Pleasure Kingdoms: Second Attempt

[Jacobo_Curious]

Hello, and welcome to PK! This is our second time trying this thread, and this time, I think I'll be able to stick around long enough to see it to completion!

If you want to join, check the OOC thread:

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184121

Otherwise, just read along and have fun!



<<--->>>



"Mommy..."

An exquisitely beautiful human woman, perhaps in her early thirties, glanced down and smiled radiantly. She flowed forward with the grace of an Elf and leaned lower, looking at the speaker.

"Yes, child?"

The pretty young girl, her head shrouded by a bloom of dark curls, pointed to the wreath of daises she had placed on her head. "Look! I made this!"

The mother laughed, her voice like silver bells. "Amazing! It's more beautiful than anything I've seen."

"No!" protested the little girl. "You're much more beautiful, Mommy." The girl twirled, her small pink dress flaring as she did so. "I want to be a dancer like you! And be just as pretty and brave!"

Her mother smiled and tilted her head slightly. "Brave?"

"Yes! It must be hard to get in front of all those people and dance! Especially when they're mean. But everyone likes you here. I like it here."

The woman slowly and elegantly lowered herself to her knees, gently pulling the young girl close in an embrace. "I'm glad you're happy, my dear. That's what me and your daddy want, more than anything else in the world."

"And I want to be like you, more than anything else in the world! I'm going to be strong, too! I'll fight the monsters! And then, when I'm done, and I've saved the world, I'll make you a wreath too, Mommy."

The beautiful woman smiled and shook her head slowly. "Oh, Shizura, my child... Never stop making things. Never stop creating new things, no matter what they are..."

<<--->>

"Ah, 'The Southwestern Forests of the Continent are the main residence of the Elves, one of the two Fae races. Mostly unpenetrated by Human exploration, the Human Empire's territory exists in the Northwest, near the--' Yes, yes! I know this! But where's the map?"

Sighing dramatically, the young woman shook out her hair, sending it flying back behind her. Her pretty features screwed up in thought, she glared at the thick book in her hands, ignoring the majestic scenery of the forest around her. Kicking up dirt on the path, she sighed and shook her head, swinging her pack in front of her and slipping the book in before finally stopping and taking stock of her surroundings.

Any traveler, however, would have no doubt rather stopped to look at her than the trees. With her nearly waist-length, dark hair wreathed around her, she looked almost like a beautiful ghost -- but after she shook her hair back, one noticed her rather disgruntled expression, and realized she was simply another adventurer, albeit an attractive one. Her white clothes were trimmed with blue, both shirt and pants, and her knee-high boots were trimmed with silver, the heels slightly elevated. At less than five and a half feet, her slender frame and full curves didn't give off the impression of a fighter -- but despite her large, innocent, sensitive hazel eyes and soft features, there was a sturdiness to her stance and a set to her jaw that showed strength and assertiveness.

"Stupid old book," she muttered. "Stupid forest. Where's the town?"

Sighing, she adjusted her black headband, encrusted with little silver and gold beads to depict the moon and sun, so her hair would stay out of the way.

"Sorry, book. Sorry, forest. I didn't mean it."

She was Shizura Relawell. Novice trance-warrior and magician girl, one of the gifted minority who were capable, for various reasons, of projecting their life-spark beyond their mere mortal frame. Those capable of using the Consciousness, the Holy Light, and funnelling it through the four Elements.

And she needed a Quest.

In order to enter the Wizard's College, the supposed goal of all trance-warriors and magicians, she needed to find a way to impress the admissions office. And, of course, there was plenty to do. Monsters, though they always lost the fights, were always encroaching on human territory. Looking for food, gold, and women.

Shizura shuddered and narrowed her eyes.

Unlike humans and fae, the children of the Consciousness, monsters were made from the Void, the Emptiness. They were filled with desire, and couldn't help themselves but to lust and covet everything. It was a mercy to end their pathetic, worthless existences -- to end the search they had to endure for no purpose except bothering the Lightfolk, the children of the Creator God. The cruel Destroyer, a heartless being, created the monsters, just so they would suffer.

Fortunately, Shizura's job was to put an end to that.

Unfortunately, she wasn't very good at it yet.

Sighing again, Shizura continued to walk forward, hoping with all her might that she was walking in the right direction...

 

[SwampThing]

Kevin Wild

Kevin woke up in the forest, leaves in his hair, and his clothes in tatters. Again.

He sat up, brushing leaves and twigs from his shaggy brown hair. Except for some ragged shorts, was naked. His large feet were calused from walking barefoot, and his wide shoulders and chest were deeply tanned by hours in the sun. He tied his shorts together with a bit of rope from his pocket, and sighed.

Kevin raised his boyish, farmboy face, hair in his eyes. "Well, wherever I am this time, there's got be a town around here somewhere."

