Author: Wendell, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 2:12 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendell snorted. What a question! He almost laughed, instead smiling to himself, his back to the women. The pirate was a couple of inches short of six feet, Kes’tral three or four inches shorter still. He supposed Kes’tral was very tall for a woman, making them very similar heights. Of course there were stark differences. Kes’tral had striking eyes and high cheekbones, the blue of her eyes not quite as intense as his own, it was the fringe of thick, black lashes that really made her eyes stand out. She almost appeared cat-like, predatory.

The pirate himself was a brute of a man with long limbs and strong arms. Six years on a boat, climbing ropes and pulling anchor, had left him well-muscled. Though a season in the desert had undone some of his conditioning, if anything it had only seen his waistline shrink a little. His hair was dark and slick with oils, unwashed and dirty. Perhaps clean it might look lighter, one could imagine, but it was nothing like the platinum blond of Kes’tral’s long flowing hair. His beard too was thick, black at the roots and lighter at its ends, a strange copper in contrast. He appeared almost hidden under a mop of hair, long on top, long enough to tuck behind his ears. It had been cut short in the sides with a razor, one that had nicked the skin in a couple of places, leaving old hairline scars.

His skin was dark, having suffered years of punishment from the sun. He would not make a handsome old man one day, though Wendell doubted he would live that long. The crow’s feet at the edge of his eyes were prominent, smiling or not, the lines remained.

“Cousins,” he answered, before Kes’tral could get a word in. It wasn’t right to lie, he knew, but it seemed Kes’tral’s dry sense of humour had rubbed off on him.

He checked his compass. They were heading in the right direction.

“What about you, Attie?” Had he said the name right, he wondered, only having caught it on the wind. “Where are your from? What brings you to the plains?”

Author: Attie, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 10:06 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

"It's nice to meet you!" Attie said with a smile, "My name is Attie."

She continued to walk with the group and kept her eyes out for any of the monsters. Attie wondered why the two were travelling together. Although they seemed relatively nice, it didn't appear as though they liked each other. The Wendy guy was willing to leave his friend behind without a second thought and Kes didn't seem terribly bothered by that fact. Perhaps their friendship was different than most forms of friendship that Attie had seen. 

"Well its hard to pinpoint it." Attie explained, "The gods knew about this event before the leaders of the countries did. It was only until they told the leaders that we even knew about it. But the public was told it about sixty days ago. They are all coming from the void…I think. I'm not a hundred percent sure but I've heard that is the source of the monsters." 

She tried to think of any other information to bring up but she couldn't. So instead, she decided to ask them a different question. 

"So are you guys siblings or something?" Attie asked curiously. 

Author: Kes, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 1:59 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Kes made a mental note of the places the girl named. She knew a few of them, and assumed that perhaps they walked the plains of Bohar. It seemed the most fitting description for the grasslands and forests. The dark-haired shapeshifter was filled with surprises, with the use of a magical portal, or way to walk between realms. Kes was quietly impressed.

“I’m Kes,” she told the girl, “and that is Wendy,” she pointed to her companion who was so eager to leave.

She couldn’t help but look back the way they had come, wondering if this was the right thing to do. She stared at the back of Wendy’s head and made her own decisions. They would follow their path to the boat, the boat for one. Then she would make her own way. Kes was bound to assist the world when she could, to act as a force for good. With the sickness she could feel spreading through the land she doubted anywhere would be safe. But hopefully Wendy would have a head start.

Author: Wendell, Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 3:59 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Good, the pirate thought, he wasn’t the only person with a bit of sense around here, both Kes’tral and the newcomer following in his footsteps. As he made his way towards the coast, Wendell couldn’t help but experience a little frustration at how far the pair had come, only to be turned around. They had walked this path before, backtracking across land they had sworn not to after their experience in the desert.

The dark-haired girl explained that she had some kind of magic that allowed her to jump between worlds or locations, he wasn’t quite sure, having moved with his back to them. Wendell twisted, pleased to see Kes’tral had not held them up any longer. Her questions had been nothing but stalling to his mind.

