Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Oct 14, 2013 0:16:03 GMT -6
Walking. Behind him, and for quite a long way ahead of him, walking was all there was. He would continue to walk until sundown, when his legs are liquefied and he can do little more than find a hidden spot in underbrush and await the next tiresome day. It would take Indigo longer to get home than his trip north, and he might just beat the snow -- if lucky. The chill of autumn was truly set in now, and he had realized that there was no choice but to leave. As he walked, he tried to keep him mind occupied. He would come back, he had to. He didn't give up that easily. No way. But he would need to think things through better.
his thoughts wandered somewhat, and eventually ended up going over the things that happened in Wildgard, and pondered about just how badly this place needed a hero. 'Or several...' Then, he recalled the few good souls he'd encountered, and how the very corruption of this place had tore them down. The first ally he'd made was the bear, Ursarius. Her family orientation and the pure and deep nature with which she cared had inspired him. It had reminded him of home. So he did his best to help her. But, he failed... He'd kept an eyes on the cub, tried to make friends, or just peace... or maybe just a little bit less-hostile of acquaintances... And he did it! ...Or, at least he thought he did. The blind and stubborn cub struck a cord with him, for she was much too similar to his own younger sister back home. As such, he blamed himself for being too lenient. Urstrid expressed both loneliness, and wanting to be alone.
So he tried to be there for her, but not always right on her tail. And when he was satisfied enough that she was merely observing the trouble that she got a bit too close too sometimes, he backed off a bit further. Indigo was really trying to help her, but not crowd her at the same time. She almost seemed to be beginning to respond, and he even got her to cooperate and go to her mother for the cure for an ailment that was plaguing the land. Then just when he let her out of his sight for a little while, as a trade off for her finally listening to him and returning to her family for a short while, she disappeared. He didn't think much of it at first, but then when he tried to get on her track again, he realized he'd made a mistake. Immediately, he started to try and track her. He didn't find her for quite some time, then finally approached the demons that she'd shown so much interest in watching and studying during much of that day. He asked them about the young cub. Their reply was that they now had the girl's soul. She'd sold it in return of quenching her always parched curiosity.
Distraught, he immediately went to find Ursa, but she'd already heard the news. The bear was distant, and barely even acknowledged his presence. He stepped back. Filled with guilt, he felt no right to interfere. Then, soon after, she was gone. He'd spent weeks and weeks afterwards in Wildgard, and there was no sign of her. From what he gathered, Ursarius had left back in the direction of her home, the mountains.
So Indigo was still left in Wildgard. A few acquaintances here and there were made, but little was eventful for him. Really, he felt he was only going through motions of a 'good guy' as evil plagues and swarms and demons tried to sweep the land. He was still present, so he fought. Then, a feast came and went. A celebration of changing seasons, and the kinto knew his time was up. So, with was he had, he feasted. And he did his best to squirrel away what things he could for the journey ahead. Either, the servers were inattentive, or didn't really care, but he managed a fair amount of food to take with him on his long road ahead. Then, within a week, he found himself here, and the South Road once again. But in opposite direction. He quickened his pace, hoping to near the mountains by sundown, so he could cross the mountain pass around midday.
Back home was where he was headed. Back to the sordid and desolate lands he called his village. Back to the arms of his sorely-missed family. Back to being the protector he naturally was. Back to what mattered most. Family.
With a bit of a sad smile, Indigo grasped the belt favor at his waist. 'Right Ursarius?'
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2013 2:37:13 GMT -6
For days Guile had been wandering southbound, he had been run out of the Fox Den by none other than the Fox Kinto named Jayce., so those plans were a failure. The Fox had come barreling in raving like a lunatic about ships and delusions. The Jackal threw up his hands and skipped town. And now he was in search of another Den, somewhere he hoped, that was free of Demons and any other kind of Ill-favored contender...Sober or not. He knew not where he was going or how long he had been travelling, but his satchel had begun to look quite bare. Almost crucial enough to turn his tail around and head back to Wildgard in search of Aalis. Traveling in Half-shift, a form he used to revere because of it's versatility when on the move. Now he only seemed to use the half-shift form when it got cold, the extra fur of the ears, neck, tail, and limbs helped keep him from freezing in the winter. Any Skill he had as a Hunter kept him alive between point A and point B.
