BELO At first, it seemed as though the little runt was dead as Belo removed the arrow. There was a considerable amount of blood staining his back, and the child hadn't moved for several minutes. However, the body suddenly began to twitch! The child was alive! The sound of it preparing to cry however was a clear sign that it was in pain. What Belo couldn't have known was that Orcs in Vecta were considerably quick healers. A part of the reason why the elves attacked so savagely was because they had to cut the orcs down before they had time to heal and return to the fight. It would take a bit more than a single arrow to fell even a baby orc with their hides. Despite the healing process starting, the wound still oozed blood. Medical treatment would be needed if the child was to be spared more pain.
Outside the cave, the elves had begun to tally the dead and recover their weapons and arrows. They had seen the lone orc escape with a baby into the cave, but none volunteered to follow it. Elves were creatures of the forest and not suited for traveling underground. Without proper preparations, a small army of elves could be defeated were they to engage in subterranean combat. One elf in particular however, couldn't help but keep his silver eyes focused on the cave. Something about THAT orc in particular. It hadn't been a leader, yet it had somehow managed to best and kill one of their own and wasn't stupid enough to keep running into the forest. The situation was unusual if anything. For a moment he wondered if someone else was in control of the orc before scoffing at the thought.
"What god - even DRASIL of all beings - would put anyone in a form such as that?" The Elf muttered some choice curses for the orc before returning his attention to his companions.
DALTON "Grr... If I were going to kill you, Da-ru-tun, I would have done so already." Inara attempted to get into a pouncing position to intimidate the newcomer, but it just looked 'off' and 'clumsy'. It was as if - from the moment he shouted - she'd lost her instincts briefly and found herself... intimidated by him?
"E-even if I were to help you, I have more questions for you. Just what ARE you? You smell like a Merrick, but you should have pelts based on the size of you. I already had three when I was half your size." It was at this point Dalton took notice of Inara's attire. What had seemed like a long flowing cloak and clothing was in fact various animal pelts stitched together on her body to form primitive looking garments. The wolf girl pointed to the grass skirt he was wearing and continued,
"If that's all you have on you, you should have died three times over. Especially if you've been living here in the Penrithe Forest! This is Silverclaw territory, and we're known for being the strongest pack!" Looking down at himself, Dalton remembered the status screen said he was a "Merrick" now. Seeing as Inara had transformed from a wolf, this race apparently had some transformation capabilities. Did it have something to do with the animal furs they wore?
While Dalton was left trying to think of how to explain his situation, Inara could feel her anxiousness wearing off. Whatever it was that came over her after this Dar-ru-tun had shouted at her was beginning to wane. She began to slowly move herself into an attacking position. While this stranger didn't seem capable of transforming, he definitely had some sort of strange magic that Inara had never seen before. She would have to be ready.
Meanwhile, what Dalton didn't see was the change to his status screen. The moment he introduced himself as "Dalton" to Inara, the blank spot on his name became filled in. In this new world, his name was officially set as "Dalton".
MINAMI No sooner had Minami mentioned seeing a black-winged man than the color drained from Rowena's face. She cautiously took a few steps back before a new voice echoed through the gathering hall.
"A Black-winged man in golden armor?! My goodness, milady, do you mean to say you've met the Lord of Black himself?" This new figure appeared from the beneath the staircase this time. He was a tall figure, with pale white skin and curly black hair. A set of black and gold plate armor over a silk tunic covered his lanky frame, and a thick black cloak draped over his shoulders. Minami didn't even register where he had appeared. From her perspective, it looked as though he'd just stepped out of the wall!
"If you've met the Lord of Black, that means you must be an..." He was about to continue before a tiny sliver of morning sun creeped through a window and touched Minami's face. Almost immediately, a burning sensation overcame her and she could feel her strength slipping away. The man responded by rushing up to break her fall and covering her with his cloak.
"Damn it, Rowena! Cover those windows! The maid hurriedly apologized as she rushed to readjust the heavy curtains. Minami could feel her strength returning as she sunk into the folds of the cloak. As the stranger helped her back to her feet, he offered a bow.
"Forgive my maid; she's getting on in years. Allow me to apologize. My name is Lord Romero von Dragomir. Ruler of the Southern Hills and Mt. Ender which you saw before you. And you..." He offered Minami a smile while his eyes gave off a sense of wonder, intrigue and Minami detected a hint of... was that hunger?
"You, are an Otherworlder!"TEMPLE OF MORGANNA The city of Ilios was abuzz with activity this morning as the sun began to rise over the horizon. In the middle of the city rose the beautiful temple to the goddess Morganna. As the clergy began to rise from their cells and prepare for the morning devotions, one member in particular was already deep in prayer: Mirielle Whiterose the High Priestess. Having only been the tender age of eighteen when she'd accepted the most coveted role in the temple, Mirielle was the youngest high priestess in the temple's history. That particular morning, she'd awoken to a sudden surge of divine energy flowing through the air which could only mean one thing. Morganna had brought new Otherworlders to Vecta.
"We are bathed in the divine light of the goddess. In that light we are made pure..." Mirielle was deep in prayer inside the Summoning Chamber. Having taken her place before the dais, she felt the air charge with electricity as the ritual began. Despite her seven year tenure as high priestess, she had never seen so many spots on the dais light up before. It seemed Morganna had acquired a large batch this time. Mirielle watched in amazement as the lights slowly began to take shape. From the looks of things, there were an elf, a hamadryad, and two Sun Morai to round out the group. The light that brought them into existence faded as quickly as it came and the new Otherworlders began to wake from their slumber. Stepping onto the dais, Morganna greeted them with a smile.
"Greetings, Otherworlders! Welcome to Vecta. Today, your lives begin anew.