Fantasy RoH: Adleth - The Great Forest

[Vyolence]

Adleth - The Great Forest

Artist: Sina Abbasnia @ artstation.com

The central region, Adleth, is contained entirely by foliage. Trees tower at mountainous heights and rivers feed the land like a spring. The terrain may be challenging at higher elevations but the lush canopies and mossy floors soften the jagged terrain. There are no major cities here, only villages spread throughout the region. While no major political faction dominates Adleth, the inhabitants manage to secure a state of peace on their own accord.
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~Because of how much nature is preserved in Adleth, there are thousands of species spread across the region. Some might include; deer, unicorn, bear, spriggan, fairy, troll, dryad, wolf, griffon, etc. The people may be peaceful but the wildlife is questionable!
~You might want to explore; villages, taverns, inns, apothecaries, gypsy caravans, waterfall caverns, farms, caves, etc. There are no paved roads in this region which can make travel difficult. These lands are rich and support a variety of useful plants, fungi, and herbs.

Adleth - The Tavern

Artist: Gabriel Yeganyan @ artstation.com

Nestled within the Great Forest is a fruitful destination spot, simply known as the Tavern. While a few rooms are offered at a nightly rate above the tavern, many choose not to sleep here - as there are nasty rumors of the afterlife making its presence known. It is not out of the realm of normal for strange occurrences to happen here.
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~Like most medieval taverns, the Tavern is nothing short of that. Equipped with a bar, poor service, a den and eating area, it is the destination spot for travelers in Adleth. Especially for those interested in the paranormal! Alongside the tavern is a small blacksmithing forge, anvil, smelter, and various supplies while a full equestrian stable hinges to the back.
~Fighting, drinking, cursing, spitting, and some good ole fashin' lovin' takes place at all hours within the Tavern. Everything goes in a place like this, attracting a variety of people with a World's weight in problems on their shoulders. But watch out, you never know what might be lurking in the shadows.

This location is OPEN. Please enter with posts as you see fit. Thank you for the participation!​

 

[sheesh]

Crunch..crunch..crunch..

"Ah..I was thinking I might have to set up camp soon. Isn't this delightful?"

Crunch..crunch..

Moses became quickly tired of the sound of the gravel shifting, the small rocks grinding against each other beneath his feet as he approached the tavern. He stopped to check his belongings, slinging his large backpack off of his shoulders and placing it on the ground ahead of him. Crouching, he undid a few buckles and lifted the flap that covered his possessions. The first thing he grabbed was a steel canteen he purchased among other things before leaving the Oasis. The moment he picked up it, the familiar weightlessness of it quickly told him that it was empty, and had been for some time. However he was not the one to blame. As accustomed to walking long distances as Moses was, he had his work cut out for him on his journey from Larhara to the vast forest of Adleth.

In truth his voyage did not have to be as long as it was. As he stared into the depths of his bag, he recalled how he lost his compass and only had the directions of other travelers to go off of during his long trek to the border. The directions he was given were always extremely simplistic, which proved to be a curse in disguise. He found himself at the Larharan-Yanir border at the end of his journey, much to his dismay. With the goal being Adleth, he began to walk south along the border until he made it to Adleth. The extended travel time forced his hand in eating and drinking a lot more of his rations than he had originally intended, and so he had to stop to take a break to hopefully replenish before he set out once more.

Under the assumption that if he was out of water, he was out of food too, he closed his bag and accustomed himself to the weight on his shoulders once more.

Long before he had even approached the door, he could hear the energy within the tavern, and long before he could hear it, he knew he could feel their movement. He opened the door, the already impossibly loud chatter he heard from outside growing even louder. He took a deep breath and entered, clutching his walking stick to his chest knowing that if he accidentally poked the wrong person amongst the crowd it could spell unwanted trouble. He navigated over to the bar area, avoiding alcohol spills, fights and drunken men who've forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other. 'Ai...It'd be a miracle if I made it out of here with all of my stuff still with me...Perhaps I should have hidden it outside somewhere.' He thought as he took a seat.

Placing his walking stick across his lap, he waved over the bartender. He opened his mouth to speak and was promptly cut off.

"Greetings, my fri-"
"You aren't from around here, are you?"

Moses' mouth was stuck in the open position for a few seconds, processing the rude timing of the bartender's words. Closing his mouth and clearing his throat, he assumed that he was not heard over the loudness that persisted in the background. He responds: "That would be correct. I have walked for many days to cross the border. I come from Larhara." The bartender produced a mug from under the counter and walked to the ale kegs that were further away from the counter. The bartender returned with the cup and gently placed it in front of Moses. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't drink alcohol." The bartender looked at him with a bored expression. He crossed his arms and stared at the white eyed traveler expectantly. Moses wrapped his hand around the handle of the mug and brought it to his face. He upturned his nose and scrunched his face among smelling the strength of the cup's contents, and when he looked back he found that the bartender's expression had not changed.

He took a sip.
He hated it, and it showed.

He knew his entire face couldn't frown, however it sure enough tried and he swallowed the small mouthful of ale. "...Delightful." His voice rasped as he placed the cup back on the counter. Moses and the bartender stared at each other for a few moments before the bartender spoke again. "You may not like it. But I promise you, drink a full cup of that and you'll forget all about your long journey. Are you hungry?" Moses perked up. "Very much so." In response, the bartender opened a door that led to a back room and stepped in. The moment the door shut he felt a familiar tingly on his back. Someone was approaching him specifically.

Moses turned to "look" at the stranger, who sat down next to him. Whether he was drunk or not Moses couldn't tell and his intent was unclear. Moses glanced at him before staring absently at the counter. His new neighbor spoke up before long: "Are you gonna finish that?" He pointed to Moses' cup. He shook his head, and the stranger slid it closer to him before picking it up and taking mighty gulp after gulp until it was empty. Slamming the cup on the counter, he gave a content sigh. Moses couldn't quite tell what he looked like, as with all things, however he could tell that he was exceptionally large, even for a human. Perhaps he wasn't even a human at all? His voice very much sounded human, though Moses wasn't sure. "What brings you here, traveler? I can tell from yer mannerisms you aren't just here to get merry and entertain yerself with the women or fight with the men..not that you'd be winning any fights anytime soon." The last remark was obviously in reference to how small Moses looked underneath his clothes.

"Most people don't just come here to stay a night. Too many strange things happen around this tavern."
"Oh? Please tell me the details."

The door to the back the bartender disappeared behind for a while swung open again, the bartender carrying a bowl with steam coiling out of the top of it. He placed it in front of Moses, and it appeared to be vegetable stew. "Perfect." Moses commented, being nothing less than pleased to eat anything green. He reached into the satchel that hung at his waist before pausing on cue from a gesture from the bartender. "Tonight's a busy night, and I've already got too much money to count in the back. Just eat quickly, it's on the house." And with that, he disappeared into the back room again.

Before he could even begin to eat, the stranger next to him spoke up again. "I wouldn't know too much about it besides the rumors I've heard. People tend not to board here because of word of ghosts mak-"

"Ghosts, you say?"
"Aye."
"What kind? Do you know? What do they look like? Can they spea-"
"Easy." He let out a low growl, a noise that a human couldn't make. Clearly born out of annoyance, Moses bit his tongue. "I don't know anything about it, the rumors themselves keep me from staying here too long. If you want to know you'd have to find out for yourself...but who would want to do that?" The stranger looked at Moses' face, clearly seeing his interest practically written across his expression.

"You're strange. What's your name?"
"Moses."
"Grisha. I'd shake your hand but I don't think you could find it." He chuckled, but it was cut short by Moses accurately turning to him and outstretching his hand to him. "I knew something about you was weird, but..." He took Moses hand and shook it firmly. Moses noted that his skin was leather and warm to the touch and the back of hand was..furry? He took his hand back and diverted his attention to his stew, which threatened to get cold. He grabbed the spoon that came with the dish and took a spoonful into his mouth. Upon tasting it he began to realize how hungry he actually was, and so he devoured the bowl promptly before wiping his mouth.

He turned to ask Grisha more about the tavern and surrounding area but was interrupted by the door slamming open so loud it silenced the rest of the tavern. He heard multiple pairs of foot steps accompanied by the shifting of chainmail and plate. Moses sensed four of them walking together, approaching lazily, yet the rhythm of their paces implied sobriety. They stopped a few paces short behind them, and he heard Grisha turn to face them more fully. Moses' ears perked up as much as his human anatomy allowed him in response to a dog-like growl he heard building in Grisha's throat. He was inclined to believe that Grisha was some kind of Lycan, though he couldn't be sure.

Sensing the hostility in the air, Moses turned and stood to face the three, his gaze slightly lifted as to show that he was blind. "Greetings. It seems that you have business with us. Have we taken your seats? I'm sure we wouldn't mind moving over a few..." He heard one of them men groan and Moses' voice trailed off, accepting that they weren't here to speak with him specifically. He heard one walk past him towards Grisha. Moses swallowed hard, his heart rate suddenly picking up as he thought of the possibility of a fight breaking out. These men were presumably armed based on the armor they wore. If they got into a fight there wasn't much Moses could do on his own.

Not without hurting people not involved, anyway.

"You thought you could just...run off to a tavern to hide, did ye?" The men behind him chuckled quietly and rested their hands on their blades' hilts. "Not too many places someone like you could hide though." With no response from Grisha, the presumed leader spoke again. "You can save us all some trouble and come outside quietly, lest you think you could take us all on? Don't see it happenin' though. If ye could 'ave you wouldn't have ran off in the first place."

Moses again attempted to deescalate the situation again: "Please, sir, I'm certain there's a way to talk this out. If you would just have a seat I'm sur-"

"Shut it!"

CRACK!

Moses fell to the ground from the force of the blow, his jaw racked in a dull and aching pain. He wiped his mouth. "I see..."

There was a certain unnatural pressure that began to build in tavern, and the shadows cast by the men, the tables, and everything surrounding suddenly darkened to the point where they looked like ink stains. As if everyone had suddenly turned sober, they all stood at once as a hollow whispering reverberated throughout the main room of the tavern. Everyone looked around, some panicked, some intrigued, and some trying to figure out if they had just had too much to drink. The whispering ceased. "...What the hell was that..?" He paused and then after a few seconds of thought he figured it out. "Magic!" The man grabbed Moses by the collar and hoisted him up, holding him easily within his armored grip.

..Swish..

"GHOST!"

A familiar friend stood tall behind the armored men, easily reaching 8 feet tall. There was a slight lapse in the panic before a thunderous roar of boots rushing for the door replaced the initial shouts of the men and women. Standing between Moses, Grisha, and the men was a black figure that had a humanoid form. The shadow person stood idly, his eyes glowing yellow in a silent anger before disappearing into strands of black smoke that circumvented the other two armored men and closed in on the man holding Moses in the air. As he reappeared, ut locked his grip around one of the hands that held Moses. He dropped Moses almost immediately, but that would not save him now. No, his face froze in horror, then his expression turned to pain as blue frosted crept up his wrist, turning the plate on his wrist blue and brittle, likewise with his hand. He fell to his knees with his mouth agape still in a mix of disbelief and pain. His hand at this point was now purple, as the black figure refused to relent on his frigid grip on his forearm.

"Maat! Enough!"

The figure released the man, who's hand was frozen in a half fist. He gripped his hand with his other arm before screaming. He was scooped up by his companions and rushed out of the tavern. "I didn't need any help!" He took a scolding, and vaguely familiar tone with the black figure, presumably named Maat. It threw its hands up into the air in protest, yet it produced no sound. "Yes, yes! He hit me. That is okay. Not everyone is going to be very kind but you likely just cost that man his hand if he doesn't find a proper healer! I was going to stay the night here but he'll probably come back with more men." Maat lowered its hands and shrugged in a 'So what?' kind of manner. "No! You won't deal with all of them. My gods you're so protective. Get back into the shadows! I'll have to find somewhere else to rest now because of you." He pointed into one of the shadows cast by a table. Looking defeated, Maat slowly stepped into the shadow. Its head lowered, it turned back in Moses in a pleading way. "Go." And with that, Maat slowly sunk back into the shadow that he presumably arrived in.

Moses grabbed his walking stick, which had fallen on the floor after the encounter. "Grisha, yes? I am very sorry. It was a pleasure speaking with you, but I will be having to depart now. Safe travels." He spoke quickly and his goodbye wishes were abrupt. He turned and went for the door, opening it and stepping out.

Grisha was stuck with a blank expression, clearly trying to take in what he just witnessed. Unable to come to a conclusion himself, the Lycan dashed towards the door in pursuit. Seeing him not very far away from the tavern, headed for the tree line, Grisha caught up with Moses with honed speed. "So that's it? You scold a wraith like it's a child after it very clearly crippled someone's hand and decide to leave?" He belted out quickly. "He's not a wraith. He prefers Shadow Person. His name is Maat." He corrected, then answering the question: "...and yes, that's it." They walked beside each other in silence for a moment. "He prefers!? He doesn't even talk!" He spoke with frustration clearly born of confusion, following his statement with a bark then a snarl. "He speaks to me."

