rp: main topic Craethiel Kingdom

[Aura]

  On 2/3/2019 at 3:04 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

Rowen smirked a little as his little Natia flushed a deep red. He loved making her blush like that. She was so cute when she blushed like that. It made him want to hold her even tighter than before. At her next sentence, Rowan found himself tilting his head slightly with a raised eyebrow before it then creased in thought, “Why is it so shameful? That primal part of you is… well, instinct. I thought your people were close to nature? I would have thought that such… instinctual behaviour would be a good thing. Why isn’t it?” He asked, clearly a little confused by the concept. He knew that even a rather proud and proper race like the Eldyrannth gave into the demands on their more primal needs. But then, they were very close to nature and magic and the beasts that were a part of their very core being. They knew that their primal urges needed to be satisfied. Keza’s felt no shame in doing so, that he knew. Despite the numerous attempts of various past rulers, their natural instincts could never be completely stamped out, and Rowan never really tried to do it with himself. He saw no point in it. He felt it was lying to oneself. 

He was brought from his thoughts when Natia’s voice started again, and he switched his attention back to her as she expressed the desire to have her collar off of her. He smiled a little as she spoke about their bonding ritual. It did sound quite nice, and he was curious to see what rings they created. He couldn’t help but wonder what a ring set would be for him and Natia. It would certainly be something unique, that was for sure. He kissed the top of her head before saying, “The Aequu must keep themselves very much to themselves, because I’ve never encountered a tribe before and I’m quite a well travelled person. But then there are various places in Craethiel where a tribe might hide itself… like in the mountains… in the Rosayia Forest… or even on one of the islands. I can’t really help you right now, since I have my own task that I need to do… but I promise, I’ll try and help look for your family at least. I already know someone who might be able to get this collar off. But again… I have something I need to be doing first.” He spoke apologetically, but he unfortunately couldn’t abandon his duty to his father. 

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Natia frowned as Rowan questioned her shame.  "It's... a bit more complicated than that... You see, the only reason we're capable of using our magic is because we are created with a perfect natural balance of the elements within us. Other races have different proportions of elements within them, even other races that use magic, it usually comes from a different source. In order to preserve this perfect balance, we have very strict rules on breeding. It's a great taboo to even make contact with an outsider, let alone have relations with one. We try to stay hidden for fear of the outside world corrupting the purposes we use our magic for. We do not want our powers to be used for war over territory or goods. We do not believe any living thing has a right to claim land or possessions as their own and since society often fights over such things, we have a tendency to look down on it and try to avoid being brought into it at all. Most outsiders don't even know we exist, we're just a myth. But unfortunately, as you know, there are slavers who know enough about us to track us down and lure us into traps... I was only captured because I carelessly neglected our tribe's rules... but that's a bit of a tangent, I guess... Anyway, we also have a fear that having sexual relations with an outsider would throw off the perfect balance of elements within us... For example, if you were created with an excess of heat in your body, then your seed might create an excess of heat inside mine and thus make me no longer able to use my magic, or at least stop me from being able to use the elements of fire and water. But even beyond that, there are all sorts of sexual laws we're expected to abide by. Inbreeding is strictly forbidden and since we live in such small tribes for the purpose of remaining undetected, each tribe very quickly becomes one large family over the course of only a few generations, and we will only be able to breed if we find a new tribe to join together with. It's a very rare occurrence and most Aequu just go their entire lives assuming they'll never be blessed with a child... it's really not our purpose anyway. We aren't intended to populate the world in high numbers, just to manage it and keep it in balance." She hadn't expected to give Rowan a lecture on her customs, but he did ask and she felt like she had to provide a sufficient answer. Rowan was very pleasant to have discussions like this with, so she didn't feel like she had to hold anything back from him. 

Natia shook her head when Rowan suggested that he would help her find her family. "No, Rowan, you've already done so much for me, I can't ask any more than what you're already doing. Not yet, anyway. Right now, I want to help you with whatever you need to do first. I mean, without you, I'd be torn to shreds by those monsters in the forest... And even after you saved me, you just as easily could have taken advantage of me and raped me or sold me into slavery..." She paused for a moment and shuttered before looking up at him. "Why didn't you, anyway? The men who kidnapped me kept going on and on about how much money they could make off of me. They kept talking about how they could probably rape me and still sell me off as though I was perfectly new... Don't you realize you could have done that, too? You could have satisfied whatever desires you had and still made hundreds of thousands off of me... You could buy yourself so much more clothing, better food, you probably could have even bought some other slave who would be forced by law to serve you... But you gave up all of that just to help me even though I was going to be nothing but a burden to you..."

[Neptune]

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

As Natia explained the concept of their balance, Rowan was quiet as he listened carefully. It certainly was a little more complicated than what he was thinking. To him, the natural was merely the natural world such as the trees and grass, but she was talking about something completely different. He had no idea what this balance would be for his species, but he was one that believed that the Keza’s weren’t created by some deity so he doubted his species would follow this rule. Their current theory was that they were created by the Eldyrannth, especially since some of their very early records seemed to support that theory. So could he still had this balance thing she was talking about? For that matter, how could one tell their own balance, or the balance of others? So how would Natia know if her balance had been disrupted? Merely because of the consequences? Surely there was some other way she could balance herself out. 

So deep into his thoughts, he almost missed what she went on to say. At her questions as to why he didn’t just rape and sell her, he raised an eyebrow at her before he said in a rather mild tone, “Not everyone is willing to give up their morals for money, Natia. I’m not one to trade in forced slaves. That is beneath me.” His tone then became softer, “I could not in good conscious do something like that. Especially not with someone as sweet as yourself. I don’t think that you’re a burden, at all. In fact I am really enjoying your company. If I just sold you, then I would be missing out. To me, Natia, that is worth far more than the money I would make by selling you to be a slave.” He held her closer to him, kissing the top of her head before tucking it under his chin so that he could wrap his arms fully around her in a protective cuddle, “But, I can’t really do much to try and find your family right now. But I can keep an eye and ear out for you while I’m doing what I need to do.” He doubted that she could actually help him with what he was doing, as he was doing what he did best. Information gathering, and she didn’t have the kinds of connections that he had, not his natural talent of spying on people. But her company would be all the help he needed and he was quite happy with that.

  On 2/4/2019 at 6:33 PM, Chiyako said:

Location: Craethiel Wilds, near Lake Ryomar.

