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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 26, 2023 19:12:01 GMT -5
"Considering the muffled remarks of that poor excuse of a shaman, I think I shall press the matter of his goods further... investigate whether they've actually gone missing or not. It would be good to settle this quickly and I seem to perturb the fanciful ones greatly... also, you're most welcome... as someone who grew up around an entire tribe of such imbecilic ideas, I understand and refuse to stand for such nonsense... the bladed circle was my second home in my tribe, and it's lessons I learned better than I would have cared to, so there will be no trouble from them." Without waiting for Javal or the man to reply, Taki stalked after the man muttering under his breath. While she made no real effort, her natural stealthy ways kept her out of his distracted sight as he wove his way back to his wagon. She did not approach at first, choosing to find a place close by and watch for a few minutes to gauge the man's reaction to such stress.
"Filthy snake... had to butt in and stand up for that raggedy mongrel of a shaman. Don't they know who I am, who my parents ARE!!" He outburst from the back of the wagon, rummaging around in several of the crates for a long moment. A pair of his attendants recoiled from the venomous words and clear outrage of their charge, preferring not to be the next target he chose for his vendettas. Another, one who'd been off on another task, passed by Taki watching the trailer.
"Miss... I saw ye before, arguin' wit da boss, gave 'im hell and right so... not sure why he's all piss n vinegar, but I'd bet it had something to do with these." The young lad, dirty and wearing what could barely be described as clothing produced an ornate satchel of fine silk rope and velvet fabric. It jingled as it moved about, and was covered in dirt and muck
"He ordered one of you to bury them, so he could blame others and take their goods as he saw fit?" The shaman stated, puzzling her way through the conundrum she held in her hands.
"Aye... me brotha's da one hid 'em down the way... threatened to starve and whip us both if we told... but that ain't no way to be treatin' folk, nor makin' friendly like." He replied, his hands shaking and thin from having barely eaten in at least the last few days since the journey began. She pointed the man towards her pack, instructed him to take whatever provisions he needed so long as he ate slowly, and stalked over to the wagon swinging the bag of goods like a child with a new toy and a wickedly gleeful grin across her fanged face.
"They... better be... here... where did that lazy dog of a slave put them... I swear, if you or your brother screw this-" His words were cut short by four scaly blue hands lifting his short, plump form out of the cart and tossing him into a pile of manure the others had gathered up while they were cleaning. It was going to be spread over the soil as they left in hopes it would aid next season's growth. Now it held the nobleman's plump, red face and the last of his dignity.
"You will leave this caravan, today... no questions, no recourse... your lies are a poison we do not need and your pathetic games will not be tolerated in my presence. Your goods... not stolen or lost... buried by your own order so that you could take from others." She pulled his head up out of the muck with two hands firmly on each side of his head, her crimson orbs boring proverbial holes into the sniveling man's soul. He was trembling with anger, fear and confusion, even grabbed Taki's arms and tried to pry loose from her grip, but most children had more grunt in their arms than someone who'd not done a hard day's work in their adult life.
"JAVAL!! NADIA!!" She shouted, holding him firmly by the head, body slowly sinking into the stinking pile of dung.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 26, 2023 19:48:12 GMT -5
Javal Zarrias now stood completely by himself, now Shitakibo decided to follow the pompous man from earlier and the man in rags had already left by now. But that was no problem for Javal, he was on a mission to find the pompous man’s treasure and return it to him so everyone could be happy.
“Hm, If I were some valuable treasure where would I hide?”Javal pondered out loud, “Maybe the treasure was somewhere in the camp. Maybe the man just dropped it somewhere and mistook the man in rags as a thief due to his appearance". Javal dropped down to the floor and started examining it as he crawled by. Detective Javal was on the case and he was going to get this problem solved.
His employee Nadia who was just walking by to say good morning to him said this and shouted, “My liege, get up from the floor at this instant”, She helped him up quickly, “What are you even doing, my liege. You cannot be seen doing something so brutish and confusing as dragging yourself on the floor”.
