Placeholder A shipment so precious

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

A shipment so precious

Postby Xira Hezmek on September 1st, 2014, 1:48 am

25th of Summer 514
Coalinga Gem Mines

"I trust that you understand what it means to steal from us?" Typhus Chivan growled to the courier. The sound of toil and hard work and the flash of magic went on behind and presumably below him. "If you flee with this" He gestured with a leather bound package, "Well, life will get very unpleasant for you. Trust that we will find you." He turned as concussive blast echoed behind him, the handiwork of a powerful reimancer skilled with Air no doubt. "Keep things clean Navkola." The Akalak barked behind towards the entrance. "Anyways, deliver this and we might contact you again. Trust is hard to come by and you have been given a chance to earn it."

Xira nodded and bowed. "Of course milord. This is my livelihood at stake." He straightened up and bowed in deference to the man, a creature who could destroy him with a flick of a wrist, and accepted the package. "Do you expect any trouble then?" The courier inquired.

"There is always trouble on the plains. But no. We have gotten into a habit of not announcing ourselves, and by rotating our couriers. Like I said about trust, better to be cautious." The blue skinned man gave him a hard, inhuman look, those yellow eyes glittering lamp-like in the shade offered by stands of acacia trees. "Good bye Xira, I hope to see you again ready for more work."

The courier frowned at the man's back but nodded. It was exhausting giving these creatures perfect deference. Nothing could be done about it. Such was the social status of non-kuvan. Ah well, he was nearly to the point that he had the courage to take the test. Xira strolled off, tucking the package into his shirt, lost in thought. Akalak were a strange sort, they were the children of darkness and discipline, Akaji and Wysar, who walked among their children to this day. They lived for so many more years than his own kind. Snow, his horse, interrupted his thoughts with a neigh of greetings as she looked back at him, casually cropping the grass nearby. Xira patted her flank and came near to scratch under her broad muzzle. "What do you think? Do we belong among this descendents of gods? You are just a horse, and I am just a man. Maybe we are better off in Syliras with our own kind." Snow gave him a knowing look and snorted. "Ah... perhaps you are right, Kavala would miss us so. Still... Oh well. Lets be off my darling." He rested his head briefly against her great forehead before checking her straps and saddle. Best to keep his mount comfortable on their ride, however short it might be.

A moment later he removed the lead straps from the trees and slid his boot into a stirrup before swinging himself into the saddle. Xira momentarily wished he could get the hang of riding. Every time was the same, he wobbled in the saddle and could not seem to match her cadence, limiting the speed she was capable of travelling. She was fast, but only as fast as Xira was able to let her be.

On Xira's part, it was closer to clinging and clutching than actually riding. All the same, the man was determined to get the hang of it. So the set off, a leisurely pace that was still straining the limits of his skill.
Last edited by Xira Hezmek on December 6th, 2016, 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dear Graders: I collect location lore!
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Xira Hezmek
Here's the mail it never fails.
 
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A shipment so precious

Postby Xira Hezmek on September 7th, 2015, 11:35 pm

Xira gripped Snow's flanks with his knees and gently tugged the reins in the direction they needed to go. First he had to find the road, however. Chances were that he would get lost, but that wasn't to say it would be the valterrain all over again. The courier whistled to himself as they moved right along. The trick to Land Navigation was to take in one's surroundings. Landmarks, the sun, the sky. At night he had the stars, though that was tricky in it's own right. And naturally maps helped immensely.

Lucklily he had was simply going back the way he came. Blue eyes peered up at the sky and considered, judging the time and his own position based off the sun was also tricky. However he knew that noon was when the sun was directly above his head and he could guess that if it was halfway between either horizon and directly above it was about three bells before or after noon, assuming the sun set after the sixth bell after noon. This changed in the summer, so the math would be off. Of course, none of that mattered; Syna above seemed to be inching somewhere around noon. That made things difficult because then he couldn't determine the cardinal directions based off the sun. Xira would have to trust his own instincts.

