Advertise/Affiliate Other Forum Main Page The World Before You Play

Floral Stripes [DragonSong]

Started by Juno, September 01, 2016, 01:43:20 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Juno

Looking out at the vastness around him Irah felt a sudden, overwhelming dread. For some reason he'd forgotten about the rain and was slowly becoming drenched through his thin cloak that wasn't made with volatile island weather in mind.

He began to think he'd really bitten off more than he could chew with his plan as he made his way into Jin'ta from the docks, but it was too late the turn back. His ship had literally sailed and he was not due to return home for weeks even if he was lucky and it returned on time to retrieve him.

The murky puddles along the path required some careful navigation on his part to not be soaked through his boots as well. It really sucked the charm out of his arrival, not even having a moment to appreciate the natural beauty of the rainforests just a little further inland he assumed he'd be spending his every waking moment within as soon as he was settled.

Irah hadn't planned ahead for a place to stay and found himself eagerly ducking into the first inn he found to get out of the rain so at least his bags wouldn't be soaked through or his papers damaged. The warmth inside was welcome and he shivered as it heated the ice in his veins. The rate seemed a little...high. For at least a night or two he would happily pay while he got his bearings, but in his opinion the place wasn't nice enough to command it.

It was homey, cozy and uncluttered, but it seemed just okay compared to some of the grand places of his travels. Perhaps the people of Thanatos were just like that, but time would tell.

Setting his things out to dry and changing into fresh clothes he soon realized that he didn't have quite as much to do as he'd thought he might so early on. The rain would pass, his belongings would dry, and then he would have seemingly endless time to explore.

He'd thought it might have been necessary to arrange for a guide or explore the city more to get his bearings, but the forest was right there like a siren's call for him and all of the rest seemed unimportant. It didn't seem like a difficult thing to navigate to, though getting through it was something he wasn't thinking of just yet, already caught up in all the unknown possibilities.

Before he could even really have a chance to waffle on a decision the young man was hurrying out the door as soon as the sound of heavy raindrops on the roof had stopped. Being out was important, and he didn't even stop to think about whether it was really safe or not to be doing so.

DragonSong

Rain. Perfect.

Akio hated rain with a burning passion. Rivers and ponds were different- water he could swim in was lovely. The kind that fell from the sky made him hiss and give rippling twitches of his hide with every step he took through the dripping foliage of his home.

Unfortunately there was no convenient shelter within reach, so he continued his trek through the trees, tail lashing as he padded on silent paws through the underbrush. Finally, blessedly, the rain began to let up.

The shifter gave a full-body sigh and shook the last of the droplets from his dense fur, ears flicking and mouth opening to taste the freshly cleaned air.

He suddenly paused and his head tilted to the side. Humans. He must have been heading closer to one of their settlements than he'd planned, senses damped by the rain. It had been a while since he'd been so near a village, and he couldn't deny his curiosity was piqued. A good hunter was usually well received, perhaps he could catch some bigger game and bring it into town to trade...

Suddenly a sound near the edges of the trees caught his attention. A low, instinctive growl bubbled up in his throat and he slunk through the shadowed trunks toward where they began to thin, then disappeared entirely. He kept himself back, hidden the in the foliage, and eyed this newcomer to his forest warily.

Juno

Oblivious to the fact that he was being watched rather closely by a predator, Irah hurried towards the treeline, trying to slip through the smaller plants that cluttered the underbrush. He wasn't having any success being graceful with it, though, leaves smacking against him and leaving his clothes damp with splashes of collected rainwater.

He didn't mind it much, though, ignoring the slight discomfort as he took a few deep breaths of fresh, jungle air. He could practically feel the earth and life around him and beneath his feet, the scent of so many unfamiliar things hanging heavy in the air.

It was overwhelming yet amazing all at once and Irah couldn't help but let out a small laugh, his eyes twinkling with joy as he turned this way and that. A silly grin was stuck to his face as he took in the sights and smells around him that he hoped to become more familiar with during his stay.

