them greatly distasteful." Phoenix's expression darkened with those words.</s>	<\|message\|>Dr. Caldwell, usually called "The Doctor" One day before the gathering: A little bell mounted above the door of the Caldwell clinic rang for the third time this day. This time in specific, it signaled the departure of a guest who brought unexpected but decisive news. Denise Autumn, the assistant of doctor Caldwell, anxiously waited for the man to depart, throwing nervous glances at his intimidating appearance before getting up from the waiting room chair and slowly walking into the back of the clinic. The doctor was sitting behin a rustic wooden desk, staring at the young woman from behind the glasses of a familiar but no less troubling mask, staring right through her into blank space. It was not unusual for the doctor to do this, absentmindedly flexing the fingers of their right hand, but it never ceased to send shivers down Denise's spine. She silently stood in the doorframe, clutching a clipboard with both hands, waiting for the doctor to finish whatever train of thought they currently pursued. "I'll be gone for a few days.", the voice eventually proclaimed monotonously. The assistant immediately knew it was important, since the doctor never left the clinic closed without a good reason. "I think I could probably..." the girl started, but Caldwell cut her words off. "Take the rest of the week off. You've earned a break." Not failing to notice the melancholic look of their assistant, the doctor added "I don't doubt your ability to get it done, don't get the wrong idea. I'd just hate to have last weeks incident repeat without being around.". The 'incident' was still quite vivid in memory for the both of them. It involved a rather irritating client, his disregard for Denise's personal space and the attempt to bite her. The doctor had to step in, sedate and remove the individual from their establishment unceremoniously. The doctor's goodwill ended right at attempted harassment. That bastard could rot in a back alley for all Caldwell cared. Denise nodded, reliving the scene in memory with an expression of awe on her face. "Any preparations I can help you with, at least?" She had the decency not to ask about the occasion, but probably didn't want to know either. The girl had seen her fair share of otherworldly horrors in these four walls. "You can." The beaked mask nodded over to the less obvious door in doctor Caldwells office, leading to the laboratory rooms filled with alchemical and medical instruments. The masked figure slowly rose, producing a keyring to close the clinic entrance. It was implication enough for the girl to know they would be preparing potions and concoctions from a curious book about alchemy, the only book in the doctors library that didn't look like it was around for twenty or more years. Day of the gathering: The doctor had arrived and settled down as ordered by this unusual man. While the beaked mask limited the wearers field of view, it also concealed decently where they were looking at, making it relatively easy for its user to take a closer look at Grimsley specifically. He was a sight to behold anyway, but from a medical point of view even more so. The scientist in Caldwell itched to take samples of skin and saliva to conduct alchemical experiments on, but the human being Caldwell wanted to learn what happened to the man, and develop a treatment for whatever he was suffering from. The concept of curses was not new to the doctor and delving into the inexplicable darker branches of chemistry desensitized them from the supernatural even more than the occasional 'freak' client at the clinic, yet the victim of a curse was not much different from a patient in several ways. The other obvious 'anomaly' in the room - Phoenix' bird - underwent only a brief inspection. It was of little interest to the doctor, because... to put it bluntly, and to humorously mirror Phoenix' train of thought regarding the doctor, there was nothing to disect. Nothing to cut or scrape off that wouldn't end up being ash seconds later. The 'Monger' kept the doctors attention up until Conover arrived and the briefing began. Flexing their right hand mechanically, Caldwell nodded in agreement upon the mention of the creatures numbers increasing - the frequency of freakishly wounded and outright monstrous patients increased noticeably over the last weeks. Red's little outbreak didn't phase the doc as much as it would have two or three years ago. With the increasing number of 'incidents', an impressive amount of people with more or less frightful mental issues sought out the Caldwell clinic. While it was certainly unsettling, coming from a fourteen year old girl was not quite as threatening as it could have been. By speaking up, Phenix momentarily caught Caldwells interest again, reigniting the train of thought that earlier came to wonder what was wrong with her, but then was abruptly put aside upon Grimsley's arrival. There was a definite pattern in the people gathered here, the doctor thought. The twitchy girl who probably suffering from hallucinations and schizophrenia, the fish-man, that obviously unnatural bird tied to the young woman in some way... the only thing to be worked out were the effect of that binding and Conover. Possibly Avrion as well but the darkness surrounding him was so palpable, it was mysterious and obvious at the same time. While the doctor didn't quite care about a compensation for the job, they had their own 'payment' in mind. Going down there would inevitably get them into arms reach of worthwhile samples and insights. Easily enough for Caldwell to comply. That, and most likely saving the city they live in from certain doom, of course. The question concerning the Inquisition was a good one, and let the gaze of the beaked mask switch focus to Avrion. Making an educated guess, Caldwell would expect the Inquisition to stay far away from that place. The curse-ridden nature of this little party here furthermore implied that they would not seek out help of them. It was probably suicide to be seen with either of the people present, but the doctors relative anonymity felt reassuring. "Who would have an incentive to organize monsters? Who would benefit from the irreversible fall of Sutton?" The voice sounding from below the mask was dampened more than one would expect. Beyond that, it was of ambiguous tone, not obviously distinguishable as either gender. Furthermore, while the question was posed generally for everyone to ponder, Caldwell had a hunch that their host already had an idea about that.</s>