(Happy holidays to you too, hope you had a good one!)
Nightfall
--
"I'll go first. I need to make sure everything's alright up there," Mirandah states, moving up to the sling. She starts up the hill without waiting for another word.
Aegis turns to you, patting his axe at his side. "You go first. Crimson and you have done your fair share. We're almost there, let me watch our backs from here. You may be armed, but I can still swing my axe - there's no way you can use a bow with that injury, not without making it worse."
Crimson nods with a yip, keeping her eyes open. The next moment, she lets out a little growl, teeth bared. Her gaze is fixed on something you can't see off in the darkness the way you came.
"Something's coming," she barks a warning.
Aegis turns, grabbing his axe with his good hand. "Are they here?"
Now you can hear it too - footsteps crunching in the gravel. Crimson stops her growling, seeming less sure of herself, and you can tell you're only hearing one set of footsteps. The gait is uneven and slow, certainly much lighter than an orc in war gear.
Someone emerges into the patch of dim moonlight. Short, covered in rock dust and limping, you almost don't recognise-
"Murva!" Aegis runs forward, embracing her. "I was so worried! What happened, are you okay?" He pulls back to check her over for injuries. She has a gash in her leg, but otherwise you can't see anything else in the gloom.
"Snuck round them," she breathes, looking up at the pair of you with exhausted eyes. "They're coming."
There's a shout from the top of the hill, and the sling lands beside you, awaiting the next person up.
(Happy holidays to you too, hope you had a good one!)
Nightfall
--
"I'll go first. I need to make sure everything's alright up there," Mirandah states, moving up to the sling. She starts up the hill without waiting for another word.
Aegis turns to you, patting his axe at his side. "You go first. Crimson and you have done your fair share. We're almost there, let me watch our backs from here. You may be armed, but I can still swing my axe - there's no way you can use a bow with that injury, not without making it worse."
Crimson nods with a yip, keeping her eyes open. The next moment, she lets out a little growl, teeth bared. Her gaze is fixed on something you can't see off in the darkness the way you came.
"Something's coming," she barks a warning.
Aegis turns, grabbing his axe with his good hand. "Are they here?"
Now you can hear it too - footsteps crunching in the gravel. Crimson stops her growling, seeming less sure of herself, and you can tell you're only hearing one set of footsteps. The gait is uneven and slow, certainly much lighter than an orc in war gear.
Someone emerges into the patch of dim moonlight. Short, covered in rock dust and limping, you almost don't recognise-
"Murva!" Aegis runs forward, embracing her. "I was so worried! What happened, are you okay?" He pulls back to check her over for injuries. She has a gash in her leg, but otherwise you can't see anything else in the gloom.
"Snuck round them," she breathes, looking up at the pair of you with exhausted eyes. "They're coming."
There's a shout from the top of the hill, and the sling lands beside you, awaiting the next person up.
(Thank you. I hope you have nice holidays too.)
"Murva in the sling," Asteria says grabbing her wooden staff, "Aegis do not think, even for a minute, that I will leave anyone behind ever again. You and Crimson are next, if you argue I will carry you up the cliff myself."
Asteria listens for the orcs and anyone else who might pose a threat to the group. This isn't her first time fighting in close quarters with a staff, but she hopes it doesn't come down to that. If it does then Asteria hopes that the people with the sling are going to be fast in getting it back down and up.
Afternoon
--
He forces an almost maniacal cackle, and it's hard not to feel embarrassed for him.
"Mighty quick to offer a favour, aren't yer?" he grins. "But okay, seen as 'elping you is 'elping me, ye see..." He winces, and his boisterous facade falls. He shuffles his feet and continues, his dedication to his silly accent reaching astounding levels. "It's me pet rat, ye see. Pulled a runner, that 'e did. I'd be fine wi' that, but 'e took something important o' mine an' all an' I need it back. From the scene I saw when yer griffin dashed past, I'd suppose I'll be needin' it back from 'im once e's finished with me pet," he grimaces.
He points down the alleyway in the direction you were previously heading. "They was running that way, so they were... I think. I was givin' chase but... heh," he shrugs. "I er... couldn't keep up and mighta lost me way the slightest bit."
Then his confidence is back up and he takes an exaggeratedly heroic pose you'd expect to see on a poorly written, dramatic elven play. "But I accept yer quest, fair lady! I'll offer me humble aid in yer search for yer lost familiar, totally magnanimous like, with no alterior motives for recovering me own belongings an' savin' face!"
He holds the pose for a few awkward seconds, giving you a side-eye like he's waiting for you to say something. "Er... I'm Captain Chin, by the way, in case ye didn't realise..." He waits expectantly.
