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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 11, 2023 14:59:39 GMT -5
Rosen felt himself getting dragged along by Thalia, utterly surprised at her strength as she barreled through the men. Rosen stopped himself from the momentum once she let go of him. 1Rosen held out his skeletal hand, vines sprouting from within the sleeves growing outward to form a large, thorny whip. He flailed his arm, swinging the whip into the surrounding guards to give the two some room from them. A few of the guards land on their back or into a the tavern's furniture. "My bar!" the tavern keeper yelled out. Rosen's eyes shifted onto the man with the halberd. "I don't wanna hurt you but you're not giving me much of a choice." The vines retracted for a moment, the whip squeezing together. It coiled into a spring before violently spreading out and grasping onto the legs of the guards. Flicking his hand up, the vines begin to pull the guards up into the air. Taking this chance, Rosen ran towards the door, grabbing Thalia's arm and pulling her with him. "I swear to gods! I'm going to put your head on a damn pike!" The man shouted before the vines let go of him and the others, dropping them back onto the floor. The surrounding civilians stared at the two in confusion.
1. Thorn Whip
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 11, 2023 15:31:03 GMT -5
Thalia was 90% sure that she bruised her knuckles as she swung at the guards, using the splintered and broken mug as a weapon until it was nothing but a splintered handle. Contrary to Rosen, it seemed like she had zero qualms about caving someone’s face in, only stopping when the sylvan grabbed them up and took her arm. She let out an elated laugh and quickly turned to flip off the guards behind her.
“You said you’re headed to Zeinav Desert right?” Thalia cried, keeping up perfectly fine with Rosen. The sounds of footsteps slowly catching up with them was loud and thundering in their ears. “We should nick a horse and get the hell outta here, I’m headed the same way. They can't go too far outside of city boundaries!”
Crowds of people had to basically dodge out of the way of the two, staring incredulously and whispering to one another.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 11, 2023 19:26:02 GMT -5
Rosen sprinted towards the gate of the village. Checking behind him as he ran, a good crowd of soldiers were making their way to them, ever closer. An idea popped into the sylvan's head. Admittedly, the summoning of vines was new to him. He hadn't been able to do anything of the sort before. Well, what a better time to experiment than now? 1Rosen flicked his boney hand again, vines flowing through and this time, piercing into the ground ahead. A few seconds later and the vines erupted from the floor leading to the rooftops. The vines had some amount of foot space to run on it but some caution would be needed. Rosen pulled his hand back, the vines tearing off his arm. "Cmon! It'll be harder to catch up to us up there!" he shouted to Thalia. Rosen sprinted, quickening his pace as he ran up the vines. Putting out his hands to help balance on the vines, he leapt off the end of the vines onto the roofs. He turned back, waiting for his friend to get up safely.
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 11, 2023 21:45:18 GMT -5
Thalia ran as fast as she could after Rosen, only pausing when her companion stopped to release the vines into a tight rope of sorts. Thankfully it was wide enough for her to run across, even if it did take a little bit of readjustment. Standing on tiptoe, Thalia was right behind Rosen, mimicking his arm movements get on top of the roof.
There was shouting from below, with some of the guards trying to climb up the vines themselves. That probably wasn't good. Thinking quickly, Thalia turned around and covered her seeing eye, “looking” down at the guard that was leading the onslaught with her painted on eye. The guard then abruptly paused, his face morphing into confusion, then fear, then pure hatred, his eyes rolling back into his head.1
“What the hell are you—" One of the guards started from behind him, before the possessed guard let out a guttural screech, whirling around and jumping his compatriot. The fight that occurred on the ground as they tried to restrain the possessed guard was pretty gruesome as he fought everyone in the surrounding area. Thalia recovered her “eye” with her bangs, huffing out a sigh of relief and looking around frantically. “Let's go, we should try and get away from here as fast as possible. That spell doesn’t last too long.” She informed quickly. “What's the plan? Or are we just running?”
1Whispering Madness
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 11, 2023 22:50:18 GMT -5
"There was a few stables by the gates of the village. We can steal one there if we can get some good space from these guys." Rosen looked towards where the gate is, it was good distance away with a considerable amount of rooftops to leap from. He hesitated moving for a bit, not really sure if they'll be able to jump that many roofs but this was a mess he partly caused. Too late to be changing minds now. Taking a small step back, Rosen ran forward, counting each step. On the 8th step, he propelled himself off the roof, landing on the slanted, red tiled roof nearby and gripping onto the edge. Keeping his grasp tight, Rosen waited for his eyepatch buddy to make it across.
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 12, 2023 9:50:16 GMT -5
Thalia watched Rosen make the jump, panicked for a moment until she saw he made it across safely. Now to try it for herself. This could only go so well, but hey, whatever worked, right?
With a heavy inhale, Thalia took several steps back and took off, much like Rosen had. The jump had no grace, but luckily made the jump, grabbing the lip of the slanted building and carefully hoisting herself up. She let out a shaky “woah!” as she swayed unsteadily, but she could feel her spell slipping quickly. They had to move.
