The Gathering

[Seyp]

20th Day of Spring, 510 A.V.

“We shouldn’t linger.” Holton said, a tall rugged looking man with long dark hair and blue eyes. He carried in his hands a long steel spear, it’s bladed head glimmering in the sun. and was dressed in dark leathers that practically allowed him to blend in with the scenery he stood nearby. “You’ve been paid to keep watch until I’ve finished my painting, and so you shall, if you expect to be paid.” Illimar replied, a short and skinny man, dressed in fine silk clothing with colors so bright a child of the jungles could have spotted him from a mile away. His strait blond hair hanging out from under the brim of his bright blue hat. He was flanked on either side by a man holding up a shield, their hands gripping the hilt of swords. “I didn’t expect it would take you this long. We’ve already been here for four bells, when you said it would only take you two at the most.” Holton replied, almost impatiently. “You can’t rush inspiration, do eat or drink something. Your mood is ruining my brush strokes.” Illimar said almost snidely as he dragged his paint brush along the canvas he stood in front of. “You don’t know this place!” Holton suddenly sneered, keeping his tone silent but forceful at the same time. “You simply think it looked pretty and figured most of the stories were mere rumors! You…” Holton suddenly stopped, looking up to the jungle canopy as he suddenly began hearing bird call out through the wild. “Did you hear that?” Holton said, grabbing his spear and holding it in front of him. Illimar suddenly sighed, turning towards his hired guide. “You do scare easily, it’s nothing more than a parrot or som…” Illimar began saying before the whistle of something cutting through the air echoed for a mere second before dull ‘thunk’ could be heard. Holton’s eyes narrowed and a frown crossed his features while Illimar’s eyes grew wide and his skin pale with fright as both of the shield men fell back. One landed along the ground, motionless as an arrow sticking out of his head, the simple fell the ground, his legs thrashing as he gargled out painful screams, clutching at the arrow that stuck out of his neck. Illimar fell to his rear as panicked gasps of air were taken, his gaze shot over towards Holton, who was already fleeing as he ran through the jungle, his feet carrying him as fast as he could. Illimar’s gaze, however, suddenly shifted towards the west as he heard a soft thud of feet landing along the jungle floor. His eyes took in horror the view of a tanned skin man, wearing a thin black cotton tunic and tan pants seeming to be made out of hemp. His arms bore tattoos of design he did not recognize, his frame fitting a medium build, though toned and athletic. His features, while handsome, were dark almost detached as he gazed over Illimar with an emotionless expression. He slowly began stepping towards Illimar, a small jingle echoing out with each right step he took. As he approached, two females dropped down from the trees, each of them carrying long bows, another arrow already notched into the strings. Their build seemed even more fit and strong than the males, and they carried with them, almost an expression of superiority as one of them looked down on the fancy dressed artist, the other looking towards the direction Holton retreated. “The other runs towards spider territory.” One of the females suddenly said in her native tongue. “I will hunt him down, but it will cost you extra Seyp.” “No,” the male replied in the same language, his hand dipping into a small pouch at his waist for a moment, “I’ll track him there. I’m out of practice anyways. Besides, he was more aware than the others here. I would prefer his head intact.” Seyp stopped, his gaze drifting towards the painting Illimar had been working on, studying it as if trying to comprehend something from it other than whatever emotion Illimar was trying to convey in his strokes. Illimar took such as his chance as he suddenly pushed himself to his feet, scrambling along the ground as he attempted to suddenly escape. Seyp’s hand drifted casually to his side, grasping at a shimmer of metal that rested there. With loosening fingers, a jingle of metal echoed out as a solid steel weight attached to long lengths of thick chain suddenly dropped towards the ground, the links of metal