| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Log: Prince of Revels and Hanako: Hobgoblins and Mystery, in the forest 's depths!

Page history last edited by Tsangun 15 years, 6 months ago

(The following takes place within the Hundred Kingdoms)

 

From time to time the Prince of Revels feels the call in his blood to move about the world; he oft traveled in his youth, and perhaps there's something tied to the shard that has bonded with his soul that urges him to not laze about all day. Beneath the heat of the noonday sun he's taken to wearing an outfit different from the norm, one much simpler and better able to breath; a simple silk tunic and pair of pants, both a bright white in color. Every now and then the land shakes, and the source of these quakes is obvious to any who care to look: the titan that rests beneath Prince, the golden elephant known as Nakama. Due to the pair's nature, their presence is known to the members of the small village in this kingdom whose name Prince can't even recall some distance from Nexus, spotted from afar even as they move across the plains, pinched between dark forests on either side split by a river. Hoo boy, some peasants are going to get scared.

 

Hanako is not unused to creatures that make men look like children, and herself, at one time, look like an infant. And if there's one thing she's learned over the years, it's that it's often a good idea to at least have an idea what large presences consisted of, the better to keep her distance from them...or have an idea how to take them down from a distance. She frowns, just a bit, then moves to flit between the trees silently, moccasins sticking to firmer soil, chilled by the approaching winter. Finally reaching a solid vantage point, she leaps up, then quickly climbs a tree to take a nest in a still thickly covered spot, peering out from behind the leaves to the sight roughly a quarter of a mile away...crimson eyes widening, as she does. What *is* that thing that white dandy is sitting on...?

 

The people of the village are likely having those same thoughts, hopefully minus the dandy part. Elephants are not a terribly common animal, especially not in a place like this - to them, no doubt the situation appears so: a beautiful, eminent man, practically sitting in the sky, riding some terrible god-beast down towards their village no doubt looking to crush it. The Prince of Revels has these same sorts of thoughts; patting the beast on his head, he leaps forward, being caught by the trunk mid-flight and gently lowered to walk before them. "Wait here, Nakama," the man says softly. "No point frightening them off, right? I'll be back soon." Ideally, dismounting and walking the rest of the way to the village will help alleviate any suspicion. The people certainly -seem- a little less worried.

 

Hanako cocks her head a bit at the sight of that, unsure just what it means...and focusing her attention further on the beast for the moment, taking in the bizarre structure, the snout, the massive ears...it looks like a yeddim, in some ways...like a giant anteater she saw once...and a bat? In any case, its hearing is probably rather good with those flapping things, so she'll be giving it a wide berth...as she climbs back down the tree, then circles around to approach the village from a direction she's noted is generally sparsely guarded, at best, to check out the other source of curiousity.

 

Meanwhile, in the village, people are retreating into their homes and shutting the doors, stepping into shadows, and otherwise retreating in the face of this obviously powerful man, whatever he may be...the village headman and a couple of his guards swallowing nervously as they move to meet him, spears at the ready, but not quite levelled threateningly just yet in the younger men's hands, sweat hidden beneath their helmets...

 

Without a trace of fear in his eyes, the silvery man draws closer towards the village, his gaze sliding from one guard to another before finally resting on the village headman. If the quality of his attire did not suggest wealth and power of some kind, his presence and poise would; after all, this man unconciously commands attention and respect, effortlessly imposing his will on the world. A smile spread across his face, he pauses a respectful distance from the group, an arm behind his back and one over his stomach. He bows deeply, politely. "Put up your arms, friends! 'tis unsightly to treat a guest so, and I mean no harm."

 

The guards are holding their spears pointed skyward for the time being, but ready to level them for stabbing...however, at Prince's words, their faces, visible within the T-shaped open-faced helmets, take on chagrined expressions, and they shift a bit uncomfortably. The headman, meanwhile, clutches his spindly hands together nervously, wringing them before himself at just below chest level, as he bows in return, inclining his head to the side deferentially as he does, then opens his mouth to speak, voice holding a faint whining edge to it. "My lord...you...honor us with your presence, though we be but a simple village...may I inquire as to why you have come here, with your...beast?"

