[IC] Avalia

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Main Road from Roshmi
Interactions:@Tae@13org@Dezuel@hide on mana

Caelan looked at Koto with confusion, “What do you mean? Ooh these are the clothes I had before I came to this place, this is called Avalia? Hmm. Weird name. Thought it was called Raemiala. That was the name of the place our DM named the world we played Dungeons & Dragons in.” He said thoughtfully. ”DM stands for dungeon master, the guy who tells the story.”

The two girls were questioning him now and seemed wary of him for some reason. He had no idea why he was being interrogated. ”I hid in here cause I needed to get out of that city we were at. I didn’t know what was going on but after some party the other night, everyone’s been crazy and it’s under martial law now or something. Not my vibe, ya feel me? I have had the worst week in my entire life. When I got here I was chased by an owlbear into the city and I had to hide and steal nasty bread and dirty water all week to survive. Thinking of all that makes me want to smoke a joint, ugh… Now that I’m away from people I can finally use it...” He shook his head after his explanation, taking out a joint from his pocket. He put it to his lips and flicked his fingers at it out of habit, thinking he had a lighter in his hand, but really he didn’t have one. A spark of flame ignited the joint from his fingertips. He took a puff from the joint and breathed out in relief. It took a few moments before his eyes suddenly widened, ”Wait. What!?” He looked and at his hand that he had used to light it and shook it away in fear of getting burned. ”Bruh… Guys what is going on here?”

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Landing of the River Port
Interactions: @princess

The amora’s propellers were slowing as it lowered toward the landing pad.“Hey Risa darling, it is time to wake up, we are here.” Kyran said, nudging her awake and stretching his arms. Once it landed, he helped her stand up, traversing off the amora. He looked around in awe at the surroundings. It reminded him of the area in Roshmi near the dock where his father and he would go fishing. It gave him a sense of nostalgia. “This place is really nice isn’t it? Do you think Elsea will be here? I really hope she is safe...” He said to Risa. “Where should we go first? Maybe find an inn?” Kyran asked her, rubbing her back. However, before she could answer, a brown wolf emerged from the woodland nearby.

[princess]

Time: Afternoon
Location:Port 10
Interaction: @Alivefalling
Outfit:What she's wearing
Inventory:Bag for her belongings(It's along her belt behind her cape and not a backpack). Inside that bag: ama pouch, small water flask, plant seed pouch, small bag of berries, small flowery perfume, small knife, thin nightgown, and Risa has transferred some of her hygienic supplies into small, portable bottles: hair and teeth cleansers, hair softener and armpit fragrance.

The smell of salt and moisture in the air told Risa they were just where they needed to be. She stepped down off the amora to stare down the road, the sound of seagulls filling the air. The buildings that spanned down the road were humble. They seemed to be housing buildings for the civilians here. A cobblestone road was beneath her. All sorts of species of people moved through the road. The town was not too loud and only one or two carriages could be spotted moving down the road in the distance.

”Yeah this place is nice.” Risa replied calmly to Kyran’s words. ”I’ve received word that Elsea is alright yesterday. She’s so strong I’m sure she’ll make it here soon. Oh, how I miss her.” She said with a sad smile. When he asked about where they’d go, she went to tell him she’d like to go scope out the town, but a voice in her head interrupted her.

About time you showed up.

Out of the nearby bushes came the brown-furred wolf, his green eyes fixated on her. Risa beamed and ran over to kneel on the ground in front of him and throw her arms around him. "Hades! I don't think I've ever been more glad to see you!" He leaned his head on her shoulder in return of her hug.

No need to fret, little one. I have been well. However, I have good and bad news, so please pay attention.

Risa let go of him and placed her hands on her lap to listen. She felt her jaw clench as she anticipated already what the bad news was.

I was intercepted on my way to bring Dionaea home safely and it was by your brother, Helio. I was able to locate her, but it was too late. His scent was that of what I remember and it was no demon, but make no mistake, he is not the man we knew. He reeked of dark energy.

Risa was thoughtful of his words, her gaze leaving his as she petted his fur, "I know. I ran into him too... I hope he didn't hurt you. She looked over her shoulder to throw Kyran a glance. Risa had no idea whether he even knew about Dionaea or not, but she still did not have the guts to bring it up.

Hades tilted his head, perhaps having braced himself for a different reaction. No. I got away alright. You seem like you've already begun the grieving process. This means we can move on to business. I have found you a meeting place that can be rented out for tomorrow when the others arrive. Also, I have located my old pack leader and his pack. Risa stared in surprise as eight more wolves emerged from the woods and bowed their heads to her. They are patrolling the woods around this town to keep an eye out for who arrives. They've been introduced to human scent and will come to alert me. I have asked the fairy girl who works at the clothing store to aid me. She is a long time friend. She has written down 'Meeting Hall tomorrow at 2' on bits of paper and given it to the neighborhood dogs to hand to anyone who smells like a human.

"Wow... You've thought of everything. How do they know what human smells like?"Risa asked. Hades had always been wise and had a way of thinking ahead. She was grateful he had done this much. Over the amora ride, she had been trying to brainstorm how to find everyone if she didn't know every rebel by face yet, and had struggled to come up with any solution.

I had saved a piece of that metal human's shirt from the woods, then I introduced the wolves and town mutts to his scent. Now, no time to waste. You and Kyran must follow me to see the hall I want you to rent out. Hades moved past her and began going down the road, expecting them to immediately follow.

Risa climbed back on her feet and then took Kyran's hand to lead him along. They soon found themselves outside a decent sized building. Inside, there were wooden benches and a small stage with a podium for someone to speak out of. "This'll do."She commented as she looked inside through the doorway.

A demihuman man was sitting at a desk inside. He glanced over, "Looking to use this place for an event? It's 10 amas per hour.

"I'll take 8 hours tomorrow starting 2 pm if that's free."Risa wasn't sure they'd be talking for 8 hours, but it was better safe than sorry.

"Hmm." He opened the packet he had and looked over the schedule. "Looks good. If you go a bit over, don't worry. No one else has an event in there tomorrow night. I won't be around as I have things to attend to tomorrow."

Risa paid him then stepped out of the meeting hall. Hades nodded to her and moved back into the woods. She knew he'd be around if she needed him. She came back to take Kyran's hands.
"Wanna get a bite to eat?"

[Helo]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Forests near River Port
Interactions: Zephyrin@Howlsofwinter, Kenia@Tae, Arwen?@princess

Bowyn felt the icy grip of terror as he heard a creature roar loudly and with enough force to send Arwen flying backwards from wherever she had slunk off to within the forest. He'd heard a sound that horrible once before, and it had signaled the deaths of everyone he'd cared about. Seconds after Arwen, the creature burst forth from the trees, one both familiar and terrifying to him; a wyvern. Neither fight nor flight kicked in, but a third and far less useful reaction gripped him, leaving him frozen for a handful of precious seconds in pure terror. His stomach twisted and the taste of bile burned against his throat, if he had eaten anything besides a few mouthfuls of food in the past day he might have vomited. He could not focus on the present, and the past gripped ahold of his mind, blending in with reality.

