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Hazardous Portraiture

Started by Whim, June 16, 2016, 12:00:20 AM

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Whim

Ewan squirmed beneath Pension's gaze. What did he want? And what did the bird have to offer? there was more to the peacock than met the eye. "It'd be nice if I could do proper magic, if you've got spellbooks. Or any books, really, its a bit boring out here." a sheepish grin crossed his face. "Or soap? Maybe shoes?"

"Guess I miss Serendipity. Came here for answers and magic, and wound up living like some dumb little savage," the boy through up his hands in exasperation.

At a glance there was nothing extraordinary about the clearing they stood in. To the discerning eye, however, a tin grinning face was carved into one of the thicker trees. It was a trail marker. Ewan was versed well enough in them. It was just a matter of following them south and crossing a river. Easy!

"I suppose we'd best get started..." he pointed down the crude trail.




Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension just watched the boy carefully. His eyes gave a lighter look as he heard him speaking. Maybe he could help more then the boy knew. Or get him in to trouble. He was quite good at that. " Well I have a couple of books and I do have soap. Heh as you can see shoes are rather useless to me..If you miss it why not go back. I'd even help if you wanted to." He said softly. He could understand missing a place. He missed his home where his kind thrived.


He then nodded as the boy said that they should get going. He was not certain how long this adventure would take but he was ready for it. " Let us go then. " He said. He let the boy lead them down the trail.

Whim

"They better be some good books. Any mysteries?" he flashed a brief grin trying to lighten the mood. But Pension's question was a good one. Why was he here? The boy mulled this over as they walked in silence. "I suppose I could go to Serendipity. But this seems my proper place if I'm going to be a kid forever," he shrugged "Like how old families stay in crumbly estates for generations, I guess."

"Where are your people from?"

It was mid-morning and just a trickle of sunlight breached the high canopies. Overhead monkeys and birds chattered back and forth. For about an hour the pair followed a crooked trail along the river. Most of it was obscured by undergrowth. Ewan's feet were horribly calloused by now and he didn't seem to mind. The trail seemed to slope upwards... or perhaps the river cut downards... because soon enough they were atop a cliff with water roaring below.

Ewan felt ill at ease without supplies or his spellbook. But unlike the inhospitable northern lands it was enough to wander into Kishahn with he clothes on your back. The weather was warm and food was plentiful.

"There's a bridge ahead we'll need to cross."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension smiled when the boy asked about the books. He actually had a couple of mystery books and one book on history. "Well two of them are. The other is a history book. " He stated. Then he heard what else the boy said. That made sense to him. After all it was good to be in a place where you were welcome. " I understand that." He said.  Then he heard the next question.that was a hard one to answer.

" I come from an islad far from here. I lived among others like me." He said . He was carful as he walked along the path. He was used to walking everywhere himself. Though his feet were bird-like and had claws on the toes. He took in the sights and sounds of the jungle. He love places like this. The sound of the boy voice made him jump a bit for he got lost in thought.

" Okay  . It's very nice here. "  He stated. He was getting ready to switch personas again. Who knew who would come out next.

Whim

They continued their journey through a thick patch of wilderness covered in flowering vines. The rush of water could be heard from the base of the cliff which divided their current location from the imposing volcano.

"You're an artist there be trade?" Ewan could catch a hint of melancholy in Pension's voice. He knew it was a bit rude but his curiosity and imagination were running away. "And what's a city of peafowl like? Do you mostly walk or fly places?" Besides that, the bird's temper was bound to shift. Maybe it was better to change the topic?

The boy more carefully than Pension. He wasn't accustomed to traveling so far out into the jungle, and he needed to look for the trail markers. Ewan made performance of it to show the bird he was doing his job. If he didn't look the knowledgeable guide he'd end up carrying a pack or two.

"There isn't much dangerous out here during the day. Big cats mostly come out at night. River's got hydra's though, big as houses some," he spread his arms for emphasis. "We'll build a fire to ward off beasts at night. Got to watch the monkeys though, they get curious."

Ewan was oblivious as a pair of curious apes loomed from the treetops...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension listened to the boy as he spoke. His persona switched again. This time it was his intelligent personality. The one who enjoyed teaching and learning things. " Well yes. My parents were artists. I was taught from an early age. We mostly were like you human are . We do a bit of both though flying is hard for us males with our long tail feathers." He said softly. He did not mind the boys questions. But now it was time for him to ask a few himself.

