Fantasy Shadow of the Isles: A side-quest (Private)

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

Talathel

Mist. That's all one can see in the Forest of Stagnant Mists. Although not enough to completely blind the senses, it makes navigating the forest harder and allows the wolves in the forest to ambush the weak more easily. Sitting in a shallow valley on the Avian Empire's floating islands, it's full of magical creatures and home to a peculiar individual: Cinder Radcliff. A self-imposed outcast, he's very familiar with the forest and is quite knowledgeable despite never going to school, living in the luxurious log cabin his family had passed down through the generations; or as luxurious as an independent woodworker and hunter can be. Despite being isolated, he does see the occasional merchant visiting his home; partially to trade for his high quality wooden furniture and fur he makes fairly frequently. Whatever isn't made by himself he buys from the local village a dozen miles away, and so he can afford to live in relative luxury despite the mediocre jobs he performs.

​

As day slowly crept over the forest and illuminated it with hazy rays of sunshine, Cinder slowly awoke and sat up in his bed; ripping himself from the warmth of his covers and donning his usual attire. His copper hair dangled over his blue eyes before his hands moved to correct it, the tungsten rods from beside his bed floating up and towards him; sliding into position on his utility belt as he fastened it into place. As he put on the winter coat that kept him warm during the harsh colds of winter, he walked over to the window and opened the velvet curtains to let in light. Light fluffy snow covered the ground and mist gave the forest it's usual whimsical vibe, with the dense forest of conifers providing more protection from the suns rays. Stepping away from the window he made his way downstairs into the living room, looking at the rune engraved in the pane of glass and muttering something under his breath before it sprang to life, moving images appearing on it as a man went over the current events in the capitol; the voice talking in the background as he himself went to grab something to drink. With another slew of words the glass balls hanging from a chandelier radiated light into the rooms throughout the house, opening the door to a large insulated metal box to find food and drinks of many kinds; with glowing blue cubes in the back giving off cold to keep the products fresh and edible. As he poured some milk into a glass cup and chugged it down, the sunlight outside started to dim more as a snowstorm approached.
"Great, so much for going hunting..." Cinder groaned from frustration, before sighing and putting away the milk. He walked towards the front door and muttered a new slew of words, the images and sounds quickly dissipating from the glass pane and the light from the glass balls fading to darkness as well; leaving a quiet and dark house as he exited his abode.

He walked out onto the cabin's porch and down the steps into the snow, heading towards another building where he stored all of the products he usually sold. Furs and wooden furniture were the bulk of his products, but it did also include metals such as iron or copper from monsters that he hunted; with even some valuable gemstones from the monsters he killed and looted off of. He knew that the merchant and their assistant would be at his house soon, as he had received a letter a day or two ago informing him of their visit. And so, after unlocking and opening the doors to the shed, he awaited their arrival on the porch where the snowfall wouldn't be able to reach him so easily.

 

[Talathel]

Long auburn hair brushed sun-kissed tan skin, soft silky locks falling down an elegantly shaped back to her knees in waves. Almond shaped orbs of stunning acid green with blue flecks scanned the harsh surroundings. Her dress, usually soft and well-kept was tattered and torn. Her dress was a soft turquoise color, the bodice laced with soft floral vine-like designs in embroidered into the fabric with silver threads. delicate beads decorated the bodice lightly. Around her shoulders was a thin cloak, the hood covering her face slightly as she shivered violently. The hood was decorated with fur around the edge and she glanced upwards as snow fell to dust her clothing lightly. The hair exposed from under the hood becoming wet as snow melted in the red auburn strands. Her feet and fingers were freezing as she had not had time to get the right clothes before she left the village.