“So,” Wendell said, “when did all of these strange things start occurring?” he asked, trying to pass the time and ease the tension.

The girl had mentioned that even the gods themselves have chosen to join the battle against the creatures from the void. It must be serious then, he thought, if the gods deemed it worthy to join the battle. What were they running away from, Wendell wondered. It was difficult to imagine some of the things they had been told without seeing them for themselves.

Muted danger, distant, far away and yet so close, in the stranger’s words, allowed indecision to creep in. If these creatures were able to change forms and take on the look of animals and man, was it possible the young woman following them was from the void, leading them into a trap? Great, now I’m paranoid too, the man thought, laughing to himself.

Author: Attie, Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 6:20 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

It was clear that Wendell was becoming extremely anxious at the thought of staying here, which was good. The faster that they left, the better. Attie decided that she would go with them until they reached a safe point. Although she gave them a good description, neither of them had ever actually seen one before nor had fought one. And there were safety in numbers. There was also a little part of Attie that was just lonely and was tired of having to fly everywhere. Attie ran to catch up with them and walked by Kes' side as the Wendell guy seemed to be just fine on his own. 

"The Bohar plains, the void, a swamp area in Onnen, and Jasumin lake are all the monster infested areas." Attie explained as she quickly walked with them, "Everywhere else is fine but those are the four main battle fronts." 

She continued to walk with them, relieved that neither of them were intent on staying. Attie kept her eyes out for any signs of these monsters as she walked with them. Suddenly, she remembered something that Wendell had said earlier. 

"Oh, don't worry about getting me a boat." She explained, "I have gate magic that can take me wherever I need to be. I'm just here to help warn people and see to their safety." 

Author: Kes, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 4:50 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Kes found herself listening with a grim fascination. The creatures sounded awful; truly terrifying. She shuddered where she stood and tried to commit the details to memory. A mimic, sounded bad enough but she was horrified to consider that one bite from a spider could corrupt the very essence of a person. How could they guard against that?

She had so many question. It was then that Wendy made his intention clear and she couldn’t help but laugh. He was off, and who could blame him? Perhaps she would not have time to ask her questions.

“I guess, we’re leaving then.” Kes shrugged at the girl before turning to follow suit. He had longer legs and it was hard to catch him up. She looked over her shoulder, waving at the shape shifter an wondering if the girl would follow their example and leave the shores with them?

Author: Wendell, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 4:43 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendell shook his head. Why was she stalling? Honestly, he thought, it were as if the woman welcomed death with open arms. How many times was she going to get them in trouble? He was reminded of their time in Harena, when he had been woken by the three cut throats she had led back to camp. That day he had almost died. Wendell didn’t want to tempt fate twice.

“What are you doing?” He asked, “you can’t actually be considering this… staying!” He said, “are you mad!”

Attie described some of the terrifying creatures they might face should they linger, making the idea of leaving by ship all the more appealing. He couldn’t use magic, Wendell thought, did that make him a Chomper? He almost laughed, this he knew the answer to already.

The pirate waved, as if to shrug the pair off. He wasn’t interested in some all for one death wish. Wendell turned in the direction of the boat, nothing the pair said was going to change his mind. He was leaving, it was the smart thing to do. In fact, it couldn’t be done fast enough. Wendell moved at a trot, if Kes’tral wanted to leave for the boat, she would have to make her decision soon.

Author: Attie, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 4:29 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Both of them appeared to want to know more information so Attie decided to tell them as much as she knew. She hoped it would help motivate them to get out of the plains or at least if they wanted to fight, go to where the front lines were to join the battle. It would be easier for them to fight in a team rather than having to struggle on their own. Another thing that she noticed was that Kes and Wendell didn't really appear to work as a team. Kes appeared to be more focused on learning about the monster while Wendell was focusing on the escape plan. 

