a girl, gold and a green dragon. oh my! [Charcoal]

[Anonymous]

((Sorry if the post is bad, just starting to get used to this charicter...))

The early morning sun rose quietly over the horizon, bringing a new day upon the draconi forest. The dense greenery and high trees illuminating the area with an emerald glow through their thin leaves. Although the light that was being granted by the rising morning sun was dim, It was nonetheless light.

Something Eric was very glad to have.

He had been moving almost the entire night, nonstop. He had just begun his Journey, and four days in he had already he had wasted his strength on an overnighter. Moreover, he had an unfortunate encounter with a basilisk during his overnight trek. oddly enough, unlike most encounters with such monsters it was different in that the event was unfortunate for both parties. For the basilisk, it was unfortunate because it was now dead. For Eric, it was unfortunate because now he had to carry the 200 pound monster so he could sell it when he reached arca.

Such was the luck of a man such as he. Wandering through a dense forest, gigantic trees surrounding the twenty-foot wide path in front of him (which went uphill) while carrying a travel pack and a two-hundred pound basalisk. It all seemed so frustrating, until he finally reached a clearing about an hour after the sunrise.

Finally....Rest! looks like my luck is starting to look up. he mused in thought.

Setting down the massive creature, the dark-clothed wanderer quickly set up a small fire in the span of a few minutes, which was followed by the act of building the closest thing to a bed he could out of leaves after another few minutes. an odd choice of a way to make camp (and an odd time), but a nonetheless needed one. he had been walking far too long to continue, especially since he now had that "excess baggage" in tow.

Sitting in front of the small fire he had made (that was now cooking a rather tasty basalisk steak with the help of a stick. A trick he learned some time ago.) he opened up his travel pack. The somewhat-rectangular cloth case was pretty sturdy, and weighed down with many different supplies. reaching in, it took him a few moments to pull out one of his most useful tools:

His magic map, a tool that was a very valuable and very rare item that had helped him many a time. looking at it he did not like what he saw:

(map)

According to the green line on his map, he was going north instead of east, twoard arca (the red dot, his destination). he had made no progress in the last day and a half since he passed through the mountain pass. Sighing in frustration for a moment, he then decided to voice his opinion (oddly enough, with himself.)

"What the....by the beard of an ent, you've GOT to be kidding me!" he hissed somewhat audibly. Great. First the basalisk, now this. What the heck was going to happen to him next?

Before he could muse on that point, he looked back at his map, eyes now focused on the "purple" dot on his map. He had never seen a mark like that before...Odd. Perhaps it was some kind of magic source? he did not bother to muse on it, as it was no concern of his at this point. It took no more then a few minutes for him to pack his stuff up before laying down on his bed to try and get a few hours of sleep before continuing his Journey.

Little did he realize that by setting up camp in this small clearing, he had walked right into quite a devious trap...

[Anonymous]

(( Enters... the purple dot!.., Sorry for the delay. I guess this would be R for language?))


To say that she was irritated would be an understatement. Zayna was irked beyond belief. As she sauntered through the woods, her arm hooked through the burly man's beefy one with the other two swanky fellows following close at her heel, Zayna couldn't believe her usually good luck had turned out so rotten. These men who claimed to be swashbuckling pirates on board the crew of Rotterheim, were no more than insipid buffoons. She had been having a little too much fun last night to notice that their mental capabilities were limited only to feats of bragging and boasting. Their actual active responses would probably be as blunt and rusted as their coat buttons.

Swash-buckling pirates indeed! Her thoughts were laced in sarcasm.

"Oy, So ye saying lass, dis be a harem paradise?" The matted blond man hissed close to her cheek, his drunken breath nauseatingly close and vapid enough to make her carefully curved lips twitch in revolt. "And its got shinies? Lot of 'em and no one knew?"

"Bastard, " She muttered under her breath, leaning away as far as she could and unfortunately onto the other man's shoulder. The latter obviously took this as an opening and boldly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, practically squeezing her into his side. Correction, into his very stinky arm-pit.

''What didye say, luv?'' His voice was gruff, and not too pleasant on the ears.

It was all she could do from wrinkling her nose in disgust and mantain the coy expression on her face, "Hmm? Oh i said, Yes, Darling, I wanted you to be the first to see it, Its a mountain of gold, hidden by a bounty hunter... but he's dead now dearies, not to worry. Its all for the taking!"

What had she gotten herself into? When she had heard about the Treasure, she had obviously wanted to waste no time trying to get to it. For that, she needed strong, stupid men, who would be greedy enough to come along with her with the least persuasion. And she had found them at the Sleazy Inn last night, All too drunk and stupid to realize what they were getting into. She grabbed the dark haired man's hand in its attempt to grope her from the second time, and pulled him along ahead as she wriggled out of the burly man's grasp, Making it look like she was flirting with him instead of evading any repulsive touches. Oh, she had had her share of wanton games, and didn't really mind careless caresses or meaningless brushes. She herself had used her physical attributes to many times to an extent to get her means. But these three, they were just so damn moronic; she couldn't wait to get rid of them.

What were their names again? She couldn't for the life of her remember.

The men snickered, each in his own comic way, obviously delighted at the prospect of striking the jack pot in both woman and wealth. All she had told them was that there was an underground cavern close by that hosted a treasury deep inside. What she had not told him that that treasure was guarded, as in all cases of plundered loot of that dimension, by a fierce creature not unlike a dragon. She had initially hoped that the trio would be able to fend the beastly sentinel off for while she gathered loot for herself. Now she was just going to use them as a distraction to lure it away while she did the same. They were probably going to get eaten in the process, but having spent most of the morning trekking with them through the thicket, she knew she would be doing a favour to the world, if they did.