Well she was probably right about that. Of course Rayvenne had more experience with all this than she did. Probably. Maybe they wouldn't need bait? Heck, the woman even had a good idea on where they could get ambushed! And if they were well-entrenched then maybe, just maybe, they could gather more supplies too! Who knew what a bandit hideout might hold!

"Oh, don't you worry! The wagon won't be any issue! Nope!"

Luna smiled, nodding excitedly. Oh yes. A witch had many tricks! There were plenty of times before where she couldn't exactly move easily with her wagon. It had been remedied long ago. In any case she continued to happily devour her soup until, at last, it was all finished! With a content sigh she'd settle the bowl aside, patting her belly.

"Other monsters huh? That could actually help a great deal! I could get lots of materials if we end up bringing more down. Especially trolls! Trolls are excellent for alchemy. Also witchcraft too."

With an excited nod she stretched her arms overhead. A troll had many, many uses. They were especially essential when it came to medical brews, but their flesh was also vital in a combat regeneration potion. All of this was only making her even more excited! And if she could befriend a dragon? Well perhaps she could learn some things! Maybe even stuff useful in witchcraft! like a spell!

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Location: Craethiel Wilds, near Lake Ryomar.

An eyebrow raised at Luna’s assurance regarding the wagon. Perhaps she had some spell that took care of it and hid it from view when they were travelling paths that the wagon could not traverse. But, whether it was some spell, or she left it behind at a town, Rayvenne didn’t really care. As long as it would be no problem. Because there was no way she was going to try and help push a damn wagon through mountainous territory. She didn’t bother asking and merely remained silent as she finished her stew. Once it was finished, she set it aside and watched Raeghan who was pecking at the last few pieces of his own food. 

Her eyes moved back over to Luna as she went on about the monsters. Rayvenne tilted her head to the side with a small nod, “Yes, they are immensely useful. There are numerous species that reside within the mountains. With a good hunting expedition, you could come back with enough alchemy ingredients to last you a few years.” She said as Raeghan once again jumped up onto her knee now that he had finished with his food. He ruffled his feathers as he turned around to look at Luna again, “Quite likely. The same with the forest. It’s dangerous work, but well worth the effort. Such ingredients are worth a lot of money on the alchemy market.”

“Yes. I’ve done it a few times myself. I hunt after the monsters that everyone else is too scared of even going near.” Rayvenne said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. It was actually quite profitable, but she preferred to avoid becoming just a hunter as it would confine her to the areas most populated by monsters and she liked to travel around the entire country. 

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, near Lake Ryomar.

Even the forests?! Her eyes sparkled with excited glee! So many opportunities for alchemical ingredients! Of course some people might have looked to this as a monetary opportunity, but not Luna! She was interested because of the potential within alchemy! Within witchcraft! Studies! Her personal book of shadows!

"Eeeeee! Oh I really do hope we run into more monsters! Oh! If we end up bringing any down I would happily share the profits from each! Uh. I mean I'd probably use the majority for alchemy and witchcraft and studies and stuff, but with the leftovers and such there is surely some money to be found!"

Her head nodded quickly. Yep! She was all too happy to share with her new friends! Especially so when they'd promised to help her with acquiring a familiar! It was the least she could do!

"Of course I'd like to try speaking with the Dragon once we find them. Hopefully something can be worked out diplomatically! Actually I'd leave that option open for anyone. Even the bandits and other monsters! Uh, not holding my breath on those though. Nope."

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, near Lake Ryomar.

“Oh there is a lot of money to be found trading in alchemy ingredients, especially if you have the right connections. Most alchemists are found in Selil. That’s where the real money is at. The competition is fierce there, especially with the rarer ingredients. Some people will pay thousands of gold coins for something like a dragons eye. So, if you can get your hands on the right ingredients, there is a lot of money to be made. Mainly because the job of collecting them is so dangerous that only the really strong, or the really foolish go out to hunt them down.” Rayvenne told Luna, reaching out and stroking down Raeghan’s back. The bird ruffled his feathers a little but allowed the caress. 

Rayvenne then looked back up at the girls next comment, before raising her eyebrow. After a moment, she said, “Most wild dragons are feral, Luna. Diplomacy wouldn’t work on them. You would be very lucky to find a dragon that is intelligent enough to even understand your words, let alone be open for diplomacy. The only dragons I’ve ever encountered that meets those two criteria, are Eldyr Dragons and even then, they’re not completely dragons. So don’t get your hopes too high, Luna. Most dragons fall under the category of monster, or wild animal.” This girl was almost painfully optimistic. She seemed to think she could almost do anything, and had little idea as to the reality of the world that she lived in. Craethiel was a wild, untamed place filled with dangerous monsters. One could not expect to be so… naive. Rayvenne would feel envious of her, if it wasn’t for the fact that her attitude could get her into serious trouble. It made her wonder how Luna had survived this long. Still, she kept these thoughts to herself as technically Luna was her employer and Rayvenne was careful never to piss her employer off, unless she had some serious issues with them that violated her principles. 

She moved the hand that was stroking Raeghan to beside her leg, causing the raven to hop onto it. She then moved it up to her shoulder, transferring her friend to his new perch before she stood up in a single smooth, graceful movement, “We should perhaps get going. Did you need to visit Taiom, or can you wait until we get to Kalath which will have more buying options?” She looked over at Luna for her answer.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, near Lake Ryomar.

Wow. She certainly could get rich! Also she totally needed to make a mental note to visit Selil someday. Not only could she sell her wares but she could find ingredients, find new recipes, find new ideas, and perhaps even get some training! Also she just loved visiting new places. It was probably the reason why she didn't settle down and set up shop in any one place. That and the witchcraft thing. Being mobile helped with that too!

Once Rayvenne stood so too did Luna. Still the speech about the Dragons was a little disheartening and it certainly showed, dulling even Luna's bright mood temporarily! Most were feral? That meant they'd probably end up killing whichever one they found. And that was disappointing. But maybe they'd find one who wasn't feral! And what if they found an egg? Perhaps she could raise it to be nice?

"Okie dokie!"

In an instant her mood returned to normal! With a snap of her fingers the bowls and cauldron were squeaky clean! Then she gathered them up and rushed over to the wagon, hooking Lucky back up to his harness. After boarding it she'd direct it back to the road!

"I can wait! No problem!"

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, travelling past Lake Ryomar.