 

Hanako is creeping to a new vantage point now, atop a roof near the edge of the village, from a tree that had an overhanging limb she'd noticed the week previous...crawling across it, to the edge, and peering over it with only the slightest exposure of herself, masked by a tattered tile, head draped in her hood anyway...normally, she'd never go so close, but with everyone hiding away themselves...

 

"My friend is named Nakama," the Prince of Revels responds. "And he is as intelligent as you or me. Please, do not refer to him as a beast." Rising from his bow, Prince straightens his spine, hands clasped behind his back as he gazes at the headsman. He has no Charms up at this point - when dealing with mortals, he rarely needs to bother with them; the Solars are natural masters of their arts, after all, and he is more than capable of swaying hearts and minds without essence. "We are mere travelers, passing through on our way. The wilds are dangerous at night, and I would be much obliged if a warm meal and a roof for my head tonight could somehow be managed."

 

The headman bows a bit more deeply at that presumably mild correction, almost wincing as he does. "Of course...ah...forgive me, forgive me. I...of course, you are welcome here, my lord...as any travellers would be...but..." A pause, as the man licks his thin lips, then finally resumes his thought. "...we are not a wealthy village...and our stores of food are precious, this close to Ascending Water..."

 

"I do not wish to impress upon you too harshly, and you've my thanks for whatever can be provided," the Solar says in a voice of the utmost sweetness, almost deceptive in how it captures the senses. If need be, he could forage for something to satisfy his stomach later on in the woods - even in this season, this more southern of the Hundred Kingdoms has been blessed with rather mild weather, and so it shouldn't prove too difficult to acquire something. "Nakama shall sleep beneath the stars, of course, and he has eaten enough today - is that what you feared?"

 

The older man bows again, quickly, at that sweet-voiced reassurance, the two guards bowing their heads as well...the headman keeping his eyes cast downward as he speaks. "Ah...no, no, my lord. Worry not, you are most welcome here...if you would like to come with me to the village hall...?" He turns at that, obsequiously sweeping his arms aside to offer Prince the way. Hanako merely watches, silently, noting that sudden change in body language, but not quite catching the words...then lowering her head, and creeping backward on her belly once more, moving to withdraw along the rooftop.

 

Lifting a hand into the air, the Prince of Revels seems to wave to someone unseen. The observant will note that his hand is tipped towards Nakama off in the distance, and afterwards the elephant begins to come closer, so that he's not quite so stranded. Once more clasping his hands behind him, the white-clad man begins to walk. There's the strangest feeling of being watched, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, but when he moves his head about he is unable to spy anyone. "Do you have a name, headsman? I forgot to introduce myself: the Prince of Revels, at your service."

 

The man bows his head once again, obsequiously, as he walks just behind the powerful figure, "I am Babbling Brook, lord...thank you, for gracing me with your name, I am not worthy." Meanwhile, the two guards stay behind, turning to take in the approaching giant elephant, taking nervous steps back, while a middleaged villager peering out from what appears to be a stable's eyes widen...

 

Hanako, meanwhile, is already retreating back into the forest, carefully, slipping past a nervous sentry when his glance chooses a moment to turn back toward the resumption of thundering footsteps...

 

"Would you tell me of this village, Babbling Brook? It seems improper of me to accept your hospitality without offering something in return." Prince may be a dandy and he may have a reputation for mind-control in some parts of Nexus, but he's not yet a heartless or insane sort; it's /right/ to help those who help you, and if Brook happens to mention any troubles that he could assist with he'll be sure to do so. Fortunately for the guards, Nakama doesn't seem like he's going to enter the village or try to squeeze his immense (nearly thrice the size of a normal elephant) bulk into the stables. He seems content to stand nearby, watching Prince in the distance.

