Where Three Roads Meet -- Open

[Saren]

Aileana, Eachbánn, Faol



Aileana laughed with him. The mood had definitely lightened, and she was relieved that the conversation had gone this way. The boy seemed easygoing and lighthearted, seemingly having missed out on the aloofness that Avians were said to have.
The mention of a griffin bond caused her to inadvertently glance around the streets. Seeing as the first griffin she'd seen was bristling, facing up to a liger, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. And the fact that it had left its bond in danger... Maybe it was just careless, but Aileana wasn't entirely sure. Her fingers unconsciously brushed against the knife strapped to her thigh, hidden under her dress.
She nodded in understanding. "Surnames are pretty important where I come from. There's always some feud or other going on. It's exhausting to have to remember who's allied with whom and which families are fighting, so most prefer to avoid surnames at first." She wasn't sure why she was giving him so much detail, but no harm was being done.
Just then, what Aileana presumed to be Tyrik's bond trotted up. The griffin was gorgeous; maybe not quite as colourful as the blue beast sizing up the liger, but sleek and elegant all the same. She laughed at its dismissal of Tyrik's disapproval, and fondled the ears of the suddenly-rigid Faol.
"That's no problem," she said lightheartedly, "I'll find somewhere. It's, what, midday? I just have to find somewhere before nightfall, and I've got hours."
A low growl came from the direwolf at her side. He was staring directly at the griffin, hackles raised. "Faol," she said gently, "no. It's not a threat." The last thing she needed was for another face-off like the one happening only a few metres away to unfold.
Eachbánn stamped on the cobbled street and snorted impatiently. He pushed Aileana with his nose, and she pushed his face in turn gently away. The crowd was starting to press in on him, and he was uncomfortable with the closeness of so many people.
"Shall we walk?" asked Aileana.

[Kalo]

Running a hand through Zeru's mingled fur and feathers, Tyrik nodded at Aileana's explanation of the importance of surnames back at her home. It sounded similar to what he'd heard of Avian culture and house names. Nonetheless, he'd grown up in a place where they were of little to no importance. It was a smallish outlying village without nobles or anyone whose title would be influential.
In regards to quarters for the night, Aileana was right. There were hours left in the day, and he was bound to find someplace at some point. He hoped.
Zeru, on the other hand, had gotten curious about the dire and and sleipner that stood by the girl. He cocked his head, chittering a bit and eyeing the dire, recoiling when it growled and flapping his wings uncomfortably. Ty, noticing the tension, ruffled the griffin's feathers. "Zeru, they got me out of a mess between a liger and a griffin. You can leave them alone," he informed the griffin. Zeru squeaked in protest, but conceded, backing off a bit. He left his feathers slightly puffed up, though, giving him a slightly larger appearance than usual.
"That sounds great," he agreed in response to Aileana's question. "It's getting pretty crowded here. Come on, Zeru." Tyrik's bond perked up at the prospect of going someplace, hopping to his mismatched lion and eagle feet to follow Ty once they got going, sticking close as they wove through the crowd.

{Tags: Saran, Ailean}

[Tundra]

Kuar - Khalid - Val - Pyry

One would think that the standoff between the griffin and Liger was in a eternal still frame, neither one giving ground. Their eyes locked, roars and hissing following each and every movement they made. But neither gave an inch, it was obvious they would be evenly matched if they indeed were to fight. It was about then that Ty fell between the two, breaking the seemingly endless stalemate. They both looked down at the human, or..was he avian, neither could tell immediately by looking. And, like that it all seemed to be over, whatever these two had been arguing about, was broken by this accidental act. The liger though seemed to look up at the rune which now cowered on Kuars shoulder and snarl its distaste for the creature, before moving on.

Khlaid flicked his tail a few times, before folding his wings and letting his feathers and fur lie flat. It was interesting to see a gryphon with its crest raised, and the fur all along its back raised in a hostile manner, since most seemed to be easy going. Though dont mess with one's nest, its just a bad idea. Khalid watched as the direwolf yanked the now confirmed halfbreed away from the fight, which had come to an end. Khalid was glad, he didn't want to have to fight. His soul goal was to protect Kuar, who he cared for greatly. He fluffed up his feathers and clacked his beak a few times.

Kuar stood there calmer than any human should be, which would strike most as odd. But, it wasn't the first time he had been in the face of near certain death. He was bonded to one of the more, death related Ancients. Which, thinking on this reminded him Val had been left alone with someone, that likely wasn't going to end..well. Kuar turned to see what Val was doing, only to see the Ancient had joined him. "Guess she lost interest eh?" Kuar jokingly nudged Val and turned to the half breed who had caused the fight to end. Val only waved Kuar off, glad that he had not to explain everything to the Avian before she decided to leave.