“No Nadia, I'm a pretty smart guy. I’m examining the floor looking for any trace of missing valuables that this rich shaman fellow lost during the basilisk attack”.
Nadia then helped him look around instead they found nothing at all, Nadia spoke up, “My liege, maybe the rich shaman lost is somewhere else. Let’s just give up searching and tell him we didn’t find it".
“No Nadia, I give him my word that I’d find it and I mean to keep my promise”. Javal continued searching with Nadia deeply sighing and making her disapproval very apparent.
Soon both of them were beckoned by a familiar voice, they both ran to the source to find an upset Shitakibo and a trembling screaming rich Shaman covered in dirt Javal assumed.
“Hey Shitakibo, what’s going on here? Why do you have this guy in your hands? What did he do?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 26, 2023 20:02:40 GMT -5
Taki shoved the man back into the dung heap, stepped over it using him as a rug and handed the bag for Javal to examine himself. The pair had trounced through the mud and grime outside for hours over the last two days and the bag was covered in similar mud and dirt. She explained what was told to her, going over it all in as much detail as she could recall, including splitting the brothers up for a few minutes with the promise of food. She stepped off, positioning between the soiled oaf and the rest of the group. She was seething, and while she wasn't the most broad or beefy individual, her muscles still were taut and toned, stretching against the confines of her own scaly skin.
Every fiber of her being wanted to knock the man out and feed him to the basilisk herself, but her companions tried their best to steer her away from a rash decision.
"He does not belong here, and has fouled the sanctity and good will of others. It might be wise to dig deeper, see what goods he has pilfered from others along the way with his petty extortion scheme. It is not my place to decide, nor would I feel okay overstepping on your Company's wonderfully executed work so far. How would you like to proceed?" Her accent was unusually heavy, her tongue flicking from her pursed lips as she watched the sniveling noble's every move as a viper would watch a rodent just before striking.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 27, 2023 1:21:06 GMT -5
Nadia almost threw up once she saw the pompous man get dumped once again into the dung heap. Her life as a noble did not get to show her such marvelous and funny events such as this Javal thought.
After finally calming down from laughing about what Javal had just seen, his face turned more and more upset as he heard from Shitakibo what had happened. He couldn’t believe it, how could someone be so cruel and inhuman towards another person? He had originally thought that the pompous man was a bit of a jerk but not like this he didn’t think people like this existed much less had the gall to even act on their misdeeds.
Nadia was pacing back and forth covering her nose from the dung-filled pompous man although it was a funny scene even though Nadia was getting upset you could feel the silent storm rising from her even though she was deathly quiet.
Javal got up and stood straight towering over the pompous bastard as he listened to what Shitakibo suggested they should do with him.
With rage filling his entire body he struggled so far from wanting to pick the bottom feeder from his collar and simply bring him to justice the hard way. He was fuming and angry he wanted to, he was itching to punish this piece of garbage. But no, somebody like this didn’t deserve the usual pain they need to be left to rot alone.
“Shitakibo, I completely agree with everyone that you said, Nadia gets Bootsamon and Asleipmir to look over his goods and find out who they really belong to. As for your bottom feeder, I feel that my judgment will not be punished enough. I leave the decision of what should be done to you to Shitakibo. It is her fellow shamans that you have wronged, you will face her wrath alone”.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 27, 2023 5:49:46 GMT -5
Taki crouched, grinning wide and baring her fangs. She called the other shaman to gather, at least, the ones who'd not come to see what the commotion was about already. In this corner of the cavern, the group fanned out around the nobleman, Taki, and the others. She explained the situation, calmly as she could to the others. If left to her own devices, the man would be food for worms already, but this she considered foolish thinking. It wasn't her personally who had been wronged, but many of the others stepped up during her explanation to reveal this wasn't an isolated incident. Some called for a swift end, others far worse. Among their crowd, the man who'd set this chain of events in motion stepped forward.
