Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:36 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

[Note: Glad you like it! It was just the image that I've been imagining half the thread, because it so perfectly incorporates the soul of the story. A knight running away from bunnies, while the ranger is going the actual work. Simply felt like something I wanted to draw out.]

Sir Isaac runs for the dirt path while Lady Fauna's marksmanship clears a path and prevents any almiraj from charging his knees or throwing themselves under his feet. Any such disbalance might send him tumbling down, and thus sealing their fate. 

"How do you plan on better stopping them here?" Lady Fauna asks as Sir Isaac carries them through the forest. With the almirajs hot on their trail and the bigger creature probably not far ahead, that part of the plan wasn't exactly refined quite yet.

"High ground, Lady Fauna! We need to get to high ground!" Sir Isaac shouts. "Some place steep enough for you to sit and shoot without being turned into almiraj cheese! Some place where I can fight proper, so we are once again at optimal combat capacity! And most important, some place where we can fend of whatever that creature was! I think we both know how fast it is, how quickly it will be upon us. Maybe a minute or two, and then-"

Sir Isaac is silenced mid-sentence, seeing a white figure deeper in the forest rush past them with ease. The white figure was almost a blur, so fast was it. And that was through the shrubbery of the thick forest, rather than a relatively clear path like the one that they were traversing.

"Oh dear, that's certainly no orc." Sir Isaac says. "That's a lot more problematic than an orc, in so many ways. Not to mention, it's bad luck to strike one down. I'll leave it up to you whether we end its corrupted misery or just try to avoid it. Because even we humans know how important unicorns are to the forest."

Sir Isaac focusses on running and staying ahead of the almiraj horde behind them, while trying to find anything like a large rock or a steep hill in this endlessly flat and monotone forest.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 3:17 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"I concur."  "We best get moving and find a place that we can defend. Not to mention, we shouldn't allow these things to surround us even more than they already have." Fauna had never seen seen so many Amirajs in one place. Sure she had seen them on occasion as they were only slightly rarer than actual bunnies. Perhaps whatever they were infected with caused them to gather in large hoards. Whatever it was she didn't have too much time to think about it as she focused on shooting the infected amirajs. "Prepare yourself, Lady Fauna. I shall now commence our retreat, as previously discussed!" Fauna was relieved to see the clearing it was the first step to freedom from the forest. 

How would they stop this from spreading to other fey? It was her duty to protect all of the flora and fauna of all the forests, how would she stop the infection from spreading in her?
The infected charged at the two full speed, she shot at one and it fell face first travelling a foot away from the spot in which she shot it. She shot at the others and missed her first try, she quickly scrambled to load another arrow onto her bow. Crunch crunch the arrows pierced the skulls of the critters. She looked behind them seeing a trail of corpses and a hoard of rabid amirajs. "How do you plan on better stopping them here?" she glanced around anxiously and the creatures that surrounded them at almost all their sides. If they all charged at once they would surely be dead. She shot at a few more that were in their way. They were fast small and hard to hit but at least they were stupid. They made minimal efforts to dodge her arrows and seemed more concerned with trying to kill them than keeping their lives. She was glad this disease only infected fey as humans with this disease would be even more unbearable than they already were.

Word Count: 335

Notes: That drawing is the most amazing thing I've ever seen xD

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 2:19 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"Let's not wait to find out."

"I concur." Sir Isaac says. "We best get moving and find a place that we can defend. Not to mention, we shouldn't allow these things to surround us even more than they already have."

Sir Isaac looks around. Lady Fauna's arrows were making quick work of the ones in the clearing, taking out about half a dozen while Sir Isaac regained his breath and balance. As he looked around though, the numbers that they had taken down were not comparable to the ones that were still waiting. Dozens of the rabbits still stood in the shade of the trees, waiting and watching. Perhaps the sun hurt them, or something similar. But they had the two of them surrounded, and they'd give chase the moment that Sir Isaac would begin to run. It was predator mentality, and these amiraj had been twisted into the cruelest of hunters. Well, in mind. They were still not too formidable in body.

"Prepare yourself, Lady Fauna. I shall now commence our retreat, as previously discussed!" Sir Isaac says, and he turns to a spot of the forest that seemed somewhat clear. It had the remnants of a sand path, or perhaps a natural path made by the forest creatures. It didn't matter, as long as it was a maneuvrable space that Sir Isaac could run through.

Sir Isaac starts running, and all the unibunnies scream hunting cries. They all pour into the clearing after them, rushing with no regard for their own well-being. "If you could take out the few that are meeting us straight on, that would be mighty appreciated!" Sir Isaac shouts as he runs as fast as he can with the burdens of his armour and the lady on his shoulders.



Author: Fauna, Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 1:38 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna hopped onto his shoulders having some difficulty hoisting herself up with only one good leg. She felt uneven on his shoulders but made do the best she could. She pulled out an arrow and shot one of the creatures straight through their skull. Brain matter flew and she could hear the crunch of it's skull. "Damned be their small size. If I knew I'd be facing these critters, I would've joined my father and brother when they went out golfing." She had no idea what golfing was but was in no mood to ask him. Her tried to hit at the last one but it easily dodged his sword, they were fast little things and were hard to hit at close range. She pulled out another arrow and hit the last creature. 

"Lady Fauna, my apologies for the pain, but your wound was showing some very problematic signs of infection. Whatever corrupted these creatures, it tried to corrupt you as well. I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I fear that this disease targets the fey." She could feel a sharp persistent pain in her leg like someone was squeezing her nerves. "It would seem so." She said through gritted teeth. "Would you happen to know of a disease like this? And more importantly, do you know of any other fey who live in these woods. In particularly-" "That. Would you happen to know what that could be?" she shook her head, there were so many creatures in the forest it'd be hard to pinpoint which it was, to her it sounded like an orc or a Minotaur or some other brute of similar size. "Let's not wait to find out." she said anxiously. If those creatures were infected they stood little to no chance considering how they struggled with the unibunnies. 

Word Count: 303 Words

Notes: Sorry for taking so long school just started and I didn't have much time.

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Fri Aug 3, 2018 2:20 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac raises himself up with quite some difficulty, having to lift not only himself and his armour but also the fortunately light frame of Lady Fauna this time. He manages however, standing tall and preventing the damnable rabbits from bringing any further harm to her. A few of them bump into his armour with dull 'clonk!'ing and left some shallow dents, but it didn't seem like these creatures would pierce through the iron plating any time soon.

Sir Isaac kicks at one of the creatures, the soft and small bunny skull crumbling when it forcefully comes in contact with his metal boot. Sir Isaac stumbles, almost losing his balance and falling down. Okay, so kicking at these creatures when on uneven ground with a woman on your shoulders was not a good idea. Definately not a good idea, as it could mean the end for the both of them if they were to fall down into the almirajs' range. Instead Sir Isaac grabs his sword more tightly and begins striking at the rabbits in a most awkward fashion.

"Damned be their small size. If I knew I'd be facing these critters, I would've joined my father and brother when they went out golfing." He says, trying to light up the mood while making another swing that indeed resembled golfing quite a bit. The almirajs easily dodged his sword though, the swipes much too predictable and slow to hit them. It seemed like taking them down was up to Lady Fauna and her bow. At the very least it seemed like their foes made just as little headway against them, having few tricks in combat other than their horn charge.

