Waves Of Wheat

[Aziza]

This is a private One on One roleplay between Me and The Elder Wyvern


Waves Of Wheat is about two enemies that may not hate each other as much as they should. But their fight against each other keeps their perhaps otherwise more meaningless lives, rather interesting. Who will kill the other first?

 

[The Elder Wyvern]

For the merchants in the wagon it had been another day on the road, a trek from one kingdom to another to sell their wares after hiring a cart from a young peasant boy. They were sitting in the back checking their stock, bartering for trade and setting up deals with their fellows that would last for as long as it was profitable. The boy at the front was a young lad from a farm and for him they were just more rich folk trying to pave their own way in gold, gold that he and his family needed to survive, and so he set out on the same track he'd took hundreds of others down knowing they'd likely be so poor to beg for a return to their own lands. The city had a habit of breaking naive merchants, it was a flourishing seaside kingdom and trade was abundant, but with the dangers of nature and the unpredictability of sea and land that surrounded it, well to him it seemed like a fools game of betting on a losing hand.


To all of them, today was just another day, until a tall man stepped out from a gap in the trees and stopped the cart. "What's the deal? We're in a hurry peasant!" Cried one of the merchants, "Just a moment sir! Can I help you?" he called, both to the merchant and the stranger. In response the shirtless behemoth of a man smiled beneath his horned helmet and for one second his eyes met the boys, golden piercing orbs. "Run" The stranger grunted, and the peasant boy obeyed, scrambling from the cart. The merchants looked startled, how dare a peasant disobey them? Abandon them? "Come back here you fool! I'll make sure you and your family never eat anything but dirt if you don't get back here!" One of the fat cats roared, his prodigious gut jiggling with indignity. The boy did not hear, he was still running.


The stranger took a step towards the cart and slashed his hands across the canopy, climbing up into the drivers position and looming over the merchants. His great form blocked out the sun, and without a word he leaned down and grabbed the great merchant who'd yelled so menacingly before and held him aloft by the throat. The once confidant merchant quivered and the giant simply threw him out of the cart and into a nearby tree, and underneath his helmet he smiled again.


The boy had kept running and was far down the path now, on his way home, he stopped for a moment to breathe and look behind him yet afraid. A dark blot sprinted across the landscape and in terror he ran again, until he heard a familiar whinny and the great black horse that had pulled the cart settled beside him with pouches of gold and other wares secured to bags on its side. There was a finely crafted saddle obviously made of scrap materials and skinned animals fastened to its back, and for a moment the boy thought the monster may have simply been trying to help. Then he heard a monstrous roar and terrified screams echo from the nearby forest and without thinking he saddled up and set off at a gallop, going far far away from the terror that had taken the cart.


The Capital


Stories of the monster had reached the capital, dozens of carts loaded with goods halted and sent off with frightened peasants or lead into the forest with horses in tow, merchants that never arrived. From descriptions of survivers sketches were drawn and a bounty made, an image of a bull-headed giant with the strength of ten men, and a reward just as rich attached. The bounties were posted all over inns, alleyways and promotions were offered to guards and soldiers who could locate or slay the mysterious beast that vanished after each heist into the monster-filled forests.


Deep within the woods the stranger awoke from feverish dreams and took a bath in the nearby lake, horses of various colours nuzzling against him or drinking nearby. He turned to pat one lightly on the head and finished cleansing himself before donning his waist-cloth and grooming his hair, heading back into the hollow of the great tree he'd made his home, up the hand-carved stairs he climbed until he reached his small room lit by firefly's and stood before a napsack of supplies and a horned helm. With a hand running through his hair, he took a moment to appreciate the sounds of nature, the rustling of leaves and the neighing of the horses. Before he picked up the helm and donned it once more, his golden eyes flashing in predatory satisfaction as he slung the animal skin napsack over his shoulder and set out for the roads he would cleanse of those who would defile nature for profit.

 

[Aziza]

Chinook, who yes, had been a guest at many of the local pubs, had seen the poster of the painted barbaric man many times. But man times she told herself it was not a big catch, and simply not worth her trouble. She was still living off the bounty from the last man she dragged in and didn't feel the need to jump into something to hastily. But then, there were the rumors, the stories of the monster, of the man bull, the alpha wolf, many things that kept floating up into conversation. And after the weeks went on there was yet anyone to respond to the bounty. Chinook was also hearing talk that now even the smaller shops and family run business were suffering because of the lack of trade that was going on in the kingdom. It wasn't until she was invited to families home to dine, with some of the most powerful people in the kingdom, the father being an adviser to the king, when she finally let herself truly consider it. Honestly Chinook wasn't really inspired by money, though it was how she made a living, she just enjoyed the challenge. It kept things busy. But yes, after few cup of wine, a very, very good roast, and a set of twins telling her how pretty she looked even with man muscles ( they didn't know any better ) she agreed she would fulfill the bounty, and bring him to them dead or alive. Chinook wasn't one for cutting off heads and he seemed like a massive man so she figured it would be alive.


Chinook ( which meant death by Winter ) was still young. Many her age still lived with their families or had recently gotten married. She didn't mind the idea of getting married someday but for now the idea was distant. Chinook herself was rather perfunctory. She fought with very little emotion or desire, just the energy she often felt couldn't be exerted.


It was late afternoon, and Chinook had perched herself high up in an oak tree, watching intently for this in the bounty she had brought with her. The tree was located just 300 feet or so from the main gates but tall enough to give her quite the view. There were a few who claimed to have seen the monstrous man but she wondered how many of them were just made up by locals. In fact she wondered how many wagons this man had actually robbed. Flickering her green eyes down, she took another look at the man in the poster. It was often that the description was exaggerated because if this person robbed you, they probably looked much bigger and more frightening that they truly were. In short, Chinook was use to being a tad disappointed. Sitting leaned up against the trunk of the tree, she kept a close watch on the surrounding woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of this supposedly brutishly large man.

 

[The Elder Wyvern]

The behemoth of a man stood in wait in the trees, he'd grown more confident in what he was doing, more capable at his task. He waited for a laiden cart to make its way out, stalked it through the trees below and saw the fear now present in the fat cats who travelled in the relative safety of the wagon. They disgusted him, yet their fear held merit, and he would soon show them why.


With a single leap he passed across the cart, tapping it lightly on the canopy to let them know he was there. Spooked by the noise the cart stopped just as the giant thumped down on the other side, turning to face them with a huff, he threw the old man who drove the cart a heavy sack laden with gold and goods and grunted, pointing back to the city through the forest. The man bowed and blubbered out some thanks for his 'mercy' and ran at full pelt into the forest. The giant strode onto the cart as per usual and was surprised to see the fear in the rich fools eyes replaced by a sense of victory. It confused him until a gaggle of poorly equipped bodyguards revealed themselves and leveled their blades and spears at the man. He merely grunted and took a step forward, snapping the shaft of the spear that thrust at him with a simple back-hand and grabbing the nearest trembling 'soldier' by the helm, as his other hand swung back to grab the blade of a sword that slashed at him hoping to take him by surprise. He yanked the blade from its owners hands and threw the blade out of the cart as the poorly trained men backpedaled to the edge of the cart "Run." He grunted.


And the soldiers fled, the merchants thrown out of the cart shortly after to give chase, cursing and threatening the deserting bodyguards. Finally some peace, he bent down to survey the stock and began dividing the supplies, those that would be useful for living, and those that were valuable only in name, into two different piles, blissfully unaware of the watcher or her bounty on him.