Stumbling Through the Woods. (Ric, open) [Finished]

[Anonymous]

"Ok, I can agree with that." Ric was in deep thought, "But I refuse to conjure up food just so my stomach can feel full. Considering that this is his makeshift home, and the timeline of technology. Id be surprised if I see more than a few sizes of salted meat and a barrel of potatoes, and if we are lucky some assorted veggies to go with that."

True indeed it wasn't long before the fireplace was sizzling with a cauldron and with the water boiling she carved off meat from the bones and let them soak in the boiling water. Cutting potatoes magically, letting them spin around in the air, shredding them to pieces.
Then the Vegetables, carrots, onion and some other more root like ones followed suit. It wasn't long until the cauldron had a fair amount of food in it sizzling about in the water. She conjured a whirlpool in the stew letting the ingredients flow around while boiling. "Wont be dinner yet, unless you want me to roast it."

"I cant imagine myself doing this for 5 years. Once I have paid him back and learned the core of this place I will head on somewhere else."
There was something weary in her, the desire to seek conflict and stir people up. Gleefully she passed him a bowl with a treespoon " I have a rival back home I desire to beat this place might help me do just that."

"So what about you, Teraunce. You mentioned being ported here as part of a trap. Intrigue me?" That playful grin she had given him once he had mentioned his ring was printed on her face once more.

[Anonymous]

"There's not really a lot to tell, though transportation was not part of the trap. If anything, I think the magic trap's magic messed up, If the person who built it is who i think he was. I guess even magic messes up after 6000 years. If he was who i think he was, then, he was just about the supreme evil of my world about 6000 years ago, and i know evil, because i would be considered it for reasons I won't say. Now that I have gotten off track in answering your question, let me try to get back on track in answering it," he says, before taking a quick breather and sitting at the table.

He then continues, "Where to begin my story? I know now. I heard in a town that the King was forming an army in the south to crush some army od goblins to the north. I figured it would be a great time so i headed down there just in time to sign up, making a month-long journey in two weeks, and forget i just said that last part. The army headed up north till we were ambushed by a ravine while it was raining. We were encircled & outnumbered badly, but we fought on till when a soldier missed and cut something along with my cloak. Being suspicous he cut the bottom of my cloak with the sword and...<nervous>found nothing.</nervous> Then we got pushed towards the ravine and a division commander fell in. I said I'd get him, jumped down from rock to rock before catching him, and jumped back up in the same manner as I had come down. When I got back up everyone was staring at me so I said, 'What?' I then told the commander that i could get my father and he could get the rest of the...the rest of my father's clan to help out, but he, the commander, wouldn't like how i'd do it. He agreed & so i flew across...no, I meant I went across the branches of the trees so fast it was like i flew to my father's house and got him. When i returned, I got stuck with 2 hobbits near one end of the line before the ground we were standing on caved in. A hobbit resembles a human coming up to about our waist with curly hair on the tops of their leathery soled feet. We went through the caves into some ruins and i accidently flew through a trap that was just activated. Did i say flew? I meant ran. Now that I've told my story, what's your's?"

[Anonymous]

Ric giggled at Teraunce's stumbling but overall the interesting story came to an end he was quick to push a question back at her to avoid her from thinking too much at the parts he had stumbled on. His signal pattern, heart rate and change in pheromones showed her that he was lying or at least telling half truths.
The bloke probably thought he had something worth hiding. "Evil? I hope you wont use that fictional term too much. Considering you are telling half truths" There was disappointment electrifying the air so she decided watching the stew spin around in the cauldron would be more interesting than watching him face to face while she started her own story.

"I grew up in a fortress of mages and wizards on a piece of floating rock no bigger than. How do I explain this in ways you can understand. Ah yes, you could ride from one side to the other, within a couple of weeks or so you would be back where you started.
All we have is a village surrounded by huge golden walls and in there everyone strong enough to travel to it is devoted to study different kinds of magic." She looked back at him from the cauldron impatiently.

"There are no fireballs, spear-shaped hailstones or comets from the sky, turning people to sheep. We are way past petty tricks that benefit the simpleminded. There are more effective ways to crowd control an angry mob should the occasion present itself."
Letting her story sink in. she telepathically reached out into the cauldron and fetched up a piece of potato, checking its consistency, shaking her head to confirm that it still wasn't ready.