"Miss, I'm usually one for a good public extermination... but I think a greater lesson for us all as a group, and most importantly for him directly, is a taste of his own medicine. Give him the outfit he's wearing, and whatever ration he needs to make the journey... the rest of his goods should go to those he's wronged, and his wagon sent home empty with all of his servants. Make the man stand on his own in the mess he's created, face the consequences of us all without a place to be sheltered." He explained. She could tell this revelation had sparked outrage among the group, most of whom barely could survive day to day on their own foraging and meager lives. Still, the idea had many merits and she was a bit ashamed of her own rage and harshness.
Voices in the crowd shouted, those who had stepped forward were losing their composure and demanding harsher, violent punishment. Taki had to act quickly before the group turned on itself. A fine mess this was turning into.
"Enough! Quell your rage... this is not the time or place for such harshness. Remember why we are all here, and what this journey means. Do you really wish to fill your hearts with such darkness towards another life? I'm not saying you are wrong in your feelings, but we must look beyond them for the sake of our pilgrimage and ourselves." She turned to the man, who was trying to brush himself clean, no matter how foolishly. "You will, for the rest of this journey, travel alone. Your pack will be set up for you, your stolen goods returned to their rightful owners. As far as your excesses and your retainers, they are to be sent home along with your wagon. Oh, and that will be the only outfit you are allowed, as a healthy reminder that if you try your bullshit again... you will face my blades, and a tormented existence beyond even the worst of punishments you've known in this life." She finished. Dismissing the crowd, she instructed those who'd been wronged to gather and wait near the wagon. She fetched the man who'd brought her the goods from earlier, explained the situation to the other retainers manning the wagon (to their endless glee) and had them return everyone's goods. Afterwards the brothers were tasked with building his traveling kit while Taki oversaw the process. Once that was all done, the retainers, along with half a wagon's worth of excess goods began their journey home. It would be a tough journey for them as a solo wagon on the trail, but it would be the best vacation of their adult lives as well. The cart was laden with fine foods, wine and all manner of pleasantries, a fitting resolution for those who'd been starved and made to participate in such nonsense. Taki handed the man his pack, and while light to her own reckoning, he struggled to even put it on properly. The crowd dispersed, going back to the last of their preparations for the next day's journey.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 27, 2023 15:48:23 GMT -5
Javal was mighty angry for all of the injustices this man had been committing, he started getting angry at himself.
“I should have known, I should have been more vigilant. Maybe if I hadn’t been so naive this would have never happened. Someone like him should've been punished a long time ago”, Javal ponders out loud somberly.
Originally Javal was on the side of the shaman mob, it seemed reasonable to have the man killed at least that's what Javal thought was right for such a truly despicable man. It wasn’t until the man in rags came up with a much more fitting and truly just.
“Huzzah foul beast it seems like the very thing that you hated the man in rags for is exactly what your life is going to be from now on”, Javal says excitedly.
The pompous man just stood there in complete shock and shame silently accepting his punishment.
Once the whole situation was over Javal stood ready to help anybody speeding up the process for tomorrow. They were to start moving as soon as morning came but until then it was time to go to sleep.
Javal decided to head over to Shitakibo’s tent to thank her and talk about the discourageable events of the day.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 27, 2023 18:45:27 GMT -5
Exhausted from the debacle of the day, Taki was getting ready to take the rest of the night to meditate and sleep. As she set her tent up, she set out a simple meal from her dried fruit, meat and hard bread rations. Resting comfortably on her simplistic hammock tent, she was well into a calming meditation when she heard someone approaching. She took a few more deep breaths before setting up and opening her tent.
There stood Javal, apologetic about the incident and berating himself over something he could not change. She pondered her response carefully, not wanting to perturb such a state further. While she was still fuming at the situation herself, it did no good to make things worse for herself or others out of spite.