They were arguing amongst themselves now, about something she didn't care to pay attention to. She had a good mind to know it was probably her attentions, for that is what they were, simple minded fools with no ambition. She couldn't blame them. With lustrous purple hair and a physique toned from her active wandering and more frequent 'escaping' from tight situations, her attire did little to hide her curves. She was lean rather than voluptuous and her charm and act added added attraction to her appearance. Little did they know though, how conniving the little temptress they had accompanied was. It was their fault then, she decided to the contrary. Didn't they see she was too good for them?

Her slipping away from the stocky man had obviously struck a nerve, for he was now throwing all sorts of verbal profanities and threats towards the other fellow that she had pulled up with her. She walked on ahead of them, tuning out the cacophony of their voices that started to rise above the general hum of the forest.

And then she came to a sudden stop. Both her arm as it lashed out sideways stretching to full span, and her voice as it rang, loud and curt over their boister was immediate and commanding.

"HUSH!"

They fell silent almost immediately, but Zayna's attention was not on them, it was on the sight that lay ahead of her. In the clearing she had spotted residue of campfire, next to which lay a man, obviously asleep, or dead. But judging from the great basilisk that lay coiled up, bruised, beaten and battered next to him, she presumed it was the former.

"Oy, What be that, Sherry?" said one of the goons using the name she had given him, finally realizing what had caught her attention. The other two walked up in silence and stared, obviously awed by scene, and curious about the man who had slain such a massive adversary.

"That," The purple haired teenager murmured with a strange glint in her eye, and a smirk playing upon her lips, " m' boys, Is the perfect tool for our heist." Zayna's mind was already whirring with a new plan. One that would make use of this warrior, and speed up her scheme.

((OOC: Permission to powerplay for a bit.....))

The men were hesitant in actually taking on someone who seemed to have been feasting on basilisk steaks, but with little convincing and much scolding and trampling all over the little pride that they had, Zayna finally convinced them to attack him and hold him hostage.

When she sauntered into the clearing, they had the disgruntled traveller, half awake, already in their grasp, two of them securing his limbs and the third holding up his possessions and a dagger to his throat. The dark haired man was obviously too tired to be caught off guard, for she expected him to be more trouble than that.

Nevertheless, the teenager had always known it best to make the most of her situation, and so she walked over to stand in front of him, tilting her head to the side and gave her captive a playful grin.

"Well, well well. What do we have here...?"

[Anonymous]

((yeah...sorry about that, should have mentioned language XD also, that powerplay was fine! gives me something to work with.))

At first, Eric was simply to tired to really understand what was happening. He felt light. almost suspended in midair, in a way. A common symptom of sleepwalking for the wanderer, which rarely ended well.

"Gah, stupid sleepwalking...wonder how far i wandered this time..." he stated in a groggy, almost drunken, stupor. His attention, however, would quickly be altered when he tried to use his right arm to wipe his eye, only to discover that It absolutely would not move.

That was because it was being held by a very large, very dumb looking man. Along with his other arm as well, by a similar individual to the first. He also very quickly noticed that there was a dagger to his throat, and that the third man who had the dagger also had his belongings.

Including his sword.

Looking forward finally, his face still holding the nonplussed, almost dumbfound look on it, he saw the "brains" of the operation. This was assumed because she was the only one that was not doing anything at the time. That, and she was simply too young (and attractive by Eric's standards).

"Well, well well. What do we have here...?"

Eric simply watched as these things happened, and when the moment of truth finally arrived, the one where any super heroic and epically powerful man like him would normally make some miraculous escape... He simply sighed dejectedly, obviously not incredibly worried by the situation. Instead, he was much more annoyed then worried.

"Ugh...knew an overnighter was a bad idea." he whispered to himself. "Okay, okay. Just take everything but the map. I just wanna get some sleep." He said, assuming that they just wanted his objects. Phisical force was not a huge threat to him, despite the knife at his neck (he had already thought of a way out of the situation, but was simply too lazy to take action)

He did not realize exactly what he was getting in to...

[Anonymous]

Zayna raised an eyebrow at the captive man's antics; or rather lack thereof. He seemed unperturbed by his current situation, obviously finding it not a threat and eager to get back to sleep.

He mumbled something incoherently, which sounded like he didn't really care much for them taking whatever he possessed, which looking at the single bag and sword, was not much. He actually had given them permission to take whatever they wanted.

"Well, in that case..."

Motioning to her companions to throw her the bag, she began to rummage through his things, throwing them over her shoulder and letting them scatter about. Purposely making sure the clatter and thudding would disturb his slumber. Now where was this map that he had mentioned that they could not take? That obviously made it the most valuable thing that he owned.

Her hand finally clasped around a crinkly parchment which was folded over various times. This was something that would come in handy, it might probably mark treasures that even she did not know about yet. Dropping the bag and unfolding it, she peered across the inked lines and the dual coloured spots marked at about the same position.

Her eyes narrowed. There was something about this piece of paper that was not ordinary. Her fingers tingled where they touched it, almost like they found something of their own in it. A recognized feeling. Zayna had always had something of an instinct for things. She trusted her gut feeling to a huge extent, and it always seemed to work for her. She picked up his sword and unsheathed it.

"Oye you two, let him go," With a glare that silenced their protests. She stepped over to stand directly in front of him, poking his toe with his own sword albeit very briefly. If there was to be any negotiation with this fellow, she was quick to realize that it could not be through force. If he wanted to, he could out fight the three men she had picked up even with his hands tied back with something more lasting. So she was willing to let him decide to accompany her with some measure of free will. And she was going to take her chances. When she had his attention, she wagged the map in his face and then stepped away, "You are coming with me." she stated simply, as she re-folded the map and stuck it deep inside her shirt, out of sight. Walking over to the dead basilisk, she sat down on top of it, crossed her legs and looked at him expectantly.

[Anonymous]

((Sorry, im kinda taking a bit of liberty with the NPCs intentions. I can change the post if you want.))