"If you see a vaguely humanoid with a split torso down the middle and that torso opens up into a mouth, then that is called a Chomper." Attie explained, "It has the ability to take the forms of people and mimic them. They also are great leapers when annoyed. Now as for their weaknesses, they can't use magic so that is a way to identify somebody as a Chomper. Another way to tell is if they are twitching unnaturally during sleep. Chompers are weak against fire."

Attie noticed that Kes wasn't moving much and she decided to see if they were going to head to the boat or not. 

"The next monster is called a Plaguer. It has dark hollowed eyes, walks on two legs, and they have a gaping maw. This monster is filled with poison, can explode, and it can eat through armor in seconds. The best way to get rid of a Plaguer is through long distance with an arrow or another ranged attack." Attie explaind, " An Infester is basically a large spider with six legs and its mouth is on its underside. With one bite it can turn you into a Corrupted. A Corrupted is basically a person who was bitten by an Infester that will eventually transform into one of these monsters. I don't think its curable. I'm sure there are more but those are the ones I was warned about the most."

Author: Kes, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 3:39 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Kes’tral watched the girl, curious as she spoke and provided some more information. She ran her hands through one of her braids and moved closer as though to inspect her. “Monsters?” She echoed and looked across the Wendy.

He was eager to run and she didn’t blame him. She believed the girl, monsters coming out into the world would cause that strange, disturbed feeling that she had. “You’re going to leave?” She looked at Wendy then and almost sighed.

“Tell us more,” Kes shouldered her heavy pack. She was uncertain if she would stay, or if she would go. “What do they look like? How do we aid the gods?”

Author: Wendell, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 3:25 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

“Come with us?” Wendell echoed. He gave pause, turning to look between the two women. Outnumbered, he thought, that was all he needed.

Wendell could sense Kes’tral’s displeasure at being told what to do. He brushed it off, what did he care? The dark haired woman had made an offer, one Wendell didn’t feel he had the right to deny, though he thought he might, if Kes’tal did not speak up soon.

“If it is your intention to flee,” Wendell said, “we have a boat on the coast, scarily big enough for one. I’m afraid you just wouldn’t fit.” He certainly wasn’t going to stay behind. It seemed Kes’tral knew something the pirate didn’t, that the stranger who had come to warn them, had the ability to shapeshift, just as she did.

“We trust what you are telling us is true,” he added, the girl did not need to hold their hands.

He turned to look at the horizon. Had it darkened since dawn? Was it just the mention of terror that seem to bore more? Tricks of an overactive imagination, perhaps. The girl was clearly well informed, maybe she would be useful.

“And if we run into these things on the way to the boat? How are we to defend ourselves?” He inquired, curious as to just how much this kind stranger knew.

Author: Attie, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 2:43 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

These two must have been the most uninformed people in the history of people! Attie would have assumed most people by now at least knew that something was wrong. However it seemed that the two knew very little about the Eldritch beasts. Then Kes began to ask questions and it occurred to Attie that they might have just been some poor travelers who didn't keep up with the goings on of the world. That would explain a lot. 

"These are not warriors. The Eldritch are monsters. There are swarms of them pouring into the Bohar plains." Attie explained, "And it might be what you sensed earlier. I don't know much about sensing magic."

Attie realized that it she would probably have to go with them. If anything happened, these two would probably get caught off guard. Neither of them had seen what the monsters were like so they might assume that they are normal creatures. Not to mention the Chompers who could take the form of humans or creatures would easily catch them off guard if they went alone. 

"I'll come with you." Attie said, "You guys don't know what these things look like so I'm afraid to leave you two alone. Besides I have some protection spells in case something goes wrong." 

Author: Kes, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 1:01 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendy gave his orders and the woman rolled her eyes. About to dismount from the horse, she found herself staring at the dark-haired girl who emerged from the scattering herd. Well, she reasoned, at least that made a little sense. No wonder she hadn’t been able to sense the black horse properly. Kes continued her dismount, landing with a soft thud on the ground. The horse lipped against her palm before trotting off to join it’s family. Kes glanced at Wendy then, the man had been harsh with his words. Perhaps, there would be time enough for her to explain to him how things worked in the future. If they chose to travel together that was, and if they survived the plague in this land.