He took a break hunkered down on a log Somewhere along the South Road out of Wildgard, Enjoying the bit of sunshine pouring down through the near-barren trees while it lasted. he flipped open his satchel and took into his paw, an apple for lunch. Though his stomach would protest for hardy meat instead. His tail swished from side-to-side as he thought about hunting Desert rodents. He longed for well-earned meat. In times like these he knew he was meant to be Kintu, not Human though Most of his life was spent trying to convince himself otherwise. He sighed. Contemplating the crazy mixed up World he lived in, and the troubles he caused himself. His mood turned sour in moments. 'Maybe I should go back, i'm getting too far out of town now. If I continue on It'll be dark before long and I'll end up in the Maw. Don't want to be caught out there at night. And even then, jackal territory isn't too far past there.' He Glanced to his left, further down the south road. 'Even i'm ready to admit Wildgard is better than those lousy excuses for Canines...' He snuffed, tossing his head back to the Right, toward Wildgard. Raising an eyebrow his tail flickered despite of himself. 'Speaking of canines...' He grinned Mischieviously. Standing himself up off the stump, he flagged down the traveler. Remembering to activate his charisma before walking over.
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 4, 2013 17:54:44 GMT -6
Wind passed down from the mountain pass and all the way down the southern road. It was much too cold now, and Indigo shivered from ears to tail. He closed his arms together, cradling his pole arm, with his nose down against the wind. His thoughts had strayed to his home, the little farm house filled with his noisy brothers and sisters. It was really just a sad little run-down hut, just barely big enough for the five children of his family, plus their mother. But it was still home. 'And it's so much warmer than this place...' he thought angrily, bracing himself against another cool gust. However, memories of his home and family were always bittersweet. After all, Valko was still there. He didn't want to think about what could have transpired in the many months of his own absence. Instead, he picked up his pace, as his anger helped heat his body. It wasjust then that he saw a figure at the side of the road. Ears. Tail. Canine.
"Valko." he snarled, his mouth pulling back to reveal his sharp canines. He slowed down dramatically, walking towards the figure a few steps, then halting dead in his track. 'No... he followed me here... This place was supposed to let me be free of that vile wolf.' He planted his pole arm on the ground beside him, tilting the bladed end slightly towards the advancing male. He stood, tensed, shoulders and head brought down and forwards in an automatic defensive stance, and his tail between his legs. But then he suddenly realized his mistake. It was a complete stranger.
The low growling under his breath vanished, and he hung his head, somewhat embarrassed at his reaction. However, his blood still roiled, and he didn't meet the eyes of the stranger immediately. 'Well, it's probably just another alpha wolf anyway...' he grumbled in his mind. The boy still knew that the proper way to handle the encounter was with decent manners, so he raised his eyes again and forced a small smile. Letting his weapon rest back against his shoulder, he nodded to the stranger, "Greetings... I apologize if I seemed rude at first. I thought you were someone else."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:27:35 GMT -6
The Jackal strode over to the rode with his nose in the air, the Kid took note of his flagging and changed course, toward him. Halfway between Guile's strut and the pups chilled trek the Stranger bared his fangs and made a stance with his weapon. 'Oh? So quick to attack? Bloody Canines... I'll show him.' He Continued on, Remembering that he wasn't there to fight, he was there to do the bard thing. he Glanced down at the clothes he was wearing. 'It'll have to do." The Jackal stopped within earshot of the Boy and nodded in greeting. 'He's smaller than I am, not much younger... Tucked his tail too. Bet he doesn't have what it takes to be an Alpha.' The Pup, Border Collie by the looks of it, Apologized and Guile was taken aback slightly. "Someone else? Who might that be?" 'Better not be Jackals.' He Returned a Half-hearted smile, Obviously not sincere.
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 4, 2013 18:57:32 GMT -6
Uncomfortable with the man's question, he answered quickly, and simply. "A different wolf, not from these lands." The cold wind whipped hair across his face, and he turned away from it slightly, so he could put up his hood again. Though, it was rather futile. His small cloak was too short and too light for the weather, and blew around him, straining the few knots that held it together at the front. He was silent for a moment, as another shiver ran through his body. "My name is Konan Dowker. Yours?" he asked, keeping the conversation vague and light. He hoped to move on quickly, though it was tempting to turn tail back to Wildgard and wait for a day with less harsh winds so he could pass through the mountains.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 19:33:41 GMT -6
There was a brief moment when Guile was almost interested in hearing what the Pup had to say, however, it was short-lived. 'WOLF?!' He Snarled, pulling back his lips and baring his teeth, it could have been the wind, but the fur surrounding his neck and shoulders puffed up momentarily. 'Not from these Lands? He Doesn't even know-UGH.' He shook his head, looking away from the boy for a moment to regain his composure. He could feel the blood boiling within him. He hated nothing more than Wolves, especially being mistaken for one. His heart skipped a beat and he felt as if he might swing. But he tried to relax, knowing the Boy had nothing to do with his anger. He glanced back, gritting his teeth, the Half-dog introduced himself with little enthusiasm, already Guile was agitated with his attitude. "MY NAME is Guile." He snapped. "And In case it slipped your attention, I'm no Wolf." He gestured to himself as if it were obvious, then his mind wandered. 'Who is this guy, doesn't know what a Jackal is yet he's headed straight for the Desert... Poor thing's going to get torn to shreds.' "Konan you say? Mighty beefy name for a pup. Is that your full size?"
