Mangrale

Brave Frontier: A New Legacy [Started/Always Accepting]

Viranti

"What is this place?" the red dragonute muttered to himself, the village beyond the entrance of a kind he had not encountered in all his years. Its people especially seemed to be a mix of all kinds, not just the dragons and humans he was familiar with. This he could tell after just barely passing under the stone brick archway of an entrance in between merchant stands on either side along the adjacent walls. Viranti wandered near a set of kiosks and was soon subject to eager sellers, newly opened for the day and more than ready to do business.

"Greetings newcomer! Might I interest you for a lovely tunic?" offered a lively vendor holding said green article, their face brightening at the site of his abysmal rags.

"My, you are a big one, aren't you? And a warrior at that! Come and peruse my collection of blades, guaranteed freshly sharpened and more than capable of handling your needs!" called another salesman from a booth away.

Viranti was less than interested in any of their sales pitches and was getting more and more irritated at their exuberant presumptuousness. Still, the offers persisted as he made attempts to get information, but only receiving more spiels in return.

"Care for a sampling of perfume?" a female seller of fragrant oils charged with giving complimentary samples spoke to him from behind, he immediately turning but already not in the mood for any more foolishness.

"No, and for the last time, I need to know the location of the Orac- arrghh!" he winced as the lady sprayed him with a mist of lavender from a bottle she was holding. Viranti broke out in a fit of coughing, the fit itself keeping him from making the lady's first day on the job her last. "Why yooouu...!" he snarled, his voice muffled somewhat due to his left hand clenching his snout. His other hand rose to unsheathe his sword and would have surely put it to use if not for the intense sound of an explosion from high above another part of the village. Viranti, along with the gasping crowd around him, all gazed in unison at the violent spectacle until it dispersed into nothing.

Alright! Now we're getting somewhere! Viranti grinned, now with something to focus on instead of the burning floral scent in his nostrils. The young desert dragon traveled with renewed purpose straight for the tavern, running and then scaling to the rooftops of any establishment in his path. He may have received the occasional odd look by a villager who couldn't help but notice his swift moving shadow from overhead or the sounds associated with his jumping from one roof to another. But he couldn't care less at the moment.

What did however cause him pause, was the audible and immediately observable rips and tears of his prison rags, most notably a split in his shirt's left shoulder that grew worse with time, making good on its threat and riving apart as he landed on top of a tailor's shop with a view of the tavern in the distance and the diverse crowd at its entrance. Part of his chest exposed, Viranti sighed angrily, knowing at least that he couldn't continue like this, and so sought out a secluded space where he could change to his extra pair of clothes. He didn't have to search long as he spotted a wooden hatch to the shop's attic, not believing anyone would mind if he quickly made use of it.

Camp Castaway

@LiegeLord
"But you are doing well, James. Very well... Um... but it may help me a little if you could stick to a slower speed, a-at least at the beginning," Cecilia shyly requested, still eyeing his oar as an example for herself. The idea of her slowing them down would always loom over her on some level, but she was grateful to James for being so courteous to her. "And... thanks for letting me be your partner, James. I... hope we get to do things like this all throughout our time at camp," she said genuinely, smiling widely again. She found it remarkable that when they started their hike earlier, she didn't think she'd the end up with James for much of that event and then this one. She couldn't help but feel a little lucky.

The 20th Floor ~ Sword Art Online

Changed things a bit. I guess you already know where I'm going with this. Sorry if it doesn't make a lot of technical sense. I said I'd do this until the end of the arc, didn't I? :)

Camp Castaway

@LiegeLord
Cecilia began to focus more on her rowing after hearing James explain himself. Truthfully, Cecilia did appreciate what he was doing, although she may have had a little difficulty keeping track of his changes in speed. "It's okay, you're doing fine. I'm just still getting the hang of this. I'll try and keep up," she told him, not ready to tell him to change his approach just yet. Also, she recalled how she also had to keep into account the length of his strokes and try and match it. This was something that occurred to her when she noticed the canoe turning minutely to the right, her paddle making contact with the water for a second or so less than his. "S-sorry about this..." she apologized, making it a point to examine his paddle for a time while she tried to sync their rows together.