"But-"
"Listen, Grisha." He stopped, and so did Grisha. He turned to him. "I am very tired, and I have walked many days to get to Adleth. I simply need a moment to sleep. If you stay around I promise you I'll explain when I awake." Grisha opened his mouth, then shut it. They then walked in silence for another hour before Moses dropped his bag near a large tree. Out of the bag he produced a dirty and thick wool blanket, and a second thinner one. Without a word, with aching feet he dropped the thick blanket on the ground and nearly collapsed on it. Grisha, shocked at the abruptness he had fallen asleep with shifted his weight between his feet, unsure of what to do. Grisha in an almost defeated manner just sat down a few feet away from Moses, and began to wait.

---------

Back at the tavern, shortly after Moses and Grisha departed, the bartender slowly creaked open the door from the backroom, a dagger in hand. Peeping through the crack, he saw no one was actually in the tavern, to which he threw the door open and took a few steps out.

"What the hell happened...?"

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

Setting sunlight cast a red-orange glow across the Tavern, illuminating a line of patrons making their way home for the evening. Horses exhaled audibly in anticipation for a night’s journey while a few stragglers stumbled from the road to tuck into a drunken stupor within the Tavern. While mortal life bustled within the commercial structure, a muted presence existed around it - or rather, within the wooden fibers of the frame. Silently it would observe, mostly with piqued curiosity but also, a divine duty. And to protect the surrounding forest from these drunk little shits.

Seated at the bar, a young man who appeared to be of elven origin would sip tea from a wooden cup. Ripe for the picking, he wore an obvious coin pouch at his hip and appeared to wield no physical weapons. As if on cue, a hooded figure would lean slightly back in his chair, balancing on two back legs as he stretched his arms above his head to release a quiet yawn. As one of his arms lowered, gloved fingers extended to fumble with the elven man’s coin purse. Rather focused on his tea, the elf sat still with closed eyes while the thief worked precariously to free the purse. Taking advantage of the present situation, a wooden floorboard beneath the thief's chair appeared to warp and contort as it formed a vine-like shape around a leg of the chair. Before receding back into the floor board, a quick tug from the vine would send the thief falling backwards just as the coin purse gave way; now falling in his lap. He appeared bewildered as he looked up to meet the peeved expression of the elf who drew his attention to the commotion. Cursing the man in his foreign tongue, he’d gather up his purse and return to his tea.

Suddenly, something exciting would happen. Oh thank the Gods, it’s about time. A pair of foreign creatures made way into the tavern - but one of them was impossible to see. Quietly an earthly presence would observe as quite the scene played out. Once the foreigner and Lycan left the Tavern, an interest needed to be quenched. What an incredible being, darker than night! How could one simply ignore such a thing? As the men retreated into the night, a milky glow blanketed the main road. They walked a great distance until they were off the beaten path and beneath the canopy of a beautiful willow tree. Long branches draped elegantly around its trunk, creating a mossy umbrella that intertwined slender leaves.

Several hours would pass before both men were sleeping soundly in the eerie peace of the forest. But where was the darkness? The pointed tip of a slender branch began to twitch with anticipation, gently rattling the leaves to produce a sound much like the wind would. It came to life, moving with snake-like precision in a slow and curious motion. Pausing over the beastly man, it quickly moved on to the humanoid figure and slowly draped close to observe his sleeping features. Another branch would slither closer to join the silent observation of the Larharian. This isn’t the one called M- Mmm, Map? The branches would shake quietly once more before a single leaf would brush a portion of his face.

​

 

[sheesh]

-Moses' Dream-​

Moses opened his eyes, clearly in a world that was not Haroth. The sky he stared up at was pitch black and only that - no clouds, no stars, and no moon. Upon taking in the starless night he was subjected too, he sat up, feeling that his body was nearly weightless. He observed his surroundings. The very landscape that he lie on now was similar to the wastes of his homeland, Larhara, though the sands here were grey and the wind was still. No plants grew. It was as if the very life of the land itself was sucked dry by some hungry being.

He found himself shocked as for the first time in his life he was able to actually see the color of things. All his life things had been outlines, mere sketch marks that changed ever so subtly to designate changes in elevation or texture, but for the most part he couldn't he describe what he saw, or how he saw, all he knew was that in some way or another he just could. Even seeing living beings was different, as they too had an outline, though most times when he saw them he could see the very light of their life force, and most times unless he was looking upon the elderly and sick their lights would be so bright he couldn't make out an outline. In this way, he couldn't actually see people for the most part until they were dead or nearing the end of their life.

In the distance was a lone tower. Moses stood in the new gray wasteland he found himself in and took a single step in the direction of the tower. Then it seemed as reality itself warped, as the landscape stretched and contorted. Moses tried to let out a shocked yelp, but it was as if he was muted, his voice smothered by a thick pressure that was indescribable. Gradually, as reality began to piece itself back together, he found himself in front of the tower, which was massive, so large he couldn't even see the top while he was standing at its base. The very top of the tower clearly poked through the clouds, as if the one - or the many - who built this were trying to reach the gods themselves.

The entry way was clearly designed in mind for a crowd, or something much bigger. He found himself walking in - no, he was being sucked in! The very darkness inside the tower was pulling him in, and for a brief moment, he could make out a giant hand reaching for him, fingers grabbing wildly at the air and at the rate Moses was sliding in, the hand would soon have him. He dug his heels in the sand, but to no avail. He outstretched his hands and made an attempt to desperately use a spell - any spell, but he could feel no mana within himself. The more enveloped he was in the darkness, the more suffocating it grew, it was as if the world itself was trying to subjugate Moses and bring him to his knees.

Just when the ethereal, black hand's finger brushed his face, he felt something inside him pulling, tossing, slipping, as if it were trying to escape. His very being was breaking. The hand, as if it realized what it wanted would soon be within its grasp opened wide. Moses took in the massive hand with his newfound vision, hopelessly, and when it closed around him, there was nothing but darkness.

Despite the dream he had just experience, the terror, the crippling feeling of anxiety he had felt had melted away, completely replaced by relief that it was over. Never in his life had he had such a dream. Though he felt anything but well rested, he wouldn't dare go back to sleep. 'It was merely a dream, Moses. Back to sleep, you have more walking to do when you rise...' His thoughts trailed off as he realized that the feeling from the hand's finger, which had brushed against his face mere moments ago had not faded. As he came to his senses, he realized that something about his surroundings had changed. He felt his own presence, then his new Lycan associate not far away, but there was a third...no, five in total, though two of them felt strange - artificial, or magically altered. There was something higher here.

His milky white eyes opened slowly. He opened them to two gentle green lights. He could feel it within himself that these weren't natural beings. If he had been in any danger, he was sure Grisha's superior instincts would have roused him from his sleep. Going from laying on his side to sitting upright, the first thing he felt was the lack of any light at all. Perhaps the leaves on the branches of the mighty trees above him blotted out the moonlight - there would be no assistance from Maat without any shadows for now. Though, there was a very simple fix for this.

He held out his hand in front of him. With a gentle whine, an equally gentle flame was formed in his hands. Red strands of mana slithered down Moses' arm, feeding themselves to the flame in his hand. In response to the constant flow of mana, the flame grew steadily until it nearly flowed out of his palm. He did well to keep the flame modest, as to not set anything around him ablaze. Quickly, he called out:

"Grisha."

The gray lycan's ears perked up around the same time that his head rose, alert from the moment his eyes flew open. He opened his mouth to inquire what the blind Larharan could possibly want at this hour before he observed two shadows along the tree behind Moses that danced in tandem with the flame in the magician's hand. His eyes quickly moving to the ground in front of Moses, he observed two wooden snakes. In any normal person's experience, they would find that snakes were hardly ever a good thing to be close to - wooden or not. Without giving it much thought, Grisha pounced with animalistic style, outstretching his hands to smash both of them beneath his weight. While one was caught beneath him, the other managed to dart away. Not intending to give pursuit, Grisha, clearly ready for a fight let out a wild bark.

Moses, almost as if for dramatic effect increased the size of his fire to a great degree, the fire being bigger than even Grisha's head. While it was only to aid in allowing Grisha to see, it also casted a sinister shadow of Grisha's figure across the ground. The light of the fire reflected against Grisha's wild eyes, practically making them glow with the dancing brilliant oranges and reds of a wildfire. "Show yourself!" He barked, voice dripping with hostility. Moses flinched at the sudden change in volume, though now assessing the situation and understanding that they may very well be in danger, he scrambled to his feet, careful not to burn anything with the large fire in his hand. While Grisha looked one way, Moses looked the other. It was as his senses sharpened as the fatigue of incomplete rest faded that he could feel all the life around him once more. The very leaves themselves radiated dull light, and with the sudden adjustment to being in a forest, there was no telling where anything was.

He placed a hand on Grisha's arm to keep track of him.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

Ooh, looks like we have a wild one. Amidst her search for the impeccable life form, the elusive spirit had separated herself in the form of two willow branches. Carefully she studied the man in his slumber whilst imagining what she might do next. Would the shadow never reveal itself? If it did, would it try to eat her. Something is always trying to eat her. The sound of a heavy sigh echoed beneath the canopy before being cut short - her branches turned into prey for the furry being. Despite the sudden threat, there was a peaceful air to the space around them. The ethereal presence seemed to shy away from the mustered flame, but not abolished by it entirely.

The branch beneath Grisha’s hand would feel unusually warm for such a plant, though it remained perfectly still. The gentle pulsation of energy within the tall willow began to shift and pool into the epicenter within Grisha’s grasp. It was slow and calming, the air shifting around the group as it carried a quiet whisper. The voice was feminine and melodic, encompassing the ear canal with a gentle resonance. “Relax.” It urged, as the energy began to take shape. Slowly the branch would coil around his wrist to offer some relief of pressure on the creature that now laid before them.

A pale form, no more than 5’ in length, would meet the defensive gaze above. Most of her jaundice flesh was exposed, glimmering unnaturally in the light of a flame. Pointed ears twitched intently, poking through long auburn locks that sprawled along the ground. Two elegant horns curled away from her temples, casting shadows along the soft features of her face. She didn’t appear afraid of the current situation as curiosity closed its grip like a vice around her mind. The delicate creature offered a smile, full lips tugging upwards towards rosy cheeks. Vines and leaves decorated her curvature and obscured her unmentionables and it was clear she had no physical weapons. Only poorly made jewelry and flower

A moment of silence drew between them as emerald hues swayed between the men. Brows would quirk as she appeared someone confused, her small nose giving a wiggle. “Where is the one called Mmm- oh, Maat!” Innocence rang in her tone but mischief swirled in her emerald hues. She waited patiently for their nerves to settle as she radiated her own calming vibe. They weren't far out from sunrise, just what Myriani could use in a moment like this.

​

 

[sheesh]

'Grisha seems to be prepared for a fight at all times. Fascinating! I wonder if all Lycan's are like this or if this is merely a personality trait. I'll have to inquire at some point!' There was a brief lapse in his thoughts. 'But why wait? It'll only take but a moment.' Despite being able to feel how tense Grisha's entire body was, his muscles hardened and tightened from instinct and intent, he kept his hand on Grisha's arm. Taking it a step further, he began to feel up and down the gray wolf's arm, taking in as much of its structure as he could with merely he has hands. "I say Grisha!" He spoke in a tone that clearly contradicted the intensity of the situation. "Your muscles have quite the definition! You'll have to excuse my wandering hands - I can't quite see you." The last part of his statement came out light heartedly, vaguely sounding as if it was proposed as a joke. He wrapped his hand around his. Yes, he had shaken Grisha's hand mere hours before but that wasn't enough time to take in how large it was. "My, your claws are quite long. Is this normal for your kind? I simply must get my notes. Stay right there."

Grisha ripped his free hand away from Moses as he turned to go find his bag. He took a moment to look at Moses with a clearly confused expression, but quickly remembered that Moses wouldn't be able to take the hint. "Moses! Focus!" He shouted. Moses' flame seemed to shrink in response to the order, as if Moses' magic itself was afraid of dogs. He sighed, before gathering himself again. Disappointedly, he conceded. "Very well." His flame shot up to its original size once more.

Grisha felt a strange heat from within the hand firmly planted on top of the wooden snake. He recoiled slightly before reapplying even more pressure after clearly reconsidering the thing could very well still be alive. With a new determination, he pressed all of his weight onto his hand with the intent to completely flatten the wooden snake. He soon met resistance in the form of more wood, fighting his efforts. Withdrawing his hand completely in a defense effort he took a step back as a humanoid figure began to suddenly will itself into existence in a gentle glow of energy. Grisha flexed his claws. With something he could presumably actually kill, his instinct took over completely, the blood rushing to his ears and drowning out any noise. Even in the light of the fire you could observe how his pupils dilated, changing to small brown dots in the center of an ocean of a yellow iris.

Moses felt a change in Grisha's nature and turned to get a better look of the situation. The first thing he noticed was that the two dull lights had "felt" strange for a reason - they were broken life force's, part of a bigger whole. His ears twitched at the mention of his photonically challenged companion. The elephant in the room however, Grisha, who's light that had formerly been white like the rest was a hue of pink - practically boiling with intent. "Control yourself Grisha, just a moment please-" Moses' sudden sense of urgency drowned out the initial words of the horned woman. Grisha leapt impossibly high, for a brief moment escaping the light of Moses before he began to come down onto his prey like an owl dive bombing a snake. In a split second decision, Moses called out:

"Maat!"

