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Resting For a Bit; [P]
Topic Started: Fri May 8, 2009 5:57 pm (1,155 Views)
swordhunter
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"This is absolutely ridiculous," Aiden muttered as he struck the two pieces of flint together in frustration. Night was quickly approaching and yet, he had been unable to start a fire for the past half an hour. "When did I get so bad at this?" Aiden said as he abandoned his efforts and laid back on the thick grass. A gentle breeze blew along the lake's edge and rustled the leaves in nearby trees as the sun continued to set in the west.

Aiden quickly snapped himself from his lazy mood and began working to start a fire again. He knew that if night fell without a source of light, he'd be easy prey for the wild animals of the wood. Then again, it'll make it easy for bandits to spot me, he thought. Despite the latter thought, he continued to strike the flint together over the bed of dry twigs and tinder. This time, he had better luck as a few stray sparks fell onto the dry tinder and began to smoke.

"Finally!" he exclaimed as he bent low and blew the small fire into a decent campfire. As he admired his handiwork, he ate what remained of his food supplies--mostly berries and other fruit. Once he finished eating, Aiden took off his cloak and folded it into a neat bundle. He then unbuckled his sword belt and placed the sheathed blade on top of his cloak. Finally, he sat back down on the grass and leaned back, admiring the last glimmers of daylight in the sky.

"I'll start moving again tomorrow," Aiden muttered as he closed his eyes for a few minutes. "I'm sure the bandits can wait until then. . ."
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Yaksha
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As Aiden began to attempt lighting a fire, another figure could be seen moving through the forest towards his cries of exasperation. The scent of death clung to him like a tight fitting suit, and he held a pair of daggers in his hands that dripped crimson blood, leaving a trail behind him. He heard the cry of a man not too far away, and noticed a dim light sprout into existance. A soft noise issued from his dark hood, one that was almost drowned out by the soft rustling of leaves against his cloak. He stood completely still for a minute, before he took a single step upward, though none was there, as if he had just stepped onto a stair of pure wind.

The figure began to walk towards the fire at a brisk jog now, his voice drifting to the fire cooly, sounding jovial and friendly. "Wenn unsre Schädel eins ins Leere glotzen sieht man uns nicht an, Wer Sieger, wer Verlierer war, wer armer oder reicher Mann, Was wir dann sind ist ungewiss, wahrscheinlich bleibt nur Finsternis..." By now, a figure could be seen walking into the clearing, impossibly tall, a head over 7 feet. He peered down at Aiden, his voice soft and emotionless, almost carried away by the breeze. "Do you fear death, child? Are you ready to face your maker in this world?" He drew the blades forward now, a soft ringing noise issuing as the vlades touched. "Death walks in these woods tonight, child. It'd be in your interest to appease him." The cloaked figure sat by the fire, somehow managing to hover several inches off the ground as he crossed his legs. "Surely you can share your fire for a bit."

(To those interested in the english translation of the above: When our skulls will stare into emptiness, No one will see who was a loser, who a winner, who was a poor or rich man, what we are then is unknown, probably there's nothing but darkness...)
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swordhunter
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Aiden hardly moved as he heard the soft snaps of twigs underfoot. Someone was clearly nearby, but Aiden decided against quick movements. Better to let them come to me, he thought as he slowly moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. A sudden light breeze blew across the lake, providing just enough cover noise for an approach. Aiden silently counted off the seconds it would take to move from the tree line to his makeshift campsite as he planned his counterattack.

When enough time had passed, Aiden slowly looked towards the treeline--and drew back as he spotted what was clearly a monster. The figure was clearly over seven feet tall, wrapped in an imposing cloak and with at least two blades clearly visible at his hip. The imposing figure was chanting words, indecipherable to Aiden, that carried on the light breeze as he continued to approach. As the man approached, he looked down at Aiden with a stare that could kill.

Do you fear death, child? Are you ready to face your maker in this world? the figure asked as it continued to approach. Aiden heard little else as his mind went into overdrive, trying to come up with either an attack plan...or an escape route. Aiden quickly decided on the later, drawing his sword and standing quickly. I won't try to fight, Aiden thought, moving slowly towards the treeline, It's best to put distance between us for the time being. Maybe I can get back to the village for help before he makes any serious attack.