Hours of walking later, bracnches scratched at his naked skin, and stones and roots bit into his bare feet. He had worked hard to get a new suit of clothes, and this is what was left of them. He never should have stayed to watch the tavern girls dance. Now he was lost, and his head hurt. He was cold and alone. Wait . . . not alone.

Ahead, the forest thinned out into a trail, with a dark-haired figure in white and blue walking along it. Maybe they could help him, or at least tell him where he was. Kevin stepped out into the traveller's path and waved cheerfully, leaves still falling from his hair. Then he saw the figure closer.

It was a girl. She was really cute. "Oh, no!"

 

[Steiner]

Yoshi Aramaki

Yoshi felt his body shift into Bonneli's Defence, drawing the monster farther off balance and into the web of steel that Tenryu wove around him.

Driven beyond endurance the thing extended its body into an agressive attack that Yoshi would either have to break his defence to counter or else be split in half. Tenryu chose another route and Yoshi felt his body twist and then straighten into an attack that let the monsters claws scrape along his ribs. In return Tenryu was buried in the Monsters throat right up to its flat disclike guard. With a shout that was part triumph, part fear and part pain Yoshi twisted aside in mid-air and came to land in a crouch some ten feet away. The monster turned to face him, stretched out clawed hands again, but its eyes were puzzled. Its strength left it with every pulsing arc of blood from its ruined throat, and after two staggering steps it fell into twitching death at Yoshi's feet.

With a suddeness that made him slump Tenryu restored Yoshi's mastery of his own body. The voice in his mind, harsh but underlaid with creamy pleasure at the recent kill, told him that he must now cut out the monsters heart. Tenryu must feed and Yoshi's reward, if he followed his instructions, would be a night free of the dreams which Tenryu sent to harden the mind of its latest wielder, and bind him to it.



A day later, the forest troll a bad memory Yoshi Aramaki was back upon the forest track, making his way through the dense trees. His travelling Kimono was of the purest white, his sandals quiet upon the turf of the road. His face partially obscured by the straw hat he wore to protect his hair from the elements. His face was schooled into passive calmness, but inside his eyes the screaming had begun - he had not killed today, tonight Tenryu would send the dreams again...

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Shizura tensed reflexively as the brush rustled, and stepped back as a dirty, half-naked creature wandered out of the foliage. Finding itself on a path, it turned, and saw her.

Oh... oh, no, what is this?

Eyes widening, she instinctively reached to her belt, finding the wooden mace there, and prepared to draw it out -- until the being in front of her waved cheerfully, and then paused.

A man?

"Hey!" she called, relaxing immediately and waving back, flashing a pretty smile at the figure before her. "Hey, are you alright?" She walked forward quickly, still smiling, and approached him, leaning down and peering up cutely through the boy's shaggy hair. The top few open buttons on her shirt gave him a fleeting glimpse of cleavage before she leaned back up again, still smiling innocently.

"Has anything happened? You look rough!" She straightened and smiled stoutly. "I'm Shizura Relawell, a Magician! If anything's happened, I'm here to help!" Her voice, though youthful, was assertive and confident. Her expression remained friendly and sweet.

"What's your name, sir?"

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan Kaine

“Logan you really need to settle down. You’re 19 now and there are a few girls that would be good for you to pick a wife from.” His mom looked to him. She was always trying to get him to decide on one of the girls in the village and get married.

“Mom, I told you I don’t want to marry any of the girls here.” He sighed, as this was a conversation he was getting tired of repeating.

“Logan, is there something you’re not telling me? The girls here are pretty…”

“I know mom…but I don’t want to be with any of them.” He stood and headed for his room, trying to end this before it became a fight. “Mom, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Logan, um, you like girls right?” She looked to him as he walked away from her.

He stopped and looked back to her. “Mom, Yes I like girls.. I like them a lot in fact. But none of the girls here in the village and I am not ready to settle down.” He took a deep breath and decided it was now or never… “Mom, I’ve decided to go on a trip, maybe wander around some. You know live life a little and then settle down.”

His mom’s face turned pale as he spoke. “Logan, y-you can’t leave.” She was on the verge of crying.

He could hear it in her voice she was going to cry. “Mom, please don’t. I need to, maybe find out who I am and then I can return and marry. I promise I’ll come back, settle down and give you lots of grandkids. I’m just not ready yet.”

He walked into his room and went to his closet. Opening the door he reached in and grabbed the pack he had readied last month, just before his 19th birthday. He rechecked his supplies, two spare outfits, soft boots, a dagger and a sword, passed to him before his father left, just after his 12th birthday.

He looked at the sword, it was highly polished and had runes etched down the blade. He wasn’t sure exactly what they were there for, but he thought it was kewl. He had even learned over the years to use it quite proficiently.

