Fantasy The Siphen Stone [IC]

[Berries]

Nodding to himself as it seemed his idea had passed, Gydro glanced at the map once more to engrave it into his memory. He had no desire to use whatever construct Delastarh had created, and besides, he hoped that the representatives from the other tribes would lead the way in their respective territories. Personally, he knew how to venture to Corspefiend's lair without a map, so he hoped it would be the same for the other three. Contemplating it for a moment, Gydro realized when they ventured to Acai he would need to find a way for the others to journey underwater.

Contemplating the issue briefly, the merman gathered that he would have to find some enchanted seaweed for the journey. They magical plant had the ability to make its eater breathe underwater, but aside from that they would need some mode of transportation. He highly doubted that they - particularly the dryad - would be able to swim very quickly, or at all for that matter. There were scattered islands around Acai, but they were small and would provide to means to travel. The vast majority of the nation was water, particularly the land around the lair. Gydro did have the ability to communicate with sea life, so he figured that a pod of friendly kelpies may do it. Either way, that would be an obstacle for another day.

Hearing Leoch's warning about the politics, Gydro raised an eyebrow. He had assumed that they would get free passage through all the nailns for this quest, that was at least what his leaders had suggested, but at this point he figured he was so behind on information he might as well just not contribute. Talk of rations and departure, however, he could do. "I say we set off soon. Even if we cannot reach any place of interest, I think the sooner we start the better. Camping is always an option. That is, of course, unless anybody is missing supplies that they need to gather here." He stated.

In his bag, which he had left on the underwater floor, he had packed around a week's worth of seaweed and dried fish. After that he would have to deal with earthen food, a situation that he didn't look forward to, but carrying any more than a week's worth of food would have been unreasonable.

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Azari nodded, sending Leoch as a smile after the huge dryad offered to lead them to his homeland of Uraga. He was happy that they all agreed on traveling there first. The other locations were sure to hold more dangers than the old quarry Leoch spoke of. Or so he thought. The slight possiilbity of the something unexpected lurking there, perhaps a guardian of some sort, pricked the back of Azari's mind. He waved the concerns off, assuming only eleves and dwarved would be around the area.

He also agreed with Gydro's suggestion of leaving as soon as possible. The day would be ending soon, no doubt bring out the creatures of the night, but there mission was of great importance. They all could brave the night for a couple of hours; after all, they were supposed to be warriors.

''Our friend with the scales is right,'' Azari said jokingly. ''We should go soon. That way we don't lose any more time than we already have. Besides, camping could be a great way for us to...bond.''

Azari thought It was important that the four of them got to know each other. Synergy and chemistry was going to be needed if they were going to be fighting alongside each other.

Whistling a soft tune, Azari absentmindedly strolled around the Sigil Room, mulling over Delastarh's words. He hadn't even thought about food until now. While he had his own rations back in a bag he left on the floor issued to him, he had no idea how long their mission would take. He had only brought enough food to last him about a week or two, as any more luggage would have slowed him down when he was making his journey from Vulya to the Eleman Spire.

He rubbed the back of his head before turning to Delastarh. ''Well, I hope you are a good cook. I have a feeling we will be needing your services during our trek.'' He offered the man from Santi a small smile.

 

[kaito9049]

Leoch thought back to the items in his grass-knit satchel slung around his back. Dryads did not sustain themselves the same way elves and men did. Though they enjoyed the occasional piece of fruit, their main source of nutrition came through absorbing minerals through the earth and photosynthesizing sunlight into energy. Nonetheless, he had packed some dried fruits in case they found themselves in a dark place without rich soil. He also had an identification stone, as well as a few sentimental statuettes from home.

"It seems we are in concordant agreement," Leoch told the others, satisfied they had come to a consensus. "It would indeed be best to set out now. Time seems to be of the essence. Every night we spend here is a night the darkness draws nearer to our people. Unless there are any objections, it would be prudent to find our way out of this tower."

The Dryad shut his eyes and stroked his beard as he emitted a low hum. At once, he could sense the environment immediately around him, as if feeling the minute vibrations in the ground beneath his feet. He could feel the weight of the beings surrounding him, the skittering feet of the small creatures crawling around the tower, and the empty spaces where the entrances and exits were.

"I realize all of you likely reached this destination through various means," Leoch said, "but for the sake of physical unity, I suggest we leave through the same means. As we are all bipedal races, the wisest option seems to be the earthen walkways."

 

[Mystikelh]

"Do not worry, my friend. Cooking is one of my specialties," he told Azari with a playful wink.