The girl spoke quickly and Kes tilted her head to one side, birdlike once more. Armies were approaching? Gods and…she squinted, wondering if she had heard correctly. El-ditch? Kes glanced at Wendy, did that make any sense to him?

“El Ditch?” Kes frowned, “is he a warlord?” She asked and stepped forward. The woman glanced between Wendy and the girl, what did he make of all of this. “Is that what I sense here, in this land?” She wondered aloud, “I’m sorry, I’m a little confused. You’re here to warn us?”

Author: Wendell, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 11:28 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendell stopped, disappointed the woman had followed him after he had made his wishes clear. “Return the mare to her herd,” he agreed, “I would not take an animal tricked away from its family by you.” His words were cold and he knew it. The pirate had overstepped.

Movement caught his eye, as a young woman with black hair jogged through the grass towards them from a distance. Where had she come from, he wondered. The girl stopped to talk to Kes’tral, speaking from a distance. Wendell took a step closer to hear what she had to say. Eldritch armies?

He squinted and mulled over the word, where had he heard it before? Eldritch, like the ghosts? That explained what the woman driving the caravan had meant about death walking the earth. Of course, it was difficult to believe without seeing any of this for themselves.

An army of soldiers and gods were set to face off against the sinister hoard? Would Kes’tral believe in the gods then, he wondered. It had sounded like she doubted their existence in the desert. Wendell knew he could defend himself with a sword, after all, he had endured as much training as any soldier or knight. Of course, there was only one of him, so any more than a handful of monsters at one time was bound to be too much to cope with alone.

The pirate looked up at Kes’tral, his anger and frustration forgotten. “The boat is only a few hours away,” he reminded her, “hidden on the coast…” if no one else had taken it, he thought to himself. Panic did strange things to people, often causing them to act in ways they would usually not.

His hands went to his hips, gaze falling upon the lone stranger who had deemed it fit to go out of her way to warn them. “Thank you for letting us know,” he said, extending his gratitude. “Come along, Kes’tral, the horse won't fit on the boat.”

Author: Attie, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 6:21 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Luckily, the two had forgotten about her just as she hoped. Attie had calmed down enough to undo her transformation spell. Her body morphed from the beautiful black horse into a girl with short black hair. The horses scattered after her transformation, as it was surprising and they were too close to it for comfort. She looked to the other two and decided to jog over to Kes who was on the back of a horse. 

"You guys really need to leave." Attie said quickly, "There are armies of Eldritch abominations who are storming through the Bohar plains. Monsters of all kinds! The gods and an army of Canelux soldiers are facing them as we speak but the more villagers and travelers we can help move out of the way, the easier it will be for them. Unless you really want to deal with swarms of monsters, I'd suggest getting out of here has fast as possible!" 

She hoped that the two would listen to her as these monsters were not a joke. Attie had seen plenty of them and although they could be killed, their masses in numbers made them deadly. 

Author: Kes, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 7:09 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendy changed his mind and Kes sat back on the horse. She smoothed her hands over the warm fur, scratching the creature above the shoulder. “This,” she called after him as the man went, “this is the horse I would chose for you.” The woman nudged the horse with her heels, applying pressure with one of her knees.

“She tells me, that she usually pulls a caravan, but she would not mind carrying you, if you do not pull at her mouth.” The horse extended its neck and sniffed at the man as he walked away. The rope was slung over his shoulder.

“If you do not want her, I will send her back to the herd…” Kes informed the pirate. He had a bad temper and usually it would make her smile. But not when there was something wrong about this entire place. Something that drained her energy and left her feeling so tired already.

The black horse had hidden amongst the herd and Kes looked over at it once more. It was hard to sense the ebony creature. It’s thoughts were closed to her.