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 4, 2013 20:12:15 GMT -6
As the explosive anger of the stranger hit him, he took a step back and held his pole arm diagonally in front of himself, defensively putting up a barrier between the two. Though he hadn't expected it, it didn't entirely catch him off guard. After all, he had only just mistaken the man for Valko a second ago. That's how it always was back home, though this time there was no alcohol on the breath of his adversary. "Well, I certainly apologize for not being able to identify someone as important as yourself." he growled in reply, then continued the thought in his head. 'However, you might as well be a wolf with that attitude.' His bright blue eyes glittered in anger as he nearly forgot entirely just how cold he was. His hands clenched his weapon harder, knuckles turning white. "And yes, thank you. I am not a shifter. Now if you excuse me, I'd rather be on my way home to my family." He was practically spitting some words now, the low growl in his throat blending with his words. It was all he could do to try to restrain himself from jabbing the blunt end of his weapon into the man's chest and push him out of the way. Yet, the thought automatically struck him with a pang of fear, as he was reminded of the times he fought back with force, and his uncle changed into his were shift. By Guile's words, he had already guessed at him being a shifter like Valko, and didn't want to take the chance of sorely losing a fight to some alpha so far from help.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 21:43:19 GMT -6
Guile let out a awkward laugh; "Important?" He Yipped. "Ha! Yeah sure." The Jackal took a moment to be amused by the current situation, then when the chuckles died down, he realized the chance to charm the poor kid was gone, and he'd made an asshole of himself again. "Hey, Look kid. I'm Sorry." he held up a hand as he turned to leave. "I didn't mean to offend you, Alright?" He stood down, taking another good look at the Boy, Peasant by the look of it. Maybe some training with the Pole he was carrying, but not much. Some sort of Worker, Farmboy maybe. Guile nodded slowly. Letting the air settle. 'There doesn't seem to be much I can get from him. I'm out of luck with this one.'
"I'm not a very nice person, I'm certainly not anyone you can call a friend. I'm not even going to try and tell you You can trust me. Because you probably can't." As Guile listened to himself talk, he realized he wasn't addressing the Boy anymore. He just wanted to hear himself say the words. The words everyone was thinking when they saw him. "I'm just a Mangy Mutt, Honestly. I saw you headed south and I wanted.. to see if you had any news from Wildgard." Hiding the fact that he really wanted to Rob him. "I'm not from there, but, I am from the South, I was thinking of heading home too... But I probably won't."
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 7, 2013 23:57:38 GMT -6
His face softened slightly as the stranger named Guile -- sort of -- apologized. However, there was still an obvious, though vague, disdain in his expression. "Well I probably wouldn't have trusted you anyway..." he began, but Indigo stopped himself here from saying more, since angering an unknown man in the middle of nowhere was generally a bad idea. He nodded and stepped back politely, just as another gust of wind tore through his layers. Looking up at the sky, and down the south road, he was suspicious that the road would only get harder to travel from here if he kept going. The clouds were not looking that kind, as the billowing layers of the sky roiled and crept closer, darkening in appearance as they came. A violent shiver traveled right down to the tip of Indigo's tail, and he put his face down, shaking his head quickly in response. When opened his eyes again, he noticed for the first time the sash across Guile's chest.
'He's a bard!?' he wondered, entirely surprised he hadn't noticed earlier. He glanced back up to the man's face, and quickly tried to comprehensively get a hold on his manners again. "My home is rather far southeast, just inland of the coast in that direction... I should have left much earlier, because now the weather is likely to be against me the whole way. Why would you not be planning to go home?" he asked. He didn't know how to continue, or end, the conversation. So instead he figured he'd ask the bard a question, and hoped he'd take it in stride.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2013 0:37:34 GMT -6
Guile took a deep breath and exhaled a big wispy cloud of breath against the cold air. It was gone with the wind as fast as it appeared. Looking back at the Boy reluctantly, the Jackal forced a kinder smile. "That's right." He shook a finger at Indigo, "Never trust a stranger. Lead you to all sorts of Mishap. Adventure and chaos hand-in-hand. You can only trust yourself. Kid- urr, Konan was it?" He waved a paw. 'No matter, he'll be gone and i'll never see him again. no need to memorize anything about 'im.' He Let the Collie speak, not really paying him much mind, though nothing was missed. "Why would you come all the way up here to Wildgard of all Places. It's nothing to shake your tail at, all full of Demons and whatnot." Less than a question and more of a Statement, Guile scratched behind his ear with one or two claws, lazily looking over Indigo's attire with mild interest. 'That Armor, it's nice but... looks old. probably not even his. Street types. Probably stolen...' "I'm Stuck here in Wildgard, I don't really have a Home." '-Speaking of Street types' he scoffed. "I was looking for a Winter Den, Couldn't find anything safe this far south, What with uhh... Jackals about." A Flicker of Shame and embarrassment flashed across his snout. "That's why I won't be headed home. Not this winter, hopefully not ever, But that Stump there is a good Medium between Home and Wildgard."