Nearly the instant Moses shouted the name, a formless, smoky figure shot out from Moses' shadow that danced along the tree. Grabbing ahold of the temporarily untamed Lycan only a mere few feet before he landed, he flew higher, spinning to gain momentum before he tossed Grisha with inhuman strength into the darkness, sending Grisha howling into the night. Gently, it began to descend, completely dropping out of its slow glide to the ground a few feet before it reached the ground.

As an astute observer, Moses took in how Maat simply decided to drop the ground, instead of simply landing. It could've merely came down to 'that's-how-he-wanted-to-land', but that idea bored Moses infinitely. 'I had no clue Maat could even fly at all! And I've known him for the greater half of two years now, no? Perhaps the ability is limited to just a few moments before it cancels.' Moses rushed Maat momentarily, causing the shadow being to flinch. As Moses approached with the fire, Maat's form shifted in the same way the fire did, mimicking its dance. Maat recoiled defensively as Moses stopped in front of his shadowy figure. He opened his mouth to speak, before pausing. "Though the stars I cannot see I would imagine that they shine with similar brilliance to your energy!" He exclaimed in a sudden change of attention towards the dryad. In a blur of movement only precedented for an excited learned such as himself, he immediately, completely, and quite literally passed through Maat, shrinking his fire down to a size that wouldn't immediately burn her. "Again, you'll have to excuse my wandering hands, for I cannot see, but I simply must know what manner of creature you are!" He said as he crouched down.

In one hand he held a small mage fire, and in the other he soon held one of her horns gently in his grasp, running his hand up and down the horn greedily while he took in the pattern of its curve. The motion only lasted a mere, as he hand quickly moved to the base of her horn and into her hair. Resting his hand on the top of his head he remarked, "What large horns! Perhaps you're one of the goat-men I've read about in the libraries back home?" He said as his hand now traced a single strand of her hair until his hand meant the tip of her ear, where he then changed his attention to studying the pointed ear. He quickly traced the shape and gave her lobe a quick tug before mumbling to himself "...Ear..." His hand brushed her cheek, and then quickly pinched her nose between his thumb and index finger.

"...Nose."

His hand continued to wander until he reached her collarbone, before he turned to Maat, as if listening. "What is it? I'm clearly busy! Do you not see what's before us? I clearly can't...What do you mean it's a woman? Humans don't have this kind of energy! You shadow people must have poor eyesight yourselves..."

"Well if it's not a human then YOU tell me what it is!"
Silence.
"Well if you don't know what it is either then come help me figure it out!"
Again, silence in response.

For a mere instant his hand drifted further south of her collarbone before Maat sprung into action, grabbing his hand at the wrist and halting his "study." In a frustrated bout he stood once more, his fire growing slightly on accord of his mild frustration with Maat. "What is your problem, Maat! You know why we've traveled so far! It's for knowledge! Knowledge!"

Maat leaned in closely, as if to whisper to Moses.

Moses froze.

His fire died down considerably.

Promptly he returned his gaze to the woman, and got on his knees, pressing his forehead to the dirt below, his unoccupied hand laid palm down ahead of him. "I apologize for the intrusion. While I am blind, even for someone without sight I admit that I became carried away. Let's put this behind us and begin again."

Maat folded his arms.

"You asked about Maat, yes?"

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

Moments after the thought passed through her racing mind, streaks of morning light filtered through the foliage. The forest was so serene that even in the face of death, Myriani would be dying peacefully. The one that smelled like a wolf, but not inherently so - a chimera of the race itself! But wow, look at that fur. She only had a moment to shift from her lying position, hoisting her torso upwards as the creature took to the air in a leap. Well, this was it. A wolf preparing himself for a salad - but there are always worse ways to go, right? In that moment the Dryad didn’t speak or or move, emerald eyes set in the unwavering intensity of observation. In a supernatural blur, before she had time to so much as muster a vine, the shadow moved with deadly precision. The creature she could see but could not hear, such a fascinating specimen. In all her time spent as the bones of the Tavern, she’d never seen such a sight. And oh how she loved a sight! That’s why she spent more time observing mortals than tending to her Dryad-ly duties. While the forest was her home, she’d spent enough time in its vastness, long before humans settled there. This was the most direct contact she’d ever had to humanoids and she was awestruck.

Was that something about stars? His words flushed her cheeks and made her toes curl into the dirt. She hardly had time to get onto her knees when the human approached and she froze once more with curiosity. The lids of her eyes widened as the magical flame drew close but he seemed to manage it expertly. Brilliant emerald eyes flickered past the one who spoke, glancing up through thick lashes at the shadow creature. Her full lips quivered in aw as she spoke, her tone quiet despite the distance her voice would carry. “All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of shadow…” She trailed off, raking her gaze slowly back to the man who now touched her divine flesh. “...and light.” She cooed, that last bit a whisper before she pressed her lips into a line. She wouldn’t shy away from his touch, only keep a watchful gaze upon his ebony flesh. Humans were prettier up close and this one must have come from far away. Just before he halted his touch, an unfamiliar tingle trailed the length of her spine. A visible shiver rattled her frame as the man now bowed before her.

Slowly she would stand, her tiny yet graceful frame straightening out to accommodate waist length locks of auburn hair. Placing a hand upon her exposed midriff, she would blink rather slowly as she regained her composure. C’mon, what are you supposed to do in the presence of a mortal, anyhow? But his current state softened the round features of her face and caused her to release a heavy sigh. Hesitantly, she would take a step towards him, bare feet padding silently upon the forest floor. Her curvy frame returned to a crouch just before the human as she slowly extended a small hand. Wild strands of hair fell around her features as she moved to cup his jaw. Her touch was warm and gentle, perhaps tingly even. If he’d allow, she’d slowly guide him upwards to straighten his torso as she spoke with a small distance between their faces. “You have nothing to apologize for.” Her voice carried a melodic hum in the distance between them, as she raised another hand to cup the angle of his jaw. “I’ve never touched a human before!” She suddenly exclaimed, rosy cheeks darkening in shade. Man if the Gods found out about this, she’d be screwed. Upon mention of the shadow figure, curious eyes would illuminate with desire to satisfy her wonders. “Oh yes, yes! M-a-a-t.” She sounded out his name like a child, her gaze wavering between the two.

​

 

[sheesh]

Idly, Moses' mind wandered for the brief period of time in between his apology and her acceptance. 'I wonder if Grisha is okay...I don't have any control over how much harm Maat does. He could be dead for all I know. I'll be having to search for him fairly soon, I'd imagine. At least, if he doesn't come back on his own that is. Lycan's should have keen noses, yes? It would make sense, as much as they have in common with wolves. I'd imagine he'd have a lot to say to me when we regroup...Yet another time I'll have to apologize on the behalf of Maat. No restraint...Honestly.'

His ears moved slightly as she rose. He chuckled to himself inside his mind as he drew a comparison between Grisha's ears and his own. He found his ears often tried to turn or perk up to hear things better on account of his lack of vision. Unfortunately being a human limited how much they could move. As soft as his expression already was, his face found room to soften even more upon hearing that he didn't need to apologize. 'Maat swore up and down that I needed to stop. "She'll take it the wrong way, Moses," he said. "This is a terrible first impression!" He said. He knew I'd listen if he said she might run away if I didn't stop. Why do I ever listen to him though?' To himself, he rolled his eyes.

He straightened his posture with the guidance of her handHe imagined one of his eyebrows raised when she spoke of never seeing a human before. He didn't actually know if his eyebrow raised or not, he'd never seen himself do it in a mirror before. "I've never seen-" He cut himself off seemingly abruptly, as if to leave the suspense in the air around what he had never actually seen, though as he remained quiet it'd be easy to realize he was again making it clear that he was blind.

Quickly dismissing it, as he grew weary that he may mention that he was blind too often, he switched the subject. He pulled himself away from her hand. "Maat. My bag, please." With silent steps, Maat grabbed Moses' bag and delicately set it next to him. "I have an offer. There's very much to say about my friend here, though, I feel that there's a lot to be said about you as well." He opened his bag and reached impossibly deep inside, so far in that you would think there was a hole going through the bottom of the bag into the earth itself. Around the time he was shoulder deep into his bag, he produced two books. One with a dark, black leather cover with multiple red ribbons stuffed in between various pages, like bookmarks. The other one had a light brown leather cover, though was thicker and lacked any bookmarks.

"I would tell you what you want to know, as long as I get to study you." He paused. "As a disclaimer, my study goes beyond merely just asking you a few questions about yourself, though I promise not to hurt you...purposefully, at least." He reached into his bag again, and pulled out a an bundle of cloth. Unwrapping it, what was inside were sticks of charcoal, with various thicknesses and lengths. It had almost become muscle memory to keep the fire in his hand by the time he became aware of it again. With a flick of wrist the fire was gone, the embers dancing away before they went out themselves too. Not even waiting for an answer, he opened the dark book, which from the very first page was riddled with lines and lines of words and pictures. "Sit. I will tell you what I've learned."

'I get the feeling that she won't decline my offer.'

"Maat is not his actual name, merely a name I've given to him. His actual name is a noise that humans are incapable of making. He's been called many things, according to him. Wraith, ghost, and spectre were all definitions assigned to him, but he personally stresses the importance of the difference between he, a wraith, a ghost, and a spectre. While he hasn't quite defined the differences, he insists that they're present." He paused. One could wonder how he could read while not only looking straight ahead, not even at the woman's midriff, but rather through her, and through whatever lied behind her as well. Their thoughts could also be satiated as they could see Moses run his hand over the words in the book, presumably reading through feeling the words the individually letters spoke.

"How they come to be is unknown, even by other shadow people. He describes how one moment he wasn't, then the next he simply was. They exist in a world parallel to Haroth, in which everything is inverted - the colors are the complete opposites to ours. Maat describes the sounds that we hear are much like his, though in reverse; this implies that every sound in what I've been calling The Shadow World sounds backwards as far as Haroth's standards go. He refers to our world as "upside-down," which implies that their world is upside down by our standards. Shadow people come in various sizes, though as Maat has described, their figure is usually the same. This means that all shadow people share the figure of a human male. The largest difference between them are the amount of eyes they have, which are denotations of power in their society. New eyes come in pairs as shadow people mature. As you can see, Maat only has two eyes, meaning he is very young. Despite being young amongst shadow people, according to Maat, he is well over a century old, leading me to believe that the average lifespan of a shadow person to be unfathomably long."

He paused, flipping the page.

"Shadow people can only enter our world through shadows, though most opt not to. Maat cannot speak for other shadow people, however I theorize that when people feel as if they are being watched by something yet cannot find anything, it may very well be a shadow person. Another theory I proposed as a joke to myself is the phenomena in which you leave something somewhere, yet find in it a place that you are almost certain you didn't leave the object in before, it may be the result of a shadow person playing a joke on you, though I cannot prove this." He cleared his throat. "With that being said, while they can enter our world through shadows, they can only leave through shadows as well. It seems there's no limit to what shadow they can appear from, though it is noted that the smaller their window, the longer it takes for them to squeeze their figure into our world."

Again, flipping the page, this time an entire page was taken up by a completely black drawing of a human in the anatomical position.

"On the topic of their figure, again, they all look like a human male in form, however as you may be able to see, lest you be blind yourself, they are pitch black - blacker than any shadow, and darker than the night sky in the winter. Their eyes come in various colors, much like humans, though the colors themselves are unnatural, usually shades of yellow, red, or white. They're a lot stronger than most races that inhabit Haroth as you saw when Maat nearly effortlessly tossed my Lycan associate away. I wonder when he'll be coming back."

"On top of their strength, they possess an uncanny ability to control their body. He can choose whether objects simply pass through him, or when he's solid. He can choose to disperse into clouds or strands of his being. Most notably, they can control the temperature of their skin to an extreme amount. Just earlier he froze a man's hand presumably almost all the way through simply by grabbing it. It's assumed that he could make his skin extremely hot as well, though I've never seen it done, and Maat grew tired of my experiments long ago." His expression turned bored and disappointed at the last remark. He flipped the page, running his hand over a full page, then the adjacent page before turning the page again.

"Their society is extremely loose. Many of them wander about their world free of responsibility, and generally they ignore each other. Other animals exist in their world, though it's noted that they're mere reflections of the animals that exist in this world. Presumably, these reflections cannot actually be interacted with in their world, though Maat has allegedly never attempted to interact with one. With that being said, shadow people do not need to eat, they gain their energy simply by being in the shadow world itself. With that in mind, it's noted that they have extreme amounts of stamina on their own and rarely ever need to rest."

He took a moment to breathe. Maat stood idly in the background as Moses spoke.

"It's been proven that humans cannot travel to the shadow world even with the help of a shadow person. I've tried to walk into shadows at the same time Maat switched planes. I've tried to have him pull me, though all that did was drive my hand into the dirt while he phased through." He flipped the page again. "It may be obvious that whenever I speak with Maat, he never actually says anything. I assure you, I am no mad man. Shadow people speak on frequencies that most people cannot hear, including myself, and without a mouth it's hard to tell when they're speaking at all. Fortunately, Maat is a very expressive speaker, and it's easy to assume when he speaks. I can understand Maat through magic. To leave the details simple, I can speak with anything that lives."