Author: Wendell, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:47 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Honestly, Wendell thought, what was it about the smug little cow that just got under his skin. Kes’tral need only hold out her hands and a completely wild animal all but bowed at her feet. He lay back on the rock, exhausted by the ease at which some people managed to move through life.

Everything had seemed like an uphill battle for him from a very young age. He had never taken to magic, suspecting that was what the woman used now, to cheat him of a little satisfaction at her failed attempts. It seemed it was not to be. She could heal nasty wounds ripe with infection, summon water in the desert of all places and ride an untrained horse within minutes.

She wandered over on the back of the mare, stopping a few feet from the rock to make her offer. It was like rubbing salt in the wound.

“No. I think I’ll walk,” Wendell said. “I’ve changed my mind about the horse.”

He gathered up his rope and looped the end through the centre to keep it neat, tying it off before lifting it up over his head so that it sat against his shoulder and across his chest. Wendell climbed down from his rock and made the slow walk back in the direction of the woodlands. For the first time throughout their journey, he didn’t care whether the woman followed him or not.

Jealousy was such an ugly and cruel trait. Failing to learn magic had put him at a disadvantage, one he didn’t like to show or admit to. He had tried to work twice as hard as everyone else in order to be of some value, but kept finding himself in situations where, like Kes’tral had said, often he was the reason for their downfall. How had she put it? A fragile man in need of protecting.

Author: Attie, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 1:56 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Attie heard what Wendell called and knew that she was the horse that he was talking about. Panic flooded through her mind which made her panic even more. She couldn't undo her shape shifting spell if she was too freaked out to concentrate! She decided to try to move his attention away from her by leaving their sight. Trotting back over to the herd, she did her best to blend in, in hopes that they wouldn't be able to see her and would give up. There were many other horses after all! Attie was also using this time to calm herself down and work on undoing her spell. Why did magic always have to backfire?! Attie walked through the herd and stood next to a beautiful auburn horse. The horse was so pretty that anybody would choose it, or at least thats what Attie was hoping. She began to work on calming herself down. 

Author: Kes, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 1:19 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Kes’tral looked back at the man as he made his demand. The pale brow arched again in a curve of gold before she scoffed. “Catch it yourself,” the woman retorted. She could see the black animal, it was a beauty but it felt off to her. Why, she didn’t know and unable to pinpoint the feeling, the woman found herself reluctant to approach the creature.

Instead, she continued to stand still. She bowed her head a little, making herself a small, non-threatening target. One of the closer horses eyed her. It circled, a brown mare with three white socks, the horse huffed. It approached eventually, circled her again with its ears high, flickering with curiosity.

It was then that she turned sidelong and the creature trotted forward. The horse nosed her hand, sniffing her fingers before Kes slid a hand down the war fur of its neck. The mare huffed, expelling her tension and rubbed against the blonde woman.

She went slowly, moving her hands over the animal. Stroking its nose, it’s neck and flanks. She explored the horses legs, checking for any sign of illness or weakness and finding none, it was then a smaller step to leaning her weight against the creature. The mares ear went back and it huffed again, taking a step back. Kes waiter, soothed the creature and explained, as best she could her intention. It was then that she managed to mount, swinging up onto the back of the animal. She nudged the horse forward, steering with her knees as they trotted over to Wendy.

Kes lent forward then, hands threading through the dark mane. “The black one?” She asked, “are you sure?” Her own mare let out a soft snort and sniffed the ground beside his leg. “I don’t…” Kes peered back at the herd and the black horse. “It’s not the one I would choose for you.”

Author: Wendell, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 1:04 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendell scoffed, tired of Kes’tral’s verbal jabs. What made her so brave that she had already decided to run towards danger, he wondered. What if they couldn’t catch a horse? Would she still travel in the direction the caravan had come from? He rolled his eyes when Kes’tral’s back was turned, dragging his feet as he followed her. There was something about her arrogance that irked him. Why should I care, he thought, let her catch the horses.

