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Post by Alexodia on Apr 28, 2020 21:56:25 GMT
Edwin had never been one to draw an undue amount of attention to himself unless it became absolutely necessary; indeed, even as the initial confrontation with the band of walking felines almost turned sour and Logan almost got himself killed until his pet bird was the one to save his life, strangely enough, Edwin found little reason to refrain from sitting at the back and watching warily, keeping an eye on the escalating emotions of the group and their new friends as a whole. Even as they were escorted to the Nikquel camp, as the sand and desert around them became the grass and trees of a forest and as the sweltering heat of the height of the day turned into the cool, orange glow of a swiftly approaching sundown, Edwin did little more than keep a close eye on each of the Nikquel currently 'escorting' them to their home camp, something of a glint in his eye. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't quite enjoying the interesting spontaneity, but as the rest of his party curled within themselves and the ones they trusted, their guards plainly up for all to see, he began to wonder just how viable any...negotiations with such a tribe would go, given almost every members' predilection towards violence or immaturity. But as he began to cast solitary, wordless glances towards Rania as their escort began to slow down and the camp came into view and found said glances returned, Edwin began to suspect that maybe, just maybe, his time to bat was fast approaching. Despite how interesting it would have been for him to see how far things would get on their own. Who doesn't like watching a good carriage wreck?
As two figures from the camp came into sight, one a giant, tiger looking cat about twice the size of a natural tiger and a humanoid figure atop a second giant cat, Edwin could feel a glare towards his general direction; further investigation deemed it to be Rania, and further investigation after that deemed that the rest of them were slightly looking at him as well as if his measure in this was already predetermined. Resigning himself to his role with an accepting sigh, Edwin fell into step with Rania and began to walk away from the group, finding himself in the precarious no-man's-land between the safety of his group and the group of the Nikquel directly in front of him as he began to turn up the resident effects of his magic as subtly as he could.
"Thank you for volunteering me for this, by the way." Edwin muttered to Rania as he fussed over his presentability, straightening his shirt and smoothing down his hair as best he could. "Who needs a heads-up, hmm? Look, I'll do what I can, but I'm not used to dealing with the Nikquel. Not that I'm not interesting in seeing how they operate, but I don't know much that we'd be able to offer them without imposing." Fortunately for both himself and Rania, he wasn't fishing for a response. Even if he didn't find it easier to verbalise his own thoughts to get them in order, it was too late for that anyway as the signal was given for them to stop in front of the camp elder, keeping a respectful distance. Almost instinctively Edwin smiled, a pleasant smile that utilised every aspect of his body language in order to convey the most genuine response he could; pleasant and amenable, but not too overbearing. He was here to sell their presence; to make them realise that it wasn't his party that needed to be here, but rather them that would benefit most of all from having them here. He'd utilise what magic he could, but he was already painfully aware of the gap in mana separating him from quite a few of the other camp members even discounting the elder. Not being able to utilise his magic often felt akin to trying to walk across a river on stones hidden just beneath the water's surface; he could do his best to predict where the stones were and whether his foot would land on one, but the possibility of missing his mark and plunging into the watery depths below remained an ever looming possibility.
"Salutations." Reminding himself to extend the lengthiest olive branch he could to maximise goodwill, Edwin bowed slightly, hearing the smooth words cascade out of him as if he were an outsider listening in.
"Are you the one?"
"...I am the one with the honour, yes." Slightly taken aback by the gentle, yet blunt gravitas of the elder but nevertheless continuing his stride with the practiced excellence of somebody that had had to talk his way out of situations countless times before, Edwin watched as the elder stretched out a hand towards the camp before turning back and steadily making his way back towards his tent, gesturing for Edwin to follow him. Raising a solitary eyebrow and a single shrug of the shoulders towards Rania, Edwin reached out to gently brush his hand along Rania's arm for reassurance before he stepped forward and followed the elder towards the camp. He knew that Rania loathed affectionate displays of any kind, but after the two of them had weathered their storm weeks ago, Edwin knew that they'd always be subconsciously emotionally intertwined. It wouldn't ever take much, and more overt attempts would go unnoticed. But overt wasn't his way, at all; she wouldn't know why, or how she knew what he was trying to tell her with a simple touch. But he knew that she'd know. "I'll be fine. This is what I do."
As Edwin walked through the camp, he remained largely silent, casting his eyes around at the camp with slightly amused curiosity. Tents after tents, children and cats playing with each other only to stop and stare as he walked past, every child that tried to come up to him sharply and silently reprimanded by their mothers, casting glances at his passing figure with an accusatory eye, drawing their offspring in close to their body as a sudden breeze flew over the camp, fearful murmuring breaking out and glances towards the elder that kept riding forwards as if focused on the journey towards his tent. Even as he approached the tent, Edwin's curious glances towards his escorts gained nothing but a pointed stare forwards, as if reminding him that idle curiosities was not Edwin's purpose in this camp, which in all fairness, wasn't untrue. He supposed he could save it for later.
