The Keeper of Dreams

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The woman's smile widened, but didn't meet her eyes.
"I did not mean the darkness of the night, for all things of the earth are natural, beautiful. No, I meant a different darkness. The darkness of men."

[Lion]

Ander laughed painfully and peered up at the old woman with weary eyes.  "I know what you spoke of, I was merely speaking of the quiet peace of evening.  I'm not sure I believe in that hocus pocus, but I like to think life is beautiful and mysterious enough, without the superstition of evil and good and the eternal battle therein.  I like talk with you.  What is your name?"

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The old woman studied him a moment, and it was then Denera re-entered into the hut. The old woman was about to speak, but instead, bowed to the man without so much as answering him before turning to her.

"Yes, is there any news?"

"So far, nothing, Analla," Denera informed. She stood there, shuffling her weight, then looked down at Ander. "Is there any information from this man we might ought to use? Such as how dangerous this creature might be and-"

And the old woman, Analla, laughed. It was a pretty sound, and despite her age, she was a very pretty lady. She had aged well, even her wrinkles.

"Diora will be fine," Analla reminded, a twinkle to her eyes. "Though perhaps now might not be the best time to question our friend?" ANd she turned to Ander and smiled. "Unless, that is, you wish to all hear a story. A story about the coyote and the fox."

Denera made a face, taken back by the comment.
"But what does that story have to do with anything?" To her it made no sense. The coyote was a trickster, and the story was about perseverance through wit and skill. Why bring that up at a time like this?

Analla only smiled.

"Just a story to help pass the time. It seems you are a ball of nerves, Denera. PLease, sit with us by the fire side. I'm sure Drey and the others will be fine. We have a lot of strong men in town and you worry too much."

[Lion]

The man called Ander gave the woman called Analla a smile as he turned his head over and stared at the tent wall.  When the younger woman emerged, He turned back and watched the exchange with interest, but kept his eyes half-lidded.

"A story would be nice," Ander admitted and nodded for Analla to go ahead.

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Denera sighed frustratedly, but obeyed her elder and sighed, taking a seat near the fire. Analla smiled, keeping her gaze soft and indifferent as she clapsed her hands behind her back, pacing as she begun her tale.

"The coyote and the fox have been enemies since many moons, but before than, the pair were friends. Both being small dogs, they would often frolic and sometimes even had packs of their mixed kind. Though coyote was a jealous sort, and very cunning, and envied fox's beautiful tale. So one day as the pair was hunting in the forest, Coyote asked the Fox, 'Why is it you have such a bright and shiny coat? And a bushy tail witha  white tip?' Fox merely answered, 'Because the Spirits wanted us to be so.' And the coyote, not easy to please with such an answer pressed, 'Yes, but we are both like the dogs and the wolves, yet you see no wolf with red fur.' The fox raised it's head curious to the coyote but simply replied, 'The Spirits wanted us to be red. Red like blood, to remind all other animals that we have heart, we have blood.' and Coyote grew angry at this. 'But Coyote also has a heart. We also bleed, but our coat is not red.'  Fox simply flicked his tail and answered in nonchalance, 'Yes, but if the spirits wanted you to have such a color fur coat, they would have done so.' "

Analla paused to smile at the pair, and seh was still pacing as her eyes shined with kindness.
"You see, here it is when the Coyote challenged the fox, and used his skills to try to trick fox out of giving him his fur coat; but no matter what sort of games the coyote played, the fox managed to slip out, unscathed. So the frustrated Coyote then asked, 'How come you are not easily caught? I laid out many tricks for you but you evaded all of them.' And the fox only smiled and answered, 'Becuase it is how the spirits wanted it. The spirits also gave us a bigger brain than you coyotes. Though you are smart, we are cunning; and sharp as a tack. I saw all of your tricks you tried to pull on me well before each game began.' And the coyote howled furiously and attempted to kill his brethren the fox. Now,.." she said, her bare foot scraping agianast the dirt floor of her hut as she looked from Denera to Ander.

"The coyote is much stronger than the fox, so he did not come out unscathed this time, but bore many scars and lost much blood. Though he did manage to escape, but that was only with the help of the wolf, and for it, to this day, the Coyote and the Fox are mortal enemies, and the Wolf; the wolf a silent friend."