The trek to the lake was made in silence, following a small path that had been carved out in the grass by some type of game, deer perhaps. He walked where Kes’tral’s feet fell moments before his own, surveying the rolling plains. How far did they go and did anyone live here? Wendell gave himself a mental kick for having the perfect opportunity to ask and instead throwing it away to trade for rope. “Idiot,” he mouthed, below his breath.

A rock near the lake would provide the perfect viewing platform for him to sit on while Kes’tral did things her way.

“Go on then, bird-brain.” He teased, climbing up onto the rock to sit. It was hot, having seen the most of the morning sun. Wendell sat and turned to face the action. “I want the black one!” He pointed, closest to his travelling companion.

Wendell watched the way the herd moved, fluid, as if each individual horse shared one mind, moving like water through the grass. His eye caught the jet black animal once more and he thought it odd that this one was singled out, not moving with the rest of them. Strange, did the black sense something the rest of the herd had not or was it the lead horse, hanging back to protect the group of them?

“That is the horse you must catch!” Wendell called.

Author: Attie, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 10:23 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Attie observed the quiet peaceful lake for a while before looking around the area. She needed to find the direction to go. There were so many people to warn and so little time. Suddenly, she felt one of the other horses sniffing her ear and she quickly jerked away from the brown horse. The last thing that she wanted was to be mistaken as an actual horse by one of the herd. Attie moved further away from the herd and towards the water. Suddenly, she spotted two people walking towards the herd. Knowing that she had to warn them about the Eldritch abominations, Attie began to move twoards them. Her horse form was pitch black and her legs were ten times stronger than when she was a human or a bird. Just as she was about to reach Kes and Wendy, she spotted that Kes had a rope and realized that her in her horse form would result in her getting caught in rope. Determined to not get caught, she trotted away from the two so she could avoid their rope. 

Author: Kes, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 1:03 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Wendy laughed and she smiled in return, raising a pale brow in a precise arch. “I doubt you, because I have seen just how experienced and capable you are.” Kes retorted. She watched his display of prowess, ducking only slightly as the rope whipped overhead and snagged on the branch. She lent back, peering up at the knot before giving a small shrug of approval.

It was his next suggestion that had the smile wiped from her expression. Turn into a horse, so that he could ride her? The woman stared with an expression that could sever limbs. He was smiling, did he think that his suggestion was funny, or had any hope of convincing her. Kes turned without answering and started walking in the direction of the lake they had left behind, pausing to look over her shoulder at the man with a second withering look. “All this time together, and that’s the best offer you’ve got?” She scoffed and trudged onward, making no attempt to do any that voo-doo stuff.

Truth be told, Kes wasn’t even sure she could take the form of a horse. It wasn’t something she had ever tried, she tended to stay away from prey animals. Their thoughts were often confusing and filled with fear. “Two horses,” she told him once he realised she wouldn’t be changing her shape. “And then I ride that way,” she looked in the direction that the Caravan had come from. If there was something wrong with the world, then she was bound to try and correct it, somehow. She wondered if Wendy would come with her.

They walked in silence back to the lake, skirting around the edges of the water. Her bare feet left prints in the soft earth as they approached the wild herd. Kes kept her distance, splitting away from Wendy. He could use his rope, but she would use her own means to summon an animal. The woman simply stood, with her hands palm up and waited.

Author: Wendell, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 5:07 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Laughter. She had actually caused the man to laugh. Wow, he thought, Kes’tral still found ways to surprise him, even after a season of travelling together, in what he had considered a rather tense, forced, but mutual companionship. Theirs was a story of survival, tentative and naive.

“You doubt me.” Wendell smiled. “When you have seen and experienced how very capable I am?”

He spun the rope about his arm, allowing the rest to fall at his feet. Crouching, he wrestled with the tethered end, looping it about its snake-like form to tie and fashion into a lasso. With care, he collected up the rest of the rope and wound it up, the bindings held in his left hand while his right controlled the loop.

Wendell had an undeniable glint in his eye that said he was up to something. With a swift twist of his form and flick of his hand, the loop was launched through the air to catch a branch above Kes’tral’s head.