"If you wonder why Maat sticks around me so much, allow me to show you - he is not a personal summon in the traditional sense.." He grabbed the first tab in the book and flipped a stack of pages over. The page with the tab attached to it had words that were ever shifting, changing, the very words on the page swapping places with each other and occasionally jumping off of the page just to land back on the parchment. "We have mutually agreed to a contract. Maat enjoys being in Haroth more than he does the shadow world, but cannot access it himself since he claims he's too weak to open his own portal. In exchange for his protection and ease of study, I allow him to travel in the shadows around me, and through my mana he gains free passage in between worlds on his own whim. The words shift throughout the page due to enchantment. This page specifically cannot be destroyed so long as I live. In the case that the contract is terminated, the page will destroy itself. As a way of signing this contract, we both stained the page next to it with our blood." His finger pointed to the next page, where sure enough there was a red stain lying next to a pitch black stain reminiscent of oil.

"There's always more to learn about Maat, though he only allows me more information as he wants, and for as long we've known each other we've grown bored of studying each other. We're more friends than anything now. Before we move onto other topics, I'll allow a measure of questions. Whenever you're ready."

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

Myriani remained unnaturally still throughout the presentation, intently watching the articulation in his lips and the movement of his hands. It was only then she watched his eyes - swirling ivory pools that might have looked void of expression at first glance. But as a creature of spirit, Myri knew there was more to gain from a person’s eyes, regardless of their ability to see. They were the doorways to the soul after all. She could see a thirst for knowledge, but what fueled such an attribute? Would it be the same fuel that satisfied her unquenchable curiosity? In the distance the sunrise would peak, casting light against her luminous flesh. All the while he told his tale and she watched with wide eyed, child-like interest. The occasional gasp or audible ‘ooh’ escaped her while she observed the pair.

The fact he wanted a study lesson in return left her thoughts as she trailed her gaze along Maat once more. The color of his being stole her focus and enthralled her - bare, short legs slowly straightening as the human continued to read. There was a lot of information, none of it she knew but most of it she comprehended. Out of all the complexities in the realm, this was nothing out of the ordinary. But it was definitely something special as she could feel that much. Anywhere there was nature, she could feel what it touched. Spiritually guided by earthly elements, she can use most foliage to send and receive cosmic messages. In this moment she felt their confidence, hardships, eagerness to move forward and strongest of all, their thirst - to understand something greater than themselves, perhaps?

Once his tale was told, Myri would clench her small fists as her posture straightened, her upper body perking with subtle movement. Him, allowing me? Brazen indeed. Her wild auburn strands bobbed and swayed with her motions, heavier braided strands lazily shifting. “Are you able to make similar contracts with other beings?” She murmured, pursing her full lips thoughtfully. Of course he can, with a bag like that he can do anything! Who knew humans could be so fascinating? With only a moment to process the question, she would move slowly towards Maat, an intense look of curiosity burning in her vibrant hues. Should he allow, she’d approach close enough to observe the fascinating specimen. One hand lifted to grasp the curl in her horn, tapping it almost nervously as the opposite hand extended. “Would I be able to touch you, or would I simply pass through?” Her honied tone was hushed as she appeared unsure yet overwhelmed with curiosity, bright eyes watching his own hollow orbs. As a creature of light, what could her attraction possibly be to a creature of shadows? She’d already broken the rule of never interacting with mortals. What’s another straw in the pile, anyhow?

​

 

[sheesh]

Moses only had one contract in his impossibly large book. Truth be told, he'd done more walking than learning ever since he left home. For the most part, anything he'd come across had been too ordinary to form a contract with, or not intelligent enough to work out the terms of one. "I can make contracts with anything that can speak with me about the terms, though most beings lack the wit and the ones that have it are harder to find. I would've never found Maat if he didn't enjoy Haroth so much." He said in an almost relieved tone. It was the truth. If Maat never chose to reveal himself Moses likely wouldn't even know what a shadow person was.

Maat's eyes dimmed for a moment, then reclaimed their original glow. The motion was similar to blinking, though it was hard to be sure if Maat had eyelids or not. When she reached out for Maat, he tilted his head so that he could see past her, towards Moses who was still holding his books. He held that position until Moses spoke up: "If you want to." He said, shrugging his shoulders. Maat shrunk his body by about a foot to be closer in height with her. The process was close to instant, losing a foot of height in such a manner that if you blinked you would've missed it.

He reached out with his own hand and placed it against hers, sure enough making contact. His skin was as close to a neutral temperature as you could imagine - warm, yet cool at the same time. Though as it seemed he answered her question with an action, he offered another answer as shortly after he pressed his hand against his, his hand passed through hers moments after. He moved with a ghost-like grace for only a few steps before he grabbed her by the back of her head and suddenly hugged her face to his chest.

"What? No, we can't keep her." Moses pronounced "keep her" as if the two words were from another language in attempt to convey how stupid he believed the idea was.

Maat's body temperature noticeably rose, though not by much.

"If you would kindly bring her back over here I would appreciate it. There's more to talk about and unfortunately you cannot be the one to talk about it with her." Moses said with a tinge of irritation in his voice. Maat, in sudden movement wrapped his arms around the back of her knees before throwing her over his shoulder, much like how a guard would carry a man who was clearly too legless to be anywhere but in a bed. Taking silent and long strides he found himself in front of Moses quickly. He placed her down quickly, before clasping her shoulders and turning her around to face Moses.

"Maat compares you to the mice we had back home in Larhara - he thinks you're cute. Now, let's start with something simple." He opened the brown leather book, which from the first page was empty in direct contrast to the other book which had been loaded with notes. Looking down at the black sticks of charcoal he had laid out, he grabbed the thinnest one available and prepared to write.

"What do you call yourself?"

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

There would always be moments in time that would define greatness - but the vastness of the Great Forest was always, well, great. How could she recognize greatness if she were created from it? As Myriani watched the shadowed perfection, her mind would race with the intensity of wild mustangs. Everything about this interaction was taboo - Dryads are spirits of the forest and should remain only so, because with too much exposure to mortals, comes upheaval and destruction. That’s what we were ingrained to know, right? It was one thing to be stumbled upon by humans and entirely another thing to be fraternizing with them too! A small hand grasp her horn tightly as Maat watched her with unblinking intensity, the lids of her own eyes widening while she watched his glowing orbs dim and retake illumination. He was truly a fascinating creature - probably the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen! Acting as the paranormal trouble within the Tavern, in her observatory presence she saw many grand things pass through the tavern. But none like this.

What was this fascination? As a creature of divinity, she should have some awareness of otherworldly beings. But truth be told, Haroth was the only realm she knew and the presence of a being such as this was almost, well, divine! Standing with bare feet before Maat, her toes curled slightly into dirt as sunlight blanketed the forest now. Oh sweet Chlorophyll! Here comes the remorse. I shouldn’t be hereeee. But the sentiment was only fleeting as once she blinked, he no longer towered over her delicate humanoid form. Her hand remained outstretched for a long moment until that eerie tingle returned, this time originating from his touch. It traveled along her arm and visibly rattled her curvy frame. Full lips were pulled upwards at the corners, creating small creases adjacent to two rosy dimples beneath high cheekbones. Her child-like façade began to fade in that instant and her entire presence relaxed. “Intrusive... I think it’s wondrous, Maat!” she spoke up then, with a tone of sheer excitement.

He is like me. Like the forest! When contact was made her breath halted in her throat and the lids of her eyes fluttered closed. On the surface he was a void but there were intricacies beneath the shadows that tingled with life. Then she felt the curve of her horns meet flesh and strands of hair shifted around her frame from the sudden motion forward. The force of his hand against her head coerced the breath from her throat in a gentle sound that was much like a sigh of relief. All hesitancy was past her now as her small hands inched along his torso to rest against his chest. She wasn’t accustomed to humanoid interactions and was quite frankly, completely unaware what was happening. But he felt warm, and that was nice. In truth, darkness was her one weakness - her Achille's heel. Without sunlight, she was truly weekend and even more so in a humanoid form. Yet in this moment, it didn’t seem so bad.

He wants to keep a mouse? Her brows furrowed as she was hoisted barbarically, remaining rather calm as her backside was now exposed. Slumped over his shoulder, her arms would dangle lifelessly until she was placed and positioned before Moses. Her face was beet red in that moment, wild auburn strands strewn about her features and draped upon her horns. She stood in silence as she slowly blinked before sinking gracefully into a sitting position before her interviewer. There was a long moment of hesitation as she pondered the repercussions of releasing precious information about her kind. Mortals were always trying to eat her! Staring at the blank page, emerald hues fixated on his hands as she spoke more confidently than before. “I am called Myriani.” The words carried ethereally between them as she waited patiently for a reply.

​

 

[sheesh]

Funnily enough Moses was better at casting bolts of fire than he was spelling. For a moment his hand hovered over the page as he was unsure of how to spell her name. For the sake of brevity he gave it his best guess, quickly jotting down M-y-r-e-e-a-n-i. Offering a flustered and quick huff, he grabbed the edge of the page he wrote on and considered ripping the parchment from the spine of the book and starting again. He shook his head and took a moment to compose himself, though there was a brief lapse in his effort as he felt over the new word he spelled, the very texture of the word forcing indecision.

Shaking his head, he finally pulled himself together. "I gave it my best shot," He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Myriani - pleased to meet you - I'll get to my name shortly. I'm sure introductions can be stalled a little longer. As I've made very good on mentioning, I can't see in a conventional sense. When I say I see things, I only say see for lack of better word. I don't really see things with my eyes as much as I can feel them. From the feelings I can create a picture in my mind of my surroundings. The only exception to this is life, however, which instead feels like energy. In my mind they're bright balls of light. The point I'm getting to is that the way you feel is much more intense than what I'm used to, so my question now is what are you?"

-Maat's walkabout-
(Happening adjacent to Moses and Myriani's discussion)​

Maat grew bored quickly, shifting his weight from foot to foot behind Myriani. He grabbed her horns, tilting her head from side to side. Moses could feel the motion, but couldn't quite discern what was happening, and so he stayed quiet. Maat played with her head for only a few seconds before he stopped, resting a hand on her head before looking away in a similar manner to that of a deer that heard a twig snap nearby. He walked off just as Moses began to speak and apparently without warning to Moses, the only trace of him leaving were the crunches of an occasional dead leaf under his foot.

Moses paid him no mind, as if accustomed to Maat walking off on his own.

He walked for only a few seconds, then he began to speed up into a light jog and then eventually dashing into a full sprint. Seeing such a sinister looking figure move at such speeds would surely send most men into a panic. However, this was Maat simply being elated to be in the sun. Remembering his objective, he dug his heels into the ground and skid to a halt. Fortunately he frolicked in the direction that he needed to go, finding a familiar body with its belly to the ground, a steel longsword standing erect out of the ground with the pommel-side up. The chainmail on his armor reflected sunlight into Maat's eyes, causing them to dim in the same manner that a pupil would dilate.

He approached the body and grabbed the man's wrist. He was dead, and wasn't only recently killed. Flipping it over, the plate that was meant to protect his chest had three savage claw marks that clearly cut through the steel without issue. Dried blood coated the front of the plate, and the leaves the man presumably bled out on. Looking around the area, he found even more signs of a scuffle - a tree with similar claw marks embedded into the side, a few arrows scattered about the ground and some stuck into the surrounding trees. The amount of blood that had dried on the ground was abysmal compared to the dead man before him, though it was scattered about.

Maat had no blood trail to follow, but it seems as if the battle continued as one of the fighters fled. It was an easy hypothesis to come to, seeing that arrows had their tips down in the ground and other trees further down, like the archers that fired them were chasing something that ran in a straight line. Following the signs of scuffle further he found another body, this time of a horse. It's flank was brutalized, its ribs and the organs it was supposed to protect being exposed to the morning sun. The gnats and flies had already gotten to the horse, swarming around it in a cloud of black dots.

If make could make a disgusted expression, he would've.

He continued on his path, walking around the horse. The further he walked, the more he noticed that the evidence of a fight had dwindled about 20 paces back. The only thing to follow was disheveled dirt and a path of parted leaves. Something had been dragged through here, and whatever it was was quite large. Something had been captured here, and Maat had the suspicion that whatever was might be related to a certain Lycan he knew of. Following the trail, he soon began to hear the chatter of men, nearly drowned out by running water further off in the distance. Much as his strength was far greater than a human's, so was his hearing and other senses.

Maat took off in the direction of the noise before sure enough coming to a gentle stream of water. Nearly big enough to be called a river, the drag marks ended at the bank and resumed on the other side. Sticking to the tree line, he looked up and saw a pillar of smoke rising from somewhere in the forest, across the stream. Giving into his curiosity still, he slid down a small depression that took him to the bank of the stream before leaping across the stream easily. Making it to the tree line opposite to where he'd came he continued in the direction of the smoke stack, and before long he found not where the fire was, but definitely where the fire was housed.

Hiding behind a tree, Maat observed. He looked at a large wooden encampment, complete with a gate that had steel hinges. At the base of the walls were spikes, meant to act as a barricade. The dried blood on them were proof of their effectiveness in the past. Flanking the gates were archer towers and scaffolds that men patrolled the perimeter on. They all wore an assortment of armor, some being in rags, some with boiled leather, and others in chainmail and plate. The lack of uniform and hodgepodge combinations of armor led Maat to believe them to a little more than common bandits. They had stumbled upon some kind of wealth that at least allowed all of their members to arm themselves with weapons at the very least, and they had their own base of operations it seemed.