"There isn't anything to apologize about Javal. Each person makes their own choices, and the more people of varying walks of life you gather in one group, the greater the chance for deviant and reckless behavior. Come, sit... have some tea." She poured the pair a fragrant, steaming cup of green tea with jasmine, chamomile and lemongrass. While her kit was as basic as could be, it was well suited for travel and would brew enough tea for four to six cups to be shared. She sprinkled in it a bit of honey sugars to curb the bitterness and enhance the flavor and handed him a cup.
"You handled yourself well, better than I did... had there not been a group, he would have had his hide flayed away from him in hundreds of tiny cuts before tossing him into the dung heap... but my culture as a hatchling was far less civil overall than the world of men, elves and other industrious folk. Such men are an infection with every breath they take, though it is often not of their own choosing. 'Born and Bred' is a saying I've heard commonly among nobles, indicating that such a life not only was their privilege by luck of parentage, but they were groomed to it throughout their life... in much the same way a rancher might choose only his finest stallion and mare to mate for a specific purpose, then immerse that animal in such a life from a small foal. Do not give yourself the burden of other's choices, for you've been both vigilant and decisive. You let a basilisk chase you across a wind swept, rain drenched hazard of a place to keep the entire group from being turned into strange snacks for such a beast... You've got nothing to prove to us or anyone else Javal that has not already been proven by your own deeds. Drink up, if you'd like more, there's enough for another cup... otherwise, feel free to rest your weary mind here and I will see to it that none disturb you." Taki told the man, sipping her tea as they sat in the fading light. The small fire she kept going with a few dried sticks and leftover pieces she kept wrapped in a waterproof skin with the sparker. It was nice to unwind after such a long day, and seeing most of the caravan of other shaman doing the same brought her great joy.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 28, 2023 2:24:16 GMT -5
Javal stood by the hammock pondering what Shitakibo said, “Shitakibo thank you for your wisdom and your time”.
He then sat down across from her taking a cup of her tea, as he sipped it his eyes grew wide and he laughed, “Shitakibo what do you put into your tea this is amazing. I have to have some more. Usually, I’m not a big fan of tea, or coffee for that matter. Tea usually makes me feel sleepy and coffee makes me feel like a plant but that's not the case here.
As he continued to sip his amazing tea he listened intently to what Shitakibo was telling him, “Why do nobles like these always get away with stuff that they do badly? My older brother Nieven is a noble but he never does anything bad. He's too goofy and pure-hearted to do anything. But if a good noble like my brother exists they're probably 20 other bad nobles to offset this. As for the basilisk I just tried to do what I thought was right. I’d rather my life be sacrificed than the rest of the entire camp.
, “How was your childhood Shitakibo? Did you always know you wanted to be a cool snake shaman lady”, and other questions. Eventually, Javal wore himself out and started to doze off but he managed to catch himself before he fell asleep.
“See ya Shitakibo, I thank you for your time and counsel. I wouldn't want to bother you any further. Enjoy your slumber. I know I will”, Javal says as he skips back to his tent.
He then sleeps the rest of the night away.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 28, 2023 14:31:29 GMT -5
"My childhood was a strangeness to my own kin. I did not care for their society, or their treatment of others... Orochi society is one of combat, deceit and bigotry. Most believe themselves superior to all others, claiming the tribe keeps to themselves because the outside world are lesser beings. No one has pets, no one grows things in gardens. They live amongst nature but think little of it, or of the lives of other creatures. As I explained earlier, disputes were settled with combat. While the goal was not death for your opponent, that usually made matters worse by encouraging permanent injury and torturous methods of fighting. Again, I was considered an oddity in combat... giving my opponents no room to execute their twisted maiming, and no mercy. Ending fights quickly and cleanly in Orochi society is seen as a mix of bad manners and incomprehensible arrogance. Factor all of this in with the fact that even as a hatchling, I got along better with creatures and spirits than other people... and it was only a matter of time before I had more enemies than allies." She replied, pouring Javal another cup. Not many people asked about Taki's past, so it was interesting that someone cared to at all.