But, Val was sure Kuar would soon find another poor person to mess with, mostly because this place was packed. He was actually surprised more had not noticed his difference compared to the humans, as his hair and eyes were quite hard to miss. But, at the same time he was glad, less explaining. He looked over at the half breed, curious mostly. It was rare to see such a creature in a big city, almost as rare as an ancient. It was an interesting sight to say the least, and when Val was interested its something, you knew you were about to be asked...quite a few questions. Kuar sensed Vals curiosity, and decided to break the ice..per say. Walking over to the halfbreed he spoke saying "Quiet the accidental spill you had there I'd say? His eyes turned to the direwolf and its master/keeper Much thanks to you for pulling him out, I'm not sure if Khalid would have injured him or not. "

Khlaid at this point came up and pressed against Kuars leg, much like a young puppy would do when wanting approval/comfort from their keeper. Kuar smiled, reaching down and rubbing Khalid's lower jaw line. This Khalid clicked his beak to, enjoying the reassuring gesture. Kuar then nodded saying "Pyry here, caused that whole situation, gets a little too excited sometimes..but some runes are like that" He chuckled as Pyry seemed to chirp and hiss..at the same time, his yellow eyes falling on the direwolf who seemed to be getting protective suddenly. "My name is Kuar, this is Pyry the Ice Rune dragon, This is Khalid, and that" he motioned to Valerius who hadn't removed his gaze off of the halfbreed, questions forming in his head but not spoken. "This is Valerius" Val nodded, realizing Kuar had introduced him. Kuar reached down to pet Khalid on the head when the rune on his hand pulsed and burned like cold fire(It looks like Vals rune mark, on his wings). He pulled his hand back sharply and clenched it in reaction.

(tags: Saran, Ailean - Aileana, Eachbánn, Faol )
(Wanna note to you two, might want to keep things slow, even if its between just your characters. Too many posts in one day is hard for others who are involved to react to. )
(I..type a lot when tired O-o;)

[Kalo]

At the sound of the voice, Tyrik looked up surprise, turning to find the man, accompanied by his griffin and rune. Was that the griffin from the fight? Well, that certainly explained his words.
"Yes, it was," he replied, "Zeru here tends to get me into plenty of trouble, while he seems to be able to avoid it himself." At this, the brown griffin nudged Ty with his wing - more gently this time, so as not to knock him off balance and into another mess - to which his bond responded by nudging him with his boot and grinning. The griffin looked curiously to the ice rune as the man told them of the situation Pyry had inadvertently caused. Ty couldn't help but laugh as well. The little rune reminded him of his griffin.
He nodded at each creature in turn as Kuar introduced them
"I'm Tyrik. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said politely. "And this is Zeru," he added, gesturing to the curious creature, who was still looking curiously at Pyry. "He played a role in getting me between Khalid and that liger." Zeru chittered indignantly, puffing his fur and feathers up a bit. Tyrik laughed again. But he couldn't help but feel Valerius's gaze linger on him. He'd only noticed the other man's presence upon Kuar's introduction. He nodded at the strange being in greeting as well, feeling a bit uneasy. Valerius was strange, what with his blue hair and scar and piercing stare. But then again, Tyrik was often regarded in a similar way due to his wings and telltale heterochromatic eyes. So he put on a smile and tried push the discomfort aside.

[I was a little worried about doing too much at once. Thanks for letting us know, Tundra! I'll try to be better about that in the future.]
{Tags: Tundra, Valerius, Kuar, Saren, Aileana}

[parlaymars]

Myriani hastily pushed the hair out of her eyes, puffing in the wet, sticky heat of the inn. She'd been drawn to the 'Alabaster City' a few months ago, with nothing except the bow on her back and the elkrin she rode; now she was a serving girl at The Singing Maiden. A clean, friendly place (with the exception of the band of smugglers that frequented the brothel down the street), Myriani had been given a room in the servants' quarters. The food was palpable, and the innkeep let her keep Kailas in the stables, and the straw mattress didn't have quite as many bugs as most. All in all, the Singing Maiden was a good inn. A good job.

Racuous laughter drew her eyes towards the far table, where a group of mean-looking thugs sat playing cards. Her cheeks burned, ears pinning to the sides of her head.

"Hey, you! Deer-girl!" the men, she realizes, are thoroughly drunk --even this early in the afternoon-- and careless. They motion for her to refill their drinks, and she does. The pitcher shakes in her hands, and her dark hair falls in her eyes as she bends to pour into the cup.

Suddenly a commotion outside makes her look up, hissing and growling and raised voices. The thugs are forgotten, her pitcher shoved hastily into the hands of a fellow servingwoman. Myriani races outside, wiping her fingers on her apron. Shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun, she spies the troublemakers --four, with a menagerie of animals among them. It wasn't the rune that bothered her, but the liger and the griffin could easily cause trouble.--

"Clear out, you lot! We don't want any trouble!" she shouted, the street deserted. She felt very small, but she tilted her chin in defiance and hoped the look in her eyes wasn't as scared as she felt.