 

While the guards move to confer with the man in the stable in hushed voices, one of them spreading his arms to try and calculate something for the other two, the older man shuffles along, bowing his head regularly. "Well, my lord...we wouldn't wish to worry you...with our troubles. But..." A moment of hesitation, then... "...well, normally, my lord...we have our brave men, and women...who will go out into the wilderness, and bring back meat, to cure, and help see us through the cold months, to supplement the harvest. And it was a poor harvest this year, as the river flooded, and wiped out a third of the crop...but..." He pauses, falling into silence, and looking down, seemingly worried about continuing.

 

Prince gives a brief look back towards the guards, an amused expression on his face. He listens to Brook's tale of woe with a keen expression, giving the man his full attention; after all, if one demands respect, one should in turn offer it. It's a good thing he asked for this story first, it seems - he had plans on going into the woods himself later, and it seems as though there may be some sort of danger. "Go on," he urges softly but firmly. "You can tell me."

 

The three men seem to be arguing about something, if without rancour, while the older man bows his head again at that reassurance, before lifting it, and attempting to steady himself. "...well, my lord...those men, and women...many of them have not come back, over the past week...one that did, he came back with a badly hurt arm, and a story about seeing..." A moment's pause, then a whisper, as he leans in closer to the solar priest-king. "...the fair folk's servants. At least three of them that he could see, before he dove into the river to escape them, and nearly froze before he reached the village..."

 

"Hobgoblins?" Prince has met some of them during his life; not a terribly large amount, but enough to know what they are and recognize them on sight. They're rarely difficult to handle for one of the Exalted, and even particularly skilled mortals stand a decent chance of coming out on top. Perhaps it was fate that led the Solar here, a chance to recall the glory one can attain doing something good for others and not merely for yourself. That doesn't go through his mind, of course, but he seems to be going along with it regardless. "My sword is yours," the Solar declares. "It's the least I can do in return for staying the night. There are a few hours before the sun sets; I will see what I can find now."

 

The man nearly looks as if he would burst into tears at that, turning to face the Solar and bowing several times in quick succession, his voice filled with emotion. "My lord...thank you, my lord, oh thank you! This village will be forever in your debt. I...may we do anything for you now, or...?"

 

"Nothing right now. A meal, hot water for a bath, and a place to sleep for tonight is all I need," the Solar says, abruptly turning about. "It may take awhile, but Nakama and I can cover a good deal of ground. Other than that, I'll settle for the roof." Pretty reasonable requests. This village is well below Prince's standard quality of living, but he knows that they can't offer much - and so he won't ask for much. Turning upon a heel, he walks back towards Nakama. "No food for you right now," he says crossly, meeting the titanic beast's gaze with his own. "You heard what he said. Come on, pick me up." And Nakama does so, wrapping his golden trunk around the Solar and depositing him on his expansive back. Without another word to anyone, the two move towards the forest.

 

The villagers watch the great beastnotbeast charge its way off into the forest, making a path where one isn't clearly available, and exchange murmered words, including whether the barrel in the stable really will be sufficient if it's thirsty when it gets back. Meanwhile, Hanako hears those thunderous footsteps resume, and quickly moves to duck into the space between a pile of moss-covered tumbled boulders, remaining there, out of sight and silent, while they, hopefully, move past her.

 


 

When Nakama reaches the forest, visible ripples of shock move through the bodies of the villager's watching. One would expect that such a great beast would trample everything before it underfoot, filling the air with the thunderous sounds of snapping wood. This is where the shock comes in: if his appearance didn't suggest it, the way he moves clearly demonstrates that he is a supernatural beast, for his movements are inhumanly graceful, and that grace is exaggerated on something so big. Trees certainly /do/ break; he's too large to avoid them all. But he moves with an impressive delicacy and precision. Prince, meanwhile, has disembarked - Nakama is there only to draw attention to himself while the Solar tries to track these beasts.

