On the Outskirts He Lies in Wait (open)

[Anonymous]

Saat'bas welcomed the human back.  The purring softened, though was no less intense.  Those closed eyes stayed trained on the other's face.  He began to move more, now, his path circling around the man.  His hands and arms trailed as he did, tracing invisible lines above the mortal's body.  Each fall of his silent feet and each curl of his elegant fingers wove an increasing complex pattern.  Each second that ticked by seemed to impart a little more energy to the motions.

But through it all there was never an instant of contact.  Not a brush of a hand or an arm or a shoulder.  There was always a space -- sometimes just a hairsbreath -- between the two.

The probing tendrils became an accepting embrace.  It offered comfort and excitement.  It entranced the mind as much as it freed it.  It whispered to the man with wordless thoughts, urging him to respond, asking him... What did he desire?  What did he wish?  What of all these sensations and pleasures and delights in Life did he want presented to him?

He had only to say and Saat'bas would do his best to fulfill the request.

[Anonymous]

Jonathon barely felt himself moving at all by now; his limbs ached and he could barely focus his eyes at all.

"I want..." he mumbled, hardly acknowledging what he was saying, "...I want... to be a world-famous violinist." At that, he began moving his arms in what was doubtlessly the motion of a musicion pulling a bow across violin strings.

(Sorry. XD Jon's so multi-faceted that I couldn't possibly choose anything remotely serious for him to passionately desire.)

[Anonymous]

(OOC:  *laughs*  It's ok ^.^ )

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Saat'bas was amused and he chuckled in that strange, husky tone.  Such an innocent desire.  He couldn't give the man fame.  That was out of his reach.  He could, however, gift the human some small part of his wish.  He came around to behind the other and his hands slid up to the mortal's own.  As they did, he brought forth a violin and bow.

He placed the instrument in the other's hands, positioning it.  He moved with the human, guiding him, and between them a song was played.  It wasn't anything written by any other mortal.  It was drawn from within the human and Saat'bas helped to augment whatever skill the man might already have, so that it was formed into a pleasing melody.  Because of this, though, it also contained an undertone of Saat'bas' own untamed nature.

He kept up with the man, he would only pull away when the other wanted it.  Until then, he'd stay near.

[Anonymous]

Jonathon laughed out loud, so helplessly happy that he felt even weaker than before. His knees shook slightly, threatening to topple him over any moment. He had, after all, been travelling several days, and despite the fact that Jon's endurance was, for lack of a better description, bordering on inhuman, it was beginning to get to him.

"I'm playing! I'm... I'm..." and at that, his legs finally gave way, and he hit the ground knees-first with a dull thud. His head drooped, and, oblivious to the being behind him, the rest of his body followed suit, though he obviously took care to refrain from damaging the violin.

[Anonymous]

Saat'bas grinned more as the man laughed.  He could feel the mortal's joy, it spread a warmth and energy through him that was difficult to explain in words.  He kept with the human until the other collapsed to the ground.  Crouching down, he gently settled his fingers against the man's throat.

The human was still alive.  It seemed he had simply been too exhausted to Revel long.  A pity.  There could've been so much more.

Saat'bas didn't think to harm him, though.  There was no sport in killing someone in their sleep.  Instead, he stroked the man's black hair, ridding it of the mud and debris still caught in it.  He did the same for the mortal's clothes, then fetched the blanket and covered him.  He sat, considering whether or not he wanted to Call others in from the village.

Before he'd made a decision, though, the sound of footsteps caught his ear.  Saat'bas turned his head towards it.  There was a parade of thoughts through his mind about what to do.  He chose to slip off into the underbrush, to see who approached.

It was the young man he'd been watching in the village.  With a little burst of feral joy, he stalked around to put himself between the newcomer and the houses.

The man was busy striding towards Jonathon.  He hadn't any idea what the stranger was doing out here.  It looked he might've been having a picnic and fallen asleep.  A dangerous thing to do, even this close to La'marri.  He was about to kneel down and shake the other awake when he heard a very disconcerting growl behind him.

