Otomoty Woods

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Electric Love

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The people of Otomoty Woods are cursed by the fay to live in eternal darkness. Hazael (a skilled wizard) comes to the woods in order to escape some thieves and is intrigued by the curse. He goes to the king to offer his help but is turned away. He decided to camp just outside of the small city for the night. Enter however you like. If you have ideas you want to discuss, go here. Sorry about the long intro! Not all my posts are this long, hahaha.



Hazael moved in a blur through the tall golden grasses. His legs felt numb and breathing made his chest swell as if it could explode. In his left hand, he clutched a small gold orb. His palm had grown slick with sweat, and every time his arm swung forward, he feared dropping the small orb. Behind him, he heard the pounding of hooves like thunder in the cool morning air. Only a few strides in front of him, the tree line of the Otomoty Woods rose in dark, skeletal shadows and the sunlight disappeared entirely. A heavy wall of clouds crouched above.

He tore into the brush. Blackberry thorns and bare branches scraped at his clothing, but he cared little. Already, his indigo robes had suffered from his journey. Behind him, the hooves suddenly came to a stop, and he tumbled forward into the darkness, his legs completely exhausted.

"Show yourself wizard!" A voice cried into the shadows.

Quietly, he lay against the cold earth and looked through the trees at the blackness above. He understood. A land without sunlight was surely cursed land. The thieves would never dare to set foot in it if they knew what was good for them.

"Did he get away?" Another voice followed the silence after a few long moments.

The first thief snorted. "He'd be better off facing us. Let him rot in the woods. That bit of gold isn't worth our lives."

The two thieves waited at the edge of the woods for a few more minutes before turning their horses around. The wizard lay breathing heavily and thinking. He suspected that the two would camp out in the valley and wait for him. Though not worth their lives, the gold orb was a small fortune to them.

He held up the orb in the shadows and squinted at its vague outline. The day before, it had been nothing more than a ball of mud. "I shouldn't have shown off," he muttered to himself as he sat up. "Pride always leads to trouble." Though he reminded himself of this, he could not help being proud. A successful alchemist was a rare thing to come across. And so, having caught his breath, he let out a loud laugh and dusted off his robes.

"Oh, I really am clever," he mused, turning his back to the tree line and gazing into the Otomoty Woods. "Only a wizard like myself could tramp through cursed land without worry. But first..." He spun the gold orb on his finger tip and chanted a few ancient words. A glow crackled to life from the orb so that he could see far enough in front of him to avoid tripping.

He held the orb between two finger tips and began a very long walk without knowing where he would end up. Curses were always a curiosity to the young wizard. They were nothing more than puzzles when one got down to it, and wizards naturally loved puzzles being creators of great trickery themselves. Unfortunately for Hazael, he had not bargained on the miles of walking ahead of him.

It was late into the evening when he reached the rotting outskirts of farmland, though he only judged the time of day by his fatigue. In the distance, he caught the dim flickering of fire and could make out the outlines of buildings. He paused, wondering if he should change course or press forward. "I could certainly use a warm fire," he said and strode in the direction of the firelight.

Upon coming close enough to the first row of homes, he could tell that this was no small village. Rows of houses stretched along dark streets as far as he could squint. Still set on finding the source of the firelight, he continue quietly through the streets. The woods had felt safer than these streets. Here the curse could be felt fully, its energy blanketing the city like fog. It could not have been made by man, he realized. Only a fairy could muster up this sort of power...

Now, he could see a mead hall, built taller and longer than the quiet shops and homes around it. The fire burned from a great torch centered in front of it by which stood a guard. "Who comes to the hall of my king?" The guard called out to the wizard.

"Only I. A weary wizard in need of a warm fire," he said. He certainly did not look imposing. His indigo robes wear tattered, his long black hair tangled, and his pale eyes bloodshot.

His response seemed to satisfy the guard who allowed him to pass into the mead hall, which was lit only by firelight. There were people hunched over the long tables and stretched across the benches. They eyed him suspiciously as he padded quietly towards the thickly carved, wood throne.