 

Hanako peers out once the elephant has passed, for just a moment, and notes that absence of a rider...cocking her head to the side, then peering back the way the elephant has just come. That done, and knowing that simply staying still will do her no good, she slips out her hiding spot, and fall back into the forest itself once again, mottled brown and white overcoat and hood blending in with the current forest's colouration, unslinging her green powerbow as she goes, holding it in a position to keep it from snagging on anything while she moves...with an impressive delicacy and precision of her own, and considerably less bulk, as she picks up Prince's trail within a few minutes, and moves to follow into a subtle following position...

 

(Prince has Nakama roll to see if he notices Hanako)

 

(Judge) Prince of Revels rolls 8 (Nakama Perception + Awareness): [ 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 <10> ]

    Resulting in 5 successes.

 

(Judge) Hanako rolls Dexterity  + Stealth  + Stealth/Unarmored: [ -1- -1- 2 3 3 4 6 7 7 7 <10> ]

    Resulting in 5 successes.

 

(OOC) Hanako just spent Willpower from her Willpower pool (+1 Success)

 

Deeper within the forest, Prince eventually comes upon the scene of a trio of eastern Hobgoblins, armed with sharp but worn steel spears and tattered tabards and loinclothes, the cold apparently not bothering them in the slightest as they chuckle amongst themselves and tear a not quite dead young deer to pieces with their bare fangs and claws, weapons set aside for the moment. One of them is wearing a distinctly human-crafted fur hat, another a pair of boots, and the third, what looks to be a copper pendant of some sort around its throat. While not on guard, their senses are still sharp enough to worry about...meanwhile, to Prince's rear, the girl continues to follow him, narrowing the distance to within three hundred yards, but moving no closer just yet...hugging the trees and cover until she's sure it's safe to move on with each small expanse of forest she covers...

 

Drawing his sword silently, the Prince of Revels lifts his fingers to his mouth, giving a sharp whistle which pierces through the forest. It also alerts the hobgoblins to his presence, who quickly overcome their surprise and begin chattering, going for their weapons. This does not bother the Solar - upon his brow the caste mark of the Zenith, a shaded-in circle of gold that radiates a fierce and passionate light and bathes the area, instinctively causing the beasts of the Wyld to draw back. "I heard you were causing a bit of trouble, friends," he begins with a grin. "Are you going to run, or come at me?"

 

The three snakemen drop what they're doing and pull up their spears, drawing back together and hissing defensively as they step back...then one of them snarls something else in Old Realm, and they spin on their heels, moving to dash off into the undergrowth. Seems they aren't quite ready to stand and fight just yet. Meanwhile, the area in the distance suddenly seems to grow a bit brighter, an odd occurance not quite attributable to torches before the sun finishes going down, causing Hanako to furrow her brow a bit...

 

There's a flash of golden light as the snakemen turn, a half dozen blows raining down on the trio inhumanly fast, solar fire wrapped around the silvery man's blade. The center one, the one he was closest to and could most quickly close the gap between falls, dead before he hits the ground, his body split neatly in four pieces despite the mundane steel of the blade. The other two are more fortunate - further away, only the very last bit of Prince's sword could reach them, leaving them with painful gashes that are non-lethal. All this has happened in a mere second, of course; only now does the quaking begin as trees are split, Nakama dashing from his perch some distance away towards the group. Prince does not pursue the other two yet - he so rarely gets a chance to fight like this, why not savor the hunt?

 

One of the remaining two falls between Nakama's feet with an unpleasent mixture of hissing and squishing sounds, while the other runs at full speed further into the forest, leaving the solar and his elephant behind, and calling out in its unpleasent screeching voice, in what seems like wordless noises more than anything coherent. Fast little bleeders, literally, in this case.