Without a second word, Thalia and Rosen made their way to the village gates, slowly but surely. By the time the guards were done being preoccupied, they were almost two blocks away. Thalia could feel the sharp pain behind her eyepatch. She hissed at the familiar pain, staggering a bit on the next roof they landed on, cursing in Elvish under her breath. “Spell’s dropped, gods that hurts. We’re almost there!”
The sound of the guards were getting slightly closer, though luckily momentum was becoming Thalia’s friend in time. Rosen mostly led the way, as Thalia couldn’t remember the way there, but eventually she was able to gain enough impetus to jump and run after him with very little staggering. The guards were getting closer, though from the amount of voices shouting down the block, their numbers had dwindled.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 12, 2023 19:01:37 GMT -5
Rosen pointed to the gates that were now in view. It was about half a mile away but the voices the sylvan had gave a thought. The quieter shouts would indicate that their numbers were shorter, meaning either some gave up or they split off to search. He peeked over the edge of the roof they were on. As he suspected, since they were so close to the gate, there was a good amount of wagons coming and going. Rosen eyed a few particular horse-drawn carts, some filled with traded soft silks and bought piles of hay. It would be much wiser to… ”Hey Thalia, follow my lead.” He whispered to her as he began climbing down the side of the building that was closely next to another building, allowing for cover. He quietly made his descent, landing on the floor with a soft thud on dirt. Moving towards the main road but staying in the shade, looking for those carts he spotted. Seeing the one carrying hay, he quickly approached it from behind and climbed into the hay, the hay being itchy and scratchy. There were a few looks given but none by people who really cared nor by any who knew of the situation at hand. Poking his head out, Rosen looked for where Thalia chose to go.
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 12, 2023 23:48:34 GMT -5
Thalia was hearing the distant thudding of footsteps getting closer and closer, but she was snapped out of her reverie at the sound of Rosen’s voice calling for her to follow. “What?” She hissed, confused until he suddenly climbed down from the roof. Curious, she followed after, seeing no other immediate solutions to their problem but to follow. Keeping an ear turned to any sudden sounds, Thalia’s lips parted into an ‘o’ as she saw what he was thinking come to fruition. Fuckin' genius.
With as much stealth as she could muster, Thalia approached the same cart, looking briefly at the one with silks and shaking her head. “Move over. We could get separated if I take another cart.” She whispered swiftly, holding her bag to her chest as she rummaged in between the relatively itchy hay. It was wholly unpleasant and she would have to seriously wash her and her clothes off extra laboriously, but until then Thalia sucked it up and clapped a hand to her mouth, only her eye visible.
“Shhh, they’re coming!”
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 13, 2023 10:43:57 GMT -5
Rosen also peeked through the hay, cartoonishly making it seem as if only person was in the hay with different colored eyes. The wagon trekked on through the pathway out, guards passing by who were none-the-wiser to the two’s hiding spot. “They can’t have gone far! Keep men posted around the gates!” One shouted. Rosen was thankful of the insight his fellow voices gave him. Suddenly, the wagon stopped in its tracks. Two male voices came from the front of the wagon, probably the driver and a guard.
”Afternoon farmer Mikael. Another haul for the horses?” ”Of course. Got to give them the best feed to get the best horses.” ”Well, you know the drill. Gotta check your supply. You know how it is.” Rosen panicked. He wasn’t sure how they would avoid getting spotted now. He clenched his fists, getting ready for fight before- “Ah Seldan, I’ve come through many many times before without issue. I really got to head back to the farm. Do you think you can just let me pass?” ”Mmmm, I suppose. But just this once and I expect payment. The boss would kill me if he finds out” The noise of a coin being flicked is heard before the cart begins to move once more. Rosen let out a muffled sigh of relief.
Some time passed since they left Thunderhoof. They were a good distance away now, Thunderhoof still being view but quite far off. ”Alright you lot, out of the wagon. I know you’re there.”
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 14, 2023 3:27:32 GMT -5
Thalia kept her mouth sealed, staring through the hay with rapt attention as she listened to the conversation outside the wagon. Her hand, though buried in the straw, slowly and carefully opened her hand in a clawlike motion, keeping a subtle defensive position. Thankfully, the situation smoothed over before she felt she had to get involved, and she took a slow, steadying breath out, relaxing into her previous position. Her back itched and everything was poking everything everywhere, but that was fine.
She let herself relax after about ten minutes, not fully trusting the position they were in but allowing herself to sit back and close her eye, sighing deeply. Thalia didn’t realize that she had dozed off until the vaguely familiar voice of the farmer called for them. Her eye flew open, disoriented but not allowing that to stop her.