The blond man shoved his journal back into his bag. He took a moment to make sure everything was still tightly buckled to his bag. Soldiers of Santi were used to move with heavy charges on their back. During their training, they would run for miles with bags full of rocks as an endurance test. It was something that, at the time, Delastarh despised, but now he was very grateful for being able to travel with all those equipment. He had basic cooking tools, his journal, his crossbow with enough bolts to fight a dragon, a long dagger, a change of clothing, a bedroll, a few slices of dried meat and dried fruits, a water skin, a small pouch of gold coins, and a first aid kit. It might seem a bit much, but they were gone for a long quest and he wanted to be prepared. Better safe than sorry, right?

He swung his bag on his back and stood up with his usual friendly smile. "Alright, then, if we are all in agreement to go now, let us not waste any time. We do not want to burn daylight more than we already are."

A part of Delastarh was a bit disappointed about not being able to explore the spire. A legendary place like this was bound to have a lot of interesting things. But it wouldn't be fair to request staying here longer when all the group was in agreement to leave as soon as possible. After all, Leoch was right. The Darkness wouldn't wait for them to finish their little tour. So he silenced his curiosity and agreed to go.

Walking seemed the most reasonable thing to do. Maybe if he had been a dragon rider like his friend he could have called his mount and bring all of them in the air. Though he doubted a dragon could lift someone as imposing as the dryad. And if he was a creature of the earth like him, he would probably prefer to stay grounded, too. No matter, walking was good for the heart!

 

[Berries]

Blank eyes turning to regard Azari as the man referred to him first as a "friend", then add the descriptor of "scales", Gydro's stare started to slide into a glare before mellowing back out. He had already noticed that the Air Clan man seemed to be one who was good at controlling his emotions, not to mention his musical ability, so those things acted now to sedate Gydro's anger. However, at the mention of camping and bonding, the merman snorted softly in disgust. "Bond." He repeated with some spite, mostly to himself, but offered no further commentary on the fact.

Not saying anything else as Azari moved to address Delastarh, Gydro's attention settled upon Leoch as the dryad confirmed that they would be leaving at the present. "I must retrieve my satchel from underwater, but I will return shortly." He spoke up, not only wanting to go retrieve his things but also take a precious last few moments to bask in the ocean. He highly doubted that he would have another opportunity to return to the ocean for awhile yet. "The pathways do seem like the best option, though I resent the fact." He added as he walked out of the room, making it clear that his love for the earth wasn't great.

Slipping quickly down the stairs into the water level, Gydro rapidly morphed into his merman form. Gliding through the water for a few seconds before locating his bag, the man swam out towards the door to observe the ocean currents. Whistling softly underwater, he watched as a small turtle swam around and past. "I shall return to you as soon as I am able." He told the water, lingering for a few moments more before swimming back towards the staircase.

Begrudgingly growing his legs once more, Gydro emerged from the underwater floor dripping. Taking a place beside the grand entrance which led out to the path towards Uruga, he called out to the others in the Sigil Room. "Ready to go when you guys are." He said, already starting to walk out of the building. His satchel was small, holding no camping supplies, for mermen could sleep while moving meaning that there was seldom the need to set up a place to stay. He realized now that he should have taken this into account, but then again it seemed like this was one of the least of his problems. Gazing out at the ocean, Gydro gave a last longing sigh before determinedly setting his gaze upon the ground.

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Azari was looking forward to embarking on their mission to Uruga. Though, he was sure the journey there would long and tiresome. Walking for long periods of time wasn't exactly a favored pasttime of his. Nevertheless, he would tough it out if it meant getting closer to their goal of expeling the darkness from their world.

After they all decided to head out as soon as possibe, Azari watched as Gydro left the room to go retrieve his things from the floor submerged in water below them. He then realized that his bag was upstairs where he left it when he first arrived at the spire. He turned to Delastarh and Leoch. ''I will be back in a moment. I, too, need to get my things.''

And with that, he exited the room and headed back towards the open window that he had entered the first time. Silently propelling himself out of the spire, he began to use the air under his feet to push him upwards. Scaling the spire with the grace of a skilled acrobat, he made his way to the top floor. As he climbed, he noticed the sun was setting. The darkness was creeping in, shades of purple, orange, and gold painted across the darkening sky. It was a beautiful sight, which looked even better back at home. Considering they were higher up in the sky than the other clans, they got a much different view of the rising and setting sun.

Azari entered the highest floor of the Eleman Spire and grabbed his bag full of extra blow darts, dried fruits and nuts, and a knife that he fought with. His items were relatively light, as he tried not to travel with too much lugage. After making sure he had everything, he returned to the Sigil Room to join his new group.

 

[kaito9049]

Leoch waited patiently as the others fetched their supplies, pleased they seemed well-prepared for the journey ahead. It was a long walk through Uruga, especially for beings like Gydro suited for water or masters of flight like Azari. But they had to stay together if they wanted to survive. The Dryad knew from personal experience that disunity would destroy a mission faster than any enemy.