Rayvenne blinked a little as Luna suddenly rushed and had everything tidied away and she was on her wagon before the dark haired woman had chance to even utter a sound. Raeghan cawed, sounding amused. She sighed, shaking her head as she shooed Raeghan from his perched. He let out an indignant caw before he launched himself up into the air and flew in circles around the two of them. She then let out a soft sigh as she moved over to Maedoc and mounted the huge, black stallion. She gripped the reigns, turning him and nudging him over to Luna’s wagon,

“Follow me, then.” She said, before kicking Maedoc’s flank a little and nudging him into a trot. He moved out in front of the wagon and began to lead the way. It wasn’t long until they could see the water of Lake Ryomar glistening in the afternoon sun. She kept them away from the waters edge, though, just in case they were attacked by Drowners or something similar. She looked out at the lake, and saw that there was a fishing boat in the distance where someone was bravely fishing. Perhaps to sell, or perhaps to feed his own family for that night. Either way, it was foolish to risk themselves like that. She turned her attention to the road in front of them as they slowly moved around the lake. By the time they passed it by, the sun was heading into the evening. They were still in glassland, but she could see trees ahead of the Ildgara Forest. She looked up at the sun before she drew back to the wagon and asked, “Do you want to reach the forest before setting up the evening camp? Or settle somewhere close? The Ildgara forest is relatively safe. About the only things you need to worry about are the occasional bear or wolf pack.” She glanced up where she could see a black spec where Raeghan was circling them, keeping an eye out for them just in case someone, or something decided to try and jump out at them.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, passing Lake Ryomar.

What a pretty lake! Lucky trotted close behind the larger stallion, content with the pace they were going. Fishing always was fun. Of course she'd never gone fishing on a boat. In fact she'd never been on a ship or really any sort of water vessel before! But she had done some fishing off a pier.

A hand moved up, finger tapping repeatedly against her chin. Which to choose? Honestly she didn't mind traveling further. After all her belly was full and Lucky was good and rested! It probably helped that her little home was lighter than it appeared. Magic was nifty like that.

"I don't mind traveling until we reach the forest!"

[Aura]

  On 2/5/2019 at 10:07 PM, Neptune said:

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

As Natia explained the concept of their balance, Rowan was quiet as he listened carefully. It certainly was a little more complicated than what he was thinking. To him, the natural was merely the natural world such as the trees and grass, but she was talking about something completely different. He had no idea what this balance would be for his species, but he was one that believed that the Keza’s weren’t created by some deity so he doubted his species would follow this rule. Their current theory was that they were created by the Eldyrannth, especially since some of their very early records seemed to support that theory. So could he still had this balance thing she was talking about? For that matter, how could one tell their own balance, or the balance of others? So how would Natia know if her balance had been disrupted? Merely because of the consequences? Surely there was some other way she could balance herself out. 

So deep into his thoughts, he almost missed what she went on to say. At her questions as to why he didn’t just rape and sell her, he raised an eyebrow at her before he said in a rather mild tone, “Not everyone is willing to give up their morals for money, Natia. I’m not one to trade in forced slaves. That is beneath me.” His tone then became softer, “I could not in good conscious do something like that. Especially not with someone as sweet as yourself. I don’t think that you’re a burden, at all. In fact I am really enjoying your company. If I just sold you, then I would be missing out. To me, Natia, that is worth far more than the money I would make by selling you to be a slave.” He held her closer to him, kissing the top of her head before tucking it under his chin so that he could wrap his arms fully around her in a protective cuddle, “But, I can’t really do much to try and find your family right now. But I can keep an eye and ear out for you while I’m doing what I need to do.” He doubted that she could actually help him with what he was doing, as he was doing what he did best. Information gathering, and she didn’t have the kinds of connections that he had, not his natural talent of spying on people. But her company would be all the help he needed and he was quite happy with that.

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Rowan's words flattered Natia and left her blushing shyly once again.  "Thank you, Rowan..." She finally said with her head tucked under his chin, just where he'd brought it. She slowly closed her eyes as she continued to allow herself to relax in this position. It made her happy to know that Rowan didn't think of her as a burden. He'd told her that before, but she couldn't help the insecurities rising up again within her. She just couldn't shake the fear that she just might lose her powers forever, at which point she would be useless to her tribe, possibly even shunned for her impurity... But Rowan's reminding her of her self worth was a crucial step in helping her to understand that she was going to be okay one way or another, and that Rowan was going to support her however he could. 

"Don't worry about my family right now, Rowan. I don't think we'll be able to find them very easily and it's much more important that you do what you need first." She lifted her head with a smile and gently pecked his jaw with her lips. "I want to support you however I can. I want to show you the same care and support that you've shown me... it really is beautiful how strong-willed you are. So many outsiders would have jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of me and exploit me for all that I'm worth, but you were there to rescue me... I really do owe you my life. I don't feel like any service would be enough to repay you."

[Neptune]

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

“Oh, I’m going to exploit you, Natia. Exploit you for all the sweetness you have.” Rowan said in a joking tone, as he wasn’t serious in the slightest about exploiting her. Unless it was for her hugs and kisses, which he wasn’t sure if he could ever get enough of them. Her lightly stroked her back before he said, “You need to be strong-willed in my profession, Natia. I wouldn’t make a very good merchant if I gave up, or accepted the first proposal sent my way. I need a strong will to be able to hold out in negotiations. As I said; not every person would decide to capture and sell you. In fact, I would hedge to bet that most wouldn’t. Otherwise most of the population of the Kingdom would be bandits, or pirates. But most are simple villagers and farmers. Honest, but humble people.”

His hand came up to play idly with her white hair, “I don’t think you owe me anything. I’m certainly not going to demand anything from you. Other than to ask you stand up. We should start moving. We can talk while we’re riding.” He said, glancing up at the sky where the sun was hovering to the east. He heard a snort from nearby, and he absently said, “Stop complaining, Baellator.” He rolled his golden eyes and looked at Natia, “I think he’s feeling a little restless.” There was another snort, this time almost sounding like a confirmation. The snort was accompanied by the pawing of a hoof against the grass.

Location: Craethiel Wilds, travelling past Lake Ryomar.