A memory stirred.

The absolute high of an impossible victory. A quiet sense of shock and relief as he and a group of winter fairies successfully defeated their enemy. A dozen or so of the elves lay dead in the snow of a small glade, within a forest, a half days' flight from the winter village. The winter fairies had outnumbered the elves, caught them by surprise, and for the first time they had done something that wasn’t passive or neutral. Several fairies bore injury, only a couple lay dead, but they had all done something that mattered, proved that their people weren’t weak, couldn’t be so easily taken advantage of. Blood stained his hands, not his own, not that of an animal he had hunted, but dark elf blood. It felt both terrible and terrific. It was success and victory, but it was also violent and final. He felt strong, part of him had enjoyed killing dark elves, of being lost in rage. An unsettling sense of relief that lasted less than a few seconds.

Then there was the sound of a mighty roar, one with the power to make the nearby trees themselves quiver. A large shadow moved above them. He felt the cold panic of looking up and seeing, for the first time, a wyvern in flight. Dozens more dark elves appeared from within the shadows of the trees as the winged creature dove down striking one fairy with its tail and scooping up another with its talons. As the man struck by the wyvern's tail screamed and bled, another, more horrible sound echoed. One of flesh and bone being ripped apart. The man taken by the creature's talons was shredded and dropped in pieces around them. The enemy surrounded them, sinister grins and laughter on all sides of them. They were being herded closer together as the enemy advanced. There was no hope, not of victory, not of survival. The wyvern’s attack was quickly followed by a rush of dark elves and arrows. Collectively they felt the horrible sinking feeling of knowing with absolute certainty what their collective fate would be, they had all walked into a massacre.

Nothing but death surrounded him. Screams of fear and pain and despair. Bodies torn apart by the wyvern, bodies shot down from the skies by arrows as some tried desperately to flee. Dark elves, their faces plastered with their twisted grins; it was a game for them. It was the first time he felt absolute helplessness and hopelessness. He kept fighting through it, hopeless as it was, better to go down fighting than cowering. More and more blood stained his skin, some of it now his own. Seconds felt like lifetimes, time was unbearable, and he had so little of it left. He saw another winter fairy, Jarrah, his closest friend, this group's natural leader, almost like a younger brother to him, being driven closer to the wyvern. He had froze, faced with another loss he couldn't take. Tried to summon magic only to find it wasn't there for him, it failed him for the first time in his life. He had watched Jarrah die too with his face twisted in anguish and terror. He did nothing to stop it, and then he had run.

Bowyn recalled in almost perfect clarity the amount of destruction this creature could cause. The way it tore through bodies like tender meat. His eyes were wide with terror, lost in a memory and focused on every familiar face he’d watched die. That was the only way he remembered those faces now; twisted in torment. The icy grip of horror didn’t let up, kept him frozen in place, even as the wyvern swooped towards them, breaking through the shield Kenia had attempted. But Boreas was there, on his shoulder, ever watchful, and the merlin nipped his ear just hard enough to draw blood. It snapped Bowyn’s attention back from his memories, focusing him on the wyvern in front of him just in time to jump out of the way and use his wings to keep himself from falling backwards.

"Do we run now?” Boreas asked, as they normally did when there were signs of great danger.

"No, we can’t leave them.” Bowyn said, and even as he spoke his resolve wavered.

"A wise choice from you today.” Boreas said with approval.

The creature let out hiss that Bowyn could feel in his core, one that sung to his own grief and agony. He knew wyvern’s to be vicious in battle, and this one was in pain. He knew what pain like that did to a person, and had no doubt this wyvern would be even more deadly because of it. He tried to call his magic, but fear paralyzed it from him. How could he fight a creature like this when he couldn’t even fight back his terror enough to call his magic? The doubt was crippling, the desire to run was hard enough to repress. Kenia was speaking but he couldn’t focus on her words, he heard his name, a command to attack the wings, but fear continued to block his magic from him. It was all going to happen again, the screaming, the death, and he would still be helpless to stop it.

”You’ve been a good friend, Bowyn. This is my choice.” Boreas spoke to him again, just as he sprung forth, leaving Bowyn’s shoulder.

A Boreas post...

Boreas’s Theme Song

While there were many creatures in the forest with exceptional reflexes, Boreas knew that none could quite match his. The small raptor was finely tuned with his environment, he was quick and he was constantly aware of everything around him. He saw the enemy, a great winged lizard, poised for another attack as Bowyn’s attention was lost elsewhere as it often was. He could sense his friend's fear and panic even without the fairy saying anything. Sometimes when Bowyn was lost in memories, Boreas could see them too, through the link they shared. In that moment he knew many things all at once, a moment of clarity laid his life out before him and left him acutely aware of what he needed to do.

Boreas knew he had lived a good life. He had been the first of his clutch to spread his wings and fly from the nest and from that moment on he always had the freedom of the skies. He had little trouble finding a mate, for the brilliant blue and silver feathers that marked his back coupled with his skills as a great hunter made him stand out just enough against his rivals. He had claimed a nice sized territory in which to hunt, but rarely did he ever journey outside his own boundaries. While he often spotted winter fae from the village that lived near his territory he never felt the need to interact with them. His mother had warned him as a nestling that fairies held strange power over animals, those who became their companions often changed, becoming more like the fae and less like a bird. Boreas had no interest in losing his freedom, changing, becoming domesticated, and so he kept his distance from them and the strange magic they possessed.

Then he had found a lost fairy wandering through the woods. In the fairy’s eyes Boreas found a deep sadness and sense of loss. Boreas too had lost his mate, taken by a stray arrow on the same day, but unlike the fairy, Boreas had the comfort of knowing that life would go on. When the lost fairy found himself rejected by it’s flock, Boreas took the lost creature under his wing. The fae were different from merlins, he had watched them from the skies, he knew they needed others and they did not do well as solitary creatures. So Boreas had become his companion, finding the company of the fae to a fascinating new adventure. In his friendship with Bowyn, Boreas did not lose his sense of freedom, he did not become like the domesticated animals, but instead felt himself becoming elevated into something more than he had been. Boreas learned to communicate with the fairy, opening up to deeper thoughts and experiences than he would have as just a solitary bird. There had been adventures, thievery, and seeing many sights far beyond his own territory.

For a long time he had tried to lead Bowyn back to a suitable flock, but the fairy was incredibly stubborn. Up until now he had been unsuccessful but Boreas knew his friend was now choosing to stay in the company of others. Boreas had finally led him to a new flock, and that Bowyn was no longer lost. Boreas knew that his time was also fading; a merlin's time when compared to a fae’s was very short. His plumage was dulling, no longer as brilliant as it once was, his speed and skill in the sky was waning, and he tired more quickly. Still he felt like he had accomplished something in his life, something more than the average bird could claim. A life of great adventure, one shared with a good friend, and with an endless open sky always above him. As Boreas looked at the fairy one last time he was proud, he knew that Bowyn now could grasp what Boreas had always known; that life goes on.