Eric had, unfortunately, set himself up for disaster by his sleepiness.

As the young woman went through his stuff, a cacophony of noise rang out through the air. Eric's attention was not really on the woman going through his items, but on the henchmen holding him in place: both of the ones holding his arms were watching her with rather evil looks in their eyes...

It was apparent that, whoever she was, she had more then likely picked up these third-rate henchmen in a bar or tavern. they were hardly mercenary material, and Eric's attuned nose picked up a rather distinct odor of cheap whiskey on them. She had more then likely not entirely planned out the fact that these men were probably going to backstab her, perhaps both figuratively and literally.

As she continued to rummage through his bag, Eric mused to himself on what he would say to one of the henchmen is he was the one in charge...

Watch your eyes, pal. Your not doing anything to her while I'm even remotely alive.

Already he knew he would probably have to find a way to keep the woman safe. Yes, she was a bandit, and perhaps other things as well, but no one deserved a fate like what Eric imagined the bandits were thinking. Especially a woman as young as this one.

A minute or so later, The purple-haired woman picked up Eric's sword and unsheathed it. walking toward him, she then stood in front of him and poked his foot with the sword rather gently...At least he thought. then again he was extremely used to dealing with pain and the threat of it, so such a minor thing would not even equate to a scratch to him.

She then wiggled the map in front of him. He obviously could have easily taken the object there and then, and ended this whole fiasco, but decided against it: if he did that, the bandits might attack, and the woman would probably run off with his sword, which he definitely could not get without harming the woman.

An idea that always left a terrible taste in his mouth.

Instead, he just shot her a look of some disbelief that she actually decided to take the map. This also obviously indicated that she was no ordinary bandit, like the thugs with her were. No, she was something else altogether. Something mysterious.A lot like Eric, the Iron Duke believed.

"You are coming with me." The woman said. As she did, she sat down on the dead basilisk, crossed her legs, and gave him a rather expectant look. Eric hope she might keep the map in a place (like her pocket) that he would be easily able to retrieve it from without her noticing. That hope was dashed when the woman folded up the map and put It in her shirt.

Now if he tried to get the map, she would obviously catch him. At least he might get "something good" out of the attempt, though...

Eric sighed dejectedly again. Oh well, at least having him follow the woman gave him a reason for her to keep him close: That would make dealing with the situation of protecting her from these moronic thugs that much easier. Even if she was not aware of it.

"Alright, alright. Just give me the map back when we're done, alright? Also, Id like my sword back, if you don't mind."

The second request was actually a test from Eric: to see exactly how trusting the woman was. If she was really trusting, she would give him the sword back, knowing that with it he could easily kill all four of his opponents if he wanted to (something Eric would not do, even if it cost him his life). If she did not trust him (or was playing this situation extremely cautiously) she would obviously hold onto the sword herself, as insurance that he would not try anything funny to attack her.

What the woman might not aware of (to Eric's knowledge) was that Eric was a pretty decent hand-to-hand combatant. He could probably deal with the four of them on his own, but that was a contradiction of his ultimate goal. He wanted to keep that woman safe from her own mistake of allying with these men.

"Also, call me Eric. Care to grant me the grace of your name?"

[Anonymous]

((Its fine. Do what you like with them. XP))

Zayna had lain the long blade of the weapon across her lap and was admiring its craftsmanship. She did not really care for a personalized weapon for herself, making use of whatever she could find, and occasionally traded older ones for new. But this was really something, beautifully crafted and pretty much flawless. She closed her palm over the hilt and twisted it making it glint in the light for a moment before she slid the sheath back on.

She wasn't oblivious though to what was going on around her. It was true her plan was not quite well thought, but the complete lack of resistance on this wanderers part left her wondering what exactly it was that he was planning or when he was going to act. He apparently wasn't the impulsive type and was probably thinking this through. And she was hoping there wasn't anything more than his sleep deprived condition that was holding him back. She saw him eyeing the henchmen who were now also going through his things, looking for something to keep for themselves.

She could read from his expression that he did not give them very much credit, but also that he thought the same of her. Not in the way that put her in the same category as the trio, but as someone stumbling across the wrong company. Her expression was amused as he readily agreed to what she had demanded, probably on account of the map being currently indisposed, or probably on account of his chivalrous conscience, ready to save a damsel from impending distress. He did seem like a gentleman.

But what he didn't know was that she had calculated the risks and that she counted on her luck. Like always it got her out of sticky situations. Even though he might be thinking that she was out of her mind for trusting these goons, for they would most definitely use underhanded means one time or the other. They weren't to be trusted. She knew that. Which is why the only thing she had entrusted them to be had been bait. But now that by destiny or design, a more worthy helper had crossed her path, and she was ready to discard the worse for the better. It was simple. Like trading daggers.

Her eyes twinkled as he introduced himself and asked for her name, at which point she got up and held out the sword to him, "Its Sherry."

He was probably quite accomplished without the weapon too. And if he had wanted to kill her, he would have already. Maybe he'd get rid of the lecherous men for her instead. Either way, she was sure her gamble would result amiably.

[Anonymous]

Eric saw the young woman's eyes twinkle as he introduce himself. her response was rather friendly, from what he could tell."It's Sherry" She said, holding out the sword to him. He took it back, sliding it to its normal position on the back of his belt, hilt facing his right side.

He had a feeling that really was not her name. Something about her, some unusual aura, seemed to indicate that. Part of being an elementalist was being able to sense others with magical ability, a trait Eric had perfected. She definately had some magical potential deep down, but she was supressing it somehow, hiding it...

Maybe a deeper part of her personality was suppressing it. Eric was glad he had not been so reckless, for he now believed he had found someone he could finally help with his teachings.

Perhaps. Only time would tell. He had seen many people who could have become better through the teachings, but so far he had met very few who acctually embraced them.

