Fantasy Shards of Destiny (Jump In Accepting Always) Chapter One: A Meeting Of Vagabonds

[BudgieLove]

Lillian pulled her hood over her head as the rain began to come down harder and harder. Looking down the winding road, she couldn't make out any nearby towns, or anywhere else for her to rest. Suddenly, in the distance, she could make out the lights of some building. She hid her lute underneath her cloak as she began to run as fast as she could through the pouring rain. Beginning to grow nearer to the building, the smells of alcohol and food led her to realize it must be a tavern of some sort. As she approached it, she suddenly jumped backwards, crying out in surprise. Sitting just outside of the tavern was a huge manticore. Lillian froze, too terrified to move. As she looked around her and stared extensively at the manticore, she noticed how still it was. As she began to draw closer and closer, she also began to notice how no-one in the tavern seemed at all fazed by the great beast. She finally mustered up the courage to take a jab at the manticore with her lute, jumping back immediately after. It continued to lay as still as it had before. Slowly, she slinked back over to it and wearily put a hand on it's great big chest. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she realized it was truly dead. As she began to walk back to the tavern, Lillian's eyes searched the through the darkened windows, looking for any sign of Garith. After they had been separated while being attacked by bandits, she had been worried and was almost constantly keeping a weary eye out for him. Unfortunately, the tavern was terribly crowded, and she was unable to make out anybody she knew. As she walked in and sat down at a long table, she was immediately greeted with an overwhelming feeling of warmth and comfort, as she soaked in the heat coming from the numerous lamps lighting the tavern. Taking out some of the gold she had, she bought a nice hot meal along with a mug of ale. As she ate her meal, she took out her lute, and tried to dry it as best she could.

 

[Yahhah]

GARITH
INTRODUCTION
​

In the night sky a huge shadow soared woods. Garith flapped his large crimson leathery wings against the storm as he tried to navigate his way through the terrain below him. He couldn't believe he'd allowed those bandits to get the drop on them, he should've been more attentive. The Rakash chided himself, this wouldn't be such a big deal if he'd been traveling alone but he wasn't, not anymore. It almost made him wish for the days when all he'd had to worry about was himself... Almost. Garith would never forgive himself if some harm befell Lillian because of his own foolishness. The travelling had been too easy, it'd made him reckless. The dragon spied a building through the haze, he narrowed his green eyes as he realized that he and Lillian had agreed to meet at the nearest building. He just needed to hope he hadn't overlooked any buildings across his flight.

He steered his wings towards the earth, swooping down to the muddy ground. Garith extended his wings to slow his fall just before his claws touched dirt. His attention was immediately caught by a huddled form. A manticore, dead by the looks and smell of it. The dragon began to shrink until the obsidian black of Garith's true form stood in its place. The Rakash had a million outcomes running through his head. There were no non-manticore bodies out here but that did not stop the horror of his friend's corpse rotting inside of the monster's stomach. He rushed into the tavern, slamming the door open with a thrust of his shoulder. His gaze scanned the tavern until they finally rested on Lillian. His anxiety finally waned, Garith rushed over to her curling his wings behind him so as not to wack any patrons between him and his companion. His tail curled behind him as to not trip anyone.

Garith had to say he wasn't a fan of the claustrophobic conditions of this place, but Garith had always been big so it was more his own fault then the building's. He stopped beside of Lillian not taking a seat as he'd never been a fan of chairs. His tail made sitting uncomfortable for him and his legs were really not made for it. "I'm glad to see you got here unscathed" said Garith. Now a little embarrassed about his worry. "Did you run into any trouble along the way here? I do have to say it's a crowded place we ended up in" Garith Observed curling his tail around his feet to avoid tripping a tavern worker.

To their right Garith noticed a mismatched table to their right where a group of assorted races sat. He noticed the letters in their hand. So they were summoned as well he thought to himself, and from the smell coming from them at least one had recently been sick. Garith decided that was none of his business.