”You’ve been a good friend, Bowyn. This is my choice.” Boreas thought, and he ignored the protest his friend screamed into his head. Boreas was good at many things, but he did not take orders. He would show his friend how to be strong, how to fight for what mattered. He knew Bowyn would follow this example, he could be strong too.

And life would go on without Boreas, his friend could go on without him, and he would soon have to. Boreas lept from Bowyn’s shoulder and flapped his wings with all he had, soaring high and proud. He let out a high pitched cry as he flew towards the winged creature, avoiding the thrashing barbed tail and attacks from Kenia’s light magic with ease. He flew with more determination and agility than he ever had before, Boreas flew with a sense of purpose. With talons outstretched he went for the left eye of the winged lizard, his talons raked across scaled flesh but there wasn’t time to know if he had taken out one of its eyes.

He circled around again and found himself facing an opened screeching maw filled with jagged fangs. This was it, the beast was too large and too fast to outfly, and he was well within striking distance of the wyvern’s tail, talons, and mouth. All three options meant death, but one of them would allow him the opportunity to further damage the winged lizard, and this made it an easy choice for Boreas. He would fight until the end, this was a better end than succumbing to age. To one day become a bird who could not hunt, or fly, that was the life of a pet. Boreas would always be strong and free.

The small bird flew towards the open maw of the larger predator without hesitation. His talons raked across the beasts tongue, surprising it as Boreas flew directly into the creature's mouth. His talons continued their destruction scraping and tearing down the wyvern’s throat. The winged lizard coughed and choked both on Boreas and its own blood, it’s head thrashed wildly, leaving it distracted until Boreas could fight no more.

”Boreas, no!” Bowyn shouted at the bird but he knew the merlin wouldn’t listen. He knew what Boreas planned to do even before it happened, he went for one of the wyvern’s eyes, raking at it with his talons. Then, as Boreas was trapped within striking distance of the wyvern, he flew into the creature’s mouth. He felt the connection between him and Boreas shatter, and it felt like something scraping down raw nerves.

The wyvern’s cries were ones of grief and pain, and they were strong in the creature. But Bowyn’s were stronger, his pain was a constant festering wound. His people, his friends, Aeryn, and now Boreas. Gone. The loss of any sense of a home. The will to fight for those here with him now, to see Torvi and Belle again. Vengeance. He allowed himself to feel all of it at once, and all of those things were stronger than fear. A resolve so cold that he felt like ice came over him and Bowyn planted his feet, used every bit of his will to gain control over his magic. The blood sputtered and spat out, from the wyvern’s injuries, froze and shot back at the creature like shrapnel. He focused himself, reminded himself to go for the wings, take its flight. He pulled moisture from the air into his hands, creating ill-formed jagged and razor sharp daggers. He threw them at wyvern, his focus not breaking from the creature. He aimed for the leathery wings, keeping focus on the enemy, control over the ice, planning to pull the daggers down the second the hit the wings. He was going to shred that damn beast’s wings, he was going to watch it die, and the thought of it made him grin.

[dreamingflowers]

Nur and Darius

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port, Tailor
Interactions: Darius @FunnyGuy and Nur @Dreamingflowers
Ambiance: Fabrice the tailor

---

After giving a nod, Nur and Darius walked forth and entered through the glass doors of the tailor. The first thing that hit their senses was the fresh lavender scent and perfectly arranged headless statuesque mannequins. The clothing on the display was among the finest Darius had ever seen and he wondered how expensive Nur's tastes were in all manner of things. A distinguished-looking feline demi-human silently stood with exemplary posture like a still mannequin himself. A knowing smile formed on his lips once their attention was on him.

"Welcome! My name is Fabrice! This is my establishment, where I create top quality garments for River Ports finest ladies and gentlemen, I take my craft seriously, and you can expect the best."

Nur greeted Fabrice with a nod and smile. She could tell the demi-human had great taste in clothes. Aside from the mannequins on display, there were bolts of different fabrics neatly arranged by color, thickness, and pattern. She sauntered towards the silk aisle, immediately drawn to a green-colored silk. Nur ran her fingers across the fabric, it was smooth and soft.

Fabrice walked up to her, tapping the bolt of fabric.

“Good choice, this green silk is dyed in a subtle gradient.” Fabrice pulled on the bolt of fabric to unravel some length of the silk, showing Nur the fading of light to dark.

“It’s beautiful,” Nur said in awe. She was already imagining what kind of clothing could be made from it. Fabrice could tell he had a potential customer right there. He looked at the woman and narrowed his eyes, recognizing her kind. He held up the fabric next to Nur, envisioning the potential of it.

“It would look great with your eyes, I can take your measurements, and turn it into something amazing” Fabrice stated with complete confidence. He didn’t wait for an answer, as he already knew what it would be. He pulled up a second brighter green bolt of silk, and his measuring tape, promptly walking to the back of the store, expecting Nur to follow suit. And she did.

Darius had probably watched only a few seconds of the exchange before he started messing with the instrument he purchased. It was wooden, had 8 strings, and had a stand on the back which was convenient if he needed to set it down. He thought about trying out a string to give it a listen, but refrained. He could wait… And be bored.

He looked around the store and thought of the last time he was with a tailor. It had been right before the ball and Airdan had offered to take Myra, Artemis, and Darius to a tailor in between dance lessons. He remembered Myra being quite confused by the whole measurement bit and Artemis seemed to be enjoying picking out her fabric just as Nur did now. Good times… I wonder what happened to those two. I'm sure Airdan made it out fine. Artemis though… She left before things got bad so I guess she's probably doing fine too. Maybe she went back home to her family. That'd be nice after what she's been through.

Meanwhile, Nur stood on a small stool, to even out her height with the tailor. She was looking at a dress on one of the mannequins. It looked similar to one she had ordered to be made, prior to her arrival with Haldir. She had planned to pick it up, to take it with her. Only her escape was poorly planned and haphazard. She was sure that by now the guards had warned Haldir she got away, and he was catching on to what was going on. Aside from that Fabrice didn’t seem like the kind of man she could wrap around her finger that easily. It wouldn’t be for a lack of trying though.

“Lift up your arms young lady” Fabrice had a stern voice, and a no nonsense kind of work ethic. He took her measurements with meticulous precision.
Nur did as she was told with a disappointed look on her face, taking her eyes off the dress she knew she wasn’t going to have. The green dress was coming together swiftly. It was actually quite impressive, but Nur was too caught up in what she was missing out on.

She tried a different approach. She moved her hands up to the laces of her corset and started to untie them.
“If I take these off, it will be easier for you” The succubus smiled at the tailor, her slit eyes gleaming. Instead of being seduced however, Fabrice was annoyed. He looked her dead in the eye, staring at her over his glasses.