"The tea is a local Green Tea, to it I add Chamomile, Jasmine, and Lemongrass. The sweetener is crystalline honey sugars, harvested from Rina's hive. Rina is a Flitten given to me by a dear friend who usually stays home to keep warm and tend the gardens." She responded to his second question. Glad the tea was helping him calm down and have a measure of clarity, she sipped her own warm cup and let the wonderful aroma flood her senses. She pondered his last question a great deal, not quite sure she'd experienced enough of others to say.
"As my best guess, much like the spirits of the world, no two people are alike. Unfortunately this means the spread of talent and ability is also far from even, and the less fortunate majority will always seek out the simplest and easiest form of survival without regard for the consequences." Was her last reply, but it felt incomplete. She understood her own lack of understanding about people, so there wasn't enough to draw on directly. Much had to be inferred, drawn from things she actually new, and it was a loose generalization at best.
"Rest easy Javal, may tomorrow be brighter for us all." Sending the security leader off with a peace of mind brought her a tiny bit of joy as she put the last of the day's wedges and sticks into the fire. It was tiny comparatively but would burn slowly through the night, leaving only a small pile of ash behind. This in turn would be a part of her morning routine as she made ready for the day. Her dreams were peaceful that night, enjoying the company of her guardians while admiring the home she'd built from a small cliffside garden.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 29, 2023 0:58:17 GMT -5
Javal sleepy made his way from Shitakibo’s lovely hammock after feeling relieved and filled with wisdom after speaking to her. He was glad that he had met her on this journey; he didn't know what he would do without her. So far she’s managed to help defeat the basilisk and save Javal’s life as well as see a situation for what it was, something that Javal wasn’t able to do. After thinking about this on his way home he finally made it to his current sandcastle abode, it wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping area but for what it was it worked. He saw his dependable black steed Asleipmir sit and doze off next to a campfire, the horse simply giving Javal a sleepy neigh as he entered inside of his house.
He headed straight to bed, confident in his employee's ability to watch over the camp as he slept the night, with Nadia, Asleipmir, and Bootsamon on the job he could rest easy knowing that the camp would be safe from any danger.
He quickly went to slumber on his sand bed cradling his katana in his hands. Once he fell asleep he found himself in a great nightmare. He dreamt that he was drawing in the sea bodies all around him cannon fire and the sounds of battle were heard all above him. No matter how loud Javal tried to scream no sound came from his mouth he felt like he was about to die. Soon he saw specific figures in his life around starting to grab him and pull him further to the sea. It was his old captain, his dad, Sasha, and other people he couldn’t make clear.
Although Javal tried to scream and heard no noise he was able to hear their loud chanting in his head, “You failed us. You failed us. You failed us. You must sink with us, you don’t deserve to live”.
As he reached the seafloor being held there by everyone he suddenly awoke in a great sweat. It was morning time no matter how terrifying that was he couldn’t let it bog him down, he had a job to do.
He got up, got ready, and headed out to yell for everyone to start getting ready to head out, he helped everyone prepare to leave. Soon everyone was ready to go, their journey was ready to continue.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 29, 2023 20:36:21 GMT -5
Taki awoke with a start, her eyes darting back and forth for a few seconds as they focused. It was early in the morning, still dark outside with the stars overhead. She rolled out of her tent, ready for a fight if need be. Scanning the area, everyone was asleep still. Taking several deep breaths, she calmed down and went back to her hammock. Unable to fall back asleep, the shaman spent the early morning hours meditating.
She barely noticed first light, or much of anything, until the sounds of the caravan up and making ready to travel jaunted her out of her trance. Packing quickly, she made her morning offerings and helped the camp where she could. Her instincts were still on high alert, screaming danger at her from some unseen threat. In dawned on her that the man from yesterday was missing while she was helping others. His gear was still lying in a heap, but he was nowhere to be found. She started to ask around camp if anyone had seen them leave.
Sadly, no one had seen much of anything. Taki couldn't blame them, the man had wronged several people and tried to pass it off as someone else's ill will. That wasn't likely to sit well with anyone, so she looked around further. Unable to find a trail, she walked over to Javal and company to let them know.
