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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 15, 2024 15:05:31 GMT -5
Rena’s eyes shine a soft silver, the crow idly trilling to her children as she gently runs a whetstone along the cutting edge of one of the blades her husband had crafted for her. not the ones holding his soul, those had been in her possession for years and had yet to need more than the barest of maintenance, but the others have proven more needy. At the moment she’s gently sharpening her Urumi, the slender blade currently in a single piece, the spiderweb of cracks running across its length looking more artistic than anything else, the roses that form the guard and pommel shining the same silver as her eyes...
Her husband is currently at work in his forge next to the Barrow, the spectre clanging at a bar of near molten steel with his hammer, holding it in place with a pair of wrought iron tongs, slowly shaping it into the weapon he’d been commissioned to produce. Clang. Clang. Clang. The ghostly crow meticulously folds and hammers the metal into itself again and again, occasionally sprinkling some powdered silver onto the bar of glowing steel.
Whistle and Wind are sparring at the center of the clearing, trading blows with padded blades and bolts, Whistle having to dodge back and forth, ever encroaching toward her golden eyed brother as he uses the recoil of his enormous crossbow to send himself flying, taking the opportunity to practice a trick he’s taken to calling ‘crossbow jumping’.
Wind and Loci are sat by their mother, Loci working on a sketch of…something. he’s been careful to keep his mother from seeing, as it’s meant fo be a gift for her…Wind, meanwhile, has her whittling knife in one hand, a block of wood in the other, and every intention fo convert that block into another one of the little figurines she’s taken to making. once she’s got enough, she plans to set up a stall in the market of one of the nearby towns - it’s a three day hike to the nearest, but the murder’s hardly unaccustomed to lengthy travels - and maybe sell a few, if she can attract any customers…
Mael, the little feathered wind pixie, is fast asleep in their adoptive mother’s satchel, purring contentedly as they nestle in among the two eggs that remain unhatched.
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Post by Hartdrive on May 18, 2024 22:00:32 GMT -5
A crackling bolt of green light fired from the forest, soaring across the clearing just outside the aviankins' abode. It soared, expanding larger and larger until dissipating before it could reach its maximum size, which was approximately that of a spear. Much of the undergrowth and trees in the path of the spell were damaged, as though the light caused the plants to suddenly begin to shut down and senesce. In short, someone had just used a Purity Bolt to clear away as many of the plants as possible in their path.
Arriving soon in the clearing was a man with verdant green hair that gleamed in the light, and almost too pale skin. It was hard to tell exactly if he was human or some other race, as such effects could easily be achieved through magic, or dye in the case of his hair. His emerald eyes scanned over the area as a scowl remained on his face. His expression worsened as he realized that the area clearly had a home built into the earth. Apparently he had just managed to cross into someone's effective front yard.
"Hm... Hopefully those beings won't mind the property damage..." He muttered to himself, before continuing onwards as he began to cross the clearing.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 18, 2024 23:57:22 GMT -5
The stranger is met with eyes. Six pairs of shining, varicolored eyes, staring impassively at him from various points around the clearing. Two skeletal bird people - crows like the rest, judging by the beaks, and possibly children like the two out in the field, going by their general proportions - take a moment to quietly pack away a sketchbook and a partially carved chunk of wood, alongside the relevant implements. The spectral, hazy crow turns back to their work at the outdoor forge, apparently unconcerned, while the silver eyed crow sitting on the hill-house’s porch drags a whetstone across the blade in her lap with a rasp of sharpening stone on steel, the metal belonging to a long, slender katana that appears to have its handle hidden within a bouquet of silver roses, her own shining silver eyes seeming to pierce through to the stranger’s soul, giving the impression that the very essence of his being is something to be picked apart and studied one piece at a time…
…the two children sparring at the center of the clearing glance his way for a mere moment before turning back to their match, trading blow for blow with an apparent viciousness more suited for an arena than a sparring ring...
...