However, before Aiden could carry out his plans, he was dragged from his thoughts as the figure began to hover in mid-air. And then, perhaps most surprising of all, he spoke again.

Surely you can share your fire for a bit.

Aiden's jaw slackened as he considered the request. Whether he liked it or not, he was clearly at a disadvantage here. Evidently, this man had more magical power than he did and was certainly adept enough to use it effectively. So, after considering his choices, Aiden made a gamble and pointed his sword towards the ground. Plunging the point into the soft earth, Aiden then backed away slowly with his hands raised.

"Very well," he said, "I suppose sharing a fire isn't completely out of the question. Assuming you don't try to make me 'face my maker' or something like that. . ."
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Yaksha
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The figure laughed heartily as Aiden spoke, as if he had said a particularly good joke, and hadn't simply been speaking out of fear. "I respect two things in this world, my child. I respect those who can face certain demise and stand their ground, and those who share what they have with others." He leaned forward now, the flame chasing away the shadows inside the hood, and revealing a man of about 30 smiling at him. His eyes were a warm hazel that seemed to swim with friendship, and he seemed the sort of man that could find anything funny.

His hair was raven black, and as he pulled off the hood, it became easy to see that it was quite long, easily cascading past his shoulders. He looked around the clearing, and then rose quickly, his form still seeming inhumanely tall. He strode towards the foliage, his voice genial and almost mesmerizing. "Give me 5 minutes and we'll have some real food. I hope you like wolf." He ducked underneath a branch, seeming to vanish into the trees quickly.

Not too far away, a soft baying could be heard as a pack of wolves found some prey, presumably the stranger. There was a rusting noise as one of the wolves lept at its target, and a snarl that quickly degenerated into a yelp of horrified pain, and a meaty thump. The familiar voice drifted to him, almost taunting him. "Three wolves, and one wounded...this is going to be difficult. But I always relish a challenge..." He chuckled merrily, and then all noise seemed to cease as he drew his blades, the ring of steel drowning out all else.
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swordhunter
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I respect two things in this world, my child. I respect those who can face certain demise and stand their ground, and those who share what they have with others.

In all honesty, Aiden had no earthly idea how to respond to this strange, yet imposing figure. So far, he hadn't seemed too threatening...besides the levitation and stuff. But there was just something off about the entire thing. Why does he keep calling me child? Aiden thought, keeping his eyes on the man, but relaxing visibly. Surely he can see that I'm an elf. He can't be much older than me...unless he too isn't human.

Aiden continued to consider the man, even as he suddenly got up and headed towards the nearby foliage. He suddenly declared that he would be back with food within a few minutes and then charged off into the forest.

"Wolves?" Aiden muttered, "He actually eats them?" The ranger could only shake his head at the the idea as he retrieved his sword, wiped off the dirt, and resheathed the blade. Apparently, he wouldn't be needing it after all. Instead, the strange figure's departure gave the elf a chance to reconsider his options.

I could make a break for it, Aiden thought, The village is in the other direction and we'd likely never cross paths again. This is perhaps my only chance to put distance between us. However, Aiden couldn't bring himself to move, despite any potential danger he might be in. Whether the man was strange or not, he seemed friendly enough. And anyone who was kind enough to give away free food was a friend in Aiden's book. So, instead of fleeing his makeshift camp, Aiden instead blew on the small fire and added more wood until it became a roaring flame.

"That wolf had better taste good," Aiden muttered to himself as he left to get more branches, leaves, and twigs to put on the flame. . .
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Yaksha
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The man returned, several long gashes across his cheek, and a large bite mark on his arm. He dragged a wolf's carcass behind him, a second wolf dragging one of his own in its mouth, legs moving clumsily as it slid across the earth. A muffled growl escaped its muzzle, though it quickly stopped as a hand was placed on its flanks. It released the wolf's leg from its mouth, turning to look at the man as if it were simply a trained dog. The man crouched down, chuckling as the beast licked his face adoringly. "Good boy. You were the best, so it wouldn't be right to just kill you."