Entering the elder's tent itself did nothing to dispel the feeling that he was being watched, as he sat politely and waited for the elder to take his seat across from him, pretending not to notice the multiple Nikquel warriors closer to him than comfort would allow, ready to tear him to shreds in the blink of an eye should he try anything untoward. Yet, as it had done so many times before, Edwin felt the cool curtain of composure envelop him as it always did in times of crisis; where fear and uncertainty should have sneaked in, Edwin was aware only of ice-cold resolve. Though he managed to turn it into a genial smile towards the elder, Edwin couldn't help but grin as the excitement started to well up inside of him; this was what he'd been missing. The stakes were high, he had to actually take care with everything he did or else his efforts would come crashing down. The battlefield was the Roe's element, but this? This was his, and it had the potential to be infinitely less influential or far more dangerous than any battle ever could be.
"Few are so foolish as to voluntarily wander into our territory unannounced." The elder's words were soft, but the sharpness behind his eyes was undeniable. "Even fewer have the fortune to be granted an audience to be given refuge inside of our camp after such a transgression. I see no need to mince words. We do not know you, and we do not trust you. There are many that think you should not be here at all, and many more that think diplomacy beyond the skills of a group of bandits, especially the...company you keep. Before we start, I must know that you understand that."
Edwin smiled again. Time to get to work. He opened his mouth to respond.
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Post by Snoe on Jul 8, 2020 4:37:07 GMT
They'd been in waiting for Edwin and company to negotiate the terms of their safe passage by the wagon... Though it was really just Hugo and Armore along with Klaws whom stood guard as the big guy found some shade. He wasn't the best to be of use in terms of diplomacy unless it was terms of surrender, and in this case between their group and the Nikquel neither side held enough of an advantage to bow to the other in any terms, a temporary treatise was the best option. The heat was not making Hugo's disposition any better but another cup of two of water and he'd last a little longer.
Many hours later an agreement had been reached, Sully gave them a barrel of water which had been used as a bargaining chip as were the services of the Corpa in taking the night watch for as long as they travelled with the caravan... Hugo didn't mind the desert nights as they were much colder, though this deal also relegated him at the very least to remain out at the edge of camp. With that being known the big man had begun putting down stakes for the night wondering what else that human had agreed to.
Sully had a feeling something was up, her scales itching at the thought of something up. Logan frolicking with that cat lady was one thing but this 'chill' was something else. That's when she spotted a familiar set of clothes hung on a line and the smell on them; eye springing wide embarrassed and frightened at the same time when she realized what was happening. that chill in the air was 'him'. Sully was on her way to warn Logan only to find she was going to be late.
(OOC:A tiny lead up to the first night campfire with the Nikquel)
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Post by Deaths on Jul 12, 2020 21:28:15 GMT
The group makes camp, several of the sentries shift back into their human forms...their naked human forms. Logan averts his eyes, while also covering Sully's knowing her she'd pass out from such a sight. Sully tries her best to see, but Logan maintains his grip long enough for everyone to be dressed. Sully seems mad, but he promises to make it up to her later. A moment later a girl approaches Logan, she was stunning with long flowing hair, her body painted with symbols of some kind. "Hello my lady, my name is Logan..." He doesn't get a chance to finish his introduction before Lady flies out of his hands and into the arms of this mysterious girl. "Lady! Do not bother the nice woman!" He tries to scold the owlcat, but notices that it begins to purr while entering a loving embrace with this new woman. "Oh, my apologies, I didn't know you two had bonded." He's surprised, happy, and a little hurt that Lady has chosen this woman over him. "Like I said, I am Logan, this is my friend Sully, and that's my Owlcat Lady. Pleasure to meet you."
Valerie was intrigued by the the odd posse. Humans, Roe, Hallashan, even a Corpa. The last addition to the bunch has her a little on edge, familiar with stories and history of the ruthless race's bloody reputation. He's a big lad... It makes her wonder how strong a Corpa his size is and if she could take him if he decides to grab a snack among the pride. But the scouts are keeping a close eye on the Corpa, so maybe she won't have to find out. What does capture her interest is the human that brazenly, or foolishly, sprinted right up to her and embraced the owlcat she's been looking after for the other human that has travelled with them for a few days. Curiosity can't kill this cat, so she approaches to find out a bit more.
The lad introduces himself as Logan with elegance that makes Valerie smile a flattered smile. Then before she can introduce herself, the owlcat leaps from his arms and into her own. Logan scolds his pet thinking she attacked the Nikquel, but Valerie just runs her fingers through Lady's mane of feathers and fur, giving her neck a soft scratch. She's rewarded with the purs of a very happy owlcat. She rolls in Valerie's arms into she is being cradled like a baby, getting a few belly rubs she desires. "This pretty one is yours? She's a feisty bitch, but a lover at heart when you get on her good side." Valerie comments with a grin. Lady proves a point by grabbing the hand that is giving the belly rubs with extended claws and begins to kick it with her hindlegs. The Nikquel takes the hint and begins scratching her neck again. Her accent is exotic. Foreign elegance in every syllable. She laughs when Logan calls her Lady again. "Lady.. No one has called me that before, but I like it. You're charming. I'm Valerie, the pack's scrawler in training. Nice to meet you, Logan." She sounds very proud showing off her destined career in her group.