“Ha! See!” He boasted, standing a little taller in his boots as he pulled the lasso taut. “It works, now we just need a horse.” Wendell added.

He took pause, staring across at the thin, wispy woman before him, taking note of the way her clothes hung off her. She really was tiny.

“Hear me out,” he said, knowing how strange his plans often sounded, like walking through the desert to drag wood all the way back to the coast in order to repair his ship. “You can do that voodoo stuff,” he began, waving his fingers, as if to dust the pads free of sand. “Turn into a horse and get me close enough to capture one of the wild ones near the lake.”

Wendell grinned, yes, he was suggesting she let him ride her once she had taken the form of a horse. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Of course, Kes’tral would take some convincing, he was sure. “If there is something here we have to get away from, wouldn’t it make more sense to be on the back of an animal far faster than us?”

He thought about the idea of returning to the small boat. It was almost as painful as the idea of returning to the desert. “Or… we can get ourselves a horse each and ride that way.” He pointed in the direction the caravan had come from, “and see what all the fuss is about.”

Curiosity was a strange thing. Wendell certainly wasn’t a hero and, even though the idea that there might be people in need of help crossed his mind, he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk his skin to save them. Of course, whatever sickness plagued this beautiful land, as Kes’tral had suggested, might need to be stopped before it had time to spread. Canelux wouldn’t be the same if everything died and turned to desert sand. The infection would spread and before they knew it, nowhere would be safe.

When had he last found himself so conflicted? Sooner or later they had to find a proper township and what little hope they had held onto about starting again, would finally become a reality.

Author: Attie, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 4:16 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Attie flapped her blue jay wings as she soared through the sky, looking for people to warn. She had seen many caravans of people who were abandoning their homes and fleeing for their lives. Her wings ached due to the long period of flying. Eventually, she had to land next to a herd of horses. Opening her beak, she breathed heavily and fell over due to exhaustion. As a blue jay she was able to travel around faster than if she was simply walking. However, that also meant that she had to have the endurance to get everywhere. There were so many people to warn and so much to do. 

Her bird form melted away as she morphed back into a human, frightening the horses a bit. She pushed herself to her feet and began to look at her surroundings. Instead of her wings being tired, it was now her arms that were tired. But if wings wouldn't take her anywhere, then her legs would have to do. Holding up her hands, she began to cast a spell to transform herself into a horse. A bright light erupted from her hands and began to swirl around her until she couldn't be seen. Soon the magic faded away and instead of a human, she was a black horse.

Looking around, she tried to figure out which direction she needed to go. 

Author: Kes, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 3:54 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

The warning from the caravan saw the smile fall from her features. As did the worry in the old woman’s eyes. Kes frowned, scanning the ladies features for deception. But she believed her. There was something dangerous in the plains. The caravan was happy to trade, but Kes remained silent and watched the wagons roll away, throwing up turf in their hasty retreat.

Wendy was indomitable, although these days she sometimes suspected that she knew him. At least, better then he thought she did. He held up his rope and she rolled her eyes. He wanted to catch wild horses to ride? Kes folded her arms across her chest.

“Not planning to have children, are you Wendy?” She said eventually, teasing. Without another word she started to stride in the direction he had indicated. There had been horses the night before, beautiful, wild creatures that had kept their distance.

Kes cast our her senses as they walked and her frown only deepened. With furrowed brow she paused at one point, pressing a hand to a tree before kneeling and touching it to the ground. “There is something,” she admitted. “Something sick within the land. But I do not know what. The woman was afraid.” Kes looked across at her companion.

“Perhaps we should also be afraid.”

Author: Wendell, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 3:30 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

They had a plan, a plan that had come undone when the law of the land exacted its toll and taught them both a valuable lesson in survival. They needed one another. Like it or not, the pair would have to work together if they ever wanted to return to the lives they had once led, or better yet, forge new ones.