He slipped it back in the pack, and slung the pack over his shoulder as he headed out to the kitchen. His mom looked up as he entered and didn’t argue with him as she could tell he had made up his mind.

“Mom, I’m sorry really. I have to do this, I know you’re upset now, but I’ll be back. I promise.” He moves to her and kisses her lightly on the cheek. “ I love you mom.”

Tears fell from her eyes as she looked to her son. It seemed to her that yesterday he was just a baby in her arms and now he was leaving her. “I love you too Logan, please be careful son, and come home soon.”

He could feel the tears threatening as he stepped out of the house and turned to head North out of town, knowing he could probably reach the next town in a little over a day traveling as a unicorn.

As he lost view of the town he stopped and prepared to shift. He was thankful that the things he carried changed with the magik, but he still didn’t understand why the clothes he wore didn’t fare as well. He slipped off his boots and put them in the pack with the other items.

He stepped off the road and into the tree line. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath… he pictured himself in his mind and then pictured his unicorn form standing beside the first form. Then in his mind he blended the two forms, as he did this his form started to shimmer slightly and began to change.

Within moments a large brown unicorn stood within the trees. He shook himself and stepped back onto the road. He turned and began to travel North at a slight trot, the sunlight glinted off the silver chain and amulet that still hung around his neck.

 

[Lethe]

It was evening, and the pale shadows were beginning to stretch out. Raen walked through the trees, tread soft as the beating of a moth’s wing. In one hand, he held his long dark bow, Silence, in the other, a handful of barbed, brown-feathered arrows. He moved with instinctive, careful grace.

Raen was tall and lean, with pale skin and strange green eyes, his hair a short, spiky crown of brown, like trampled bracken. He was dressed in a nondescript brown buffjacket with a twisted, deep green maze of zig-zags and spirals tracking across the chest and sleeves.

There was fever in those green eyes.

They’d stopped trying to hold him prisoner. He broke out of every prison. He could track a falcon across the sky on a windy day. He could shoot a man through the eye blindfolded. He could mix poisons that would stop the heart, melt into the trees like a spirit of the forest, shape wood with a thought and a word.

It still wasn’t enough. He was still fucking inadequate .

How long had he tried to equal his siblings, be as strong and brave as Cleon, as brilliant and charming as Anothis, as virtuous and loveable as Mya? It was pointless. He was always Raen to them, Raen the sleepless, Raen the pale schemer, Raen the strange one.

He remembered a game of Kings with Anothis.

“One move will secure you victory”

Anothis smiled at him. “One move, I promise you. I can see it now. It’s my turn, and I could beat you now, but instead I’ll grant you this one move”

Raen stared at the board. He hated this game. He hated losing. And he had no idea what the move Anothis was talking about was.

With a sudden, deceptively swift movement, he stood. Anothis raised an eyebrow. Raen seized either end of the Kings board and suddenly tilted it, pouring all the pieces into a confused heap on the ground.

“One move, brother”, he said, breathing deeply, “That’s all it took”

He remembered getting involved in one of Cleon’s duels of honour.

The veteran’s breathing came harsher now, hampered as he was by his heavy armour, but he could still swing his two-handed sword. Raen moved backwards. So far, he had managed to dodge the great blade, but if he couldn’t, there would be no way of blocking them with his two slender knives.

His strategy had been to try and tired the older man out, wear him down until he could get a clear shot, but that wasn’t happening.

Then opportunity came. With a careless over-extension of his blade, the veteran left his guard down. With a single hypnotically fast movement of his twin blades, Raen hamstrung him.

The veteran collapsed.

“Kill… me… now”, he whispered, “I’ll not walk again”.

Raen shook his head. He walked to the centre of the little square where he had taken on his brother’s squalid debt of honour.

“My name is Raen, and I daresay you will remember it”, he called to the crowds.

They were too outraged to speak. Wearily, Raen began to walk away. He detested the towns and cities, the smell, the people.

One woman broke out of the crowd and blocked his way. It was his opponent’s wife.

“Kaeon was the better man!”

Raen looked down at her and nodded.

“So he was”

“His brothers will not let you live!”

Raen shrugged.

“I don’t suppose they will”

He moved away, weary.

The forests were dark, and filled with horrors, but Raen preferred them to the places where people dwelt a thousand times over.

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl of the Macrai-Itoche

He sat back in the large tree, a leg dangling down from the wedge of branches he'd made himself a seat in. His eyes closed, he let the music flow out of him. More often than not, the tune chose him instead of the other way around.

And today, Call of the Sirens had chosen him. Hauntingly seductive, it called out to it's listeners with the rich beauty of a siren's call. Of course, unlike the power of those monsters it was named for, it did not force the listeners to come to it. It was simply a beautiful tune.