When the others returned, Leoch inspected all of them individually. Delastarh seemed enthusiastic, ready to leave. Hopefully his youthful energy would persevere through the cold nights. Gydro seemed less exuberant, unsurprisingly. After all, he likely didn't travel through land often. Leoch made a mental note to stop at some of the cleaner bodies of water during their journey. Azari seemed somewhat apprehensive, but steeled. An admirable trait, to be sure.

"If everyone is ready," Leoch said, "let us begin." The Dryad took slow, steady strides toward the homeland toward which he was instinctively drawn. It was as if there were hidden whispered in the sand, directing him toward Urugan land. He had to resist the urge to break into a sprint, although his armor weighed him down so much that even Gydro could probably outpace him. So instead, he walked, conserving his energy for the days-long journey ahead.

"There are a few points on which we should converse," he said as he strode. "We are currently on the most efficient path to the city of Verdem, a small town built into the hollow trunks of gigantic trees. Its main export is Goatwasp honey, a highly valued delicacy prized for its...well, never mind. I'm sure that's more information than is required.

There are, however, some local customs you will be expected to observe. Some of these are general to all of Uruga, others more specific to Verdem. I will speak on these as we near the location.

My armor protects me from the hazards of nature, but if any of you are...less adapted to the climate, it will be my honor to weave a bedroll out of the wild grass. It will not be as comfortable as you might like, but it will keep you warm."

Satisfied he had covered what he needed to, Leoch fell silent, allowing the vast landscape to overtake him.

 

[Mystikelh]

Delastarh waited with the dryad for the return of Azari and Gydro. The Water Clan member was already leaving when Azari came back, so the blond man didn't waste any time going after him once everybody was here. The merman wasn't walking too fast, so he caught up pretty quickly. He looked at Gydro for a second, walking at the same pace behind him, trying to find something to say to the man who clearly disliked him the moment he walked in. To be honest, Delastarh liked that. He was frank, no attend to deceive him, no sweet words that were actually full of venom or smile so fake even a mirror wouldn't reflect it. The man disliked him, though for confusing reasons, and he didn't hide it. That made the Fire Clan member more comfortable around the blue-skinned man, strangely enough.

He listened to Leoch talk about the town they would encounter. Trees were rare in Santi, and most of them were dry and dead. The few that harbored green leaves were in private gardens. He couldn't even imagine a tree so big that a whole city could be put inside. That sounded incredible. He wanted to ask so many things to Leoch. Like what was Goatwasp honey. But looking at the giant being, he seemed to be at peace with just walking in silence. So he respected it.

Doesn't mean he couldn't himself talk, though. And so that's what he did. "In Santi, we produce a lot of precious gems extracted from the earth and jewelry. We also make a lot of weapons. Fruits and vegetables are more of a delicacy for us since our land does not produce much with its constant eruption. Actually, some people believe that a god of fire, named Ignathius, is living under us and we are somehow its offspring, explaining why we can control fire. I am not too sure about that legend, I mean... Would it not be crazy? But we still have a celebration in its honor on the summer solstice. The central square of the capital becomes full of people that came to enjoy good food, music, and shows. We also launch a lot of fireworks! Do any of you ever seen fireworks? It is truely amazing! It is like arrows full of gunpowder that we blast into the sky and that explode in a shower of colorful flames. It is very pretty! Also, once a year during spring, we have a lot of festivities for..."

And he will probably keep going and going with his stories until they stopped somewhere for the night.

 

[Berries]

It had been two days. Gydro's feet hurt, his head hurt, everything in his body... hurt. His mood hadn't been at a high at the beginning of the trip, but now it was worse. His brow was locked in an eternal scowl, and each of his footsteps resounded with resent and anger. He had long since started ignoring the others in an attempt to occupy his thoughts with the ocean and how nice it would feel to be able to swim in it once more. Two days had been the longest he had ever gone in his human form, and it was straining on him now. The thought of the long journey to come only infuriated him more.

At the beginning, his spirits could have even been called abnormally high. He had actually taken quite an interest in Delastarh's ramblings - though he didn't show it by a long shot - as it had been a way for him to inform himself of all the things he did not know about the other clans. He had even felt a little bit of novelty moving around in his earthen form. Even that night, despite needing to use Leoch's grass bedroll to sleep upon, had been good. Of course, Gydro had not slept. He had spent the entire night staring up at the sky, listening to the sounds of the forest, and had been content. The next morning he had simply slept while walking. That was what the fish people did - they were capable of sleeping with their eyes open, in motion.

He wasn't exactly sure what had transpired in the time he had been asleep, for when he woke up he had found the other three quiet but also a bunch of flowers stuck in his coral hair. Presumably they had all been getting along well. Maybe it was a coincidence that Gydro's head was now a wild fauna exhibit. That, even, had been fine, and the merman had even laughed it off. No, the big downfall come late in the second day when his being had begun to ache. After that everything had begun to spiral downhill. He was agitated, grumpy and snappy. He needed water.