“...y’know, some might call that sort of entrance rather rude…” the silver eyed crow murmurs, somehow audible from her place almost directly opposite the stranger, “...had that lance of yours traveled much farther, I doubt there would have been anything for me to do to prevent your demise…” those silver eyes flick to the two children sparring at the center of the clearing, about ten feet between the stranger and the point where the spear generated by his spell had dissipated, “...had my eldest and youngest not been quicker to react, there would have been few who could have prevented your death on any number of my blades…and certainly none who would even know, let alone reach this place in time…” her voice is gentle, a far cry from the promise of painful death carried in the words she speaks…or the rasp of stone on steel as she continues to sharpen the blade in her hands…
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Post by Hartdrive on May 19, 2024 0:14:34 GMT -5
The stranger's eyes scanned briefly over the young crow children. His first thought was, of course, 'ew, children.' He was never a fan of children, as they were often loud and noisy, and caused way too many problems. They made reaching his goals difficult, so he never bothered with them.
What interested him more were the skeletal beings. Necromancy, huh? An inelegant form of resurrection, but certainly admirable nonetheless. A small spark of respect crossed his expression, but it quickly vanished back to his more condescending look.
"Considering the state of some of your... I believe those creatures are your spawn. But, I see no reason as to why it would matter," he pointed out with a rather uncaring tone. "Clearly you do have some experience with necromancy. It would be simple to resurrect your children in such a manner. So any harm would be easy enough to repair on your end." He paused for a moment. "It would be on mine as well, but I'd rather not expend such energy on trifling matters."
He waved a hand as though dismissing her words, as he began to walk through the clearing once more on a steady path. He still had a goal in mind. Although looking into necromancy within this case could be interesting, it is not a form of magic he was interested in. It wasn't perfect, after all. If it resulted in a skeletal body, it wouldn't be worth pursuing.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 19, 2024 11:28:32 GMT -5
Rena tilts her head, the whetstone vanishing with a pass of her fingers as she considers the stranger in her home, "...repairable or not, damage is damage; as you yourself said, I'd prefer to not have to. though..." the silver eyed crow looks the stranger over as she slides her blade into the sheath on back - and then he blinks and she’s stepping out from behind him, icy white eyes fading to silver as she trills, ”...for simplicity’s sake, think of my family as an extension of myself, their wellbeing alters my own…” she tilts her head, then, ”...or have you lost the compassion to comprehend even that, Fallen One?”
The two sparring children gradually bring their match to a stop, the golden eyed crow gathering up spent padded bolts before moving to follow the ruby eyed child in heading into the house beneath the hill at the far side of the clearing.
The spectral smith continues his work, hammer clanging against steel, folding the bar of metal and hammering it out flat once more…
The silver eyed crow tilts her head, seeming to consider the stranger before her once again, “...no, I think you’ve lost too much to care beyond how things can alter your own situation…”
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Post by Hartdrive on May 19, 2024 21:11:39 GMT -5
It was certainly a surprise for the crow to suddenly appear behind him, but nothing that couldn't be explained away. One could achieve such an effect easily with a Blink spell, after all. Clearly, she was trying to intimidate him. He wasn't easily shaken by such tactics.
"I believe you misunderstand," he spoke again, his eyes briefly glancing at the crow before looking forwards once again. "It's not that I would rather prevent a situation that may be improved with my magic. It's rather that I would not waste my resources on your spawn were something to happen to them."
He smiled coldly, with teeth like iron almost. It wasn't the kind of smile that a jerk would make, no. It was the grin of a self-assured creature that was perfectly calculated. The smile soon faded, however, returning his expression to the previous icy look.
"I will say, though, that if those individuals are an extension of you... Then that makes you weak." He pointed out. "Something could easily happen to them, and then what? You'd be lesser. Not that it would matter anyways." He shrugged coolly.
