ναєяєи
The woods seemed quiet for a period of time. Peaceful. There was a strange feeling in the air that lifted the weight from her heart and the worries from her shoulders. Simply walking sent a comforting feeling all over her being. Of course, she knew what this was - the reawakening of the gods. They would come forth and redeem the world of it's beauty and wonder. It was definitely Vae's favorite time, especially now as she traveled through the very trees that seemed to even lift a tad, leaves greener, standing taller. A soft smile touched her lips. It was truly a beautiful world out here, and she was happy that she had made the decision to leave her confining home and explore it.
But at that moment, before she could delve into her past and ponder about it, she felt eyes on her. Immediately, her steps froze. It was an instinct - freeze until you spot the predator, and then go into defense mode. Her eyes flicked around wildly, her hand resting on the handle of her dagger. And then, as she looked for the source, she heard a quiet, yet rough voice call to her.
"If you are what you look like ... "
She spun, her dagger whipping out of it's sheath as she crouched into a warning stance. It was a man, who was approaching her hesitantly. He continued what he was apparently going to ask, and he said in an equally soft voice, " ... would you kindly help a poor soul with a broken wrist?"
She hesitated. He had a weapon on him, but his wrist did look swollen, and he looked in pain. She slowly went out of her stance, carefully sheathing the dagger (but still keeping her hand near it, just in case) and saying, " ... Yes, I can. Go sit by that tree - " She pointed to a tree near to them that had a thick, large trunk, " - and remove your weapon." She waited for the man to comply, her arms crossing over her bare chest. If he truly was that desperate, and smart, he would do what she said. Only a robber or a murderer would try to find a way around that.
- | -
Seriven
Some minutes passed as he watched the night grow darker. He snapped awake, blinking sleepily. He seemed to have dozed off. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them. Find a proper place to sleep, you animal. With a soft sigh, he stood on his branch, balancing himself, and crouched to hop to the next one that he saw, one that led him further into the forest. Leaves fluttered and below, you could see the slight shifting of branches as he reawakened his muscles. It was fun to travel tree-to-tree, especially up so high. He eventually decided to just get into the air and look for somewhere close by. If he came up with nothing, he's just find a comfy tree and sleep there.
He began hopping up higher, until he came to the top of one of the trees. With a deep breath of the crisp night air, he coiled his muscles and leaped skyward, his wings flapping to get him into the air. His eyes searched ahead, and he began his flight once more, taking a strong wing-beat forward and getting into a steady speed.
Lucky for him, Seriven didn't travel without money. A belt was around his waist, one that held a few bags of accumulated money in them. He would look for small jobs whenever he could find them, but with his odd talent, that could sometimes be difficult. It seemed like each town had at least one shop like that, though, and he had some materials around even naturally.
After a few minutes, the harpy decided to land, dipping down towards a tree and latching onto the top branch. He rhythmically hopped downwards from branch to branch until his feet hit the ground, where he crouched and regained the feeling of ground instead of branches. He folded in his wings neatly, tail relaxed, as he began to walk, the magenta hue of his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. He held a slight grin and a calm atmosphere.
More time passed. He became lost in his own thoughts. He knew that coming out there was his only option. He would have stayed, if not for ... well, he didn't like to think about that. No, move on to something happier. The gods were here now to fill the lands with their beautiful energy. He'd have to partake in some of the festivities, if he ever managed to come across a village or town that was celebrating it. He loved the vibes that the reawakening times gave to people; everybody was jubilant and thankful. The grin, which had faded in light of the past thoughts, became strong again.
All of a sudden, he was snapped from his thoughts at the sound of a young voice calling out, "M-mama, papa!" He stopped in his tracks, his eyes glancing around the area. It sounded like a little girl, and judging from what the voice said, it more than likely was exactly that. But what species? He glanced to and fro, until he spotted something stumbling along near to him - a small figure.
He stalked quietly over, hiding behind a tree and poking his head out to get a better view. The girl looked definitely human; she had long hair a bright orange, and her frantic eyes appeared brown. Must be lost, he thought. With a small step from behind the tree, he called out softly to the girl, " ... Hello there."
She gasped and spun, stumbling back and falling back. With a couple of careful steps, he was in full view, and the girl said in a small, trembling voice, "No, p-please don't eat me!"
The harpy nearly laughed at that. A light smile came to his expression. "Nah, I won't eat you, no worries. I'm no danger to ya." To prove it, he plopped down onto the ground in a sitting position, getting to her level. She was very small in comparison to him.
The girl seemed hesitant, and he couldn't blame her. She approached him, a light of curiosity flaring up in her eyes, replacing the fear. She stood only a couple of feet from him, saying in a hushed voice, "Whoa. You have wings!" She ran behind him and placed her little hands on one of the folded appendages on his back. "Yes, I most certainly do." His tone was light-hearted and worry-free. She stroked the feathers and stared at the wing, almost entranced by it.
She then looked up and walked back around to where he was facing. He took that chance to ask her something. "Well, I'm Seriven. What's your name?" He stretched out his hand to her, and she backed up a tad before responding quietly, " ... Merle. Merle Jyvens." She paused before placing her hand on his, and he shook it delicately.
"And what are you doing out in the forest on your own, Merle? Where are your parents?"
She blinked, looking down at the ground sheepishly. "I dunno ... I can't find Mama or Papa. It's scary being alone." She did a careful glance behind her as she said that, and Seriven's heart melted. The poor girl. He felt a weird obligation then, to help this little girl find her home. I mean, what was he gonna do, wish her a good evening and walk away? Hell no. That was the most heartless thing to do.
He did a jolly little grin and said, "If you'd like, I could help you find your parents." The girl hesitated again, saying quietly, " ... Mama said I shouldn't go with strangers." With a lopsided smile, the harpy replied, "If you don't want to, I won't make you, I promise."
There was a silence before the girl seemed to decide, and she said, "I'll ... come with you."
Seriven's expression lit up, and he stood again, allowing the girl to come beside him. She reached up and held his hand, her gaze moving around them cautiously. He simply allowed it as they began to walk. He had to match his pace with hers, but it wasn't a big deal.
The two walked through the forest together, while Merle asked him questions like "What are you, mister Seriven?" and "Are there monsters, mister Seriven?" He responded cheerily, trying to keep the little girl in high spirits. He promised that if there were any monsters, he'd make sure they couldn't get to her, and that made her smile the most adorably large smile. After some time of little conversations with the young girl, he saw a break in the trees, and there were a couple of people talking - one on a horse, the other on their feet.
He cleared his throat and called over to them, "Excuse me! Over there!" He approached them, and Merle let go of his hand, hiding behind him. Once he had gotten one of the peoples' attention, he asked, "I have a lost little one here by the name of Merle Jyvens. Does that ring a bell with either of ya?" The girl hid behind his leg, tentatively poking her head out to look at the new people. Seriven's tone was light and casual. Neither of them looked really sketchy - maybe the one on the horse, with her strangely ringed tail and ears, and the contrasting color of her eyes. But at any rate, it was people, and if they seemed suspicious, he'd just move on with Merle and look somewhere else.