Now, the group was approaching their second night. According to Leoch, they would reach the city Verdem early the next morning. Turning with his tired, pained eyes to the group, Gydro pointed dully at a flat piece of land. "Camp?" He asked tiredly.

 

[kaito9049]

Leoch assessed their surroundings. While they had technically been in Urugan territory since about half a day after leaving the Spire, there weren't any settlements bigger than a small village for quite some distance into the domain. On their journey thus far, Leoch had decided it best to avoid the lesser townships for a few reasons. They tended to be sparse in terms of shops and inns, since they usually produced just enough to feed their own people. Furthermore, such places weren't usually keen on meeting fellow Urugans, let alone foreigners. Verdem was different. Its people were guarded, even by Urugan standards, but they considered it blasphemous to turn away a stranger looking for a place to sleep and a warm meal. From what Leoch could remember, Verdem's patron god supposedly showed them how to extract Goatwasp honey centuries ago. They were charged to keep the procedure secret, but also to share their bounty with their neighbors.

The Dryad shook himself out of his thoughts as he followed Gydro's gesture to a plain. The poor merman seemed about to collapse. Was a lack of stamina common among the Water Tribe, Leoch wondered. Or perhaps it was the environment that drained his companion. Either way, they needed to find a place to rest. The field Gydro had spotted seemed suitable enough. As Leoch reached out through the ground and to the plant life around him, he noted that the soil was fresh, suitable for the growing of the monstrous oaks that made up Verdem some distance away. A few deer pranced about in a nearby forest. All in all, it seemed like a great place to rest for the night. However...

"I must warn you," Leoch cautioned. "This area is known for being plagued by Centaur bandits. They usually harass caravans traveling to and from Verdem, so they may very well leave us alone. However, it may be prudent, if we decide to rest here, to take measures to ensure our safety. In the unlikely chance that we find ourselves in combat, I can fend for myself quite easily, but I do not want you to be caught off-guard by the wild attacks of the spearmen."

Leoch coughed. "Of course," he said quickly, "We might very well sleep soundly without interruption. I simply wanted to bring the issue to your attention."

 

[Mystikelh]

The two days of walk haven't been that bad for Delastarh, but he could understand why the merman was feeling tired out of his element. If they asked him to swim for two days - if he knew how to swim in the first place - he would probably sink in less than half a day. He admired Gydro's determination to keep going. He had found it quite funny when they realized that he was sleepwalking, and it was even funnier when they started to pick flowers on the way and put them in his hair without waking him. Hey, you gotta distract yourself somehow, and Delastarh had run out of stories to tell halfway through the following day.

The blond man dropped his bag on the ground as they decided a spot to rest for the night. He listened to Leoch's warning, taking his dagger from his bag to tie it to his belt. He could also load his crossbow, just in case. Better safe than sorry, yes?

He looked around, eying the few deer that didn't get scared at their first approach. He wondered what other animals would be around. His rations were getting scarce and it wasn't the best taste in the world. Maybe they could catch a small animal, and he already notices a lot of herbs that he could use in cooking and even some wild comestible vegetables laying here and there. This place was like a giant wild garden. He turned to the tall dryad, clearing his throat to draw his attention.

"Would it be bad if we were to hunt an animal for dinner?" he asked. "From what I understand, people of Uruga are close to nature. I would not want to put us in trouble, especially since our presence seems to already be somewhat of a problem."

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Their journey wasn't as terrible as Azari thought it was going to be.

When he grew bored of walking, he ran through the trees, using his abilities to hop from branch to branch. Gydro had eventually started to sleep-walk, causing the others to put flowers in his dark hair. Considering the merman already seemed to dislike him, Azari decided not to participate, despite how much he wanted to.

As they started to slow down, Azari heard Leoch mention something about Centuar bandits. He had never seen a Centuar before, as the creatures had no way of getting to the air cities in Vulya, but he had heard of the creatures before. They were hybrids of men and equestrian, often travelling in packs and wielding either bows or spears. They were formiddable foes and Azari hoped not to come across them. He had a couple of pegasi back home and he didn't want to have to hurt any horses, even if they were only half.

Azari popped a couple of nuts and dried fruit that he packed for himself into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he began to consider Delstarh's proposition of hunting an animal for food. He was an exceptional hunter himself and he was quite tired to eating nuts and dried fruit all day.

''I say we search for a rabbit,'' he suggested. He pulled out his flute and played a couple of soothing notes. ''Perhaps a squirrel?'' He wiggled his eyebrows at Leoch, convinced the dryad kept the furry creatures within his leafy beard.