Logan's eyes open wide at the casual cursing from the enchanting woman in front of him. "I do have one question. I am thankful to you for taking care of her, I've had her since I was a boy and she was a kitten. How exactly did you come across her? We are a long way from home..." Logan shivers a little bit as an unnatural cold comes over him, his eyes spring open as he tries his best to turn around, but he is too late. "L..." Is all he is capable of getting out before being taken to the ground.
He squirms and struggles against his attacker giggling the whole time. "I missed you too! But don't do this in front of the others." Logan pleads to his best friend who currently has him pinned. He continues to giggle until Leign decides to make it hurt just a little bit as he stretches Logan's arms in ways they aren't supposed to go. "I give, mercy my lord, mercy." His laughter replaced with grunts of pain. The ice cold assailant releases his grip on Logan standing up as the boy rolls over onto his back.
A disappointed look is all Logan is met with, after a moment of silence Leign offers Logan a hand. Logan accepts gripping his friends hand with a smile on his face. Standing up Logan begins to wipe the dust and dirt from his back, only noticing too late that Leign hasn't let go of his hand. Before Logan can react Leign rest his sheathed sword on the inside of Logan's right elbow the tip of the scabbard on his throat.
Leign with a quick movement uses the weapon and Logan's momentum to flip the boy. Logan crashes with a thud, and a pained groan. "You're rusty, milord." Leign taunts, as Logan quickly pulls himself up now twice as embarrassed by the display Leign put on. Logan goes for a grab of his own, only to be effortlessly countered and flipped to the ground again harder this time. Logan begins having a coughing fit as he lands on his back. The wind was knocked out of him and his head was dizzy. Shouting can be heard as well as the clash of steel. A fight seems to have broken out, the voices were familiar but Logan couldn't place them.
Then he feels cold, and intense cold. "LEIGN!" He screams in his head, someone was attacking Leign. Logan sits up turning towards his friend seeing him and Rania engaged in battle. It seems Leign had used his ice magic freezing the ground around him. Logan was unsure if Rania was caught in it or not. "Leign! Stand down!" He orders with an authority his new companions have never seen. "Rania! You too!" He was unsure how long the two were engaged in combat for, but it had to be at least a minute. "Rania, this man is Leign." Logan stands himself up and approaches the young warrior. "He is my best friend and bodyguard. We had become separated for a time, and this is how he shows how happy he is to see me." Logan smiles wrapping his arm around Leign's shoulders, showing that they are indeed close friends. "Leign, this is Rania. She...she's sort of a..." Logan's face gets a little red trying to come up with the words. "She's like a second mother to me. She keeps me out of trouble, protects me, and is training me as a hunter. You two should get along well, you both are cruel taskmasters." He chuckles at his joke trying to clear the air.
Meanwhile.
Armore stood with Hugo helping him set up the camp. "Isn't this nice?" His voice dripping with sarcasm. "Surrounded by freaks and outcast, and we are still segregated from them." He shrugs as he begins to load wood into the fire. "It'll be nice. You and me again. No rats, no 'prisoners'..." Armore's voice trails off, as if he has more to say waiting for Hugo to give me an opening to say it. Hugo remains silent, as he always does. The man used few words even when he was talkative. "Why didn't you smush these guys? Why are we escorting these bandits? It seems out of character for you. So...what aren't you telling me? The human bossed you around when he came to our camp too...he got some dirt on you? You can tell me all your embarrassing secrets, you owe me that at least." As the weather begins to cool with the sun starting to go down, Armore's attitude has improved drastically.
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Post by DodoDestroyer on Aug 12, 2020 13:04:04 GMT
Rania had to hand to Edwin again. Even to a pride of Nikquel whose culture and customs are little to be known, he speaks glowingly and pays the right respects to their people. Of course, she had no concerns that he wouldn't be able to convince them they are not a threat, let alone share camp grounds with them. Their terms however, is that the Corpan blood keep their distance. As harmless of the group's intent to the pride may be, the history of Corpa is a ruthless and bloody one that people do not forget. Especially the free spirited Nikquel. Some trades were made out of good will and further convincing from Edwin and the agreement was made. The Roe was grateful that this end was a bloodless one. As the rest mingled with the shapeshifters, Rania kept her distance and unpacked their inventory for the night. The mask remained to conceal her features, to which sparked some curious looks and whispers from Nikquel pups. One of which was ushered a little in force to approach the Roe. Rania cast a glance to the youngling but no more than that before returning. The people here are extremely protective over their kin, tenfold with pups. Best not to do anything to scare them.
Then came a lot of questions from the kid. He had pulled the short straw amongst his friends to sate their collective curiosities. "Why do you wear that mask?" Was the first shot of his barrage. "To stay hidden." She responds as she's unpacking. Perhaps if Rania feeds their curiosity, they will go away faster than if she did not. "Hide from what?" Came another. The kid's tone was casual without a hint of nerves. This one didn't get the stranger danger talk... "People." Comes another answer, keeping it short and sweet in hopes this limits the amount left he could ask. "But I can see you." Kid is also a smartass, looking particularly proud of themselves for that one... That reminds her of a certain somebody... "But you can't see my face. I could be anyone and you would never know." She quips back and then the kid begins to understand a little bit. "So... you're like a ninja? A shadow person that disappears?" This question makes her huff in a tiny bit of amusement through her nose. "Yeah, I guess so." falsely confirming his assumption, which was the right answer as the pup's eyes light up and rushes back over to his friends, overloaded with excitement to tell them what he found out. Rania watches the rascal return for a bit with a small amused smile hidden behind the mask, then return to her unpacking duties.