BudgieLove scorpiodragon Yomojo ArchAngelLexi Kipsy DJ UwU
​

 

[scorpiodragon]

Once the centaur had been given the bowl and settled comfortably on the pallet, the woman rose to her feet and made her way towards the front of the tavern again where she could see the two blood drinkers at the bar but the woman instead approached the strangers all huddled together still. Approaching the one that had been pointed out to her that was with child, the elderly woman approached. "The centaur is being tended to so if you would like to follow me, we will check the babe and your own health," said the woman to the Suon. Meanwhile, Baust continued serving customers, having one of his workers go and take the group's order as he came back with money.

"Ten pagdo for each who fought the manticore," he pulled out two copper pieces, each containing a V on them to show their worth, handing the first couple to Damascus who pocketed them, "and two Viaza for those who were there but didn't fight," he said, pulling out a couple iron coins that had a I etched on them. Felicia took her own two Viaza and put them within a small money pouch which she then carried back to her table and put into her bag. As for the three workers who were asked which had been fed on, they glanced at each other before the Nursarid and the Human. "That one," said Baust pointing a finger at the Orc, "is a new hire and hasn't yet been fed on."

Meanwhile a worker approached the table. "Can I get you anything?" One could see from the creature's light hair and wings, that it was an angel, one of the rarer creatures within Xaythea.

Kipsy ; Mentioned: MiraAutumn

 

[ArchAngelLexi]

Pin, who had been looking for someone to bother and decided the most recent to enter would do. Hoping up onto their table she rolled onto her back looking as cute as she could. The owl griffin let out a purr like sound to up her cute factor. Noticing the flute in Lillian's hands she rolled back onto her feet. Stepping over the plate of food she got closer to try to sniff the item.

Having been distracted by the commotion Ori had not noticed his missing companion. As things settled he turned his attention back to his own table noticing the lack of a owl griffin on his lap. Surveying the area he saw the young Pin standing on a table bothering a Suon lady. He quickly stood up and hurried over. Pin was to distracted by the flute to notice his approach as he abruptly scooped her up into his arms. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry if she was bothering you. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

 

[Yahhah]

Seri

The werecat's gaze shifted over to where the group began to speak of a letter. Her instincts kept her in place. Not wishing to walk up to a group of strangers but then gave it a bit more thought and sighed. She could use more information about this quest and she had no clue whether or not these people had more information then she did. Seri looked over and noticed one of them had gotten sick, she used her decently well versed deduction skills to realize approaching them with the question of some sort of quest to be unwise at the moment. She supposed she'd wait a while longer.

Garith

As Garith sat waiting for Lillian to respond his emerald gaze flickered to a small catlike creature who began to take interest in Lillian's lute. Garith narrowed his eyes, anyone who'd spent any real amount of time with the Rakash would know of his short temper and prickliness towards anything he did not know. "I did not realize this place had a pest problem" he hissed out a comment. The little creature wasn't doing any harm yet but Garith had had a hell of a night and seemed to just be waiting for something to take his stress out on. His tail curled in irritation as the little creature's owner appeared and grabbed it. Garith made the reasonable connection that these two were not the real reason he was so angry so he stopped, and internally counted to ten. Once that was over he forgot his irritation. The Rakash had started that strategy recently and it'd worked out fine. The owner had regarded Lillian so he decided to leave the answer up to her. He didn't speak for the Suon after all. He turned his gaze around the tavern as he seemingly paid the conversation no mind.

 

[BudgieLove]

As Garith walked into the tavern, Lillian looked up and smiled excitedly. He promptly walked over and asked if Lillian was given any trouble on her way to the tavern, to which she replied "No, everything was perfectly fine". She grinned at his worry over her, and continued her meal after ordering some more food for Garith. As she was eating, a small griffin had come to her table and was now sniffing at her lute. While certainly not angered, Lillian was still slightly taken aback as she hadn't expected the little griffin's visit. She sat and stared in bewilderment for a minute, as she had yet to see a griffin of this small a stature. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted who she assumed to be the griffins master, beginning to hasten to the table before picking up the sweet little creature and apologizing for it's behavior. "No, it's fine!" Lillian responded hastily. She smiled at the griffin and scratched its chin. "So you're a music lover too" she giggled while playfully strumming a chord on the strings of her lute. Looking up at it's owner she said, "I'm Lillian, and this is Garith" (she gestured to Garith as she spoke). She then extended her hand out towards the stranger, gesturing for him to shake it. "What might your name be?" She asked curiously.