[Bronze Woods] A Wild Night And Even Wilder Creatures

by **Shall** on February 16th, 2014, 12:37 pm

2nd Spring 513 AV

It had stopped raining for some time and Shall still sat silently on the stone peak, looking at the clear blue sky. There was nothing but white clouds and rolling mountains spreading around her. She had been there, meditating for hours despite the weather. Her clothes were all soaked because of the rain and it uncomfortably stuck to her skin. She was wearing her usual plain clothes, which she thought were suitable for going to the wilds. Simple black shirt hugged her slim figure, complimented her slender arms and round shoulders. White pants clung to her hips, its hem covered an inch in mud and dirt, which she didn't mind all that much. Her hair was being toying by the wind, a mess of lavender gray tumbled down her back. When her clothes was dry, she would leave.

The wind was howling, cool and indifferent. After a long winter, there were finally rays of long-awaited sunshine licking on the surface of the mountain. Shall could feel the time pass by, ticking quietly like a shadow along with the wind. It sneaked somewhere on the top of leafy trees, in a pool of sun-bathed water and kissed her horns and hairs with warm, dried lips. There was a vague, hazy touch in its way of strolling about, which easily enticed one's eyelid to close, yet the wheels of time kept her wide awake. Her eyes still captured the vivid colors around, her nose picked up the woods's fresh scent and her ears could hear the melody of the mountains, birds singing so merrily and trees swaying in the ever cool wind.

Shall looked down and examined the pool of water near the place where she sat. She tried to focus on her inner djed, which was overflow inside. Then, she concentrated it near the palm of her hand, and expelled it out. A ball of glowing blue fluid appeared and Shall proceeded to turn the outer layer of the fluid ball into water. With her index finger pointed out, she made it into long strings of water coiling around her body . They ran around in circles. The strings cast its shadow on her luminous skin, making water patterns roam in silence. Turning the core of the res strings into water, she watched the dancing water in mild interest. Some images flashed by her mind as the water came plashing on the ground.

It had been a season since her last day in Mura. She had stayed there for two years to learn Medicine and do some research on her own. Mura reminded her most of her past there. Shall had had a family, a loving mother, a hard-working father and a little sister. She didn't sure if she want those days back, days with peace and plainess. Now and then, those memories came back with lingering images, sounds and smells...making it all familiar yet new. The past was the past, nothing more.

After wandering aimlessly cities after cities, she settled down in Syliras, the city of peace. She didn't know why but she had decided to stay here for a while, at least for a year. Everyday, she would wake up, strolling around the street, observing the activities of the people at the market. She noted, not many cities allowed different kinds of race to go freely around the city as Syliras. She was greeted by smiling face all the time when she was in this city. It was truly comfortable staying here. She also liked the wildlands of Syliras.

The wild was untamed, full of mysteries and danger and it drew her in with it sweet, raw beauty. She had decided to have a change of scenery after overhearing some hunters talking about it. The cobalt mountain was the destination she had chosen. After that, with a backpack, she went directly to the mountain after asking for direction from some residents. Afraid that she wouldn't make it for dinner, she didn't wandering far.

The sun was setting. It bathed the whole sky in flaming red. Shall stood up and got her backpack, beginning to walked home. After turning left, she found and walked along a path that leaded down hill. A few hours passed, she began to wonder why it took so long to go home. Shall didn't know that, she had unknowningly walked further into the woods.

After walking for a long time, she finally realized that she was lost. The sun had long gone and her form had already changed. The temparature was dropping and it's getting colder and colder. Shall took a long breath and found a place to camp for the night. She found some wood and made a fire with her tools. Having sitting down, she began to think back to find her own mistake. She could tell that she had been chosen the opposite direction. It must because the path she chose was identical to the previous that leaded to her inn and it's easy to mistake one for another. It was the only conclusion she could come up with.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew by and put out her fire. It would go pitch black if not for the moonlight. Shall groped her way in the dark, trying to find the flint and steel to make a fire again.

by **Andruen** on February 17th, 2014, 3:00 am

It had long since been nearing nightfall when Andruen climbed through brush and bush alike, the trees and foliage providing a decent shelter from the prying eyes of a hawk that circled above. Andruen was out hunting as he usually was, the boar that he was tracking less than a day's worth away from him. Tuvien, the hawk that circled above cawed loudly before flying southwards towards Syliras in the distance before hanging right and turning back north with a flap of his wings.