This task was interrupted however, when her sharp ears catch a sound that strikes her full attention. Pained groans and coughing... recognising small details to identify it as Logan. Her ears follow those sounds, guiding her eyes to his location. She locates him, being assaulted by an unknown human. He throws Logan hard onto the ground after he tries to defend himself with a grapple but is swiftly reversed. He's exposed and vulnerable, which triggers Rania into action and darts over there as fast as her nimble movement propels her. Usually, she would take a shot with her bow from afar but that risks the Nikquel, or possibly angering them. So she closes the distance and attacks the human's flank. His focus is still on Logan, allow her to grab hold of his wrist and shoulder to throw him down to the ground and grab the attention. She executes the takedown, but the assailant shows quick reflexes. His rolls with her momentum and twists his body so that his feet touch dirt instead of his back. Worst still, he is also able to break her grip and make distance from this new threat and reacts fast into a counterattack. The man summons a wickedly sharp shard of ice in his hand and swings for the throat, intent to eliminate her fast. Rania brings up her hand to meet his wrist to bring the swing to a halt, batting it away while her free hand unsheathes her hunting knife. She aims low with the opening of his defences, but the attack deflected away in a similar manner and pushed back to create some distance once more. The commotion has attracted the attention of the Nikquel who instead of stopping the fight, allow it to continue with them as audience. The folk view trial by combat as a tradition, though they may not have caught up to realise the two fight with killer instinct. Rania uses this small breathing room to unsheathe a second blade and ready herself... This one is formidable..
Leign narrowly eyed the second blade, encasing his own off hand bracer in a thick ice in a form of armor. He lunges forward using the ice to block an incoming blade and parry with the other hand letting the ice blade shatter in a stinging cold mist, stepping into a sweeping kick. He couldn't draw his long sword such close quarters and a split second to reach for it would be costly. Leign hadn't fought a Roe Lian before her reach was long and swipes nearly snap like whips with the speed of those thrusts. He thought the same as his opponent: this would be a difficult battle. Rania's mask shields her face from the worst of the sudden cold mist, keeping her vision clear and she can anticipate the next attack. the sweep kick comes in to trip her balance, she jumps the sweep and delivers a roundhouse kick to the neck all within the same momentum. He ducks the blow, Rania keeping the flow of offensive with one slash of her blade followed by the second in a flurry of swift attacks. That ice magic is problematic.. He formed the armour over his bracer in the small breathing room from before and can create shards in a split second. Forcing him on the defensive grants far less time to recover more ice. Leign caught onto this and if he was kept locked down in the barrage of attacks, the kill would go to his opponent. He has had enough and uses his magic to a much higher capacity. A blast of cold extends outwards using himself as the point of origin. Moisture and air freeze almost instantly, the ground becoming ice and the glittering of snowflakes form and fall around the two.
Rania was presented with two choices and their outcomes: Make distance fast or stay put and risk being rooted by the ice, the former more appealing for survival. She kicks back and retreats to a safer distance, the blast spreading only in Leign's close surroundings to avoid collateral likely... the clothing of her arm turns white with frost after narrowly being caught in it the edges of the magical attack. Sting of cold bites into her skin, but Rania keeps her focus for her opponent has put himself in danger. Ranged combat is where the Roe excels. She twists around and crouches to one knee facing her opponent once more, all the while retrieving her bow and notching an arrow in one fluid motion. She takes a half second to aim, taking care to avoid collateral as well, before letting the arrow sail. Elaktihm's arrow seeks with purpose. It thirsts for the carotid artery of Leign's neck. In that half second and the sweet mercy of distance, Leign has drawn his long sword and with a snap swing, the arrow meets blade and sliced in twain. A small trickle of blood runs down his neck where the sharp point scrapped against the skin after cut. It felt strange, like the destroyed projectile bended it's path and made one last attempt to hit it's mark before falling to the ground uselessly.
Rania has notched another arrow as Leign braces his legs to lunge for his own attack... before a voice calls out to stop, then throws himself in the path of their battle. Rania's combat focus snaps and breaks as Logan would be in the path of her arrow, memories of a grave and similar mistake from before comes to mind that falters her precision. That hesitation saves a life. Her hand was ready to loose the arrow milliseconds too late and it would have struck Logan as his obstruction met the moment he stepped into line, but the hesitation gripped her bowstring firmly and held it steady. "Logan move!" She commanded him, the idiotic boy threw himself into danger once more! Though her keen hearing lets no sound go unnoticed, hearing her boy order the enemy to stand down... to her surprise, he does so after a second of consideration but keeps the sword drawn. Rania takes two seconds to consider, before relaxing Elaktihm's bowstring and points the arrow downwards. Logan makes introductions of the two, which come across incredibly awkward after they fought to the death. "What sort of 'bodyguard' attacks their patron without provocation or reason?" She criticises after introductions are made, still highly suspicious. "And why do you *have* a bodyguard to begin with?... I swear Logan, if this is another secret you're throwing me in the middle of..." She warns him, trailing off so he can imagine the consequences for himself.
