(Flashback) Shooting at the Sky (Solo)

[Aello]

Timestamp: 6 Summer, 508 AV Location: Shinyama Peak Aello awoke the next morning as soon as the sun had risen. Its bright golden rays stung her eyes, which refused to open. "Oh come on, just five more minutes," Aello groaned as she rolled onto her left side, and away from the rising sun. Why does morning always seem to come so quickly? And night not nearly quickly enough? Aello wondered as the sun's rays curled around the side of her face and into her eyes. They were lightly prodding the girl awake. Doesn't look like you're going to be getting any more sleep today love. Aello scrunched up her eyes a little more tightly. "But sleep is so nice, can't the day wait a few more minutes until we're done sleeping?" Aello complained. She lifted the palms of her hands to her eyes. They felt warm against her eye sockets, and smelled distinctly of grass. But even with this added measure of protection, the sun still trickled through the tiny spaces between her fingers. Aello growled. She lowered her hands and muttered, "fine, fine, the world is up. You happy now you evil sleep-stealing bastard?" she howled at the sky as she sat up. She would have raised one of her fists angrily above her head, and shook it at the sky, but she was still too tired. She could feel Nysel's cobwebs wrapping themselves around her, calling her back to the dream world. Aello could just make out the sounds of chirping in the distance when she rubbed the sleep crystals out of the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. Her stomach rumbled. It looks like you could use some breakfast. "Don't remind me," Aello said as she pulled her bag a little closer to her. She rummaged through it for a moment. Looks like you're all out of stuff to eat. Aello sighed as she shoved her bag back onto the ground. "Convenient." Aello's stomach rumbled again. Looks like you'd better go find something to eat. Aello sighed. "Sure does," she commented, as she slowly got to her feet, and wiggled her legs around to get the kinks out. She then reached for the sky until she felt a stretch. She held the position for fifteen seconds before returning to a more normal stance. When she had, she reached for her things. She weaved her quiver over her arms and onto the middle of her back. Her bag she slung over her shoulder, and her bow she simply plucked off the ground and held tightly in her left hand. Now, where to begin? Aello wondered as she looked up at the sky. Several large birds of about three feet in height were flying overhead. The bird's wingspan was about seventy-five inches on average. They had long black legs, yellow bills, and all white feathers. The color reminded Aello of the snow. The birds were flying in a V-shape, rather slowly across the pale blue sky. Their necks were retracted. Perhaps the bird flying just in front of them smells bad or something. "That would mean all of them smell bad," Aello said. There was a slight pause. "Even the one in the front has his head retracted though." Well maybe he is downwind or something. "But then the ones in the back wouldn't smell anything." Quit being such a smart ass. Aello shut up as she stared at them. The birds seemed elegant, as though they owned the sky. They were mainly quiet, although from time to time, they would emit a cuk cuk cuk to one another. Well don't they seem too nice to eat? Aello nodded. But she was getting so hungry, and they were flying sooooooo slowly, they'd be so easy for her to kill. But wouldn't that make killing them no fun at all? After all, we do like the challenge from time to time. "Not when we're so damn hungry we'd be willing to eat grass." True. "Besides, it'll be a good way to start the day. Practice some archery, work on our inability to cook." Fine, fine, kill the things. But they still seem too kind to be destroyed. "Well, there have to be more where they came from, it's not like killing one of them will destroy the entire damn species." Well no, but they're still pretty. "We heard you the first damn time." Aello's brain shut up. "Thank you." Aello gazed up at the sky. They were rather elegant, delicate looking birds. It almost made her rethink killing them, until her stomach rumbled. "Nope, you're all a dead bunch of birdies," Aello commented as she reached her right hand over her shoulder and plucked an arrow out of her quiver. She tilted her bow on its side, so that the wooden frame went from left to right. She slipped the arrow onto the bowstring. When she heard a click, Aello knew the arrow had taken to the serving. She twisted her bow around, so that the wooden frame was going up and down again, and lifted her bow. Her left hand was gripping it tightly, while the three middle fingers on her right hand wrapped around the arrow. The peacock-feathers tickled her fingers as she raised the bow, closed her left eye, and began to sight down the arrow. As of now, the bow was still too low. Aello raised it. Slowly, the point of the arrow inched closer and closer to the flock of birds. Well, they'd better taste good for all the trouble they're putting us through. Aello pulled the bow string back past her ear. Her bow was at an eighty-five degree angle with the ground. Well here goes. Aello let go of the bowstring. The arrow erupted out of the bow, sending the string into a series of rapid vibrations. The projectile cut through the air in a straight line. Everything seemed to be going well, until gravity set in, and down the arrow came. Hey why is the arrow getting bigger? Aello's eyes widened. The arrow was coming right at her. "Petch!" Aello shouted as she side-stepped out of the way just in the nick of time. Her arrow fell to the ground just beside her. It tumbled back and forth for a few moments until coming to a halt. Bloody heck, that thing nearly killed us! "Oh shut up!" Aello scolded as she grabbed another arrow from her quiver and quickly reloaded. Make me! Aello raised her bow again, and pointed the arrow towards the birds. "Perhaps if we don't aim so high, we won't make the same mistake again." You're going to try and kill them... AGAIN? Wasn't your first failed attempt lesson enough? "Guess not," Aello commented as she moved the bow a bit to the right. Her arrow was pointed at the underbelly of the bird in the rear of the V. She pulled back on the bow string a little more. Just don't get us killed... show off. Aello let go of the bowstring. The arrow soared through the air and towards the birds. As soon as the birds noticed it, they flew around in circles, and cuk cukked wildly. The arrow fell back to earth, Aello had hit nothing. "Petch!" Aello commented as the birds scattered. A single white feather fluttering to the ground. "They got away!" Frustrated, the girl retrieved her arrows before looking back up at the sky; the retreating birds. So much for a bird for breakfast. Perhaps you should try something on the ground. "Yeah." OOCThe birds are egrets.