"Hail!" He boomed politely. His voice carried in an echo throughout the hall. The people began to mutter amongst themselves.

The king sat up in his throne and glared at Hazael. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I..." He cleared his throat, nervous by the informality and muttering. "I am Hazael Winthrollow, a humble wizard that has traveled far. I offer this as a token of my good will..." As he held up the glowing orb, the light faded, and it returned to gold. "And I ask only that you satisfy my curiosity. The curse that hangs over your land intrigues me."

"Keep your gold and your curiosity. We've had enough of magic folk here," the king grunted and slouched back into his seat.

"Alsterin!" A man stepped from behind Hazael. "We could use the help of a wizard. No ordinary man could lift the curse of..."

"Do not speak his name!" The king roared and pounded his fists against the arms of his throne.

Delighted by the excitement, Hazael desperately wanted to press the issue, but he knew better. "If you do not wish to have a powerful ally against the fay that troubles you, then..." He turned on his heel. "I will be on my way!"

The man that had interjected caught the sleeve of his robe. "Wait!"

"Your king does not wish for my help," the wizard hissed.

"Hear reason Alsterin!" The man pleaded.

"Leave us!" The king shouted.

The man's hand dropped from Hazael's sleeve. Surprised by the ferocity of the king, he quietly left the mead hall. "Good evening," he said as he passed the guard and lit the orb once again.

By the time he reached the withering fields, exhaustion had pressed upon him heavily. His gaze drifted from one far end of the tree line to the next. The woods hardly seemed suitable for sleeping. The fields seemed too open. Uncertain of his next move, he sat on an abandoned wagon and produced a small pipe, which he perched at the corner of his lips. He would need a fire and a blanket of some sort. He lit the pipe with a small spark from his fingertip and set the orb carefully beside him.


Puffing quietly at his pipe, he stood and began to pull together the dried, dead plants to build a fire. He saw movement in the corner of his eye. "Who's there?" He called without looking up from his work.
 
A man was startled by the wizard's voice and tripped over a stone landing in some mud. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there sir" The man squinted around in the mud he was sitting in and after the last few days he had, he couldn't be bothered to get up straight away. "Name's Eric and I've been lost for the last few days, I think". Eric tried to recall how long he's been traveling through these woods but he had no idea.

Eric was a pleasant man to be around and is an excellent archer and won many tournaments. He was new to the area and did have a map and it showed that he could cut through the Otomoty woods to get to his destination.

Eric didn't know it was cursed and he's been walking through it for a last few days and never seen a soul. He ate his last bits of food 12 hours ago but still had some fresh water. He hasn't slept since he arrived in the woods.

As you look at Eric he has his bow over his shoulder, quivers on his back and a small traveller's bag. His eyes have darkened due to the lack of sleep and his blue spikey hair has gone grey with twigs and dirt filled in parts. His leather suit is now torn and muddy with a sleeve missing on his left arm.

Eric asked "I don't suppose you want some company I haven't seen a soul for days and I know I've missed my Archery contest"
 
Hazael whispered words only known to wizards, and a small spark took light on the plant matter. The fire grew slowly, steadily. "Make yourself at home," he said simply. He sat cross-legged on the wagon and looked at the poor lost man. Smoke rose from his pipe in gray wisps, and the air around him began to have a peculiar smell. For a few moments he stared silently at Eric, studying his messy appearance from beneath a furrowed brow. "What on earth are you doing in Otomoty?" He asked at last. "Even a wizard finds travel here to be challenging."
 
Alice woke up with a start. The cold had settled deep inside her bones making her shiver. She looked to her side where the fire she had built earlier was now a smoking pile of ashes. Tears filled her cheeks as she desperately tried to spark some heat in the remaining twigs but it was no use. She was shivering uncontrollably and the blinding darkness was no help at all. A pain shot from her left ring finger made her cry out and drop the rocks she had been striking. She tasted blood when she popped the finger in her mouth.