He could reach the next town if he tried, but he didn't see any reason to. As a rule, he usually stayed away from human developments. Sure, he had a couple of goblin crystals he could sell, he was even in his flesh color and wearing the baggy shirt that hid his wings, but he was in no mood for it at the moment.

Even if he could fool humans into not knowing what he was, he could never fool his urges about what the human females were. So, he played the small wooden flute he had. And he let himself be carried away by the simple tune.

 

[katalynn]

Lavastine~

LEft my lands long ago, months it seems. Being raised in the demons lands was never easy. Never knew my mother and father wasn't hardly ever there. He kept me under the care of some others that didn't care much either. They were always killing doing their own things.

I may look to be in my teens early 20's but I was far older than that. Not real sure by how much, lost count many birthdays ago.
My last birthday is when i took to the lands outside. Always forbidden to travel mainly because I was female. The *men* kept any female within the city limits. Not me, not any longer.

Seeing how it was always black as night here, never knowing if it was of day or night. It was easy to slip out. I blended in the shadows so easily, as if I was the shadow themselves.

One day I came upon this villiage. Human. Or what some people call Fae. Crept inside, was bored wanted to see what would happen if I was to swipe a horse. It was easy enough, found a way, a crack in the wall that was good enough for me to slip through. Some how I was able to walk among these people. Of course I kept my hood on hiding my face in its depths. Which made the people look at me with wondering eyes.

Found the perfect horse, black as the midnight sky herself. Easy enough to ride, I would return him later on. .... I think... Grinning to myself. I rode him bare backed rushing through the villiage. Upon reaching the gates there were shouts behind me.

"CATCH HER, SHE'S STEALING THE ROYALS MARE!! CATCH HER! "


"NO NO YOU FOOOL THE STABLE IS ON FIRE, LET HER GO FOR NOW WE'LL CATCH HER LATER IF SHE DARES TO RETURN."

"GET TO THE STABLES NOW."

'mmmm even luckier, you are of a royal horse. Well you are much to gorgous to be within that city. all pinned up like that. I just may keep you.

Grinned even more so to myself as I rode along the path. The hood was off my face now, showing the deep bluish purple skin, ruby eyes and the fire within my hair. Unusual color for a dark elf, then again I'm no full dark elf either. Further up the path I stopped to look behind me to see if they were following. They were not. Probably because the fire in stalls were distracting them. Couldn't help that either, I didn't want to harm the horses so I at least unlocked the stalls as I was dashing out. Right when I hit the doors a small flame had reached the hay bales.

It wasn't much of a fire really, they would have it out soon enough. Just enough to keep them from following me. I slowed down on the path to a walking pace. I did pass a man and a woman, at the time I did not care. Why would I care for these people. They haven't done anything for me. Although the man did look hurt. Why would I care about that? Some reason I did though. The villiage was far enough away now.

Walked the horse back towards them, watched for a few. She seemed to have things under control. So it seemed, still I watched. Mostly now because it was interesting to see how these people cared for eachother. They didn't act like they knew eaachother. Yet, she seemed to care for him?

"These people are strange, Luathas, .. hmmm that's a perfect name for you. Luathas the wild one." I smiled again to myself. Pleased for finding such a magnificant beast. I was still a good distance from them. Whether or not they knew I was there was a different story. I turned and began to walk on the path again in the other direction, away from them.

 

[SwampThing]

Kevin Wild

As the girl walked towards him, Kevin looked at the ground, at the trees, at the sky. Anthing but her slender body, ripe young breasts showing through her loose, open neckline . . .

"Ulp!" Kevin jerked his eyes away again. "Oh, I'm okay, miss. Just got lost, heh, heh. Been lost for a while, actually. Do you know if there's a town around here?"

"Whoa, a Magician! Great! I mean, you're not a Void Magician, right? Gosh, you sure look . . . young, for a Magician. I guess the magic keeps you young, huh? And you're travelling all alone too. I mean, a pretty girl like you, you must be really brave. Sometimes these woods can be pretty dangerous places.

"Hi. I'm Kevin. Kevin Wild. It's nice to meet you, Shizura. I'm just trying to reach the nearest town so I can figure out where I am, and maybe work for some more clothes."

 

[katalynn]

Lavastine ~

Wondered up the path alittle, then decided to take off from the path, just to wonder through to woods it's self maybe find a stream for the horse to drink from. I always had a heart for animals, it was the two legged creatures I could care less for.

A few minutes off the path I heard a faint sound of music off in the distance. Was curious as to where it was comming from, walked towards it slowly an cautiously. Staying in the trees, even with the horse I still managed to keep silent. Even then, the music should drown out some of the steps.