He crossed his Arms over his furred chest and thought long and hard about the truth behind his words. 'Where AM I going to go? If I don't find something soon, I'll be forced to Suck up to Thoror at the Tavern... I can't do that, How am I supposed to face her, him, whateverthedwarf. Half Dwarf Half Wit. i can't even bunk with Aalis, what would she think of me, cold and lonely with my tail between my legs. Some Knight in Shining armor, Charming Bardic Hero of the Dumps. Can't even feed myself... How am I supposed to Take Care of her?'
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 12, 2013 19:29:58 GMT -6
Intently, Indigo listened to the stranger fumble with words, almost as though he was interrupting himself in his thoughts every few words. Which, of course, was rather concerning. He backed up a step as he let the wind push on him. Without thinking about it, he blurted out, "But you're a bard. What could a bard have done to not we welcomed, well... nearly anywhere?" To him, it was strange, and frankly quite absurd. 'Bard's aren't always of the best... disposition... of course,' he reminded himself, 'but still... the trade deserves a certain amount of respect, no matter what.'
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2013 19:38:05 GMT -6
"Hey." Guile said tartly. "I'm a Bard Because i'm not welcomed anywhere. Ever thought of that?" He Huffed, realizing that he had snapped at the pup again he rolled his eyes in what Guiles version of apology was. "I never used to be like this you know. I was renown for many of my youthful years. Talented." He seemed to daze off, looking at nothingness in the distance, and his strangely colored eyes shifted back to Indigo. "Do you know what that's like? What do you do? Your talent." he asked. His patience was definitely slipping, and even the Jackal himself was unsure of what he was talking about, the topic, the subject. Or even why he was still talking at all. To this Dog of all people... Humoring Himself more than the Boy, He waited for a reply.
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Nov 12, 2013 21:50:03 GMT -6
'Talent...?' The word almost seemed alien to him. Of course, he knew what it meant, and was interested in identifying talents in other people. But he never truly applied the word to himself. "I don't have one. Once... I was told I did. But it's been a long time since then." he replied. It said it in a matter of fact manner, though sadness tinted his blue eyes. His father had always told him to spend his life doing what made him the happiest. After he disappeared though, the young boy had discovered that he didn't have that option anymore. Tinkering and make small useless crafts wasn't going to keep his family alive.
Looking back at the sky again, it was plain that a storm was on the way. 'I don't think being in the middle of that way out in the middle of nowhere is the best idea right now...' he fretted, nervously starting to gnaw at his lip. 'I need shelter before that rolls in... even if I have to go back.' The young kinto mulled over the option he had in his head, and cursed himself as he realized he had the option of risking it, and trying to find decent shelter just in the nick of time among the trees. Or of turning back. Though his pack seemed decently weighted, he knew he didn't have enough to gamble with. Sighing, he turned his head the other way, looking back towards Wildgard. 'If I hurry, I'll just make it...'
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2013 22:06:54 GMT -6
Guile was no mind-reader, but right then he Knew what the Boy was thinking. Because he thought it too. There was a restlessness between them and Guile understood what that meant. 'It's not you kid, no offence but this little meetings got to end.' He thought. 'There's no shelter out here for either of us... It's Wildgard or nothing.' The Jackal within him spoke, and Guile had no choice but to agree. "No Talents eh? Well in that case, a young guy like you has got alot to learn. What did you say you were doing all the way out here? It's not safe in the Maw... You'd better turn back." He nodded, deliberately putting an ominous tone in his message, Not that he had to. If the Kid had any Brain of his own he'd be heading back there without Guile's warning. 'He has a much better chance at Surviving in Wilgard than I did. So the Better he fares, the Better I'll be getting along. Like the Jackal I am...' He grinned, watching the Collies eyes wander back north to Wildgard.
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Indigo
Apprentice Roleplayer
Posts: 53
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Post by Indigo on Dec 3, 2013 11:31:01 GMT -6
With an odd look in response to the ominous words, he nodded slowly. "I know. I picked the wrong day to head out I think... I just hope there's still enough boarding free at the Tavern with something like this approaching..." His voice was quieter with the sound if defeat, and his shoulders slouched. With a sigh he looked back once more to the Maw, then shuffling his sore feet in the dirt road he began to turn back. He paused for a moment, looking the bad in the face once more. "What about you? Did you say you hadn't found a den yet...?" he inquired, "You could... travel back with me you know..." His offer, though genuinely extended to the bard, was awkward and unsure. Though the man deserved his respect naturally by trade, Indigo couldn't quite be sure he deserved trust yet.
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