[IC] The path

[supertinyking]

Kothar, The demon son, lounged in a tree in his birth land, the forest. He had, in his lap, a rather large rock, and he was high up in his tree, when a human wood worker appeared, to cut the tree down. Kothar simply, and cartoonishly, dropped the rock, resulting in a sickening crunchy splat after a second or two.

"Stupid humans, when will they learn these woods are protected...." Kothar thinks, while whistling she'll be coming around the mountain, a song he had heard one of the other woodsmen whistling. He then waits, for something interesting to happen.....
Hint hint.

[MZambos]

Mihai'en was lost: that was a given. He wandered helplessly for some time, hoping to find some indication of civilization, to no avail.
Wait, is that rock bleeding?
Walking closer, he noticed that it was not, in fact, the rock that was bleeding, but some unfortunately soul who had been crushed underneath.
'Tis a shame, thought Mihai'en. Wait, where did the rock come from?
At that thought, his eyes shot upward, and he saw the... thing that had been hiding up there.
"Oi! What are you doing up there, and what the hell happened down here?"

[supertinyking]

MZambos said
Mihai'en was lost: that was a given. He wandered helplessly for some time, hoping to find some indication of civilization, to no avail. Walking closer, he noticed that it was not, in fact, the rock that was bleeding, but some unfortunately soul who had been crushed underneath. thought Mihai'en. At that thought, his eyes shot upward, and he saw the... thing that had been hiding up there."Oi! What are you doing up there, and what the hell happened down here?"

Kothar heard a voice speaking to him, and he looked down from his large tree resting place.
"Well, He and his have been trying to cut down my home forest. While normally my people are adverse to meet them in arms, I have no such qualms. I am simply defending what's mine, and what's not theirs'." He says, his voice seeming to put emphasis on s-es.
He then leaps down, his hooves sliding against the bark of the tree as to slow his fall, and he leaps, right in front of Mihal'en. Kothar then leans in...and smells him.
"......You don't smell like the wood worker. Much better........What are you?" He asks, sorta leaning around Mihal'en, to look him over.

[MZambos]

Mihai'en tensed up.
Such an odd choice of words. He thought. 'What' not 'Who'. Does that mean he knows? He couldn't possibly know, could he?
Then again, he was smelling him; maybe that gave away more than Mihai'en had ever wanted to let on. Still, he tried to bluff his way out of this.
"M-Me? I'm no one, just a simple soldier that got lost from his retinue. I didn't mean to bother. I'll be going now."
He started to walk away, but not before taking a good look at the rock again.
Poor chap. Probably didn't mean to do any harm; just doing his job. He had a name, and probably a family. He turned to look at the creature again. What gave him the right to throw that man's life away?
But, deciding that it wasn't his business, he simply turned around a started to walk away.

[supertinyking]

MZambos said
Mihai'en tensed up. He thought. Then again, he was smelling him; maybe that gave away more than Mihai'en had ever wanted to let on. Still, he tried to bluff his way out of this."M-Me? I'm no one, just a simple soldier that got lost from his retinue. I didn't mean to bother. I'll be going now."He started to walk away, but not before taking a good look at the rock again. He turned to look at the creature again. But, deciding that it wasn't his business, he simply turned around a started to walk away.

"Soldier?......" Kothar asks, more to himself, before scurrying up a tree, and leaping off, following the man. He managed to traverse the trees quietly, and quickly. This man had an odd smell to him, one of nature, in a sense. Something not human. Maybe a druid? Or a shape shifter? Maybe just an old hermit. Either way. Kothar was bored, and wished to follow Mihai'en.

[MZambos]

What an strange creature that was. though Mihai'en. I don't believe I've ever seen anything like it. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to take kindly to strangers. The sooner I get out of this damned forest, the better.
The sun had already begun to set, and the world was soon painted with a pale, dim light from the horizon. As it got darker, he began to tense more and more: his mind began to wander, along with the rest of him.
I must be going in goddamned circles! He thought. And as the world went to sleep, the forest came to life: animals peered out of their holes, and insects sang their mating calls. As he kept walking, Mihai'en began to feel as if he was being watched. In truth, he hadn't seen or heard anything that would have indicated that anyone was watching him, but as the sounds of the forest got louder, he simply became irrationally paranoid.
"Who's there?!" he shouted at nothing in particular. "Show yourself, lest you be craven!"