{Tags: Aileana, Tyrik, Tundra, Valerius, Kuar, Saren}

[Silverhart]

Sniffing around the shops and alleys like a stray dog, Sterling looked up to see the sign of the The Singing Maiden. Scruffy he may look, but the lieutenant had refined tastes – it was no hole in the wall for him. This place seemed more then accommodating to his needs, if not a bit below his usual standards. He sauntered up, about to enter when a loud growl made him freeze in his tracks. He slid his eyes to the side, and noticed a very anger looking liger, and beyond that a griffin. The two creatures were angrily sizing each other up. Lieutenant Roscoe slowly started to back away. The two adversaries seemed engaged in each other, but he wasn't going to risk any sudden movements. Where was that blasted Moritz when you needed her? Why was it whenever he needed her as backup, she was off doing Fate knew what?

Keeping his eyes fixed on the confrontation, he spied a young avian suddenly fall in between him – well, he's dead, Sterling thought. He wasn't feeling particularly endowed to the Avian race at the moment, so he felt no shame in indulging that curious quirk of human nature that holds a morbid interest in the misfortune of others. He was so eagerly awaiting the fight to break out, that he backed up into a woman chastising the crowd. “Oof!” He went tripping over her into the open door frame of the inn. He flailed for a minute to gain his footing, before he finally found his feet under him, and sprang back up. “Sorry there, lass.” He spoke absentmindedly to the woman he'd bumped into, touching his brow on instinct. He hardly gave her a glance, or even thought to act embarrassed, so engrossed in the potential mauling was he. He was slightly disappointed when he looked up and saw the tension had diffused, and all involved were in possession of their limbs. Oh well. There was bound to be plenty of spectacle at the Drake Trials later on.

For now, the lieutenant had to focus on getting himself cleaned up, and getting some real food down his gullet. He was famished. And he supposed he'd have to go out and find his errant bonded... He didn't care to admit he'd come to depend on the Dire wolf. One was so much less likely to be mauled by distempered creatures when one had their own beast in tow. And considering the amount of large animals currently being crammed into this already crowded city... It may be best to just apologize for whatever it was he'd done to make the wolf mad.

(Tags: Lady LeStraud : Myriani)
(And to a lesser extent: Kalo : Tyrik ; Saren : Aileana ; Tundra : Kuar and Valerius)
(So many people! XP Figured I'd just throw you all in the tags XD)

[Saren]

Aileana, Eachbánn, Faol



Aileana glanced at the tall, ominous stranger who had come to speak with them. Noting his icy white hair and the blue lines tracing their way along his pale skin, she let her hand fall once more to rest over her knife's hilt; subtly, so as not to draw attention to herself. She nodded in acknowledgement of his thanks, but did not speak. Something about him- or possibly the other man who stood nearby- set her teeth on edge, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise slightly. Faol, too, seemed uneasy, but rather than growl again, he merely nosed Aileana's arm and whimpered.
Eachbánn's reaction was the most noticeable. He tossed his head and pranced a little, his sharp hooves clacking loudly against the smooth cobblestones. Leana hooked her arm underneath his chin and patted his opposite cheek, seemingly to calm him, but also to provide some reassurance for herself. The magic that Eachbánn channeled through her was chiefly life magic, along with light and fire, and a presence of death set their nerves ablaze.
"Aileana," she introduced herself shortly when the human revealed his name, and those of his companions. She decided against sharing her surname and the names of her two companions- for now, at least. She didn't want Death tracking them down.
Fortunately, before her impoliteness was noticed- or at least remarked upon- a tall girl called to the group, telling them to clear out. Aileana turned to reply and caught sight of the building the girl had come from- The Singing Maiden. Perfect.

[Tundra]

Kuar - Khalid - Val - Pyry

Val could sense he was causing unease with his gaze and be finally broke it, the glow of his eyes seeming to dim. In turn that also caused the aura about him that caused unease to fade, something he had grown used to having to do in big situations. He still though was curious of the halfbreed that stood before him, Tyric he had called himself. Val was aware of the breedings between the "native" races and humans, creating offspring of little or no magical inclinations. He could see the subtle movements made by others, some to their weapons, some to their bonded. He sighed, wishing he could reassure them vocally without giving away his ancient being. He looked over to Kuar as if asking Kuar to explain something to give off an excuse.

Kuar took the hint seeing some of the tension Vals presence had caused. He smiled waving it off saying "You'll have to forgive that, no need to be un-eased and all. He has an artifact that gives off that aura" He smiled hoping this might alleviate them from questions that might get directed at Val, of even that run away out of fear. Val himself seemed to accept this excuse, unconsciously crossing his arms revealing a bracelet he wore. Actually this bracelet looked more like a chain, and he had two, but it would be a good excuse in this situation. That is until he was forced to reveal his form..but he hope this would be no time soon.