The eleven-year-old heaved violently when she tried to push back her sobs. Who knows what danger lurked in these strange woods? An answer presented itself in a form of a familiar scent which had drifted from some distance away. She strained to listen for any clue of where the smell came from. And there it was! An echo of quiet conversation from somewhere. People! Without thinking, she grabbed for her pack and rustled through the woods until the sounds and smell grew louder and thicker. The possibility of heat, light and food was all she could think about.

Sense made her stop dead in her tracks when the source of the conversation came into view. There was fire alright, but she was wary of the two grown men who sat around it. She decided on a plan. Unfortunately, it was formed amidst desperation, exhaustion and hunger.

Alicia jumped at the wizard and archer, brandishing the thin sword from her magic bag pack. She believed she looked menacing enough: ripped white dress, dirt everywhere from sleeping on the ground, dried leaves sticking out of her blonde locks. With an unconvincing glare, she growled, "I have a poison-tipped sword and I'm not afraid to use it so don't you dare rape me! Now, give me food and fire!"
 
Hazael looked to the small girl with raised brows and a smile. "Help yourself," he said, motioning to the fire with one hand. "No need to brandish a sword." When he laughed, a cloud of smoke rose from his lips and nose. He began coughing and pounded on his chest with a fist. "That was a bit harsh," he wheezed before stamping out the pipe with his thumb and hiding it beneath his robes. "We lack food, but the fire is as warm as a fire should be," he said to the girl.

A faint shimmering of air caught the wizard's eye, and he stood up abruptly to investigate. "Perhaps I can find a bit of food, though," he said. His voice was distant now as he squinted into the night. Shimmering air only meant one thing. The fay were watching them. He wondered when they would make an appearance. "You two can join me or wait here, but I have a feeling we can find food in the woods..." Without waiting for a response from either of the strangers who had joined him, he set off towards the treeline. He hummed a song as he walked, though he seemed incapable of following any particular beat.
 
Before Eric could answer the wizards question, a small girl jumped out of nowhere and posed a threat. Eric was surprised but was ready to die as it was. It soon clicked on what words she actually said as it repeated over in his head. He knew now she was just wanting to protect herself and wanted warmth and food.

Eric rubbed his head in frustration with himself and hope this day could get better but he highly doubts its. As the Wizard walked away after saying his words to the young girl, he'll go and help the wizard. As he stood up he turned to the little lady "Good manners help as well kid, try saying please." He watched her for a second with her blade "You look like you can take of yourself, if you're coming then come but manners don't cost anything especially to that nice wizard"

With that he jogged up to wizard "I'll help, we all need to eat...." he paused for a second "I don't believe I caught your name sir"
 
Alice was caught off guard by how reasonable these two men were. "Oh, I-I'm s-sorry," she stammered while her cheeks flushed red. Definitely not rapists. What was I thinking? At the talk of finding more food, she consciously felt her growling stomach which dropped inches lower when the archer (for she saw he wore his bow and had arrows) chastised him like his own father did. Normally, she would retort something witty--- she believes eleven is not a child anymore--- but hunger and shame from her recent escapade kept her face down.

Uncertain, Alice placed her sword back to her leather skin bag pack. At the last moment, she let the handle stick out of the bag for easy use later. Just in case, she assured herself. "I'll come with you!" she called as the men turned to leave the site. She glanced at the archer and quickly added, "If you please," muttering, "No way in hell am I going to be alone again in these woods."

Alice did her best to keep up with the men's stride. Expectantly, she looked up at the other man (a wizard no doubt) when the archer asked him of his name. She was curious herself.
 
"You're welcome as long as you can keep up," the wizard said, though his voice betrayed a joke beneath his words. Pleased to have company, he felt jovial despite fatigue and hunger. He liked to show off. He produced the golden orb, whispered a spell, and a warm glow enveloped it. It spread a circle of light about four feet around Hazael who laughed at his own trick. "My name, sir, is Hazael Winthrollow," he said. A half smile played across his faced. "I suppose we should all introduce ourselves probably. Child this here is..." He paused, searching for the name even as he pointed at the archer. "Eric! Ah yes, a good name. Now tell us yours!"