The courier gently guided his mellow mount up a hill edging the sea of grass. All he needed to do was find that road and he would be golden. Waves of grass lapped the "shore" of the sea. So much was hidden in those horse high stalks. From glassbeaks to plains wolves, it was suicide for someone who knew nothing of the plains. To think that an entire people lived in that grassland, a travelling city. It was like a different world out there.

Xira spotted the road off to his right, which put him facing south. On this side of Cyphrus the Sea faced east and the road and coast west. By facing south, that put both of those direction on his left and right respectively. The courier lifted up slightly in the saddle and lightly squeezed Snow's midsection, signaling his desire to move into a trot.

The trick, he knew was to balance and to settle into a rhythm. If he didn't he would be black and bruised all along his rear and sitting would hurt for a week. He let his bottom rise up on one beat and settle down for the lower beat, working as his equine companion flew along the wilderness towards the road.

There was panic in the courier's eyes, Snow had moved into a breakneck gallop and they were moving far faster then he was comfortable.
Dear Graders: I collect location lore!
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Xira Hezmek
Here's the mail it never fails.
 
Posts: 286
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A shipment so precious

Postby Xira Hezmek on September 15th, 2015, 8:43 pm

The reins slipped from his hands as he sought to bring Snow more into his line of thinking. Given her head, the mellow mare showed her true spirit. As terrifying as it was, it was certainly admirable to show this side of her. At this point Xira was not so much riding her as he was clinging to her neck for dear life. Each pace hit against his bottom, indicating that he was going to get some bruises the next day. "Snooow, stoooop" The typically composed man yelled, in vain of course.

When a man rides a windrunner horse, they are said to be borne along by the wind itself. Well, in Xira's case he was borne along by a gale. Wind whipped his hat off in their passage which he only caught by the edges of his finger tips. It was after all a nice. In the distance Riverfall's gates were visible across crest of a hill. And... down they went, which had the powerless rider yelp as they moved.

Xira had a moment of clarity just then. In his mind he thought back at what Kavala, a drykan born horse breeder and healer, might have done. He reached forward, straining against his lovely horse, to take hold of the headpiece. Startled, the pale horse lifted her head and slowed, trotting in a half circle as her rider's loose grip lightly tugged her around. "Now, that is enough racing." He lightly scolded her as he managed to catch the reigns and dismounted. Snow responded with a pleasant knicker and shook her head and mane. "Yeah, yeah, I am sure you are pleased with yourself. He patted her neck good naturedly and leaned against her. "You should be more patient with your hapless rider." He peered up into her liquid brown eyes, which regarded him calmly, innocently. The courier gave into some good natured grumbling.

The pair were reaching their destination. The inland gate was looming above and it was then that Xira figured he could attempt to ride again. Carefully, Xira slipped back onto his horse, he checked his position and the straps to make sure he wasn't hurting Snow's back or putting undue discomfort beyond bearing a man. He gently squeezed with his legs against her girth and she started plodding forward, tossing her head to get the bit into a more comfortable position. "Yes... that's right, good girl." He ruffled the horse's mane as they moved along and finally into the city of water, Riverfall.

The trick of Riverfall was that the place was set into tiers and had many ramps and stairs. Both of which could be tricky for a horse if she had to climb too steep of a ramp. But there had to be such ramps, otherwise it would be incredibly difficult to move freight up and down the waterfall'd tiers. But the city was cleverly designed so that even the steepest locations had switchbacks that even the most desolate oxen could pull a wide load across it.

Now he only need to find his way to the Hall of Stones to drop his package off.
Dear Graders: I collect location lore!
User avatar
Xira Hezmek
Here's the mail it never fails.
 
Posts: 286
Words: 227264
Joined roleplay: November 29th, 2013, 9:38 pm
Location: Riverfall
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 1
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