Meanwhile, the girl trailing along behind the group raises her eyebrows slightly, beneath her hood...she takes in the sudden motions of carnage, some larger than others, and tries to ponder just what it is she's seeing...recalling childhood stories, and trying to determine just which of them this may fit...in any case, should Prince and his mount pursue, she does so as well, being careful to avoid stepping onto or into anything that might provide more noise than a pair of small moccasins in soil and damp undergrowth...

 

When Nakama is not trying to be quiet or 'stealthy', he can move incredibly fast; Solar-augmented grace powered by pillar-like legs of such size means a rather impressive gait. Hanging from one of the massive golden tusks by one hand, sword in the other, Prince manages to work himself to a position where he's not being smashed between the god-beast and the many poor trees that are snapped without effort as he charges. If Hanako is still looking, it makes for a mesmerizing, if likely terrifying sight; wind flowing through the silver hair that streams behind him, the light of the sun pouring from his brow as his eyes fix on the fleeing snakeman in the distance, the ground shaking and anything in the way being destroyed by the giant elephant, and a blood-flecked blade clad in his hand. Needless to say, in under a minute the last of the unfortunate monsters has joined his brethren.

 

As Prince and his elephant chase down the remaining hobgoblin while it ducks and weaves through the trees, clearly knowing the woods well, trees bending and breaking in the great beast's path and allowing the other two to keep up, the girl follows, silently, fast enough to keep up as well, but quiet enough to not be heard over pachaderm footfalls. Finally, the two manage to chase the final Wyld Creature down, a swing of Nakama's great trunk swinging out to swat it off its feet and into the base of a rock outcropping, part of a raised hillside, and then allowing Prince to leap forward and end its miserable existence. As he pauses to wipe the viscera from his blade, the girl pauses, moving to creep into a dense cluster of trees...

Then, a moment later, a half-dozen more snakemen drop from above, leaping from a cliff thirty feet up the hillside, four of them landing on Nakama's back spears-points first, the other two slashing at Prince with trilling battlecries...

 

Three normal snakemen he's prepared for? That's rather easy for the Prince of Revels - a half dozen he /wasn't/ prepared for? That's a good deal more troublesome. Dangerous, in fact, especially when one considers that his eyes flicker first to the four whose spear-tips have been driven into Nakama's thick, golden flesh before they move to the two attacking him; it's only a moment, but the moment is long enough to prevent him from parrying both, one swipe being batted aside while the other cuts into his stomach. He'll survive, but that hurt! For the first time in this hunt genuine fury blazes in his eyes, the light from his caste mark mixing with a golden light that has begin to engulf him, the light of his anima, the danger what is probably his one actual friend finds himself in causing him to abandon self-restraint and consume essence recklessly. "Nakama!" And while the giant is probably less injured by the four blows he's taken than Prince is from the one, that doesn't stop the Solar from worrying. He cuts one down, turns to the other, finds his attention drawn away from the fight by the snakemen on Nakama once more- another graze to his chest.

 

Tasting blood in the air, the hobgoblins letting out a hiss of battle-joy, and that particular taste of a Solar's vitality. The four atop Nakama in particular begin to laugh as they stab at him again, though with less effect this time, trickling streams of his blood washing over their taloned feet...with the thickness of his hide, the wounds aren't close to mortal just yet, but even a dozen pricks from a knife-wielding child can bring down an adult. As they raise their spears above their heads to strike again...three of them suddenly find arrows sprouting from their chests, tipped with wickedly sharp curved Frog-Crotch arrowheads, gushing blood as they make hideous sounds and topple off Nakama, who quickly steps on the closest two, and lets out a bellow of valourous fury!