There was something distinctly animal as well that he just couldn't place among the greenery. He didn't let it bother him, though, didn't realize that that something animal was also something predator as he stepped deeper into the jungle, unaware of the potential dangers that might find him being away from the protection of civilization.

DragonSong

Akio suddenly froze. The clueless human wasn't alone- and neither was he. His nostrils flared and a growl rumbled in his throat as he watched the stranger. Stop, stop moving. Turn back, you're going to-.

With a squeal the wild boar he'd scented came charging out of the underbrush. The two-legger had entered his territory and now he was pissed.

Well fuck. Akio snarled and launched himself forward, intercepting the boar moments before it gored the human through. Claws and fangs sank into touch hide and the two animals went rolling over each other, tumbling over the foliage.

Juno

The shrill squeal of the boar had his blood running cold. Irah froze, eyes immediately trying to find the source of the sound through the brush. There was hardly any time to react, unfamiliar as he was with jungle life.

As soon as his eyes found the boar, though, it was already being wrestled to the ground by a large, striped cat. A tiger. He'd heard of their existence before but had never seen one in person. His eyes softened some as he observed the rather brutal display.

Oblivious to the danger he'd just been in, the mage stood still and silent to just observe the pair, afraid that movement might turn either or both upon him instead. He thought perhaps he'd stumbled upon a hunt and assumed the tiger would be on his way with his prey shortly if he just left them alone.

DragonSong

The boar was a hard fight- stupid or over-eager hunters lost life and limb to the creatures frequently.

But Akio was neither stupid nor over-eager. He wore the creature out, then went for his throat. The kill was quick and clean, the boar twitching slightly before it finally stilled.

The hunter growled and turned to face the human, tail twitching. He leaned back onto human legs and straightened up. He was suddenly glad that he'd bothered to purchase an enchanted sarong that stayed with him through his shifts, wrapped around his waist.

He huffed and folded his arms. "What kind of idiot are out?" he demanded, wiping some of the boar's blood from his chin.

Juno

Irah watched in silence, only wincing at the sound of the bite that caused the boar to still in death. He fully expected to remain where he was until the tiger carried off his kill until he was suddenly stumbling back in surprise at the transformation before his eyes.

Blinking rapidly and holding his hands out in front of himself for some semblance of protection he couldn't help but gawk at the stranger that was now before him in place of the giant cat that had been glowering at him. A conflicting mixture of emotions swirled within him but wonder and recognition quickly won out, his arms slowly lowering since the strange man posed no immediate threat to him.

The sharp contrast of his hair and markings of his face alone had sparked a recognition that calmed him from his initial panic, and as his eyes searched Akio to find even more of his cat-like features he could hardly suppress a giggle knowing that for a moment he'd actually been frightened.

"You're one of those shifting folk, aren't you?" he asked excitedly, Akio's insult completely going over his head. Reaching out to him Irah pointed at the tiger ears upon his head, only barely stopping himself from actually touching the stranger.

DragonSong

Akio flinched back from his finger, a growl starting to rise in his throat as he eyed the stranger warily. "I'm- what? Yes," he snapped, still glaring. "Who are you? What are you doing out here, stumbling around like a child?"

He was perturbed that his cutting tone hadn't seemed to affect the other man, putting perhaps a bit more venom than necessary into his tone now.

Juno

Irah's eyes widened at that, surprised that the stranger might have seen enough of his "exploring" at all to be calling it stumbling, but he eventually just shrugged and laughed.

"I was just looking around," he explained, gesturing around them as if that should have been obvious. "I'm Irah Fenech, a visitor from Serendipity. It's my first day here," he announced probably a little too proudly.

His eyes settled upon the boar again, though, and he made a face at the sight of it, sticking out his tongue in mock disgust. "I was just looking around since town is right there. Tell me is it, um... normal for the locals to slaughter the wildlife in this manner?" he wondered, not a drop of sarcasm in his voice as he studied the animal on the ground. "Poor beast."

DragonSong

He snorted and glanced at the boar. "Poor beast my ass," he grumbled. "That thing was going to kill you for trespassing on his territory."