"Oh...Wow..." I say with an awkward smile, unsure how I'm supposed to respond. He's definitely an eccentric person, that's for sure Is he expecting me to go along with this little make-believe play or something? Should I be going along with this 'play'..? I don't even know what story Captain Chin is from or if it's just some persona he made up.
"How did I not realize? Just by sensing your presence I can tell you are every bit as the golden-hearted hero of the seas as the rumors say!" I drop my head and smile. I can't believe I really said that. "Yeah I don't know what you wanted me to say, let's- let's just go find them"
________________________________________________
(is bro a cosplayer????)
(I really need to reel in my inactivity, sorry about that.)
If left unattended, the lantern fuel will be used up by midnight.
Outside the air is cool and still, skies a clear blue like some of Rythia's flowers trailing down from their window-ledge boxes. The ground-floor cafe is quite busy and you can hear the centaur's booming, enthusiastic voice over those of her customers as you go.
"I've heard that the Downriver district is where the more unsavoury types gather in the Crossroads and the guards have little control," Skywhisper explains as you walk through the busy streets, past people lugging goods, street vendors hawking their wares and surrounded by the sound of the city waking up to start the new day. "But it's not that small an area and the 'place' Rythia mentioned could be anywhere. All we know is it's the new up-and-coming attraction in the area. How does that help us?"
The growing clamour of cart-wheels rolling and hooves striking cobbles tells you that you're approaching one of the branches of the Adventurer's Road which intersects the city. The buildings part for the structure, leaving a wide gap upon which dozens of travellers move upon - lone carts, the long lines of a caravan, those on foot - traders, guards, adventurers and wayfarers. Activity on the road which connects the continent never stops, and it's no wonder the bridge you cross now was built over it to keep the districts of the city connected, despite the veritable river which flows with travellers between them.
This is the western branch of the 'Road, and as you and Skywhisper cross the bridge you can see the distant glitter of the River Iver to your right, far down the length of the 'Road.
"The Downriver district runs along the river, further to the south," Skywhisper has to raise his voice to be heard here.
(Good to see you again, happy new year :D)
I weave around the passerby, dodging carts to avoid being swept up with the crowd and separated from Skywhisper, who fortunately seems to be more acquainted with the Crossroads than me.
"Well, if it's that 'up-and-coming' of an attraction, we're bound to catch some wind of it, right?" I shout back to him over the din. "We can keep an eye out for a place that people seem to be heading for--or if it's not that obvious, we can keep an ear out for the word on the street. Do you think you're up for mingling with some potentially unscrupulous fellows?"
If the latter does turn out to be necessary, I also figure it would be optimal not to be directly going around asking questions to avoid drawing unwanted attention to myself, which makes the task even trickier--I'll have to find a more subtle way of making conversation. It might also mean having to leave Skywhisper behind for some of it, seeing as having a Griffin with you is, well, not exactly discreet.
I recount these musings to Skywhisper to see his thoughts on it. "What do you say? We'll have to see for sure when we get there, but I think blending in is our best bet, especially since we're aiming to get in and out cleanly." I'm grateful that, on top of leaving my larger pack behind, at least my appearance is fairly unremarkable as far as being an elf goes. "It's a pity I haven't got a hood or something--you know, you always hear that suspicious people have hoods, but it does seem convenient to have something to hide one's face."
Falconetti
Level 72
Ghost Writer
Joined: 11/13/2018
Threads: 10
Posts: 1,918
Posted: 2/1/2023 at 1:13 PM
Post #2465
Morning
--
You take a dose from the phial, feeling the mixture burn down your throat, and within moments you can feel your creeping allergy symptoms soothing away.
With all luck, once this charade is over with you'll have all the time in the world to get on at your brother.
"Alright. Move out!" Felicia shouts. The escort guards at the other side of the square don't hesitate a moment longer - griffins stretch their shimmering wings, take a few bounding steps forward and take flight. As they rise over the edge of the surrounding shingle rooftops, the light of the dawning sun illuminates them in gold for a brief moment. A wingbeat later and they soar out of sight.
One after the other the guards and griffins of the wing take off, and you know they only count down the moments until your turn. The echoes of thunderous wingbeats and screeching cries of griffins still reverberate from the walls when only you and Felicia are left. You can't help but notice her eyes are screwed shut as her mount bursts into a flurry of motion and feathers as she, too, rises into the sky.