Standing still to give Lady Fauna as much stability for her shooting as he could, Sir Isaac contemplates what he just saw. He glances to the side, at Fauna's hairy leg resting on his shoulder and the bloody wound that was still very much visible on it. He then looks at the rabbit he kicked and the one that Lady Fauna headshotted. He sighs, his suspicions unfortunately confirmed. The blood of these aberrations was still red, but there were clots of black ichor in it. And he saw little specks of that same ichor in Lady Fauna's wound. Not to mention, a few hairs around the wound were slowly turning snow white.

He brushes his finger past one of the wounds on his face and looks at the blood on his finger. No black clots. This was most problematic, for Lady Fauna at least.

Sir Isaac strokes his moustache, calling upon the cleansing light of the heavens. A warm yellow light spreads to his fingers, and he presses them onto the wound. The skin seared and sizzled under his touch, and Sir Isaac quickly apologises for the pain that the procedure no doubt causes. The black ichor boiled and turned brown however, and the white hairs returned to their original colour. Whatever this was, it was indeed of an unholy or malign nature.

"Lady Fauna, my apologies for the pain, but your wound was showing some very problematic signs of infection. Whatever corrupted these creatures, it tried to corrupt you as well. I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I fear that this disease targets the fey."

Sir Isaac lets the information sink in, contemplating the situation himself. The clearing is silent for a moment, nothing but the soft splashing of the water and the occassional bump of an almiraj fruitlessly bumping into him.

"Would you happen to know of a disease like this? And more importantly, do you know of any other fey who live in these woods. In particularly-"

A loud roar erupts from the near distance, the unearthly tone resembling the Almiraj screech but the baritone tone and volume speaking volumes of it not being as small as a cute little bunny. It was the same roar they heard before when the almirajs screamed their battle cries. It was much closer this time, though, which meant it was fast at the very least. And who knew what else it was.

"That. Would you happen to know what that could be?" Sir Isaac asks with beads of fear sweat forming on his forehead.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Thu Aug 2, 2018 9:11 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna panicked falling to the ground she had no idea what to do. Her hand shook uncontrollably and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest like the thumping of the unibunnies feet. She watched in relief as Sir Issac came to her aid she watched as the whispy green mist of a healing spell entered her wound soothing her pain slightly and making the blood of the wound clot. Even if Sir Issac had the time to heal her he likely would be unable to since she likely had nerve damage and her anatomy was so different from humans. If she wanted to heal her damaged leg properly she'd have to consult an experienced healer, but healing her leg was the least of her concerns at the moment. 

"Lady Fauna, jump on my shoulders." "I know it may seem silly, but that's the only way to be sure that these damnable aberrations cannot swarm and kill you. Don't worry about me, my armour should keep me safe. Just worry about killing these things, one arrow at a time." Usually she'd be quite apprehensive to participate in such an act with a creature of Sir Issacs persuasion, but she had no time for that and no time to think about it either. She quickly grabbed onto his shoulders and hoisted her self onto him pushing herself up with her good leg. She watched as one of the unibunnies charged at them. She quickly grabbed her bow and shot at the thing. She hit it right in the side of it's leg but it went straight through and only tore away at the rabbits flesh. She wasn't used to such small and quickly moving targets, most enemies of such a small size since most creatures that small she'd be able to flee from quite easily. "Filthy rodent demons!" she muttered to herself angrily almost sounding like a growl.

If she wasn't caught so off guard by the annoying bastards she would've been able to vanquish them quite easily. At least that's what she told herself to feel better about almost being killed by a few rabbits. 

Word Count: 356 Words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Thu Aug 2, 2018 1:00 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac looked around, seeing the unibunnies rush into the clearing and swarm them. There were a lot, that was for certain. And they were a problem, for his fighting style didn't exactly lend itself well for fighting creatures that didn't even reach up to his calves. His face stung, he could feel that it was covered with lots of scratch marks from the now dead almiraj. But he couldn't tell how bad it was. He quickly looks down to the scratches it left on his armour, and cross-references it with the arrow that had bounced off his shoulder plate. Not as deep, fortunately. Seemed like these aberrations weren't more powerful than their original form at least.

Sir Isaac looks up as he hears a sickening crunch of bones, just in time to see one of the unibunnies ram its horn into Lady Fauna's leg. She shakes it off and then falls to her knee to nurture the wound. Sir Isaac quickly runs to her, worried for her wellbeing and the precarious position she was in. The almiraj horns could reach her head when she kept it this close to the ground. They had already tried the same tactic with him, and she had no armour on to prevent them from attacking her elsewhere.

Sir Isaac quickly gets on his knees near Lady Fauna and looks at the bloody leg she's holding. It didn't look like they hit an artery, but she was still losing a lot of blood fast. Sir Isaac twirls his finger around his moustache while mumbling something, causing a warm green glow to waft off his glorious lip hair. It sits on his finger like a little fire fly as he stops stroking his moustache and brings his hand to her leg. Urging Lady Fauna to take her hands off her wound, Sir Isaac readies his healing spell. It wasn't much, with as little time as they had with all these enemies around he could only speed up the clotting to make the bleeding stop. But it would prevent her from bleeding out on him.

Sir Isaac grimaces, knowing Lady Fauna's weakness of lacking armour and the conditions of their battlefield. There was nothing tall around here for her to climb on, nothing that the almirajs couldn't climb up on either at least. And the stream wasn't deep, so she couldn't stand in there either. It would've been quite useful if she could stand in it just deep enough that the almirajs would have to swim to reach her, thus losing their abilities to charge and jump, but they weren't blessed with such conditions. That only left one option.

"Lady Fauna, jump on my shoulders." Sir Isaac says. "I know it may seem silly, but that's the only way to be sure that these damnable aberrations cannot swarm and kill you. Don't worry about me, my armour should keep me safe. Just worry about killing these things, one arrow at a time."

Author: Fauna, Posted: Wed Aug 1, 2018 4:33 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna's eyes were trained cautiously on the rabbit, it hopped forward she backed up. Most creatures of the forest she could sense, even fey unless they were hiding themselves from her intentionally. She glanced nervously at Sir Issac. "Oh, it was just an Almiraj. Silly little fey bunnies, I didn't know they could cast sleep." Almiraj, she had heard only briefly of them all she knew was how they looked and that they weren't native to the forest in which she had lived. She reluctantly put her pipes in her satchel, they likely wouldn't work on the creature anyways. 

As the small rabbit turned white its eyes turned crazed with dilated pupils. She jumped backwards almost falling she stifled a scream. She immediately reached for her bow placing an arrow in it. She turned to see Sir Issac being attacked. She pulled back the string of her bow, but she hesitated if she missed she could kill him, but if she didn't act he could have his eyes town out by the creature. "A little help would've been app- Oh." She released her arrow but she misjudged the distance and the creature moved. The arrow hit his shoulder plate and fell the ground uselessly. She quickly grabbed another arrow from her quiver and placed it in her bow, just as she was ready to take aim she heard a rustling. Tiny feet thumped against the ground. "Oh." she heard Sir Issac say. She spun around and saw two more of them coming at her. She quickly shot at the one closest to her, luckily she hit it right in the side of the head. She heard the disgusting crunch of the breaking of the skull and blood dripped from it's head. The copper smell of blood filled her nose making her nauseous. 

While she was distracted one of them jumped at her attempting to ram its horn into her stomach. She quickly leaped away but not quick enough. It rammed its head into the side of her right leg. Pain shot through her whole leg and she could feel the horn digging through the flesh of her leg. She shook it as hard as she could sending the almirante flying across the air. Tears welled up in her eyes, blood oozed quickly from the large wound. She fell to the ground holding her leg trying to slow the flow of blood. Her hands were drenched in blood, there was so much of it she could taste the copper in the air. 