rattling. The sound only caused Illimar’s heart to race more quickly as he tried to hasten his escape, almost tripping several times in the process. The sound of the chain rattling for a quick moment, then cutting through the air echoed in Illimar’s ears and he looked over his shoulder, seeing Seyp swinging a long length of the chain around in the air. A panicked screamed escaped his mouth as he suddenly tried to run faster. A final spin and sudden long swing found the weight of Seyp’s chain suddenly moving through the air and gripping Illumar’s right ankle tightly as he suddenly fell face first along the forest grounds. He rolled to his back, suddenly reaching for the chain, only to find it suddenly tugged on sharply by Seyp when it did, increasing the already dull pain that was suddenly rising there. Illimar looked up in terror as Seyp began approaching, taking up the length of chain as he did so to keep the grip the chain had on Illimar tight. As Seyp now stood directly over Illimar, he found his head tilting slightly as Illimar suddenly began throwing coins made of a golden metal at his feet, his voice trembling almost to the point of crying. Seyp slowly crouched down, picking up one of the coins as he examined it for a brief moment. Looking to the other two, he flipped one of the coins to them. “Perhaps you could sell them to the jewelry makers.” Seyp suggested before looking back to Illimar. Illimar had almost a pleading look in his eyes as Seyp observed him for a long moment in silence. Then, with a casual, slow movement, Seyp slowly reached out, grasping at the ridiculous looking cap that rested along Illimar’s head. He found his hand then snatching it off and tossing the cap aside when Illimar shied away. “Please don’t hurt me, please don’t hurt me.” Illimar continued to repeat. “Tell me about your life,” Seyp then suddenly said in common to Illimar, “for it is important to me.” Illimar looked up to Seyp, a confused expression crossing his features and a twinkle of hope appearing in his eyes. One of the Myrian huntress’ just sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. “What?” Illimar simply replied, as if he hadn’t heard Seyp correctly. “Your life, your profession.” Seyp said, slipping the chain from Illimar’s angle before hanging it at his waist again. “Tell me about some of your exploits, your accomplishments. I feel I must know these things.” “Seyp, quit playing with the prey.” One of the huntress’ then said in the Myrian tongue. “These are things I must know.” Seyp replied in the same tongue, looking back to the huntress. “It is important that I know for the process of my work to be successful.” “If I tell you, will you let me go?” Illimar then replied. Seyp slowly looked back to Illimar, that same cold expression still on his face as he looked into Illimar’s eyes. His eyes then traveled down Illimar’s frame, catching the edge of something that suddenly interested him more. Seyp reached out for it, and before Illimar could react to what was being done, a small leather bound booklet was pulled from a jacket pouch. Illimar gasped suddenly, as Seyp unraveled the leather cord that kept the booklet closed and began flipping through the pages. “Ah, how very fortunate. A journal.” Seyp said aloud in common before flipping through a few more pages. He then looked to Illimar, closing the booklet. “It also appears you kept a very detailed record of your life as well. I wonder, was it vanity that prompted you to do this? Hopes that a record of your life would make it across the lands and inspire many other would be artists?” Illimar began sniffling slightly, as his eyes began to grow red, tears forming along his lower eye lids. “Well, no matter.” Seyp said as he stood up, his free hand reaching into the pouch at his waist again. He then pulled out two Bika from the pouch, handing one to each of the female huntress’ giving a slow nod. “Please do save the bones of his right forearm and fingers, as well his scalp and hair. The rest you and your sisters can have for the feast.” Seyp requested of the other two. Seyp then began walking in the direction Holton fled as he stuffed Illimar’s journal into his pack. Illimar’s panicked screams and eventual death cries echoing out through the forest as Seyp began to pick up his pace, following the trail Holton left behind in his flee.