He looked back up at Aiden, pulling a knife from his cloak and lowering it to one of the slain wolves and slicing off a patch of fur. His words sounded joyous and free, almost ludicrous. "It'll be some time before I can get the fur off, and I don't have many spices on hand. But these wolves are at a good age, the meat will be plenty tender once we cook it." He wiped his hands on his cloak, quickly setting to work skinning both wolves, humming as he worked. As if it were an afterthought, he brought the dagger to his mouth, speaking slowly. "My name is Yaksha. I'm a necromancer."
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swordhunter
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Aiden said nothing as Yaksha sliced away the wolf's fur without much hesitation. Glad he's able to keep from barfing up his lunch, he thought, averting his eyes slightly from the sight.

My name is Yaksha. I'm a necromancer.

"Nice to meet you," Aiden replied, still keeping his eyes away from the sight of the wolf being shaved. "If you're a necromancer, I suppose that explains your dramatic entrance from earlier. But what on earth brings you all the way out here? Last time I checked, elves weren't very friendly towards those who animate the dead."

Aiden kept his voice calm and friendly, but he couldn't help but feel unease. He'd never met a good necromancer before...and the odds weren't good that Yaksha wasn't evil. Even so...Aiden didn't feel any particular threat coming from this rather strange traveler. If anything, there was a friendly aura that seemed somewhat inviting, if not kind. Either way, Aiden decided that he certainly wouldn't be making the first move. If this situation turned violent, it certainly wouldn't be because of him. Not to mention the fact that he'd never actually fought a necromancer before.

Hopefully it won't come to that, Aiden thought. He knew full well that if such a contest were to begin, he'd be hard pressed to win it. . .
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Yaksha
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Yaksha laughed, slicing a strip of meat off the wolf and wrapping it around his dagger. He held it over the flame, waiting for it to heat up enough. Finally, once the scent of sizzling meat had begun to drift to Aiden, he bit it off the blade carefully, not even noticing the large cuts that had formed on the sides of his mouth. He shut his eyes, shook his head, and pulled out a small pouch from his cloak. He poured some into his hand, a pile of spices lying in his palm. He sprinkled it carefully over the wolf's body, rubbing it in with a gentle smile on his face.

He chuckled softly, slicing another strip and then pouring more spices over the new meat. He held it over the flame again, the scent almost twice as tantalizing now. He held the dagger to Aiden this time, his eyes sparkling kindly. "Would you care to sample it this time? Good wolf meat is hard to come across, and I've only got the most basic spices. But still, food is food, eh?" He shrugged, the dagger quivering in his hand.
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swordhunter
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Aiden noticed that Yaksha never really answered the question of why he was in the forest to begin with. Perhaps he didn't actually hear me, Aiden thought, noticing that Yaksha was taking a rather large amount of pleasure from cutting off strips of wolf flesh. The sight was slightly revolting...but curious at the same time. Aiden had met few people who were able to hunt wolves successfully, and even fewer who dressed and ate the meat out in the open. Apparently, Yaksha wasn't afraid of anything lurking in the wild.

And why on earth would he be? Aiden thought, remembering his campmate's earlier entrance. Aiden continued to keep his silence as Yaksha prepared another piece of meat and added spices to it. Even Aiden could stop his stomach from growling at the rather pleasant smell.

As if reading his mind, Yaksha asked, "Would you care to sample it this time? Good wolf meat is hard to come across, and I've only got the most basic spices. But still, food is food, eh?"

"Why thank you," Aiden said politely. He grabbed a small cloth from his belt, reached forward, and pulled the meat from Yaksha's extended daggers. Abandoning further formality, Aiden ate the meat quickly, enjoying its surprisingly good taste. "Whatever you put on this, it's delicious," Aiden said, as he finished the small piece of meat. "I'm surprised that it cooks so quickly."

Aiden waited a few moments before speaking up again, "So, you never did say why you were out this far. Are you here on some sort of mission or journey? I've never actually seen a necromancer around these parts of the forest before. . ."
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Yaksha
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Yaksha shrugged, slicing off several more strips off wolf meat and waving towards the nearby trees. "Get me some sticks to put these on, would you? It'll be much easier to cook then." He smiled genially, and then returned to the wolf, its body already half stripped of meat as he finally spoke again. "My home is around here, so I suppose it may be a better question why YOU are out here so far. I live a few minutes' walk away, but I couldn't imagine you living nearby." He chuckled wryly, taking another bite of the wolf meat and nodding approvingly.