Deeming it unsafe to go near, he took what he knew and began to hike back towards Moses.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

While he struggled to write her name, a gentle sound would escape her lips. The melodic bubble of laughter filled the space as she grew amused with his tentative behavior. Maat was also to blame as he provided friction to her horns, the motion causing her wild hair to fall back into place. She would swat gently up at him, much like a cat would badger something of interest. When his own interest was drawn to the distance, Myri watched him with a look that swirled with curiosity and concern. Watching still as he drew away, she could feel his presence travel much farther than she could physically see until eventually he was out of range. A quiet sigh passed through her once more as she turned her attention back to the human.

“You are called Moses. The wolf you met is called Grrr-isha.” She drew out the second name as she struggled to pull it from memory back at the Tavern, remembering initially that only some time ago he was posed before her as a predator. Blinking away the thoughts, she’d physically shake them from her head as wooden beads in her hair tapped audibly against her horns. A long moment of hesitation drew between them as she thought of an answer or perhaps, a lie? No, she was a terrible liar if that were possible at all! Squirming internally, her figure remained unnaturally still as she sought for the confidence of her radiant race. But they wouldn’t be sitting down with a human, let alone serving their secrets on a silver platter, now would they? Would they?

She continued then, her watchful gaze resting upon the pale hues across from her. “I am a creature of the Great Forest. A spirit - I suppose.” She puffed out her freckle dusted cheeks and pursed her lips once she finished, the knitting of her brows betraying her look of confidence. It was as if she felt, nervous? While her tiny frame remained still the residual energy around her would pulse with the intensity she felt beneath the sightless gaze before her. It would appear she was having difficulty trying to describe herself - something that she should never have a reason to do in the first place. Am I going to regret this? Nah. If she couldn’t tell him articulately enough, perhaps she could show him.

Before he could comment she would scoot forward quietly, resting on her heels as her legs folded effortlessly beneath her. “The energy of the Forest is a great deal to process for any mortal. While you cannot physically see me, I could use the foliage to transfer a mental image of the energy around you.” She lifted a slender finger to tap it against her chin with the tilt of her head, green eyes beaming up at Moses. “As long as it touches the Earth, I can see it. Within a small radius of course.” Oops, don’t give away all your secrets! As the sun was slowly moving onto it’s afternoon peak, the warmth of its rays penetrated the forest canopies. Myri basked in the glow with a relaxed posture, curious if the human would accept her invitation. She wouldn't know for certain if such a skill would work on a sightless mortal, but she didn't see why it wouldn't, either.

​

 

[sheesh]

Moses nodded as she butchered the initial syllable of Grisha's name in a "close enough" manner. While she spoke he again glanced up at the bad rendition of her name. In smaller text below it, he wrote.

"Myriani(?)"

Before he took her up on any offer he decided he would write down everything he knew, and everything that was implied.

Subject:

"Myreeani"

"Meeryani"

"Myriani(?)"

(Correct spellings later)​

Notes:

• Allegedly (according to Maat), Myri subject is/appears as a short woman. From my own findings, she has two curved horns. Skin is presumably smooth all over. Possesses humanoid features, complete with nose, ears, and presumably more.
• Capable of magic? Confirm with Grisha. Split herself in two upon initial encounter.
  Offered to use flora to allow me (Moses) to see her better.
• Life energy extremely bright.
• Clearly as intelligent as other common races.
• Seemingly docile, took large interest in Maat. Maat reciprocated similar interest.
  (Explore relationship between subject and shadow people.)
  (Encourage subject interaction with Maat.)
• Refers to herself as "a creature of the Great Forest/spirit (she supposes.)" Origin in a Great Forest
  Great Forest = Adleth? Likely.
• Referred to me (Moses) as "mortal." Myria subject possibly immortal.
• Grisha (Lycan) was aggressive towards subject, attempted to kill before interrupted by Maat.
  All Lycan's hostile to forest spirits? Needs confirmation.
• Allegedly wears little clothing.
  Unclear, sourced from Maat, needs confirmation.
• "Cute"
  Sourced from Maat

Faceclaim:

Pending translation from Maat

(May not be necessary)



















​

Feeling over the paper numerous times, he began to tap his charcoal stick against his chin while he though of more things to add before he went any further. "Before we move any further, I'd like to ask a few questions just to clear a few things up. I don't like to work on assumptions." He said, proclaiming how thorough he was in his work. After setting that precedent, he continued. "To start simple, I'm assuming the Great Forest-" As "Great Forest" came out of his mouth, his accent broke through for just a moment, emphasized by the gentle rolling of his R's and abrupt and stressed pronunciation of T's. He cleared his throat, swallowing. Not giving a second thought, he began again. "This Great Forest, is Adleth, yes? I'm unsure if we have different words for the same place."

"Before you answer, I have more." He followed, not having any intention of taking this interview one question at a time. "Maat described you as a woman. Your voice is more evidence towards this. I am unaware of how spirits come to be - this is my first time crossing a proper spirit." He paused. He was clearly implying that Maat was some kind of psuedo-spirit. "Do you have reproductive organs similar to that of a human female? Also, are there men amongst the spirits as well?"

Again, he tapped his chin with his writing utensil for a few seconds.

"I would also like to know if you have a society similar to Maat's? As I mentioned, they're largely solitary and ignore one another in their plane. Would you be able to direct me to some kind of "spirit settlement," for lack of better term?"

"You mentioned being able to see anything that touches the Earth. Do you have biological ties to the Earth, or is that a product of magic?"

He paused, feeling the sun's rays from above.

'Noon already? I'm losing travel time.'

-Maat's walkabout-
Continued​

Click...click-click-click...click........

In the middle of his hike back to Moses and the woman he was undoubtedly picking apart at the moment, Maat became distracted. Distantly, while on the way back he heard rapid clicking noises coming from the west. Maat noted that he would need to travel north if he were to get back, and before he moved to investigate the noise, he placed his palm upon a tree and seared it, turning the bark charcoal black before changing direction.

As he realized the day was nearing its midpoint, he decided to make his detour quick. So he ran, being a black streak swimming across the forest floor, he kicked up leaves and clouds of dust in his wake as he took advantage of his otherworldly speed. While he got to where he needed to be quickly, it nearly came at a price and he neared what he could only describe as a large gorge - not quite large enough to be called a ravine or anything extreme, however it seemed as if running water had eroded this part of the ground. The running water being long since evaporated, it created a steep drop of maybe 20 feet. In this gorge was a cave, where the clicking sound came from. The cave was shaped in a way that the top portion hung over the ground, making it especially difficult for sunlight to reach the interior.

As much as Maat could do, seeing in the dark wasn't within his capabilities at the moment. At the same time, he considered that he's just as dark as the interior of the cave, so while he may not be able to see much, whatever was inside most certainly wouldn't be able to see him. Under this half-cooked assumption he marched directly in.

Fortunately the cave didn't seem to be anything else other than a straight hole into the earth. He hadn't run into a single wall, though he had stubbed his toe and tripped many times. The deeper he went in, the more he found himself brushing off sticky white fibers that became more common, streaming the walls, sometimes even long strands hanging from the ceiling or connecting to the walls.

The clicking was getting louder.
Then it stopped.

At the same time, Maat stopped walking as well. He turned back, no longer seeing the light of day at the entrance of the cave. In fact, he could no longer feel the wind that blew inside either. Just how far in did he walk? His thoughts rambled on in the darkness before something external cut through the silence.

...Hissssss...
CHRK.
CLICK.
CHRK.

Something was most certainly getting closer, and from the weight of the small tremors Maat felt in the ground, it was large. Maat's confidence in how visible he was suddenly began to wane, and as much as he wanted to run, his form was frozen, stuck between indecision between making no noise or escaping.

Then he saw it.

​

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

A moment of silence seemed to stretch for sometime as Moses jotted down the information she hesitantly gave. She observed the dexterity in his fingers as his penmanship was calculated and even. Quite impressive for someone without sight, though perhaps he was once granted such a gift. Mulling through her thoughts she would rake her gaze through the surrounding foliage before sliding backwards to rest upon her backside. Stretching her jaundice legs in front of her they remained slightly bent as the bottoms of her bare feet pressed upon the ground. Before he spoke she closed her wide eyes and concentrated as the earth beneath her tingled with life. She would rest there as she wondered about Maat and why he had run off. Though the company of a gorgeous human was fascinating, she couldn’t help but search for the unfamiliar shadow. Now that she had made physical contact with the creature it would take much less effort to find his energy - but it seemed he was far from range.

When he inquired about the Forest her elongated ears would twitch at their points and she sat slightly forward as if he would hear her better. “They are one in the same, as Adleth is one grand forest - the largest unexplored territory in Haroth!” She exclaimed with excitement, her small hands meeting one another with a soft clap. Using her feet she pulled her rear even closer to observe the pages he recorded details on. She hadn’t seen the skill of writing this close and like most things, she found it quite interesting. Just as full lips parted to speak, he inquired about her reproductive organs. Her brows furrowed and her hands fell to her lap, along with her gaze. She had never thought of such a thing. “Our physical forms are modeled after humans. I suppose those would be intact.” Pointing a small finger at her exposed midriff, she poked it curiously as she wondered the location of such a thing might be.

He mentioned a settlement and her intrigued expression faltered, her energy sinking closer to the frame of her physical form. There was something about humans she had observed frequently - their unquenchable thirst. For knowledge, possession, power. It was quite a terrifying thought and in that moment she had to swallow her assumptions to clarify the intent of the one named Moses. Her melodic tone was quieter as she continued, looking down at her hands. “You reached our settlement once you set foot in Adleth. We exist everywhere and in anything that sprouts from the earth. This connection was established by our world’s creator, granting us the spiritual capability to communicate with and through most foliage.” Oh I hope this is it interesting. It would be quite the disappointment to bore a human, especially with information she was unsure of sharing in the first place. “In myth, we are called Dryad. While our existence might be similar to Maat’s kind, our purpose is to protect the Forest and its inhabitants.” She continued, twirling her thumbs as she rambled. Once paused, she’d turn to observe the tree line again, as if expecting Maat to show up at any moment.

​

 

[sheesh]

Subject: Interview one.

"Myreeani"

"Meeryani"

"Myriani(?)"


(Correct spellings later)​

Notes:

• Allegedly (according to Maat), Myri subject is/appears as a short woman. From my own findings, she has two curved horns. Skin is presumably smooth all over. Possesses humanoid features, complete with nose, ears, and presumably more.
• Capable of magic? Confirm with Grisha. Split herself in two upon initial encounter.
  Offered to use flora to allow me (Moses) to see her better.
• Life energy extremely bright.
• Clearly as intelligent as other common races.
• Seemingly docile, took large interest in Maat. Maat reciprocated similar interest.
  (Explore relationship between subject and shadow people.)
  (Encourage subject interaction with Maat.)
• Refers to herself as "a creature of the Great Forest/spirit (she supposes.)" Origin in a Great Forest
  Great Forest = Adleth? Likely. Proven.
• Referred to me (Moses) as "mortal." Myria subject possibly immortal.
• Grisha (Lycan) was aggressive towards subject, attempted to kill before interrupted by Maat.
  All Lycan's hostile to forest spirits? Needs confirmation.
• Allegedly wears little clothing.
  Unclear, sourced from Maat, needs confirmation.
• "Cute"
  Sourced from Maat
• Presumably same organs as a human female.
  Needs confirmation. Sourced from subject herself.
  Needs confirmation
  May require confirmation.
  Ask Maat to test?
• Subject claims entirety of Adleth is a settlement for her kind.
  Also claims that spirits collectively defend the forest.
  Spirits "exist everywhere and in anything that sprouts from the earth." Further questioning pending.
  Existing in everything is a trait granted by the "world's creator" (Save for new topic)
• Subject species: Dryad
  See "Dryad" entry in mythological creatures book (if present.)
  Also try to memorize name of book.
• Subject afraid of fire? Requires testing
• Subject anxious during first interview.
  Theory 1: Anxiety formed from Maat's disappearance (Test)
  Theory 2: Interviewer (Moses) makes subject uncomfortable in some way. (Test)
• "Exists" to protect forest. Requires testing.
  Destroy flora/fauna and measure response
  Ask Maat to destroy flora/fauna and measure response
  Ask Grisha (?) to destroy flora/fauna and measure response.

Faceclaim:



Pending translation from Maat



(May not be necessary)












Experimentation: First Group



See subject Meeree "Dryad"'s response to various stimuli. (Restrained experiment, interviewer [Moses] made promise not to harm)

Heat(Use Maat's abilities):

Cold(Use Maat's abilities):

Fire:

Touch(Note: Have Maat conduct this part. Instruct him to also record results. No harm to be done):

Loud noises:

Various Foods:

Fear(Have Maat also conduct this?):




Separate Experiment: Group 1.5



Have Maat and M Dryad perform various tasks together. Have Maat report findings.















​

Moses added more notes, paying attention to the waning space on the page. He made small edits to his notes and preemptively made new sections. He wasn't interested in experiments just yet, and truth be told he wasn't entirely sure what stimuli he'd expose her to yet. He would get there once he was satisfied with his initial set of notes. Aiming to finish up the first section quickly, he finished his edits and additions, making note of the small amount of space he had left in between the notes section and the experiments section.

'Ai...If only someone would develop a method of rubbing away writings with charcoal.'