“Very well.” Rayvenne said with a slight nod before she nudged Maedoc forwards again so that he was once again in front of the wagon. At least travelling wasn’t taking as long as she had thought. They might even reach Kalath sooner than she anticipated which would be a relief. She only hoped that finding the dragon that Luna wanted the scale of, was just as easy. The sun was almost set by the time they reached the edge of the forest. There was almost an immediate change the moment they slipped underneath the trees. The forest seemed a little quieter than the grasslands, and warmer in a more comforting fashion. Rayvenne rather liked the forests, although she personally preferred mountains. She couldn’t explain why she did. Almost as if she had a deep, instinctual urge to travel the mountains despite how treacherous it could be. 

She glanced around, but couldn’t immediately see any threats. Of course, that didn’t mean that there weren’t any. She glanced up at Raeghan as he flittered among the trees, but he didn’t seem all that concerned. So she allowed herself to relax a little, but she didn’t completely drop her guard. She would keep an ear out. Forests were a good place for bandits and other nefarious individuals to hide within to ambush travellers. She allowed Maedoc to slow down until she was riding beside Luna again, “We should set up camp somewhere nearby. You can go to sleep, while I take watch.” She said, not taking her eyes off of the forest. She wasn’t bothered by the prospect of spending the night awake, as she could easily go for several days without it before she was in dire need to rest.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, passing Lake Ryomar.

It didn't take them long to reach the forests. They were actually a little warmer than she expected them to be, especially given the ample amount of shade provided! But it did make sense: heavy foliage gave off a lot of moisture and enough would certainly assist with holding in some of the heat built up throughout the day. At last night was approaching. It would get a little cooler then. Although it'd probably still be warm enough for her to sleep naked.

Regardless her ears had perked straight up. They occasionally tilted from one direction to another, acting like radar dishes maneuvering to better identify the forest's few sounds. It was actually surprisingly quiet here! Not that she minded of course. That only made it easier to detect anything that might be trying to ambush them. Her ears weren't just there to look cute, after all!

"Oh. Okay! If you get tired though don't be afraid to knock. I don't mind doing my part too!"

When they finally did spot a clearing Luna directed Lucky towards it, diverting away from the well-traveled road. Of course these clearings were generally a little more dangerous in her experience. People knew where they were located and bandits could use the surrounding forests to sneak their way over. But she wasn't worried. Not only did she have Rayvenne protecting her and Raeghan watching over her but she was also cute and kind enough that, generally, bandits simply didn't wish harming her! Of course those who were different often found her a little more difficult to handle than she let on.

As they came to a stop Luna hopped out of her seat, stretched her body out, and then moved over to Lucky's side. Again the straps holding him in place were removed. She also made certain to park him right beneath a large tree! It'd provide ample coverage in case rain hit them. Unlike others she didn't tie him up: they trusted each other enough. After feeding him a carrot she moved right into her wagon.

"Good luck! And be safe!" she called out, stripping herself down to nothing before she slipped beneath the covers of her bed! No need to keep Rayvenne waiting too long, right?

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Rayvenne followed Luna’s lead towards the clearing. In what meagre light was left, she looked around and saw signs that this was often used as a campsite. But then that would not be surprising as this was a well travelled trade route. It was a well placed campsite. Of course, that also made her a little nervous as no doubt bandits knew of this location. She was certainly not going to let her guard down, not when they knew that could be expecting trouble. Once the group stopped, she climbed down from Maedoc’s back. As Luna made her preparations, Rayvenne unsaddled Maedoc so that he could enjoy the freedom to move around without developing sores. Besides, she wanted to brush him down to help keep his coat thick and healthy looking. 

She moved over to her pack and opened it up. She looked up when she heard Luna’s voice. She nodded back to the small woman, “Sleep well. I’ll bang on the wagon if anything happens.” She said, before looking back down into her pack and rummaged through it until she found the brush. She straightened and moved over to Maedoc where she began to brush him from snout to tail. She took her time with it, as she had the entire night to occupy herself. She glanced up and saw Raeghan sitting in the large tree, keeping a lookout. At least with the tree, they had one side somewhat covered and blocked off from any attackers. 

When she had finished brushing the stallion, she patted him on the neck and moved over to her pack where she put the brush away. She pulled out a strip of dried meat and stood up, moving around on silent feet as she kept every sense alert as she ate her snack. She heard the faint rustling of the leaves as they were stirred by the gentle breeze. There seemed to be an owl somewhere, as she could hear its cry drifting away from them. She heard Maedoc stir and glanced at him as he moved over to Luna’s smaller horse and seemed to nuzzle his shoulder in greeting. She turned away again, her dark eyes looking into the darkness. She could feel a tenseness to her muscles, and the niggling feeling that they were being watched. Raeghan let out a cawing sound before he launched himself from his perch and flew off into the dark. Clearly he had seen something and went to investigate.

A few moments later, a caw drifted from between the trees. It was a cry she knew well. A cry to sign of danger. Reaching up, Rayvenne slowly drew her steel blade. She left her secondary blade within its sheath, as it was silver coated and more suited to be used on monsters than mere bandits. She saw a shift in the darkness, and knew that it was a bandit moving around in the dark as he tried to sneak up on her. There was a few moments of silence before there was a subtle twang of an arrow being released from a bow. A whistling sound reached her ears, informing her that the fletching of the arrow was not set properly. It allowed her senses to home in on the projectile and quickly side step causing it to thud against the wagon. She reached back, banging on the wagon three times before she lunged forwards as there was a shout from the trees.

Two bandits came rushing out, brandishing rusted swords that they yielded clumsily. With speed that far outmatched theirs, she avoided the swing of the first man, spinning as she drew her blade across his stomach. He let out a cry of pain and surprise as he seemed to melt before her as he crumpled to the forest floor, his guts spilling from his stomach. She raised her sword, blocking the blow from the next man. Despite the fact that he was a foot taller than she was, and built with heavy muscles, her sword did not waver as the two blades collided. A brief expression of confusion flickered across the man’s face, as he should have been able to easily overpower her. But his look melted into shock as she actually pushed his blade back against him before pushing at him hard and making him stumble back.

He looked up at her, lips curling back to reveal yellowed, crumbling teeth, “I’m going to fucking slit your throat, bitch!” He snarled.

“Try it.” Rayvenne replied in a calm down of voice. She heard the scream of a man and switched her gaze to another man. It was the one with the bow. He was screaming, his hands reaching up to claw at his face as Raeghan pecked his eyes out with brutal efficiently. He then flew up with a loud caw as the man fell to his knees, shaking and crying out in his pain. The man standing in front of Rayvenne growled again before he tried to take advantage of her distraction. He swung his blade down, but she sidestepped easily. He growled and brought his blade back up and swung at her again but she stepped back to avoid the tip of the blade.