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Post by Alexodia on Oct 31, 2020 22:47:28 GMT
He'd been travelling for days, but that wouldn't stop him. Nothing would stop him from reaching his target. And he was getting close.
Over the years, the Icra had travelled through almost every conceivable terrain with his Mother and come out victorious, and this wasn't the first time he had ever travelled without her, either. His Mother had beamed with pride and told tales on more than one occasion about the Icra's tracking and hunting potential; the beast could smell a rat from a continent away, and whilst he did not have the physical strength to compete with other beasts his size, his speed and mobility did more than its fair share of work to close the gap. As a result of being a special mutation of his particular species, his saliva contained a paralytic toxin capable of rendering almost all humanoid species immobile after only a small amount enters an open wound. Icra as standalone animals were among the most dangerous in the world, and all of these traits compounded made this particular Icra a very dangerous force indeed. Especially to their target.
The timeline had proceeded as usual; his Mother had given him a piece of clothing, or what seemed like a piece of clothing, covered in the scent that She wished the Icra to track, stressing the importance of this mission's success and giving him ample attention before sending him on his way. As much as he loved his Mother and missed her immensely, the Icra adored these long-distance missions. The freedom, the ample freedom and the chance to explore and fight on his way to his destination before he hurried back provided a sense of primal freedom that the Icra did not get to experience as much as he would like to. It would be so easy to reach his destination part-way and choose the chance to live on his own for the rest of his days. Yet it was a thought that the Icra barely even entertained, no matter how close he got to his target. His Mother had been there for him since his birth; caring for him, nurturing him, and carving out a place in his heart that not even ultimate freedom would manage to replace. Indeed, the very thought horrified the Icra to no end, every night he had to spend away from his Mother causing him to curl up tightly in his shelter and dream of the moment that his mission was completed and he could return home. But, as the beast recognised with a heavy heart, tonight was not yet that night. Tonight, rather, would be the night that his target would be found.
Despite feeling his heart swell up with joy once he recognised the scent of the clothing and knew whom his target was going to be at first, the beast had spent most of the last day wary of the location in which he had found himself; the beast had found himself in more than one showdown and even a battle, which was to be expected in the heart of Nikquel country. Beasts similar to himself but of a different nature, the Icra had managed to handily outmaneuver every Nikquel that had attempted to chase him down during the day, but even he could not be on the move forever and he still found himself in Nikquel country no matter where he followed the scent, if anything going deeper and deeper into the Beastrealm. But his quarry would be revealed soon; he was sure of it. The scent was getting stronger and stronger, he no longer had to slow down to focus on the direction of the scent. So focused was the Icra on the increasing nearness of his quarry that it took him longer than it should have to fully acknowledge the hundreds of other scents right next to his quarry. The Icra hissed; he was hoping that the close proximity of the hundreds of Nikquel and the scent of his quarry was a coincidence, that one group was merely close to the other but not right on top of each other. No such luck, a realisation that made the Icra pick up speed and coil their muscles closely together in rage; how dare these beasts seek to enslave his quarry! Were they saving him for a later meal? No such luck for them! Whatever the situation, the Icra would save them. The bonds of the brood surpassed all.
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Coming up upon the hundreds of Nikquel did not take long at all; his quarry was inside their congregation, the Icra could sense it. Getting too close would mean giving himself away, and moving too quickly would destroy any attempts at concealing his presence and masking his scent. But the Icra was a predator. And the one thing that separated predators from prey...was patience. Moving around the camp took several minutes, watching and observing, hidden in the trees and the foliage and keeping his body low to the ground. Even if the Nikquel smelled him, he had concealed his presence enough that they would not be able to pinpoint his location before he had moved on. Round he went, checking every bit of the camp he could find with his eyes and filling in the gaps with his nose, becoming more and more confused. He wasn't here? But surely he was! He smelled him inside, he had to be there! The Icra had unmistakably pinpointed his scent inside the camp. Until...
The scent started to drift away from him. Slowly but surely, the scent made its way out of the camp...and started travelling to another clearing, less than two hundred metres away. A low hiss escaped the Icra; so his quarry was definitely here. Some of the other cloth and equipment that bared his scent was inside the camp or had spent a long time inside the camp, yet his quarry was not. His investigation was done here, the Icra concluded. It was time to investigate the other clearing.
When the Icra first poked his head through an opening of the foliage to look into the clearing, his heart was initially filled with joy. There was his quarry! His Mother's brood in the flesh, his scent filling the Icra's nostrils! Yet, at the exact same time, more unfamiliar scents filled his nostrils and different forms struck his eyes. His body moving low to the ground in instinctive caution, the Icra looked more closely to see three Nikquel. Three young Nikquel in beast form. Three young Nikquel in beast form, two of which had pinned his brood down to the ground and were attempting to be pushed off, the third pulling on his brood's leg with their sharp teeth!