Andruen nodded, frowning at the thought. The signal his bird had given was one that told him that night was approaching and he had no time to reach his camp in the plains below or the city in the distance. It was at that time when he was looking down the hill and into a glade, spotting the Ethaefal from afar as she used her Reimancy to form the tendrils about herself. His brow rose as he watched in silence from the distance, leaning forward to get a better if not closer view of the Reimancy. "Now that's a trick I've not seen..." He muttered to himself as he blinked his attentions from the girl.

The sun was setting... and fast.

Being at the edge of the forest was one of the worst ideas when nightfall came. The wolves and bears that thrived in the night commonly flocked the crusts of the forest's edge, waiting for someone to show themselves in the nearby plains. The only safe place in the forest was in the central area of the forest, where the thicker shrubbery and foliage provided you more places to hide. That's the direction Andruen took, entirely unaware that just down the hill, the Ethaefal was taking the same route, even if she thought she was heading out of the forest. He meandered along the steep forest trail as it twisted and turned, dodging tree trunks, animal burrows and cliffs alike.

At long last, he was on flat ground once again and the dead of night loomed overhead as Leth shown down upon the thick layer of trees. He needed a place to stay, and with a motion skyward, his eagle flew off towards Syliras to return to his perch at the gates. "Where can I set up shelter here..." He muttered to himself, and no sooner than he spoke did a fire pop into existence through some shrubbery nearby. Andruen blinked at his good fortune. Fire almost always meant other people, and other people meant safety. He approached the bushes quietly, drawing aside the leaves enough to see the flames flickering. They were low, and not well prepared to survive the night. It was at that point where his eyes met the figure of the Ethaefal he had spotted from before, crouching nearby the fire.

He almost stumbled back in shock at meeting such a... well, suffice to say that the girl didn't quite know heads or tails of the forest. He continued to stare when the burst of wind drove down from the mountains and extinguished her fire. This was his chance to get closer as she scrambled about trying to find the flint and steel to light the flames.

He made his way through the bush as quietly as he could, his hands reaching into his pockets and drawing out his own flint and steel as he approached the small campsite. He was a bit squeamish about what he was planning to do, but with a light swallow, he struck the flint and steel together, catching sparks luckily the first strike. The tinder that had been gathers sprung to life again, the light startlingly bright to his eyes. He was used to the waning darkness of the forests at night. He blinked, looking up at the girl who was now just a few feet from her. "... Hi." He said with a wide smile, making a motion of greeting with his right hand.

by **Shall** on February 17th, 2014, 9:00 am

The ground was still damp and she could feel its coldness under her fingers. After a few minutes, the tip of her fingers touched a cool piece of stone and she soon found her flint and steel. Holding the tools in her hands, she stood up. Before she had the time to turn around, Shall heard a small sound of something being stuck together. She turned around and found out that there was someone crouching near by, his hand holding flint and steel. A fire was lit in place, much brighter than her own. After blinking for a few times to get used to the light, Shall observed the man in front of her.

He possessed a pair of blue eyes, which made an unwaving gaze, strong and honest. Short blonde hair framed his thin face, head slightly looked up to look at her. The stranger's face was serene, serious yet gentle all the same. He was wearing a jerkin over a white shirt and a pair of dark pants. The stranger then smiled widely, making a motion of greeting with his right hand."...Hi", he said.

Shall silently stood there, eyelids lowered a little bit. When did he go to where the fire was? She didn't heard a single sign of entering. And more important, why was he out here this late? ...Who is he? Questions entered her mind. Judging from his clothes and behaviors, plus the fact that he was out here alone, Shall guessed he must be someone who could stay in the mountain without a problem. He was a hunter, perhaps? That would make sense for a hunter to be out here alone this hour. Anyhow, if he 's someone who's familiar with the woods, he could help her get our of here. Beside, being here with another person was must safer than being alone. It had been a long time since she last had a talk with someone. After wandering for years, she was used to come and go as a wind, rarely getting to talk with other people.