The shimmering air appeared in patches between the shadows of the trees as they walked. Hazael winked at one, and it vanished in a fine mist. They did not appreciate his presence one bit. Regular humans they could handle, but wizards always caused trouble for the fay. In fact, they avoided wizards much of the time. "Leave our woods!" The voice was shrill and wispy, coming from no where in particular. Hazael continued forward with a confident stride, offering reassuring glances at his companions.

"Don't be shy!" He said to the girl.
 
Entranced at Hazael's magic, it took all of Alice's will to keep her hands on her sides, now balled into fists. She so desperately wanted to pry it from his hands and add it to her collection of treasures and trinkets that lay hidden inside her magic bag pack. But, he was a wizard and she needed company in these godforsaken woods. Instead, she beamed at the orb in awe like the little child she was. Knowing nothing of magic, she instantly thought this wizard was a powerful one.

"Child this here is... Eric! Ah yes, a good name. Now tell us yours!"​

Alice shot Hazael a pout and was about to say that she wasn't a child when a shrilling command from out of no where made her shiver. Automatically, she felt for the sword behind her. "What was that?" she whispered nervously but saw the wizard didn't seem to mind. Reluctantly, she let the sword remain in her bag. She took a quick glance at Eric, hoping he was a darn good archer.

"My name's Alice," she answered the wizard, completely forgetting her original response. Curious, she added, "But shouldn't your orb know that, too?"
 
Eric plodded along and was happy the girl tagged along. He knew she probably had a bad time but he couldn't stand rudeness. He was pleased he had some luck and found someone else in these woods.

He was fascinated with the ball of light the wizard made and heard that the wizards name was Hazael, and he remembered Eric's name which pleased him. Eric watched the ball of light until a voice came from nowhere. He instinctively drew his bow with an arrow at the ready but couldn't pinpoint where the voice was coming from. He noticed the wizard didn't seem to worries so he placed his arrow back in its quiver and put his bow away.

He kept an eye out around but didn't notice anything that peculiar, all he saw was tree's and vines and hoped that Hazael knew where he was going. He heard the girls name was Alice.

Eric said while keeping his eyes watching the darkness "well it's my pleasure to meet both of you". He quickly faced Hazael "What food do we have in these woods" he asked. Then he went back on surveying the darkness
 
"This orb," Hazael said, glancing down at the girl and laughing, "Is nothing more than mud and magic."

He paused suddenly in his step and bent down next to a scraggly bush with gray berries. It seemed to be one of the few living plants in the dark woods. "To begin with, we will eat these," he said. He began to pluck the berries as he hummed to himself. The air around him shimmered, and then a small figure no more than three feet in height appeared. Flat-chested and with long, tangled hair, it was difficult to tell the figure's gender. With a mean little snarl, it leaped at the wizard and bit down on his arm with pointed teeth.

Hazael dropped the berries and tried to pull the fairy away by its hair. He cursed rather loudly at the pain. A few more of the small figures began to appear around the three. They too seem to be ill-tempered, snarling and shouting crude threats as they ran at Eric and Alice. "Don't let them bite you!" The wizard shouted as he tossed aside the one that had bitten him with a harsh push. Without pausing to help the other two, he began picking up the berries again. "Just hold them off for a minute or two!"
 
"You, too," Alice replied to Eric who seemed to have a thing for proper etiquette. In fact, she reminded him of one of her friends, a noble just a year older than her, back home. She was also quite disappointed when the wizard mentioned what the orb was made of. Wait a minute, I didn't ask what the orb was made of. She narrowed her eyes at the wizard who crouched down for some berries. Did he know I wanted to steal it?

The attack interrupted Alice's thoughts. She couldn't help but scream when an ugly creature jumped at them from the bushes and dug deep on the wizard's arm with his teeth. Out of reflex, she took out her thin sword but didn't strike, afraid that she might hit the wizard instead.

More pressing things came to Alice's attention. Terrified, she saw more the little things heading viciously towards them. She started hacking at them one by one. It was a poor demonstration of her swordfighting skills since she wasn't used to hitting things a feet shorter than herself. She was doing a great job holding off the attackers from the wizard, especially with the archer fighting beside her, but one of the really nasty-looking ones had grabbed a wad of her long blond hair and pulled at her with such strength, she was barely able to keep her footing. "Help!" she cried out while she kept whacking her sword at the other creatures who were trying to take advantage.
 