Once the music seemed to get louder, stoping the horse and I took to the trees. Getting close enough to see who it was playing the wonderous tune. Not close enough for him to see me. Couldn't see great details from the angle I was in, was good enough to tell it was indeed a man. I looked back toward the horse to if he had run off, he didn't, he started to eat.

I sat back in the tree I was in, still alert, at the same time enjoying his music. All the while hopeing he wouldn't find out I was there.

 

[Lethe]

There were strangers in the woods. Raen could feel their presence, like shadows on the Green. It was like a subliminal itch on his mind. He hated intrusions into his solitude.

He'd been planning on returning to the barren place he made his home, in the roots of an ancient dead tree, but now he headed towards the strangers. There were monsters in the deep woods. If these people blundered into them, the carnage would disturb the Green for weeks.

It gave him headaches.

He melted out of the forest on to the path and studied the girl and the dirty, half-naked young man disinterestedly, one hand gripping his bow, ready to draw and fire within heartbeats.

"What do you do in these woods?"

 

[amon_darknight]

Shard Drake

He walked the forest trail high in the hillside ridges, he kept looking behind him watching his back, but he knew that nothing was following him. He was always on the move and he never really thought of settling down and resting, he looked about him and thought, he liked it out in the open with freedom singing in the air. He than heard a twig snap behind him and Shard rolled forward and turned his body so that he was facing the other direction where the sound came from and he put his hand to his Katana and waited and than he saw a deer walk out of the bushes. Shard shook his head and he sighed as he stood up and began to walk again. He swiped the long white hair out of his face and dusted himself off as he walked. Shard was a fighter and now he wanted to learn the ways of magic like his mother knew, but he had no one to teach him. The only magic he knew was that of his mothers and that type of magic was fire and lightning, that was the elemental type of magic used by his clan, the shamans used that and his mother was a powerful magic user and now Shard wanted to become like her, but than there was his fighter side that he had. He liked to call his fighter side “Ruthless Aggression” and Shard tried to control his fighter urges, he now always fought for the good of people, its just what he felt was right. He looked upon the trail and lead down into a heavy tree area.

Shard walked through the forest now and he wondered if he was all by himself in here, but he didn’t let that thought bother him, for he knew he could only depend on himself, he than started to whistle a tune, a tune he learned in his clan and he whistled this often as he wandered. He found a clearing with a few rocks and he saw that there was a stream next to this clearing and he decided to sit down and think of what he was going to do, maybe something would come his way, like they say.

“Opportunity knocks at your door when you least expect it, or something like that..”

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan Kaine

Heading along the road at an easy trot he was able to cover about three times ground as a normal man would just walking. There were disadvantages to traveling like this, it took a lot of energy and it was hard to avoid anyone else on the roads.

After several hours of travel he almost literally stumbled on a group of travelers. He had come around a sharp turn in the road, and there they were, two men and a woman. He could tell two of them weren’t from the general area, and the other he might have been one of the rangers that stories were told about in the inn.

He came to a stop and looked to the group, they looked to be talking, and maybe they were a little lost. He wasn’t sure whom to speak to first, so he waited a moment, looking them over.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Shizura blushed.

"Ahh, well, you flatter me... I'm actually rather new to traveling..."

She smiled at the young man. "The nearest town should be a ways down this path, but I'm not certain. My so-called map doesn't want to tell me." She smiled wider, looking far too cute and innocent to be a fighter.

"Why don't you come with me? I'll escort you, um, Sir Wild."

He seems sweet enough. If it's an act, he's a genius... and truth be told, he might be able to help ME. These woods are scary...

Well, at least I can be lost with somebody else, anyway!

A horse rode by, the rider finally slowing down as she passed them. Shizura blinked, looking over to see who it was...

...dark skin?

"What do you do in these woods?"

Shizura practically jumped out of her clothes as she spun around, eyes wide. "Hey! You shouldn't startle a lady like--" She noted his stern and dark expression, and noted with equal apprehension the bow in his hand, held relaxed, yet with a precise relaxation. "--ohhh. Um, we're... we're just travelers! We're looking for the next town! I'm Shizura Relawell, and this is Sir Wild!"

She smiled cheerfully. "Are you looking for the next town too? What a coincedence! Two people to escort in quick succession! I, ah, don't supposed you know if the town is down this path, Mister, uhh...?"

 

[little_golden]

Tala Approaches.....

Tala - A Halfling Beauty - On The Run
Tala the halfling emerged from a tall tree where she had been scouting the surroundings. It seemed a human village was coming up and it seemed safe enough to travel too. Of course men were pigs, but most males were and she was as safe in the forests as she was in the village. Upon first glance, a beautiful young woman, with very dark brown hair, and enchanted hazel eyes, with a too trim body, small waist (12") and peach sized breasts, and a beautiful but smallish rear end. Very slowly she descended light as a cat on its feet and ever so silently.