Taking about a minute to look, or rather feel over his notes once more, he began to organize his thoughts. 'Well,' he began started. 'I'll be having to recall Maat soon. Hopefully Grisha comes back, wherever he's gotten of to.' There was a brief lapse in thought. 'A fascinating notion that she may be tied directly to the world's creator. I'll have to organize my thoughts for a second interview at some point. She assumes she is identical to a human, though was unsure. Maybe that implies that while the organs are present, they aren't used? I'll have to ask about that at some point, but I'll save it for another session for brevity's sake. Allegedly Aldeth is largely unexplored...Speaking of unexplored regions, this raises the question if Dryad's are exclusive to Adleth or if they exist in other regions. I'll have to keep that in the back of my mind while I cross the continent to look out for more wherever I go. Speaking of going places.'

"Not that I've forgotten about your offer, but I'll be needed to get moving soon. Hopefully I'll find Grisha. I would like to ask if you would join me? As much as I'd love to sit here and talk with you until sundown - genuinely, I would - I have other objectives."

-Maat's Runabout-
The Sequel to his Walkabout
​

Maat had seen many things in the couple of years he'd traveled with Moses. Many of them came from the desert and his travels from home to the border. Among them he had seen giant worms that burrow underneath the sand, cactus that run about on their own, seemingly without the traditional roots of other plants. He'd seen snakes that could swallow a full grown camel whole, and he actually had seen the snake in question swallow the camel whole. Though he had seen all these things in Larhara, and expected more to come when he visited Adleth.

All of that still didn't prepare him for what was chasing him.

​

He found that the large spider's stamina was similar to his own, as while he sprinted towards the exit of the cave, even with his own enhanced speed, the spider always managed to stay right behind him. This remained true until Maat made it outside of the cave and climbed the side of the gorge. When the spider attempted to pursue the rocks it tried to get a foothold on gave out, causing it to fall.

Since then it had rebounded, and Maat hid behind a tree. He very well could leap into a shadow and circumvent the danger altogether, however that would the defeat the purpose of being locked in contract with Moses in the first place - this was all apart of the Haroth experience. There was absolutely zero chance he remained hidden, and if he made a run for it, he didn't want to risk bringing it back to Moses and Myriani. As capable of a mage Moses was, he was certain there wouldn't be a ton he could do to a giant spider without anytime to prepare.

Now that he thought about it.

Maat himself was pretty capable too, wasn't he?

It slipped his mind that he didn't even need to hold a physical form. Any danger that came to him could be easily avoided, could it not? With that in mind, he may not be strong enough to fight it directly, but he sensed he still had the advantage. He peeked out from behind his tree, seeing the large spider was very much so still searching for him, looking behind trees and rocks. For the most part, it wasn't very far off, and Maat was sure that if he stayed where he was for another 30 seconds he surely would've been found out.

He waited, and the spider turned its head away from Maat's tree for an instant, and in an instant Maat was upon the spider. The spider was easily over 10 feet tall, just from the ground to its head. From the ground to the top of its biggest leg was about 15. Maat threw his shoulder and all of his ethereal weight and strength into the spider, sending it crashing into a tree not far behind it. Though this didn't do any significant damage. At the sign of the spider rebounding, Maat quickly dashed towards its smaller back legs and grabbed on to the base of one.

Immediately the spider began to throw a tantrum, stamping all of its legs, jumping and climbing across various surfaces. Maat hung on desperately with his eyes clenched, and in attempt to adhere to the spider began to drop his body temperature drastically. While the effect he was going for was achieved, he also began to freeze the spider's leg, signs of frostbite quickly beginning to develop. The spider doubled its efforts and focused in on the leg it was potentially going to lose, shaking the frozen leg violently. It wasn't long before the leg was frozen all the way through however.

SNAP!

Maat was flung off of the spider, but part of its leg came with him, the majority of the detached leg being blue. As much as Maat would think it would take to recover from losing a leg was clearly wrong, as the spider was upon him not even a full second after he rebounded. Instinctually, he grasped the spider's leg in his hand, the sharp end at the ready. The spider reared up, readying its fangs, and Maat jumped up to meet the attack.

Schlrk.

Blood spattered as Maat rammed the frozen leg through the spider's mandible, through the roof of its mouth and out through the top, the very momentum from the piercing blow enough to send the spider onto its hind leg before falling on its back. With its brain ran through, there wasn't a ton that it could do aside from dying. Its legs kicked about for a few moments, before they each curled up in tandem. It died without a single sound.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ Forest surrounding the Tavern​

For a brief moment Myri watched him, as if she were peering through him. What was it about this motley pair that stirred her curiosity and tempted her thirst of adventure? There was only one way to find out. After quite some time had passed, she had come to form another curiosity - speaking to Maat. So much so, she couldn’t wait to see him and ask about his methods of communication. Perhaps this frequency wasn’t unfamiliar to her ears, though it was unlikely. She was after all, a being of the light. Digging her small toes into the dirt, she appeared to grow rather antsy as silence stretched between them.

Bright emerald hues were fixated upon his hands, following every fluid stroke of the charcoal. Even when he hesitated, or backtracked to make a correction, it was all rather magnificent. Glancing over her shoulder once more, intuition pricked at the back of her neck and drew her attention from Moses just before he spoke. Snapping to attention, a look of dread crossed her features. An adventure? Is this really an invitation to a human adventure? It was bad enough she had fed information to a complete stranger but to travel with them? She had a hard time imagining life in this form for long periods. But she recalled the stories of adventure that were told at the Tavern and how much she yearned to tell stories of her own. No no, it’s just for a walk. Oh, to find Maat perhaps?

Seconds felt like minutes in the length of time it took her to respond. Tucking her legs at an angle beneath her, she hoisted her dainty frame into a standing position. With all the confidence she could muster, her posture would straighten and her hands smoothed along the curve of her hips. The canopy of the tree quietly rattled without the presence of a breeze and her hands would clench into small fists. The apples of her cheeks would flush - something that seemed to happen more frequently all of a sudden. As long as we don’t leave Adleth, everything will be fine. Inhaling deeply, her reply fluttered out with the exhale. “Let’s go.” Her lips pulled upwards at the corners, forming a dimpled smile. She’d follow him until she found Maat again.

​

 

[sheesh]

The corners of Moses' mouth tugged gently to form a contented smile. Seeing as his notes began on the very first page of the book, there'd be no need for a bookmark. He put his charcoal away, but not before routinely placing it between the tips of his index fingers, in a strange way gauging how much of it he lost while he wrote. He put it away, back in the arrangement of other utensils and wrapped it up. Along with the book, he put the two items back in his deceptively deep bag. He would've hoped for more time before he decided to go find his wandering friend, though he didn't mind now that he knew Myriani - whose name he's yet to spell correctly yet - would be accompanying him for an undefined amount of time.

He stood up, and took a moment to stretch not only his legs, but his hands too despite not having written for that long. He took even more time to stretch even more before it was apparent this was all routine for him. 'I've got quite a bit of walking ahead of me. It's best to limber up now. I wonder if Dryad's get muscle cramps as well...? A question for later, for sure.' He brushed his dominant hand off on his clothes, only partially wiping off the charcoal smear on his palm. "Very well. I'm certain he walked off in that direction, unless I misheard. Perhaps he met up with Grisha." He offered hopefully.

Normally he'd just summon Maat to his side so he could get on with the day, though he made note that Maat was never happy whenever one of his happy little walks were interrupted by Moses. He looked off in the general direction that he believed Maat to go in. Intently staring in the direction for a moment, he picked up his bag and slung one of the straps over his shoulder as he felt the imprint of Maat's feet in the ground. Putting his other arm through the other strap he set off, then stopping shortly after as he remembered he hadn't packed up the rest of his unfinished camp. "Just a moment, please."

He turned on his heel, grabbing both of his blankets and rolling them up hastily. He laid them on the ground, leaving them there for a moment while he took off his bag again. After he shoved his blankets in there, it was clear that the bag was definitely under some kind of enchantment. Taking another moment to collect his crooked walking stick, he equipped his bag again before walking off again.

Following nearly blasted away footprints, Moses began to find sites similar to the one Maat encountered just a while before. The first thing he noticed was the body, which by now was infested with all kinds of insects that eagerly festered in the open wound on the man's chest. The stench of death had long perforated the air, causing Moses' nose to crinkle. “I’m near certain Maat did not do this. Unless he developed claws in between the time we last saw him. Was this not the direction Grisha was tossed in just last night?” He offered up the question to seemingly himself.

He kept on in the same direction, a trail of missed arrow shots leading the way. He walked by the dead horse, with even more of an infestation than the man had, barely walking around it at all. Stepping over the deceased horses’ head, he shook his head. Something clearly wasn’t right. He at least knew that the odds of Maat being captured were extremely slim. Keeping him contained while the sun was up was near impossible, not to mention that he hadn’t seen a cage that Maat couldn’t break or squeeze out of.

Growing more worried, he was just about to call it quits and simply re-summon Maat and face whatever tantrum he threw before he heard a twig snap to his flank.

Sure enough the shadowy figure was just slowing down from a jog, not a trace of his battle with him. “There you are! We had just begun looking for you.” He recalled the scenes he had encountered before. “You wouldn’t happen to know about a dead man and horse, would you?”

“Oh? you think you found Grisha?”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“What’s this talk of a giant spider? I had no clue you were such an adept story teller.” He said sarcastically, and Maat brought his palm to his face and dragged it down, as if trying to wipe the annoyance off of his face much like one would a spiderweb. “Take us to Grisha, please.”

Maat took the lead, bringing the group to the steam bank he had crossed before. In a similar stunt to what he pulled last time, he leapt across the stream entirely and turned back around, waiting for the two to cross on their own. Soon after, strands of mana similar in form and action to the ones that appeared when he created fire the night before began to dance down his arm, this time taking a bright blue color.

Casually outstretching his hand, he began to blast the stream with a stream of icy blue frost, the spell freezing the surface of water on contact. He layered sheets of ice on top of one another, ensuring that his walkway wouldn’t crack after he jumped down from the bank. Sitting down on the bank, he cautiously slid himself down onto the icy path and set his feet shoulder width apart immediately.

Crack.

Despite the added precaution of trying to make his path sturdier, sure enough a thin crack snaked its way through the ice, not deep enough to destroy the pathway but enough to incite a modicum of panic without Moses. He called out to Maat with an order: “Maat, I don’t think this will support two crossers. Hop back over and cross again with Myriani.”

Maat swiftly leapt across the stream like it was nothing. In reality, Moses with a subtle flick of his wrist forced a crack in the ice intentionally as to give the illusion it was unsafe. He did this to purposefully force an interaction between Maat and Myriani, however small it was; it was a start for sure. Whether or not she was able to cross on her own was up for debate, though he got the feeling it was within her power. The possibility was easily ignored by Moses though. The scientific method took priority here, and this was a part of the experiment.

Silently and as quick as a seasoned soldier taking orders from an officer on the battlefield, Maat grabbed Myriani in similar fashion to the way he did before Moses began pressing the Dryad for question; he threw her over her shoulder once more, and again with no signs of struggle jumped across the relatively wide stream while Moses mock-cautiously crossed his path. At the other side of the bank, he reached up with his free hand in gesture for help.

Maat instead offered his foot for Moses to grab, as if deeming it too much effort to kneel down to grab him.

Moses didn’t complain, instead grabbing Maat by the ankle and allowing himself to be pulled up. Moses fixed his clothes before looking back at the ice path, half debating whether or not it was worth the effort of destroying before shaking his head and turning away. Maat continued to lead the way with Myriani firmly held to his shoulder

Not very much longer after crossing the river did they make it to the bandits. Moses took in the scene as much as he could with his unconventional vision. “Grisha’s certainly here.” He said matter-of-factly. “The question is how do we get him out? I’m not much of a fighter, Maat, and I’m not entirely sure if you could fight so many men.”

“What are the odds we talk our way through this?”

“None? Don’t be so negative.”

Maat turned around and simply looked at Moses.

“...What…? Okay, okay. You may be right.”

“Could I blow the whole thing up? Maybe, though you may overestimate how much power I actually have. I also don’t want to risk hurting Grisha, and you know how I feel about killing.”

“Maybe if you and Myriani acted as a diversion we could draw most of them away from the camp. Assuming the group of men from the tavern and the men here are all associated, I see no reason why they wouldn’t chase you.”

“Of course taking Myriani is a good idea. You needn’t even put her down.” He insisted.

“How you get their attention is up to you. It won’t take me long to get Grisha out as soon as you draw them away. I’m sure they won’t be able to catch you regardless. We can meet back at the stream, yes?”

“Fair. What do you think, Myriani? I’m certain you’ll be safe with Maat.” He gave a smile for positive reinforcement.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ The Great Forest ​

That was probably the first time she noticed a smile come from the calculated Moses. He was packing things away in his magically deceptive bag, the simple action stirring excitement in the pit of her stomach. What was this feeling? Raising her hands she’d sift through her mess of hair in an attempt to hastily smooth them into place. As if she were preparing herself for a long journey, she mimicked Moses by looking around the space as if she were gathering her own belongings.

Did he say Grisha, the one who nearly devoured her just some time ago? Her lips parted to release a heavy sigh at the challenge ahead. She was no fighter, that was a given. But she was exceptionally good at fleeing. Fast and nimble, she can usually flee a difficult situation quickly enough to gain time to shift into her earthly element. But how fast are wolf men? Limited to daylight hours of operation, by the time she encountered the beast she could be useless. Shrugging away the thoughts that clawed within her mind there was a moment of silence where she began to speak. “Are we going to find M-” She was interrupted as he returned for more items. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and chewed gently, unsure how to fill the silence.