"Mud?" Eric was a little surprised "That's a neat parlor trick". He was always fascinated with Magic and wished he could learn the art. When the creatures attacked he pulled an arrow out and jabbed it in between the eyes of the creature who bit the wizard. He pulled his bow out and shot the same arrow at one creature running right at him. The creature flew backwards and got stuck into a tree.

"Help!"

"Alice!" he shouted and started firing arrows automatically. The creatures seems to be targeting Alice now, he shot them all down landing each hit in the head which made them fall to the ground.

Satisfied with them down and Alice safe he saw one creature jump for Hazael and in the corner of his eye he saw one jump at him. He Instinctively pulled another arrow out and shot the creature aiming for the wizard but as he went to grab another arrow the creature was on him. He struggled against it, it latched onto his face.
He had to drop his bow to use both hands to stop its teeth chopping down but he could feel it's nails digging in deep.

It quickly tore the strap holding the quiver and it fell to the floor which he then slipped on and landed on his back, with a thud he hoped another creature wouldn't jump on him, he was having enough trouble getting this little creature of him.
 
Ignoring his companions for the most part, Hazael gathered a handful of the berries. As he straightened, he looked around to see how they were holding up. Then, pocketing the berries, he bellowed a spell so loudly that the fairies paused to glare at him. The spell itself was nothing overly impressive, but he said it with enough gusto that its effect became somewhat dramatized. The ground beneath the fairies' feet shifted and sunk, pulling them down to their knees. This delayed their vicious attack for a few moments. They rose from the ground in shimmering mists, cursing and shouting threats.

"They'll be back on their feet quickly enough," the wizard said. "Eat these before they are." He handed them each a few of the gray berries and then at a few himself. The flavor was extremely bitter and unpleasant. He even cringed as he swallowed the berries. "These will..." He gagged and then cleared his throat. "These will change your perspective a bit..."

Once the berries settled in their stomachs, they would begin to feel a little light headed. Then, in a matter of seconds, the world around them would begin to change in appearance. The forest would suddenly overflow with thick green trees, brightly colored flowers seen by few men, and light... oh there would be light! The brightness of day, though muted by the thick treetops, would surely blind them, causing them to blink and squint at their surroundings. The shimmering air where fairies walked gleamed all the more with brilliant flashes of color from their wings.

"This is what they see," Hazael explained enthusiastically. "Their curse doesn't cause much trouble for them..."
 
How annoying. His brothers and sisters were causing such a ruckus again, it was giving him a headache. With a scowl Mephis sat up on the branch he had been taking a nap on, crouching overhead to take a peek at what they were trying to chase off now. A feral grin stretched across his face as he spotted the small group. One that consisted of a Wizard, an Archer, and a little girl. Oh how he loved wizards! Well, not that he's actually met one but from the stories he had heard had left him in awe. As for the two others, there didn't seem much to them. That was until the archer began killing his kind with pinpoint accuracy. The child though, was pretty much inexperienced the way she flailed and swung her sword. Not surprising really.

After the small little battle it would seem that the wizard had achieved his goal and plucked the berries that allowed them to see the world outside of the curse. Mephis clapped at his victory and gave off a small little laugh. "Oi, there Wizard. You sure do know you're berries, eh?" The unfitting fae shimmered into sight, hanging upside from the branch with hands behind his head. He was face to face with the wizard, nose's almost touching as he gave him a wide friendly smile. His short brunette hair barely hung, making it seem as if it was defying gravity. Unlike other fae, he had no wings, and was much larger than the average height. Very much so.

He was also much more pristine and neat. Mephis didn't like the wild look his brethren wore. But that really didn't matter. He was an outcast to his kind anyways. It wasn't always like that though. Sure he didn't quite fit in but they tolerated him. Treated him the same. It wasn't until he voiced his disapproval against the curse. They chased him out as soon as he did so. Now, he just wandered about the forest. Watching from afar, until now. "What brings ya three out here ta these fine beautiful woods? Not just ta eat those for hungry stomach's surely." Sure, they did look hungry but the wizard probably had something more planned up his sleeve then just that.