[supertinyking]

MZambos said
though Mihai'en. The sun had already begun to set, and the world was soon painted with a pale, dim light from the horizon. As it got darker, he began to tense more and more: his mind began to wander, along with the rest of him. He thought. And as the world went to sleep, the forest came to life: animals peered out of their holes, and insects sang their mating calls. As he kept walking, Mihai'en began to feel as if he was being watched. In truth, he hadn't seen or heard anything that would have indicated that anyone was watching him, but as the sounds of the forest got louder, he simply became irrationally paranoid. "Who's there?!" he shouted at nothing in particular. "Show yourself, lest you be craven!"

Kothar froze, like a deer in magelights.

"Did he see me?" He thinks, but sighs. He, thinking he was caught, leaps down before the dragon, in a manner in which he lands in a bow.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to spy, but it seems like you're lost...if you wish, I could lead you out of the forest...for a fee..." Kothar states, the last bit a snicker. His demon heritage lent him a tenancy to make deals with others, normally rotten ones.

[Tyki]

"i go hunting for rabbits and get called craven. that seems rather rude" shiro says evenly, his voice raspy as he steps out of the bush and into the moonlight, his face hidden in the shadow of his cloak while his golden eyes glow in the moonlight, creating the rather unsettling effect that mihai'en was being spoken to by a hungry and feral wolf in the guise of the sixteen year old child before him with a sword at his hip, brown leather boots, loose green burlap shirt and loose green burlap pants, his clothing showing a poor upbringing and from what little can be seen of his face the scaring of large claws raking over his left eye shows a rather violent upheaval of his daily life which would explain why he was wandering alone at night at such a young age in such dangerous country where things like werewolves, undead, hostile fae, and other nasty creatures could be encountered easily. to more sensitive noses there would be a definite smell of wolf about him, showing him to be a lycan but he'd most likely not like such a fact brought to light while all others would probably be able to smell earthy tones mixed in with a bit of wet dog showing him to perhaps a farm boy with a pet dog but the sword at his hip counteracts that as farm workers wouldn't be able to acquire one through normal means

[supertinyking]

Tyki said
"i go hunting for rabbits and get called craven. that seems rather rude" shiro says evenly, his voice raspy as he steps out of the bush and into the moonlight, his face hidden in the shadow of his cloak while his golden eyes glow in the moonlight, creating the rather unsettling effect that mihai'en was being spoken to by a hungry and feral wolf in the guise of the sixteen year old child before him with a sword at his hip, brown leather boots, loose green burlap shirt and loose green burlap pants, his clothing showing a poor upbringing and from what little can be seen of his face the scaring of large claws raking over his left eye shows a rather violent upheaval of his daily life which would explain why he was wandering alone at night at such a young age in such dangerous country where things like werewolves, undead, hostile fae, and other nasty creatures could be encountered easily. to more sensitive noses there would be a definite smell of wolf about him, showing him to be a lycan but he'd most likely not like such a fact brought to light while all others would probably be able to smell earthy tones mixed in with a bit of wet dog showing him to perhaps a farm boy with a pet dog but the sword at his hip counteracts that as farm workers wouldn't be able to acquire one through normal means

The boy emerging from the bushes causes Kothar to leap back.
"Hunting? Hmm? Dogman." Kothar says, fast, like a spooked animal might. It's obvious that Kothar smells the wolf on Shiro, and is quite frightened. "What are you giving back, for that you take? Nature doesn't tollerate thieves...." He adds, still jumpy.

[MZambos]

Mihai'en backed away from the other two, creating an equilateral triangle between the three young men standing in the middle of the forest.
"Fie! Who are you two?" Asked Mihai'en, in a panicked tone. He'd had enough weirdness for the night. All he wanted was a way out of the forest and a place to sleep, and stranger things kept happening.
It seemed that the both of them were rather young, though. Not very, but at least 3 years his own junior. He recognized the demon, but the newer face seemed unfamiliar to him, something about his manner unnerved him, but it was clear that he was of similar social standing as himself.
He looked at the demon. "Why the hell were you following me anyway, and what do you mean in calling him 'dogman'?"