"The food will be ready in a few minutes. I can probably find us some berries if you want, but more likely than not they'd be poisonous." He shook his head, almost laughing at himself. "Isn't it great? I live in the middle of Norwood, and know next to nothing about nature. I really should start brushing up on things soon, I suppose..." He laughed at this, skewering another peice of wolf meat and placing it by the fire for Aiden.
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swordhunter
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"Bah," Aiden replied defensively. He hated when questions were turned back on him. "I live in Norwood village. My apologies for sounding so direct." Despite saying that, Aiden couldn't imagine such a man living in the forest...at least not with others living around him. To be honest, Aiden had never known a necromancer lived so close to the village all this time.

"The food will be ready in a few minutes.

Aiden nodded absently and stood slowly. "Then perhaps we should leave the berry gathering to me," he said laughingly. "While I probably don't have much more experience than you, I've learned how to get by without a lot of money...and that makes it necessary to find lots of berries." He chuckled as he picked up his sword and walked away from the camp. "I'll be back in a few minutes," Aiden called over his shoulder as he left the campsite behind and walked into the forest. . .



Just a few dozen yards from the campsite, a pair of armed rogues watched as the elf walked into the woods. Silently, they moved back, away from the camp. Now that the two companions had been separated, the time to attack was fast approaching. . .
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Yaksha
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Yaksha had finally finished skinning the first wolf, and he began to muse to himself as the meat slowly began to sizzle. Is he an enemy? He hasn't attacked yet, and he trusted me enough to eat the wolf. He was so lost in thoughts, his mind running over all the possible answers, he almost missed one of the rogues sneaking forward, no doubt trying to scout for them. However, the rogue stepped on a branch, causing it to snap underfoot, and for Yaksha to rise swiftly from his sitting position. His mind had been cleared of all other thoughts, and there was a serene smile as he switched into his other plane of sight.

He detected one human-shaped figure of white, no doubt the elf that he was sharing the fire with. However, another 2 could be seen nearby, one approaching the grove. He chuckled, closing his eyes long enough to switch back to his normal sight, and raising a hand. "If someone else would wish to partake of our meal, you would be welcomed, provided you can somehow make yourself useful." He waited for no response, turning back to check on the sizzling meat.
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swordhunter
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Aiden stooped before a rather small bush which held plenty of small berries. "What luck," he said softly as he began to pick a few. He quickly took off his cloak and used it as a makeshift basket as he filled it with plenty of the colorful berries. All the while, Aiden pretended not to notice the three pairs of eyes staring him down threateningly. Without looking away from the bush, Aiden began to formulate a plan.

There might be more that I can't see, he thought to himself, So I'll have to get these guys quick and be prepared to run. Otherwise, I'll be hit with whatever counterattack they might have set up. As his mind went through the possibilities, he cut a quick look at the position of one of the bandits. The man seemed like just a shadow, perching on a tree branch on the opposite side of the small clearing. He's first.

Standing up, Aiden pretended to tie his cloak together to hold the berries in place. In reality, he was dragging his sword out slowly. Pricking his finger on part of the exposed blade, Aiden quickly wiped the few drops of blood on both palms. He silently counted seconds before suddenly springing to his left. As he moved, he raised both hands and summoned two fireballs, shooting them almost immediately.

Aiden heard one of the bandits cry out in pain as he quickly changed direction and charged forward, drawing his sword as he ran towards the tree opposite the clearing. Without a word, the bandit dropped from the branch, his sword drawn to meet Aiden's headlong charge. . .



The two bandits approached Yaksha slowly, unsure of the man's offer. They both gave each other quick looks, apparently deciding to use the offer to their advantage. They had planned on simply raiding the small camp and taking whatever they found. If they earned their target's trust beforehand...well, that was just a bonus.

However, they didn't get very long to implement their plan. Within seconds of approaching the camp, they heard a sudden whooshing sound coming from deep within the forest. The two bandits interpreted the sound as the beginning of their attack on the small camp. They both hid smiles as they thought about the condition of the lone elf in the woods fighting against three trained bandits.