"The woods are rich with imported animal life from several worlds and different dimensions where we practice the art of absorbing one animal to benefit from their abilities, it also allows us to live longer than the average human. Immortality however is not within our reach."

She smirked and looked him straight in the eyes hers filled with childish mischief and passion. Revealing a now bright mark on her forehead resembling the figure eight turned sideways.
"I am here as a result of a failed experiment. The living result of trying to invade the realm of infinity to steal or bargain for what we as humans should have had in the first place! Immortality! "

She clenched her fists now resting at her sides and made a mocking tone "We failed. Even with thousands of years of experiments and research on the subject we are still at ground zero its so embarrassing," a sudden outburst of laughter filled her. "Or well not totally ground zero, we have figured out a quadrillion ways that does not work."  

Checking the soup once she had calmed down again. "Ah ready. Didn't find any seasonings so it will taste kind of bland." She stopped the maelstrom and made the soup float from the cauldron into his and her empty bowls.
Wolfing down this like she had done with his ration came easy to her. "You can tell me the truth next time ok?"  The spoon still in her mouth as she said it.

[Anonymous]

After listening to her story, he says in between bites, "<Foaling>How did She spot through my half-truths. I admit i was sweating a bit more than normal but...</Foaling> I don't know why you're saying i spoke lies or half-truths. I admit i stumbled a bit, but that doesn't mean anything. Also, that odd language you heard was my...native language & don't ask what i just said. My...village...is highly secluded so we only send out 1 person per generation to learn what's happening outside the village and normally it's the eldest child of the eldest child, which i am.

"Though i find it interesting that there are wizards on your world when they were so rare on mine. There was 9 wizards in that order, all appeared as old men,  who were immortal. They left 10 years ago after Sauron's defeat & went into the west, the Undying Lands, from whence they came. There may be a good reason none but the elves were granted immortality, and even they tire out and pass off into the west on the straight sea where no man may follow. The reason for it is the same reason a whole civilization, numenor, sunk beneath the ocean. They tried to set foot on it despite being blessed above all others with extremely lengthened lifespans and being able to occassionally get glimpses of it. Since then, my world has been round. I admit i probably will live significantly longer than any normal human, but i think i might have a bit of numenorean blood in me. And the soups good Ric, though i find you're use of magic rather wasteful."

[Anonymous]

"I can smell you lying just like I can smell that you are not entirely human. I just told you we bond animals for animalistic advantages. Do you think this wolf tail is there because it's cute?" That devilishly smirk was displayed on her face once more. "Your world sounds like an awesome place to live in."

He had just stomped on her use of magic yet she laughed him of "Oh ? My use of magic is wasteful? Amuse me with reasons as to why I should have dirtied my hands and prolonged the making of this soup even further?"

It didn't take her long to wash her own bowl and spoon. Letting the moist within it flush every ounce of soup like a river she magically rinsed the bowl clean with magic giggling at Teraunce she let him do his own bowl and spoon.
"Let's see how wasteful your view of my magic use is now."

The laughter that followed could rival any average evil megalomaniac. It could be heard for a long time as she explored the rest of the house

[Anonymous]

"To the First point, I admit i withheld a couple things I forgot. As to the second, we briefly ran into a dragon before we were able to hide from it, unfortunately we had to walk very close to it and my clothes accidently touched its scales. Your use of magic is wasteful because magic is too dangerous to be used on frivolous things, and i prefer not having magic," he says as he washes his dish. "Also, why do you sound like someone evil when you laugh?" he asks as he follows her search of the house.

[Anonymous]

"Again your use of the word evil, I really wish you could stop that and magic isn't unstable, it can be used with precision and finesse if you reign it in." Going up to the guest-room they had been given.
"Of course there are exceptions where people have let their will to control the energies that spark within their fingertips go unchecked. Its easy for a wizard to make a golden ring pure and round while the goldsmith must spent ages getting it right and even then its not perfect like the wizards ring."

She pressed a hand at the bed, standard stuff made of cloth and hay. A slight smirk as she looked back at Teraunce. "Ok lets play a game to see who gets the bed the first night. A game of Truth, simple yes or no questions. First to lie sleeps on the floor. Up for it?"