"So, what is it exactly that you need me to do?" Eric asked. He wondered how bad it would be, and how sweetly she would try to tell it to him if it was bad. She was extremely cute, and he doubted he could say no due to that and the fact that she possessed his map which, without, he was completely lost.

Because without it, He pretty much had zero sense of direction.

((sorry its short, promise ill make the next one better.))

[Anonymous]

Eying him for one long moment, Zayna paused to consider how exactly she should go about dealing with this guy. So far, they had both been wary, though not unfriendly, almost weighing out the odds against each other, like animals circling before the final pounce. And that pounce, she had to avoid. He seemed amiable enough, but he was obviously the man was the greater adversary of them both.

But one thing was certain, he had not escaped the influence of her obvious charm. Infact, she would go as far as to say, he was probably just as infatuated as the other three goons. And for the time being she was going to avail that fact. Ofcourse, there was the map to consider too. Zayna was sure that the piece of paper in her possession was certainly worth more than it looked.

She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, "Its simple really...."
She wanted to say: I want you to slay a dragon. but realizing that the three buffoons did not yet know anything of the sort, she checked her tongue and rephrased her words. She would asked him to get rid of the three then and there, as she saw him to be more capable than the rest, but she also considered the possibility that they might need the trio for mundane tasks and that the latter was obviously sleep deprived.

"You will help us find treasure... but before i indulge in the details... may i ask where you come across your great victim over there?"

[Anonymous]

"Its simple really....You will help us find treasure... but before i indulge in the details... may i ask where you come across your great victim over there?" The young woman said in a rather cautious manner.

"Oh, him? found em dead a few miles back." Eric said nonchalantly. He was hoping she would overlook the fact that if he indeed did find it a few miles back (which was a lie: it was more then a few, and he did not find it dead.) that he somehow managed to carry it all this way.

A red flag went off in Eric's mind. whenever someone said that it was simple, he knew they tended to be lying, especially when they happened to be bandits that ambushed you, woke you up, and took your stuff.  Eric, however, was not particularly bothered by the fact that she was being so coy with her words: Eric believed that She thought she would need him to do something rather dangerous, which was fine.

Walking a few steps twoard the woman, he suddenly felt a strange, cold feeling that radiated down his spine: Almost instinctively, he turned to his right and shot his right arm outward, like a powerful piston, reacting to the evil and harmful force he felt.

His movement was not without reason: one of the bandits, in some kind of greedy maneuver, had tried to rush him with a knife he had hidden in his jacket. Aiming to stab him in the lower-right side of his back. Eric's movement was, amazingly, a reaction to some kind of extreme harmful intent the man radiated, though to the people around him It would seem almost like a random fluke.

However, what was really surprising was the force that had struck the man: Eric's fist had smashed into the man's torso, and caused a loud crack had resounded through the air. two seconds later, the man was ten feet away, lying on the ground, holding his torso in agony.

well, there goes my cover.

Eric prepared to defend himself more then he already had, knowing the fallen allies of the man probably would not take his injury sitting down (so to speak). Part of Eric briefly wondered how the young woman would react...

It was not everyday you saw someone like him do something like that.

[Anonymous]

Zayna only managed to raise an eyebrow at the lightning reflexes of the man as he evaded and countered the clumsy attack. Her eyes widened in surprise though at the force of the impact, and  loud resounding crack of bones and muscle that seemed to create a shock wave rippling though the air as it sent the victim hurtling back through the air.

She did not have time to react though, as the other skinny 'gentleman' made towards her, his none too pleasant intent very obvious. Rolling her eyes in displeasure, she sighed as she dropped to the ground and kicked out her legs in an efficient sweep, catching one of his ankles and throwing him off balance. It was only a time gaining maneuver though, for before he could stumble back to his feet, she had rolled over and closed the already diminishing distance to their newest recruit, grabbing the hilt of his sword and pulling it out of his sheath. It was a little too heavy for her as she had noticed earlier, but the added momentum as she swung out and lashed backwards helped to drive the blade deep into the blond man's thigh, making it wedge in critically deep. She had borrowed the weapon because she assumed that Eric had no need for it to combat these opponents. He seemed to be pretty damn skilled irrespective.

The injured man howled in pain as she pulled the blade back out, sending a fountain of incarnadine liquid spraying in the surroundings, and on her own pants much to her dismay. "You oaf!" she cursed as she brought the flat edge of the sword down against his jaw sending him reeling down to the ground.

Turning around, she was pleased to see that Eric had taken care of the stocky bastard as well. Though the men had been expended before she thought necessary, she would have thought to do so sooner or later, and therefore the situation was under control. She never should have given them her blades she mused wedging the blade she wielded into the soil at her feet and brushing her hands off against each other.

"Well then," turning to the only man left standing, she cocked her head to the side and smiled generously, " I suppose my gratitude is due for ridding me of unwanted camaraderie." She was assessing him all over again, having witnessed only a fraction of his true power. There was no need for pretense, but she figured this game would continue for a while, with the gentleman feeling the need to act nonchalant about his abilities. She was not a fool to overlook the little details that proved contrary to his statements. But she was not the one to pry... at least not without tact. And so she casually strolled over to him, circling round him brushing a fingertip in a featherlight gesture along his biceps, across his chest and all along his shoulder blades as she came to a stop in front of him again.

"My my...what big secrets you have, granny?" she laughed, making pun based on an old folk tale she had heard some washed out sailors tell the children at Ainu.

[Anonymous]

The dispersion of the men was as quick as it was brutally efficient. While his new friend, Sherry, was working on dispatching the skinny, blonde bandit (with Eric's own blade, no less) Eric had to deal with the remaining man: a stocky, rather nasty looking fellow who charged at his back, his upper body ahead of his lower body, almost like a football player. Normally, this would be an effective tactic against most inexperienced combatants.