[Aello]

Feeling somewhat defeated, Aello began to walk down the hill. Don't beat yourself up love. It's too early for any sort of negativity. Aello scowled as her stomach rumbled again. "Remind us of that later when we've collapsed from starvation. Touchy touchy. "Well, in case you haven't noticed the stomach is rumbling." I did notice. Aello rolled her eyes as she walked along in search of food. She was silent for a long time as the slight breeze rustled her long brown hair. After several minutes, Aello finally noticed a creature off in the distance. Excited, she moved a little closer. The creature was about 3 feet tall, and had thick white fur. It had a short beard, and two black horns sticking out of the top of its head. The horns were about twenty centimeters in length each. FOOD! Aello licked her lips. "Finally," she whispered, as she lifted her right hand over her shoulder, and plucked a peacock-feather tipped arrow from her quiver. She knocked the arrow onto the serving of her bow. Slowly, Aello raised her bow to the shooting position, and closed her left eye. The three middle fingers on her right hand wrapped around the arrow as she slowly inched the bowstring farther and farther back. When it had reached he side of her ear, Aello stopped. Her breath had caught in her throat, and she was doing her best not to make a sound. The creature, what Aello had finally recognized as some sort of mountain goat, had dipped its head, and pulled several blades of grass out of the dirt. Its large black eyes seemed to scan the area looking for trouble. After a while, it spotted Aello. Its ears twitched, as it stared at her, wondering if she was a threat. Aello didn't move. Don't you go anywhere. You might scare it away. Aello's heart seemed to skip several beats as the goat continued to chew on the grass. Finally, the goat finished chewing, and swallowed its mouthful of semi-masticated, and lumpy grass. It took another few more moments before lowering its head again, and taking another few mouth fulls. Aello let out her breath. It is foolish enough to trust you. Aello smiled, as she held onto everything. Her knuckles were growing white from gripping the bow. Best perfect your aim and get this over with before your fingers give up on you. The goat's tail swished merrily back and forth as Aello lowered her bow. She was aiming for the center of the goat's head. The space in-between its ears. Aello's heart skipped a beat. Was her aim good enough? she wondered as she made a few more minor adjustments by slowly raising and lowering the bow. She didn't want to scare her breakfast away, after all. After a few moments, Aello had decided that she wouldn't be able to do much better; she let go of the bowstring. The arrow erupted off of the bowstring, and sliced through the thin mountain air. It started off straight, but soon began to descend the farther and farther it flew. It whizzed past the goat, landing several feet away, farther down the hill. Aello brought her bow down with her left hand as she plucked another arrow out of her quiver with the right. Aello laced the arrow onto the serving. When she heard a click she lifted the bow again, and resumed the starting position. The goat was now looking up at Aello; eyeing her suspiciously. You need to end this quickly or it will leave. Aello nodded as she pulled the bow string back, and adjusted her aim by moving the bow to her right. As soon as the tip of the arrow had passed over her current target, Aello let go of the bow string. The arrow flew out of the string, and soared directly towards the goat. Of course, the wind just had to blow, and knock the arrow off course, causing it to fall by the creature's feet. The goat was now on high alert. Its hooves were pounding the grass and it was snorting angrily. Well that can't be good, Aello thought as she lowered her bow again, and the creature charged at her. Aello's heart skipped a beat and her eyes grew wide as it ran up the hill. Its head slightly lowered, its horns exposed to her. Petch! Get the heck out of the way! But Aello was stuck in place. Her feet seemed glued to the ground. The goat had reached her within seconds. It rammed into her legs, knocking the young spiritist to the ground. Her bow went flying out of her hands. It twirled through the air, before landing a few feet away. The ram was pounding the earth behind her, fleeing the woman who wanted to kill it. So much for your breakfast. Aello crashed into the ground with a loud thud. Instantly, a shooting pain coursed through her body; like lightning. Aello clutched her aching head. "Petch," she whispered as she closed her eyes tightly. Her fingers were weaving their way through her hair. "Remind me not to try that again." Aello's stomach rumbled. "Fuck you," she whispered as she rolled around on the ground in a daze. She could always get her things later. Much later. You know, when she didn't feel like someone had just hammered several nails into her skull. OOCThe main reason why Aello isn't severely inured or dead right now, was because when she shot at it, the ram was only 15 feet away, max. It didn't hit her full force, or head on. It was an indirect attack. (I hope that makes sense).

[Ataraxia]

Aello XP Shortbow +2, Observation +1, Hunting +2 Lore Fauna of Western Kalea (basic) Comments Well, Aello is... crazy? Hehe, she does talk to herself a lot. It does break it up a bit, and i'm glad to see that she isn't the world's most ninja archer despite the fact that her life (sort of) depended on her getting a kill. Let me know if you have any questions/concerns. Peace out!