Despite bracing you feel yourself come close to being thrown from the saddle as Rendingclaw lunges forward. The best you can manage is desperately clutch on as his talons skitter across the cobbles and launch the pair of you upward. All you see is a blur of stone, roof-tiles and then the endless blue as you rise higher, higher still - Rendingclaw's wings beating the air in a steady rhythm to close the distance with the others in seconds.
Underneath, the Adventurer's Crossroads spills across the land all the way from the great river in the west and across the wide rolling plains of the Central Territories. Smoke rises from chimneys while down below on the ground you can see the tiny, distant swarms of the morning crowds making their way through the criss-crossing streets. Once Knight reaches adulthood and his injury heals, he'll be able to share in the awe-inspiring view the beasts of the sky enjoy like this too.
Felicia has her chin held high and you haven't seen her look down once at the incredible sight of the city below. She looks across at you, shouting over the wind: "You good?! We have a day's flight ahead of us and no stops!"
Do you wish to fast travel to Elvenor?
Falconetti
Level 72
Ghost Writer
Joined: 11/13/2018
Threads: 10
Posts: 1,918
Posted: 2/1/2023 at 2:53 PM
Post #2466
Nightfall
--
Murva barely makes a sound as Aegis helps her over to the sling, collapsing into it without complaint. He tugs on the rope and she's pulled up the slope. Your ex-tent is really beginning to look tattered, but it bears her without breaking, scuffing across the slope, dislodging loose pebbles as she goes.
Aegis turns back to you, hesitating only for a moment. Charisma check partially successful. "You're just as stubborn as me," he shakes his head, eyes darting to the darkness surrounding you on all sides. "But we don't have time for two trips and the last thing we need is a martyr. As soon as that sling gets back here, you and the pup are in," he holds up his good hand, anticipating a rebuke. "...but I'll hold onto the rope with one hand and climb up myself. There's enough of them up there - they should handle it."
He pats his injured arm, wincing. But his eyes are still determined. "I can do it. I won't lose my grip."
A guttural shout echoes in the night from somewhere down the canyon. Crimson whimpers, before shaking her head and baring her teeth in defiance.
"I'll fight them if they come anywhere near!" she barks, an angry orange glow emanating out from behind her fur, her fury shining in the dark for all to see.
You can hear more shouts - the hunters have picked up the scent. The sound echoes strangely down here and you can't tell how close they are, but it won't be long now. If any of them have ranged weapons, you may be in trouble. Surely the sling should have been thrown back down by now?
Morning
--
You take a dose from the phial, feeling the mixture burn down your throat, and within moments you can feel your creeping allergy symptoms soothing away.
With all luck, once this charade is over with you'll have all the time in the world to get on at your brother.
"Alright. Move out!" Felicia shouts. The escort guards at the other side of the square don't hesitate a moment longer - griffins stretch their shimmering wings, take a few bounding steps forward and take flight. As they rise over the edge of the surrounding shingle rooftops, the light of the dawning sun illuminates them in gold for a brief moment. A wingbeat later and they soar out of sight.
One after the other the guards and griffins of the wing take off, and you know they only count down the moments until your turn. The echoes of thunderous wingbeats and screeching cries of griffins still reverberate from the walls when only you and Felicia are left. You can't help but notice her eyes are screwed shut as her mount bursts into a flurry of motion and feathers as she, too, rises into the sky.
Despite bracing you feel yourself come close to being thrown from the saddle as Rendingclaw lunges forward. The best you can manage is desperately clutch on as his talons skitter across the cobbles and launch the pair of you upward. All you see is a blur of stone, roof-tiles and then the endless blue as you rise higher, higher still - Rendingclaw's wings beating the air in a steady rhythm to close the distance with the others in seconds.
Underneath, the Adventurer's Crossroads spills across the land all the way from the great river in the west and across the wide rolling plains of the Central Territories. Smoke rises from chimneys while down below on the ground you can see the tiny, distant swarms of the morning crowds making their way through the criss-crossing streets. Once Knight reaches adulthood and his injury heals, he'll be able to share in the awe-inspiring view the beasts of the sky enjoy like this too.
Felicia has her chin held high and you haven't seen her look down once at the incredible sight of the city below. She looks across at you, shouting over the wind: "You good?! We have a day's flight ahead of us and no stops!"
Do you wish to fast travel to Elvenor?
He gives her a disbelieving look. "What do you think?" He grumbles. He's nevver really had the flying experience before, but he supposes if Knight's going to be running around flying into the air he'd best crash course "how not to throw up in the middle of the sky" so he can at least keep up with his familiar.
He's definitely chewing Newt out later for not telling him about the potions. Although he supposes it is partially his fault for not keeping in some sort of touch, it's a bit hard to describe your special remedy over a birthday card.