Word Count: 241 Words

Notes: Ooo, I think these little guys are interesting!

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:22 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

The bushes where the shadow lingers rustle once more, and then a little bunny hops out. It's little beady eyes look at Fauna and Sir Isaac, its little fluffy nose wiggles as it sniffs the air. It's fluffy ears rotate real quick, as if to echo-locate movement in the area, and then point toward the two humanoids again. One of its fluffy little feet scratches its neck, and then it stares back at Sir Isaac again. If it weren't for the horn on its head, it would've looked like a completely normal brown bunny.

Sir Isaac relaxes and lets out his nervosity with an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, it was just an Almiraj. Silly little fey bunnies, I didn't know they could cast sleep."

The bunny gets back on all fours and hops hops hops closer to Sir Isaac. Looking up at the knight and sniffing the air again, it stops just before his feet. Sir Isaac bends down and tries to pet the little critter. The Almiraj dodges and tries to poke Sir Isaac with his horn, and Sir Isaac retracts his arm. That's right, the more wild and less sentient fey aren't exactly fond of iron. Especially about being touched by it. Though it was kind of strange that it would get so close to him considering that aversion.

As Sir Isaac looks down at the unibunny and adores its little beady eyes, the sun breaks through the clouds. Just a few brief rays at first, which make the almiraj's fur shimmer white for a moment. Sir Isaac frowns at the strange sight, which wasn't alike anything he heard about these creatures. And did it's eyes just flicker red just now? Before he can come to an conclusion about the issue, the sun breaks through fully and the strange shadow-based transformation that shrouded the almiraj fades completely. A rabbit white as snow and with bloodshot eyes looks at Sir Isaac with nothing but pure hatred and bloodlust, its bunny teeth suddenly sharp as fangs and claws proluding from its feet.

The almiraj aberration screeches at Sir Isaac and jumps up, its powerful rabbit hind legs very much capable of launching its small frame straight into the air and at Sir Isaac's face. Sir Isaac can only narrowly fall backwards to avoid the horn piercing through his skull, the rabbit flashing past his view and then suddenly stopping mid-air. It screeches hatefully as it swung around in the air, its horn stuck in Sir Isaac's bangs and the sudden loss of control freaking the creature out. Sir Isaac, who's now lying on the ground after his quick dodging maneouvre and with a rabbit clawing at his face, is stuck on his back like a turtle and tries to grab the damn cursed rabbit who's trying to tear his face apart.

Pulling at the rabbit, and thus his own hair which got quite entangled with the horn somehow, Sir Isaac tries to regain his sight and his footing. This wasn't going to be one of his more proud and boastful moments, that was for sure. As his hair continued to refuse letting the rabbit go, Sir Isaac grabs it by the neck and squeezes. With a sickening crack it breaks, and Sir Isaac can slowly untangle the now dead monstrosity while getting up himself.

"A little help would've been app- Oh." Sir Isaac says to Fauna.

"Oh." Is the only word he can find yet again as he looks around the clearing, and the dozens of horned rabbits that are standing just on the egde of where the sun chases away the shadow. Rays of sunlight break through the canopy as the wind blows through the leaves, causing spots of light to run over the almirajs and show spots of white fur and bloody eyes. The frankenstein creation of normal and monster only makes them look more alien and terrifying. They don't appear to be moving, just staring at Sir Isaac and the dead rabbit in his hands.

A second of dreadful silence reigns.

Then another one.

They aren't blessed with a third one however. Like one being, the almirajs suddenly screech out a terrifying and unnatural scream. As they rush into the clearing, another such screech echoes from the distance. And that screech belonged to something bigger. Much, much bigger.

"Oh. Oh dear." Sir Isaac says as he meekly reaches for his sword. He looks at Fauna and tries to force a smile. "Well, at least you can kill these things with one arrow?"

Author: Fauna, Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:34 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"If it's a satyr of sorts, I sure hope you can convince them to leave me be. I'm certain this is all just one big misunderstanding." She swallowed she hoped that it was a satyr but that seemed unlikely. " Sir Isaac says. "And if it's a fairy, then I'm in a heap of trouble. I've never met a violent fairy before, save those damn protective sprites, but I can only imagine how painful it must be for someone in plate to be made weightless, lifted up in the air, and then regain their gravity." if it was a fairy she'd be lucky. Fairies protected forests just like she did and if they recognized she was was a satyr she would be able to get away safely, but Sir Issacs safety was not guaranteed.

Fauna shuddered in fear. She looked in the opposite direction he was looking they could see every direction. Her hands shook and she tried to take long and calm breaths but they were ragged and long. Whatever you do, do not run. Do not leave this clearing unless there is no other option. I think there's more than one of these creatures, and bet my moustache that they've already got us surrounded. Right now, a single step into the forest's shadow might be a foot in the grave." Her only thought in that moment was "Who bets their mustache?"
Her eyes were trained on the brush looking and listening for the slightest movement, it was hard keeping her legs glued to the ground a resisting the urge to flee from the imminent danger. 

Word Count: 266 Words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 2:33 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"It could be another satyr or maybe a type of siren. Perhaps a fairy…" Fauna said, uncertain and worried.

Sir Isaac frowns, wondering about what she said. A siren would make a lot of sense in most regards, including the part where Fauna's music interfered with their song. There was one problem however, and that was the silence. Siren magic was vocal, it had to be heard for it to work. He remembered the stories of old heroes like the heroic maiden Archille, who plugged her ears with cotton to resist the siren's song. She was forced to see her crew jump off the ship to seek out the irresistible lure, but was unaffected herself. It was not a certainty, not a guarantee at all. He could be wrong, there were many unknown creatures and powers out there. But he never heard of a mute siren. He quickly shared his thoughts with Fauna.

"If it's a satyr of sorts, I sure hope you can convince them to leave me be. I'm certain this is all just one big misunderstanding." Sir Isaac says. "And if it's a fairy, then I'm in a heap of trouble. I've never met a violent fairy before, save those damn protective sprites, but I can only imagine how painful it must be for someone in plate to be made weightless, lifted up in the air, and then regain their gravity."

Sir Isaac continues to stare at the shadow, waiting for it to strike. Then, recognising the technique, he quickly checks every direction but that one. The old tiger's trick, for one to stare down their prey while the other sneaks up from behind. Nothing had entered the stream's small clearing, though.

It made sense, though. The rapid movement that this creature had, the spamming of weak spells, the way they couldn't pinpoint its location.

"Lady Fauna." Sir Isaac says with an alert and hushed tone."Whatever you do, do not run. Do not leave this clearing unless there is no other option. I think there's more than one of these creatures, and bet my moustache that they've already got us surrounded. Right now, a single step into the forest's shadow might be a foot in the grave."