[Lion]

Ander listened to the dtory with minor intrigue and smiled at Analla when the story was finished.  "Sounds like the coyote got what was coming to him," he replied quietly.  His eyes lingered over to Denera and blinked at her.  "And what do you make of that?  What's the moral of the story?"

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Denera frowned and replied softly, "Be careful who you are friends with." And she noted the look in Analla's eyes before turning suddenly, whipping out her sword and placing it at Ander's throat. The flames from the fire danced between them, and her hold on the blade was skilled and true.
"And not to be easily deceived.." Her blue eyes narrowed upon him.

Analla smiled when this happened, and raised from where she had been sitting. She placed a hand upon Denera's shoulder.
"Yes, but perhaps you are reading into it too much?" Though before Denera put her blade away, she turned to Ander and smiled.

"I believe you might have something that belongs to us, friend," the old woman said warmly.

[Lion]

Ander stared at the blade with wide eyes. And he looked at Denera again as if he wasn't sure to believe her.  "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," he confessed.  He struggled to sit up, but eventually pulled himself up.  He pulled off the blanket and revealed his bound abdomen and everything in it's immediate vicinity and there was nothing to be had.  "See?"

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At the sight, Analla only smiled, still keeping a hand upon Denera's shoulder.

"Forgive us for not being so trusting. THere have been troubled signs read within the stars." And she wondered how well this man might know magic, deception or slight of hand. Either way, she gestured for Denera to check the wrapped clothe where the shard had been, and once it was confirmed it was still there, Analla sighed.

"Perhaps I was wrong." Analla said, as she wiped at the light trickling of blood that began to creep out of her nose. She bowed humbly as she apologized, and Denera felt herself confused. Why was Analla so suspicious of this man anyway? And why would she care if he had taken that peculiar shard they had found in the woods?

It was only then a terrifying, beastial screech was heard across the city. Denera's eyes widened as she got to her feet.
"The beast! It's here!" And she turned to Analla, who only gestured for her to go on, and Denera rushed out of the tent, the tent flap fluttering closed just as a second terrifying screech was heard.

[Lion]

Ander jumped at the cry that resounded outside, pulling his shirt down and as Denera bolted outside of the tent, his eyes fell back on Analla.  He looked her over, his expression did not change.  "The beast is here," he murmured.  "Why are you so calm?"

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"Things will be as it may," she simply replied. "The stars also showed some truths in deception. But it also showed something cruel, and that cruelty is something we can not fight. If the beast came here, than it was willed. Even still, we will not sit idle, but fight as always. Besides," she smiled to 'Ander'. "These bones are too old for fighting. Even my eyes, I fear, might be too old to see. So I trust my fate to my children."

[Lion]

Ander sat up and held his wounded side.  He looked at the woman squarely in the eyes and could see there was much she could see and much she could not.  "The beast will not come," he said.  "And I know you know why.  But the winds of change that  are to come, those cannot be delayed.  And your children will be unable to protect you."  His voice was quite, solemn.

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"Do you think so little of my people? We have been here for many generations," Analla informed. But then she caught a certain gaze within Ander's eyes and frowned.
"But I believe you know more about things than perhaps I?" she questioned, raising her brows.

[Lion]

At the mention of her people, Ander have the slightest smirk and he pursed his lips momentarily.  "I would never think so little of you.  Mortal kind is capable of a great many things.  And they surprise me even to this day," he said.  "But what I know cannot be shared without the highest discretion.  Your people, your way of life is in danger.  My coming was not without reason.  I rarely ever do."

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"You speak of mortals as if you are not." This made her frown deepen. "Might I inquire where you are from, Ander?"

[Lion]

"I am from nowhere of interest," he replied testily.  "And you would do well to keep your mind in the now.  For that is where our troubles currently lie."  He sighed for a moment before turning his body to stand by the bedroll he once laid on. "Perhaps I've spent enough time here as it is.  Thank you for your hospitality, Analla.  I shall keep it in mind in the future."