 

Severing his final opponent from the mortal coil, the Prince of Revels lets his eyes dart back to Nakama - only to see that but a single snakeman remains atop him, spying the other three (well, what's left of them) on the ground after Nakama finished. The sole survivor seems to have lost his confidence after the rest of his ambush party was slaughtered, the tables turned. He swiftly moves to flee, using Nakama's valorous trumpeting as the opportunity; but the elephant is not so easily fooled, and the last one finds itself broken when an uprooted tree lands upon him. Giving himself a moment to calm from the battle fury, Prince, sword still drawn, rushes to Nakama. The elephant's response assures him that he's okay, and so he moves to inspect the arrows - did one of the villagers follow him? "Do you see anyone, Nakama?" His eyes roam about. "Will my savior not introduce himself?" He calls, sheathing his blade.

 

The arrows are clearly made by hand alone, without any lathe or special tools, carved by knife from branches, fletching on two of them coming from a single bird, the third a different species, all mottled brown and black - natural colors, rather than dyed for style. The arrowheads themselves, however, were clearly professionally made...but, if he looks closely, likely not made by the same hand as the rest. When he stands, and his eyes roam, and he calls out, Prince's gaze, upon sweeping back over a spot that had been empty a moment earlier, finds a figure standing far off in the distance, on the edge of the path Nakama created through the forest, standing on a fallen tree...nearly a sixth of a mile away, and calmly holding a bow, no, a powerbow, as long as it appears to be tall, green jade glittering faintly in the setting sunlight. As the breeze picks up, the figure's clothing ripples in its grasp, and its hood falls back...revealing a face, a young girl's face...and as glossy black long hair flutters in the breeze as well, around her, the sun catches her eyes, as blood red as the Unconquered Sun's own shade at this time of the day, as they lock on the Prince of Revels' own. She's silent, unflinching...and then she turns, and she's gone, back into the trees.

 


 

(Judge) Prince of Revels rolls Perception  + Survival and spends willpower (Tracking Hanako): [ 2 2 6 <10> <10> ]

    Resulting in 5 successes.

 

(Judge) Prince of Revels rolls 9 (Nakama's Tracking Pool): [ -1- 2 4 4 4 7 7 8 9 ]

    Resulting in 4 successes.

 

(OOC) Hanako just spent Willpower from her Willpower pool (Channelling Conviction)

 

(Judge) Hanako rolls Wits  + Survival + 4: [ -1- -1- -1- 2 2 2 2 4 4 5 <10> ]

    Resulting in 2 successes.

 

(OOC) Hanako just spent Willpower from her Willpower pool (Chanelling Conviction)

 

(Judge) Hanako rolls Dexterity  + Stealth  + Stealth/Unarmored + 4: [ -1- -1- 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 <10> <10> <10> <10> ]

    Resulting in 10 successes.

 

(Prince doesn't even bother trying to roll Awareness)

 

Hanako would seem to have simply vanished into the forest, as if it had birthed her and then welcomed her home, the trail through frost-covered soil simply appearing to end, in a particularly dense spot, trees and undergrowth seeming to war with each other for living space.

 

The Prince of Revels is not the sort to just give up and wander off - the curiousity would kill him. He manages to find signs of the girl's presence after a time, vague semblances of a trail, but try as he might he can't manage to catch up to her nor can he spy her again anywhere in the distance. Nakama, while having better eyes, is still no help; he can't locate her either. "Once the sun sets we'll need turn back to the village," the silvery man muses, mildly perturbed by the prospect. "We've no hope of catching such an elusive creature once night falls. Do you still see nothing, Nakama? It doesn't seem right to leave without saying thank you face to face - such a distance hardly counts.." If Hanako is keeping an eye on them from wherever she is, she'll never have problems finding them; they are, in a word, conspicuous.

 

Hanako is, indeed, watching from a perch within a tree, sixty feet up, concealed by the lingering crimson leaves that still cling to the branches, her eyes simply two more splashes of colour amongst the sea. She's as motionless as a statue, green jade powerbow carefully positioned beneath her overcoat, as she watches her pursuers search below...listening. It's rare for her to hear this much talking in a month, let alone from one person at any one time. Meanwhile, even as Prince monologues to Nakama, the Solar Priest-King's eyes may find themselves locking onto one sight in particular...namely, a long, very long, single strand of midnight-black hair, swaying in the gentle breeze from its position of being caught on a more skeletal bush's branch, some fifty feet from her current position...