The shadow in the bushes rustles the leaves again, drawing Sir Isaac's eyes back to it. Quickly he turns around, trying to cover the sides that Fauna wasn't looking at. He saw nothing in the forest around him, nothing but dancing shadows that might be his imagination. Despite that, the hairs in the back of his neck stood on end and his muscles tensed up.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:45 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"I see. I reckon such a spell wouldn't work on an outsider like me, would it? Good. That means the melody interfered with their abilities, rather than boosting mine." That did make sense.  "It might be a simple spell, but it suggests that our foe has ample magical reserves to rely on. Especially considering it seems to be besieging me with them even after I became aware of their assault. If it can cast this spell so freely, it might have something stronger to fall back on. Something that might affect you as well." "Lady Fauna, you know these woods better than I do. At least, I may assume you do. Would you know any being that might fit this description?"
she didn't know too many species who specifically practiced sleeping magic. 
Fauna didn't know too much about the creatures of this forest excluding the wildlife. "It could be another satyr or maybe a type of siren." Satyrs if skilled enough could target only one being and sirens magic worked better on humans than fey. Although there was a chance it could be any creature since many different races could be gifted in magic. "Perhaps a fairy…" She kept glancing nervously back at the brush expecting something to jump out and attack them at any moment. She just hoped it was a satyr because if it was she was safe, all satyrs would help each other as they have a common goal. It did make sense it could be a satyr and that's why he was being targeted specifically. 

She wanted to tell Sir Issac that they should run but she knew he wouldn't make it far, and they were better off sticking together so they at least had some sort of chance at fighting whatever laid beyond the trees off. She hoped Sir Issac was as tough as he acted because they were in need of a great fighter.

Word Count: 320 Words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:51 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"Of course I am. Didn't your parents teach you about satyrs?" Fauna says indignantly, as if she expected him to know that she was fey. Plenty of beastmen weren't, nor was everything that lived in the forest by default fey. Sir Isaac then wonders about her answer. His parents had told him about satyrs, but he was told that there were only male satyrs. The wild and hairy male counterpart to the always fair and smooth female nymphs. Perhaps that was just another sub-race? Or were his parents misinformed? Didn't matter right now. Sir Isaac asks about the song she played before, now knowing she was fey.

"It's called 'Song of Sunlit forest' It's a forest blessing. It's supposed to bless the animals and protect the forest from harm." Fauna answered.

"I see. I reckon such a spell wouldn't work on an outsider like me, would it? Good. That means the melody interfered with their abilities, rather than boosting mine." Sir Isaac says. "In other words, we're almost certainly dealing with an outsider here. Or a fey being that calmed down after hearing your song, I guess. So we don't really know what kind of being we're dealing with here, yet we know more than before. Probably."

"Another thing I know is that this is no weak foe, magically speaking. I counted at least seven spells of drowsiness in the last hour." Sir Isaac continues. "It might be a simple spell, but it suggests that our foe has ample magical reserves to rely on. Especially considering it seems to be besieging me with them even after I became aware of their assault. If it can cast this spell so freely, it might have something stronger to fall back on. Something that might affect you as well."

"Lady Fauna, you know these woods better than I do. At least, I may assume you do. Would you know any being that might fit this description?"

Sir Isaac falls silent as one of the bushes nearby rustles, a dark figure barely visible behind them. Sir Isaac steadies the grip on his sword, readying it for whatever might come at them.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:30 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

The opponent was unseen but Sir Issac looked as if he'd collapse. The silence was eerie, the forest so still and silent. Even the animals of the forest froze, the only sound to her was of loud thumping hearts. "Lady Fauna, are you fey?" Fauna lowered her pipes from her lips. "Of course I am. Didn't your parents teach you about satyrs?"  All satyrs were magical gifted with musical abilities. Sure some were better than others, she was about average. She didn't have much time to practice with all the other skills she was forced to learn. "I appear to have been besieged by spells of drowsiness for a while now, spells meant to make me fall asleep and become vulnerable. You don't appear to be affected however. Mayhaps you're immune due to your ancestory, or for other reasons." That did seem to be the most likely explanation as she knew certain species were resistant to different kinds of magic. Humans were easy if they didn't realize what was happening, if they did realize they could try and fight it off. It was the same with dwarves, elves, orcs and other satyrs. Most non-intelligent creatures love spells wouldn't work on. Creatures that experienced little to no fear of course had an immunity to fear spells.

"And if I may be so bold to ask another question, what was that melody you played before? The one that drew me to you?" "Whatever it was, it seemed to neutralise their influence. If we can determine exactly as to why you and your magic resist them so much, perhaps we'll be able to deduce what creature we're dealing with here." "It's called 'Song of Sunlit forest' It's a forest blessing. It's supposed to bless the animals and protect the forest from harm." Usually it didn't work on humans but it most likely worked because she didn't know he was there and he was so close to her. 

She glanced nervously at the brush. What kind of ferocious beast laid ahead of them? She tried to tell herself not to worry, the beast would likely attack Sir Issac first and while he was being attacked it'd give her time to run. For some reason she felt as if that'd be a betrayal to him, but she was more important than him she needed to protect the forests. What has he done for the world?

Word Count: 400

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:58 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac looks around, trying to distinguish anything in the dark and red that surrounded them. Streaks of white occassionally drew his attention, always just out of his peripheral. He couldn't tell if it was their opponent, or just his mind playing tricks on them. Or perhaps the creature might know illusion too, if it could cast sleep.

With one hand still readying his sword, Sir Isaac quickly rubs his hair back to keep it out of his face. He takes a few steps forward to reach more solid ground, and rolls his shoulders to get some of the last water out of his armour. Fauna jumped up and looked doubtful at her sashel. Making a decision after a second, she pulls out her pipes. As they stood still and vigilant, Sir Isaac still dripping and Fauna with the reed pipes readied on her lips, time passed without anything happening. No rustling of leaves, no chirping of crickets, not even the wind broke the silence.

"Lady Fauna, are you fey?" Sir Isaac asks. "I appear to have been besieged by spells of drowsiness for a while now, spells meant to make me fall asleep and become vulnerable. You don't appear to be affected however. Mayhaps you're immune due to your ancestory, or for other reasons."

"And if I may be so bold to ask another question, what was that melody you played before? The one that drew me to you?" Sir Isaac asks. "Whatever it was, it seemed to neutralise their influence. If we can determine exactly as to why you and your magic resist them so much, perhaps we'll be able to deduce what creature we're dealing with here."

Sir Isaac shakes his head furiously to strave off the sleep as another spell of drowsiness hits him. It was easier to do now that he knew it was foreign. More streaks of white play in his peripheral, always gone once he focussed on them.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:50 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna turned back. She was confused to hear laughter from him, perhaps her smile made him think she was trying to make a joke. It seemed he only laughed out of politeness because her statement was nothing resembling a joke.

"My, you must be quite confident of your archery, if you think you can fell any but the most ferocious monsters with just one arrow."  "Or perhaps you think that if we encounter a beast that cannot be felled by normal weapons, we shall be completely defenseless against it? I can assure you, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for those cretins."
"No, any creature which I can't fell with an arrow is likely a danger to me. It's not my job to slay beasts," She wondered if he was the kind of guy who'd actually kill monsters or if he was the kind to just brag about it without having done so. "And if I can't run there are other methods." she said leaving him to wonder what she meant. 

It wasn't long before they reached the river, Sir Issac fell into the stream and she could see him overcome with relief. Fauna sat down on a nearby rock, she wondered if he'd be able to make it far once he left the forest. He didn't seem to have a horse with him or any way to get home besides walking, which made her even more curious. How did he even get here in such heat with such bulky attire? 