[Anonymous]

Seeing Ric Pat the bed & ask the question, Ter replies, "I'll agree to your little charade of a game If you'll answer this question truthfully. What would you consider the opposite of those values you most hold dear? Is it greed? Selfishness? Mercilessness (((look, i coined a word, i think)))? Considering all others expendable? Vanity? Wanting to love causing pain to others? All those i consider evil in the extremes. Dragons are known for several of those. Your laugh sounded like someone who didn't care about what happened to others."

[Anonymous]

"Values i hold dear? You actually have a label for people who laugh in the same way i do?" Ric wondered how they could live with all those labels. It was horrifying.
The polar opposite of me would be a paladin or a monk, devoted to acts of selflessness. Anyhow, this is the nut of truth." She pulls up a nut from thin air.

"Now I will demonstrate its powers. I am evil." The nut in her hand shattered instantly. "Ok. Ill go first, ask me a simple yes or no question."

[Anonymous]

"What you just said there proves you aren't exactly what any sane person from my world, nor i, would consider evil; selfish, yes, but not evil. Also, we don't tend to apply those labels in everyday conversation, unless we're talking about someone's morality. As far as the simple yes or no question bit goes, I've noticed you growl whenever I've used the feminine pronoun about you, so are you a girl?" Ter responded and then asked.

[Anonymous]

She hesitated for awhile before replying. "Yes, biologically I am female." She growled back before tossing the nut to him with a grin of expectation. "Can you fly?"

[Anonymous]

Ter doubles over laughing before managing to regain his composure. "Can I fly? Oh, that was hilarious, but, does it look like i can? no, and there is your answer. Now, Let me rephrase my previous question, Do you consider yourself to be female? And I don't mean biologically, I mean mentally."

[Anonymous]

"What kind of question is that?" she growled angrily before crushing the nut. "I'm tired of this game!" She left for downstairs, commanding him to sleep on the bed in a harsh manner, as if any more conversation would end up in a fistfight.
Grabbing a pillow downstairs she came back up and enlarged it to the size of a small yet comfy mattress.

Giving him a stare that could kill if she so desired, before crashing down on it. A harsh "Good Night!" was uttered and she then closed her eyes, leaving him to do as he desired.

Darkness embraced her, taking her back to the portal into Infinity. Mizer was there, his long red braided beard and bald shining skull. That naughty smile and his rough yet somewhat round figure, he had bonded a panda the lazy bum.

The image faded and a giant shadow appeared, the figure of eight turned sideways shining at her forehead lighting up a way inside the realm of infinity. That terrifying feeling of being in the presence of something so incomprehensive, destructive and powerful crept inside her very essence.

She woke up on the floor besides the mattress, Cold sweat was dripping over her entire body apparently she had been doing stuff while sleeping. Looking out of the window small rays of red sunlight reached for the sky. It was dawn.

[Anonymous]

After she asks that question and is at the door, he says to her back, "I didn't mean to offend you," before she reaches the bottom. When she gets back to the room and says her curt good night, he responds politely, before waiting for her to fall asleep. Once she does, he makes certain the door is locked before he takes a quick bath, washes his clothes in the leftover water, and then dumps it outside. After that, he makes an entry in his journal before he goes to bed. He wakes up briefly to her tossing and turning before returning to sleep.

Come morning, He is still sleeping quite deeply, dreaming of flying peacefully, so he has a content look on his face. His hand is rather close to Ric and judging by how deeply he's sleeping, she could pull the ring off without waking him.

(((Transformation sequence if Ric pulls off Ter's Ring: Ric notices nothing special at first but then ter's skin starts slowly turning silver and scaly. Also, about this time Ric might notice his wings and tail slowly growing. The process takes a few minutes in these circumstances and both events finish up at about the same time. Normally, if he wills it and is wearing the ring, It is really fast.)))

[Anonymous]

Noticing that her fellow traveller was still asleep she quietly paced the room observing him in silence. Intent on mischief and in her desire for revenge for having lost the game last night it didn't take her long to decide upon removing the ring, as magic gently spread his fingers making it easy for her to pull it off his ring-finger.

Now in her hand lay something that would look like a plain yet forged metal ring and there was no loud explosions so apparently he had overrated the consequences of removing the ring. Maybe whatever the ring did only appeared to the wearer? Even if the ring was to huge for her fingers maybe trying it on would show her its powers?

Then as a small ray of light touched the bed she noticed that Teraunce's skin was turning into scales, silvery bright ones. <So the ring hides your true form? And that's all?> she was ripe with disappointment, but kind of glad when she saw him sprout a tail and some wings.