Her piercing orbs found a log cabin, and she paused. Her wariness seeping through her posture. Celothien was a village girl, one who loved to explore and knew herbs and the forest like the back of her hand. She was uncertain though because after her family had died...including her sister- she was outcast and bullied. She had heard tales about an outcast who lived in a cabin in the valley. She didn't think she had wandered so far though. Maybe she should approach? The girl shivered as she studied the cabin uneasily before slowly approaching. Her skin was covered in goosebumps and she could vaguely see a figure on the porch and she faltered, her caution overriding her need for warmth and safety before she took another faltering step forward, hiding still mainly within shadows of the forest.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

As Cinder sat in the wooden rocking chair on his porch, his eyes spotted movement in the woods. At first the thought of the merchant and their assistant crossed his mind, but it quickly became more cynical based on the lower silhouettes and how much longer the merchant would take with a snowstorm approaching. Wolves. It seemed like they were keeping their distance for the time being, though if they stayed for much longer they'd certainly attack the merchant... Who was he kidding, the merchant usually brought along a couple of guards that were well versed with dealing with monsters from the forests, so he didn't need to get involved unless needed. Though... His gaze drifted off to the side where he spotted an unusual darker shadow, before the little heat radiating from it's direction began to register and one of his eyes gave off a very gentle glow. The ability to sense heat was a specialty of his, whether visually for by changes in air temperature; and the body heat Cel was giving off was enough to signal she wasn't in great health. He gave a well hidden sigh and gave a little gesture for her to approach him, though from the direction of the wolves he noticed movement. Fast movement.

Without much thought he launched himself over the porch railing as the rods flung out from his belt, and within a split second he flew towards Cel and drop kicked a wolf in the face; sending it hurtling into one of the trees before it got trapped in a hill of snow. He skidded to a stop a few feet away from Cel before the rest of the pack of wolves came charging at them, with one after another meeting a grizzly end at his hands. Whether one of his rods pierced both ends of a wolfs skull or being riddled full of holes from a swarm of his rods, Cinder thoroughly slaughtered them one by one until the few that remained retreated. A total of twelve wolves now lay dead in the soft snow beneath their feet, the tungsten rods plopping down into the snow and spinning around before floating back into his belt; as clean as they were before but a bit wet.
"You really shouldn't have come into these forests, what with the monsters and predators that lurk here and all." Cinder coldly commented, shaking his head slightly before turning towards her. His eyes panned over her body and clothes, with her clothes giving off the impression she is or was wealthy; though the tears in her attire suggested either being attacked or misfortune navigating the forests. No fore-thought for snowfall or heavy winds either, signaling that she also wasn't acquainted with surviving in the wilderness. She looked as though she had never even seen a wolf up until this point. "From what I can understand based on your dress, you're not familiar with how harsh life out here in the forest is; especially with how thin your attire is for winter... Seriously, even the few rich in the village know to wear winter clothes."

 

[Talathel]

Celothien flinched violently backwards as the sudden movement startled her violently. Her fists clenching before she raised her head and gave off a slight glare at the male before her “I ... Can.Take care of myself. And besides - I didn't need help from you.” She hissed out sassily. Her orbs flashing brilliantly as she peered at Cinder from under her hood, acid green depths seeming to glitter with shards of ice from the blue flecks as she huffed and turned only to waver. Her hand going to her temple as she got a head-rush. The young girl wasn't used to being attacked by such a large group of wolves but her guard was up - when did anyone ever treat her kindly? Why did he..."Why did you save me?" She asked icily, closing her eyes to gather bearings. She was not thrilled, and honestly she did not know the man and he did kind of scare her a bit. Blood stained her tanned skin, though hidden by her dress sleeves... and she could feel the red liquid drip down her arms as she crossed them and turned warily to face Cinder.

Cel froze when her eyes locked onto his full form and she stumbled a step back uneasily. She barely reached his chin, more like his neck actually was where she stood and if they hugged her head would fit perfectly under his chin. That was how small she was to him and she was easily scared. Everyone called her a witch for her knowledge of herbs and slight vocal abilities with winged animals. She backed up to lean against a tree, her vision swimming dangerously as she tried to focus on Cinder to keep him in her sights. Her family may have been well-off and so were her clothes. She obviously had not been treated kindly for if one looked close enough they could see her figure was too thin to be healthy... though the cloak hid that fact, and her fingers brushed against her thigh - where a holster was located under her skirt ... within it was a dagger which she had made herself. Finely tuned and made for her specifically, the handle carved with wings and floral designs while the blade was well crafted. She would protect herself if need be... though she didn't know for how long she would be able to. The cold and snow was seeping into her dress and cloak, soaking her and causing the 21 year old girl to shiver violently.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