Saat'bas revealed himself much as he had to the mage.  Only this time, he wasn't going to be persuaded out of his hunt.  He still wanted it and this one had been his original target to begin with.  He grinned, not in a friendly way at all, showing the humans his fangs and flexing his fingers to display his claws.

The young man did as anyone might, he stumbled back in surprise and a bit of fear.  He held out his axe defensively.  It was fairly obvious, though, that he wasn't used to using it as a weapon.

"Here now, you go away and leave us alone."  His voice trembled a bit and he didn't like the expression on that green one's face.  He shook his axe in an attempt to frighten the creature away.

Saat'bas took a few creeping steps forward, growling all the while. The human swung his axe when the green thing got too close.  Saat'bas ducked under the clumsy strikes, easily avoiding them.  He allowed the man to show his courage and skill.  Then, with a well-aimed swipe of his clawed fingers, he knocked the makeshift weapon free of the other's hands.  He opened his jaws to reveal just how sharp and long those fangs were.

The young man took the hint.  He ran.  Instinct drove him to run in the exact opposite direction of Saat'bas, which was also straight into the forest, away from the village and any possible help.

Saat'bas bolted after him, keeping close behind.  He darted back and forth, sometimes coming close enough to strike at the young man.  The human sprinted like a frightened deer.  He unwittingly let Saat'bas lead him, moving away when the other came close, then veering the other way when suddenly the green being was in front of him.  The manuevoring left him confused and too flustered to devise any strategy to escape.

When he began to get winded and slow, Saat'bas brought the chase to an end.  He lept at the human.  His clawed hands reached out, ready to hook into the mortal's flesh, and his fangs were poised, ready to sink into the unprotected neck.

The impact sent them rolling over the forest floor.  They landed in the midst of several tall plants and bushes, shielding them from view.  The leaves shook from the short, but violent struggle, then went still.

If anyone were to come through later, they might find laying in the lofty weeds the remains of a young man who never returned from his woodcutting chores.

[Anonymous]

(Ugh, sorry about the long delay. I've been insanely busy the past couple days and every time I'd jump on here to try and reply I'd get dragged away again)

Several hours later, Jonathon stirred. He opened his eyes slowly and quickly snapped them shut again due to the massive headache that was pounding at his temples. He moaned softly and tentatively moved into a sitting position, hands over his eyes.

"I haven't felt this hungover since... that last Solstice fling..."

His memory seemed unwilling to quite catch up with him just then, which he preferred, since it allowed him time to concentrate on getting rid of this headache. Then he could go into that village nearby and get some decent, well-needed rest.

[Anonymous]

(OOC:  Don't worry about it :-)  I hope you don't mind the NPCs. )

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Saat'bas had remained for a short time while Jonathon slept.  Partly because he was still a bit curious to see if the dark-haired man would wake up soon and partly because being full made him feel a little lethargic.  As the time passed, though, he'd become restless and moved off.  He was a fair distance into the forest now.  He would have found the human's state amusing, if only because the mortal hadn't drunk anything.  But, he knew that going back wasn't a good choice.  He'd hunted that villager and it was likely that at this point others were beginning to wonder where the human was.  They'd probably be looking for the missing person.

And Saat'bas was right.

A group of armed villagers was gathered a little ways from the edge of the treeline.  Their search party carried mostly farming implements -- hoes, rakes, shovels, wood-axes -- and consisted of mostly the man's family and friends.  So far, there was no reason to suspect anything beyond the basic fear.  That the young man had ventured off to do his chores and met with some accident.  The tools were in case they needed to ward off some wild animal.

A stocky man with a large mustache was directing the people.  He had a tanned face lined with a few wrinkles, his hair was a very faded sort of red.  He wore simple clothing and spoke in a somewhat gruff voice.

"All right now, spread out.  Not too far, keep in shouting distance.  Yell if you find Yori or any sign of him.  Got it?"

The group nodded and murmured their compliance.  With a wave of the hand, the stocky man dispersed the gathering.  The villagers crept off into the trees.  The man himself entered not far from where Jonathon was and called out, "Yori?  Are you here, son?  Answer me."