"The man from yesterday is missing... and some part of me has been on edge all morning. I don't know if it's worth investigating, so I'll leave that to your discretion." Said the shaman, trying to calm herself in spite of her panicking instincts.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 30, 2023 2:09:12 GMT -5
Javal was making early rounds to check on what was going on around the camp making sure people were at least packed up and ready to go. If they continued to schedule the camp should start leaving in around 2 hours since Javal felt that was plenty of time to get breakfast, the most important meal of the day.
Everything seemed fine, Javal started to do some cloud-watching while he waited for the two hours to begin. Suddenly Shitakibo approaches him in a panic, “What where could that pompous man even go at this hour?”Javal ponders out loud.
We need to find him immediately. I have a really bad feeling that this could be bad. Somebody like him someone so evil won’t just take his punishment lying down I fear”, Javal says, “Uh I can’t just have my whole team searching, Shitakibo it looks like that’ll be a job for us two. We have to look for this guy just in case he tries to pull some funny business”, he calls over for Nadia to take care of the camp for the next two hours.
“No problem my liege”, she says as she bows and walks away.
“Where would we even look? Do we follow the putrid smell of dung that he probably smells like? Do you have any ideas for where to look for Shitakibo"?
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 30, 2023 3:27:07 GMT -5
Shaking her head in response, she felt a bit defeated at the situation. Taki was usually a competent hunter and tracker, but the terrain, combined with the recent storms, befuddled the trail.
"I've tried a couple of times now to pick up his trail Javal, but it's not easy in such a rocky place... especially after the gnarly storms we just had run through the area." She responded, frustrated by the situation. This situation had grown out of hand, and this meant the man either was too petty and vindictive to truly uphold the title of shaman, or too cowardly and weak to make the journey on his own. To her mind, he either was trying to catch up to the wagon that had left the afternoon before, or setting up to take his revenge. Based on her instincts, it was very likely the latter, but she'd rather see him cowering down the path than trying to hurt more people.
As she looked up to Javal to say more, her eyes took on an ethereal glow. Almost like her eyes were steaming, a bluish green mist roiled from her crimson orbs. She wasn't in her own body, she was airborne. High over the Spine, somewhere not far from their camp, Taki's spirit was gliding over the hills, while another wispy spirit bolted across the ground in darting patterns.
"R... Ryu?!"
"Yes miss?"
"What... where...?"
"I'm not sure either, not entirely... but I imagine it has to do with the man from yesterday."
"We're searching for him... or were going to. How did you...?"
"We're your guardians Taki, we know your heart and mind. When you have need of us, we act. When your strength is waning, we will carry you." Keta's voice rang in her ears, as clear as standing next to the spirit though they were hundreds, even thousands of feet apart.
"There you have it... perks of being a shaman and a spirit guardian."
Taki watched quietly, mind trying to grasp the implications and puzzle through it. A few minutes passed before Keta changed direction, cutting a path over the rocks and into a nearby ravine... the same ravine that Taki and Javal had used to escape the basilisk.
Her perspective shifted again, now she was darting over the rocks in great leaps and bounds. Keta's speed reminded her of the pair of folk who studied Sky magic. Ahead was a strange thread winding along the air currents. They were following it, and it was growing thicker before her eyes. They dove down into the ravine, running along the cliff as if the ground's orientation meant nothing... it wasn't a cliff, just another surface to the spirit, who jumped out over the chasm. They soared for several seconds before landing on top of a jagged rock deep in the ravine. Clinging to the side was the man in question.
He hung by a loop of cloth fashioned from the clothing in his pack, and was scraping a gooey substance into a small cup meant for drinking. She watched for a moment before she caught on... he was scraping up the blood of the basilisk, to what purpose she didn't know but she knew where to find him now.
The glow faded as her consciousness returned. Blinking away the oddness, she shook herself a bit and without explanation took off running. "I'll have to explain later Javal, but I'm finishing this once and for all... and I know where he is." She called back to the Security company leader, her body darting down the path like a blur.