He now heard what the boy was saying. He frowned and listen to what the boy was saying to him. That made a lot since to him. " I see. I fear cats. Cats like birds to eat. That would be great." He said softly now. Cats scared him a lot. However he needed not to show it.


" So what about your home. What was it like?" He asked. He had been everywhere but never really had time to learn the customs. He stayed in the wilds mostly. He was happy that the boy was good at his job. It made him feel a bit dealer now. though he did notice the monkey in the trees.

Whim

Ewan smiled impishly, "I imagine most big cats would want to eat me too, if that helps."

"I'm from Ravensway in Serendipity. Its an old forest, lots of fey and magic. I grew up in the country with about a dozen siblings and cousins," he smiled at the memories. "I went off to study magic when I got older. There wasn't much place for me otherwise."

"Why'd you leave ho- ah!" Ewan shrieked. A pair of tree apes swooped from the canopy. One snatched Ewan's pack, and the other unsuccessfully tried to grab Pension's belongings. "He's got my pack! Hey! Drop it!"

The ape sat perched in a tree, grinning and hooting as the boy jumped in the air trying to recover his just-out-of-reach possessions.

Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension smiled to what the boy had said. Indeed it did make him feel a little bit better. As the boy spoke again he was interrupted by a pair of monkeys. He was barely able to hold on to his makeshift pack. He then noticed that the boy had his stolen. " Don't worry I think I can get it." He said softly.

Pension then gave a leap flapping his wings a bit. He tried to look as scary as possible. The money's scattered but left the pack. Pension got the pack but slipped off the branch. He laned on his back with a thud. The pack then came down as well and hit him in the head. " Ouch!" Pension stated rubbing his head slightly now.

Whim

"I could've gotten it!" the boy snapped. He was flushed, messy-haired, embarrassed at having been jumped like that. "I mean Thanks," Ewan tried to suppress a giggle as the pack fell on Pension's head. A book and some assorted supplies for the road. "Didn't think peacocks could be so scary."

As they continued their journey they neared a great stone bridge spanning the gorge between the jungle and volcano. The stonework was beautifully carved, albeit worn and mossy with age. The parapets shaped into some sort of horned tiger. All around it a thick shroud of mist rose up from the river below.

"I've never been this way before..." the boy piped up uncertainy. There was something about the bridge that made him ill at ease. A strange magic? Of course below them a large hydra lounged on the shore.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension heard what the boy said. He just smirked and rubbed his head. "You are welcome. We can be scary if we want to. " He said . He then got up on his feet. He hoped that there would not be anymore monkeys for a while. He might just let the boy get his own pack then.

Here follows the boy once again. As the neared the bridge he thought that this would make some beautyful scenery . Then he heard what was said next. He was getting an odd feeling from this bridge himself. " Something don't feel right." He said softly . Now he was getting a little nervous.

Whim

He took up Pension's pack along with his own, trying to hide a sour expression at the menial task.

He crossed the bridge first. "It seems stable." The stone was cool even in the jungle heat and it made Ewan shiver. The boy took a few steps across the bridge and stopped. The cloying mist blotted out the sun and turned the world an unhappy shade of gray. The life and cheer of the jungle vanished; so did the other end of the bridge.

"Maybe you're right. This ain't mist from the river; it's too thick," Ewan called out and waved to Pension. It was so quiet that shouting felt wrong and out of place.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension followed the boy to the bridge. He let him cross first. He still had an eerie feeling about this spot. He the saw the strange just that seemed to close in. That was not natural. He heard what the boy was saying now. " Oh okay." Pension said feeling a bit on the nervous side. He then carefully started to cross the bridge himself. He was wary about what kind of creature or person could be leaking here.

Whim

They walked and walked. It shouldn't have taken anymore than ten or twenty minutes to complete the span. Yet it seemed an eternity to Ewan. The stone chilled his feet, and the cold mist made him hug his arms. "Something is definitely not right..." he whispered. The boy didn't want to scare the bird, who was chattering and nervous, but he was scared too.

Just ahead of them an imposing figure slid from the fog as though parting a curtain. He was tall, perhaps 8-feet? The creature was part man and part tiger, with four curved horns jutting from his head. Gold and jewels and silk adorned him like some exotic prince. Then he grinned; a friendly smile yet something unsettling lurked beneath the veneer of it all.