He gave a bit of a chuckle at the thought that she could have been able to defend herself from the large pack of wolves, especially as they were the more aggressive and larger type of wolves compared to the wolves in other parts of the empire. Before he could say anything though, the loud roar of a motor could be heard from relatively far away; signaling the merchant had arrived. Judging by the sound they were still a mile or two away, so he had time before they arrived.
"Well, let's just say I don't come across village folk too often, and most tend to be ill equipped for surviving in these woods. Besides, it's the least I can do..." Cinder started to trail off before the snowstorm began escalating to a full blown blizzard. With haste, he reached out to Cel and grabbed her hand. "Follow me, we'd better get inside before it gets worse out. It'll be a few hours at least before this storm passes over, so better make yourself comfortable." He added on before heading towards the steps leading inside of the cabin, making haste towards the door and opening it before bringing Cel in and closing it; leaving them in the warmth of the cabin. Within a few muttered words light filled the entire cabin, revealing the kitchen and living room.

​

As Cinder tapped his boots on the carpet by the doorway, a few of his rods floated around him and began to radiate heat; melting the snow off of him and evaporating the water into steam. By the time he was completely dry they began to float around Cel as well, warming her up and drying her off at the same time. He walked into the living room and sat down on one of the two couches, stretching his arms and legs out before looking at Cel.
"Since we're stuck inside for however long this blizzard goes on for, maybe you could tell me about yourself. I'm sure you've heard the rumors of myself living out here as an outcast, so you probably know more about me than I do you." He spoke in a calm deep voice, unsure what she would do as his rods floated back into his utility belt. "I go by Cinder, though I guess most people don't really refer to a self-imposed outcast by their name."

 

[Talathel]

Celothien blinked as she was grabbed by Cinder and she tried to tug her arm free a few times before giving up and simply biting her tongue for the time being. As she was led inside, she hesitated before she ever so delicately took her cloak off. Long auburn red hair came into view as it tumbled down her back to her knees in waves of fire. Her acid green blue flecked orbs landed on Cinder as she turned to face him. Her arms crossed to hide the blood that was on her dress sleeves that grew slightly as she moved. Her caution overrode her need to sit down for a minute before she finally caved in, and sat down on the couch uneasily, shifting so she could slip away or jump away if needed.
“Celothien. Everyone in the village has heard of you...” her voice was soft as she eyed the man warily.

“I was fine until just a bit ago - I usually .... I wasn’t expecting a storm okay!!?” Her stunning orbs narrowed at Cinder for a second as it registered in her head “You didn’t answer my question about why you helped me- who not leave me for the wolves?” She asked, not giving much else about her to the man she barely knew - her unease had caused her sassy side to come forward and she would use it too - especially if her caution and fear were So high.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

"That species of wolf usually only attack when hungry or provoked, but they do become much more aggressive if they smell human blood. So they were either hungry and found you to be the weakest of the two of us, or they could smell blood and went after you." Cinder scoffed a bit looking at her arms. "I get you're not as familiar with these forests as I am, considering I've lived here for pretty much my entire life. Still, I do have to wonder how valid your claim of being able to care for yourself is, considering you inadvertently got me dragged into that mess. I helped because of that reason primarily: Those wolves would have attacked me after they had slaughtered you, so I just took preventative measures before they got more aggressive. No more, no less." He finished with a huff, crossing his legs before muttering under his breath again; the glass pane on the table lighting up once more as the rune on it activated. Beyond the news of the blizzard sweeping over parts of the islands, tensions between the Avian Empire and the Brixinad Dynasty were rising due to new taxes on traded goods. Alongside of that, news that the Vibirith Kingdom celebrating their independence came out as well, and their plans to start developing new vehicles to better traverse waterways was now underway. As always, the world was changing at breakneck speeds, and it still surprised him that so much could happen within the span of a day. The bitter winds outside howled away as snow piled up on the ground and roof, muffling the sound of the merchant and their assistant pulling up in their vehicle with the container in the back. As the two both got out of the vehicle the trees outside were being whipped around violently, the duo making their way to the front door being shielded by the building from the blizzard's winds. As the two opened the door Cinder looked over and got up, his rods floating out and orbiting both of them to dry them off and warm them back up; giving the merchant a firm handshake.