“That won’t be necessary”

Nur pouted, and rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed. She hated not getting her way, and couldn’t wait for the tailor to be done so she could go back to Darius. At least he was fun to be around. After a good amount of time, the dress was about halfway done. Fabrice busied himself with the construction of the green detachable scarf, that was part of the design of the dress. Nur jumped off the stool, the partially made dress flowing behind her, and went back into the store.

Fabrice barely acknowledged what she was doing, if the girl wanted to be stabbed by the numerous pins, so be it.

She spotted Darius, fidgeting with the mysterious instrument he bought on a whim, looking bored out of his mind. Time to change that.
“Hey you…., come on follow me” She waved him over to the changing rooms.

"Deeper I go…" Darius only mouthed as he was wary of getting too involved in the making of a dress. He forced a smile and walked over to the changing room. Then again, I might see something nice. His smile seemed to grow another inch at the thought of being lucky enough to get a better look at the beauty in the partially finished green dress. "Looks like he's doing a great job. Wow…" Darius was quite stunned and he wasn't even into these sort of things.

“Yes, yes it’s beautiful….now we have to..” Nur dismissed the compliments on Fabrice's craftsmanship and proceeded to walk over to the changing rooms.

“Go in here…”
The changing room was quite spacious, with two large mirrors facing each other, so you could get a full view of anything you might try on. Nur sat down on a small stool, crossing one leg over the other, her arm on her knee, and her face cupped in her hand. She winced, feeling a pin stab into her side.

“I want to see the outfit you got, so…..time to strip down” Her leg bobbed up and down lightly, the fabric of the dress sweeping over the floor. She watched Darius with anticipation who returned a look of surprise.

"Now?" The question was mostly rhetorical. A low sigh escaped him as he shrugged. Compared to his first bath in the wilderness of Avalia with Myra watching, this was just a walk in the park. He set down his instrument, removed his backpack, and then opened it to grab the clothing he had purchased. "It's going to be kind of wrink-... Oh! Hey Nur, I totally forgot to give this to you. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to hold onto it since I have the bag." He reached to hand her the perfume before returning to his bag and undressing, starting with his jacket, followed by his utility belt, pants.

Nur took the perfume bottle into her hands, feeling slightly surprised. So, it was for her all along? Looks like she hadn’t lost her touch. It was shaped like a heart, with gold filigree details and a pink crystal cap. How pretty. She enjoyed the gift, and the lack of manipulation it took to receive it. It felt more real, like a gift was supposed to be. She took off the cap and held the tip up to her nose, it smelled like roses, a delicate mixture of different ones.

She smiled, totally forgetting Darius was changing right in front of her. Before she had another opportunity to sneak a peek, the curtains were drawn back, revealing a very unamused Fabrice.

“Young lady…, your” He started at Darius over the top of his glasses, his expression unchanging. He cleared his throat, and proceeded to give them a lecture how his establishment was not to be mistaken for a brothel, even after Darius had pleaded with him that this was "not what it looks like!" Fabrice wasn't having any of it! The tailor walked up to Nur and snapped his fingers.

“Please stand up over there..” He pointed at the small stool.
Nur did as she was asked while trying not to laugh. The dress was finished surprisingly quickly, as the scarf was looped through a metal belt a little above her waistline. Fabrice clearly had had enough of the both of them, as he left the changing rooms as quickly as he arrived, instructing them to follow him to the counter.

Once they were alone again Nur turned to Darius who shrugged with an embarrassed smile, She imitated Fabrice, pretending to stare down at Darius over her invisible glasses, using her index finger to push it back up from the tip of her nose.

“He is right you know, this isn’t a brothel” He managed to chuckle.

"He's being so extra… I usually like cats too…" Darius shook his head disappointingly as he started putting on his new outfit. It actually fit him quite well despite eyeballing it. "Do you like your dress?" He asked as he put on the vest to his outfit.

“I love it” She turned to the mirror and started to undo the braid in her hair, playing with the way it looked until she was satisfied. Nur sprayed on some of the precious perfume and inhaled the floral scent.

“I’m ready to steal your heart now.”

"Are you?" He playfully challenged before stuffing his previous outfit in his bag. "Remember, this isn't a brothel." He jokingly mocked Fabrice as well.

[princess]

Time:Afternoon
Location:Forest
Interaction:@Tae@Helo@HowlsOfWinter
Outfit:This outfit, but imagine the cape is down to her ankles and the skirt is shorter.
Inventory:Ama pouch, map, berries, 2 potato cakes, a knife, some rope, and a blanket.

Clara had quickly maneuvered herself out of the way of the beast’s attack, however it managed to scratch her and rip into her forearm, scratching into her skin. Blood trickled down onto the grass but she ignored it. It didn’t feel like it was too deep. She glanced over at Kenia’s comment as she straightened herself upward to prepare to attack , “Nah. We got this.”

She listened to Kenia’s commands as it was distracted by the light magic. ”Coming right up!” Clara called to her. She wondered what was so bad about the tail, but figured it did not matter as long as she listened. She began to focus on lifting dirt and rocks from the ground to smash on to her tail. Clara spent a decent amount of time doing this before she noticed Boreas flying up toward the creature. ”Boreas! No!! Here, here little bird! Come back!!” Clara tried to call him back, even trying to make bird noises after she spoke. She stared in shock as he clawed at the eye, blinding it in the one. Boreas ended up swooping back around and he went straight into its mouth. The beast began choking, blood spilling from its mouth.

Had he just… killed himself… to help them?

Her gaze slid toward Bowyn and she felt heartbreak for him. He had seemed to have been so fond of the bird, treating it more like a friend than a pet. Her eyes watered but she tried her best not to start crying as it would just make this harder.

Bowyn soon started going insane on the wings, conjuring what looked like really sharp icicles to Clara. With the wyvern distracted, she was sure the attack could possibly make the wyvern fall to the ground, giving them a much better advantage. Then maybe she could ground it in place so it couldn’t charge at them once that happened. For now, she packed on as much dirt and rock onto the center of the tail until it looked like the tail was being weighed down.

An idea popped into her head. Clara could imagine the light bulb over her own head in that moment.

She began to move her hands toward each other in a crushing motion as if she was trying to pop an invisible balloon in her hands. The elves had taught her that using motions she wanted with her hands helped solidify her intent. She attempted for the case around the tail to begin squeezing the tail harder and harder. Clara’s face contorted from the effort but she didn’t stop.

[princess]

The Wyvern

Interaction: @Helo@HowlsofWinter@Tae

---

The wyvern was quick. Her size was not nearly as large as a dragon so she was able to maneuver through the sky area with no issue. She was just a bit bigger than a large horse. Slices of light bounded through the air toward her and she managed in her movement to almost dodge it. Still, it burned into her foot as she was sweeping upward and she roared.