 

[Berries]

Through his haze of aching bones, Gydro did immediately process the talk of centaurs. Eyes lighting up a little bit at the chance of conflict, he moved his shoulder blades around as if to ensure himself he still knew how to move. "Any centaur is welcome to challenge my spear." He muttered darkly, his mood staying in the dumps. At least his movements seemed more energetic at the thought of violence, but it was highly questionable whether or not that was a god thing. Disregarding the others as they asked questions about food and animals, he pulled over his satchel and took out two rolls of seaweed. He still had supplies for a few days more, and he was avoiding the idea of eating earth food for as long as possible.

Gydro had actually been quite surprised at seeing the earth mammals throughout their trip for in Acai they rarely got even mundane beings such as squirrels and rabbits. None of the others seemed to be fazed, but he supposed that water was the biggest outlier compared to the other four because the rest of them at least had contact with the earth. On that thought, a question suddenly occurred to Gydro. Focusing his fish eyes on Azari, the merman seemed to contemplate the Air representative for a second before speaking. "The air city..." He started before pausing for a few moments. "Is it on the ground?" He completed the question, though quickly his attention was absorbed as he pulled out his water canteen and drank some water.

Gulping down the liquid, the merman splashed some over his face. His dark expression softened a little bit and he took a seat in the small field he had pointed out. He would wait as the others caught their dinner, though he was unsure whether or not Leoch would be participating in their hunting exploits.

 

[kaito9049]

Leoch thought a bit. While some of the Earth Clan claimed vegetarianism was a hallowed tradition, the ancient hunting rituals of several Urugans proved otherwise. He struggled to remember what policy the denizens of Verdem held on the subject. Statistically, it was most probable they held true to the legal code of the Assembly of Elders, which decreed hunting was legal as long as it respected property ownership and observed the symbolic rituals that had been put in place thousands of years ago. However, certain provinces attempted to impose additional restrictions, including outright prohibition, on the practice. These restrictions were allowed by the Elders in the majority of cases, as long as the legislators of the towns had a historical basis for the ban.

Nonetheless, Leoch was fairly certain Verdem had no special qualms about hunting in their surrounding forests, though of course it was forbidden to attack Goatwasps.

"If you'd like to hunt," he told the others,"you are free to do so. But please, remember my warning about bandits and the like. There are many hidden dangers lurking about. And above all, if you see a Goatwasp, flee immediately; do not provoke or attempt to attack it. You'll know what it is when you see it."

The Dryad had only seen a Goatwasp once, when he was part of a diplomatic envoy to Verdem. They were flying insect-like creatures the size of large men with antlers as big as tree branches. As fearsome as they were, however, the honey they produced and guarded was like nothing else. It was far richer in taste than any normal honey, yet possessed a creamy texture and color. It was said the delicacy could save a dying man, or restore years of an old man's life. While such legends seemed severely exaggerated to Leoch, he could say from personal experience that tasting undiluted Goatwasp honey was a euphoric experience.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he continued: "The woods are full of rabbits, but I also sense a small group of deer a short distance to the east."

"Good hunting; you may find our prey a bit harder to catch than what you are used to," he added with a glint in his eye (or at least, what stood for an eye in his armor).

 

[Mystikelh]

Since they would stay here for the night, they would need a source of light and warmth. Starting a campfire was only a matter of a few minutes for Delastarh. Collect a few sticks and fodder, put rocks around them, take his Sparkler, and voilà! They now had a nice fire going.

Delastarh tapped his finger on his lips. "Well, since only Azari and I are going to eat," he said, looking at Gydro that was already eating his seaweed while ignoring their presence, "I think a deer would be too wasteful. Maybe if I had time to dry its meat, but we do not have the time for that. So a rabbit would be the best," he concluded, looking at Azari for approval.

He crouched near his bag to collect his crossbow, slinging his quiver on his shoulder. "Do not worry, we will be careful. If we see anything strange, we will avoid it. And if we sense any danger, we will come back here immediately."

An idea suddenly came to his mind and he crouched again to unbuckle the cooking pot from his bag. He wanted to collect some comestible vegetables to make a stew with the rabbit meat. And if they were unlucky and couldn't get any rabbit a nice vegetable stew would be as delicious.

"Let us go, my friend. I would like to be back before the sun finished to set," he said, walking toward a deeper part of the forest.

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Azari happily walked after Delastarh, retrieving a couple of small knives from his bag. He was quite proficient at throwing them, which could prove to be usual if they came against any small, fast-moving creatues during their hunting adventure.

He scanned the forest carefully as he and Fire Clan member trodded along. The sun was setting, vibrant streaks of yellow, orange, and purple painted across the sky. The trees in this particular forest were pretty thick, making it hard to see anything in the distance. Canopies of leaves above their heads blocked most of the light coming from the setting sun, casting shadows all around them.