This was out of character for the Dryad, a usually spunky ball of energy - now reduced to a quiet companion. She soon realized she was in the most compromising position of her lengthy lifetime and worse than that, she was enjoying each second. If this was crossing the line, she’d have no remorse. Onward, then. As Moses led, she followed closely behind though never along a path. The tall grass soothed her nerves as they walked in silence, her gaze placed upon his feet most of the time. If there were twigs or debris in his path, she’d silently clear them. Her focus was with every step upon the forest floor as she waited in anticipation of any approach. Her attention was briefly taken by a strange burn mark into a tree, her brows knitting at the sight. Something familiar to her, death, was also a jarring companion on their excursion. There was comfort in knowing their bodies would feed the ground they decay on, amongst other things.

Maat. Myri beamed as she saw Maat’s approach, the range of her cosmic vibe slowly expanding. Wait, something about a giant spider? It felt oddly familiar. Her lips parted but only a sigh of relief escaped as Moses continued to hear what she could not. Before she could process the situation placed before her, Maat’s proximity relaxed her frame as she peered up at him. Without warning she found herself in the same position once more - exposed backside in attendance. The sloping curve of her horns would press gently against him as she wrapped short arms around his torso, bracing herself. Before she could take a breath the sensation of falling bubbled into her throat, passing her lips in a melodic fit of laughter. Her grip tightened as she held on, pressing herself firmly against him. Once she opened her eyes, she pushed herself up by her palms, craning her head to look at the mess before them. Her heart raced at the mention of playing bait but after a moment, an idea sparked to life in her bright eyes. “Humans always leave something behind when they stray from home. Maat should go with you.” What the hell are you doing? She swallowed visibly before her dimples returned, pouty lips pulled into a small smile as she spoke. “I can try to distract them.” Her tone held forced confidence and undeniable excitement.

​

 

[sheesh]

In the case that Grisha was still guarded even after Maat and Myriani baited as many as they could out, Moses was nearly positive that he could handle just a few of them on his own - it's not like bandits are experienced mage killers. He thought about the odds that the bandits were capable of killing a mage, even one was as relatively weak as himself, but dismissed it as he traced the outline of the wooden stake walls. Mage killers would probably be better equipped to deal with mages...and not have their base in the middle of a forest clearing. Moses brought his hand to his chin and stroked his stubble a couple of times, as though deep in thought. It looked as if he really considered bringing Maat with him, though with how fast he brought his hand down, it was clear his deep thought was nothing but a facade.

"Hm..."

"No."

He smiled gently. "Not that I don't value your opinion - I just think you're far safer with Maat than I." He paused. "And if you really think about it, two mysterious figures are likely to attract more attention than just one, and after last night, I don't think I should bring Maat near Grisha anytime soon. Who knows if there will be tension. Not that it'd be unwarranted." He sniped at Maat, who didn't react. "And again, I don't think I need to remind you that he tried to kill you just a few hours ago, Myriani." Moses planted his back against a tree and slid down its trunk until he sat. "I'll wait on you to draw them out. Take your time - or don't. Who knows what could be happening to Grisha in there though." He faked a shudder.

Maat crouched to place Myriani down, and he placed a hand on top of her head in his best attempt at reassurance that he could do without a face or a voice.

"If you still insist, I'm sure Maat would have no issue coming with me - though it'd be a shame if you passed up an opportunity to see how fast Maat can run first hand." He made a jazz hands-y type of gesture to play up the novelty. "I've only experienced it a few times; feeling the rush of the wind in your ears is unparalleled. Unfortunately I couldn't very well see what it's like, though you can see, in contrast. I'm sure you can get more out of it than I could've."

Maat again, with his hand still on her head pulled her close, her horn passing through his body though her head definitely being able to touch him. Even though it was widely acclaimed that you couldn't hear Maat without the aid of a certain spell Moses had knowledge of, anyone would swear they heard a gentle and subtle whisper on the wind.

"We'll be the best of friends...come with me. It'll be fun."

Even Moses furrowed his brow, though he fixed his expression quickly. It was probably just the wind.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ The Great Forest ​

When he mentioned his opinion of safety, she would slump dramatically, hands now dangling behind Maat. How did Moses know what was safest for her? She snorted audibly, her lips pursing to blow a raspberry sound against Maat’s back in protest. “I am not alone, I have the Forest.” She’d mutter, her breath cascading along her capturer’s frame whilst her hair dangled well past the backs of his knees. Truth be told, she wasn’t alone. Ever since her creation she’d held the unique ability to communicate with the inhabitants of the forest and in some cases, requested their assistance. But perhaps Moses was right - she would be entirely alone in a situation such as this, as she could never imagine calling upon them to place them in harm's way. Her initial unsureness stemmed from her time observing the behaviors of such beings, but she would remain quiet until Maat placed her back upon her bare feet. Once more Maat would be placed in the role of protector and it piqued her curiosity as she peered upwards through lashes. Was he planning to eat me later? A single brow would pique though a peaceful expression cast upon her features in his presence. The narrow tips of her ears twitched as she struggled to listen to Moses, the sensation of Maat’s hand upon her head inducing a gentle ringing in her ears. Did he say fast? Oh how I love a good race! Once she heard - no, once she felt the human slide against the tree into a seated position, it was obvious he was decided. Who am I to argue?

“Okay, okay, okay. We can do this. Think. Distraction.” Her voice was smooth as honey as she rattled off with excitement and perhaps, a sliver of panic. She took a moment to observe the large wooden gate and the steel hinges that secured its functions. The lids of her eyes narrowed to focus before she was pleasantly pulled away, the palm of her hand meeting the surface of shadow as her head was pressed against his form. How strange, to feel such a range of temperature as their bodies met. The vibration of his energy lulled her racing thoughts and brought her eyes to close. It almost feels as if I’m making the decision here. But am I, really? She thought of how much excitement had passed in the short span of time since meeting the pair in her midst. It was more than she had experienced in a lifetime - unless you counted the silent observation within the Tavern. But then, those were just tales.

Just as she grasped her confidence, her imagination betrayed her ears. Eyes peeled open wide, emerald orbs staring into the dark surface her hand touched. The soft glow around her form seemed to pulsate as she returned the whisper, seemingly to herself. “Okay.” She breathed, the sound slightly muffled as she turned her face into him, her lips brushing against the surface. Ok, do something. Something brave! Her eyes squeezed shut and without much warning, the ground beneath her feet developed a gentle vibration.

There was a long pause before that vibration began to travel, blades of grass dancing upon the surface from the sensation. Something distracting - a noise? The only idea she could muster come to fruition near the base of a large wooden gate. She focused on the image in her mind, translating the energy she felt through the foliage. After a short moment small roots would rise from the soil and intertwine with the cut logs. By the time they covered half of the gate, the girth of the roots thickened by several inches. They seemed to carry the weight of the gate upwards as they grew, the hinges whining in protest. As attention was beginning to draw to the strange sound, one last inch would tear it from the hinges. Wood splintered across the pathway as the roots quickly receded, the vibration ceasing with its disappearance. The gate flopped nosily upon the ground as the logs separated and broke. Myri remained completely still as she awaited the life threatening adventure before them.

​

 

[sheesh]

He hadn't felt neither Maat nor Myriani move, so he was assuming one of them used some manner of magic to create such a loud noise. Knowing Maat doesn't have any ranged capabilities, he assumed that it was Myriani. Nearly taking off his bag so he could take notes at such an inconvenient moment, he decided he'd have to ask Maat for the details later. 'Funny. The only time I can actually see is in my dreams, when nothing interesting happens.' He took a second to think back on the nightmare he had last night, following his thought with a rebuttal, 'At least, nothing interesting that I can enjoy.'

Knowing Maat's personality seemed to change like the wind, he wasn't entirely shocked that he kept Myriani so close to him. Trying to gauge what the shadow was thinking without hearing it speak was impossible, and aside from his words he could only define what his actions meant. This also proved to be impossible. His actions motives were random, seemingly. Trying to find any long-term consistent behavior with Maat was like trying to teach a bear to play cards.

Maat's eyes shrunk. Even he seemed a little shocked at the scene, though definitely not as shocked as the men who walked out to investigate. The archers on the tower were clearly as uneasy as the horses, now visible in a stable on the interior. The men on the scaffolds as well didn't feel the need to climb down, merely peering over the spiked peaks of the walls to see what they could. One by one, the bandits who were already on the ground filed out of the outpost, some merely staring at the fallen gate and others inquisitively inspecting the warped or broken hinges.

If there were any engineers among them, they were likely the ones trying to figure out what kind of mistake would allow such large gates to fall off of their hinges in such a manner. Maat realized their window of opportunity was waning as the bandits started to organize. Men began to form teams to carry the logs back inside one by one. He took Myriani’s hand in his own and pulled her along as he approached.

One of the men who seemingly organized the lifting teams was familiar - most noticeable was his lack of a sword hand. Maat and the man locked eyes with each other for an instant:

“IT’S YOU AGAIN!”

Instantly, the ones who by chance hadn’t noticed the odd pair of a shadowy figure and a marginally covered woman with horns definitely had now.

“YOU TOOK MY HAND!”

Everyone with a weapon began to file out of the camp now, some clearly unsure of if they even wanted to fight. Most of them had likely heard the tale of how their one-handed comrade had lost his hand just the day before, and none of them were really willing to see how it felt to have a hand frozen through personally.

The standoff continued for another 30 seconds, Maat standing still as a statue while the men shifted their weight uncomfortably, one by one beginning to shuffle to the sides until they could form a circle around them. Maat, clearly realizing that inaction wasn’t the best idea, he let go of Myriani’s hand for a moment and side stepped a few paces away.

The men surrounding them all stopped as Maat began to take action. His shadowy figure itself began to distort and twist, occasionally a part of him spiking out like the tips of a flame, while other parts of him rippled like water. Noiselessly still, his body began to stretch and grow in nonlinear patterns.

Some dropped their weapons and began to back pedal, while others' knuckles began to turn white from gripping their swords too hard as Maat ascended to roughly 20 feet in height. It was apparent that perhaps Maat’s entire body didn’t get the memo that he was trying to grow. His left arm was noticeably shorter than his right, and worst of all, while his neck had grown, his head shape didn’t change at all. The result would’ve been comical if the situation wasn’t so tense.

Despite the mishappens displayed, in a way it made Maat appear more freakish than he already was on paper. Before he could take any action, he abruptly shrunk down to a size even smaller than his original 7’ state, now being a foot shorter than Myrani. His posture slouched as he placed his hands on his knees, clearly exhausted. Not wanting to waste anymore time to inaction, he ran by Myriani and again took her hand. Despite being the shortest one in the clearing, the men still parted.

Not even a second after they had made it out of the circle, a shout could be heard from behind.

“What are you all doing? Move! GET THEM!”

So the bandits mobilized, regaining their composure. What’s the harm in chasing a four foot tall Maat? Now that his legs were considerably shorter, he was a lot slower than he normally was, but most wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. He was still a lot faster than most people. He could only hope that Myriani could keep up.

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ The Great Forest ​

Oh boy, this was it. For the two men, this probably wasn’t a situation out of the ordinary to them - especially judging Moses’s initial reaction to walk right in. But for Myri, this was the most bone rattling experience she’d had in a lifetime! The gate was now in shambles at the entrance to the encampment which began collecting a disheveled group of hooligans. Once Maat began his approach, her small hand nestled in his as she turned her gaze to the trouble before them. Following his tug on her appendage, her feet padded hesitantly as she followed and observed his lead.

A shouting figure urged her lips to purse and her face to wrinkle as she recognized him from the Tavern. He is right, the hand is gone. She thought plainly, tilting her head much like a cat would when piqued by curiosity. Two large emerald orbs flickered between the surrounding men and Maat as he placed some distance between them. Instinctively she would slowly turn to manage his 6 while his form grotesquely shifted. Her peripherals capture his misshapen outline and intensity returned to her thoughts as she wiggled in place. What could I possibly do? She chewed her bottom lip and steadied her breathing as some of the men retreated. The fear in their eyes was something unfamiliar, much different than what she had induced back at the Tavern. On occasion she’d be the one responsible for ‘paranormal’ happenings but found the fear it produced to be almost amusing. This was much different, from that. As for Maat's new appearance, she merely observe in awe at the talented being.

By the time she turned around to gauge Maat’s intentions, she found herself looking down. Her full lips gaped open as she mocked a gasp, raising her hands to clasp against the sloping curve of her horns. Holding them in place, as if they would somehow fall off, she released a gentle whine as her voice carried in the space between them. “Maat, now you are the mouse! Cute~” she cooed, her curvy hips swaying as she spoke. Her amusement was interrupted as he began his retreat and surely, she would follow. They had only just parted the circle of barbarians when another voice rang out, encouraging a pursuit. Her gaze remained on Maat’s shrunken form as a look of hesitation crossed her delicate features. A few seconds might have passed before Mryi took a second look at her wake - then took off alongside the small shadow. While Dryad’s were molded by the divines, they certainly weren’t perfect creatures. Varying characteristics would define the traits their humanoid forms would favor and while Myri’s horns made for an interesting decoration, they served as a staple of her Cervidae characteristics. With the graceful speed of a Pronghorn, she dashed alongside her companion in their escape.