Then a bird flew toward and soon her vision reduced to half its size as she went blind in one eye. Enraged from the attack, she quickly moved toward it with an open mouth. She had not expected the bird to have much intelligence and clamped her mouth shut over it, but the tiny bird ended up dragging its talons down her tongue on its descent. The wyvern struggled to cough it or swallow it, blood dripping from her mouth.

In her distraction, she didn’t notice the ice daggers flying right for her wings, or the earthly materials getting packed onto her tail. Just as she finally got rid of the bird problem, ice daggers flew into her wings as they flapped, penetrating the skin and also deeply shredding the skin. Roaring in agony, she struggled to keep up in the air, descending slowly until she crashed into the ground leaving her vulnerable. The sudden weight on her tail had made things more difficult. However, the rage of seeing her baby get stepped on was still fresh and she was not ready to lay down and die.

She roared forward at the group, menacingly beginning to charge toward them. Suddenly, pressure on her tail caused immense pain to radiate through it. It was increasing by the moment and in her agony and anger, she spun around, swinging her rocky tail toward them. The weight and pressure was too much, causing the end of the tail to tear off its body, sending it flying at the group. The wyvern screeched in agonizing pain as blood splattered everywhere from what was left over from her tail.

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port - Surfside Cafe
Interactions: @princess
Outfit: Click here
Inventory:Kyran’s Lance, Hunting knife, 2 strips of jerky

Kyran watched as Hades appeared. He was surprised to see him there waiting for them. He had been wondering if he was going to return. Him and Risa started talking, but he only could hear Risa’s end of the conversation, so he didn’t know much of what had been said. He assumed she’d tell him later. They were then led to a meeting hall, which Risa rented out for tomorrow.
He was nervous about getting that all set up, but the time being, he wanted to cheer Risa up a little and give her a little break.

She came over to him and asked to go eat. ”Yes, of course, I would love to. I am very hungry myself.” He replied, taking her hand and leading her. They moved through town until he found the shore, which then he led her towards the dock. Kyran was a little familiar with the area, having been there once or twice in the past with his father.

Kyran brought her to the Surfside Cafe and got them a table. He pulled out a chair for her then seated himself and smiled at her. “What do you think you are going to get?”

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Headed to the Town Square from the Tailor, River Port
Interaction: @Dreamingflowers Nur

Unamused. That was the expression on the tailor's feline face as Nur paid for his services and even the expression he held as the two left the shop.

"Well now that we're looking even nicer than before… Let's head to the next shop!" Darius was all in all still in a great mood with Nur as company. He presented his arm to Nur and held his instrument in his free hand. Perhaps he needed a strap for it, but that was a solution for another time. "I think the convenience store might be our next stop. Meant to go there yesterday but… Oh hey!" Darius gave a smile as he greeted a dog that appeared to be a border collie. It approached him with a slip of paper in its mouth.

Darius raised an eyebrow and passed his instrument into his other hand before grabbing the paper and giving it a look. It was slightly wet with saliva, but Darius knew it couldn't really be helped since the messenger was a friendly canine. Getting a closer look at the slip of paper, he furrowed his brow.

Meeting Hall tomorrow at 2

Darius seemed to read over the short cryptic message a few times and even flipped it over to get something more from it. A light sigh escaped him before he smiled at the dog.

"Oh thanks buddy… but not interested." Darius patted the dog on the head and happily handed back the slip of paper back to the dog who whined in response. "Sorry." Darius apologized as he returned his instrument to his free hand. "What was I saying? Oh yeah, let's hit the convenience store. I think I saw it around the corner from here yesterday. Past the park, I think." He continued with the conversation, but kept the strange encounter in mind. Avalia is just too random sometimes.

[Helo]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Forests, now closer to River Port than Roshmi
Interactions: Cora @Potter, Elsea @Tae, Ezeri @Alivefalling

Cade smiled and hugged Cora back, patting the human on the head. Her words were sincere but her claim that she had not lost control was far from the truth. He didn’t argue though, that was the wrong approach, and his human friend needed kindness. He could see that now. He could not teach the humans about magic, he had none and knew little about it. He could, however, retell the lessons he had learned from both his father and brother, ones he had regrettably paid so little attention to when he was younger. How to fight and conduct oneself with honor, something he now strived for, and he could share what he remembered and what he was still learning with them.

“Whether you fight with a weapon or with magic, it is important to remember your surroundings. Maintaining control is always important to ensure innocents do not get harmed along with your enemy. This is something all warriors must practice, and it is difficult, for me as well, but that which makes you strong in battle can also make you careless.” He said with a soft smile, remembering the kinds of things his father taught him when he was a stubborn cub. Knowing when to leave anger behind had always been the most difficult lesson for him, but making things right with Cora felt like getting rid of a great burden upon his spirit.

Cade thought for a moment about how far they were from the river port. He was somewhat nervous about what he would find there, or an even worse possibility of who they might not find. What if he did not find Ayita and Sakura there? Would he have to leave these humans behind and activate Sakura’s tailsement? Did they even make it out of Roshmi alive? But there would be no way to know until they arrived, and all Cade could do was try to focus on the chance of reunion rather than the possibility of disappointment.

“We are about a day's travel from there. With a swift pace we may even make it by nightfall. Of course that would mean no breaks for lunch, but once in the port town there is a great deal of fine food. And very few dishes which involve rodents.” He added, more than happy to think about a hearty variety of meat and fish.

"I look forward to seeing familiar faces once we get there. In fact one of my friends even happens to be a demoness, though not like the ones you have spoken of Ezeri. She is very kind and rescued Ayita and I from the dracolich, a foul creature controlled by the same lich we seek to end. I hope this would pose no issue for you, this plane is clearly very different from your own." Cade spoke wondering what the devil’s reaction to that would be. He trusted her for the most part, but was still worried her dislike of demons may prove an issue if she stayed with them to the river port.

---

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port-Surfside Cafe
Interactions: Lucia@Potter Vaeril@Alivefalling

Leon finished his food, stacking his plates and silverware the same way Lucia did, trying to act as much like a proper elf as he could. Vaeril paying for lunch seemed innocent enough, but his offer to go shopping with them and buy them something made Leon slightly uncomfortable. People only offered to front the bill when they wanted something, when they wanted you indebted to them. He’d made that mistake before and it had very nearly gotten him killed. There was always the chance that this was normal for elves to do. Lucia was like that, freely paying for things and a fully generous person. But with Lucia he knew what she wanted, it was never a secret. Loyalty and assistance with a rebellion, and that he knew he was willing to provide. It was easy to agree to overthrow an evil lich lord, a noble cause, and in return he was kept safe from the bounty on his head. Leon had no idea what Vaeril wanted, even though he seemed nice, that meant little, he’d met men who killed in cold blood who could put on a mask of civility when it suited them.