Azari kept a hand on his small bag, his other holding his set of small knives.

''Hopefully there is some small game around,'' Azari said, hoping to make some conversation with Delastarh.

 

[Berries]

Frowning as Delastarh started a small fire, Gydro edged away from it. He had no desire for any more heat at this time. Instead he took a seat nearly as far away as he could possibly be. Since it appeared that Azari and Delastarh were leaving to hunt, he supposed that left him with Leoch. Gydro didn't mind the fact, the dryad had proven to be a pretty respectable companion. Despite his aversion to the fire, Gydro couldn't help but stare at it from a distance. Its flames were enchanting, and while he would of course never admit that fact out loud he thought it now.

Slowly, the merman began to recuperate from the trauma of land travel. The ground was moist which helped his situation a lot and he began to use his elemental abilities to draw the nearby moisture near. The result was that Gydro looked as if he had just run through a waterfall, but he had remained seated the entire time. Exhaling contentedly, the merman looked up at Leoch. "If the bandits are nearby, you'd be able to sense it?" He phrased his statement as a question, wondering how far the dryad's abilities ranged. It was unclear whether Gydro was asking the question out of concern for Azari and Delastarh's safety or whether he simply wanted to have an excuse to jump into battle.

--

A lone centaur scout prowled the forest. The bandits had made camp near the city of Verdem, but as of lately they had been running low on potential targets. It seemed that many had caught onto their tactics and caravans had begun to increase in security when nearing Verdem nowadays. Therefore, scouts had become necessary in order to begin to recruit more scouts in order to survey the area. Most centaurs had high affinity with the earth, and the bandit group - who referred to themselves as The Vipers - were no exception to this rule. All Viper members had a tattoo of a snake somewhere on their body, and this scout in particular had his situated upon his human back.

Centaurs traveling alone tended to be hard to spot, seeing that their footsteps were light and easily mistaken for a stray deer. The scout had been on the prowl for a couple hours and had been on the verge of deciding the venture void when he heard the soft ring of voices in the distance. His hearing was highly elevated, and from the thick brush he listened closely. It seemed that they were a couple of hunters. That alone was no basis to go after them, but it did seem like they had a few companions they were addressing.

Softly and quickly trotting through the forest, the bandit came just short of spotting a dryad and some weird blue man sitting near a fire. His eyes lit up at the site of the dryad. Dryads were rare, and could sell for a good amount of money. Spinning around, the bandit scout rapidly began to gallop towards the location of their camp - the tattoo flashing visible for the clearing to see, white coat glinting slightly in the dimming light. The sound of him running was loud, and as he past the couple of hunters he paid no heed to whether or not they heard him.

 

[kaito9049]

The bark on Leoch's leg cracked as he crouched down--about as compact of a position he could get into while in his armor (most Dryads slept standing up or leaning against a tree). Though he found Gydro's attitude toward the other two representatives distasteful, he could somewhat understand his apprehension. Besides, the merman seemed fairly agreeable when interacting with Leoch. "Well," he said in reply to Gydro's question, "it depends much on the type of earth. It's easiest to sense vibrations in solid stone, but I can also do it with dirt and other materials. The soil here is fairly loose, so my ability is somewhat limited."

Leoch smiled, a sight that had been described by some of his coworkers as equal parts comforting and utterly terrifying. "But worry not. I have spent much time honing my sensitivity to movement. I should be able to detect any--"

The dryad suddenly stopped short and jumped to his feet. He closed his eyes, reaching out into the earth beneath his feet. There had been some movement earlier, but he had figured it was Delastarh and Azari, or some animal they were hunting. Now, however, the feet--hooves--were at a full sprint, heavy on the ground as they ran. "There's movement," he told Gydro, his voice low. "Hard and fast, too much so to be a deer. I can't tell yet in which direction it's headed, but I advise you get ready just in case."

 

[Mystikelh]

Delastarh nodded to Azari. "We have seen small creatures roaming in the forest all day. I do not see why it would not be the same here," he said, shrugging.

The orange-ish sun rays were filtering through the thick leaves like a shower of light, the wind blowing making it dance around them in a beautiful sight.

"This place is pretty amazing," he said in a lower voice to not scare any potential preys. "Santi is such a barren land, so to see all those trees and animals is incredible. Our farms are nothing next to all this wilderness. Make me wish I could live here, you know."

It made the blond man wonder why everybody was so stubborn to keep the clans separated. Sure, some beings could only live in one land. A dryad like Leoch probably wouldn't do good in Santi, and a human like himself couldn't survive in Acai. But what stopped those who could to mix up with the others? Despite all their difference, Delastarh believed they could learn a lot from each other.