[Tyki]

"leave the traveler be demon. go back and hide in your trees" shiro says annoyedly, shooing the demon away with a small involuntary growl of annoyance as he'd been the one being blamed for the killings that kothar had committed, the townspeople of the nearby village living in terror of the big bad wolf in the forest more and more the more woodsmen that didn't come back home to their families. "if you want i could take you back to my camp until morning before showing you the path to the village if you could let them know that it's this demon that's killing their men" shiro offers mihai'en after turning to him, his unnerving eyes fixed upon him but it was easy to see once he grew closer that even with the scars and unsettling gaze he meant no ill will towards humans but it was also easy to see loss and a hidden rage that could only be attributed to a lust for vengance in his eyes, something that mihai'en would be all to familiar with from his time in war however to see it in one so young who doesn't look to have seen war speaks leagues about the land he found himself in

[supertinyking]

Tyki said
"leave the traveler be demon. go back and hide in your trees" shiro says annoyedly, shooing the demon away with a small involuntary growl of annoyance as he'd been the one being blamed for the killings that kothar had committed, the townspeople of the nearby village living in terror of the big bad wolf in the forest more and more the more woodsmen that didn't come back home to their families. "if you want i could take you back to my camp until morning before showing you the path to the village if you could let them know that it's this demon that's killing their men" shiro offers mihai'en after turning to him, his unnerving eyes fixed upon him but it was easy to see once he grew closer that even with the scars and unsettling gaze he meant no ill will towards humans but it was also easy to see loss and a hidden rage that could only be attributed to a lust for vengance in his eyes, something that mihai'en would be all to familiar with from his time in war however to see it in one so young who doesn't look to have seen war speaks leagues about the land he found himself in

"Tell me what to do? Here? In my home? Obviously the dogman has no manners, should be taken to a dog trainer." Kothar snickers, climbing into a rather large, tree rather fast. "So, dogman, village not to happy about me fighting back? Maybe you should pay them a visit....give them more to fear from the forest." Kothar adds, still snickering.

[MZambos]

People in these lands are so strange.
"Aye. I'll go with you." Said Mihai'en to the young man who was currently not climbing a tree. "It's probably the wiser option not to consort with demons. They're nothing but trouble."
Says the dragon and kingslayer, thought Mihai'en bitterly.
The young man's face was scarred, and he had a look in his eyes that begat anger. Not an anger at him, though, just a general bewailment at his lot in life. Aye, that's a thing I know well enough. There was a difference betwixt the two of them, though. The lad seemed driven by his anger, directed towards a single, outward source. Mihai'en was driven by his desire for repentance.
We have both known pain. We've merely taken different paths in handling it.
"I'm By-, Mihai'en," he said, outstreching his hand. "Might I know your name?"

[Tyki]

"shiro... don't have a last name anymore" shiro says evenly as he extends his hand, shaking mihai'en's before ignoring kothar as he walks with mihai'en in the forest, saying "don't listen to him... demons spout lies and dryads are no better" in an annoyed tone as he walks along a game trail through the forest, the path too tight for something as large as kothar to follow easilly. after a few minutes of walking in the night mihai'en and shiro eventually emerge into a forest clearing to find a burlap tent that seems to be made from old clothing close to a small campfire ringed by stones to make it harder to spot from the trees, making the campsite well hidden with some blackberry bushes to act as a temporary food source when game couldn't be found and from shiro's tired and exasperated glances at his food stocks it was easy to tell that game hadn't been found for a while. "make yourself at home i suppose... it's not much but it's what i've got for the time" shiro offers as he adds more wood to the fire which had almost died while he was away, stoking it back to life for a few minutes before resting against some deadfall

[supertinyking]

MZambos said
"Aye. I'll go with you." Said Mihai'en to the young man who was currently climbing a tree. "It's probably the wiser option not to consort with demons. They're nothing but trouble." thought Mihai'en bitterly.The young man's face was scarred, and he had a look in his eyes that begat anger. Not an anger at him, though, just a general bewailment at his lot in life. There was a difference betwixt the two of them, though. The lad seemed driven by his anger, directed towards a single, outward source. Mihai'en was driven by his desire for repentance. "I'm By-, Mihai'en," he said, outstreching his hand. "Might I know your name?"

Kothar chucks a very small black rock at Mihai'en.
"Half demon. Not my fault, can't choose your parents." He growls, not overly happy. "Can't choose your parents, can't change fate. Don't judge based on one's fate." He adds, after moving higher into the tree.

[MZambos]

Mihai'en bowed slighty to Shiro, his head still stinging from the rock that hit him.
"I thank you for your hospitality, lad," he said, politely. He smiled. The last person he had seen was a demon, a probably rather crazy. The people before that he screamed in terror when they last saw him, after he had transformed for the first time. Seeing someone treat him with hospitality was a welcome change of pace.
"I don't mean to pry, but could I get to know a bit more about you? You seem friendly, behind that scowl."

