Time: Morning Location: Myriamor-Bed and Breakfast Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy, and Alette the pixie Mentions: Princess Mikazuki@Tae Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
“My eyesight is damn near perfect.” Leaf muttered, offended that Slick would not only imply he had poor eyes, even after witnessing his catching of the pixie, but to do so in front of a stranger, even a simple pixie, was downright insulting. What if the pixie spread such lies and they even reached the ears of the princess who lingered mere feet from their own table? Having displayed his own childish behaviors for all to see was one thing, but to have actual royalty think him a useless cat with failing vision would be a far greater shame. The thought that Slick was telling a fib to soothe the pixie never crossed his mind, only the thought that to insinuate weakness in his eyes was akin to implying weakness in his hunting abilities.
But Leaf said nothing more on the matter and instead sat back down in his chair and watched the interaction between Slick and the pixie, Alette. The feline first found himself confused, as it seemed like the elf was flirting with the pixie, even ordering an entire bowl of fruit for Alette, until finally, Slick’s motive became apparent; he was gathering information. “Apologizes Alette, I was never taught much in the way of manners.” Leaf offered a softly spoken apology to the pixie as Slick ordered the fruit bowl.
So they were bribing the pixie and prying for information on the private party of elves that Princess Mikazuki was meeting with. It almost made sense but hadn’t the princess basically ordered Slick to join her at the other table? And wasn’t Slick working for her? The thought of disobeying an order from a member of any royal family made him a bit nervous. Only when a plate of food was set in front of him was Leaf momentarily distracted from his thoughts and worries.
“The food is excellent, but why do we still wait here? Shouldn’t we join your friends, as she, the princess, requested?” Leaf asked, mouthing the word princess so that it wasn’t even audible. Although his knowledge of politics and current events in Avalia was rather limited, even he was well aware that Roshmi City had been surrendered to dark elves, and that a member of their royal family would certainly be keeping a low profile after such an unpopular decision. Although Leaf had more questions and a suspicion that Roshmi’s princess was here to align herself against her own father and dark elves, as he could see no other reason for the meeting, he said nothing of it. Not in front of a pixie, whose species had a reputation for talking the ear of anyone willing to indulge them and being so easily bribed with sweet treats.
Time: Morning Location: River Port Interactions: Rue@Potter Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Kaleb@FunnyGuy, Eris@Tae Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (a bit less than an ounce), rolling papers, and 191 amas.
Bowyn nodded, listening as Rue spoke. The trio they had encountered traveled with an orc, which was more than enough for him to know they should be avoided. Orcs were good for one thing, violence, and maybe, maybe, in a war that would have its uses but they weren’t the sort you could trust. Orcs took what they wanted and left destruction in their wake, and any group that kept muscle like that around was dangerous. But he didn’t give voice to his thoughts on orcs and further discussion on the shady trio wouldn’t do anything to improve the atmosphere between them.
The topic of Arn proved to be a poor choice as well. Although it had been fleeting, Bowyn caught the glimpse of fear on Rue’s face as she paused to think before answering. So he stopped glancing at Rue, kept his eyes fixed up ahead, focusing on every other face they saw, focused on a constant search for anything that could be a threat. Shame burned on the edges of his ears as the image of Rue looking at him with fear seared into his mind. As much as he wanted to blame that on Arn as well, he knew that was all his own fault and that poorly thought out apologizes wouldn’t be enough to fix the fact that he’d lost his temper with Rue, poked at long-held insecurities just to wound. It was only a matter of time before Rue saw exactly how much he had changed, he wondered how she’d look at him then.
“Breakfast, yeah, but after that, we should probably at least try and find this Princess Annya that Arn’s so keen on. I don’t know how long she’ll be in town, and if you were serious about helping in this war, we can’t miss our chance. Those elves I met yesterday are looking for her too. But, if you’ve changed your mind there’s better places to wait out the war than here.” Bowyn replied after Rue suggested they hang out without Arn. As much as Bowyn didn’t trust, or even like, Arn, the dwarf really was their best shot at finding the princess. Kaleb and Eris might be useful but they also seemed just as interested in having a good time as they were in the war. Even though Bowyn didn’t doubt Rue’s resolve he thought it best to give her an out, just in case. A chance to avoid all the ugliness that would come with the war, and to not have to see that Bowyn wasn’t all that different from an orc when it came to wanting to cause destruction.
Bowyn continued to keep his eyes away from Rue as he spoke. Eventually, they were outside the inn and into the hot sun of River Port, where at least the air was fresher than it had been inside. They pasted a couple of buildings on their way to the Surfside Cafe with flyers alerting them to some strange local holiday involving slime and a bounty on the heads of a goblin hoard just outside the town. “Slime day? Guess we picked an interesting time to visit the beach.” He added, wondering how bad this slime infestation could be for them to offer a reward for getting rid of it.