[Anonymous]

The man was met by Jonathon, who happened to stagger into view a few feet away from him, one hand still against his aching head.

"I don't know who Yori is, sir," he began with a wince; even talking hurt just then, "But would y'mind speaking just a bit less loudly?"

Doubtlessly this stranger would assume what seemed obvious; that Jonathon was drunk, and either lost or wandering back from his private drinking location. The twigs in his hair and disheveled, still half-damp clothing would attest to the former, though Jonathon's current mannerisms certainly suggested otherwise. He swayed slightly and quickly reached out, barely catching onto a nearby tree and pushing himself fully upright.

[Anonymous]

The stocky man turned at Jonathon's voice.  At first his expression seemed less than approving, but as the young man swayed, it changed to something more concerned.  He quickly stepped over to Jonathon and braced his hands on the other's shoulders.  "Here, now.  You look a little worse for wear.  What are you doing out here?"

He glanced around warily.  Something just didn't feel right about this part of the woods.  Like something had been and gone and left behind some intangible evidence of its earlier presence.

He didn't really want to leave without finding Yori.  This young man, though, looked like he needed some help.  There were others to continue the search.  With a gruff, but kind, manner, he put his arm around Jonathon.  He gave the other man a tug.  "All right, come on.  I'll get you into the village where someone can take care of you."

[Anonymous]

"I can't remember... there was a Shift, then the lake... I wandered up here, and there was this curious green fellow..." Jonathon moaned softly. He hated this particular shortcoming of his inhuman endurance; if he exhausted his energy, it resulted in him passing out and waking up with a very fuzzy short-term memory for several hours.

"Bless y'sir," he said at the mention of care, though he wasn't quite sure what kind of 'care' he needed. Physical? Mental? Probably mental, Jonathon reflected sadly. He usually ended up being treated like a basket case after wearing himself out. That much he remembered.

[Anonymous]

The man just grunted and led Jonathon out of the woods.  He walked slowly, so the young mage wouldn't fall or faint.  Poor lad looked like he'd had one too many.

 "A curious green fellow, you say?"  He didn't sound particularly convinced, but there were all sorts around La'marri.  Not anyone green that he could remember in the village itself.  Maybe the green man had seen Yori.  That thought caused a little shiver down his spine, though he couldn't pin why.  "I don't suppose...  Ah, never mind it for now.  You need to rest.  Questions can wait."

The man continued on until he reached one of the outer houses.  He knocked sharply on the door.  It opened to the concerned face of woman.  She was a matronly sort, about the same age as the man himself, with crinkles at the corners of her eyes and a few white strands in her hairbun.  "Oh, Tam, have you found... Goodness!"

"Not yet, Arabeth, but we'll find Yori.  You can tell Emmaline not to worry."  He gave Jonathon a little nudge.  "Go with Arabeth, son.  She'll get you some food and a bed."

[Anonymous]

"Mm. Bed. Yes." Jonathon allowed himself to be led, seeming docile as a cow, or some other form of livestock. His mind, however, was reeling in a mad scramble to put everything that had happened in the past 24 hours in proper order. Collapsing during the revel - and getting a bit of rest - had immensely shortened his 'Off Time' as several people called it. Another nap should do the ticket, then once he got the cogs in his head going, he could figure out not only where he'd suddenly been deposited, but why.

[Anonymous]

Arabeth took over from Tam, prodding Jonathon along to the house's one spare bedroom.  She tutted like a mother hen about everything from the state of the mage's hair to his weariness to his being alone in the woods (or so she assumed).  It was all meant in kindness, however, and he was given some hot water in a small wash basin, towels and the privacy of the room.  Before she closed the door, she said, "You rest now and I'll some hot stew and bread waiting when you feel up to eating.  Sleep well."

Then the door shut and he was left alone to wash and rest, or whatever else he wanted to do.  It didn't seem she expected any payment, as she hadn't mentioned any.