He watched as Luica spoke and as she tapped her fingers against her temples he was sure she felt a similar sense of unease. He lightly drummed the fingers of his left hand against the table as if he was thinking about the offer. Signalling that he wasn’t not entirely comfortable with this. He’d prefer if there was an opportunity to speak to her without Vaeril, to tell her about the weird voice he’d heard in his head that knew he was not an elf. But to do so would only look suspicious in front of Vaeril, and they needed to blend in. There was also the chance that Vaeril was an alley, and that was the reason for his generosity, but he had no idea how to find that out. Trying to think about it was more difficult now that he’d gone and gotten that stupid song stuck in his head.

”Thank you for lunch and I appreciate the offer but there really isn’t anything I need right now. I wouldn’t say no to having more company. Now that you’ve brought up shopping I have a feeling that’s what we’ll be doing all afternoon and there’s only so long I can pretend to be interested in clothing.” Leon said grinning. Part of that was a lie, he always wanted something, everything in Avalia was new to him and he couldn’t walk past a single booth without touching something. There was one thing he was pretty sure had to be true on both Earth and Avalia, once you offer to go shopping with a woman, hours would be spent looking at clothes. An activity that was dreadfully boring to Leon, and not half as fun as goofing off on a beach. Hopefully having Vaeril around would make things more interesting, at least he could try and figure out what the guy wanted.

---

Time: Afternoon
Location: Forests north of Roshmi City
Interactions: Malachi@princess, Belle@Potter, Myra@13org O’ner @Eviledd1984

Valok noticed the sudden change in Myra, her hostile posture, and tensed in response. He scanned the forest for the source of the threat which quickly made itself apparent. An owlbear roared and screeched as it clobbered towards them. He moved from the beast's massive paw as it swiped, watching as it was momentarily distracted by attacks from Belladonna and Malachi. He pulled shadows from the forest towards him. The shadows pulled together, wrapping amongst one another, melding until they formed a sword made of darkness and held together by dark magic. The magic itself leaked out of it, a dark purple glow that occasionally sparked and frizzled. He gripped it tight in his hand although it had no weight.

He ran his free hand across the blade drawing some of the excess magic off it, and sending a dark orb through the air towards the owlbear’s chest. Dark magic hungered for violence, the sword wanted it, craved it like a bloodlust. It fed into him, like an extension of himself, his magic’s need for violence, became his own need for it. Or maybe it worked the other way around, maybe it was his own need for violence that fed into the magic. It was all he had been trained for, to fight made him feel most like himself. The magic was a weapon, and he was a weapon as well.

Just as his weapon was an extension of himself, he watched not only the owlbear, but the others in the group. How one fought, what weapons they used often revealed something about the fighter. Belladonna, showed her resourcefulness by tossing stones at the owlbears, but more interestingly did not wield light magic. She used water magic, she was a human. Capture or kill, that was the order, humans were a threat to The Great King. Though his eyes narrowed on her, he suppressed his first instinct, the one taught to him. Why was this human a threat? It wasn’t as if you could drown a lich. You could drown an owlbear though, force excess water through its mouth and nose, filling it’s lungs and holding it there until it drowned. Instead she made a shield, a defensive move. How odd that one seen as such a threat by the king would lack a killer instinct.

”That is an owlbear, a moderately dangerous creature.” Valok said calmly to Belladonna. The owlbear had challenged them, challenges could not go unanswered, and it didn’t matter whether he won or lost, only that he fought. He moved forward to slash at the owlbear, Valok was not one for defense, brutality and aggression in a fight was the only way he had been taught.

[princess]

Time: Afternoon
Location:Surfside Cafe
Interaction: @Alivefalling
Outfit:What she's wearing
Inventory:Bag for her belongings(It's along her belt behind her cape and not a backpack). Inside that bag: ama pouch, small water flask, plant seed pouch, small bag of berries, small flowery perfume, small knife, thin nightgown, and Risa has transferred some of her hygienic supplies into small, portable bottles: hair and teeth cleansers, hair softener and armpit fragrance.

Risa took note of the types of places they passed as they walked along the road toward the shore in the distance. She locked her arm around Kyran's, trying her best to relax and enjoy the moment, but she could feel that her muscles were still stiffened. So much had happened that trying to ignore it was beginning to feel like trying to close an overstuffed closet that just wouldn't close no matter how she pushed at the doors. Any silent moment gave those doors time to try to swing open and she had to rush to shove at them again.

It had been mostly homes and apartment buildings for the first part of their walk, but she soon spotted a healing center. It was a fairly nice one, not nearly as big as the one in the River Kingdom, but it was quaint and roomy. All the buildings were of the same, simple architecture she had first seen when they arrived. After that, there was a two-story wooden building called "Sailor's Choice." Risa had not been sure what that meant until its purpose became faintly audible for a second. She flushed and quickened her pace.

They finally arrived at the Surfside Cafe. The inside was huge with fireplaces and three firas in the middle up on a stage. The chefs were up there, cooking in front of everyone. There were many guests seated at the four-person tables around the perimeter. While she had been oogling everything, Kyran had been speaking to a waiter to get them a table. To her surprise, the waiter Kyran spoke to had led them through the cafe to the outdoor area.

Risa's eyes lit up as she peered down the wooden boardwalk that seemed to go down for quite some distance. It was slightly busy today with people. Then there was the beautiful view of the shore and Risa did not rush taking that in. Glancing back over at the outdoor area, there were a good handful of tables, some with four seats and others with two seats. There was a trio nearby that looked to be on their way out and a couple seated nearby as well.

The sound of a seat being pulled back against the wooden floor pulled her out of her thoughts and she seated herself, handing a menu to Kyran. She returned the smile and put her hand over his. "This place is so nice, sweetheart. You picked a really good one." Risa then picked up her menu, deciding quite quickly she'd like the vegetable medley soup. "I'm going to have the vegetable medley soup. And you?"

menu

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port-Surfside Cafe
Interactions: @Helo@Potter@princess@FunnyGuy@Tae


“No thanks needed. I am just here to help.” Vaeril said with a smile. “Well there is more than just clothes here. I can assure you that we can get many different things especially at Gadgets & Conveniences so how about we go there first? We can look for clothes after if that is what you prefer.” He said, giving them a genuine smile. It had been so long since he had spoken or had an enjoyable time around the citizens of Avalia it was almost relaxing.

“Before we go I need to use the washroom.”Vaeril told them and went inside the cafe. As Vaeril walked into the washroom stall, he noticed with his tracking spell that Azriel and Umber were together in River Kingdom. He wondered if they were with Helio for some reason. Finding this odd, he looked through the eyes of one of the few undead he had situated there to check in on Helio from time to time. He used one that was lying around the inner areas of the River Kingdom and decided to see what they were doing.

The undead walked up the road, a single shambling skeleton with clanking metal armor. He saw the three torturing and maiming fairies. The undead began to speak, “I told you, Helio, to watch and control this territory... Not kill and torture it’s citizens. Do not make me come there myself. Umber, Azriel, do you enjoy wasting my time? Do something more useful if you choose to remain here just don’t continue these stupid games you enjoy so much. We do not need more of an uprising that has already been caused.” The undead abruptly stopped talking suddenly as it fell to the ground in a mass of metal and bones.