She saw him get up and furrowed her brow. Why did he get up so quickly? "Head's up, Lady Fauna. We're not alone." her heart dropped when she heard those words. She could feel fear course through her veins her hands began to shake. she bolted up from her seat. She didn't have much time, her reed pipes or her bow? Her reed pipes could instill fear or put creatures to sleep but it really depended on the type but Sir Issac could take it down with his sword if it was the kind of creature that could be killed by arrows. She quickly opened her satchel and snatched out her pipes. She put them to her lips watching the brush closely for any sign of movement. She didn't know what song to play and she wouldn't know until the creature popped out from it's hiding place.

Was that the same creature from earlier in which she dismissed? Had it been following them the whole time? and for how long?

Word Count: 432 words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:18 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac slowly begins to hear the running of water, a welcome sound that makes his mouth water and his legs go faster. He slowly closes the distance between him and the nimble deer girl who manoeuvred through this forest so much easier than him.

"Of course I am. All the monsters here that I can't kill with one arrow we'd be better off fleeing from." Fauna says, smiling at what she said. Perhaps there was some hidden joke in there, or she considered it fun to run away from monsters. Perhaps she laughed at the idea that she could run faster than him in the forest, thus escaping the monster by not being the slowest one. Well, Sir Isaac would not turn and run if something vile appeared, so he didn't have to be fast. Despite that, he laughs with her to be gallant.

Another spell of drowsiness washes over him, and Sir Isaac stumbles. Fauna looks at him with something akin to concern, probably, but he guessed she already weighed her options regarding his feinting and chose to leave him behind if it would happen. Well, at least it meant she wouldn't slit his throat in his moment of weakness.

"My, you must be quite confident of your archery, if you think you can fell any but the most ferocious monsters with just one arrow." Sir Isaac says, intentionally misunderstanding her words at least openly. "Or perhaps you think that if we encounter a beast that cannot be felled by normal weapons, we shall be completely defenseless against it? I can assure you, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for those cretins."

Sir Isaac straves off the drowsiness and raises his back. Strutting forward, he walks the last few steps to the river bank and quickly washes his face with the cold water. The next handful is sipped up, spreading a blissful sensation of cold through this throat into his stomach. Getting back up, turning around and spreading his arms, he falls backwards into the stream. A large splash erupts when he lands in the soft sandy bedrock of the stream, cold water running through the gaps in his armour and cooling his body. He could feel his overheated muscles relax. His dehydrated mind clearing up. His sweaty skin cleansening. His drowsiness fa-

Sir Isaac quickly opens his eyes. Awkwardly like a turtle combined with an old man and a broken construct, he gets up while teh water in his armour drains away in miniature waterfalls. With some water still sloshing inside with his every move, he places his hand on the hilt of his sword and tries to peer through the forest. His drowsiness, it didn't fade. It didn't lessen. It didn't react to the cold water being splashed in his face. And now that his mind was clearer, he could tell it wasn't his drowsiness either.

"Head's up, Lady Fauna. We're not alone."

With water still running from his armour, his wet hair an intangible mess around his head and the grass- and mud streaks on his armour diluted to a messy panorama, a very serious-looking Sir Isaac suddenly turns vigilant and tense. Then he quickly readjusts his stance as one of his feet slowly sinks into the mud, and looks serious again.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:41 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"Of course I am. All the monsters here that I can't kill with one arrow we'd be better off fleeing from." That being said she hadn't come across any hideous beasts yet, excluding Sir Issac. She smiled at her own joke. She kept her eyes ahead not even looking back to talk to him. She wondered if he'd collapse before they reached the stream. If he did there wouldn't be much she could do for him. Perhaps she could play a song to wake him up but she didn't know how he'd handle it, the crashes from the song sucked and wouldn't be great in the heat. She found Sir Issac to be quite ridiculous she could tell he thought very highly of himself but she was yet to see too many good qualities in him. She hadn't talked to many humans before, were they all like this? It seemed unlikely but she knew so little about them that it was a possibility. 

She reached out beside her as she walked and let her hands run across the bark of the trees. They all felt so very different from each other, like the faces of others, but yet so similar. There were so many red oaks here, there were only a few in the forest where she was from. She was used to tall birch trees white like bone tall and elegant. 

She could hear the stream louder now and it was likely loud enough for Sir Issac to hear now. The stream had a calming rhythm it was soft yet loud and violent. It was the only river in the forest and the source of the forests life. By now they were pretty deep into the forest, for all Sir Issac knew she could be luring him into the forest to kill him. She'd never be this trusting of a stranger. Sir Issac kind of seemed like an idiot.

Word Count: 320 words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:53 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"Yes, but in this heat I doubt you'd be able to fight any creature. Your best bet would be to run and I doubt you'd be able to get far in that ridiculous get-up." Fauna says. "If social convention is more important than your life then you might want to get your priorities in order, Sir Issac."

Sir Isaac's moustache ruffles a bit from annoyance when she bastardises his good name once again, but he doesn't say anything. Proper speech and etiquette were always hard to pick up for the more simple species. They were like children, he would have to be patient and understanding.

He then ponders a bit on what she said. "I suppose you may be right, Lady Fauna. Maneuverability and the ability to tactically retreat if necessary might outweigh the advantages of armour, considering we know not what lurks in these woods. Mayhap it's something that can tear right through my plate armour, making dodging the only fruitful strategy." Sir Isaac says, but doesn't believe. Clearly armour was superior to having no armour. And what kind of animal could pierce his precious family armour, aside from some great beasts that wouldn't even fit through these trees?

As he compares the advantages of keeping his armour to the few small advantages of taking it off, a sense of drowsiness washes over him. His eyes almost fall shut immediately, but he fights off the sleep. The same feeling of tiredness he felt back at the rock suddenly lingered strongly around him though, the sensation of being so tired that he simply had to sleep. The sensation that stopped when he heard Lady Fauna's music, and which returned now that the strange glowy look of the forest was fading.

"Anyway we better get going." Fauna says, turning around and walking deeper into the forest. Sir Isaac follows her, wondering what the melody was. How strange. He thought she was a ranger based on her gear, but perhaps she was a bard instead? Was the song one to strave off sleep? Would it really wear off so quickly, or was the distance between the two of them at the time the reason it didn't work on him as long?

Or was there something else at play? The forest critters did just scatter, as if a predator was near. Though that might just as well be him, considering how foreign he was to the area. Sir Isaac continues to follow Lady Fauna, glancing over his shoulder one last time. He didn't spot the dim light eminating from a wand-shaped object nearby, nor the one wielding the spell. They knew how to remain hidden until it was the right time to strike.

[OOC: I'm glad you're enjoying it, I'm greatly enjoying myself too. Fauna is being so headstrong and sober, she's a great counter-force for Sir Isaac's ignorant self.]

Author: Fauna, Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 3:40 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"Of course your name isn't Fair Maiden, Lady Fauna, yet you are one. You are most certainly a lady, no longer a child nor old enough to be a madam. And you're certainly fair, in my humble opinion." The way Sir Issac talked to her made her uncomfortable. Her being the daughter of the chief was often subjected to many of the male satyrs attempts at courtship. She took a small step back as he reached out towards her but it seemed she had mistaken his intentions as her rested his hand on his chest. He took a bow which seemed like a rather awkward gesture to her. "Anyhow, I thank you for pointing me in the direction of the nearest water source. I greatly appreciate it, Fair Mai- Lady Fauna." Did he often forget people had names? He seemed to struggle with calling her by her name. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off."