He stopped, collecting a few herbs that he recognized that would be good to add to the stew he wanted to make. He also found a couple of wild carrots and a handful of non-poisonous berries. As he was crouched near a bush of herbs, he heard a sudden and fast gallop and saw a fast silhouette jump through the forest.

"What was that, a deer?" he asked, turning to Azari.

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Azari lightly trodded forward, his bare feet silent upon the forest floor. He winced as he stepped on a rock. It was time like this that he considered betraying his village's customs and wearing shoes.

He nodded at Delastarh, agreeing with his comment on the woods. The place was definitely a sight to behold. The trees were all full of leaves, composed of beautiful shades of green. Flowers of different shades blossomed along the ground and in bushes, filling the area with a sweet scent. Azari breathed in the clean air, a smile spreading across his lips.


As Delastarh crouched down to pick up a couple of items, the man perked up after hearing something. Azari heard it too, his body tensing up. His hand tightened around the small knive he held, his head on a swivel. The noise sounded like a single horse gallopping. He hadn't seen it but it was close by, still in their area.

Closing his eyes, he tried focusing on the sound. Whatever creature was nearby, it was watching them. It gallopped around them in a circle, staying out of sight behind the thick underbrush of the forest. Azari narrowed his eyes as he looked around, trying to spot the creature.

''I do not believe that this is a horse...,'' Azari whispered as he glanced at Delastarh out the corner of his eye. ''I think we should head back to the others. Something does not feel right.''

 

[Berries]

Sharp eyes catching a glimpse of something moving in the forest, Gydro's hand had tightened around his spear. However, even as he saw it, it was gone. Looking over at Leoch to see the dryad on his feet, Gydro's hand continued to tighten around his weapon until the scales around his hands started to prickle. "That was quick of danger to find us." He observed, seeing that they had just decided to split up and sit down. The entire rest of the journey, while they had remained in a group, had passed without trouble thus far but the merman figured that might have been because they had been close to the border of the territories. Seeing that each land was vastly different from the others, few chose to reside so close to the center of the nation because the territory and climate had such extreme variables.

Looking out in the direction that Azari and Delastarh had set off in, Gydro stood up and propped himself up on his spear. He had traveled with the weapon in hand the entire journey so far, and especially now he had no intention of letting go of it. "Are the other two still in this direction? We should warn them if there is the possibility of danger." The merman commented. He didn't care much for any of their party, but he did know that he needed them all to get through the quest and therefore he did intend to cater to their well-being. Having lived in a pod for the entirety of his childhood, Gydro knew well how important individuals could be to the group.

--

Racing through the forest, the scout arrived at the Viper base in very little time. Slowing to a trot, he entered the camp with his head held high in self-importance. "Cobra!" He called out for their leader. His voice was much louder than needed, but it was apparent that he wished to bask in the spotlight of having found some prey for their bandit group. Cobra, a massive centaur with the largest antlers out of the group, was quick to look over and notice the scout.

"What is it?" The leader demanded, a keen malice glinting in his eyes.

"A group of four, including a dryad and an exotic-looking blue fellow. I believe they would make good market items." The scout responded, standing with his back straight and chin thrusted upwards.

Cobra seemed disappointed. "Only four," the leader said in lament, "but that is good enough. Mamba, prepare a squad." Cobra deferred the task to the group's third-in-command; a well-feared female centaur known for her strong affinity with earth magic.

Mamba was quick to respond. "Yes, Cobra." She said complacently, looking about the camp.

It wasn't long after that a squad of nine centaur were assembled, including Mamba herself. Regarding her chosen warriors closely, Mamba began to give them instructions. "We will prioritize the dryad, for it will pose us the greatest threat." She told them with her soft, feathery voice. "The second will be the blue foreigner the scout speaks of." She added, referring to the scout as his title. In the Vipers, no member earned a name until they had proven themselves. The scout himself was a member of the party, and rearing to wage a battle that may earn him a name.

 

[Mystikelh]

Delastarh continued to stare at the forest for a few moments. Things were calm again, with the birds singing in the trees merrily and the leaves shaking in the wind. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"We probably just scared a big deer or something," he said, waving his hand in the air to dismiss Azari's doubts. "There are so many animals, around here, it is hard to keep track of everything around us. Furthermore, if it had been one of those bandits, would they not have attacked us right away?"

He sent a confident smile at Azari and went back to collect his ingredients. His explanation was logical to him. They had seen a few deer during their journey through the Earth Clan's land and they all had run away the minute they saw them. Very afraid creatures, they were. A big bad centaur bandit would have jumped at them the minute they were seen. Plus, he didn't want to go back to camp only to be told that they got scared of a puny deer *and* came back without anything to make dinner. That would be embarrassing to Delastarh.

"So, how are we going to find and catch that rabbit?" he asked, not really turning away from his task. "You know how to make traps? We do not really hunt in Sandi since our fauna is pretty rare and most of them know how to melt metal." He chuckled at that.