[Lion]

[double post whoops]

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Analla nodded, but still kept her frown about her; and not a moment later did a terrible beast tear through the hut, sending timber and thatch everywhere as it roared, it's face appearing to split in half, exposing rows of saliva dripping teeth that were long, needle like and dribbling red with blood.
It was almost human like, twisted with a double jaw that split apart as it's voice tore into three high pitched sounds as it cried out and slashed a massive paw towards the pair of them, sending Analla flying across the valley where she hit against the mountain's side with a crunch before she fell into the grass and went still.

Now with the hut discarded, the chaos from the camp came upon them as Drey's voice range out in a fierce battle cry as he tore across the lands, and Denera was not two feet behind him, along with a hoard of others from the village.

"He's heading towards Diora's hut!"s he exclaimed. "Quickly! We must keep him from getting there! He can not disturb the Keeper!"

And at the sounds of their voices, the creatures turned away from Ander, it's form towering over his, nearly triple his in height with shoulder curled forward from the weight of it's long arms, and it's legs, bowed and rippling with thorn like scales across it and gnarled toe-nails clawed up the ground as he rushed full force towards the nearest human in it's rage-
that human, being Ander.

[Lion]

[And while all this is going on, what the hell is Denera doing!?  That bitch!]

Something in his expression could subtly be read as his eyes widened, that the sounds that rang outside were more than unexpected even on his part.  His wounds had been a fallacy, created in the fabric of his disguise.  Who but a heartless cretin would turn away a wounded hunter caught in the dangers of the wilds?  But it seemed the unexpected appearance of the false beast that assailed him was a turn even the Astralwalker did not anticipate.

When the small hut was suddenly broken away, Ander was caught in the thrashing and he hurled thatch and leaves and dust and dirt from him, as the beast, in all it's monstrous glory roared and seethed and growled.  But when the horror of it's hunger was suddenly set up on him, Ander lay vulnerable from his spot still on the ground and met the beast eye to eye.  And yet for the moment the air lay heavy around him, as if time was standing still and for the moment, it did and all the motions of the frantic and fearful paused mid-action and Ghanon could better calculate the course of action before him.

For the beast was nearer than he could anticipate and would be upon him before he could properly react, Ander knew the risks of allowing the creature to devour him, and of revealing his gifts before due time, if he would at all.  To fight was his only option, to fight or die.  And now was certainly not a very convenient time to die.  It had only just begun after all. 

When the air became light and time flowed in rapid succession, the beast splayed his jaws on him.  Ander put his hands up and clenched his jaws holding them separate but away from his face.  The teeth cut into his palms and blood seeped down.  He grunted with effort as he tried to overpower it, but being on his back all he could do was to slam a foot into its chest and sent it reeling backwards, giving him a chance to climb to his feet.

Ander met the beast again as he rushed at him, but he was ready for it this time.  Despite his meager stature in his present disguise, Ander charged a powerful energy ball within his hands and ground it into the beast's core.  It howled and cried a screeching cry that made even Ander's hair stand on end.  The swiftly moving ball of energy ground into its thickened hide and soon the beast was thrown backwards, severely wounded as the energy ball dissipated.  Ander fell exhausted to the side, watching the creature howling still and trying to regain its bearings with little success.

[And sorry this took FOREVER to think a reply too.  We still need to come up with a general plot skeleton.]

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OOC: Denera was right behind Drey XP

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Though Denera cried out the alarm, it seemed the creature took note of someone else, and she stared in horror as the creature went for the old hunt'sman. But even more so, the huntsman was able to stand his own, and the source of power, she felt it hit her.. felt.. other worldly.
Dropping to her knees, she gripped at her chest and felt her nose bleed from the power- all the while the rest of the warriors rushed past her and were upon the creature while others began to rush towards Diora's tomb.

It was only after a time of sword slashing towards the roaring beast that Drey noticed Denera was no longer at his side.

"Denera!?" he shouted, as he peered over at her fallen form. "Denera! Hurry! Get to your sister while we hold the beast off!"

But while Drey was barking orders, Denera's face was locked upon that of Ander, and a look, twisted from confusion, was plastered there.
What was he? And was Analla right?