He tried a few more pathetic swings before she became tired of this. She used her sword to slam against his, the strike so hard that it caused the blade to fly from his fingers. Rayvenne then stepped forwards, swinging her blade back towards him before easily cutting off his head. His body slumped to the floor as the head rolled off to the side, the eyes bulging and the mouth agape. She then looked up towards the archer as he was scrambling along the forest floor, groping blindly. So focused on him that she didn’t notice another bandit sneaking up behind her on silent feet with a dagger raised high to strike at her.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, passing Lake Ryomar.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

Ears perked straight upwards, a low groan leaving the little rabbit's lips. "Fffive more minutes" she mumbled, although she shot straight up to her feet when she heard the shouting outside, bumping her head into the ceiling! One hand rubbed against her poor head while another twirled about, causing the thin silken sheets of her bed to curl up her form, coiling together in order to form a makeshift toga.

Luna stumbled her way out of the wagon, eyes swiftly adjusting to the darkness. Her immediate focus was upon Rayvenne and a moment later upon the man sneaking up on her! Both of the rabbit's hands opened up in their direction, fingers spreading wide. While blades of grass grew out and coiled around her bare feet roots tore up from the ground around the sneaky man, dragging him down into the ground up to his neck! Both hands then focused towards the blinded man in order to pin him tightly to the ground with another tree's roots.

"Bwuh! I was not expecting them so quickly! Are you okay?"

Ears stood up on end, twitching this way and that in search of more predators. Her hair was a mess behind her, no longer contained in the massive ponytails normally utilized to keep them under control. The campfire and the beams of moonlight filtering in from above also outlined her petite form beneath the thin silken sheets. At least the excitement kept her from worrying about such things!

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Rayvenne spun on the spot when she heard the shifting of earth behind her. She turned just in time to watch the bandit that had been sneaking up behind her sink into the ground until only his head was visible. His eyes were wide and a look of shock and fear was plastered across his face. She then heard another cry and turned to look at the blind bandit as he was pinned to the forest floor by tree roots. She then turned to look at Luna before she paused as she could see that her bedsheets clung to her body, revealing her form in what would be considered an almost lewd manner. Not that Rayvenne was too bothered. The clothes she normally wore was considered to be lewd by many, but she didn’t care. She hated dresses, and would only wear them if absolute necessary. 

“I’m perfectly fine. Thank you for watching my back.” Rayvenne said, pulling a cloth from her pocket and wiping the blood from her blade. Raeghan swooped down to land on top of the wagon, peering down at Luna with interest, “Well. What an absolutely delightful outfit, Luna. I like it.” He said.

“Raeghan.” Rayvenne said firmly, but the raven ignored her as he continued checking the rabbit girl out. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes before she looked back at Luna once again, “Well, at least you can get whatever ingredients you need from them.” She said, ignoring the rather pathetic whimpers that were coming from the two captive men. She then added, “It’s likely we got attacked so soon, because this is a well known camping area for traders. And since I was the only one on watch, they thought that we were easy prey. A big mistake.” She said with a slight smirk, finding it satisfying when people underestimated her and paid the price for doing so.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, passing Lake Ryomar.

Her head nodded slowly. Rayvenne was fine. That was good! It appeared that she'd arrived just in time! Thankfully even a simple spell was useful in this instance. The terrain certainly helped too: forests were great for this type of magic. People always noticed the trees and rarely remembered the roots.

When Raeghan spoke up Luna glanced up towards the bird. It took a couple seconds for the comment to sink in, mostly because she'd just woke up. Clearly she didn't mind the compliment, giggling and even posing with her arms overhead for a brief moment! But then it turned into a stretching out of her pale limbs. Then again perhaps it was even more alluring still as the thin sheets were also stretched against her slim form!

"Right! Ingredients! Good thinking!"

For a couple minutes she disappeared back into her cart. Rustling and clanking and jingling were evidence of her preparing something. When she next emerged Luna was dressed only in a thick leather apron, a pair of goggles, a cloth mouth covering, and a pair of thinner leather work gloves. Her hair was tied back into one massive loose ponytail and both it and her fluffy tail were big enough to adequately cover her naked back. Carried at her side was a sizable leather suitcase, clearly heavy enough to warrant holding with both hands.

"It's time to extract!"

First she moved over to the one who was blinded. Kneeling down beside the man Luna opened up the suitcase which in turn lifted up multiple levels of stored bottles and tools. Reaching deeper within the unusually deep container produced a few cold storage containers. But for now she simply required a corked bottle, currently holding a simple small piece of dried sponge. She uncorked it and held it up to the man's lips, chanting softly. He seemed to calm down. And then with a quick snap of a root his neck was broken and the man's final breath was expelled into the glass container. After swiftly corking it back up she moved on over to the other trapped man with intentions of repeating the process with a new bottle! After all final breath was a somewhat difficult material to obtain if one wasn't an executioner or a murderer.

Then came time for the final extraction! Corpses were stripped and their material goods set aside in a neat pile for Rayvenne to look through. With a snap of her fingers each corpse was scrubbed clean! Large patches of skin and muscle and fat were cut away and stored in various containers: some to be dried for grinding up or parchment and some stored in cold containers to remain fresh. Organs were removed from each corpse and again stored in varying conditions. Bones, thankfully, could be stored as is after a good cleaning and drying off, made quite simple thanks to her cantrips.

By the end of things Luna had what she needed. No corpse was completely deprived of its organs or bones or flesh. Hands parted away, opening up a few little graves. The corpses would be buried properly and a little prayer would be made in the name of Gaia. A snap of her fingers cleansed her clothes and hair of any blood or bits. Then she looked towards Rayvenne and Raeghan, nodding her head once in approval!

"Plenty of ingredients! I'd say we're well on our way to making that potion! Uh. Now what?"

Even though she was cleaned Luna could certainly go for a bath right about now. But she could wait too!

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Rayvenne was glad that Luna took no insult from Raeghan’s rather crude flirting. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to deal with the embarrassment if Luna had became offended. At least those two were getting along well. That was some saving grace here. It made her feel that Luna would make a very good companion witch to a familiar. She looked up from cleaning her sword when Luna disappeared into the wagon. She looked over at Raeghan who shuffled his wings in an approximation of a shrug. A few moments later, Luna came back out and Rayvenne paused in the cleaning of her sword. Luna looked like one of those mad scientists.