[Anonymous]

A sigh of relief escaped from Jonathon's lips as he saw the basin. Finally, he could get clean like he'd been wanting for what felt like days now. He eagerly made his way over to the water and, hesitating only long enough to disrobe, began cleaning himself vigorously. By the time he was finished grooming himself the water was getting cold, but Jonathon barely noticed as he quickly dried himself off and, feeling better than he had in ages, collapsed on the bed with another happy sigh.

"Finally," he murmured as the exhaustion that was impossible for Jonathon to ignore sank in. He snuggled into the blankets and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, his snores proved that he had indeed been quite worn out, but, judging by the slight smile that still hung upon his lips, he felt much better already.

[Anonymous]

The house was, for the most part, quiet.  An eerie, waiting sort of quiet.  No one disturbed Jonathon because, quite honestly, they were distracted by their own thoughts and worries.  It wasn't until a little later in the day that anything happened.  There was the sound of weeping and arguing.  Other unhappy noises scattered all through the home.

Outside the bedroom door, two voices, Tam's and Arabeth's, rose and fell in obvious agitation.  The words were still muffled, though, so making them out wasn't possible.

But still, no one came in or knocked.  No one tried to call Jonathon out of the room.  The odd quiet returned, only now with the oppressive hint of something horrible.  Beyond the bedroom, out in the living area and kitchen, something lurked.  Something waited... waited for the mage to wake up and emerge from his temporary haven.

[Anonymous]

Jonathon woke feeling immensely better, though somewhat stiff. As he kicked his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled himself upwards with a massive yawn, he reflected momentarily on how great his fortune was to find himself in what was practically the lap of luxury.

Then it came back.

He remembered that strange green fellow; the fire; dancing and laughing and that violin...

Jonathon's eyes widened as he noticed the immense, foreboding quiet that hung over the house that had been his sanctuary for the past several hours. Something was not at all right, he realized, and, he suspected, it had very much to do with the creature in the woods. His mind wandered back to those first few moments with it. It had certainly been hunting him. Why it had stopped and simply toyed with him was not something that Jonathon could answer. Perhaps he was not what it was preying upon, or he was not what it liked to eat. The latter made no sense. If it were carnivorous and hunting, it would have eaten him regardless. If it were herbivorous it would not be hunting at all. Which left the former option.

What had it been hunting? Had Jonathon smooth-talked his way out of a very bad situation, or had he simply not been the target in the first place?

Jonathon pushed himself out of the bed and quickly dressed. He was very thankful that his second set of clothing was still safely tucked inside his pack, otherwise he would have smelled like a month-old compost heap. The sight of his dirty laundry on the opposite side of the room made his stomach turn; it looked as if he'd rolled for several hours in a stagnant mud puddle. He forced his mind on more important matters, though; something was amiss, and these people had been kind to him. If that was not enough to compell Jonathon to help them, his honor would.

He exited quickly, still buttoning up his shirt with one hand and pulling his long coat over his other arm, quite afraid of with what he might be met, but facing it bravely all the same.

[Anonymous]

The quiet continued to linger as Jonathon made his way out of the room.  At first, it appeared that maybe it was just due to the fact that no one was home, the first few areas he went through were empty.  But the early evening light slanting through the windows would seem to indicate it would be an odd hour for people to be going out, rather than coming home.

When he made it to the kitchen, though, three sets of eyes zeroed in on him.  Tam was standing near the back, arms crossed and forehead creased.  Arabeth was by the wood-stove next to the doorway.  A pretty young woman sat at the kitchen table, her head bowed.

On the table itself was an odd collection of items.  Elegant dishes shimmered against the home-spun tablecloth, bits of food still clinging to their surfaces.  An unopened bottle of wine sat next to a polished violin and bo.

And with these things was a simple wood-axe.  There was a set of four marks on the handle, as though something sharp had caught onto and scratched it.

Tam's gaze bore into Jonathon.  When he spoke, his voice was gruffer than before, "You said there was a strange green man.  But I don't think he exists.  Except maybe in your own addled head!"  The man gestured angrily to the items.  "These were found near where I met you.  I think you know what happed to Yori."