<I knew he could fly, lets just hope he doesn't outgrow the bed. Aw fuck who am I kidding? It's a good thing the transformation is so slow.>
Putting the ring back onto his finger, before shooting a small ray of cold mountain-water onto his face. Forcing him to wake up.

[Anonymous]

Ter keeps transforming despite the ring being put back on. He doesn't grow any unless you count his wings and tail. Eventually, due equally to the slight uncomfortableness of sleeping on his tail and wings and to the cold water. He has mostly transformed and you can see that the tip of his tail has been cut off and is scabbed over. He wakes up annoyed by the water being sprayed in his face, so he says a curt good morning before realizing he's transformed, which makes him quite angry. He then stands up as he shouts with a hurt look in his eyes, "What made you take off my Ring? I thought I could trust you enough to not take it off, but i always knew this would happen. Since you've lost whatever respect I had for you, I'm leaving, & may one of my evil cousins roast you with their flames." He then quickly transforms back into a human, clomps downstairs, gathers his stuff, and is about to leave when he pauses for a sec, realizing he may have been to harsh on her. after all, it had been simple curiosity and he had asked for it by mentioning it. How could she have known what the consequences could have been. Realizing this, he waits at the door, still mad, but willing to listen to what she has to say.

(((There is a possibility Ric can calm Ter down enough for him to explain himself, but Ter isn't going to wait for long.)))

[Anonymous]

Ric had expected anger, if anything but this guy was way over the top considering that all the ring did was to transform him into a more humanoid and socially acceptable form. She wanted to reply but he didn't exactly leave her any time to do so before running down the stairs.

Furious and raging with anger now, smitten with his behaviour she stormed down after him intent on knocking some sense into his reptile skull only to find him near the door waiting for her.

"You keep forgetting that your cousins or whatever are not present in this realm and thus your futile attempts to conceal whatever that form you had, is meaningless here!"

Unknown to her a dark and looming aura had gathered within her presence almost like a giant thundercloud waiting to strike him as she closed in on him with almost inhumane speed a finger pointed inches away from his nose.

"You could have told me and this would never have happened! You will forgive me!"

[Anonymous]

Somewhat shaken by her greater anger, he replies, "I will not apoligize to you, but, you are right, my cousins, the dragons aren't here. Most of that story i told was true if you throw the stumblings in, except for the dragon you smelled on me was my father. I have to at learn to let go of some old ways of thinking. (((2nd Half))) Though, How would you feel if your birth should not have been possible and wasn't meant? It's kinda hard for a being the size of a house to have sex with a human. How would you feel if you would be killed on sight by any member of any race in your world? How would you like to have to hide yourself from the world every day of your life? Good because you're 'evil', and evil because you're 'good'. Even our last name for ourselves shows how forsaken we are, it means the Forsaken ones. My last name is Foaloke and that language you heard was Foaling."

(((alt version of last half, run with whichever you want:You must understand that I'd be killed automatically by anyone but my clan for being what i am and they'd go after me even more, since i am something supposedly impossible, a half dragon/half human. My clan, which is tiny, renounced their evil ways long ago, even as dragons measure it, and have been indirectly working for good, despite.)))

[Anonymous]

It took awhile before she really snapped her thundercloud like aura started rumbling as Teraunce muttered, it fell on deaf ear's. All she could think of was that she would grind his face to a pulp the second it stopped moving its mouth. Her pupils where gone by the time Teraunce had stopped talking, almost like she had lost sight of him it didn't take her long to fall over him sending them both stumbling to the floor.

"What the crap!" Confusion and the scary feeling of being blind if only for a few short minutes let her calm down enough to act rational once more. Getting up on two shaky legs, she felt weak almost as if something had sucked her emotionally dry and left her to rot like an empty water-skin.

"It's kind of my fault, but next time you want to keep a secret. Don't goad people into it like that without telling them the entire truth and then get pissed because you set them up for it. That's just plain rude."

[Anonymous]

Standing up, Ter says, "Did you hear a word i said, because i don't think you did, and i won't repeat myself. If you did, you can tell me my last name. If you had have listened I might have forgiven you. I admit i shouldn't have goaded you, but, I still can't spend any more time here, not if i can't trust you. So, What is my last name?" He then stands even closer to the door with one hand on its knob.