[Seyp]

Seyp moved through the foliage, his frame low as his eyes simply peered over the ground looking over the deep imprints in the ground left behind by Holton’s panicked fleeing. “A child could follow this.” Seyp commented silently before looking up as he began his running pace once again. His eyes constantly shifted back and forth for movement of the jungles wildlife. He may have been hunting at the time, but that didn’t necessarily make him the only hunter in the jungle. His ears twitched at every call of the wild, and his head swayed from side to side slightly, increasing his peripheral vision to keep an eye out for the various threads that the jungles provided. Seyp stopped for a moment, looking down to the tracks once again. Water that lingered along the surface of the track itself hinted at it’s freshness. He was getting closer, and the scents of the Holton’s sweat and leathers that still lingered in the air only confirmed it. Seyp suddenly moved forward again, leaping over a large root that had risen above ground from a large tree. His path continued strait forward, noticing the direction that Holton was taking, and where it would lead him. He had been tracking Holton for close to three bells now, and the sun was slowly beginning to set. Seyp would either have to catch up to Holton soon, or give up the chase entirely, for a great number of new threats would be unleashed into the jungles once night fell over the land and the light had been all but entirely snuffed out. A quick cry from one of the jungle’s wildlife suddenly found Seyp bringing his back to a large tree and spying his surroundings. His ears then twitched once again and his eyes narrowed as he heard the sound of a different creature all together. His head then slowly began to peek around the corner of the tree he leaned against, spotting Holton in the short distance, leaning up against a tree himself. He was breathing heavily, his gaze dashing back and forth to his surroundings as he gripped his spear tightly. The man’s face was full of fear, but at the same time he was focused. He had the calm not to let the fear overtake him, and do something stupid. The fact that Holton hadn’t been taken by one of the jungles wildlife already was fact of that enough. Seyp slowly pulled his head back behind the tree, slowly turning to face it. His hands reached down, slipping off his small, thin soul footwear before slipping them away into a deep pouch behind his back. His hands then reached out, gripping the deep ridges of the tree. His feet slipped up along the tree’s surface, his toes wrapping along the thick bark, gripping as best he could as Seyp slowly began to climb. It took a few short moments for Seyp to reach an outstretched branch as he slowly and silently as possible perched himself along it. Along the forest ground below, Holton still stood, taking a moment to catch his breath. While he had managed to avoid the wildlife and initial assault from the Myrian hunting team, Holton still made the single mistake of running too fast, for too long. In his fear to escape, he had spent himself for the time, and that was likely his only mistake so far, apart from obvious mistake of bringing the foolish artist into the jungle to begin with. Seyp’s hand slowly reached down to the chain at his side, pulling it free. His other hand then stretched out, gripping one of the thick vines that had been set there by Myrian hunters for a quick swing to other trees. It wasn’t uncommon, especially if the hunters themselves wanted to avoid some beast along the ground. Seyp, on the other hand, would be using it for a different purpose. Holton was thirty feet away, more then enough distance to put him out reach for Seyp’s chain. Instead, Seyp gripped the vine tightly with his left hand, wrapping one of his legs around it, while still holding his chain with the other. Seyp then leaned forward, falling free from the branch he sat along, and swung forward as the rush of air suddenly pushed back the short hair along the top of his head and pushed back his clothing along his frame. As Seyp began reaching the full velocity of his swing, he suddenly swung his arm forward toward Holton, who was now just noticing him. The weight and excess length of chain suddenly shot forward, quickly rushing towards Holton’s chest. To no avail, however, as Holton suddenly dropped to the ground, the weight of the chain slamming into the tree behind him, taking out a small chunk. Seyp let go of the vine, as his frame suddenly flew through the air, his feet spinning through the air as he flipped backward. As he fell to the ground, Seyp landed in a three point stance, his other