“Mm! I like this outfit, too!” Raeghan said, his blood red eyes fixed on Luna’s tail and naked back. Rayvenne had to resist the urge to face palm and settled with sighing. She finished cleaning her blade, before tucking the cloth away again and sheathing her blade on her back. She then turned and watched the rather gruesome display of Luna extracting what she needed from the bodies of the bandits. It almost looked like the desecration of the dead, but these bandits had attacked them and Rayvenne felt little sympathy for them. Besides, she had no belief in the afterlife thus she didn’t believe that what Luna was doing, was going to hurt their chances of meeting their maker. That is, if that was what they believed in. At least Luna decided to bury the bodies instead of just leaving them to rot. It would have been unpleasant to spend the rest of the night looking at them.

When Luna was done, Rayvenne thinned her lips a little before crossing her arms against her chest, “What now? That’s up to you. There’s still a few hours before morning, so I am going to remain on guard. Sleep, or not. That’s up to you.” She glanced over at the two horses, who were still where they were earlier, content in each other’s company, “At least I don’t need to go looking for the horses.” She turned back to look at Luna once again.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

So focused was Luna on her macabre task that she hadn't even noticed the bird's lewd glances across her back! Not that she would have minded. Being naked was kind of nice and the compliments were quite welcome! Besides, if it had a chance of lightening the mood then she was all for it!

"Wouldn't it be fun if we played dress up sometime? I'd totally love to see Miss Rayvenne in a dress!"

Right. Decisions! She had decisions to make! A bath did sound nice but it was probably better to wait for a more secure area. Sleep was also good, but then her's had already been interrupted and there wasn't anything saying she couldn't nap on the way. It was one of the perks of traveling by wagon.

"We could get an early start if you'd like. Or I could keep watch while you got a few hours of sleep! I'm okay either way!"

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

“I’m fine without sleep, so I guess we could move in if you’re not up to sleeping…” Rayvenne said slowly, feeling a little off balance from the little woman. Thus far, in her entire life, the only other person that had made her feel like that was Maed, her old friend. To her irritation, she was starting to see a certain resemblance between the two of them. Maed seemed just as free from worry as Luna was. Able to easily shrug off any kind of annoyance or irritation. Always seeming to laugh at the world around her as if it was some large joke that only she could see. At least, Rayvenne certainly couldn’t see it. To her, the world was quite a bleak place and there was little to laugh at.

She heard Raeghan cawing in laughter, before Luna’s other words registered in her mind. She snapped her head back towards the rabbit girl and asked, “Dress up? Me? In a dress?” She stared blankly at the smaller woman for a few moments before she said, “Don’t even think about it. The chances of you getting me into a dress are pretty much zero.” Raeghan laughed even harder before he said, “I would love to see that. You in a dress.”

“Don’t even bother thinking about it!” Rayvenne snapped at the bird before shaking her head and moving over to Maedoc where she silently started to saddle him. The last time she had worn an actual dress was when she had crossed the Dynx desert. Since then, she had thrown away any semblance of her feminine self and decided to embrace the creature that she had been forced to become. After all, she wasn’t able to have children. What hope was there for her, to be a woman? To become married, and to create a family with her husband? No. This was the life that fate had given her, and she was making the most of it.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

It was too late. Luna simply couldn't get the image out of her mind. A finger tapped lazily at her chin while she pondered upon it. Rayvenne in a dress.

"Pretty" she mumbled, swiftly shuffling her way into the wagon. After properly setting away her newly acquired ingredients the little bunny cleaned herself up, threw on her clothes, and fixed up her hair! After taking a quick swig of some peppy carrot juice she exited her little home and set about hooking Lucky back up to his reigns.

"We could even dress up Mister Raeghan! Oh! We can get him a little hat! I think it'd be very cute!"

With a quick nod she hopped up into place, prepared to depart behind her guardian!

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Rayvenne paused when she was tying the saddle beneath Maedoc’s stomach as the rabbit girl mentioned Raeghan in a little hat. She was about to make a comment, but Raeghan beat her to it as he cawed out, “Only if it’s a good looking hat!” He then cawed as if in amusement. After a few moments, Rayvenne snorted in a small laugh, shaking her head, finding the entire situation surreal. They had just been attacked by bandits, and the two of them were talking about dress up of all things. In all of her century of life, she had never encountered something so surreal. She finished up saddling Maedoc before she pulled herself up into the saddle,

“Let’s get going. It’s dark, so watch yourself. Don’t lose sight of me.” Rayvenne said, nudging Maedoc into a walk. As it was so dark, it was dangerous to move faster than that as one could not see obstacles in the road beyond. At least they had a road in which they could travel along, rather than taking a chance the forest itself. If that was the case, then Rayvenne would have insisted on waiting until they had sunlight to light their path. They could, of course, attempt to use torches to light the way but there were numerous problems with that. It did not provide enough light ahead of them to see properly, for a start. And it would be a beacon to all bandits in the vicinity. It would not make for an ideal situation.

Once they reached the road, Rayvenne pulled Maedoc to a stop for a few moments as she listened out for anything. Finding nothing but the usual sounds of the forest at night, she started the huge stallion again, his black hooves thudding against the compacted dirt of the dry road that lead to Lake Kelrak and thus Kalath. If they were lucky, they should reach the bridge by midday. That was providing that they didn’t have anymore trouble with bandits. She glanced behind her, to make sure that Luna was following as she should before turning her gaze back to the front again. She had spied Raeghan still on his perch on top of the wagon, where he was keep an eye out for any kind of danger.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

"It would be a very fancy hat! With a big feather! Only the best!"

Now she just had to do that! Someday! Both she and Rayvenne would wear dresses. Maybe they'd even eat a fancy meal, or attend a ball! That would be neat! If she got her potion working then Raeghan could even join them!

On that note Luna didn't even know how effective the potion would be. How long would it last? Would Raeghan turn into a full Human? Or perhaps he might turn into a Humanoid with bird features? Heck he could even become a big bird man with Humanoid features! It was sort of exciting to ponder about!

"Okay! Don't worry though, I've got good night vision!"

Indeed, Luna's vision at night wasn't very much hampered. Add to that her heightened senses, especially her hearing, and one could rest assure that she could find her way easily around even in complete darkness! Well, to a certain extent. These forests were easy enough for her to navigate though.