At four feet tall she seemed to disappear into the surroundings especially since her clothes had interwoven patterns of greens, and her leather armor had been dyed to match her garment. In these troubles time, life on the run was barely tolerable. Graced with agility and dexterity of a halfling, she earned her keep the honest halfling way - by stealing it from others. Her specialty was a pick pocket but over her life she had picked up all the gifts of an accomplished thief and no theft was too big or too small, especially, if the price was right.

Tala mounted a small brown pony. The little sturdy beasts had strapped to it her short bow (and a quiver with 12 arrows). On the other side hung a short sword. They weighted the beast somewhat, but her other belongings were meagre (food, water, rope, thieves picks, torches, flint & steel, etc). In most places she traveled light and left her leather armor, sword and bow hidden to be reclaimed after the job. Today she was heading to meet new adventurers and she wasn't sure what to bring.

She knew to most people, a small halfing like herself would be mistaken for a beautiful human girl child and therefore not a threat at all. Tala normally first relied on her beauty, wit, charm and acting skills. If those failed her her next options were a concealed throwing blade at her waist and a second concealed throwing blade tucked into her boot. Knives were fast, silent, and deadly. These were tools of her trade - but never had she ever killed for money. For love she might - but never for money. At times her skills had failed her, but most men preferred other things that a woman could do than to kill a petty but beautiful halfling thief.

In the past, she had worked at various tasks from a simple pick pocket to a farmer's wife. But she wasn't the stay at home kind due to her wrestless feet and wondering heart. Needless, to say, when her husband found her with the master of their local thieves guild it had motivated some heated words and provided strong encouragement for her to disappear from their hometown. But through the affair, she had learned many womanly skills and had become a much better thief and sneak.

She didn't like to work as a mercenary, but at times she had worked as a scout. It sure helped that her resistance to magic was better than humans, and her small size allowed her to move around quietly and secretly. Her infravision was a big asset at night, and certainly offset her small size. But to scout for others could be very dangerous and not so rewarding. The losing side in any battle seemed to suffer greatly, so she prefered avoiding such useless confrontation. Life was simply looking after oneself. She had no politics or allegiances.

Mounting her pony (Ginger) she rode slowly into the human settlement. She could feel the eyes upon her. To some she was a freak of nature. To other, her smallness stimulated great attention, and yet others it spurned a great intolerance.

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl, of the Macrai-Itoche

He stopped playing a moment, stretching his arms and giving a yawn. He tried to rearrange himself for more comfort, but found it hard. He pulled his baggy shirt off, stuffing it back into his pack as his wings spread and stretched as he relaxed, letting his wings curl forward before pulling them back against his back.

He raised the flute to his lips again, and started to play once more. He let his eyes wander around his surroundings, looking for inspiration as he played a soft, slow tune that had no name and flowed from nothing into the air.

He stopped playying again, tapping the wooden instrument against his leg as he leaned back against the tree, feeling it's bark against his skin. He raised the flute again.

He started to play. It was a quicker tune. It carried the same sexual feeling that all but one song of his species did. It danced through the air. Dance of the Nymphs. He continued to look around him, his eyes stopping and looking in the direction of his watcher as he played. He stretched his wings again, finally looking away from her after a few minutes as he continued to play.

 

[SwampThing]

Kevin Wild

"Ulp! Don't shoot, Mr. Bowman! We were just leaving. Not that there's anything wrong with your woods! Boy, these are some great woods, huh Shizura?"

She was so calm, even asking the guy to accompany them. Kevin could only guess what kind of power she was hiding. Then he saw the Unicorn.

"Whoa! You - you summoned a Unicorn, Shizura! You're really powerful!"

 

[Steiner]

Yoshi Aramaki

After a few days travel, and no real sleep to show for it, Yoshi was beginning to believe these woods were monsterless. Whilst this was a perfect state of affairs for him, personally, Tenryu was becoming hungry - and the hungrier Tenryu became, the worse the dreams were. By now Yoshi could ignore dreams that would wake a seasoned mercenary crying for his mother - Tenryu however seemed always to have something darker up its... ...scabbard. Whatever.

The forest was drawing in on both sides of the track, the trees a little TOO oppressive for true idyll, but no Troll dung. No goblin chatter. There WAS a large group of people up ahead though - what looked like three or so people and one large horse. Yoshi grunted, maybe THEY had heard tales of monsters to be slain - not that he had a single THING against monsters himself, but he was DYING for a good nights sleep. He quickened his pace.

 

[Lethe]

"The name is Raen, and I am not looking for the next town. It's on this path, to the southeast, past the waterfall"

Raen frowned.

"Please try not to get lost on the way. I have better things to do than fishing inept adventurers out of the Green"

He bestowed a withering glance on the pair.