He then reached down to something that was tucked under the table.  He straightened and shook it at Jonathon.  It was a blanket, stained with the same sort of mud that had been on the mage's clothes.  His scowl increased and he practically shouted, "This was found there, too.  Don't you even try to say you weren't there before him.  His axe and this blanket were on top of everything else!  I should just-"

"Tam, stop!"  Arabeth scurried over to the infuriated man.  She placed her hands on Tam's shoulders, then looked at Jonathon.  Her eyes were pleading.  "You didn't do it, lad, we know you didn't.  You couldn't have..."

Her voice faltered on the last bit, but she glanced back at Tam and her tone strengthened again, "You said Yori looked as though he'd been mauled by an animal.  And that axe-handle, no human could do that!"

Tam continued to glare at Jonathon, but there were no more accusations.  He was simply too angry and hurt to say anything that wouldn't sound belligerent.  He'd just discovered he'd lost his son, after all.  Arabeth also remained quiet, resting her head on Tam's shoulder.

The young woman sitting at the table turned her gaze up to Jonathon.  Her eyes were filled with tears and already red.  It was the look of a youthful heart that had received it's first painful lesson in life, the loss of a love.

[Anonymous]

Jonathon froze, his eyes wide in momentary confusion through Tam's verbal assault and Arabeth's reassurance.

"I didn't... I mean... he was there." At that moment his eyes fell upon the violin, and he sighed. "I know how this looks," he continued, "But I can explain everything. I can." He suddenly jerked with apparent horror. "That thing... oh... that thing... I wasn't what it was hunting after all. But it could have done that to me" Jonathon's knees gave, forcing him to collapse in a sitting position on the floor. He could tell that Tam didn't believe him, which compelled him to whisper, "I wouldn't take a violin to a murder, sir."

"However," he added, looking at the blanket on the table, then the scarred axe, "I can tell you what happened, to a degree. You have to understand how I work, and why I was so disoriented when we met, sir."

At that, Jonathon went into a brief, but thorough description of when he had arrived, wandered through the woods, and run into the green creature upon nearing this village. He left out most of the Walker stuff, hoping that Tam and his family wouldn't question the obviously missing bits of his story, as most locals didn't take kindly to those who moved through worlds for various purposes, some of which occasionally included murder. Instead, he left the 'how' of his story open to their own interpretation. He described the Revel, also - what he could remember of it, at least.

"But, my good people, if I have a fault above all my others, it's that when my endurance is spent, I pass out. I remember falling asleep on that blanket, then nothing else until I met you, sir."

[Anonymous]

Tam listened, but never seemed completely convinced.  Arabeth, on the other hand, nodded as Jonathon spoke.  No one questioned him on how he got there.  La'marri was full of mages, some of them with quite impressive skills.  Someone transporting themselves from one place to another didn't seem out of the question.

When Jonathon was finished, Arabeth bustled over to the wood stove and poured a cup of hot tea, which she handed to him.  "You've had a run in with some wild mage or feral spirit, I'd say."  Then she turned towards Tam.  "If this thing is still nearby..."

Tam grunted.  "I'll get another search party together.  We'll head out tomorrow morning.  This time we'll go properly armed.  If we find it, it'll pay for what's it done."  He waved a hand at the mage.  "You're free to go whenever you want."

With that, Tam headed for the door.  Arabeth glanced back at Jonathon.  "You can stay the night here, if you need.  The village will be in an uproar tomorrow.  I hope you weren't planning on too quiet a stay in La'marri."

[Anonymous]

Jonathon accepted the tea gratefully and took a drink, then called towards Tam's retreating back.

"Sir, I would like to go with you. I may be of some assistance. Even 'bait' if you like... the creature seemed as though it was very eager to please me. If it saw me again, then perhaps it could be tricked into the same situation as we were in before." He was obviously very much upset at being called a murderer. He had done terrible things before, yes, but never in cold blood. "If I could distract it, sir, you could..." his voice trailed off hopefully.