Vaeril returned shortly to “Frodo” and Lucia, “Well, I say we go!” He exclaimed, showing an open hand before waving his other above it, causing a quite large pouch of Amas to appear in it.

[princess]

Time:Afternoon
Location:River Kingdom Plaza
Interactions: @Tae @FunnyGuy @Potter
Outfit:: Armor he has on
Inventory:Sword

Helio flapped his hand in time with Umber's words as he spoke."Blah, blah, blah." Umber sure liked to complain. So what if Tigerlily wasn't bleeding yet? He had her now and could do what he want when he wanted. However, his eyebrow raised with intrigue as Tigerlily was lifted into the air in front of him and locked in a T-pose. He side-eyed back and forth as the injured fairies were brought in front of them. He listened to Umber's instruction and his grin grew wider with every word. "Now that sounds like a hilarious game."

He had been instructed to go first and his expression turned to that of a cat excitedly pouncing on its prey as he flew up a bit to levitate in front of her. Azriel apparently didn't care about the order and started attacking, which made him pause to watch. He started laughing as she cut the girl's back skin off, along with her wings; It was so funny that she was in agony. Once she had tossed it to Umber, he grinned and turned to Tigerlily, meeting her eyes.

If she thought he was going to hold back, she was wrong. Nothing she did would stop him now.

Helio grinned at her and pinched her cheek, "Smile. You're never fully dressed without one!" He chuckled at his own words and raised his arms up as vines shot out from the ground beneath them, flanking Artemis on each side, rubble, and dirt exploding around them as they did. He went to send them inward to impale her slowly with them when a new voice interrupted. Helio glanced over with an annoyed expression as some undead guy had emerged.

“I told you, Helio, to watch and control this territory... Not kill and torture its citizens. Do not make me come there myself. Umber, Azriel, do you enjoy wasting my time? Do something more useful if you choose to remain here just don’t continue these stupid games you enjoy so much. We do not need more of an uprising that has already been caused.”

"Seriously! Aklenroth when did you become so boring?" He groaned, dropping his arms as the vines began to retract back toward the ground. He gave Tigerlily a ferocious glare that essentially said: I'm not even close to finished with you.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Kingdom Plaza
Interaction with: @Princess Helio, @Tae Azriel, @Potter Artemis, @Alivefalling Aklenroth

---

Umber slightly rotated his levitated body towards Azriel who initiated the game, while also disregarding the order. His four eyes narrowed at her momentarily but he did not comment. Suffering was suffering after all. The emotions from all three victims were delightful to his palette.

Terror… Fear… Despair………. Hope. Umber's eyes locked on Artemis who remained hopeful inside. He hated it… So much he wanted her to himself. He would take his time breaking her. Stubborn hope was such a hard thing shatter, yet it was one of the greatest things Umber felt he could do to someone. Helio was a prime example. The effort it took was time-consuming, but he was a demon after all. Umber could wait forever. To dig deep into one's soul, snatch away the good from it, and watch how what remains pieces itself back together was spectacular.

Azriel's cruel performance on the fairy was risky, but something to be proud of. However, he did find the tossing of her trophy towards him distasteful. With a twitch of a finger, one of the detached fairy wings bent oddly as if to mock the Angel of Death's childhood injury.

"Now, it's perfect." Umber then keyed in on Helio. Finally, the young man would crush this woman. She would see the monster that he truly is and will always be. As the vines surrounded Artemis, Umber had the urge to grin. Sadly he lacked a mouth. The elven form he had used for the ball had seemingly grown on him. He knew he was going to enjoy every second of Helio torturing this woman. It was unfortunate that it all had to come to an end as Aklenroth using a husk to speak through interrupted everything. Umber listened silently as the Lich questioned and disapproved of their actions. Umber disagreed, but her would follow his orders.

Once the undead collapsed into bits, Umber raised a hand and Artemis was floated back into her cage. When it shut, the entire cage bent inward from several different angles, making it cramped and uncomfortable.

"So be it… If killing our enemies is a waste of our king's time, I will take my leave… these are yours, Helio." Umber dropped the two fairies to the ground, completely releasing them from his telekinetic hold. His attention shifted.

"Azriel… You should try channeling your feelings towards me into proving me wrong about Darius... Elsea has already shown me how resilient she is in the face of her own death… As I hoped from what may be my greatest work." Umber chose to remain present for a while, because despite Azriel's betrayal and veering from the path he set for her, he was still interested in how things would play out. Oh how fantastic would it be if I were the flawed one… An fantasy indeed.

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: The forest, now closer to River Port
Interactions: @Helo@Tae@Potter

”Alright well, I will join you for now. I am not sure about large groups of humanoids though but we will see how it goes.” Ezeri said in response to Elsea and Corvina. She listened to Cade as he spoke and then added, ” I’m fine with no breaks. I will see for myself, but I have never met a kind demon so I think you should be wary of their trickery. “

Mel interjected “Yeah fuck demons. All they ever do is kill our kind.”

Ezeri sighed when he spoke up.

“If your “friends” cause anything with us I will not hesitate to kill them.” Mel said aggressively while holding his tail showing them its stinger.

“Mel this is exactly why I told you to silence yourself.” Ezeri replied in displeasure. "Anyway, we should get moving."

[Dezuel]

Baraian Paladice

Party: Kuroi, Ayita, Torvi and Caelan.

Baraian had left Torvi and Ayita the lead in the group, he was after all not the best with people, despite having been the leader of a group. It was more a neccessary thing, than something he wished to do. Belle and Kuroi had come to prove very valuable for the rebellion, the young woman was at least visually trying to lead and spur the flame in the heart of the people. Kuroi had however been seemingly drawn into it not by his free will but out of the same neccessity as Baraian.

Because the removal of Aklenroth from power were in the benefit of all. But the rebel forces were scattered all over Avalia, and without Belle or Risa Millinia the rebellion would surely suffer a major loss in morale. It had been imperative that they would push forwards, even if some of them die along the way. The four rebels had finally found a place to rest in the back of a cart, or was it a wagon? They all seemed the same to the dark elf.

It didn't take him long to slide down and actually fall asleep in a sitting position. There was no use avoiding falling asleep any longer after all. They needed the energy, and was his destiny to be betrayed by his temporary allies or ambushed by some of Aklenroth's guards then he was prepared for that possibility. Death was after all a thing he longed for, not just for himself but for every living creature in the world. The only thing which he was worried about was becoming one of Aklenroth's undead servants, forever bound and unable to escape. The fear was enourmous within him, that such a fate was even possible if the worst of luck would happen.

He had managed to find some shut eye, but there had been someone talking to the group even if they were on-and off dozing off into sleep or perhaps it was just him? He couldn't be bothered to focus on whomever was talking to them. If this man was intending on killing them, then there wouldn't be much Baraian could do about it at this point, he didn't have his dagger with him and he felt drained. His arm was still aching from the encounter with Terneus Andros aswell. While he knew that he was most surely the weakest fighter in the group, that in itself gave him a position he favored. Where he wasn't expected to create miracles. There was something highly dislikable about hope itself, but at the same time it was hope that was driving him forwards.