The 20th Floor ~ Sword Art Online

@Noodles
Right thanks. My head must have been somewhere else.

The 20th Floor ~ Sword Art Online

Sorry for the wait. I was wondering something actually. I know I should probably know this, but I wanted to be sure. Anyone can see anyone else's name so long as they're within close enough range, right? It kinda slipped my mind and if I'm wrong, I'd like to rewrite my post. Boy do I feel ridiculous. xp

The 20th Floor ~ Sword Art Online

Varen

@Noodles
That bitch... Varen thought as Akemi turned to charge at the ridiculously fast warchief. I guess I really can't win... can I? His spear resting on his back, his view turned among his fellow retreating clearers. Without a doubt, this was the sorriest band of misfits he ever had the displeasure of being a part of. He wore the same carefree look he always did when he looked to their prisoner, sighing wistfully to himself. "Hey, Willow. Do something worthwhile with your life, will ya? Don't go getting yourself killed. You hear me?" he told her. He would have loved to hear her response, but knew there wasn't much time. He stopped running, giving his comrades a simple and casual two-finger salute. He turned around one last time and ran after Akemi, already thinking of some choice words for her, but starting things off with: "Hey! Get your ass back to the tower!" Shit, why do I always end up falling for the bad girl?...

Brave Frontier: A New Legacy [Started/Always Accepting]

Viranti

Viranti breathed a rough sigh at the fading of the light. He had risen to his feet defiantly while the darkness threatened to consume him and marveled apprehensively as the emerald luminescence grew, heralding the expanse of flowers that greeted his senses afterwards. “Shut up! Get out of my head!” he yelled, irritated at the unfamiliar and invasive voice. However, it appeared as though the voice’s owner, this God of Light Lucius, was unbothered by his objections, continuing to relay what sounded like the reason the young dragon was in this unfamiliar land. Before he could even say or ask anything more, both light and words dissipated, leaving Viranti to his first day as a free man.

Still adorned with the tattered rags he had worn in prison, a spacious beige shirt and trousers of cheap cloth and fibers, he made sure of the heavy and worn blade as well as the large traveler bag containing among other things a set of hunter’s attire he acquired from another prisoner, formerly of his people. He would have to make the change when he next had the chance. For right now, he was faced with what to do next. Liberated from the Tear, he would as soon run ecstatically or otherwise celebrate the occasion. Indeed he fantasized about the moment regularly. But this was not the backdrop he had envisioned, and his release seemed to have been for a purpose, the scope of which he had difficulty fathoming.

All throughout his trek through the fields, Viranti pondered how malevolent the darkness was and how familiar the light felt, like that of the one shining down on him from above the ravine. He fiddled with the metallic restraints on his left wrist and neck. He had since grown used to their feel, but there weren’t the happiest memories attached to them. The dragonute looked down at the flowers he was crushing underfoot, their moisture adding to the bizarre sensation they gave him. He picked one up, snapping the stem carelessly and observing the vibrant plant as he walked. He hadn’t seen anything exactly like it before, the petal arrangement and coloration like nothing he had seen. With nowhere else to put it, he fitted the stem of the white flower in between his left horn and ear. Throwing it away felt like a waste for some reason.

Upon seeing a settlement in the distance, he could only have assumed it to be the Edivid Village that Lucius had spoken of. Without a second thought, Viranti ran at a brisk and energetic pace as the sun rose higher, eager to find this “Oracle”. She may very well be his only means of understanding what was going on.

Camp Castaway

@LiegeLord
That's pretty cool. :) I myself tend to gravitate towards alternate universes as ways of continuing the stories of my characters. I'm glad I get the chance to write with you. I have to go for now, but have a great rest of your day. dude. :) See you later, alright? :D

Camp Castaway

@LiegeLord
Thanks. I had my start after happening by videos of notable YouTuber Christopher Odd, videos of XCOM EU/EW/LW. Back in the day, he even set aside a whole site for roleplay posting to accompany his campaigns. Watching those videos, it was always a dream of mine to make it in. Unfortunately, I was a few years too late. Just my luck. XP But I kept at it and eventually found my way here.