[Tyki]

"maybe with a few less listening ears around i'll tell you some interesting tidbits, but for now just know that i don't like being called lad" shiro says evenly before throwing the rock back hard enough to knock kothar from the tree with a large welt forming on his forehead. shiro goes about picking some berries for dinner, popping them into his mouth and obviously not really liking the taste despite how younger people tended to like sweets but he made no complaint and ate them anyway since he didn't appear to have any choice. after a few minutes of picking berries for the both of them shiro hands some off to mihai'en and sits down to rest against the dead fall, saying evenly "and honestly if you want a stranger to tell you about them it's normally customary for you to tell them something about you first" as he relaxes and cleans his well kept blade which looks old but well kept, most likely an heirloom or hand me down from a soldier or scavenged from a corpse given the fact that shiro seemed to be all alone out here with just the woods and a killer demon-dryad for company

[MZambos]

"You make a fair point, la- friend," said Mihai'en. But how much could he say? If he told the whole truth, he'd either be in real trouble, or he would be thought as crazy. With prying ears, he couldn't guarantee that most of the truth would be safe to say. Best to keep it simple.
"I'm nothing special, though. I soldiered for a few years, started when I was about 15; conscription and all that. 'Dyfed 3rd Company', I was. Never saw much of combat then. Ahead 4 years, and here I am, fugitive of the king's justice. Deheubarth's a long way's away though."
The second he mentioned his home country, though, he immediately regretted it. If this boy had heard the news, it wouldn't take much for him to put two and two together. Then again, he seemed to live in the middle of nowhere, so it was entirely possible that he hadn't heard the news.
"But don't mind me, I'm just rambling," he trailed off, hoping Shiro would forget what he'd said.

[Tyki]

"sounds alot more interesting than my tale i'm afraid. my old name was shiro gantzero, grew up on a farm not far from here that mainly grew wheat and potatoes and had a small chicken coop. we were fairly wealthy for farmers but we were still farmers and the lord treated us like such. the lord of the time was sir rubarch, an old knight that earned himself a title and some land in some war no one cares about anymore. he'd gotten fat and greedy so he taxed the hell out of his people and as one of the higher ups of the village my dad was often sent to his manor to negotiate fairer terms and taxes so people could eat and such which of course pissed the lord off but my dad was an ex soldier for the previous lord so lord rubarch knew that if he had him imprisoned then he'd not only get the village pissed at him but also his own men because he'd actually trained with a fair number of them so my dad used to be able to handle negotiations better than most other village folks. anyway, that's how things went for a while until one night one of the lord's regeants came to our house wounded and seeking aid so being the idiot that i was i helped him in and tended his wounds but the minute i turned my back on him he knocked me out... i woke up tyed to a chair with lord rubarch sitting opposite me while a massive wolf was pacing around my bound family... the lord started spouting a bunch of crap about common folk knowing their place before he had his pet wolf start laying my family down and eating them alive while i watched... i don't remember much after the wolf was done eating my dad. i woke up in the woods not far from my family's farm with my dad's old sword and my eye covered in blood while the rest of me felt like a mess... i spent some time walking to a local monastary where the monks took me in for a couple years but after they started noticing... changes about me i got kicked out... been here ever since" shiro says evenly, getting wrapped up in his tale and telling more than he wanted to, touching the scars on his eye when he mentions it while the anger in his eyes turns to sadness for a moment while he talks about his family. after a few moments of silence the top of shiro's hood twitches, something moveing underneath it before he turns and leaps at something, disappearing into the underbrush for a few minutes before a wet snap is heard and he comes out with a rabbit with a snapped neck, smiling as he looks it over, his mind diverted from sadness by the lure of fresh meat. "knew there was one of these little bastards around..." shiro says happily before digging around for a knife, skinning, and butchering the the rabbit, cleaning the hide while the meat cooks for an actual dinner

[MZambos]

Despite his cavalier attitude afterwards, it was pretty clear that Shiro had just laid bare a piece of his soul, and Mihai'en was both grateful and saddened by that.
It had only been for a moment, but in that brief span of time, the icy demeanor of the man across from him had melted, and he had looked... sad.
He would've offered his condolences, but it was clear that he hadn't wanted to say much more. Most people would've simply sat there: somebody lunging after a rabbit was usually giving a pretty clear sign that they wanted an end to a conversation.
Still, though, that was pretty damn impressive. Most people wouldn't have been able to move as he had, nor so quickly. Then again, living alone in the woods requires a set of skills beyond that of normal men.
As to the rabbit itself, though, he found that he wasn't very hungry at all.
"Again, I thank you for your hospitality, and your... frankness." He smiled, genuinely. "But as you understand, it's been a long day. So if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave. Wake me if you had need of me for watch."
And with that, he found somewhere comfortable, and fell asleep.