"Did you summon that unicorn?", he added, indicating the creature

 

[katalynn]

Lavastine~

WINGS!?! he had wings, mmmm this could become interesting. He wasn't bad looking either, now that I see him better........... ARGH stop it girl, you don't even know him... he could be deadly for all you know.

I hated that little voice that pops up like that. Even then, just because I didn't know does mean anything. Till he looked in my direction that is, his gaze tore right through the trees, and seemed to find my eyes.

'Great now he knows your here, now what..... errrrr who cares, shut up.....
I hated arguing with my own head, guess that's what I get for being alone for so long. In between the times he had stopped playing I heard a stream up ahead, it was kind of in the distance. Hard for any normal man to hear. Unfornatunatly I would have to ride past this guy.... monster... whatever he was, he played extremly well on that flute. If I was to listen to any longer, I would drift off into another world. Couldn't have that, not here. Not with him knowing I'm here least of all.

Whistled for my new friend, he came, grabbing the branch below me, sliding from the tree and onto his back. At first I was hesitant about going pass him, not that it matters now, he knew, I felt it. I really didn't want to leave his songs, they did have power over me. Besides water, music seemed to be another weakness. A different kind, but weakness none less.

Slowly strode up to him, stopping just below him, not looking up to him.

"I love your music, M'lord" They were rushed words, though softer than most female voices. I wasn't used to talking to anyone. Just as I said that, I took off before he could react. Reaching the base of stream, stayed on Luathas as he walked in the cool waters to drink. Kept watch for anyone, and to see if he had followed me.

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl of the Macrai-Itoche

He stopped playing, grabbing his pack and spreading his wings as he lept from the branch. He stood up after landing on the forest floor. He kept his wings out, although he tried to keep them reasonably close to his body. They needed to stretch a little. He hooked his pack over his shoulder, and started to play again as he walked along, following the woman's tracks.

She had talked to him, actually talked to him. He wasn't sure what she was. She looked elven, yet not quite exactly. So he followed the horse's tracks. He slowly stopped playing, hearing the sound of a stream.

He checked her out back in the forest. His youth had been spent in deep jungles, using the natural defense mechanism to change the color of his skin to hide from others of his age, and searching for them, building up a careful attention to detail and the ability to spot people, especially ones who are hard to see amongst their surroundings. Compared to the complexity of their games, spotting her had been easy. He peeked around a tree, watching her on her horse.

He climbed up the tree, keeping himself from sight before looking down at her from the branches he climbed to, careful to keep himself quiet.

"My, my. Out in the woods all by yourself, eh?" he asked and he leapt from the branches, using his wings to catch the air and help soften his landing. "You never know what nasty monsters could come along and have their way with you."

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Shizura blinked, glancing around.

Well, we MUST be close to the town -- there are a lot of people around here... and not all friendly.

"Well, um, thank you for the directions, and, um, what?"

She turned toward Kevin's stare and her eyes widened. "Haaa!" she gasped, her jaw dropping slightly, as she took a tenative step forward. "He's so beautiful! I've never--" She paused, glancing back at the awed Kevin, and cleared her throat, reddening slightly. "--ahh, I mean, well... he's the most beautiful unicorn I ever, uh, summoned..."

Feeling guilty, she glanced sidelong at the archer, but he seemed coldly uninterested. I don't like lying, but... Mister Kevin Wild seems so impressed by me, I didn't know what to do...!

Sighing gently, she looked up at the majestic creature, feeling warm. "I... I don't know if it would be a good idea to approach it. Sometimes it's dangerous. But... seeing a Legendary Creature is good luck for the rest of the day, I hear. And... they're so beautiful, just standing there. The forest seems brighter."

Smiling at the unicorn, she gave him a little wave.

Maybe I'm just happy to be around people again... but the day seems much better now. And I've even seen a unicorn...

She looked over to Kevin, smiling. "See? I can keep you safe. We'll head southeast, to the waterfall." She looked over at the archer, and her expression was firm again. "Don't worry. We won't need any help."

"Let's go!"

Legendary Creatures...

<<--->>

"During the time of the Ancient War of Gods, the Destroyer attacked with the force of all the many monsters, and the brave Humans, swift Elves, and cunning Midfolk could not stop the advance. Thus, the Creator herself, the Mother Goddess, summoned by an unknown yet obviously incredibly powerful Summoner, gifted us with the Legendary Creatures to push back the encroaching demons, and courageous heroes were born and died, giving birth sometimes to Light Crystals. Strong weapons were forged out of these, and given to even more heroes, and soon the monsters were -- Shizura."

The young girl blinked and looked up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, in a soft, musical voice. "I was paying attention!"

The young man, looking almost twenty years of age, raised an eyebrow. "Shizura, if you don't learn anything, you won't be educated at all by your eighteenth birthday!"