Almost immediately, the Icra's caution and concern vanished and were quickly replaced with searingly protective, all-encompassing rage. How dare these beasts try to harm his Mother's brood; so that's what they were doing! They were keeping him here to eat him later, to deprive the Icra of his family in pursuit of their own desires! No sooner had the Icra's eyes widened that he let out an extremely aggressive, blood-curdling roar, bolting from the foliage as fast as he possibly could towards the soon-to-be-dead Nikquel.
The three youthful beasts looked up in surprise, as did his brood, but the Icra's superior speed rendered their surprise worthless; before they even had the chance to gather their wits, the Icra was upon them, crashing into the two Nikquel pinning his brood with enough force to uproot a tree. As the Nikquel toppled, the Icra lunged in the direction of the closest Nikquel and, with lightning speed, closing his jaw around the youthful Nikquel's neck and biting down hard. Feeling the toxins make their way into the Nikquel's wounds accompanied with the spurts of blood and the terrified, painful whine of a youthful Nikquel facing mortal danger without its mother, the Icra used the momentum of their movement to throw the Nikquel in the direction of their tumble, barely stopping to watch as the injured Nikquel tumbled even further away, the telltale signs of the toxins already setting in and ensuring that they wouldn't get up again. That Nikquel hadn't even stopped moving before the Icra turned his attention to the second Nikquel that had attempted to take his brood away from him. This Nikquel had been blessed with more time to react and had used such time to reel back in shock and fear, letting out an extremely loud whine of distress, confusion, and fear as it desperately backed up, trying to turn around to run away back towards the safety of its home.
No such luck. The Icra's speed was far superior to a fully grown, adult Nikquel; this pup barely managed to get three steps in the opposite direction before the Icra was upon it, refusing to let the beast get away and lunging out with immense speed and precision to close his jaws around one of the hind legs of the fleeing Nikquel. Blood once again drenched the inside of the Icra's mouth as the Nikquel howled in fear and pain, crashing to the ground as the Icra's toxin already began to take hold, the Nikquel's entire body stiffening up from the wound upwards and refusing to move how the Nikquel wanted it to, forbidding the beast from moving as the Icra was already upon its body, screaming an ear-shattering roar of furious, murderous intent. Serving as a warning to any that might hear.
The third Nikquel was already close to the edge of the clearing, well on its way back to camp. If the Icra wished, he could easily catch up to it before it even reached camp. But no matter; two was enough. He would finish off this beast, and then do whatever it took to get his brood to safety. Escaping the Nikquel would be child's play on his own, but it would be difficult to maintain maximum maneuverability with his brood on his back, especially considering the Icra's lack of knowledge of the terrain. But it mattered not; his Mother had entrusted him with this mission to protect her broodmate; he MUST make it back to her, complete his mission. But first, the Nikquel had to pay. Pay for its insolence. And pay it would, as the Icra widened his jaw to clamp down on the immobile Nikquel's neck to end its life once and for all.
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Post by Snoe on Jan 19, 2021 5:29:56 GMT
Leign was of an ill temper after Logan had pulled the reigns on this combat, the woman was a formidable creature. She was a threat yet the way Logan was behaving and the explanation that followed had him sheath his weapon while keeping a eye open and an ice knife in mind preparing against the worst. The rolling icy mist curling through the fingers of his off hand. The questions aired by the masked woman has Leign turn up his nose Logan had made his orders clear and in most situations Leign was to obey them unless they were suicidal... this situation was riding that line. He hesitated to answer her question merely eyeing her as Logan played diplomat. “It is my duty to protect him and ensure that he is able to protect himself, my attack has proven he hasn’t been training.” Coldly stating this to the ‘mother’ figure Logan has found for himself.
Looking here and there Leign stopped to scan for the source of this trouble in the first place, but the reptile was nowhere in sight. “Where is ‘she’?” Leign looked at Logan as if checking his condition while awaiting an answer to his question. A quiet little voice from behind a tent and a singular waving hand responded “Hi Leign!”
Sully was hiding a little from the bodygaurd realizing the old mistake she’d made forgetting the message she was to deliver... She scurried out and hid behind Logan. A quick rush of muttered apologies, and recounting almost their entire adventure in the span of 30 seconds. “Sooooo ummmm how was your trip?” Shyly turning the question over to Leign.
“You... forgot... *sigh It’s not out of the question with you... it will not happen again.” Meaning as he was not going to leave Logan’s side for the forseeable future. “I’ve been tailing you two and the trail of destruction and mischief left behind.”
“We had alot of fun you shouldve been there-” She stops barely after when she should have.
“Yes, I should have been there.” That was when the two both began to torment and argue with one another. Leign would put a blunt point down and Sully would play innocently and adorably while sidestepping into another well thought out excuse. They weren’t going to stop this bickering till someone else would.
********* Elsewhere
The night in and of itself wasn’t much of an isssue, the Nikquel were as hospitable as any other race in terms of Corpa, Hugo brushed off the obvious and simply kept to the stated rules of the encampment, there was no need of a fight. Truth be told he wasn’t sure how well they’d do while painfully outnumbered and that’s without considering the wasted life of such a conflict. He thought this idly while seated in the sand next to Klaws leaning up against the lizards bulk with his own. The sun generously falling from the sky and the evening chill of the desert began to creep in a welcome chill for his kin, Armore may actually stop complaining for a moment or two, a thought that made him smirk.