And so they set off, Luna keeping Lucky close behind her guardian's larger steed!

[Neptune]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Rayvenne shook her head, finding this Luna individual more and more strange the more time she spent with her. Raeghan seemed to like her very much, though. She would wonder why, but Raeghan had a taste for the strange people. Not that strange was necessarily that bad. At least Luna had, thus far, proved not to be a threat to her or her companion. She was feeling a little more relaxed around the rabbit woman than she had when they first started out on this journey. At this point, she still wasn’t sure if that was a good, or a bad thing. She decided not to dwell on it, and instead continued moving Maedoc forwards through the dark forest. Most people were afraid of the dark, but not her. The dark had saved her many times, and it had become almost like a companion in on itself to her. She found the darkness that wrapped around her, almost comforting. It was familiar. It made her feel safer, despite the fact that there were many dangers that lurked within its depths. 

So she was almost sad to see the darkness reluctantly recede from the world as the sun peeked over the horizon to bath the country in its light. To fill the dimness of the forest with colours, and to cause the creatures of the day to stir themselves to wakefulness as the air became alive with birdsong. Despite this, the small group continued to travel, weaving through the forest as they followed the road that went in a south-western direction. She kept her ears tuned to the forest around her, waiting for unnatural sounds that might suggest more bandits. Once the sun had risen almost a hand width from the horizon, Raeghan launched himself from the wagon and flew off into the forest to scout around them, looking for any signs of danger. 

The group continued travelling through the morning. Rayvenne didn’t even bother to have them stop for breakfast, as she wasn’t in the mood to eat. She could easily wait for midday, when it was possible to eat something within the town of Kalath and thus save their road rations. As the sun drew closer to its peak, Raeghan swooped down from her right and landed on her shoulder. He tucked his wings to his side before saying, “The bridge is up ahead. There are about six bandits waiting in ambush.”

“Thank you, old friend.” Rayvenne said. He nodded once before he launched himself from her shoulder and flew off again. She slowed down so that she was walking beside the wagon, “The bridge is just ahead, with six bandits waiting to ambush us. So keep an eye out.” She said, before moving back to the front again, as that put her in the position to be attacked first, to be the prime target. After all, they would prefer to take out the guards before attacking the wagon itself. 

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Maybe I could test out a batch on him when we reach the next town? Oh! I could maybe find another animal to test it on! But then they might react a little more wildly.

Already the rabbit was contemplating how she'd put together the potion. Grind up the dry ingredients. Boil water with the wet ingredients. Mix them up well. Add the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until fully incorporated. Allow to cool. Viola! Simple enough!

"Hey. Mister Raeghan. Would you like to test out the potion whenever we next bunker down? I think I know how I'm going to put it together. It won't even take very long! I can't think of any risks either. If I mess it up it'll probably just not last as long. Or, uh, it won't make you fully Human for the duration. Actually thats another thing I wanted to ask! How Human would you wanna be? Changing the level of ingredients would kinda determine how Human you'd end up being. Like, you could be a Human with some bird features! Or more of a bird man person! Or fully Human! Or, you know, some mixture! I suppose we could test out various batches too!"

Eventually the sun did emerge. She did enjoy the heat it brought, at least to a certain extent. It also made it much easier for her to keep an eye out for predators! But, as it turned out, she need not worry. Raeghan was already on the case! Bandits were ahead. Her soft ears had risen up and with quite some ease she'd overhead the conversation ahead, nodding a couple of times in acknowledgement when Rayvenne pulled back closer to the wagon.

"Okie dokie!"

Bandits in the day, especially if they approached the two of them while they were awake, weren't much of an issue. She was more prepared this time too!

[Aura]

  On 2/24/2019 at 10:55 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

“Oh, I’m going to exploit you, Natia. Exploit you for all the sweetness you have.” Rowan said in a joking tone, as he wasn’t serious in the slightest about exploiting her. Unless it was for her hugs and kisses, which he wasn’t sure if he could ever get enough of them. Her lightly stroked her back before he said, “You need to be strong-willed in my profession, Natia. I wouldn’t make a very good merchant if I gave up, or accepted the first proposal sent my way. I need a strong will to be able to hold out in negotiations. As I said; not every person would decide to capture and sell you. In fact, I would hedge to bet that most wouldn’t. Otherwise most of the population of the Kingdom would be bandits, or pirates. But most are simple villagers and farmers. Honest, but humble people.”

 His hand came up to play idly with her white hair, “I don’t think you owe me anything. I’m certainly not going to demand anything from you. Other than to ask you stand up. We should start moving. We can talk while we’re riding.” He said, glancing up at the sky where the sun was hovering to the east. He heard a snort from nearby, and he absently said, “Stop complaining, Baellator.” He rolled his golden eyes and looked at Natia, “I think he’s feeling a little restless.” There was another snort, this time almost sounding like a confirmation. The snort was accompanied by the pawing of a hoof against the grass.

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Natia giggled joyfully at Rowan's compliment-ridden joke. As he stroked her back, she just eagerly laid her head on his shoulder and reached her lips up to kiss his chin, snuggling herself more firmly up to him. Cuddling with Rowan had just become second nature by this point. She didn't even think about it at all anymore. What Rowan continued to explain honestly surprised Natia. Perhaps it was because only slavers actively sought the Aequu, but the Aequu all believed humans to be nothing short of greedy, selfish folk who think of nothing more than their own well-being. The idea that a human would not take advantage of a stranded girl like herself was completely foreign to her. She had always imagined life in the human's world to be a living hell, everyone having to carry weapons just to protect themselves from their neighbors, and taking everything they could ever want or need for as cheap, or free, as they can get it by whatever means necessary because of the cruel economy they seemed to worship...

And yet, through her conversations with Rowan, her view on outsiders in general had completely changed. Where she thought the Aequu hid away from the world to protect themselves from the same influences that drove the outsiders insane, she now almost thought it was silly how many rules she had to follow to avoid people like Rowan who just wanted a friendly chat. Perhaps it was her destiny to finally break down the walls that the Aequu had built around themselves. 