hand still raised in the air, holding his chain. An expression on Seyp’s face hinted that such a maneuver wasn’t planned, and curiosity filled his face as to how his landing had worked out so well for a moment. His gaze then shifted to Holton, who was already getting back to his feet. A quick jerk of his hand retrieved the excess length of his chain as Seyp slowly straitened himself as Holton leveled the tip of his spear at him. “You have good reflexes,” Seyp said as he began swinging one end of his chain beside him, “tell me, what else can you do, and how have you used the skills over the course of your life.” A confused look appeared along Holton’s face as he raised the tip of his spear up slightly and began circling around Seyp, inching closer to him as he did so. “Why would you even ask me that when all you’re doing is looking to kill and eat me?” Holton asked. “I like to know as much as possible about my prey.” Seyp said plainly, his body turning slowly with Holton’s movements. “This is not your first time hear. You know how avoid the wild life for the most part, suggesting a decent skill in Wildlife Survival. You hold your spear in such a manner that it makes it difficult for me to obtain an opening using my weapon, and the fact that you’re using a circular motion to distract from the fact that you’re moving in closer to me in order to bring me into the range of your spear suggest a certain skill in tactics as well.” Holton stopped for a moment in reaction to Seyp‘s words, and when he did, Seyp threw his chain forward, the weighted end once again moving towards Holton’s chest. Holton quick swung his spear to the side and leaned as he did so, deflecting the chain off course as it fell to the ground behind him. He quickly rushed forward as he thrust the tip of his spear at Seyp’s head. Seyp quickly jumped backward, swinging the other end of his chain in front of him as he knocked Holton’s spear to the side, trying his best to avoid even a simplest of nicks. Such would put the scent of his blood out into the air and attract unwanted stalkers of the wild. He landed out of reach of Holton’s spear, yanking on his chain once again to retrieve the length. “You also seem somewhat skilled with your weapon. Though it’s obvious the use of the one I wield is one you’re not used to facing, offsetting that skill of yours. Interesting, the facts one can find out by simply studying body language, motions and facial expressions.” Seyp continued as he began swinging his chain once again. “You know your way around the outer edges of the jungle, as you’re taking the most direct route out of here. Unfortunately, it’s taken you into a dangerous part of the forest. You really should just surrender now, before it gets dark.” “Why? So I can be killed before being cooked and eaten?” Holton simply said as he began circling Seyp again. “Better than wrapped in webbing only to have your inner body liquefied by a large spider for eating. I would imagine that's much more painful.” Seyp replied before pausing as he looked past Holton, releasing a disappointed sigh as he stopped swinging his chain. “Looks as though, one of them has woken early.” Holton slowly turned, his eyes widening as he spotted what Seyp had seen. Out of the thick shadows of the forest, a spider the size of a pack horse slowly hissed as it came stepping into the small clearing that Seyp and Holton fought in. It’s colors and the long hairs along it’s body suggested that it was part of the tarantula species as it rose the two front legs of it’s full eight and hissed at the pair of them once again in a threatening manner. Holton backed away immediately, leveling his spear at the spider as he came to a stop ten feet away next to Seyp. “Okay, we can do this.” Holton suddenly said to Seyp. “Use your chain to entangle it’s legs while I go in for the kill with my spear.” Seyp looked to Holton for a moment, raising one of his brows as if Holton had just suggested something totally absurd. He then began wrapping up the length of his chain. He moved as little as possible as the spider studied the pair, as if waiting for them to suddenly begin fleeing. Seyp then slowly attached his chain once again to his side to the surprise of Holton. “What are you doing?” Holton said as he saw Seyp reach into his pouch, pulling out his footwear once again. “I run faster with my footwear on.” Seyp replied quietly. “You’re insane. You can’t outrun the spider.” Holton said, his gaze shifting back and forth between Seyp and the tarantula. “I don’t have to outrun the spider,” Seyp said as he slowly stood back up, giving Holton an emotionless expression. “I just have to outrun you.”