But against someone who had lived, breathed, and experienced combat in many of its most beautiful and horrific forms, It was fruitless: no matter which direction you attacked from, unless you knew exactly what you were doing it was a pointless act, as random attacks would simply be returned with brutal punishment.

Against someone like Eric, that was simply fact. He knew he was stronger then this man by a wide margin, and he intended to abuse that fact.

Rather then try to dodge the man, he instead simply crouched into a squat, and spun in the direction of his opponent. Using the force of the spin, combined with his intended action to rise back into a standing position, he slammed his closed right hand into the mans gut.

It was a brutal, uppercut style attack, and the result was as devastating as it might have been amusing: the man shot straight up a solid seven or eight feet, and simply fell to the ground, unconscious from the sheer force of the attack. Eric was acctually kind of sad: He guessed he overdid it a bit since he was concerned about the woman's safety.

It was an unwarranted concern: by the time Eric turned around to help her, she had already dispatched the blonde thug. A moment passed where Eric, once again, could not help but reflect upon what he saw in the young woman. She had an almost natural  and fluid grace with her movements, pure and untapped by the restrictive, foolishly conservative yet flamboyant combat styles often taught to soldiers by foolish teachers who never strive to improve themselves.

It was refreshing, and actually reminded Eric of himself and his colleages long ago...But that was another story, best saved for another time and most likely another person.

"Well then, I suppose my gratitude is due for ridding me of unwanted camaraderie."

Eric simply grinned and bowed his head in a gentlemanly manner as a response. Although he knew she was at least somewhat familiar with combat, he knew her real power lie in her charisma. She was a sort of unique beauty, akin to a blue rose: so beautiful to behold, yet so painful to try and grasp. They both knew she had looks, and that she had the mannerisms and bodily movements to back it up. She further proved this by strolling twoard him, taking what Eric believed to be rather deliberate and casual steps. When she reached him, she gently ran her index finger along his upper body, moving around him as if she was inspecting him again in some way, yet distracting him with that featherlight touch to possibly try and keep his attention on her charm and away from anything harmful she might try to do to him.

She was good. really good. For once, Eric felt that he actually had to completely focus in order to be on guard, try to be constantly be ready for that surge of pain from a well placed dagger to his side or back. Yet it was already too late for Eric to prevent the real threat from taking hold of him. Her charm had already enticed him in a subconscious way that he was not even aware of yet. The deadly embrace of her falsely seductive nature had already wrapped itself around the more instinctual part of him. His actions, in a most unusual way, were completely in her hands, even if Eric or his new friend were not aware of it.

"My my...what big secrets you have, granny?" she said, laughing in a jovial manner. She was making an obvious reference to a fairy-tale that Eric himself had told over and over again to numerous children at an orphanage he visited regularly. Part of him was surprised to know that she had heard it, and part of him already had a perfect response:

"All the better to mystify you with, my dear." he said in response, the comment eliciting a smile and a chuckle from him. It was a rather clever response that probably would not satisfy one's curiosity regarding Eric's abilities. He was (understandably) cautious about actually stating what they were. Seeing a fluke of nature like his previous actions were one thing, but stating you had such powers was a recipe for disaster if someone knew how to push your buttons to get you to use such power.

And someone like Sherry knew how to push buttons really well, from what Eric could tell. It would likely take a good deal of Eric's willpower to resist her incredibly powerful coy, yet inviting personality. He would try his best to not unveil anything too revealing about himself unintentionally, But a nagging feeling in his gut told him it might not be enough, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"well then, care to lead the way to this "treasure" your after?" he said, taking a few steps and using a "hurrying" attitude to try and break up the awkward situation of having a young woman try to hypnotize him with her words and a soft touch, A trap many a man (including Eric) had fallen to since the dawn of time.

[Anonymous]

Zayna laughed gaily at the response. So he had heard the old tale. She wondered what circles he mingled in, or where from he had learned of the story. He was a mysterious man indeed. Or rather clever enough not to place all his cards on the table. But there was only so much you could hide in silence, that would not be betrayed through action. And his actions had spoken for him, louder than he would have liked.

He was strong. She'd give him that. He had the presence of mind and wit to respond to clear and present danger. And from the three men to the basilisk, he must have defeated many a foe in between with far more than just his temporal strength. Those were her instincts. And they were acutely accurate more almost all the time.

She smirked as he distanced himself from her under the pretext of her treasure hunt, suddenly all too eager to have it done and over with. Well, here was a weakness to his impenetrable facade. His chivalry was underlined with a deeper disadvantage which currently took mortal form in herself. Brown eyes sparkling with mischief, she folded her hands behind her back, and twisted her body on one foot, attempting to move sideways and out of his way as he briskly stepped forward. But she did so calculatedly, letting her hip graze his side 'by accident.' She bit her lip to keep from laughing at his dilemma and replaced her expression with innocent naivete.

"Not so fast, Eric Darling, we've got plenty of time..." She called in a melodious tone of voice, easily falling into the act as she fell into step beside him. Always a fraction too close for comfort. She really couldn't help but tease the fellow, aware at all times that he could probably wring her neck for it. But she was certain he wouldn't. The way they were dealing with this situation, the both of them, was playing it out as long as they possibly could. And until then, and even beyond that point, she presumed an amiable parting rather than a blood bath.

For now, she wondered if despite his fatigue and battle with the dead basilisk that he so conveniently denied earlier, he would still be able to take on another beast. If he had tricks up his sleeve like she could've sworn he did, it would probably not be a problem at all. But never the less, she liked to plan ahead sometimes, especially when it came to utilizing someone else's profits.
Slipping her arm through his she casually turned him around and started walking in the opposite direction, back to the clearing and on to where she had emerged from the thicket. Tilting her chin up and managing to rest it on the edge of his shoulder, she whispered to him what she had in mind.

"I'd say, luv, we've gotten off on the wrong foot, and my apologies you've been awoken from your slumber, and must require rest after you... found that basilisk yonder, "she meaningfully emphasized the word instating that she didn't believe a word of his alibi, "So what you, we haul that bloody carcass back to town, get a few gold doubloons, find ye some lodgings and get me some pretty garb," she motioned to her blood smeared pantaloons at that, while peering at him through thickset eyelashes, "and get some things for the journey? I assure you, the gems not going anywhere. I'll fill ye in wholly about it, heck, i like ya, i'll even let ya have some of my treasure...!"

Releasing his arm, she took a couple of quick steps infront of him, turned around and waited for his answer expectantly.

"What say you?"

[Anonymous]

Things were starting to get rather...heck, Eric could not even find a word to describe it. This woman definitely knew he had a weakness for suggestive women, even if not on a conscious level. His first indication was that brush of her hip against his side, which he was fortunate enough.

"Not so fast, Eric Darling, we've got plenty of time..." Eric heard Sherry melodiously call out to him. It was like the call of a siren at sea, and the ship that was Eric stopped dead in his tracks. Once again pulling her magic puppet strings she had attached to his male instincts.

She then, with the same soft grace as before, slid her arm through his, and managing to rest her chin upon his tall shoulder. Her skin was softer then one would imagine, causing Eric's pulse to rise slightly, once again proving that Eric was more then somewhat under her control.

"I'd say, luv, we've gotten off on the wrong foot, and my apologies you've been awoken from your slumber, and must require rest after you... found that basilisk yonder." she stated in her soft, feminine voice. It was a red flag that she did not beleive that he simply found it, and had deeper suspiciouns, yet Eric found himself distracted. By what, you ask? the gentle breeze of Sherry's breath in his ear, which only added to his now somewhat flustered demeanor. "So what you, we haul that bloody carcass back to town, get a few gold doubloons, find ye some lodgings and get me some pretty garb...get some things for the journey? I assure you, the gems not going anywhere. I'll fill ye in wholly about it, heck, i like ya, i'll even let ya have some of my treasure!"

She said this as she made a rather feminine gesture to her pants, which Eric dared not look down at, lest she somehow get her fingers wrapped even further around his heart. Or something else...

And with that thought, Eric had to turn his head away from the woman, from the fear that she would see how red his face had become. Normally, He was such a controlled and calm guy almost all the time, yet somehow this woman was messing with him like a teenager in heat. It was strange, how shy he felt around Sherry. Perhaps it was simply the fact that It had indeed been a long time since he had the company of a woman, partially due to his somewhat reclusive nature.

"What say you?"

"Well, it sounds like a fine idea, but that means that we would have to carry that thing all the way to town. Id just like to rest here for an hour or two then get the treasure...And I really don't have much use for more money, so you can keep what we find. I just wanna relax for a bit." Eric began, returning his composure from that of an infatuated teenager to that of a well-seasoned and intelligent traveler who happened to be a little bit tired and whiny. This proved that once again, the best way to combat seductiveness is laziness. his reason was also compounded by the fact that when he said "we", it probably meant "him", referring to carrying the basilisk back to town. A job that he already was not looking forward to doing alone, much less with a new boss to order him around.

Unfortunately, he may have unintentionally set in motion the device of his own downfall. For the way he said that he "did not have much use for more money" suggested that he did indeed have a lot to begin with (which, to someone who liked money, would be a red flag). That, and saying that you just wanted to relax to a woman who knew how to manipulate men was a recipe for disaster. In the end, Eric now found himself standing in front of a woman who made him vulnerable not to blades, but to something as simple as a fiery, seductive nature disguised by a soft, caring voice and touch. The ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing, and perhaps the bane of the Iron Duke.

[Anonymous]

Zayna placed her hands on her hips, carefully masking her impatience with a pretty smile and a nod of her head that made her loose curls bob slightly. Usually she would have just snubbed the guy, for this early in the morning and with a plan in her head, she usually did not negotiate very well. But the situation today was not like any of her little escapades from before. And this person, well, he was far from the ordinary expendable men she picked up for her means. She would have to be smart about this if she needed to keep him helping her. He would probably be of more use than any of the other blokes.

The faint blush across his cheeks did not escape her well trained eye. She smirked, crediting herself for his slightly smitten, aggravated behavior. It was always fun to pull people's strings. She had never been shy of touching people. She never really attached any emotional concerns behind it. It had become a game to play until her interests deviated.

"Ah-lright, then, mate, you have two hours, " holding her index and middle finger out in a wide V to illustrate her words, the piratess straightened her fingers and  patted his chest with her fingers. Three light taps, as she held his gaze, and then a push with her palm to see if he was paying attention. He was taken by surprise yet again. She chortled as he stumbled slightly, then cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his for a brief moment. He was cute, with the messy brown hair partially shielding his baffled expression.

She wasn't bored of him yet, she decided. So she would let him play some more.

"Sweet dreams, hon."

Walking away without so much as a backward glance, and a little spring in her step and swaying hips, she effortlessly climbed up a nearest tree, making her perch upon one of the lower branches. With one booted leg dangling over the side and the other folded up against her, she made herself comfortable, leaning against the trunk as her fingers dug inside her cleavage to retrieve a greatly folded paper.

She would pore over the map while he rested. At least until she found something better to do.

[Anonymous]

"Ah-lright, then, mate, you have two hours..." Sherry said, holding her index finer and middle finger out in a wide V shape, obviously indicating the number two. She had to be kidding, and Eric's nonplussed and disappointed face showed what he thought of it: two hours? for a guy who stayed up all night carrying a 200 pound brick of meat (the basilisk) across a forest? Fate was indeed being cruel to him.

The young woman which tapped him lightly on the chest three times with those same two fingers before she then shoved the distracted man slightly off balance with the palm of her hand. Eric was about to shoot her a dirty look and have a few criticizing words when his face was suddenly cupped by her hands. The shock of feeling the soft hands of a woman on his face was enough to stop him dead in his tracks. for the second or two she had her hands on his face, he was slightly worried. her face moved twoard his...

was she being serious? At first, the always battle-oriented Eric, who was about as jumpy as a cat on speed potions, felt his muscles tense, preparing as if she was about to headbutt him. But his conscious mind wondered how that would happen at the slow speed at which her face was approaching his.

Then when her face got close enough, Eric felt a slight pull toward her face, and a very brief press of her lips against his was a result. A kiss. It was short, yet soft and sweet beyond words, despite not being an actual true kiss. Eric felt his heart start to beat in a slow, heavy rhythm.

"Sweet dreams, hon."

He had forgotten how long It had been since he had been last kissed by a woman. Years...many years. He had forgotten what It felt like. Behind his baffled, slightly smitten expression, a flood of memories came rushing back to him, almost like he was reliving a part of his life in a single, split second in time. Eric then had an intense, empty feeling in his gut, remembering times long past, things long lost...

"Alright. Two hours. Wake me when your ready." He said, somewhat flatly. He turned away, his eyes lingering somewhat on her own eyes, before turning and heading to his mock bed to lay down. Laying down, putting his arms up so that his hands were behind his head, he drifted off into a somewhat lucid state, halfway bettween being asleep and awake...

----------------------

The two hours had passed rather quickly, and the Iron Duke was completely unaware of the time that had passed. Laying, rather peacefully, with a neutral dreamlike expression on his face, he had unintentionally set himself up for a rather rude (or awkward) awakening...

His half-asleep state was about to be interrupted by his new (hopefully temporary) boss.

[Anonymous]

The map seemed quite ordinary at first glance, a rather blemished and worn out piece of paper that had seen creases from many years of use. It was an inked drawing of all of the known world, the forests, mountains and rivers carefully marked out with rhetoric symbols. She was about to toss it aside failing to see what was so special about her when she spotted the red and purple spots upon it. They didn't seem to be marks in ink, like the rest of the drawing... in fact, they did not seem quite a part of the paper at all, although they were definitely upon the surface. She tapped her finger over them lightly, her nail scratching the surface as she mused. At the touch, the map seemed to come alive a little more, all the water bodies marked glowing a deeper azure and then receding to a fainter hue. She frowned. There was more to it that met the eye. And something like this would not fetch a fair price until she knew exactly what it was worth. She supposed she would have to ask her new found companion in due course, she though as she refolded and placed it back in its hiding place. The man was gentleman enough not to pry it from there.

 Leaning over the branch she sat on, she pushed herself down onto her abdomen, her legs half wrapped around the tree, as she crossed her arms under her chin and peered at the now sleeping man through the sparse foliage. He was handsome enough, she decided, and maybe even stately of status. He surely had declared he had no need for money, as she recalled. Perhaps then, she should befriend him, and make use of his awaiting wealth. She curved her lips in a half smile as she studied him through half closed eyes. He didn't feel like a threat. As strange as it was despite his hidden potential power, a rogue bandit like her, who had known no class or upbringing felt more at home toying around with him rather than the type of people she had spent her whole life around: the uncivilized buccaneers and people with no room for morals and mannerisms. She herself was not quite at ease with restrictions of culture and class, but just somehow, the change was pleasing.

Zayna scowled at her train of though and immediately shifted onto her back, her long legs vertically balanced against the lofty bark. Her grace came easily like a panther having scoured nature since as long as she could remember. The lightness of movement through was accompanied by a heavy train of thought, that comes only from deep rooted human interaction. She mentally chastised herself. She had known him, what? ten minutes? And she was jumping to conclusions already. She had one rule. and it was never to let her guard down contrary to however it seemed to be.

And oh, how she loathed waiting! She grumbled under her breath, trying to be patient and keeping herself occupied for the time that she had promised him.

She reasoned that she must make room for his rest to maintain his capable state of prowess and aptitude. But her selfish impatient little heart only made it past roughly an hour and a half before she was sliding down the branch and stalking over to where he lay, arms casually folded under his head. She studied his lazy dreamy expression for a moment grinning at the idea of breaking such a peaceful reverie.  She sometimes just could not resist the exhilarating feeling of getting under someone's skin. Being the source of annoyance when it got her a good laugh was such a pleasure.

Straddling him quite suddenly, she sat down on his stomach and poked his forehead. "Time's up, Mister," she lied, tired of waiting, "Lets get going."

[Anonymous]

Eric's somewhat restful, half-asleep hour and a half nap was (oddly) interrupted by something jumping on his stomach. At first, he ignored it, simply assuming it was some kind of harmless woodland creature (he had an unusual amount of subconscious trust in his new comrade) until he realized that whatever had jumped on top of him was not furry.

However, it was warm...soft too. whatever it was, It was a pretty wonderful stomach blanket, and Eric would have been more then happy to have it there as long as it did not bite him or hurt him. He did not realize until he heard the soft, feminine voice of sherry that he was trying to be awoke.

"Times up, Mister, Lets get going."

Eric, slowly waking up, looked, and saw that Sherry had straddled him as part of her wake up routine. He could not say that It it was uncomfortable. He could say it was awkward. Sitting up, he found his head on the same level as her chest. looking up into her eyes, he decided he would make a small joke to perhaps make his own embarrassment a little more bearable. to accentuate this, he brought his hands to Sherry's waist, placing one on each side.

"Seems like you had something else in mind." Eric said with a nasty grin. "As you said, the treasure isn't going anywhere, so...." he let out a weak chuckle to try and back up his bluff. He knew she would not go to do anything like that right now, but maybe he could return the favor of awkward seduction. Eric, however, had no idea at the time how many ways this could backfire.