Yep. Totally forgotten the event of a few minutes ago.

 

[DatGuyWelbz]

Azari quirked an eyebrow at the man. How can he be so...so...nonchalant? The Air Clan ambassador remained alert, his eyes scanning the bushes before him. The wind whistled in his ears as he focused on the distant sounds in the area. ''My friend, deer do not circle humans like sharks.''

His grip on his knife tightened, his jaw setting. He had a deep feeling that they would be in for a fight soon. Fingers digging into the satchel hanging from his hip, he grabbed his flute, which also doubled as a device to shoot out his blow darts. He was hoping he wouldn't have to use it but he knew it was inevitable. The dryad had warned them about the centaur bandits. Delastarh didn't even seem to be worried, which just worried Azari.

''We must stay alert,'' Azari said, his voice steely as he continued to look around. ''The forest is known for holding many secrets. Things are not always what they seem.'' He realized that he sounded like the monks who raised him, their cryptic teachings constantly lingering throughout his mind.

But in this case, they were right. This forest held secrets and enemies that would soon reveal themselves. It was only a matter of when.

He turned to Delastarh, who just asked if he knew how to make traps. Azari nodded slowly, keeping his eyes and ears open. ''Yes, I know how to make traps, my friend. It is how me my village members catch the small animals who linger around our sky village.''

 

[kaito9049]

Leoch nodded. "Our fellow travelers have not gone far, unless I am mistaken. It would indeed be prudent to regroup. But be on your guard. The forest is full of activity, and it is becoming difficult to sense particular movements."

Leoch eyed Gydro's vicious-looking spear with approval. Hopefully, the night would pass without blood being shed, but if not, he knew Gydro would be well-equipped for a fight. As for himself, Leoch had no sword of obsidian or Livinggrass whip, but the earth and plant life in his surroundings bent to his will. If he was forced to defend himself or his allies, he would use every technique in his arsenal.

Leoch took a few tentative steps in the direction of Azari and Delastarh's location. His mind reached into his armor, hardening the wooden plates and tightening the protective vines that shielded him from harm. He was by no means a warrior, but it would take a mighty blow to harm him.

It was perhaps his armor that allowed Leoch to remain calm in the anxious situation. He could navigate the seas of politics with little worry, but combat situations gave him pause.

But such thoughts were useless at best, and dangerous at worst. Leoch quickly conjured up what he knew about centaur bandits, if that was indeed the threat. They were fast and brutal, usually working in packs. Natural hunters, they would pursue their prey doggedly, before disappearing into the forest.

A memory, long repressed, threatened to appear in Leoch's mind. He forced it back into the hardened earth of his mind. Now was not the time.

 

[Berries]

Gyrdo nodded tautly, beginning to walk after the dryad as Leoch moved in the direction Azari and Delstarh had ventured. His keen eyes noticed that the dryad's armor seemed to be shifting a little bit. Presuming that Leoch was preparing for combat, Gyrdo looked pleased. The corner of his lips had drawn slightly upward; a malicious glint in his eyes. This ought to be interesting. Hastening his pace, the merman lamented the fact that there didn't seem to be a significant enough water source for him to use his water manipulation magic. The air was fairly humid, but not enough to allow him to do any significant water-bending.

He wasn't all too bothered about the fact, however, seeing that he had enough combat capabilities to fight off any strange horseman that cared to challenge him - or at least, that's what he thought in his head. Seeing that he had never truly encountered a centaur or anything of the like in the past, his assessment probably wasn't the best.

Strides determined and fast, Gyrdo blindly walked through the forest in a straight line. He assumed that Leoch would correct him if he strayed from the path. He had given no regard earlier to the dryad's comment about it becoming increasingly difficult to sense individual movements and fully thought that the dryad would be able to lead them anywhere with pinpoint accuracy. Another assessment that probably wasn't the best, as the insects and all manners of small animals started to stir within the trees even as the duo moved.

The activity of the wildlife was too abundant to be a coincidence. Insects abruptly flocked around the faces of Azari and Delastarh, with all manners of snakes and mice abruptly appearing around Leoch and Gyrdo. Deer began to frantically gallop around the forest, polluting the messages from the ground and seeming to cloud the air with the upturned dirt from their hooves. Birds sang disjointed, screeching songs all around the forest; even those of which usually did not sing until morning break. Frogs hopped along the floors, toads croaking just behind them. Finally, five large black snakes began to circle around Azari and Delsatarh. Dark as shadows and venomous enough to kill from a singular bite, the unmistakable black mambas started to close in on their perceived prey.

Meanwhile, Gyrdo swatted a large spider out of his way: highly displeased at the sudden activity from the forest. "It came to life right as he stepped in," he observed in irritation to Leoch, "unless all forests are always like this?"