 

"Wait here," the Prince of Revels says to the elephant. While the beast has never spoken back, he does stop moving, somewhat near to Hanako's perch, obeying the Solar's commands; he can understand him, at least. The man doesn't suspect any more snakemen will be leaping out, and so there are no worries when he separates. His eye did indeed catch the single strand of hair, and in no time at all he's closed the distance, pausing at the skeletal bush. He reaches towards it and spins the hair around a finger, pulling it from the branch. "Good to know I'm not in the wrong half of the forest, at least," he dryly comments, clearly uncomfortable with silence.

 

Hanako is quite comfortable with silence...she's had to learn to be, over the years. And she isn't going to break it, or her position of stillness, at the sight of him making that discovery. She's endured far longer, after all, and this one is clearly dangerous, as his lingering caste mark indicates...her parents hadn't been nearly as verbose on the tales of the Anathema as peasent parents on the Blessed Isle, perhaps, her mother's family, at least, having been sent away as disinfranchised a generation earlier, but she'd been told some tales nevertheless.

 

The Prince of Revels turns away from the bush, having been unsuccessful in his attempts to spy any other signs of passage after the strand of hair; whoever this girl is, she's remarkably adept at going unseen. "I've been thinking about what her identity could be," Prince begins, wandering back towards Nakama. Given the frequency with which the human talks to the animal and the glint of intelligence in the animal's eye, it's a fair assumption that this is perfectly normal for them, one-sided conversations. "She's clearly familiar with the woods, knows her way around, and is more than a fair shot with the bow. A huntress of some kind, mayhaps, or a wild girl. Whatever she is, she was watching us - how else did she know to intervene and aid you?" The Solar dolefully looks towards the sky, noting the sun's position; barely any time left. He pats Nakama on the side, reaching into the bag slung around him that carries their food, water, and other gear - and from it withdraws, of all things, a harp. "She stalked us without us being any the wiser. We'll not find her. Nakama, pick me up, if you would." The elephant duly complies, placing Prince on his back once more. The Solar takes a deep breath. "A parting gift for you, my lady. I cannot stay here long, and I fear I'll not find you - so take this song with my blessings, a thanks for your timely intervention." With the setting sun framing him, a light breeze dancing around him and the shadows cast by the trees surrounding, the Solar begins to play, weaving an inhumanly exquisite and upbeat tune until the light is gone, save that which radiates from his brow - he's using his essence to enhance the music, after all. It'd be a poor gift if he didn't try his best.

 

(Judge) Prince of Revels rolls Charisma  + Performance + 11: [ -1- 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 <10> <10> <10> ]

    Resulting in 12 successes.

 

(OOC) Hanako just spent Willpower from her Willpower pool (Ignoring Social Attack)

 

Hanako remains silent, motionless as the central trunk of the massive maple she crouches within, making no visible or audible reaction to Prince's siren song, unlike anything she's ever heard before, having been less than exposed to the arts even as a child...no, despite it all, she shows no reaction, gaze steady and unflinching, her scarlet eyes unblinking amongst the sea of red leaves. However, unseen beneath them, tears run silently down her cheeks, and a trail of blood from the corner of her mouth, where she bites her lip with immaculate white teeth...unseen...unheard.

 

When only slivers of light remain, the Prince of Revels ends his song, the skin on his fingers almost to the point of bleeding from the extended exertion and being pressed against the special strings designed by Minus. Still, they produce a sound unlike any other, and in his hands such beauty as the world has not seen in ages can be found. All the forest seems to have fallen silent, and that spell lasts for a time even after he's finished. "Tomorrow morning I leave here," the Prince calls out to the darkness. "I'll be at this same spot to play another song. You needn't come.." Leaning forward, he pats Nakama, and the elephant begins to walk, not stopping as the man talks. "..but I'll be here all the same if you do. After all, no one should be lonely."