He glanced up at Irah again. "The locals don't do anything of the kind," he growled. Well, it wasn't really a growl- it was just his voice, but it maintained that rumbling sound possessed by the cat. "They know better than to just go...looking around."

Another snort and he shook his head. "You'd better leave these trees, stranger, before some less friendly than me- or the boar- finds you."

Juno

The bite to the shifter's tone didn't faze him but it was a little annoying. Who was so sharp-tongued with a stranger? No pleasantries or courtesy politeness. It was a bit odd for him but he didn't put it past being the local norm. Or perhaps the tiger-man had just had a bad day.

"I appreciate the warning and you...dispatching the boar. I'm here with a purpose, though. Studying your local plant-life and such. And see, I can't exactly do that without staying," he chuckled, winking as though it should have been obvious.

"I'm a man of science and magic, I come in peace and I will bring no harm to your forests," he offered, as if that should have been enough to keep trouble away.

DragonSong

Also laughed. "No harm to the forest?" He shook his head. "Boy, it is the forests that will harm you. This is a wild place, and only those who know these trees will survive them for long."

He glanced at the boar. "Even then, it is not a guarantee."

Juno

Irah wrinkled his nose at the tiger-man's laughter and odd warning, a little annoyed at the idea that he was putting himself in some great danger simply by choosing to be where he was. It seemed quite ridiculous because any place could be dangerous given time.

"I'll be sticking close to town until I get my bearings, but I assure you I am well-versed with the ways of...nature. Thank you for your concern, though. It's nice to know there are good people around." He gestured at Akio with a wave of his hand before moving to step around the boar and continue his trek through the trees.

He slowed and then completely stopped as he caught sight of his tail, though, eyes flickering to study the stripes upon the man's back. "Huh. Those are quite stunning. Your markings, I mean. Are they...paint? Or natural?" he wondered aloud, hoping his curiosity would not been taken as an insult.

DragonSong

She shifted shook his head. "Foolish boy," he muttered, but madento grab the boar and move away, at least until Irah asked his question.

"What?" He frowned, looking over his shoulder. "Natural. Why do you care?"

Juno

Irah stared thoughtfully for a moment before offering a shrug and carefree smile, turning to head deeper into the trees again. "Just thought they looked nice, but I suppose there's no craftsman to compliment. Enjoy the boar!" he bid him, turning his head briefly to wave but not facing forward again quickly enough to avoid a fallen branch.

With his ankle caught in a vine from it it was a small miracle he managed to catch himself from falling flat on his face. Instead he braced awkwardly against the branch's tree, scrambling to pick himself up and be on his way as if nothing had happened at all.

DragonSong

Akio froze, staring at him in silence for a moment. Then he laughed, shaking his head and dropping the boar so he could move forward to disentangle the stranger's foot.

"Fool," he muttered under his breath, still chuckling. "Go back to your huts and villagers. Leave the trees be."

Juno

Irah winced at the sound of laughter, stumbling over the vine stuck coiled around his ankle and nearly falling again before he stopped struggling with it, realizing that Akio was coming to help him.

"Thank you. I swear that came out of nowhere," he huffed defensively, kicking his foot out to be sure it was entirely gone once he was finished. "I'm sure the people here are lovely but that would make my entire journey useless. I'm here for research. I assure you I'm well-versed in field safety, I can handle myself...I'll just have to make note of your aggressive attack-plants."

DragonSong

The shifter snorted and rolled his eyes. "Field safety is gonna be worth jack shit out here," he told Irah bluntly. "You can't even walk three feet without tripping over a vine, lad- how do you expect to manage to get anything done."

Juno

"I'll manage. I'm a fast learner," he said, tapping his temple with one finger, not really aware of the danger he was putting himself in.

"I've spent years studying plants in nature all over the world. This is just a normal day for me. A...rough start, admittedly, but a normal day," he insisted. "Besides, that was just a small accident, nothing to worry about. Haven't you ever tripped before?"

DragonSong

Another snort. "All over the world is one thing," he growled quietly. "You ever been to Thanatos before, boy?"

Tags: