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Such Simple Little Things [m]

Started by Draconian, September 04, 2015, 07:16:23 PM

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Draconian

@Moonie

THERES AN M NOW. M FOR MENIS. And probably Moobs. o:


It was always something new.

Sharlee took a careful breath and breathed deeply, looking down at the ropes at her wrists, the tender flesh below. Blood was crusted at the ropes where she'd tried to free herself in vain and every movement made her wince. Crying was useless, though she wanted to. It didn't help. She needed to be of sound mind and find a way to be free.

While they seemed to be bandits, she could taste the fact they were going to sell her into slavery.

Taste it like some cruel tonic on her tongue.

Drawing in a steady breath, she closed her eyes briefly and gave a startled gasp when she was tugged along by the scruffy man that held her rope. Deep, calming breaths.

Deep steady breaths.

She was the only person who could get herself out of this. She could do it.

The startled cry of Doeshe made her heart wretch and she tried to look back. Tried to look behind, but another tug, another surprised gasp. The tugging didn't stop though and before Sharlee really realized it, she was in the unwashed strange mans arm and his mouth was on the delicate point of her ear, whispering things.

"No!"

Sharlee screamed, pushing at him. The unwanted touches, the unwanted everything. Slowly, she realized that if she simply waited for an opportunity the unthinkable would happen to her. A kick at his shin and Sharlee decided that screaming for help would be worth any potential trouble she got into with this strange beast because... What did she have to lose when there was so much to risk if she didn't?

His hand was at her waist and Sharlee got back handed roughly when her knee connected between his legs.

"Help me!" A frantic attempt to get away, she managed to scuffle, but he still held the rope, "Please, Oh gods, Someone help me!" Frantic now, eyes wet with unshed tears. The blood started fresh at her wrists but she didn't care.

Her voice echoed through the forest and Sharlee hoped there was a god out there. Or man gods. Or just someone who could help because she found herself, for the first time in her life, unable to help herself.

Zero

Gregori shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the pack on his back as he tilted his head up, shading his eyes as he looked at the position of the sun. It still felt strange to him that he could actually feel the sunlight. Sure, he was aware that the sun had warmed his stone skin, but the angel statue sitting there in the town square had never actually felt it. Just like rain, or snow, or wind or cold - none of those things had ever actually affected him before his fall.

Perhaps he should be thankful that he was still alive after...whatever he had done wrong. If he were alive, albeit mortal, then that meant there was still a chance at redemption. Right? He should also be grateful for the clothes on his back and the pack whose straps kept uncomfortably digging into his shoulders. That kindly priestess didn't have to clothe and feed him. Just thinking about her still made him feel strange. Gregori had no clear memories, but something about her tugged at his fuzzy past. It was impossible that he could have known her, though.

Sighing heavily, he once again silently lamented his newfound self-awareness and mortality. Mortal bodies were so frail and weak. Never before had he felt hunger or discomfort or pain. There was a bit of food in his pack, maybe he should stop and eat. Although who knew where he'd get more food or when, maybe he should hold off as long as he could.

A scream startled him out of his contemplative daydreams. Gregori whipped his head in the direction it had come from as dark blue eyes narrowed and the disgraced angel tilted his head to listen as a feminine voice began shrieking for help. It wasn't even a conscious decision on his part, he was compelled to help, there was an innocent in trouble and he was an angel of vengeance, protection, and retribution. His whole reason for being was to safeguard innocence, right? Perhaps if he did it enough whatever crime he had committed would be forgiven.

Gregori skidded to a halt as he came across the scene, eyes scanning over the situation and evaluating his options. He shrugged of his pack and threw it aside, drawing Fury. It looked so plain in this form, but that was for the better, he'd found.

"I'll give you one chance to let them go and run before I get angry." Gregori spat as he took a fighting stance, blue eyes flashing dangerously as he decided who to kill first.

Draconian

[Feel free to kill all the bag guys/let them get away =D ]

The five men surrounding the horse sized dragon tensed at the sight of the man. However, they didn't drop their prize. A white dragon was worth a lot. They could sell him for parts and they were sure the strange man would go for the girl first.

So did the man holding Sharlee.

"How 'bout you mind your own fuckin' business." The man snarled, tugging on the rope just in time to throw Sharlee off balance, causing her to stumble and gasp in fear. One look to the man, defiance and fear in her eyes. Another harsh tug. Just the presence of the stranger, that someone was here to hopefully help had her spine steel up.

"Let me go!" Another scream, though this time it was accompanied by the men trying to hussle Doeshe through the woods with difficulty.

The man tied the rope around his waist quickly and drew his own sword, a rusty thing that looked like it did as much damage leaving an infection behind as it did leaving an open wound.

"Best to be turning around and going on your way, the little efly girl and her dragon are mine. Go get your own" And he swung his sword at the stranger as a means of warning him off because while this man could fight, something about the stranger made him uneasy.

Zero

Why did they have to insist on doing things the hard way? Burning blue eyes shifted to gaze at the men trying to escape with the dragon, but swung back to the man with the girl when he swung his sword around threateningly. Had the scum said it was her dragon? Well that didn't seem too crazy - hadn't he heard that there were actually people that rode the creatures as mounts? Wasn't that in Adela? Gregori didn't much care, it was hard to really remember everything he was learning, there was simply too much information to try to absorb in too short a time.

What he did remember quite clearly was how to fight. There were six of them and only one of him, hardly a fair fight, but five were trying to escape with the dragon, so it was only really one on one and those degenerates couldn't possibly get far with a struggling beast the size of a pony.

"As you wish." Gregori said, a smirk slowly spreading across his lips. He rushed forward, the way he held Fury would seem to leave himself open, but as soon as the rusted sword swung towards him he countered at an angle with so much force that Fury snapped through the other weapon with a vengeance, sending the majority of the blade flying harmlessly aside and barely an inch of useless metal left attached to the hilt.

Gregori pivoted and brought his sword around in a downward stroke. The bandit's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't scream as he looked down at himself in horror.

"You were warned." He said coldly as he watched impassively as the thug realized he was a dead man. Fury had slit him open from nose to groin, cutting through the rope tied at his waist at the same time. Blood pooled as the body hit first his knees, then simply collapsed face first in the dirt. He spun around and headed in the direction of the rest of the bottom feeders.

If they had witnessed their friend being cut down like the mangy, diseased rat he was, then perhaps they'd have been willing to surrender after all. It was too late for that. Gregori had given them a chance and they'd ignored him. A thirst for divine justice caused Fury to pulse eagerly as he gathered his energy - red gold light flashed revealing his crimson wings and golden halo for a few moments as he swung Fury in the direction of his quarry. Five fiery projectiles launched from Fury's edge, seeking out and striking the retreating men with precision.

The light faded almost as quickly as it had come, dissipating even as his targets dropped to the ground with collective screams that were choked off almost instantly. Their deaths were swift, suffering and pain would have been kept to a minimum. Nodding in satisfaction, Gregori meant to turn back to the young woman, but stumbled and hit one knee before he even made it half way. Perhaps drawing on his angelic power hadn't been the best idea. It was insanely frustrating to be so weak, but he supposed a mortal body simply wasn't built or designed to withstand that kind of divine power.

Bowing his head, Gregori panted softly as he tried to suppress a few trembles that shook him from head to toe. At least he had saved the innocent, right? "Can you untie yourself?"

Draconian

Never in her life had her heart pounded so hard. Sharlee stared openly at the strange man that had come to her rescue. Stared at the broken bleeding body and then stared as he changed into some glorious angel. The rest was an amazing mess and it was the strange warm wetness at her finger tips that finally had her out of her daze.

Untie herself?

Sharlee's heart gave a lurch and before she really thought of it, she put her arms over the strange mans neck and pulled what she could of him into a hug.

"Thank you," her voice was wet and she held him perhaps too tightly to her bosom. "Thank you. I don't want to imagine what would have happened to is if you hadn't come along." It was the nuzzle at her back that had her draw away from him, hands still tied together.

Frantically Sharlee looked for some way to remove the ropes at her wrists, a broken piece of her captors blade was all she found and she trembled while she cut at the ropes. The blade was too dull and she took careful even breaths and she looked at the mans sword. The sight of the blood - while she'd been trying so har to not look at the bodies - made her pale.

"Can you cut the ropes please? Th... I don't have a dagger and..." Swallowing carefully she stayed in front of him with her hands out.

Zero

It was so strange to feel so drained. Gods above, he'd barely done a thing! Gregori was still attempting to regain his composure after his taxing encounter when the very strangest thing of all happened. She put her arms around his neck, even still tied up as she was. How very weird. Tensing up was an unavoidable reflex as he found himself squeezed tightly against the young woman he'd just rescued with his arms hanging limply at his sides.

Was that a normal thing? Severe blue eyes blinked at her in confusion when she pulled away. At least the verbal expression of gratitude was something he had come to understand since his awakening. The embrace, that had been a hug, yes? Yes. Gregori remembered those. That priestess had taught him about hugging - he had seen two humans perform the act and questioned her about the significance of the gesture. She'd explained it as a show of affection.

Not that he quite understood affection. She had tried to explain it to him. He hadn't been able to fully grasp the concept. It seemed overly complicated. Regardless, this probably wasn't affection, so he supposed it was also a gesture of gratitude. Very well.

While he had been pondering over the hug he had received, the woman had been trying to undo her own bindings. He hadn't really thought about the fact that the way she was tied would make freeing herself very difficult. When she came back over and presented her still-bound hands he sighed tiredly and sheathed Fury. The holy weapon was hardly fit for cutting ropes, especially when he didn't want to accidentally cut the flesh next to the ropes.

Instead he leaned down and pulled a knife from his boot and gently seized her hands. The rope was coarse and he had to saw it a little before it frayed and finally released her wrists, which looked very raw. He imagined his cutting had probably hurt a little with the way the rope had resisted his knife. "Sorry, I tried to be gentle."

Gregori looked up at her uncomfortably, really at a loss for words. What was there really to say in this situation? He truly didn't know what kind of social protocol to follow in most circumstances!

Draconian

[Oh. Doeshe's name is said how it looks! Doe-She! the e isn't silent. =D Just in case you were wondering.]

Sharlee could only sigh in relief.

It didn't matter that her wrists were bleeding and rubbed raw. It didn't matter that she had a splash of blood that wasn't her own along the side of her pants. All that mattered was that she was alive. That Doeshe was alive. The nudge at her back and Sharlee turned to the dragon. His ears were down, his expression was one of sorrow.

"Oh, Doeshe." Sharlee sighed, forcing her tingling numb fingers to work at the ties on him. The muzzle. The various knots and ropes. While the stranger man caught his bearings, Sharlee went about untying Doeshe from his binds. Finally, free. Sharlee caught the dragons' head in her arms when he pressed his nose to her chest and she sighed, fingers still trembling.

Going tense, like she'd just remembered the man, Sharlee stood up straight and looked over her shoulder. Remembering his words. Again, she moved in front of him, hesitant. The wings. The halo. What was he? Before it hadn't been a thing. It didn't matter. Now that the danger was gone, all she wanted to know was... Who was this and what was he doing here?

"You were gentle," Sharlee found herself saying, holding out a hand to help him up if he needed, "Who are you?" Swallowing carefully she looked over her shoulder, Doeshe's wide blue eyes looking at the man curiously as well. The dragon couldn't speak - yet - but he was a curious little thing.

Sharlee pushed her long purple braid over her shoulder and examined the stranger again, hands still cold and trembling. "Are you okay?"

Zero

Maybe he should have helped with untying or cutting through the dragon's bindings, but Gregori honestly didn't know how the beast would react. It seemed much smaller than he was lead to believe dragons were, but that didn't mean it wasn't still dangerous if it decided it didn't like him. Ah, but it was pretty small - a very young creature then? He wasn't sure.

At least the attention was off of him for a moment. It gave him a moment to think. Should he leave as soon as he felt like he could stand? That seemed like the best idea for him. Of course that was probably not the most acceptable course of action. Gregori should make sure the woman was going to be okay first. That would be the good, noble thing to do. Or so he reasoned.

Ah, the woman was back in front of him. He raised his eyes from where they had been staring at the ground to her face, frowning slightly at her offered hand. She was the injured one in need of help, not him.

"My name is Gregori." Introductions, he supposed that was normal. Under normal circumstances, which these weren't, but maybe they were normal anytime.

Gregori dragged himself to his feet, standing straight and shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably at her question. She had seen a quick glimpse of part of his angelic nature. He wondered how she might have reacted had he called on the full force of his power. That would have been a waste, he wasn't sure it had been necessary to draw on any of his power to deal with those men. It had only been a handful of thugs after all.

"I'm fine, just overextended myself a little. Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He shrugged his shoulder and walked away, finding where he'd discarded his pack and kneeling down to rummage through it. "I have a few things in here. There's a waterskin, and some food. Not a lot, some dried meat and a few apples. I don't have enough of anything for a dragon, but you can have anything in here. It was all given to me anyway."

He'd pulled one of the apples out, but lifted the rest of the pack and held it out towards Sharlee. It didn't matter if he was tired or hungry. This was his punishment for whatever crimes he'd committed, so avoiding discomfort was akin to trying to avoid his own justice. Gregori was here to do penance, he was sure of it.

There would always be more food, more water, more anything he could need. He just had to go out and find it or find someone kind enough to provide it.

Draconian

A sigh of relief.

Turning her attention on this strange man - Gregori - helped her set aside her own fears. Something else to focus on. However, she politely declined the apple. "I... I have a camp. Not far from here. Well. A little far. Doeshe and I were..." A puff of breath, "I wasn't prepared for... What happened."

Sharlee gave Gregori a hesitant hopeful little smile, eyeing them eager offerings in his bag. "I'm Sharlee. At least... At least let me feed you and let you stay at my camp. I... We can escort you to the closest town tomorrow, if you like."

Zero

Gregori couldn't help but wonder what had actually happened to her. How long had she been bound and dragged by those men? It would probably only upset her to ask.

"Escort me? Not meaning offense, but I don't really think I'm the one that needs escorting." He was more than capable of taking care of himself against highwaymen and brigands. Somehow she and her dragon had been captured by ruffians. Did she even have a weapon back at her camp? Could she use that weapon?

At least now he knew her name. When she didn't move to take his bag he slung it back over his shoulder, still holding the apple in one hand. He wondered if staying at a camp really made any difference. He mainly had just been sleeping enough off the road not to be easily noticed. "You don't owe me anything. I only did the right thing."

Draconian

Gently she gnawed at her lower lip, pushing her long thick purple braid over her shoulder. It was awkward and her wrists hurt. "I..." Sharlee had the good graces to blush and rub her cold fingers together. Would he realize she was being selfish? That she just didn't want to be alone?

And who better to be with than the person who saved her?

"Could you come anyway? I... Can feed you. I'm very greatful and I want to pay you back somehow." Doeshe tucked his head under Sharlee's arm and gave woeful blue eyes to Gregori. It was obvious that, while he looked vicious, Doeshe was a puppy.

Zero

Just because the woman did not owe him anything didn't mean Gregori couldn't accept her invitation. So far he had been relying on the kindness of strangers, and Sharlee could be just another kind stranger - except for the saving her life thing, of course.

There was more than just that. The woman was still injured. What if more unscrupulous people found her? Given what she'd just been through wouldn't she be even more vulnerable than before? Could he simply walk away from her without knowing for certain that she was at least as safe as he could make her? It was certainly a moral conundrum for him to muse over.

"I can come with you, but not because you are under any obligation to repay me. Your wrists need tending and it will be easier for someone with both hands available to see to them." He dropped his gaze to the ground, hair falling over his face as he scowled softly, trying to remember something he was certain he was forgetting. Oh yes, gratitude. "Thank you, for offering to share a meal with me."

Draconian

Relief flooded through Sharlee and she gave Gregori a small hesitant smile.

"You're very welcome," her voice was soft and she gently ran her fingers over Doeshe's neck. It seemed that between the two, Sharlee was the worst off. A look at her wrists and her new companion was right, patching herself up would prove to be difficult. 

"It's this way," Sharlee started turning to lead the way, "we were gathering herbs when Doeshe was caught." She supplied the information, flexing her fingers before tenderly touchin her wrists where the rope had broke the skin. "It's... Hasn't been long. A few hours." On impulse she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her head to his shoulder. "Thank you. I don't think you'll ever understand how thankful I am. I..." Sharlee pulled away, looking scared and vulnerable before she moved her hand to grab his, to tug him towards where she was mostly sure the direction her camp was in.

Zero

Even as Sharlee was feeling relief, Gregori was settling into melancholy.

For a moment he had direction, purpose, something worthwhile to do. Saving the young woman and her dragon had filled Gregori with a sense of accomplishment and overall rightness. Now the familiar sinking returned. How did humans live with emotion? They spent their entire lives navigating these strange feelings, and here he had known true conscious for less than a year and found himself weary of trying to cope or understand mortality.

She told him about her capture, but he found himself uninterested. What did it really matter? It was over and done with. The woman was free and while not completely unharmed, Sharlee had suffered very little of what she could have.

Gregori was startled when once again the woman launched herself at him. Awkwardly he could only accept it, body stiff and feeling unsure of what might be expected. He had no idea how to comfort the shaken woman, or even realize that she might want or need comforting. "I...you're welcome."

He didn't know what else to say as she released him and seized his hand. Instead he could do little other than allow her to pull him along, looking more than a little confused and lost.

Draconian

The journey wasn't too long and she led him well. There was an incident where she tripped and she may have used Gregori as a ways to keep herself from falling but for the most part, it was uneventful and she was glad to be away from the bodies. Sharlee squeezed her eyes shut and visibly relaxed at the sight of her little camp, mostly untouched.

A few animals had gotten into one of the mostly empty feed sacks for Doeshe but her own bag was still tied tightly against the tree. The bedroll was propped up against that same tree and the little firepit was dead but easily restocked with fresh wood.

"Home sweet home," She teased herself, letting go of Gregori's hand and going to the little stack of wood she'd acquired before Doeshe traveled too far and she followed. What a day.

It made her tremble to think of just how much worse the day could have been.

Another look at Gregori and she smiled brightly, thankful beyond any gods or goddesses that he was where he was at the time. Him and his strange wings.

Sharlee brought the fire to life, taking a seat beside it to warm her chilled self. She grabbed a waterskin, rolling up her sleeves to look at her wrists while she made little attempts to clean the raw skin. Blood had crusted along the edges and she hissed slightly at the small amounts of unfamiliar pain. "Where are you from?" Sharlee asked after wetting a cloth and pressing it against the inside of her left wrist, wincing every now and then.

Zero

It was a quiet walk. Gregori liked quiet. It meant that he didn't have to scramble to try to figure out the right thing to say. When she tripped his free hand instinctively moved to keep her from falling, but Sharlee caught herself on him anyway. Thankfully that didn't bring on more conversation.

Of course, avoiding conversations with mortals wasn't really helping him learn more about how to behave like them. Gregori wasn't convinced he needed to pass as a mortal except in the most basic of senses. After all, he didn't want to be here. Staying was not part of the plan. He wanted to go home, and as soon as he figured out how he would return to the spiritual realm and never return.

They arrived without further incident at the camp. It seemed strange to him that it was virtually untouched. If the bandits had taken them here then the whole place would have been looted and trashed. The abduction must have happened elsewhere. Hadn't the girl mentioned gathering herbs when the bandits took her? They must not have looked very hard for a camp of any kind. Fortunate for Sharlee.

As she moved to create a fire, Gregori began walking around the area, examining the ground around the site. He couldn't see where anyone had disturbed this place other than the woman and dragon that belonged there.

It was the question that brought his attention back to the girl. She was trying to tend to her wrists. Gregori sighed and made his way over to the fire, dropping his pack carelessly out of the way, and knelt in front of Sharlee. His hands reached for the cloth and water, gently taking them from her. "Here, let me help, that is why I came, is it not?"

Gregori had never had any talent for healing. What use did an angel of his nature have for such gifts? His hands had been created to kill and destroy, not tend to wounds.

He frowned. No, he had been created to protect. That he was sure of. Why had he thought kill and destroy? Pushing that thought away he did his best to gently wipe away the crusting blood. "I don't remember where exactly I am from. Until I woke up naked and alone in the ruins of an old village, I cannot remember anything at all."

Or not much.

Draconian

Naked and alone.

Sharlee stared at him while he tended to her wrists, looking down at them before back up at him. Did he know he grew wings? Was bathed in red? Surely he knew. That wasn't something you just did without noticing.

Doeshe yawned widely before he curled up off to the side much like a cat would, tucking his white tail around himself as some sort of warm barrier. Bored with the talking beings, it seemed.

Taking a gentle breath, though it hitched and she jerked her hand away when the cloth stung the tender skin, Sharlee tried to smile at her guest before ducking her head down. "You had wings," she commented gently, looking back at him, at his shoulders and then the crown of his head, "I'm mostly Elven and mostly from Serendipity." While he was a terrible conversationalist, perhaps she could... Pry it out of him.

Sharlee sometimes went a little stir crazy when she had nothing but a Puppydragon to talk to.

"What are you? You look human but..." Her free hand went out to touch his shoulder lightly, half expecting the wings to burst from his back, "You're more then? Human but... Not?"

Zero

A soft grimace and a muttered "sorry" were given when Sharlee jerked her hand away. Gregori was trying to be gentle. He really was. More water was poured onto the cloth and he continued his efforts. Dark blue eyes glanced up into her face when she mentioned that he had wings. Yes, of course he had wings. Had them. For a moment.

Gregori used to always have wings. At least, he was pretty sure he had. The acrid scent of smoke stuck him for a moment and was gone. If he closed his eyes he would almost be able to see the flames.

What couldn't he remember?

Better yet, why couldn't he remember?

The touch on his shoulder made him pause in his work, stiffening slightly but not looking up this time. He was a human now. Whatever he might have been before didn't matter.

"As far as it matters, I am a human. The woman who found me, who helped me, said I was a mage. I have magic." He shrugged his shoulders. Gregori wanted to be an angel again. If that was what he really was. It was beyond frustrating to have so much missing from his memory.

"Are elves very different from humans?" He honestly hadn't much experience with elves. Not that he truly understood humans either. Sharlee was just a woman that had been in trouble, elf or human hadn't really mattered at the time. She was an innocent and deserved to be protected from the lives of those vile men.

Draconian

Eyebrows went up and Sharlee blinked at Gregori.

"Are they? I suppose they are. We live much longer. I probably won't change much how I look for another hundred years or so." Sharlee's shrug was accented by a loud snorfle from Doeshe and she cast a brief look behind herself to the content sleeping dragon. Shortly after she looked down at their hands, such cruel hands they'd been hours before.

"you're very gentle," Sharlee found herself saying before she offered him a kind smile, "do you have a home? Some where to go?"

Zero

It couldn't only be a matter of lifespan, could it? Surely more than that separated the two species. Then again, what did he know?

There was so much he didn't know, and he was at war with himself over it. Gregori had never felt curiosity before his fall, a trait so intrinsically human. Now he found himself wanting to know things, before reminding himself that he didn't need to know and didn't care. He was going home.

There was no need for knowing or understanding where he was going.

"Am I?" Gregori didn't know if she meant it, and wasn't sure if gentleness was a good or bad thing. In this situation probably good. "I had a home, but I don't know how to go back. I can't remember the way."

For now. He would find a way. If seeking redemption through penance was the only way, then so be it. Gregori could accept his punishment and return to grace. If he could just figure out how he was expected to do so. That his old masters remained silent on the matter only left him further confused.

Why not tell him his crimes and punishment?

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