 

Hanako doesn't move a muscle until the man is gone, disappeared into the distance...finally moving to slump slightly once her senses tell her he's long gone, leaning back against the trunk of the tree and bowing her head, lifting a hand to wipe that trickle of blood off onto the rags-wrapped back of her hand...shuddering just a bit as she does. She's not quite ready to climb back down, though...she'll let the sun finish setting around her first...just in case she needs to look for anything bleeding sunlight on the way to her home, for what she now knows she needs to do...

 


 

Prince's return to the village is one met with cries of jubilation and great praise. While the villagers are still intimidated by Nakama, the masterful way Prince weaves the story about the snakemen's defeat and the helpful role Nakama played quickly has them getting over their fears and lavishing the god-beast with praise, much to his delight. The village cannot spare much, but Prince does not go hungry that night, and even Nakama is given a small bit to nibble on - he'll need to find more for himself later. When the sun rises the next day, Prince bathes himself, dresses, breaks his fast and wishes the village pleasant days and nights. "Off we go," he says to Nakama, patting the great pachyderm's back. "You know the way back there."

 

The villagers that Prince speaks to on what he saw are a bit surprised, but offer up the small rumors and gossip they themselves have developed as relates to the girl...the survivor of the Hobgoblin raids on the hunters claims to have seen her in the distance when he was fleeing for his life, but she didn't intervene, then...which had given her existence a somewhat sinister edge, rumors that she may be their master even circulating for some time. In any case, little actual information is offered beyond this, leaving the Solar to set out on his own. And when he arrives back at the predetermined spot once again, he finds...nothing. Not a single trace of her. Nor does he, no matter how long he may wait...should he set out again, trying to pick up her trail, he may find some success, eventually finding the barest of tracks leading deeper still into the forest...until he reaches a clearing that barely qualifies for the title, and a crude dwelling...or what's left of one. A small hut, burnt to ashes, with nothing remaining but charred remains, and a small feral cat curled up in the branches of a small tree nearby it, apparently spooked by Nakama's footsteps.

 

"A shame," the Prince of Revels remarks upon seeing the burnt dwelling. "No huntress would be so paranoid, or go to such lengths to remain unseen. A wild girl." Spying the cat, the Prince of Revels smiles at it, his mystical nature enabling him to, with the help of some essence, communicate with it nonverbally, as though they shared a language. He questions the animal for a little bit, trying to see if the animal had seen anyone leave this area besides him, the female that caused the fire. Whether or not that bears fruit, however, the Solar will eventually bring his fingers once more to his harp. "I couldn't see her well, but I'm sure she was a beauty. This'll make for a fine story, eh, Nakama? Can't say I'm too pleased missing her, though." The elephant, intelligent as he may be, does not appreciate human beauty; the girl is nothing special to him. He lifts his trunk and brushes it across Prince's arm reassuringly, and then lowers it. "Well, let's go. You like my music, at least." And so he'll play as they travel, entertaining himself and the elephant.

 

The cat calms down rather quickly at that touch of essence, hopping down out of the tree and coming up to sit before Prince's feet, letting him scratch under his chin a bit...then responds, readily enough. That 'red eye girl' find him hurt in forest a month ago, after his mother die fighting off wild boar, scare it away brave, protect himf and his brother and sister. But they leave, not hurt. She take him home, she like him. Let him sleep there when too cold. Give food. She go last night, late night, moon bright in sky. Pet him last time, feed him fish she bring home. Then go, with carry bag, singing stick. He sad she go, but know she need, she like him. Then he meows a last time, and bounds off into the underbrush, a pair of meows greeting him, and leaving Prince alone.

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.