"Ho there wanderers. Seek you passage across my bridge?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension noted that it was taking a very long time to cross the bridge. It seemed that there was still something eerie about this bridge. Of course that could be because he was so very nervous too. Then he heard what the boy said. So he felt the feeling too.  " I agree" he  whispered softly back. He was trying not to show his fear. He did not want the boy to get scared even more. He felt that he needs to act brave for his friend even if he was not.

Pension then stopped as he saw a creature walk out of the mist . He was a very scary looking thing. The way he smiled at them made the peafowl shiver . Then he spoke. Pension looked at the boy then frowned. " Uhh... yes we do." Pension said with a stutter. He was not the bravest peafowl in the world.

Whim

The bridge daemon stroked his whiskers with a triple-jointed arm. His voice was a wistful growl, "Upon a time soldiers and children and heroes and wyrms strode this stone. But no longer for Kishahn is wild..." The horned beast loomed toward Pension as he stammered, as if sipping the last drops from a flagon. Claws clacked and raked across the stone.

Ewan stuck out his chin and interrupted in a shaky voice. "What do you want, daemon?"

The left eye swiveled to Pension and the right toward Ewan, "What do most bridge-keepers seek? Are the bricks polished and regrouted? How is the scum scraped 'way from the pillars? A toll it is I seek. What, boy and bird, can you offer?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension was watching the creature as he came closer. He was not really certain if he wanted to trust this creature or not. He heard what the boy asked. He also heard what the creature wanted. A toll. Well he was not certain what he could offer such a creature. He glanced at the boy as wondered what he should do.

Whim

Ewan shot Pension a glance and shrugged. It seemed the peafowl wanted him to pay. So the boy unslung his pack and rifles through his collection of junk and keepsakes untouched by the sticky fingers of Kishahn's immortal children. Camping supplies? No. His book of spells? Definitely not. There was a lion-crested necklace rom his family; that wouldn't do.

The little sorcerer thrust forward a fistful of rusty copper bits, looking sheepish.

The rakshasa snorted, "What use have I for coin? It is the hopes and fears and stories of mortals I feast upon. Who has crossed my bridge and how has this journey transformed them? What sliver of your spirit shall be remade?"

Ewan toddled backwards and looked to Pension, alarmed. "I don't think I'd like to cross anymore."

A chill breeze cut through the mist. The daemon gave a short, purring laugh.  "Half way across the bridge you've walked and half more to go forward or back. Now shall you pay my toll, or must I take what is due?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension frowned. He had not really meant for the boy to pay the toll. He was nearly trying to figure out what he should do. He shivered as he heard what the creature was now saying to them. He then had another switch in his personality. He was having a braver side come out. He looked to Ewan and frowned.

" It seems we don't have a choice. " He said in a more confident tone. He the looked at the creature and shivered a bit. " I'll give you what you want. Just please don't hurt my friend. " He said softly. He wanted the boy to be safe.

Whim

"Friend I think not? Acquaintances? Travelling companions?" the daemon purred, eyes fixated on its quarry. "But if you insist on the phrase friend, little bird, perhaps a game to see just how close of friends you are?"

Ewan mustered his courage and stepped forward. Daemons seldom sewed horror at random. At least not the daemons worth their salt; the things a clever daemon wanted had to be given and not taken. "Just name a price and we'll be off!"

"Oh no, we are well past that!" the tigerman spoke in a foreign tongue, thrusting a tripple-jointed arm toward Pension. The peafowl would feel a spell setting in, perhaps his muscles weakening? It was an enchantment meant to render him frozen in time, unable to speak, at least for a moment.

"We shall do a trade. You shall name something of the bird he must part with, and something he shall gain. And when we're through, he shall do the same to you," it grinned a toothy grin, pleased with the unintentional rhyme. "This shall be amusement enough."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Ice

Pension listened to what the creature said. Yes perhaps had used the wrong word. But in his native language the word friend meant the same thing as aquatics or friends. Just depended on how one looked at it. He was silent as he watched the demon now. It was then that the boy spoke.

What was said next made pension shiver. It was not like they were in a good situation. Then he saw the creature point at him and heard him speak strange words. He felt himself getting weak . He found that he was unable to move or speak.

He then heard what the demon wanted. Oh this was going to be a bit hard. And it could turn out to be rather interesting.

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