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Post by Javal Zarrias on Apr 30, 2023 10:04:29 GMT -5
Javal was a bit confused when Shitakibo’s eyes started glowing brightly and she stopped talking. After about five minutes of waiting for Shitakibo to respond, she suddenly came back sprinting away talking about knowing where he was. Javal quickly ice his feet over and sprinted fast to catch up to her. Thankfully for Javal, his speed was magically enhanced, able to catch up alongside Shitakibo quickly.
“What’s going on, where are we going, Shitakibo”, Javal ponders as he continues to run alongside the serpent lady.
They start making their way towards the ravine that the basilisk fell into soon, “Wait what are we doing this is where the basilisk fell isn’t this dangerous”, Javal asks worriedly
“If the bastard pompous man gets a hold of anything basilisk related we’re sure to be in for a lot of trouble. I knew he was a pompous man but I didn't think he’d stop this far all for the same of petty vengeance against a just punishment”. Soon the approached just before the ravine started
Javal looked down and asked, “How do we get down there quickly”?
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 30, 2023 14:49:22 GMT -5
Unsure what to do for Javal's own mobility, Taki didn't stop sprinting. There was no time, even if it might cause her great injury in doing so. Without hesitation, she dove off the cliff, drawing her bow as she fell. Keta marked her target, a soft silvery glow amidst the jagged rocks. Still clung to the side of the spike, the man greedily scraped away at the ichor as he cursed and made a fuss. She knew she probably was going to be injured greatly by the fall, perhaps even killed, but this was her mistake to undo.
She should have listened to her instincts and struck the man down, as much as the decision would have pained the shaman. Unfortunately, that proved to escalate the situation, and now the dastardly, greedy fool had vengeful thoughts consuming their heart, and rage consuming their mind. She took a sharp breath, her lungs flooding with air from the accelerating descent. As she pushed the air from her lungs, her aim steadied. Her focus narrowed as she approached, smiling in a somber yet peaceful way as her fingers relaxed. She watched the arrow sail through the open sky, gliding in a gentle arc and swaying slightly. Time seemed to crawl, up until the arrow struck home. It hit the man in the back of his neck, severing his spine and pinning him face first to the cliff.
Things went dark, Taki had passed out from the fall before hitting something solid. Fortunately for her, she didn't smack into the rocks first. She slammed into a scrub of a bush, gnarled and twisted about the rocks in search of better sunlight and nutrients, the shaman's body bent the brush beyond it's limit with her momentum. Entangled in the branches, it snapped off with a sharp crack and a burst of splinters zooming off in every direction. If not for the bush, Taki would have smacked the hard, craggy spikes of rock at the base of the ravine and splattered like a bug underfoot of some great giant. She lay unconscious, battered, and with a clean break across the arm trapped beneath her body in the branches of the bush.
In the darkness, the shaman saw the swirl of spirits surrounding her like a gentle mist. She tried to move, but that only caused her senses to flood with an angry static she couldn't understand. In the haze, a pair of lights appeared, one silver, one green... much like her guardians... wait... guardians... That was important somehow. Something shook the core of her bizarre state, floating along in near nothingness. She felt a calming warmth wash over her, and the dark, distorted vision faded into a peaceful dream. Taki remembered what she thought were her last moments, leaping from the cliffside, aiming for the scornful man on the cliff, seeing him ended... darkness, then dreaming of nothingness, and finally fields of green and a sky bluer than the purest pigments...
When Javal finally picks his way down to where she's come to a stop, Taki is wrapped up in the arms of the bush she collided with. Sprawled atop the twisting, vine-like branches, the shaman is still, battered, and blood trickles from the corner of her mouth. Beside her is a silvery glow that seems to be roughly feline in shape and size, but surrounded by a persistent mist wafting in a breeze that couldn't be felt. Her bruises were beginning to fade, and even her snapped arm was stitching itself back together. The process would take a good while, but far faster than letting the wounds heal on their own.
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