 

[Talathel]

"Maybe you should have left me be then and saved yourself the trouble." Celothien huffed lightly and stiffened when the merchant and his assistant arrived. Her body immediately moving to be part of the shadows, her eyes following any movement warily. Her dress swishing delicately around her. She had noticed the glance towards her arms and she immediately had swept out of the room, not one to be a part of interaction of any type before she found the bathroom after a while of searching. Her fingers brushed the fabric of the long sleeves before she tore the sleeves to her shoulders so she could tend to her arms, wincing as she noticed the damage done to her skin fully. The tanned skin was covered with bruises and dried blood from before she had been on the run, exiled out of the village so quickly once the family had passed on. She turned on the water and waited for it to get warm, before running her left arm first under the faucet.

The water washed off the dirt and grime quickly, allowing the cuts and gashes to come into the light alongside the bruises. Dark and painful against her skin. Cel winced as the water touched the open wounds and she sighed as she actually sat down on the edge of a bathtub, grabbing the torn fabric from her dress sleeves and wetting it before she went back to her task, keeping one eye on the door frame and her ears open for any sound of footsteps approaching. Her family was her life... and now ... she almost wished she had been left outside and not saved. It was a mess.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

Before too long the merchant and his assistant walked over into the living room, facing away from the bathroom where Cel was as Cinder sat in one of the two chairs across from them. While both of them weren't the definition of eccentric like other merchants, they did display some wealth in a modest amount; remaining humble from his perspective. While the merchant had a more formal winter outfit, his assistant seemed more concerned with being as comfortable as possible. It at least made talking with both of them easier.
"It's good to see that both of you were able to make it, I was a little worried that the wolves that passed by earlier had attacked you." Cinder gleefully expressed as the rods returned to his belt, an expression of comfort and familiarity in his eyes and expression looking towards both of them. "I assume being a merchant is still working out for you Jack? I heard awhile back that the capitol is restricting the trade of some Brixinad goods, but I'm not sure if that was hearsay or truthful information. And I'm assuming you've been doing well too, Amanda?" Cinder questioned as he tried to catch up with the two of them, what with them being the only real visitors he has on a regular basis. The fact that he lived alone for so long meant that he wasn't too used to having people over, especially since no except the insane or desperate try to wander this far into the forests. The winds kept howling and shaking down the trees left and right, almost like a hurricane was sweeping over the island.
"Business has been good, great in fact! As always, your craftmanship and fur-hides make a fortune, especially with the wooden bed frames and elaborate chairs. Even with the restriction of Brixinad goods profit is just getting raked in!" Jack exclaimed with excitement, grinning giddily from ear to ear.
"Y-yeah, I've been doing well. We've recently saved up quite a bit to try and get a new vehicle, with how fast newer and better models are coming out." Amanda spoke softly as she twiddled her thumbs, still a little unfamiliar with Cinder's cabin in the Forest of Stagnant Mists.

 

[Talathel]

Celothien finished up and winced as she stood up slowly and began to pace the hallways. Her eyes flicking to the windows as the winds howled violently across the terrain. The voice of a female cause Cel to blink and slowly approach the living room quietly, still making sure she was hidden in the shadows before glancing towards the door. Weighing her chances of exiting into the storm outside or staying put. She inched towards a window close to the door and eyed the outside for a minute before she found the kitchen and curled up in a chair- opting to clearly stay out of sight and out of the way. The girl quietly settling her head on the table as she allowed her eyes to close and then she drifted into the common nightmare riddled sleep she always had. Every time she slept now ... her dreams were filled with blood, screams, and the memories of her running through the snow and forest. Blood clotted against her skin as she dozed, allowing her senses to remain open so she could leap up and defend herself if needed.