A season in the north of Canelux had afforded them the supplies they had needed to repair the small boat they set off in from the eastern coast of the desert. That dreaded nothingness had been so easy to sail away from, especially after swearing never to return, only to be forced to endure its heat once more. Following the coast had allowed them to return in record time, though the journey had been no easier.

The kindest thing to do had been to unbridled their mounts and released the pair into the wild. The spirited black gelding and his faithful mare had wasted no time in bidding their riders a proper farewell, instead turning to race down the coast like thunder, not looking back.

Kes’tral and Wendell had pushed the repaired boat out onto the water two days later, wading through the shallow waves in order to cast off. Again they followed the coast, just deep enough that they could avoid the rough waves that rolled into shore. There had been stops along the way, for proper rest, food, water, and the chance to explore what lay beyond the coast.

Throughout their travels, they had learned how to disguise themselves, when was best to venture inland and how to exist in a state of quiet peace. Their bickering hadn’t exactly died down during the course of their travels, the pair usually finding something to disagree about, but they had found a way to set their differences aside when their safety was on the line.

Now they found themselves in what could only be described as an endless meadow of rolling hills and grassy plains, dotted here and there with thriving wood areas and young forests. Hunting was suddenly a viable option and with the arrows they had either purchased or traded for with the four armed people of Eyota, they had little to worry about.

Wendell had spent the last two days wandering about the plains, taking in all there was to see. This life on the road was exhausting, he had found, yet his soul had never felt quite as at peace as it did now. Wild herds of horses had caught his eye and the thought of capturing one filled him with quiet delight. It would be nice not to have to rely on their own feet for a change. With horses, they would cover more ground.

That morning, Kes’tral had chosen to stalk the woods, wandering along the roads carved by local caravans, established trade routes snaking through the grasslands in every direction. Wendell had chosen to tag along, though he let the distance grow between them. He noticed the woman waving to a caravan and paused on the edge of the road further back, only to catch up as the heavily guarded wagon came to a standstill.

“You best get out of here,” the driver warned, worried eyes surveying the lay of the land ahead. “It’s not safe anymore,” she added, “the ground… the ground has opened up and death walks the plains now.”

Wendell squinted. “We need some rope,” he called, “do you have any going?”

“For silver,” the woman agreed, nodding to one of her guards to fetch some for the travellers.

Wendell stepped forward to exchange silver for the rope before moving off the road again. “You have my thanks,” he said.

“Heed my warning, young ones, leave this place.” The wagon creaked as the horses towing it were ushered forwards. “Safe travels to you,” the driver called, and went on.

“And to you,” the pirate called.

Wendell looked at Kes’tral as the wagon passed, shrinking as it moved down the road out of sight. “We need horses,” he said, “there is a herd beside the lake we found last night.” He held up the rope, setting a silent challenge.

“What do you think she was talking about… death on the plains?” He asked, curious to see what Kes’tral made of it.

Author: Kes, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 2:47 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]A home for me [Open] [R]

Kes stood barefoot in the grasses, her eyes closed as she listened and expanded her senses to the world around. If she was the kind of person who worried about such things, she would have realised that she looked a bit odd. But she wasn’t the type to worry. Her head tilted back, face lifted to the sun’s gentle kiss. Long hair fell down her back like a pale river of spun gold. She wore a tunic that hung to her knees and a pair of leggings that stopped at the same point. A woven belt pulled the excess material tight to her waist, because it was clear that the tunic had been made someone much larger.

The fabric was well used, torn, patched, bleached by the sun and if she was honest with herself, a little grubby. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the means to wear nice clothes, it was just that they weren’t important to her.

Loose stones tumbled on the ground and she turned. A days journey from the sea, she had been surprised not to come across any strangers so far. Perhaps though, that good fortune had come to an end.

She wriggled her toes in the grass and planted her hands on her hips. Not far from the road, she was able to stand and watch as a travelling caravan approached. The woman lifted a hand, waving at the lead wagon and the woman who drove it. Kes smiled, displaying a row of even white teeth and the wagon seemed to slow.