"We'd accept your offer," one of the bandits replied, "But I'm afraid we have more pressing business." Both bandits drew their daggers and charged forward, hoping to take Yaksha before he turned around. . .
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However, Yaksha's undead wolf lunged at one of the bandits, snapping and snarling quietly. The bandit toppled to the ground, stabbing his dagger into the wolf's side. Blood oozed forth lazily; without a beating heart, only gravity was dragging the blood out. As the second bandit approached, Yaksha's head craned backward, looking at the guard upside down as he gave a wicked grin. He waved a hand at him, causing his body to grow much heavier. He fell to the ground with a grunt, but managed to push himself back onto his hands and knees within a second. He turned to his ally, and spoke softly. "Take care of the wolf. I've got this guy for now."

The wolf continued to snap and drool on the thief's face, the stench of rot escaping its mouth as he held it just at bay. His knees came up, sliding beneath the wolf unnoticed as it continued to go for his throat. He finally managed to push up hard, sinking into the flesh with a rotten squealch and making a face of disgust as he pushed it aside. The wolf landed on its side, yipping softly before trying to rise on shaky legs. The guard descended upon it, grabbing his dagger and yanking it out.

As the wolf held the other banditd at bay, Yaksha dodged the bandit's stabs effortlessly, smiling serenely all the while. His face had turned a deep red as he began to grow angrier with each miss. "Can't you stand still for a couple seconds!?" He finally kicked out at Yaksha, a low sweeping kick that would've knocked him forward. However, Yaksha jumped up slightly, landing on the air with a smirk. "I'm afraid I can't. That'd much defeat the purpose of a fight." He kicked out calmly, his foot striking the bandit in the gut and causing him to step back, clutching his stomach. "However, I will give you a moment to catch your breath."
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swordhunter
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Aiden sagged against the tough bark of the tree, pretending to breathe heavily as his eyes darted left to right, searching for any sign of the remaining bandit. Aiden had assumed that his assault would be relatively quick, but he severely underestimated the apparent leader of the group. For just over five minutes, the two had been fighting, dodging, and running in a desperate battle for survival and leverage. However, those minutes of fighting had accomplished little.

Aiden had grown confident in the fact that if he could simply draw the bandit out, he could win in a one on one fight. But it seemed that the shadows of the trees provided the perfect cover for the bandit, an apparent master of stealthy movement. A shadow assassin perhaps, Aiden thought, his mind beginning to drift after not noticing any movement for a handful of seconds.

Suddenly, Aiden leapt forward and rolled, narrowly dodging the blade of a long knife as it sank into the bark of the tree. Where in the world did he come from!?! Aiden thought, bewildered as he quickly regained his footing and stood, his sword before him at the ready.

"I'll give you this, elf," the bandit called out. Aiden snarled as he waited for the man to continue, forced on the defensive as he could no longer locate his opponent. "I never expected a simple elf to give me this much trouble. I see now that you saw through our initial attack. But to dodge me for so long...you certainly have skill."

Aiden accepted the compliment with a grim smile as he appeared to close his eyes and drop his sword's guard. "Well thank you, ruffian," Aiden replied, "Then perhaps you'd do me the pleasure of at least telling me your name." Silent seconds passed as Aiden waited for the slightest hint of the next attack. He was almost lulled into a false sense of security again with the long silence, but that was quickly broken as leaves rustled behind him.

"To you, it's death, elf!" the bandit shouted as he leapt from the cover of the trees. Even though Aiden's dropped guard was clearly a ploy, the bandit couldn't ignore such a ripe opening-just as Aiden had hoped.

As the bandit leapt, Aiden's hands quickly moved to his sword. In one fluid movement, he twisted and brought his blade directly in front of him. The bandit, already in mid-leap, could do little to stop himself as he moved through the air. He stared in shock as Aiden's blade seemed to grow from his chest, blood drenching his front. The bandit's gaze met Aiden's eyes and widened as he noticed the elf still had his eyes closed.

"You're...too...predictable," Aiden said finally, emphasizing each word as he plunged his blade deeper into the bandit's chest. After a few seconds, his adversary's breathing came in gasps, then finally stopped all together. Aiden lowered his sword, allowing the bandit's body to slide off of the blade. Disgusted, he wiped it on the bandit's now limp form before sheathing his weapon. With a quick glance around him, Aiden could hear a loud howl in the night, coming from the direction of the campsite.

"Damn," he muttered to himself as he moved quickly back towards Yaksha and the camp. . .
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