"Oh. My apologies, it appears you have misunderstood my intentions, Lady Fauna. I wasn't flirting with you, nor do I have any intention of engaging in… right here… it's just… I…" Her face turned red and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. You see, in my culture we don't really do such things before this holy ceremony called marriage. And we don't do it in the woods either, most unsanitary. And unsafe. Not to mention there's a customary month of courting before we could even get married." "I know what marriage is and don't be mistaken, I'd never bed a human of your type." The very idea, made her sick to her stomach churn. Not only that but it made her angry what did he think she was? Some sort of savage? A creature willing to bed any creature she stumbled upon? She couldn't wait to be rid of him. She wasn't the angry type but if he wasn't clad in armor she would gladly plunge her dagger through his stomach. "Oh, my armour. Of course. Yes, I knew that's what you meant. My apologies if my hasty misinterpretation of your words offended you." she folded her arms, how could they not? She wondered how no one had strangled him to death yet. 

'Unfortunately though, I cannot in good conscious take this armour off." It's not only a great deal of my house's brand recognition, armour like this is quite difficult to put back on. It takes a full five minutes when I don't have a well-trained squire to help me with it, not at all easy to slip in to like regular clothes. If we were to be besieged by a foe, I couldn't put it back on in time to face them. As such, I must remain wearing this armour just in case. No need to worry, I can bear a little heat." "Yes, but in this heat I doubt you'd be able to fight any creature. Your best bet would be to run and I doubt you'd be able to get far in that ridiculous get-up." she looked at him like he was an idiot, and to her he  was. "If social convention is more important than your life then you might want to get your priorities in order, Sir Issac." He wouldn't need to worry about being seen not wearing his armor if he dropped dead from the heat and dehydration.

"Anyway we better get going." she said whipping around and started walking towards the river. As she walked she could feel a few rabbits scurry back into their holes and a few birds fluttering away. They must've been watching her and chose to flee when they saw her leaving the human. She didn't look to see if he was following her.

Word Count: 622 words

Notes: Fauna is real pissed xD your reply made me chuckle so hard.

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 2:36 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"I have a name, and it isn't Fair Maiden." The deer girl said, with a hint of warning in her voice. She seemed agitated. Sir Isaac only smiles and nods his head no.

"Of course your name isn't Fair Maiden, Lady Fauna, yet you are one. You are most certainly a lady, no longer a child nor old enough to be a madam. And you're certainly fair, in my humble opinion." Sir Isaac says. He extends his hand to her with the intent to grab hers and press a kiss on it, only to remember that he still didn't know her age. He quickly changes the gesture into placing his hand on his heart and taking a bow.

Now that he was a bit closer to her, she might be underaged after all. And he certainly knew the ruckus caused by pressing a kiss on an underaged lady's hand. Not to mention, she might consider his gallantry for actual courtship. Not strange considering his irresistible charm and dashing good looks, but he would hate to break her heart. And marriage with someone who wasn't of noble descend was out of the question, his father wouldn't have it.

Sir Isaac stops contemplating and returns to the real world. The deer girl was looking at him, saying nothing. And he wasn't speaking either. Sir Isaac realises that they'd been in an awkward silence for a few seconds now, one that still continued. He clears his throat nervously as yet another second passes, and another.

"Anyhow, I thank you for pointing me in the direction of the nearest water source. I greatly appreciate it, Fair Mai- Lady Fauna." Sir Isaac smiles. Twirling his moustache around his finger one last time to give it that little swoong, he turns around to the direction she pointed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off."

"Of course, Sir Issac." Fauna says.

Sir Isaac clears his throat nervously again. "That's Sir Isaac, actually. Though if it's difficult to pronounce in your dialect, you may also call me The Moustache Knight." He turns around to face her again, waiting for her to say something or make a decision. Perhaps she would like to join him, enjoy the protection that he offered? It would be most opportune, as he could use her to navigate him out of this forest without seeming like he was lost. He wasn't lost, he was escorting a maiden to safety. It's a noble cause.

"Take off your armor." She suddenly says out of the blue. Sir Isaac almost wants to correct her on pronouncing the word 'armour' wrong, the u might be silent but it was certainly important to distinguish his gear from the junk from the rabble, when the meaning of her words hit him. A blush adds to the redness on his face caused by the heat.

"Oh. My apologies, it appears you have misunderstood my intentions, Lady Fauna. I wasn't flirting with you, nor do I have any intention of engaging in… right here… it's just… I…" Sir Isaac stammers. "You see, in my culture we don't really do such things before this holy ceremony called marriage. And we don't do it in the woods either, most unsanitary. And unsafe. Not to mention there's a customary month of courting before we could even get married."

Sir Isaac continues to list reasons as to why they couldn't and shouldn't do… that, getting more and more flustered with each reason. Fauna rolls her eyes and says; "Unless of course you want to faint of the way there and make me drag you the rest of the way."

Sir Isaac straightens himself and tries to regain his cool. "Oh, my armour. Of course. Yes, I knew that's what you meant. My apologies if my hasty misinterpretation of your words offended you." Sir Isaac smiles. Clever girl, pretending that's what she meant once she understood that he was turning her down. She would make quite the noblewoman with a head like that.

''Unfortunately though, I cannot in good conscious take this armour off." Sir Isaac says. "It's not only a great deal of my house's brand recognition, armour like this is quite difficult to put back on. It takes a full five minutes when I don't have a well-trained squire to help me with it, not at all easy to slip in to like regular clothes. If we were to be besieged by a foe, I couldn't put it back on in time to face them. As such, I must remain wearing this armour just in case. No need to worry, I can bear a little heat."

Sir Isaac smiles again, striking a heroic pose and wobbling slightly as the heat and exhausting makes him woosy for a moment.

 

Author: Fauna, Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:00 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

She raised her eyebrow, how could a simple human like him travel so far into the forest and not become lost? He couldn't follow his scent trail back like most animals, he couldn't feel the differences in the spirits of the trees. Perhaps he was being arrogant like most human men. Sure she could let him wander the forest and get mauled by a bear but she was fearful that the bear would get hurt in the process or even die. She didn't say any of these things instead "I have a name, and it isn't Fair Maiden." she said slightly annoyed. There were satyrs that were in her tribe much like him, so prideful the kinds of men who thought they could say anything and they almost could with their sly smiles and charisma. 

She watched as he turned to leave, she was going to wait until he disappeared into the trees and follow him around until he turned back. She rolled her eyes. "Of course, Sir Issac." He must've realized that he had a better chance of getting out of the forest with her help, somehow she doubted such a prissy human spent his days wandering around random forests. She looked at him, he wouldn't last too long in that heavy and hot armor. It was basically an oven on him, she'd never think of wearing such bulky armor in such a hot environment. "Take off your armor." she told him, she had no idea why he hadn't done so sooner. If she was him she'd just ditch it, you could always buy or forge more of it and it's not worth losing your life over. "Unless of course you want to faint of the way there and make me drag you the rest of the way." She probably wouldn't do that for him. She'd probably just leave him for the wolves since he wouldn't be able to hurt any of the creatures of the forest and she probably wasn't strong enough to drag him since he is about the same size as her, but she wasn't about to tell him that since he might get just a little bit offended.

Word Count: 363 words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:38 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac relaxes a bit when he sees her put away her bow. Natives could always be a bit finicky when someone like him would suddenly show up, and the deer girl seems nomadic enough to fall under that category of people who'd either attack or worship him for being a steel golem. Silly tribe people. He should be wary of how important or intelligent he'd appear. Natives were easily confused by his refined and charismatic speech, resulting in them thinking he was charming them with magic. Yes, that's definately why they'd suddenly attack him or kick him out of their tribes. Sir Isaac already decreased his vocabulary to commoner levels, but perhaps he should speak even simpler for her sake.