((OOC: its short, sorry xD))

[Anonymous]

Zayna's perfectly arched eyebrow rose a notch as she found his hands upon his waist. Now being all touchy-feely was great fun and all, but more so when she was making all the jests. She was far from conservative and usually did not mind reciprocation instigated by her own immodest provocations. But 'usually' always concerned men she didn't give a hoot about, and whom she would find terribly easy to dissuade, and even more easier to elude and escape. While this gentleman, whom she currently sat on top of fell in the first category, she was not so sure given his unrevealed potential, she would be able to practice the latter fact.

And that was why even this rather meager riposte on his behalf, and the mere fact that he had gained the comfort and courage to do so was being on dangerous ground indeed. She did not like this feeling, and the impending transfer of control it promised.

Though her fingers had already found their way playfully brushing inside his collar at his throat, her eyes narrowed with disdain. Her lips ironically, contrary to the emotion of her eyes matched his almost menacing grin. There was the added fluidity of vengeance in her every move as she dipped her neck with painstaking slowness, tilting her head over his, and never breaking eye contact.

"So...?" She whispered, amused. Her hair cascaded on either side of their faces like a thick silken curtain of rippling violet. It shut out the world, and anywhere else for him to look. His hands on her waist seemed to falter and the curve of her lips deepened, aware that she was having the effect that she wanted to have. Her fingers traveled up to brush his throat, grazing his jaw, and she gave him ample time to observe all her features which had enthralled and excited men in the past. Her deep velvet orbs sunk behind thick lashes and refused to fully show. She knew that there would be nothing but the scent of the sea and moonflowers in her hair and between them.

When she had driven him to a satisfactory point of discomfort, she made one last quip on his expense. Lowering her voice to a rather low murmur, she paused in the very confines of his personal space for a long awkward moment.

"Is... this, what you think I had in mind....?" And as if to illustrate her query, she reached out abruptly and pinched the bridge of his nose, and sat back up in one fluid motion. The smile he received next bared her pearly teeth. She stood up and off him, chewing on her thumb nail as she stepped backwards and away from him. All the while keeping her gaze fixed on his. Now that she had had her fun, the feeling came back stronger than ever as he looked back at her. He was trouble. She just knew it. And her instincts were always right.

"Your awfully lazy you know." she mumbled, pouting at him; Not entirely sure anymore what course this adventure would take.

[Anonymous]

Eric knew his attempt to fluster the young woman had both succeeded somewhat and backfired to a large extreme when he felt her hands begin to playfully brush around inside the collar of his shirt. his body felt some kind of mix between being hot and cold: it was odd, He could not recall feeling like this in the past very well, but he knew he had...

but when?

then, he felt his hands almost unconsciously slide away from her sides, As if Sherry's subconscious will to make him move them alone had subdued him. Sherry then slowly and painstakingly lowered her neck, forcing Eric to watch every muscle motion as her head, hair flowing in an even more beautiful way then the waters of the ocean, made its way to his. her face inches away, her hair blotting out any way for his eyes to escape. She forced him to look into her gentle, womanly features. he watched her pleasant, soft lips shape themselves into an even more beautiful smile then before. Her violet eyes entranced Eric, even when they were closed, he could still seem to imagine them behind her lashes...

"So...? Is... this, what you think I had in mind....?"

Eric was speechless. his mouth hung open, probably only inches away from hers. After a rather tense period of time that felt like minutes passed, she pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up in a rather fluid motion. She smiled, this probably being her brightest, most beautiful smile yet, and stood up, getting off of Eric. Sherry then seemed to chew her thumb nail as she stepped away from him, gazing into Eric's eyes as he gazed into hers.

"Your awfully lazy you know." Sherry mumbled in a pouting tone.

"I prefer to look at it as being "patient". But you fixed that problem..." He said, in a rather jovial manner. As he did, he stood up, and took a few steps twoard her, his eyes still fixed on Sherry's eyes.

"Alright, ready to go when you are. I'm rested and ready to rock."

[Anonymous]

Zayna whistled as she walked, hands behind her back, arms folded in eachothers hold. There was a lightness in her step, a casual beat in tune to the sound of her mouth. Without having to consult her map or think twice, she knew she was heading in the right direction.

She had a way with these things. These gut feelings that she called them. She had noticed they became stronger when she was around water channels. it seemed they called out to her whispered their guidance. The voices were mute, but she felt the connection in the rush and fervour. Even now, as her boots connected with the earth in a steady chain of steps, each placement seemed to bring a rush of power to her. The intermittent underground channels of the River Ora leading her to the destined cavern at the foot of the Terrin mountanous west. It called and beckoned, and her footsteps quickened. There was an urgency in the river's onslaught. She could almost taste the terrible miasma of the dragon's breath tainting the chasms. They weren't far now. She would have the dragon slayed.

She broke out of the reverie to look at her companion. They had marked a large part of the journey in silence, and he left his boon, and his destination for a mere capricious journey with her. One of no meaning to him obviously. If he were looking forward to the treasure despite his claims otherwise. He would be disappointed. For the likely story that she had made up was only to use the reason any man would give up his senses for. Indeed, it had worked for the most part. She had assumed that the presence of a dragon would automatically mean there was treasure involved. Everyone knew what dragon lairs were composed of. Though few lived to tell the tale.

Eitherway, when his job was done, she would reward him, let him keep the filthy creature, and maybe hitch a ride back to town. She laughed softly as she pictured her riding the dragons he dragged on foot. What a mule!

Her mind was full of curious questions, so she asked them , one by one.
"Where is that you were heading? What will you do about the basilisk...? What's so great about your map? Have you been here before?"


She did not really care if he answered or not. She was merely getting them off her chest. As it were, the Range was getting closer. There was much to be done.