Behind them the battlecries of determined mortals echoed out, accompanied by the audible speed of passing arrows. Myri’s breath was steady as she leaped and bounded in a pattern that wouldn’t accommodate speed but made it significantly harder to keep a line of sight on her form. While she dashed her features illuminated with the exhilaration of the chase as she fueled her focus. She watched intently from her peripherals in order to maintain a close proximity to Maat and while she knew he was capable of managing their safety, she’d still monitor his movements with concern. Her knowledge of the forest might be at their advantage but she’d remain watchful of his lead as they made their retreat.

​

 

[sheesh]

"That certainly makes things easier."

The encampment was nearly a ghost town, the only people that remained were the archers, who couldn't conveniently get down from their towers to chase Maat and Myriani, and a couple of who were in similar predicaments on the scaffolds. Getting past the sentries in broad daylight wasn't something Moses could do without being seen, and given what just happened they might shoot him on sight. That's not even mentioning how he might be shot simply because he was there with Maat when that man lost his hand. Speaking of, he seemed to have some kind of authority over the rest.

Fortunately, their leader was rather productive, not wasting too much time after Maat and his Dryad study subject made it out of the clearing, he ordered the remaining bandits to finish bringing in the logs from the broken gate. Presumably they had some kind of black smith in there that could make hinges? Moses couldn't believe they'd walk to Yanir for simple hinges. That raised the question entirely, where did they get all of their stuff? Yes, cutting down trees and shaping them into large stakes isn't exactly as skilled as metal working, but their weapons, and especially the ones who had plate armor - which had to be specifically fitted to the buyer - had to have been expensive. Maybe he would ask.

Moses left his stuff on the tree. Last thing he needed was for his money and research to be stolen. He'd rather die, truthfully. Taking only his stick, he too approached the camp. As he made it to the gate a lifting team had just walked back inside, leaving himself and his one handed friend to stand out front. Though it took him a bit longer to recognize Moses than it did to recognize Maat understandably, Moses stood there quietly while he went through the motions.

"You!" He pointed accusingly.

"Who?" He folded both of his hands over his walking stick and planted it in front of him.

"You were at the tavern!" He asserted angrily.

"What tavern?" He asked calmly.

"The one nearby, just a few hours the other way!"

"You are going to have to be more specific. Nearby as in, in Haroth?"

"Wh-"

"I'm sorry, I just thought I'd ask. On a cosmological scale, everything is nearby when you consider how far the star-"

"BAH!" He interjected angrily, interrupting him. It was clear he didn't have the time to be confused at the current moment. He drew his sword, holding it clumsily in his untrained off-hand. "I'm not...I'm not debating how far away things are with you! You know where I was talking about!" He took in a shaky breath, his anger clearly building.

"You will pop a blood vessel shouting like that."

"I don't care! I'll just kill you and take your stuff, then I'll kill your friends too."

He charged him with his sword high above his head. 'He's clearly got unresolved anger issues. Even among other bandits I'm sure he'd be called a "hot head..." That is what Maat says about people who are quick to anger, right...? I'll have to ask.' He took in the situation in an instant after he remembered he was in the middle of fighting. He ducked instinctively, and sure enough he felt the wind trailing behind the bandit's blade blow by his right ear as the bandit brought the sword down. Clearly taken off guard, the bandit swung again, this time hoping to hit Moses in his temple with the pommel. This time, Moses' hand shot up to grab the bandit's wrist. Immediately a struggle ensued. Moses dropped his stick and grabbed the bandit's other "hand" with his own.

'I got extremely lucky ducking there. Honestly I was so caught up in what a hot head was I stopped paying attention. How clumsy of me!' He scolded himself. Despite seeming to be a blind man incapable of fighting, he was actually quite the opposite. Studying creatures had its dangers, and traveling across the continent had even more. Moses intended to be prepared for all of them; handling one bandit wouldn't be an issue. The bandit called out for the archers: "Shoot him! Shoot him now!" The archers nocked their arrows, but hesitated.

"Are you crazy? You'll get hit!" One exclaimed, likely sharing the same concern as the other archer. Continuing to try and wrestle his hands free from Moses, he said not another word to the archer. Clearly he hadn't thought his command through all the way.

Suddenly, in a flash of blue light, the bandits entire sword was encased in ice...as was the rest of his remaining hand. With his mouth frozen open with shock, Moses began to lecture him. "You need to realize that the more you take, the less you have." He said sadly. "Now that you have no hands to take with, I hope you will come to understand." Moses let go of the bandit, who couldn't even clutch at his arm. He dropped to his knees and silence, a single tear rolling down his face before he dropped his forehead to the ground and screamed, which soon turned to a wild wailing, then to nothing more but sobs.

Moses had no time to pity him, as at the same moment Moses realized it, so did the archers: they had a clear shot. Moses ran and then dove to lie flat against the wall, out of the archers line of sight. The lifting team, presumably who had heard the fighting had just not arrived. There were only four of them, as obviously the rest of the force had left. Quickly thinking, Moses while laying on his side placed his hand onto the grass before freezing it over the entrance to the gate, in which the four slipped and fell while voicing their shock. To follow, the earth itself came to life, dirt rising from the ground and molding itself over the quartet until only their noses remained above the dirt.

Moses stood, and then began to shuffle around the perimeter of the camp. As he made it to the back, he raised his hands to the sky, and synonymous with his motion did the earth rise beneath him until he was able to climb over the wall. The inside wasn't very complex. There was a fire pit near the back where Moses was, with many wooden tables and tree stumps for seats. There were kegs of alcohol on top of shoddily constructed stands. Sleeping rolls made of various furs were scattered around, while there was a single hut in one corner of the camp. Closer to the front, not far from the archer towers at the front were an assortment of cages, and near those were the not even half finished pile of gate pieces.

Sure enough, there was a Lycan in one of them, who gripped the bars anxiously likely because of the events that just ensued in such a short amount of time. Soon, he spotted Moses. Quickly, Moses brought a single digit to his lips to prevent Grisha from calling out, not wanting to alert the archers. Moses approached the center of the camp. He placed both of his hands at his hip, one hovering over the other. Quickly, a small flame was produced, but as mana was poured into it, it grew resoundingly. One would've thought that the fireball Moses had prepared, the size of a watermelon would have been enough to take out the archer, however, hitting the archer directly wasn't the plan.

The fireball continued to grow to the point where Moses had to outstretch his hands in front of him to prevent himself from being engulfed by his own mage fire. It grew and grew, until it surpassed the size of Grisha's entire body. Moses focus unwavering, he propelled the fireball.

WOOSH.

The ground underneath the fireball had no choice but to catch fire, leaving a blaze in the fireball's wake. It slammed against the archer tower furthest from Grisha's cage, the resulting explosion tossing the Archer off of the collapsing tower, high over the wall. He screamed all the way up, and all the way down. The other archer turned, clearly shocked as he watched him fly. He turned to the camp to see where the source of the mage fire. By the time he had looked at Moses, a second one had already been charged.

WOOSH.

The archer dove off of the tower himself before the fireball could even land on his tower.

Moses took a moment to catch his breath. Using magic for combat on such a scale that he demonstrated was outside of any practical applications that he practiced. Despite how taxing it was, he was glad he at least knew some spells that could be used outside of touch range. Grisha beckoned for him to come closer, and so he did albeit with an out of breath stride. Upon making up to the cage, he uselessly pulled on the cage door.

"If I could've just opened the gate, I would've, Moses."
"Right, right..."

He searched for a lock with his hands. He found that the lock was made into the door - like something you would see in a city prison cell. Of course he didn't know the comparison from experience...though his father did. Now that he found the lock, it occurred to him he didn't actually know what he was going to do once he found it. He had no key, and was definitely not even a novice lockpick. "I'm going to go get the k-" He was interrupted, "Freeze the hinges, Moses." Grisha said, irate. Moses did what he was told, and froze the three hinges on the cage door one by one and stepped back.

Grisha backed up as much as he could in the cage before slamming his shoulder, and all of his weight into the door, and the door in response flew off it's frigid hinges and skid across the ground. "Come quickly, we must make it back to the stream. We'll talk there."

-Maat's Runabout, Cont.-
With Myriani, this time.
(Happening while Moses is inside the camp)​

If anyone knew whether or not Maat was capable of breathing a sigh of relief was unknown, though under the assumption that he could, one could also guess that he did so when he found that Myriani was able to keep up with him. Part of Maat's reckless side wanted to turn and fight, though the side of him that thought a lot more also said not to overestimate himself. He wasn't entirely keen on the entire idea of running until their pursuers gave up. The longer they ran, the longer the walk back to the stream.

He could save himself quite easily by diving into a shadow, though that would just leave Myriani. He began to exert himself, running as fast as he could, turning into black flicker for just a moment before he turned and dug his heels into the ground, causing him to skid across for the forest floor. While in reverse, he deftly grabbed Myriani's hand, like he had so many times before despite them moving pretty quickly. He got a pretty good look of their pursuers. They were certainly far behind, but not showing any signs of tiring soon.

'Wish I could tell her specifically not to tell Moses about this. I just know he wouldn't ever shut up about it.'

With her in one hand, he grabbed onto the trunk of one tree and used it to bank to the right. This swung Myriani in a widly farther arc than Maat, but he violently tugged on her arm to both reel in her arc and to cancel some of her momentum. He placed her hand in his chest, and solidified his body around her wrist. Unexpectedly, he jumped backwards, into a shadow cast by the young tree he banked on. He phased through, and so would Myriani.

​

For the brief moment they passed between the space in between Haroth and what Maat would call H'torah, everything was pitch black, and despite having been falling in Haroth, there was no wind, not even a pull of gravity. In for that split second one could swear they were weightless, and others would even believe they simply ceased to exist.

Then, their falling momentum would be the same momentum that would propel Myriani and Maat to their feet.

She only had but a moment to take in the landscape.

​

Just as quickly as Maat had acted in Haroth, he acted once more, suddenly falling backwards into another shadow and again through the weightless and dark experience of crossing realms, before suddenly they were on their feet again, near the stream, where Grisha and Moses had not yet arrived. Maat's body seemingly spat Myriani's hand out, rejecting it without the need for Maat to grab her. She could notice that after jumping through realms, even as abrupt as it was, he had regained his original height once again.

He raised one finger to where his mouth would be, clearly trying to shush her, and with his other hand gave her a few pats on the head.

'If I could speak like everyone else does in this inverted world, I swear I wouldn't need to touch her - or anyone for that matter - as much as I do.'

​

 

[Vyolence]

Myriani ~ The Great Forest ​

If this is what she'd been missing her whole existence, she might have never known if it weren't for her current companions; a pair of magical strangers to say the least. It wasn't often she fled from humans but this was the first time she would flee because of her initial doing. If she managed to get in this much trouble before the afternoon, she was bewildered by the thought of a full day's time and what it might hold. Her breaths were steady, even, as she paced with animalistic grace. Her chest bobbed and her hair billowed wildly behind her in the form of an untamed mane. This was a moment she’d remember for the remainder of her existence. It had been some time before she’d turn to assess Maat’s current location - as it was certainly difficult to hear him. With the turn of her head a shadowy blur overcame her current position and it urged her lips into a dimpled smile. Before she could exert herself he grinded to a halt and their hands tightly clasped. Her exhale would release as a quiet giggle that would be cut short.

Choking on her laughter, the sudden bodily launch stole her breath as her lean body tensed. Her head spun to face him, wide eyes searching the swirling void. Her smile remained in that breathless moment before her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall. She acknowledged his confidence in that moment and how despite their fluidity, his motions were calculated. No wonder they fear the darkness. What exactly was it capable of? Without light, Dryadic races would be extinguished. It was truly terrifying. As if on cue, her eyes would reopen to nothingness. She nearly yelled as she regained her breath, but firmly bit her tongue to silence the response. Okay, so we’re dead now? We’re dead now. Or eaten? Eaten! She strained to see in the darkness, a sight she had yet to behold. Even in the Forest it was never completely dark, but perhaps she’d grown used to the glow of the Tavern.

He was still there - Maat. She could feel him, but in a strange way. The tips of her fingers would wiggle curiously as her fears began to subside. The opposite hand that floated freely at her side would fumble to find the curve in her horn, holding it tightly. They were floating? Flying? Whatever it was, it was utterly terrifying. Narrowing the lids of her eyes she struggled to make out pooling shapes and infinite darkness but as quickly as it came, it was gone. Darkness and then, a familiar sensation beneath her feet. Forest, is that you? Oh by the Divines, they were back. Standing before her was a familiar form that flooded her body with relief. Blinking away the astonishment, she focused her wide eyes on his cylindrical orbs - her smile never faltering.

Knees quivering, her humanoid form struggled to keep up with her racing mind and she offered a nod when he motioned for her to keep quiet. The gentle weight of his hand overloaded her senses and as her cheeks flushed, she’d fall slowly backwards onto the foliage with a softened ‘thump’. She spread her arms and legs away from her frame, waving them slightly as small roots coiled around her limbs and torso. Covering nearly half her body, she laid there in silence before a fit of laughter fell from her lips. Auburn strands pooled around her head as she laid there, staring into the sun. “I think you’re the most incredible being I’ve ever met.” Her tone was even now as she relaxed entirely, replaying the past events in her head.

​