Realizing that the cart was stopped for them to get off, Thalia huffed slowly through her nose. “Alrighty, Rosen. Time to walk.” She whispered, despite it making no sense for them to talk lowly. Thalia was simultaneously thrilled to be free from the rickety, sticky prison, but also not thrilled to walk. Close enough. Though, at least they were away from Thunderhoof Village. Horrid place, Thalia was thrilled to be out.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 14, 2023 5:26:36 GMT -5
The farmer was stood at the side of the wagon, waiting for the two to leave. Rosen exited the wagon with Thalia, dusting off the hay that was stuck to his person. "I'm not sure what's going for you two but I'm not gonna bother with it. Good luck out there!" the farmer said to the two, not wanting to be a part of whatever shenanigans these elves were causing. They were strange looking enough and didn't seem like a harmful bunch, despite the actions they took that angered the guards of Thunderhoof. Hopping back onto his cart, he begins his slow trek back to wherever his farm may be.
"Huh, well glad that worked for us. That was hectic." Rosen put his hands into the air, getting a nice stretch. "Didn't you have things you wanted to do? I appreciate you wanting to come with me but I don't wanna pull you away from your work." He started making his way towards where he believed Zeinav would be.
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 14, 2023 15:12:23 GMT -5
Thalia was half listening to Rosen, half picking and plucking straw from her hair, clothes, and eyepatch. She absolutely hated getting dirty in every way, and it showed in how she frantically dusted herself off. Though, Thalia did respond after a moment.
“I’m heading to the Dragon’s Cradle, but I think I’m heading to the Ash Lands next. I have to keep going.” Thalia answered, plucking a strand of hay out of her eyepatch. It was a bit difficult with the stitching, but she managed. “I think I’m gonna hitch a ride on another cart. I hate walking and we've done a lot of running today.”
Thalia eventually stopped picking, hands laced behind her back. She seemed resolute in her decision, but she still tilted her head at Rosen. Thalia had a fun time with Rosen, even if it was a lot of running and frantic scrambling. It would be a shame if she never saw him again. “Are you…like, okay with going alone? I can come with you if you’d like, I don’t mind walking with you to Zeinav City.”
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 14, 2023 19:18:58 GMT -5
Rosen smiled at her with a look of pure elation in his eyes. The first person who showed kindness and empathy towards him was worried. While he would admittedly enjoy her company, there were things he needed to do now as he was sure she had to as well. ”Ah don’t worry bout me.” He points to his head. ”Got some good company already. Besides, you’ve given me a lot to think about what with the one thing these guys wanted is already done. I think I need to figure some things out for myself, figure out what I wanna do from here. I have been, quite literally, wandering aimlessly so far.” He stepped up to her and opened his arms for a hug before realizing she was a little uncomfortable before. Rosen placed one hand down, keeping the other out for a handshake. ”We’ll meet again, I’m sure of it! I’ll hang out in Zeinav for awhile so you’ll probably find me, granted I don’t make another town mad at me.” He says, laughing… He pauses for a moment, this time looking back at her with concern. ”You be safe too though. I know you’re super strong under all that but still, I’d rather not see you about as alive as I was, ok?”
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Post by Thalia Fellstar on Jun 14, 2023 20:16:03 GMT -5
Thalia grinned, letting out a happy sigh. She had never met another as similar to her like Rosen, which she supposed wasn’t the nicest thing in the world that she related the most to someone who was undead, but she felt seen regardless. There was a huge part of her that was worried, and another part of her that missed this. She missed the feeling of being worried for someone other than herself. It’s been years since this has happened.
The open invitation for a hug wasn’t missed by Thalia, then transitioning into holding out a hand to shake. Her smile threatened to turn sad, and Rosen’s concern for her was enough to make her forget her past preservations for herself. Thalia took Rosen’s bony hand, and with a solid, strong pull, she yanked him forward into a tight hug. It felt weird hugging the disfigured man, but she was alright with that. She was slowly starting to remember how to hug, and in time she was learning how to love them again.
The hold was brief, but strong and when she pulled away Thalia was smiling still.
“It’ll take more than a few guards and some hacks to the neck to down me. I’ll be great, thank you for joining me Rosen.” Thalia then took a step back, off the road and off to the side. “I better see you in one piece after today.”
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 14, 2023 22:01:41 GMT -5
The firm hug surprised Rosen, but still, he held her back. This whole time he’s been cheerful but… this was the first time since coming back that Rosen experienced genuine happiness. He was happy he met someone like her, happy that he slowly going to find a purpose for this new life he obtained, happy that eventually when he sees Thalia again, they’ll perhaps be in a better place mentally. For now though, this undead sylvan had work to do. As she released Rosen and gave him reassurance in her safety, the flowers that settled themselves with him began to reflect all that optimism he was feeling. The flowers bloomed with the wondrous smell of a spring garden, the rose replacing his eye seemed to even glow amidst the daylight. Stepping back a little, he gave one last bright smile as he turned to face the long road ahead of him, both to get to Zeinav and the journey this undying garden was going to take. ”Give em hell here and everywhere else Thaly!”
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