And then Armore started again, Hugo letting him speak for a while to get to the point of why he was talking. Hugo appreciated the fact that Armore was enjoying this partnership evidence being the slight jealousy of Precious ruining there working relationship... that said the girl while helpful was a bit too adventurous though her grandfather seemed to give her a good deal of leniency. Truth of it they’re has probably been a daily scrying attempt on them since Precious tagged along.
The point of questioning why they took these prisoners alive Hugo tilted his head to meet Armore’s gaze, why he chose to spare or risk these strangers and take them long with them. It was a reasonable question to which Hugo was wondering when it would be asked “The boy, he’s of nobility also he’s playing host to a creature I’m not certain I can kill on my own.” Hugo admitted honestly and as succinctly as he could “He made a request and I am entertaining it.” Again being very honest, then there was a cunning glint in his own eye “We don’t have an advantage I’d risk out here, but with Grandfather Talon and his men we are free to make a better judgement, and if I know that One-eyed trickster he’ll want to see this magical beast.” Hugo had spoken more here than he usually does all day, but he got like that when he was talking strategy and combat, and this whole trip he’d been weighing the value and risk as they went along. If Armore was unsure before, he knew now that Hugo has been measuring each moment ready to cut these newcomers loose should the risk they pose outgrow any benefit. These Nikquel proved a saving grace as the strangers secured safe passage that Corpa would not have been granted.
As the night moved on, some of the younger near adolencent Nikquel approached the Corpan camp outside the main camp, curious of Klaws and the giant that rode the beast. Eagre to rove their young strength, Hugo rising in the cool air of the evening greeting them with respect and reading their intent “Do wish a test of skill?” The three big cats nod in turn “This is to be a light sparring match then and Cundeterra.” The bigger of the three challenged the comment “Cundeterra sparring means I don’t break your bones or taste your flesh... a ‘clean’ fight... in common tongue.”
With the rules stated and the ring drawn, Hugo pulled a thick quarter staff from the wagon and invited one of the pups to spar with him in the desert ring. They were powerrful creatures even the young but they lacked a few fundamentals in controlling the fights and their own balance, even though he could see how these creatures are to be respected in combat, especially out in the open plains and deserts.
It wasn’t until he was fighting the eldest did Hugo notice something incoming with teeth and rage. Hugo turned to Klaws and whistled hard as the strange Icra barged into this sparring match, and familiar breed and coloration. Klaws shook himself awake and charged at the smaller breed, Hugo in tandem moved to grapple its head and pry the jaw off the youngling when Klaws barrelled into the beast. Knocking it into a roll, dust flying Klaws moving to pin but remaining calm as the familiar scent of an unruly child filled the older Icra’s senses, Hugo called out to Armore “Get Sully and Precious we’ve got injured.” Before Hugo charged a push spell to the point of lethality as he moved to the beast that introduced this chaos... only to see the saddle and the creautre more clearly “Giorno.” He says to get the beast’s attention and deliver and ‘calm’ order spoken in High-Corpan. Klaws sitting back on his haunches as Giorno now ‘should’ if Lilith had trained the thing properly that is.
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Post by Deaths on May 24, 2021 0:55:19 GMT
"No shit? That little guy could beat you in a fight? Damn! He must be really strong...Good to know." Armore let out a whistle in amazement. "Guess one eye will decide their fates. Nothing more that can be done, besides I like the Roe. She keeps to herself and knows what she's doing. Much better than most of the trash you pick up." He sets up their tents for the night before noticing so of the young Nikquel surrounding Hugo. Armore doesn't think much of it as he goes about his chores.
Then the party really begins a wild Irca comes charging from the surrounding environment. Armore's eyes look for more since they usually hunt in packs but only sees one. It was an ambush as it the Irca attacks one of the Nikquel prompting Hugo to defend them. Klaws gets involved and so does Armore though he is too late to react. The chaos is over as Hugo stops the attack but there lies some wounded. Armore hears his orders and takes off looking for Sully and Precious. Sully was easy enough to find, she stood arguing with a human so Armore cuts in between them. "Sully! Go to Hugo there's been an injury and we need your magic!" He relays the message and speeds off in an attempt to find Precious.
Logan began to hide a bit behind Leign from Rania's glare. "You have to understand it another secret...I'm nobility. Leign was assigned to me by my father. He is to protect me and instruct me in the way of combat. He takes his job rather seriously." Logan snakes a hand around Leign's showing a deeper connection between the boys. "We've been friends since we were children and he would defend me with his life. He gets a bit rough when I get lazy though...so in a way he's a lot like you."
Armore rushes over and gets Sully to head to the edge of the camp to help. Logan uses the confusion to make his escape. "I'll go help too, you two play nice now." He lets go of Leign's hand and runs away, no matter how hard they try he always gets away. He slips into the camp and finds a few of the Nikquel playing music and dancing around a small fire. He watches longingly as if he wants to dance to, but is too nervous to enter the ring. He stands idly by watching the others engage in fun as he looks on awkwardly standing there watching.