Hope that someday he could put things into motion to kill everyone in the world. A war unlike any other, created by Aklenroths death and a few well chosen whispers. To pin everyone against each other and then provide information to all sides so that their armies would all suffer as much as possible.

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port - Surfside Cafe
Interactions: @princess
Outfit: Click here
Inventory:Kyran’s Lance, Hunting knife, 2 strips of jerky

“I am glad you like it darling, I think I am going to get the fleefa fruit and lobster sandwich.” He said smiling at her. “I am so glad to be here with you Risa.” He added while lightly squeezing her hand. “It is really amazing to be here with you and I wouldn’t ask to be anywhere else.” Kyran was only thinking of this moment with her totally lost in her beauty: the way the near setting sun reflected off her pale skin was almost dreamlike. He really didn’t want this moment to end, it was the most amazing moment of peace that they both needed.

Kyran then noticed the host of the ball along with what appeared to be two other elves behind Risa but decided to not point them out or call attention to them, as they were having their moment here. He did not want anything to change that. Shortly after a waitress came and asked for their order.
“I would like the fleefa fruit and lobster sandwich please, and she would like the vegetable medley soup.” He said politely, smiling up at her. The lady took their order and walked off. Kyran returned his attention to Risa.

[13org]

Location: Forest outside Roshmi
Time: Afternoon
Interactions: O'ner (Mathis) @Eviledd1984, Malachi @princess, Belladonna @Potter, Valok @helo

The moment Myra saw one of the creatures that were following them, she became even more agitated, hissing at them and trying to back up, while giving glances to the rest of the group. Since she knew that it had a high possibility of her getting hurt if she fought against the owlbears, it would be smarter to simply try to avoid a fight. Sure, they were in bigger numbers, but there was no merit in entering in a conflict against those creatures if they could avoid it. Saving precious energy, not risking getting hurt and knowing how to minimize the risks were incredibly important things if one wanted to survive by themselves in the wilds... Especially in the forest surrounding Daka, where Myra came from.

The first one from the group to act was Belladonna, whom surprisingly, shouted at the huge creature as she controlled water, just like Darius. Myra could see the water droplets she created surrounding and protecting her and the rest of the group. While at first Myra thought that Belladonna would be on the defensive and try to run too, which was a smart move in her opinion, her thoughts were quickly proved wrong as Bella attacked the owlbear that was in the open, going straight for his eyes. Myra didn't take her eyes away from the creature, although her alarmed expression made it clear that she didn't agree with the course of action Bella took.

Hearing Malachi, Myra could easily tell that he also didn't think that was the best choice. Just after he called her name, telling her to keep an eye on the creature, she turned towards him raising two fingers in the air, before pointing towards the owlbear before continuing hissing and trying her best to intimidate it so it wouldn't rush the group. A single owlbear was already a moderately dangerous opponent, but Myra could deal with it, easily if she used her speed to ambush it. That said, fighting against an owlbear head to head was risky and definitely not efficient. Risking getting hurt or wounded was already a problem, and it was easier for something unexpected happen when the opponent wasn't a single owlbear, but a pair. The creatures outmatched her in brute strength and their thick hides coupled with their bodily fat meant that only deep and powerful attacks would work against them.

Seeing that the group now had little choice but to fight the creatures after Valok rushed towards it with his sword, Myra knew she couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Since the other owlbear was still hiding, Myra used the distraction both Belladonna and Valok were making by attacking the owlbear and used her camouflage to disappear. Assuming a low posture, Myra began prowling, moving around the group, just far enough so she would be even more hidden by the trees and the foliage. Since they were already fighting one owlbear, she would do exactly what Malachi told her to do, using her sharp senses to track down the other owlbear that was hiding, ambushing it before it could ambush the rest of the group.

[Alivefalling]

Interaction: @Eviledd1984 @princess@Potter@13org@Helo

---

The owlbear screeched after getting hit in the eye by one of the rocks and spheres of water but continued its now frenzied attack upon the group by swatting his claws toward them. While it was drawing closer, a light arrow had pierced its shoulder. It was a bit distracted by the searing wound on its shoulder before being blasted by a shadowy orb and was slashed by the dark elf with a blade on its side.

It hooted alerting the other to support it. The other owlbear noticed the demon trying to intercept it and moved away running straight towards the dark elf grabbing him, picking him up and beginning to try to hug and squeeze the life from the elf pecking at his head while he squirmed trying to release himself. This momentary distraction would allow the other owlbear to swipe at the light blonde haired female who had pelted it with rocks.

[princess]

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interactions:@13org@Helo@Potter@Eviledd1984
Outfit:Outfit from the Ball
Inventory:Sword that's sheathed, Bow and quiver of arrows. Then: 2 hankerchiefs, liquid body cleanser, wayfinder, toothbrush, travel-size hair and teeth cleansers, small round of rope, bandaging, and disinfectant spray: all in a fanny pack that's facing behind him, hidden behind his cape.

Malachi was thankful his comrades were listening to him and that some of their attacks had damaged the creature so far. They seemed to have a handle on things thus far, but Valok had been braver with his move than he had anticipated, moving forward to slash directly at the creature. He saw Myra hold up two fingers out of the corner of his eye and stalk off. He had no idea where she was going. It took him a moment in the heat of firing another arrow at the bear to realize what she'd meant. And by then it was too late.

Another owlbear had come out from the trees and had wrapped its arms around Valok in a hug. However, it was no friendly hug. It was a hug that would ultimately end in death if it was not stopped. The owlbear started to peck at his head like a bird and Malachi cringed. He grabbed Belladonna's shoulder and said quickly, "Hold this thing off. Don't get close."

He unsheathed a sword that had been on his belt, not wanting to waste time with either conjuring magic or stringing an arrow. The armpits were easily more accessible in the hugging pose. Malachi ran at the owlbear and then jumped up to gain height as he ran to its side, grabbed the right arm, and used the swinging momentum to drive the sword deep upward into the armpit. The sword went all the way through and came out of the trapezius muscle and slashed its face as it passed through. Malachi then yanked it out as he fell downward. The owlbear let go of Valok with a mighty roar of pain as a mass of amount of blood started pooling out from the deep goring wound.

Malachi rounded back around from behind the owlbear to shove Valok away from its grasp, calling loudly, "Mathis, the arm, cut it off!" Before he could place another attack, the owlbear grabbed Malachi with its good arm, throwing him away towards the ground. He hit the ground with a thud, this sword dropping at his side. The wind was knocked out of him from the impact, so he took a moment to catch his breath. Nothing seemed to be out of order as far as Malachi could tell. He scrambled back on to his feet as soon as he could and moved to Valok's side to assess the damage and defend him if he needed it.