As Rowan's hand began to play with Natia's hair, she just smiled again, her hand reaching across Rowan's lap to touch his free one. The two stayed like this for a little while before Rowan spoke up again. Natia frowned slightly at the understanding that time wouldn't simply sit still for them. When she heard Baellator's snorting, she slowly sat up and giggled again in response to the exchange. "Alright, alright, we should get going." Natia steadily stood and walked over to the big horse, gently reaching up to pet his snout.  "Thank you very much, too, Baellator."  She spoke softly to him, rubbing her hand up and down his massive head. She kissed the top of his snout, just above the nose, with a bright smile. "You've been a fantastic help, I appreciate it all sincerely." With that, she turned to face Rowan, blushing slightly again and looking shyly to the ground, knowing good and well that climbing onto the horse's back was just as impossible for her alone as it had been before, she could only hope that Rowan could get the message without her having to admit it again.

[Neptune]

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest.

As Natia approached him, Baellator reached out with his snout, knowing that she wanted to pet him and was more than willing to let her do it. His eyes half closed in pleasure as she ran her hand up and down his massive head. When she kissed his snout, he snorted lightly and nuzzled her in return, his tail flicking from side to side almost like a puppy wagging its tail when it was happy. While their small exchange was happening, Rowan tidied up their camp and eliminated any sign of their presence to make it look like as if neither of them were there. It was just in case anyone was attempting to track either of them down. For Rowan, his enemies, and for Natia the slavers that had captured her in the first place. He figured that when they got into town, he would need to get her some proper clothing so that she wasn’t relying on his own clothes. It would also allow him to get her a cloak to give her. Not only for the warmth, but it would allow her to hide herself away. White hair and purple eyes were unusual features in the main population and he didn’t want any slavers to find out that she was here. Not until he could ensure her safety at the Palace. He knew his father would not protest him bringing her home. He had a soft spot for eccentrics.

He then turned and smiled slightly when he saw her blushing a little and looking shyly down at the ground, even as Baellator was nuzzling at her shoulder affectionately. He came forwards, patting the huge Aelda on his proudly curved neck before he stroked it a little, “Let’s get you on.” He said, before pausing and looking down at her with a faint grin, “Even if I get a saddle in the next town, I imagine I’ll still need to help you climb on.” His grin then faded into a thoughtful frown as he now looked at Baellator, “... that is, if I can find a saddle large enough for him. I’ve never seem a equine this large before.” He said. Baellator snorted again, raising his head slightly as he seemed to look rather smug about that.

Rowan snorted in amusement before shaking his head, “Vain bastard.” He accused the horse before he then picked Natia up. He gave her a loving peck on the lips before he lifted her higher so that she could grip onto Baellator’s mane. When she had, he hoisted her the rest of the way so that she could slip on. Once she was in place, he gripped Baellator’s mane and climbed up himself to settle behind her. Her wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest and gripping the mane again, “Alright, Baellator, let’s go.” He said, causing the huge creature to turn on the spot and walk out of the small hidden clearing. Once they were out, Rowan glanced around but could see no one near before he nudged Baellator’s flanks with his boots causing the Aelda to move forwards at a trot, “Thankfully, we shouldn’t be encountering as much trouble than we did in the forest.” Rowan said, leaning down so he could speak the words directly into her ear.

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

The small group drew closer to the river, and Rayvenne could now smell their unwashed bodies on the light breeze. She wrinkled her nose, finding that her superhuman sense of smell was as much of a detriment as it was an asset. At least it allowed her to pinpoint their location. They were upwind of her, close to the bridge. She looked back at Luna and gave a subtle nod of the head before she turned back to face the front. It was not long before the bridge was in view. Raeghan let out a sharp cry, their only warning before the attack came. Two archers rose from their position behind bushes, drawing the arrow back before launching them at Rayvenne. With speed no human could ever hope to have, she drew her steel sword and sliced through the two projectiles just as two other bandits came rushing out from behind trees with rusty swords. They let out loud cries before they surged forwards to meet her blade. Mounted as she was on a large horse, she had the advantage of height. She turned Maedoc to the side, raising her hand to block the two clumsy swings. She could hear two bandits attempting to sneak up from behind, to take the wagon by surprise but after seeing Luna’s display earlier that night she knew the small rabbit girl could take care of herself. 

She struck out like a viper, sinking the blade easily into one of the bandits chest and into his heart. With a strangulated cry, the man collapsed to the ground. Maedoc suddenly danced back from the other bandit as the archers released another volley of arrows. Raeghan let out an outraged cry before swooping down at the face of one of the archers. The man let out a scream as the raven pecked his eyes out and clawed at his face. Rayvenne pulled a dagger from her hip and threw it at the other archer, causing the sharp blade to embed itself into his neck. The archer’s eyes were wide, and then let out a gurgling sound before he crumbled like cloth. 

Rayvenne turned her attention back to the other bandit, almost contemptuously flicking his sword aside before she ran him through. She kicked him off of her blade, looking up at the remaining archer who had collapsed against the bush, as still as his other companions. She looked up at Raeghan who was now perched in a nearby tree with blood on his once black beak. Once she had assured herself that he was alright, she turned Maedoc around to see how Luna was handling things.

[Chiyako]

Location: Craethiel Wilds, Southern part of Idgara Forest.

Probably better to ask later, huh?

Luna's sense of smell wasn't terrible, although it wasn't quite as tuned in as Rayvenne's was. Even so her ears allowed her to keep an exact location on the approaching bandits. Not only could she hear their movements but she could even hear their breathing! In fact if she were close enough she suspected that she could perhaps even hear the beating of their hearts. At least it might be the case if they were a little less seasoned. Calm hearts were much more difficult to detect.

Regardless when things kicked off she was good and ready. Rayvenne was, on her own, enough to handle every bandit. Raeghan wasn't a pushover either. But Luna could at least watch the woman's back. Why not make things a little easier? As soon as bandits rushed into the open Luna reacted, kicking off suddenly from her little perch after lining up her shot!

Like a blur the rabbit launched forth, slamming a kick into the side of one bandit's torso. She was small but the sheer ferocity of her leap, combined with the incredible power within her legs, resulted in one bandit being launched right into the second! Both went crashing right into a nearby tree, blood gushing from between the lips of the man she'd hit directly. The second was knocked out cold, blood soaking greasy hair atop his head. Meanwhile the little bunny following impact spun into a slightly off-balanced landing! For good measure she skipped on over, sending a couple of kicks into each of the men's heads.

"Is that all of them?"

Perhaps magic might have been a little less messy, but utilizing the binding vines without contact with the ground was just a little too difficult.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Chiyako