Mephis looked past the wizard and group to see their attackers sunk into the ground by the Wizard's spell. He whistled, mischievously smiling towards their way. "After that wears off i suggest ya'll scurry off or I'll call the Hyena's on ya." He sang to them. That immediately got them to stop struggling and stare at him with wide filled terrified eye's. At this he cackled. "Or maybe I'll call them over now. Would be a sight to see them feast on ya'll like that." Of course he wouldn't actually do it. It was just hilarious to see them this way. He couldn't help himself at this perfect opportune moment. "Don't worry," He whispered to the three with a wink. "I ain't gonna actually call them. Besides, the Hyena's may try ta feast on ya'll too." Mephis chuckled to himself, flipping to the ground. At this he spun on his heel to face the group properly. Again he gave a friendly smile, waiting for an answer to his previous question.
 
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With the wizard's spell the little creatures was dragged of Eric and pulled underground. Eric sighed with relief and got up and looked around for his bow, quiver and bag. He spotted them and picked them up and thought he will need to fix the quiver soon.

As Hazael passed Eric the berries, he did as he was told and threw them in his mouth. He had no reason to doubt him, as he bit into the berries, it felt like his mouth was turning inside out, he was about to say something to the wizard but noticed he didn't like the taste either.

When the wizard said these will change his perspective, he had no idea how the berries would do that but soon enough things around him seemed to change, he had to blink a few times to grow a custom to his new surroundings.

As the new scenery took place the bright light was too much for Eric as he was stuck in the dark for a good few days. He rubbed his eyes trying to see. He kept smacking his lips together still having the aftertaste stuck in his mouth. He heard Hazael say this is what they see, he wish he could everything's a blur for him at the moment.

He heard some clapping and tried to see who it was, but he had no idea. When the voice asked us "What brings you three out here to these fine beautiful woods?" He answered in the general direction "I was taking a short cut and got lost and that's when I bumped into the wizard and girl. As or the other 2…." Eric paused and realized he never got round to asking them why they were here. He wanted to but one thing led to another and here they are now. "Why are you two in these woods" he asked as his vision was getting clearer.
 
Alice fought the urge to spit the berries the wizard had handed her. I must trust him, she thought. As soon as the berries took effect, she immediately took out a pair of shaded glasses from her bag pack which she had stolen from a naïve inventor she met in one of her travels with her father. A smirk played on her lips when she saw the beauty of the forest around them through the gray lenses; it was a confirmation of what her source had shared: great treasures lie hidden in these woods.

The few remaining ugly creatures--- now beautiful little things--- lay still on the floor which made Alice breathe out a sigh of relief. It would have been awfully hard to kill one of the fairies now that she has seen their fragile forms, even though their petrified faces were contorted in anger.

The appearance of the stranger aroused mixed feelings from Alice. With her berry vision, the man looked just as beautiful and somehow fragile like the fairies around them. His voice chimed merrily, befitting the bright colors of the woods. She wanted to hug him. Still, she was her father's daughter which makes her assume the worst in people. When the stranger playfully threatened them with Hyena's, she instinctively clutched Eric's shirt, remembering too well how he had saved her from the fairy earlier.

"Why are you two in these woods?"​

The question stiffened Alice for a second before she admitted, "My father left me here." Automatically, she willed her eyes to water and put a slight quiver in her words. A natural actress, she was told. Her words rang true, really, but it was not the whole truth. She glimpsed the faces of the wizard and the stranger, hoping their magic didn't notice her lies.

Quickly, she shifted their attention to the wizard. "What about you, wizard? Why are you here?"
 