The stranger continued to make his way across the clearing, pointedly ignoring the rest of the aviankin within the area. It matters not to him, after all. He still had his goals to achieve, and talking to any of these lesser beings would just be pointless to his mission.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 19, 2024 22:44:50 GMT -5
Another tilt of the head, eyes shining soft silver as she murmurs, "...fascinating...I've not stumbled across one with a heart so icy and closed since the Hag whose bargains twisted so many of my people..." there's that considering look again, accompanied by a moment of silence before the crow speaks once more, "...what is it you seek, Fallen One? You have the look of one lost in more than this simple forest...as though you have a goal, but are unsure where to start..." Rena trills softly to herself, chuckling as she steps back and watches Hartdrive stalk across her home, "...is it something you once possessed? Something now lost? Or..." those silver eyes glint with amusement, "...ah, the simplest of answers, perhaps all you wish for...is immortality..." there's a mocking lilt to her voice, something between amusement and malice...
Bell continues his work, folding and flattening, over and over until it finally reaches the right consistency...and then he begins to shape it, each hammer blow lengthening and thinning and curving the bar of near-molten metal with a rhythm of clangs...
...within the hill that houses them, two children gather their proper weapons while their twins crack their necks and stretch limbs of bare bone, shining eyes flecked with caustic light as they nod to each other. they'll not strike unless the stranger does...but they've seen him in his wanderings, they have an inkling of what he's like, what he can do...and they, much like their parents, have little tolerance for threats to their family...
...within the silver eyed crow's satchel lays curled a tiny, black feathered pixie, fast asleep and quietly snoring, content in the comfortable temperature maintained by their tiny little nest...
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Post by Hartdrive on May 19, 2024 23:05:36 GMT -5
The stranger's eyes narrowed, emerald irises turning to narrow horizontal slits. And just where did this bird get off trying to say such cryptic nonsense? It was starting to become just a tad irritating to the man, though he did his best not to show it. Getting angry over such things would just be a sign of weakness, and he was not weak.
"I recommend that you refrain from making baseless statements," he spoke in an icy tone as he progressed through the clearing. "In fact, it can be considered rather rude to attempt to psychoanalyze a stranger you know nothing about. So I recommend that you hold your tongue before you say something you may regret, little corvid. After all, not many take kindly to other creatures attempting to pick at their brains."
He eventually reached the edge of the clearing, where the woods began once more. He summoned a Purity Bolt once more, bright green light enveloping his hands in a sickening glow. He fired, blasting it through the trees to clear a path. Sure, he could have easily utilized Telekinesis to progress, but that would be time consuming, moving one object at a time. It was easier to create a path of destruction. Besides, the forest would regrow just fine.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 20, 2024 0:12:53 GMT -5
Rena just smiles, tilting her head as she watches this stranger that she and her murder have been watching on and off for the last few weeks move to leave the clearing via the destruction left by his radiant spear...were the stranger watching her, he could've seen the moment she made her decision...
"...quickest path is to master what you already have, as far as I'm aware. that is...if'n I'm right about what it is you're after, and about what you know, those silver eyes watch Hartdrive carefully, weighing and gauging his reactions, "...'s only about as much effort as learnin' a new skill, after that..." her eyes are...not quite sad, but...something similar, as she watches him, "...'s no good t'be closed off 'n frozen like that. nothing good can come of it. I think ye'll find ye'll be able t'go farther with others at your back..."
and with that, the crow turns away, moving with unnaturally silent footsteps back toward the burrow...
the children have gathered back at the porch at this point, shining eyes flecked with caustic light seeming to bore into Hartdrive as they watch him leave...
and still, Bell continues his work, seemingly unbothered by the actions of either the stranger or his wife...
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Post by Hartdrive on May 20, 2024 8:25:01 GMT -5
"I'd rather not take advice from a being who has yet to truly master the craft I am after," the stranger countered, as a somewhat annoyed expression overtook his face, before his expression morphed into a condescending smirk. "Some of your spawn, and that mate of yours... They are no longer truly flesh. You will never feel the downy feathers of your skeletal offspring. And you will never truly feel physical touch through your partner. Such imperfections are not worth examining."
He then made his way back into the woods, the smirk falling off his face. Well that was certainly an unpleasant interaction. Constellations above, were people always this irritating?