He just knows he's going to be sore after this flight though, and gets comfortable. Or asbest he can on the back of his least favorite flying thing.
Nightfall
--
Murva barely makes a sound as Aegis helps her over to the sling, collapsing into it without complaint. He tugs on the rope and she's pulled up the slope. Your ex-tent is really beginning to look tattered, but it bears her without breaking, scuffing across the slope, dislodging loose pebbles as she goes.
Aegis turns back to you, hesitating only for a moment. Charisma check partially successful. "You're just as stubborn as me," he shakes his head, eyes darting to the darkness surrounding you on all sides. "But we don't have time for two trips and the last thing we need is a martyr. As soon as that sling gets back here, you and the pup are in," he holds up his good hand, anticipating a rebuke. "...but I'll hold onto the rope with one hand and climb up myself. There's enough of them up there - they should handle it."
He pats his injured arm, wincing. But his eyes are still determined. "I can do it. I won't lose my grip."
A guttural shout echoes in the night from somewhere down the canyon. Crimson whimpers, before shaking her head and baring her teeth in defiance.
"I'll fight them if they come anywhere near!" she barks, an angry orange glow emanating out from behind her fur, her fury shining in the dark for all to see.
You can hear more shouts - the hunters have picked up the scent. The sound echoes strangely down here and you can't tell how close they are, but it won't be long now. If any of them have ranged weapons, you may be in trouble. Surely the sling should have been thrown back down by now?
"Aegis something isn't right. Can you climb up the cliff? Until then, Crimson hide your fire and get behind me. I'll need your help in a minute," Asteria grabs her bow but doesn't knock an arrow, "Crimson how good is your temperature control? Oh, and Aegis, if you've forgotten, I'm a ranger it's my job to be stubborn."
Asteria knows her plan is risky but there isn't much of a choice, not enough time for the sling or to make a fire arrow but maybe just maybe enough time for an interesting result. Stone and metal can keep their shape at a high temperature but if someone were to touch or be hit by a hot piece of metal attached to a shaft shot by a determined ranger who has years of experience under her belt the enemy could chose to cut their losses.
(I'm worried about the prisoners will I find out what happened to them? Also welcome back.)
Edited By Starpup5 on 2/1/2023 at 11:55 PM.
Falconetti
Level 72
Ghost Writer
Joined: 11/13/2018
Threads: 10
Posts: 1,918
Posted: 3/17/2023 at 11:33 AM
Post #2469
(Heheh I am such a massive hypocrite on the inactivity, sorry.
He is a quirky lil' fellow. Maybe you'll learn a bit about him if you can put up with him xD)
Afternoon
--
"Absolutely flattered miss, ah..?" he trails off expectantly.
"A' was expectin' some slanderous retort, I must confess. See, usually people don't respect the likes a' me," he huffs as you both start off down the back-street. "An' all I've done is sailed around a bit, 'elping to ship goods around the place. Just because a' think some goods would be better sold somewhere other than where they're supposed to be goin', a' get a lotta bad press, so I do."
Captain Chin isn't a name you recognise from fictional tales you know, nor from reality. It's possible he's taken inspiration from some niche work, perhaps not even an elven character. Then again, if he really is a seafarer, your knowledge of such matters and of people who work in the trade is just as limited. He could be a real captain, just an... unconventional, one.
The pair of you take another turn as the alley opens up into an overgrown courtyard bordered by dilapidated multi-story houses. You rustle damp leaf litter as you go, the only sound here other than the distant drone of the city all around. The square is greens and greys, other than a stark streak of brown fluttering in the wind. It's a feather, caught in the thorny bracken in a shady corner of the court.
Chin doesn't appear to have noticed it, making loud harrumph noises as he peers and prods at a rather unassuming pebble. "It be a clue, a'm sure," he declares.
Falconetti
Level 72
Ghost Writer
Joined: 11/13/2018
Threads: 10
Posts: 1,918
Posted: 5/21/2023 at 11:53 AM
Post #2470
Hey folks,
Figured you can all tell already but it's past time I let you know outright - Creature Kin has taken a bit of a back-seat for me and I don't know when I'll be able to come back to narrate consistently.
The best thing for now will be to mark the thread as offline and perhaps at some point in the future, provided you haven't moved on to other things as well, I'll be back. I've already dropped in and out a couple of times before, but life moves on - don't be surprised if this is it for CK.
It's been great while it lasted, and I've gotten good experience in running a RP like this and story-telling in general. I hope it was just as, if not more, enjoyable for you all as well!
Wish you well in RL,
~Falcon
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