[Seyp]

It was a flat out run as their feet hit the jungle ground in a desperate scramble. Their lungs already began to burn, but the desperate will to keep on living kept them both at even pace as the spider behind them gave chase, looking to feast on the first one it reached. Seyp found Holton’s stamina to be remarkable, considering the fact that he had already been running before, and had engaged in a short amount of combat with Seyp before beginning this very run for their life. He suspected, had Holton and him both started fully rested, Seyp would have been lagging behind already. Such thoughts didn’t linger long as Seyp leapt over a jungle root sticking out of the ground, only to hear it shattered by the spider’s lashing legs. Others at this particular moment, might have been considering that Holton’s previous plan of working together to defeat the beast would have been the better option. Seyp spied Holton out of the corner of his eyes, knowing better, and he suspected Holton did to. The large tarantula, while not the largest and most dangerous of creatures in the jungle, was still quite deadly. It was something, like so many, that Myrian’s would not hunt alone, save for the small handful of elite hunters and warriors. Seyp began to now notice the exhaustion starting to show on Holton’s face. While he himself couldn’t say he faired much better, as it felt like his veins pumped acid and his lungs took deep breaths that hurt, he still could tell that with Holton’s heavy leathers, thick boots, and long spear, he carried more of the burden. “Now is as good a time as any.” Seyp thought to himself as his hand suddenly shot down to his chain. With a quick fling of his arm, the weighted end of Seyp’s chain began soaring through the air at Holton. His skill, as it had so many times before in his life, caused him to quickly raise his spear in defense, and dodge backwards. Though striking Holton wasn’t Seyp’s goal, and by the time Holton realized this, he was cursing Seyp through screams of pain as the tarantula pounced on him, pinning Holton to the ground. Seyp immediately took the trees, climbing to a safe height, and stopping there to observe as the large spider buried it’s fangs into Holton’s back, injecting him with it’s venom. Holton’s body went limp in a matter of seconds and it wasn’t long after before the tarantula began to drag him away. Seyp gave a slow exhale, catching his breath as he began to wind his chain, his expression still blank. “Pity.” Seyp then said aloud as another potential donator to his Malediction practice was now lost. Seyp took another moment to rest, his hand gripping the branch of the tree as he remained perched along it. He surveyed the area for several moments, regaining his bearings after the blind flee. He then began moving along the various limbs and branches along the jungle, using them for transport now rather than traveling the jungle grounds. The fading sun announced the call of dusk, as new sounds of the forest began to echo out loudly through the forest. He would have to take his pace slow, as only those Myrian’s who traversed the jungle for several years could blindly move through the trees without fail, knowing the position of every branch in every tree as if it were second nature to them. Seyp himself spent more time in Taloba than he did the wild, only coming out when he needed to hunt for parts. Night had fully fallen over the wild by the time Seyp had returned to camp. The other hunters had already been cooking the feast caught for the day, as they all sat around, telling the tales of their individual hunts. All of them instinctively reached for their weapons as the sounds of Seyp’s approach rang in their ears. “It’s only me.” Seyp announced as he stepped into the camp, grabbing the nearest water skin for a drink. “The runner?” the huntress that was with Seyp inquired. “I fear one of the eight legs got to him before I could finish him myself.” Seyp replied, dragging the back of his wrist along his mouth. “You should have let me go after him then.” the replied with a haughty smirk. “You haven’t the skill to be considered a serious hunter in the long run.” “Yes, yes. So you keep saying, but information is needed apart from just the parts, as I’ve said. It’s the only thing that brings me out here repeatedly with the hunting parties.” Seyp replied as a plate of meat was offered to him. “My parts for today, by the way?” “Yes, not a total loss today. Still, I can’t imagine what you would create using the bones of such a incompetent individual such as this one.” The huntress replied, tossing Seyp a small leather pouch as the bones inside rattled together. “Each has their own specialty in this world,” Seyp said, holding the pouch before his gaze, “and I can allow those specialties to go on beyond their death, even if it may be in the hands of another. All in all, to each their own.”

[Cayenne]

Great thread! This is definitely going to be someone to watch. Wonderful characterization - it'll be interesting to watch him. Enjoy the body-parts from the hunt! I hereby award the following: Interrogation: 2 XP Weighted Chain: 3 XP Tracking: 2 XP