...Wait, yes actually. They were. The stranger certainly became easily irritated through interactions with most people. Either they were too stupid to comprehend his goals, or they would likely act like some sort of highly intelligent being with all the answers when they clearly didn't have such answers. This interaction had been the latter.
His feet trample over the now withered plants beneath him, each step further damaging the plant life. Even if these plants would die, however, more would grow in their place. Another blast of a Purity Bolt cleared more of the path.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 20, 2024 12:46:36 GMT -5
Rena chuckles, idly cracking her neck as she and her family watch the stranger leave. If she's right about his goal, then she may have just driven him away from it for a time. Good. It'd be a shame if someone like that reached any form of immortality without some stumbling. She can already imagine the frustration he'll experience when he realizes that she was right - mastery in two domains, then the effort of learning a new skill. That's all it took for her, after all. And soon enough, she'll have another layer of deathlessness at her back, allowing her to protect her children. If she's right, that'll come at around the same time as her third and final skeletal hatchling...but for all that she's halfway there in terms of mastery and skill, she has other things to focus on right now. The the youngest of her undead progeny will keep, and so too will her living egg...
Bell smirks to himself, finally speaking, just loud enough for the stranger to hear, "...whatever happened to you, it's not worth isolating yourself. not worth crippling yourself. Rena could take you by herself with minor difficulty, depending on how you use your tricks...but with us at her side, I expect one such as you would be little more than an annoyance..."
the fledglings trill in amusement, but remain wary. they know exactly what their father is doing - goading the stranger to gauge hit discipline...and if that apathy masked as discipline falters, all the better...as their father has said many times, a good match is sometimes the best way to get a feel for a person...
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Post by Hartdrive on May 20, 2024 14:02:04 GMT -5
The stranger merely rolled his eyes at Bell's words. After all, he wasn't here for a fight. He was just passing through. Such goading would not work on him. Of course an entire murder of aviankin would overwhelm him, it was just common sense when it comes to numbers. Rena being able to beat him, however, well why wouldn't she? He was an academic, after all. Combat is not his strong suit. Although he had a few damaging spells, they were more for... emergencies. It was easier to pin someone down with a Binding Light and then leave as quickly as possible. It would prevent damage from being inflicted on him, and prevent resources being wasted on a meaningless fight.
"Brave words for a mere spirit who can no longer interact with his mate with real feathers," he spoke, briefly looking to Bell as he continued to walk into the woods. "However, I have no interest in combat. Using it to solve issues is barbaric. Additionally, others would merely hold me back. I have already abandoned all who would hinder my progress."
He pushed through more of the underbrush and trees, the Purity Bolt he had cast earlier making the process much easier. The sooner he could leave this place, the better.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on May 20, 2024 14:21:41 GMT -5
Amber eyes glint with amusement, "...perhaps those who you once held close had nothing to offer...but new connections, even mere alliances of convenience or bargains, when timed right and done well may offer nothing but strength and resources to bolster your own..."
Rena trills her own amusement as she returns to her seat, pulling out her flower-decorated katana to begin sharpening it once more. Her husband sets his hammer down and leaves the glowing, curved bar of silvered steel to cool in the air, moving to sit beside and lean against his wife, nuzzling into the crook of the larger, living crow's neck as he trills softly to himself...
...the children subtly relax as the stranger leaves, gathering about their parents and pulling out various objects - books, blocks of wood coupled with whittling knives, sketchbooks and drawing supplies - as they settle in to spend the afternoon in the comfort of each other's company.
They'll probably have to track the stranger down at some point; He seems like the sort to cause trouble just by being the way he is...if they're lucky, they'll get a contract to...deal with him...if not, he'll wind up hurting someone they care about. regardless, someone as distinctive and casually destructive as this stranger shouldn't be too hard to track down...and if nothing else, they'll likely have the advantage of numbers, should it come to that. even if he progresses in the same way they have, they'll have each other, while he'll most likely be alone...
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