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"A man may try to flee from his past, to patch his wounds and carry on. But a man whose spirit is broken, is similar to a shattered bottle. One may drop two bottles at the same time in a room, they both will shatter but their is a difference. Despite being dropped from the same height, in the same environment, it is how they shatter that separates them. One breaks, it's pieces scattered across the room only meant to be swept and thrown away. While the other breaks, and becomes a jagged weapon...a tool. Both are broken, both can never be repaired and none can hold their spirit once more. The difference is simple among men, it isn't a question of when they break...rather how? And what shape they will take afterwards?" ""Journal Entry 142 -Gerald, thoughts on the great civil war.-""​







These idles words he scribbled inside of his journal, as his loyal steed pushed through the resistance of the mud. A forest, a home without light, where numerous threats lurk around the corner. It seemed like the perfect place for his target to hide, a foolish ploy birthed from sheer frivolity. For a wolf, even robbed of it's sight would prove dangerous, relying on his instincts and other senses it will prove equally formidable. Gerald traversed these broken, and dark lands with little resistance, other than the harsh terrain few obstacles halted his progress.


The wolf of Nabanouu, a frigid and rigged killer of the Shing empire; a man famed for his ability to take a mans life during the bloody revolution. His callous hands, stern gaze and unmovable resolve proclaimed his experience and skill with the blade nuzzled against his back. His attire as dark as obsidian, it's material a special hide capable of stopping a dirk or arrow in it's tracks. On his shoulder a patch was displayed, the symbol of a wolf missing an eye, with a saber in it's ravenous jaws. Something about this man demanded respect, perhaps it was this aura that intimidated the highwaymen he could sense in the foliage.


Their cold murderous gaze becoming replaced with a uniformed sense of respect. Through the misty pine woods he crept, the tall and stern trees whipping and creaking as a fowl wind rushed between their grip. The sound of rustling brush and branches provided a sense of edge, yet no matter the level of alertness...nothing unwanted cross his path. Gerald felt uneasy here, so much baneful woe lurked within this forest roots, yet as of yet no harm befell him. A part of him wanted the inevitable confrontation to be done with, instead of being left to bear the anticipation.


Off in the distance he saw the crackling fire of a camp, and could hear the loud clamor of several strangers. Could this be the nest of his target? Gerald could only wonder...


Cautiously he dismounted from his steed, fastening it to a nearby naked oak as he crept through the shadows. With uncanny grace and speed he weaved through the shadows, his footsteps muffled by years of experience when it came to stealth ambushes. With defiant emerald eyes he pierced the darkness, shielded by the thick foliage he watched as several strangers conversed. A wizard, some lost folk. What a queer gathering, if anyone knew of the Bandit kings hideout it would be the sovereign, and most likely corrupt pig of the land. Or perhaps this wizard.


Stepping from his secluded position, the experienced soldier melted into their sight. As the orange glow of the fire complimented his intimidating, if not partially handsome features. Unlike most, he saw no need to bow to any man that was not his lord. In fact such actions went against his culture, for one only bows to their own ruler. No doubt by now his sudden and perhaps unwanted appearance arched a few brows, and unsheathed a few blades. No matter the volume of hoarse whispers of steel friction against steel; The wolf of Nabanouu maintained his aggressive stance. As if to proclaim his dominance over all basking near the fire.


Despite his bold approach, his weapon remained sheathe, as if confident he could draw it and cut a few of them down before they had the chance to take him out. Yet in spite of all of this, his eyes were not of that of a wolf who thirsted for a fresh kill. "Pardon my intrusion, the hour is late and my patience is little." He proclaimed, almost matter of fact like as a grin now plastered itself on his face. "I have come here, seeking information. The quicker I receive what I want, the sooner we can continue our meager lives." He paused, his words resembling ice and the stench of death.


"I seek the bandit King of these parts, his head will be mine. I know that a ruler of these lands must have information, and if not him, wherever he may be...than perhaps a wizard?" Those rebellious emerald eyes of his shifted over to the said wizard, if the spell weaver was experienced...he would sense the deep perceiving powers they possessed. As if Gerald himself could see his very life force, and the magical energy emitting from the wizards frame.


Despite appearing human, something about his presence was off...as if there was more to him than originally met the eye. Something any magic user would notice right off the bat, for he was the last master of an old art. The art of sword magic; rumored to have faded long ago.
 
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