Khalids ears perked up slightly when he finally noticed the other griffin who stood before him, clicking his beak a few times in greeting. His tail flicked and wrapped close to Kuar, not wanting to see like he was less of a protector then this trouble causing one. He clicked his beak again as though asking the griffin his name, as he knew the humans had already spoke for the young creature. Pyry though this entire time had been moving shoulder to shoulder, flying between the whole group as though studying them intensely. In turn, each one of them got a very cold shoulder and a practically frozen ear. Such was the downfall of being an ice rune, he was..well cold(these is totally a theme in my group XD.).

Kuar looked up at the girl who shouted at him before walking up to her. He could see she was not human. One of the other breeds, but he didn't judge any, as Val did that for him. When you can see into ones soul, seeing their pure nature and mind getting a feel for someone was a lot easier. The only one he doubted was this human that was near the gal who had shouted. He seemed a bit, darker than the rest. But he would not judge by his soul alone, actions in life played a huge role in ones final judgement. Kuar looked back to the rest of the group saying "Don't know about the lot of ya, but I'm hungry...long way to get here. This Singing Maidin seems like a good place to get some grub? care to join me? " He smiled motioning to the open door and the people near it. It did smell good inside, and a good meal would warm his belly and help clean his mind. Val on the other hand probably wouldn't join them, he needed a good shift back into his true form and hunt. He missed being able to bellow out a triumphant roar, but such is the sacrafice of trying to break away from ones destiny.

(OMG notes..lots. Anyway, Val's magic is ice/fire/judgement by what I got from his story and placement in the lore. So Kuar in turn also has this, I portray this as being able to see ones purity/soul essence. Its unconscious on Kuars part, as it its something he does not actively control.)
(Its hard being the only user here with an Ancient character thats active)
(Val is not death, he lived in the land of the dead as a guardian to the well of souls. He doesn't feel like death, and the aura around him is cold/chilling which is why it causes unease. Death on the other hand is why he has no physical voice)
(Random Fact of the day: there is another interesting halfbreed out there not many know about XD, Its a cross of an ancient and a human. Though only ancient keepers can create these children, unless the give the right to another user. The child is magically bound and can form bonds. Random story/fact is random.)

[Kalo]

Kuar's explanation of Valerius's artifact made sense, and Tyrik cast a glance at the bracelet. It was certainly interesting. Perhaps it was the aforesaid artifact? He didn't linger in it for long, though, not having much of a reason to, instrad returning Kuar's smile. His attention was quickly diverted toward the Rune dragon flying around the group. Ty couldn't help but shiver slightly when he came by, rubbing his ear upon the Rune's departure to the next person in an effort to bring some warmth back to it.
Zeru, in the meantime, turned his attention to the griffin in front of him, returning Khalid's greeting. His head cooked slightly to the side, his wars turning frontward as he focused in the other creature. After readjusting his wings and fluffing his features a bit for the sake of comfort - and warmth, with Pyry around - he chittered his response: his name (in griffin speak).
While all this was going on, the elvian girl emerged from the Inn, her shouting causing the crowd to dissipate.
"Sorry," he said, his hand moving as if on cue to the back of his head. "I don't think any of us meant any trouble, though I won't claim the ability to speak for anyone here." Tyrik looked about him to the various people and creatures around him, sincerely hoping that he wasn't about to do anything stupid.
"I'd be happy to join you, for something to eat. I am pretty hungry, " he said, directing his response to Kuar before returning it to the elvian.
"If, of course, it's alright with you?" he asked.

[Oh, I had read something about the Ancient halfborn(s?) somewhere. It was a while ago, though, and I don't remember where. That's really interesting!]
{Tags: Tundra, Kuar, Valerius, Khalid; Lady LeSt raid, Myriani}
{As well as Saren, Aileana and Silverhart with Sterling}

[parlaymars]

Myriani was temporarily distracted as a very large, lanky human male sprawled over her feet, nearly losing her own footing as well. Her attention was solely focused on him, the broad youth with hazel eyes and a soft, apologetic smile. She grinned her own apology, green eyes returning to the motely crew of races and species before her.

"Well, if you have the coin..." she said uncertainly, noting the way the redheaded human female held her hand --she's got a dirk--, the unsettling nature of the silent... human? and his white-haired companion, the spiky hair of the half-breed.

"Your griffins and sleipnirs will have to stay in the stables behind the inn. The rest of you, try to keep your dire wolves and runes under control." Myriani shrugged and tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind a snowy-white ear.

--Oh, the inkeep's not going to like this.--
She couldn't help but chuckle as she led her newest customers into the inn.



{Tags: Sterling, Aileana, Kuar, Valerius, Tyrik}