"Silly Wain," said the girl, smiling cutely, "that's in four years. I have plenty of time..." Sighing breathily, she leaned forward, putting her elbows in her lap and leaning on her hands as she stared up at him.

Wain sighed and stood, brushing dirt and leaves off the knees of his white pants. His strong build was mostly hidden by his baggy linen-and-leather vest and long sleeves, pants, and thick leather boots, but his handsome features were only enhanced by the wry expression he was showing her.

Shizura sighed dreamily again.

He sighed as well, though in exasperation instead, and slowly, deliberately buttoned up his vest, staring at her the entire time.

"Ah, what?" She seemed to be paying attention now. "What, are you leaving?" Then, finally realizing why he was looking at her so cynically, she blushed gracefully.

"Yes. Well." Wain shook his head slowly and brushing back his short, rakish dark hair with a careless hand. "Are you going to pay attention to the lesson if I stay?"

"Yes! Yes!" Shizura said, her hands tightly clutched in her lap. "Sure I will, Wain!"

He sat down crosslegged again, just like her, and immediately launched into history again. "The Elves, graceful but usually delicate, are masters of archery. The Midfolk, or Halflings, or Dwarves, or whatever you decide to call them, are masters of both thievery and craft. Among the Midfolk are both the most trustworthy and least trustworthy of all the Lightfolk -- or so it is said. At any rate, the great hero Cecillian was the one who emerged as the greatest general. With a bizarre monster named Lhao, a giant flying eyeless worm, as his greatest friend, he acquired the Sword of Kings, and..."

<<--->>

Shizura smiled gently as she began to walk, beckoning Kevin onward as she took one last glance at the Unicorn.

 

[katalynn]

Lavastine~

He had startled the horse some at his landing from no where. I lead the horse back up on land for I didn't want to be in the water if I had to get off. He startled me just a little of where he landed, but not of his presence. I heard his music become closer, my hearing was better than most elven race, I heard the familiar sound of rustling leaves when he climbed. To others it would have sounded just like the wind.

"Perhaps so, M'lord. Though I haven't had much of an issue of that nature." And to those that do try normally fail at the attempt."
Ancient accent ran smoothly in my words. It was an accent he probably hasn't heard, or if he as it has been centeries. They were calm considering the situation.

Never did look up to him, kept my eyes to the ground. Using his voice and feet to indicate where he was. If he got closer I'd step back. keeping the same distance at all times.

"You do not seem like a monster, least not by your actions. Your appearance is mostly not of one either, cept for the wings. Monster are far more grotesque looking, What makes you look as you do? More importantly you must want something, or you would not have followed me.... "

It was strange, just having him near me like this, and those wings. Were strangely enough, arousing me. His music earlier did not help much, for it still rang strong in my head, slowly arousing me all more. I kept still and calm though, not trusting this creature?!? He almost appeared to be a half breed. There were not to many demons, monsters. whatever, that looked as he did.

'Damn won't that music stop playing, Just long enough till I can get somewhere private. or something. ... But.. but it was so beautiful... it's hard to get it out of my mind.... Why now?? grrrr.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Seth

After a month of traveling, you begin to appreciate the things you get from civilization, a bath being one of them; so when I broke through the brush and found myself at a small waterfall and pond, it took me all of a minute to get out of my clothes and into the water.
Soon I was scrubbed clean and working on my clothing. Eventually I had my clothes clean and drying, so I got out, and stretched out next to them in the warm sunlight, one arm behind my head, the other covering the gem glowing softly red in my chest.

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl of the Macrai-Itoche

"Don't look like a monster, eh? I'm mildly insulted. I'll have you know that I'm one of the Macrai-Itoche. A proud race of monsters. It is said that the Dark Lord made us with the beauty of the fae and the cunning of monsters. But monster I be, and that is what makes me look like this. Although,...My skin is not usually as human-toned as this. But I find it easier to decieve than to fight, especially when outnumbered. You should know about hiding, how you never look me in the eyes."

He watched her carefully. Not too fast, Zarl. Look at the careful way she watches your feet. She's ready to bolt. He smiled, and took a step back, wanting to see if she'd keep the same distance, even if it meant moving towards him, or if she'd bother looking up at him.

"Although, if you want monsters to look grotesque, the females of my kind cover that enough for all the species. Which, of course, brings me to the subject of what I want. You're a pretty thing, you know that? And like I said, there are lots of nasty monsters who'd want to have their way with you. Of course, m'lady, I'd like to think I'm one of the more polite of them."

Her accent nagged at him. Something in the back of his mind, from his childhood, when the Elders had taken him past the Hall of Grazes for the Lessons...He pushed it from his mind.

"So, I quess the real question is,..." He spread his wings. "How hard are you going to make this?"