"...Hi", she said with a polite smile ,"I'm Shall. Are you one of the forest dwellers?"

"Thanks for helping me with the fire", she walked towards the stranger and sat down on a big flat rock near the fire.

by **Andruen** on February 22nd, 2014, 3:48 pm

"You could say that." He states gently as he picked up one of the green twigs she had in the fire before it went out. "You really shouldn't burn the green ones. The moisture makes the flame weak and easily extinguished." He said, spinning the twig between his fingers. He glanced back over to Shall.

She was startlingly pretty with lavender-gray hair and white horns to boot. His brow perked a little in interest at the horns. He'd met his fair share of Ethaefal by now, but they still managed to catch him off-guard with how good looking some of them were. Even the males seemed to be beautified by Syna and Leth. His lips curved down in thought as he realized that most Ethaefal, even the ugly ones, were probably better looking than he was. Letting out a sigh, he tossed the twig aside and gave another glance to Shall. She wore the clothes of a prettied-lady, one who probably didn't have a clue about the wilderness of Syrilas.

"It's dangerous to be out her at night, Shall." He began, frowning a bit as he tilted his head to the side, "You've the looks of a city-dweller, and you stand out too well with your hair and horns amid the greens and browns of the forest. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were lost." He sighed. He always ran into people who did not belong in the forest. Not once had he run into another like him; another person who was as at-home in the forests as he was.

"Well, if you are lost, I can help you get back to the city... but not until daybreak. The black-wolves are out tonight. I saw one an hour ago down the way." He motioned out of the clearing towards the distant edge of the forest, "They lurk at the edges, waiting for people to wander in. They don't normally come near sources of light, though. Normally." He trailed off, his distracted thoughts causing him to frown in remembrance of the last time he ran into a black-wolf.

by **Shall** on February 23rd, 2014, 2:28 am

Shall watched the stranger silently as he spinned the green twig between his fingers. No green twigs in the fire because its moisture makes the fire weak and and easily extinguished. Only allow the dry ones. Done with memorised. The stranger looked relaxed. He glanced over to where she sat. Shall still kept her gaze on the fire, shoulders slightly leaned forwards. She could feel his eyes on her through the corner of her eyes. She was suddenly aware of her form at that moment. He should have known that she was an ethaefal by now. Night had fallen and her horns were visible to naked eyes. She usually raised her hoods to hide them while wandering in cities, not very often when she was alone, espeacially in the wilds.

Shall knew the wilds were dangerous, and had never entertained the thought of staying late here. She just wanted some quiet time by herself and ended up getting lost. He was correct. Maybe she would have met a dangerous situation if she was unlucky. Meeting him was fortunate she guessed. She looked at the hem of her pants, which was covered in dirt and mud. Maybe her clothes were not that suitable? Shall had never really cared about her looks, and she had very few clothes. She had thought plain clothes would have done it better. Judging by his comment, she thought that she had made a mistake somewhere. Probably the color. Black and white. Aware of the danger surrounded her, Shall rarely left the cities. It caused her to lack the understanding in wilderness survival. She must change something about it.

"Yes, I was lost and couldn't find the way out" She said to him.

She was lucky after all. She could not fend off many wolves with her water magic. Shall used to consider living in the woods once. Somewhere high up in the mountains with pure air, where she could see stars everynight, somewhere quiet and isolated. She would have to study to survive if she wanted it to happen, though.

"They lurk at the edges, waiting for people to wander in. They don't normally come near sources of light, though. Normally." The stranger frowned again, his eyes focused. Black wolves lurkes at the edges of the woods to wait for people and they normally don't come near sources of light. Got it. He seemed like a helpful one, and willing to help her get out of the forest. Maybe she could ask and learn something from him.

"What is your name?" She asked, she didn't remember to ask for it nor heard it from him."How long have you stayed here?

by **Radiant** on April 14th, 2014, 1:00 am

Shall :

Andruen :

Notes :

My radiance is not bright enough?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+2 XP
Reimancy	+1 XP
Wilderness Survival	+1 XP
Socialization	+1 XP

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+1 XP
Wilderness Survival	+1 XP
Socialization	+1 XP

Completed [Bronze Woods] A Wild Night And Even Wilder Creatures