Elsewhere in the woods, a small hunter traverses the land. They move through the trees trying to find a source of food. Their stomach grumbles their throat dry. Loud was in dire straits and they knew that. Then the smell of fire picks up, meat was being cooked it was spiced as well a rare treat. Loud followed the smell until they found a camp, many people stood around laughing, talking, and fighting. Irca were there as well and a large being Loud has never seen before. They would wait until night fall, sneak in and steal food. It was lowly to have to steal instead of hunt, but Loud was desperate and getting to the point of exhaustion. They found a nice tree to hide out in, they sit motionless hiding themselves from the world, only an expert hunter would find them and that's if they were even searching to begin with. The thoughts of food dream in their head causing them to drool slightly.
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Post by DodoDestroyer on Jun 3, 2021 21:55:17 GMT
"Are you fucking-" Rania begins as Logan reveals yet another big secret he kept hidden from her. She stops short, holding a hand to the mask in what wold be a facepalm. "Clearly you have failed your training." She says in a snide manner, having observed how easily he was taken down. "You need work. One day you'll get ambushed for real and feel your own mortality." She reprimands. "And don't compare me to *him*." Her tone is cold as her combatant's ice. The Roe never trusts easy, even less so for a total stranger who believes he can just manhandle her charge, guardian duty be damned.
Before she can further scold him, a commotion breaks out that Nikquel children have been assaulted by a wild lizard. Logan as slick as ever, uses this as an excuse to get away. "Logan you little-" She calls after his cowardice but he's gone before she finishes. She looks at Leign for a moment, scoffs indignantly and heads over to the sight where the injured are. She only knows the very basic first aid, but she can help kill the feral animal if it's still a problem. Meanwhile, Precious is curiously looking around the camp and staying out of sight. The new folk worked hard to make peace with the tribe, so she refrains from picking up and fiddling with their belongings. Her immense curiosity isn't tamed though and explores the area. But somebody sees her, Armore speeding right in front of her. It gives her a fright and a short scream, before frowning at the mean gesture. What she expected next was more verbal abuse, but this time Armore is dead serious. He tells her to go to Hugo, people are hurt. It's Precious' turn to move more serious hearing others are hurt. She just nods before the feral girl leaps back up and darts over to Hugo's little camping area.
Back on the scene, Hugo and his mount are dealing with another Icra. Smaller than Hugo's, but no less dangerous and appeared to be in a bestial rage. Rania nocks two arrows on her bow and takes aim, seeking to blind the Icra and make the task of putting it down much easier. Before she fires, Hugo yells at her to halt. She holds her string steady, more that she is absolutely perplexed he doesn't want this monstrosity dead. Nonetheless, she holds her aim. One wrong move, she takes matters in her own hands. Shortly after Rania has secured an assist, Precious and Sully are on the scene. Seeing the injured Nikquel younglings, her heart worries so while retrieving her tarot deck. She soothes serious wounds and counteracts paralyzing venom while Sully sets up a healing spa for them to recover in after. The duo are making the medical treatment quicker than any other method. It is after Precious has healed all the grevious injuries she notices who it is that is being restrained... "Giorno!" She calls, somewhat gleefully at the sight of the beloved Icra. She has encountered the lizard a couple of times, all of them of her smothering him in unconditional love. Precious comes a bit closer, trying to tempt Giorno into play, which in turn will calm his aggressive attacks.
Some more Nikquel arrive to assist if needed, seeing that their young are in good hands. One being Valerie, who is full of kin fury. She wants to get involved and help incapacitate the attacker and seek brutal justice, but she is denied by the stronger Nikquel. They have the wisdom to acknowledge that Hugo's commanding order towards the unknown Icra says that he is trying to calm the beast and prevent it attacking further while the younglings are still out in the open. Valerie's heated temper has her blind to this. The denial to help her own kin only angers her further, but she can do little against it. The young kitten storms off, pissed off that she is once again being treated as a child even in a situation where she can help. If not help defend, she could heal the wounded if there were any leftover...
Valerie arrives back at the main campsite, sulking. Her hot headedness needs cooling down before she can think straight again. Her favoured hobby to do this is to dance. So she dances and flows with the music of her pride, blowing off steam through her movements. Her eyes are closed as she moves arm, legs and body to the rhythm and song. The younglings are in good hands... the two strangers and their healing techniques are slower in mending but can administer swifter than Valerie's scrawls. The Icra too was restrained for the most part. In truth, Valerie wasn't needed at all. But that fact is what makes her feel most sour. Her emotions are intense, yet to be tempered by wisdom. She sighs and opens her eyes, able to see the picture in full now. Even if she doesn't like the picture. The first thing she sees is the polite human boy. The one who rushed her for the owlcat. He stands awkwardly, watching the dancers move and have fun. It's clear he wants to join in but can't make the initiative. Valerie smirks and catches his eye, beckoning him over with a finger. Outsider he might be, Valerie is feeling spiteful to her elder's cautions. Besides, the human is rather cute.
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