"I'm Fauna, of the God Pan." The deer girl responds warily. Sir Isaac smiles brightly as she sizes him up, probably trying to determine how strong and righteous he was. He hadn't heard of this Pan guy, it might be a local demi-god of their kind, or some kind of silly tribe religion. Maybe they prayed to a panflute with some shiny decorations. Plenty of tribes prayed to such silly 'gods' before the missionaries of the true pantheon would reach them. But he wasn't a missionary, so he'd best oblige her silly religion.

"What is a human like you doing here? The forest is dangerous and easily to get lost in, all the trees look the same to the untrained eye." She asks him, making Sir Isaac a bit uncomfortable. She couldn't tell that he was lost, could she? For a Sir Knight like him to get lost was most dishonourable.

"Lost, me? Haha! No need to concern yourself with me, fair maiden! I am Sir Knight Isaac II, I don't get lost. My enemies may pray that I do, but I shall never let evil catch their breath! For I am the champion of Justice and Valor that shall chase them to the ends of the world!" Sir Isaac says, proudly. Only once he finishes his sentence does he remember that he was covering up his disorientation, rather than actually chasing anything. "I may seem lost to the untrained eye, my Lady, but I can assure you that I am not. These trees are all unique and distinguishable to me."

Sir Isaac turns around and waves his hand at the damnable forest of completely identical trees that no one could possibly tell apart. He frowns and almost draws his sword in a reflex as he sees a streak of white quickly jump for cover as he so suddenly turns around. Sir Isaac calms himself. It didn't look big, the size of a fox at most. Something of such a size couldn't possibly be a threat, even to the fair maiden Fauna.

Trying to shake the glance he just caught from his mind, he turns back to Fauna. "However, I am currently in need of refreshment. If you would happen to know of a source of water, Lady Fauna, I'd be greatly obliged. I mustn't waste too much time on finding one, lest my quarry gains too much of a headstart on me."

Author: Fauna, Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:25 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

The figure that approached wasn't quite what she had expected, he wasn't a hulking giant beast. In fact he looked human, but with his metal plates covering his body she couldn't be sure. The plates looked hot and heavy, they were bright and reflective, it wasn't ideal for travel especially in a place like here. His outfit was loud and reflective making him more easily seen and more prone to the heat. He had a large mustache on his upper lip which looked like a thick unibrow for his mouth. "Greetings, fair maiden. My name is Sir Knight Isaac Bartholomew Casnothal the Second, proud knight of her majesty and defender of the realm. You need not fear me." She barely understood a word that the man said but apparently his name was Sir Issac. She reluctantly put her bow on her back  away and set her arrow back in it's quiver. 

"Tell me, my Lady, what brings a fair maiden such as yourself to travel alone through such dangerous woods? You wouldn't happen to be in distress, would you? Or chased by some ferocious beast?" she wondered who he thought he was waltzing up into the forest and asking her if she was in distress. She wondered who he thought she was. She wasn't some human girl that needed saving. "I'm Fauna, of the God Pan." she said eyeing him warily. "What is a human like you doing here? The forest is dangerous and easily to get lost in, all the trees look the same to the untrained eye." Why was a human here? Had he been chased into the forest or perhaps he was a hunter. The word always left a sour taste in her mouth, whenever she thought of hunters she thought of big burly men covered in blood with the smell of death lingering in his breath. Whoever he was he didn't belong here. Humans, dwarves, orcs they didn't belong in the forest they were out of their element there. 

Sir Issac looked dehydrated, his face was flushed, beads of sweat dripping down his face, his hair looked oily and damp. She could smell his body odor which hung in the air, a sour smell. She could hear the faint trickling of a stream, it couldn't be more than a quarter mile away. Perhaps she could lead him there so he'd be able to travel. It was unlikely he could hear it since human ears were notoriously bad.

Word Count: 411 words

Notes:-

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:50 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

As Sir Isaac walks through the forest, he slowly begins to distinguish a clearing amidst the shade of this forest just ahead. The music stopped, but the distance and direction made it all but certain that the clearing was the source of the melody. Trudging awkwardly through the foliage and bushes, Sir Isaac makes his way to the clearing and whatever lurks there.

"Show yourself!" A voice appears ahead of him. A female voice, and she sounds frightened and doubtful. But that might just be another deceptive trick from whatever monster was about to ambush him. He should remain vigilant.

As he enters the small grassy field, barely large enough to be called a clearing at all but with a relatively large gap in the canopy above, he sees a figure. A figure that has a bow trained on him, ready to fire. Sir Isaac quickly places his hand on the hilt of his sword and prepares to duck out of the way, ready to do battle. Then, his grip loosens as he sees who and what is about to fire at him.

A deer girl, barely old enough to be considered a young adult. Or at least Sir Isaac assumed she was, it was always so hard to tell with girls. They could make themselves look half a decade older if they wanted. But that whole milkmaid incident wasn't important now, Sir Isaac should focus on the situation at hand. The girl he was looking at was certainly young and frightened. It was hard to tell her fear apart from the heat sweat, but the eyes and tensed muscles didn't lie. She was terrified of him, an innocent damsel lost in the woods. Well, not necessarily lost, but certainly a traveller like him. Anyone native to the area would've holed up in the coldest grove or cave in the area with this damnable heat.

Sir Isaac smiles and takes his hand off his sword, instead raising them to show her that he had no ill intentions. "Greetings, fair maiden. My name is Sir Knight Isaac Bartholomew Casnothal the Second, proud knight of her majesty and defender of the realm. You need not fear me." Sir Isaac smiles even wider, rubbing his hair back into model with his hand quickly. Marinated with his sweat however, it only caused strands of his hair to stand up straight like a mad scientist's. Sir Isaac doesn't notice as he slowly walks closer to the damsel with his hands still raised to show no harm.

"Tell me, my Lady, what brings a fair maiden such as yourself to travel alone through such dangerous woods? You wouldn't happen to be in distress, would you? Or chased by some ferocious beast?" Sir Isaac asks, curling his moustache around his finger confidently. "Don't fret telling me, I'll be glad to help those in need."

Author: Fauna, Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:42 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna finished her song, she set down her instrument in her bag delicately. She was about to get up before she heard something, she hadn't sensed it like she did with the animals, the trees and the plants. It was something foreign…She could hear it, the clanking of metal loud heavy foot steps. Her heart beat quickened and she shot up from where she was sitting. She puled her long bow out from off her back and an arrow from her quiver. She set the arrow in her bow pulling back the string pointing at the direction in which she had heard the noise. 

The loud metal wasn't the only thing she heard a small rustling something small maybe a rat or some sort of rabbit, but she couldn't feel it either, it wasn't one with the forest like the rabbits and rats were. She pulled the string to her face, her fingers trembling. Her breathing was ragged as she braced for a fight. "S-show yourself!" She shouted. She tried to sound confident or at least calm but her voice was weak and doubtful. What were the beasts? Monstrous trolls? Orcs? Cannibals? Barbarians? She was a good shot but one arrow wouldn't take down whatever creatures were coming her way. She had her steel dagger at her hip but she wasn't great at hand to hand combat and depending on the beast a steel dagger wouldn't take them down.

She had never fought with her bow before and didn't know how she'd preform, she had all sorts of practice with moving targets but not attacking targets. Whatever she did she had to be brave, she was a satyr it was her duty to protect the forests and their inhabitants no matter what jumped out from the brush. She could run, she was fast and knew the forest but she didn't know the creature or it's intentions. If it's intentions were for blood then she'd give it blood. She'd spill it into the ground and his life would be reclaimed by the forest as are all creatures.

Word Count: 346 words

Notes: aghrvyrhm your reply was so pretentious it killed me xD

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:34 AM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Sir Isaac was still sitting on the rock, trying to figure out a plan to get out of this mess rather than wandering even further into the forest. The heat from the flatland sun was slowly dissipating from his metal armour, his body slowly getting cooler and cooler. It wouldn't get completely comfortable, the air was too hot for that, but it was getting better. Yes, perhaps he should remain here for a bit longer. Just rest, cool off and get his bearings. Just, close his eyes for a minute…

His eyelids drooped down, a sudden and demanding fatigue trying to overtake him. Sir Isaac complied, he didn't hear anything dangerous nearby anyway. He could just rest his eyes for a few minutes and then get back up. No problem. No…

Just as he was about to close his eyes completely, a long and wistful tone echoed through the forest. Sir Isaac opens his eyes, looking in the direction of the sound. He only saw red trunks and the darkness that lies beyond them, same as any other direction. He saw nothing. He heard, however. The tone was followed by other tones, other solemn notes that stringed together into a melancholic melody. A song of sorrowful loss, yet caring and with hope still rooted deep down. A melody that nigh brought a tear to Sir Isaac's eye.

Sir Isaac gets up, trying to peer through the forest to see who or what was making the music. He saw nothing, yet he saw much. This was a clue, one that would allow him to find his way out of these woods. Yes, as beautiful and alluring as the song was, it had to be some kind of trap. If it were an alluring siren playing this song, then the direction opposite to the sound would be the way back to the plains of Bodar. Sir Isaac turns around, the bushes rustling as something scurries away from his gaze. A spooked rabbit, most likely.

Unless that was the trick. If he were a siren trying to lure a handsome and intelligent knight into their nest, he would play his song from the opposite direction. That way, he would not lure the knight, rather than getting their own astute thinking to make them wander deeper into the woods. Yes, perhaps he should go towards the music after all. Instead of being deceived to go deeper into the forest, he would figure out the foul monster's trick and return to the safe border between this damnable place and the plains.

Sir Isaac gasps loudly. Unless the monster knew he'd know. What if they figured out that he would figure out their trick, and thus added an additional layer to it?

Sir Isaac gasps audibly again. Who was to say that they didn't figure out that he'd figure that out too? How many layers did the plan of this siren have?

Sir Isaac rubs his temples with his fingers, tired and delirious from the heat. No, it was even worse. There were more than two directions that he could take. What if the siren was playing their alluring song from the side? He only had to walk at a slight angle away from the plains to walk deeper into the forest. And if he figured out that this wasn't the way and walked the opposite direction, he'd still wouldn't find his way out of here. Which would lead to him turning around and walking the other way, only to not find the forest edge there either. He'd be walking in circles until he'd die of thirst.

Sir Isaac straightens his posture and turns to the sound. The solution was simple. Three directions were questionable, one direction was a solid yes or no. Either it was the right way to go, or it wasn't. Yes, certainly this was the correct answer. And if he did find some unspeakable monstrosity or ravenous beast along the road, he could solve that problem with cold steel. 

Sir isaac walks along the trees towards the source of the music, careful to mind his surroundings and distinguish some landmarks just in case. Despite his caution, he didn't notice the small creature that carefully stalked after him.

Author: Fauna, Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:17 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

Fauna had been wandering the forest for a short period before she decided to sit down. She wasn't quite lost as a deer satyr she was a forest spirit she could feel the winds, the trees and the animals. She could feel the edges of the forest where the trees grew farther and farther apart. She could feel the rabbits and foxes snuggled inside their holes taking refuge from the heat. She herself was hot but she was used to it by now, she had been traveling for such a long time that the dizzy spells and beads of sweat that'd occasionally drip down her forehead were just a part of her life now. 

She took out her reed pipes from her satchel and began to play a sweet, soft and sad, melody. She closed her eyes and felt the music as it resonated in her ears. A few birds could be heard fluttering overhead and a few rabbits climbed just outside of their holes to listen. It was a blessing, a protection spell of sorts for the creatures of the forest. It had been awhile since she was able to sit and play for the forest, she hadn't done so since she had left her home. It filled her with nostalgia and the song sounded like the early mornings when her and her sister would play together. When she was little she had often skipped out on her lessons and went off exploring by herself, she had hated being forced to play but now it came so easy to her and it felt like her hands moved by themselves following the flow of the music like a slowly moving stream. The song felt so simple but if you listened closely you could hear the elegant complexity of each note. 

She didn't know where she'd go after this, if she'd settle, keep wandering or try to do something so admirable that her tribe would invite her back. Maybe this was her destiny to wander forever to play for each patch of forest or plains that she stumbled upon. If this was what Pan intended she would go to the ends of the earth to play for each and every forest.

Word Count: 370

Notes: -

Author: Sir Isaac, Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:52 PM, Post Subject: A hike by the forest edge [P]

"By Xunatar's restless loins, it's hot!" Sir Isaac exclaims with his signiature cheer still in his voice despite how miserable he felt. He was positively overheated and thirsty. With his one hand he takes the gauntlet off the other, allowing him to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His finger curls around his moustache, checking if it's still looking presentable and magnificent. It is, of course. Sir Isaac puts the gauntlet back on, the sweaty leather and searing steel immediately assuring that his arm feels hot like an oven again.

Not that Sir Isaac was considering to take off his full-plate steel armour. The plains of Bodar were a relatively dangerous place, monsters were about, and there was no telling when he might run into people. If he wouldn't be wearing the armour that showed that he was a gallant knight, how would they know he was one? No, of course he would have to keep wearing his hot and ill-ventilated armour just in case.

The hellish heat wouldn't last for much longer anyway. The trees of Videns were getting closer and closer, their signiature red trunks becoming more and more defined. And where they are, there would be shadow. Blissful cool shadow. Sir Isaac continues walking, eager to reach this great boon of the forests.

Not that he would enter the forest. Of course not, Virens was a dangerous place. Everyone knew that. There were beasts of unspeakable horror lurking inside there, as well as a whole bunch of unknown beings. And what good was it to run into a group of monsters if there was no damsel in distress to save from their foul claws?

No, Sir Isaac wouldn't actually enter the dangerous woods. He would walk in the long shadows that it casts, never entering it too deeply to lose sight of the plains. That way he could simply follow the border between the two regions until he reached a settlement of sorts. No danger nor risk of getting lost was involved. Nor would he be suffering from this infernal sun beaming down on him any longer. Yes, a perfect plan indeed.

…

"But how!?" Sir Isaac exclaims, the hint of cheer in his voice making his perplexed and mildly panicking exclamation sound unintentially comedical. "I only went a bit deeper into the forest to take a leak, I walked barely a minute and only went in one direction. So how, by Dalanesca's scars, did I lose track of the entire blasted plains of Bodar!?"

Sir Isaac looks around frantically, not finding a single hint of what direction he should go. Everywhere he looked were the same red-trunked trees, leaves, plants and other nature stuff that looked the same. Sir Isaac sighs, sitting down on a rock and taking a few moments to rest and clear his head. Perhaps not being delirious from the heat would help him come up with a solution of sorts.