Time: Morning Location: Roshmi City Interactions: Yuka @princess, Xavier@Potter Mentions: Aiko @CitrusArms Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 117 amas
Orias spent the morning in the tavern; it was better than babysitting an unconscious dark elf or waiting around for Aiko to wake up. Even with just a handful of patrons, it was crowded enough to fend off loneliness and keep his mind distracted. He was almost fully convinced that Yuka either wasn’t returning or had gotten herself into some trouble. Both seemed likely as the demihuman was unpredictable and the city was sure to be crawling with dark elves by now. Just as he had decided he should head out and search for Yuka, he heard a familiar voice saying his name as said lioness entered the bar. He was a bit surprised to see she was not alone, although, really he shouldn’t be. Yuka certainly had a habit of picking up strays.
“So here I was worried you might be out making more provocative rooftop speeches and being slaughtered by dark elves but, by the grace of Solaris, here you are, and full of more surprises.” There was a hint of exasperation in his tone as he looked at Yuka, but mostly he was relieved to see that she was back, safe, and not in the hands of their enemy.
He glanced from Yuka over at the stranger she had brought with her, a dark-haired man, extravagantly dressed and wrapped up in a cloak. The way the man hid inside his cloak only made him look nefarious and based on the way Yuka introduced him as ‘look I made a friend’ told Orias that this man was basically a stranger. The stranger merely said ‘hello’ and continued to stare with an unsettling gaze and sour face. He returned the nod as a way of greeting the stranger but kept his attention focused on Yuka.
“Who's your friend, and why does he look like he’s about to try to sell me something right off the black market out of that cloak of his?” He asked, sizing up the shifty fellow that followed her and noting how uncomfortable he looked. He spotted the sword the stranger wore and hoped it wasn’t just for show, that man knew how to use it. “Last I checked Nabarra was still unconscious and dark elves are due to start their occupation here, well at any moment, so I hope your friend is here is prepared to help.” He added, keeping his voice low.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor-Bed and Breakfast Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy Mentions: Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf starred back at Slick, his ears flattened back with embarrassment as the badass bounty hunting elf scolded him for catching a pixie. He seemed even more annoyed than Leaf had expected and even implied the pixie couldn’t breathe. Now Leaf had caught many pixies in his youth, the tiny pest-like creatures flew around just about every forest in Avalia, and catching pixies and bugs alike was just a game cubs liked to play. But Slick was acting like catching critters was some sort of a crime. Sure the middle of a fancy eating establishment probably wasn’t the right place for it but who could really resist the instinct to catch a tiny glowing pest as it flew about? Well, elves, probably.
As he slowly opened up his paws he quickly came to the conclusion that elves were probably far too proper to have run around trying to catch pixies or any other tiny creature in their youth. He sighed as the tiny, high-pitched screeching creature flew free from his grasp unharmed.
“I wasn’t gonna hurt it, see, the little critters all fine.” He said as his eyes tracked the pixie's agitated movements. “Your friend over there’s pet escaped, I was gonna bring it back. Plus it's mighty fun catchin’ ‘em. Like fireflies.” He added, a quick glance back towards the other party of elves confirmed that they were busy greeting Princess Mikazuki and might not have even noticed that their pixie had flown off.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor-Bed and Breakfast Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy, and a pixie Mentions: Princess Mikazuki@Tae, Uzul@dragonpiece, Kuroi @hide on mana, and that private party he was ‘pose to spy on discreetly Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf grinned as Slick approved of his table choice, but continued to try and focus as much as he could on his eavesdropping mission. It wasn’t easy work, the place was filled with idle chatter and noise and the bits he could make out of the conversation didn’t exactly sound like important information. They were talking about fruit, which was boring, resting, also boring, fragrances and herbs, about the most boring thing he could think of talking about, and then he heard what sounded like Princess Mikazuki, which he must have heard wrong because that didn’t make a lot of sense. And then something that sounded like they were going to make some sort of deal?
It was fairly confusing and then the server strode by and Slick was asking about the food. Leaf didn’t entirely understand the question because he was listening to several different voices and it was all getting a bit mixed up in his head. So then he just focused on Slick and the server as they discussed the ‘private party.’ Leaf’s feline eyes widened at the mention of Bounty Hunters and suddenly a lot about Slick was making more sense. That was the mysterious work he was up to, this guy was a bonafide member of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild! Now that was a cool job, one with a code sure, but beyond that, you got to pick your jobs and how you did them. Freedom with a paycheck and unlimited adventure.
“Ham and eggs.” Leaf answered when it was his turn to order, having not actually looked at anything on the menu for the day he went with a safe choice. Once the server was off he was about to ask Slick all about bounty hunting but they were interrupted by a vaguely familiar lupine demihuman who was disappointed that Slick was here with a feline rather than a vulpine. Now it took Leaf a moment to figure out what all was going on because who in their right mind would think a fox was better company than a cat? He also noted the orc that followed her, because well he was huge and hard to miss.
Then the mysterious wolf woman mentioned the name Kuroi and things made a bit more sense. Leaf knew that name, he’d seen that vulpine battle his way to glorious victory in dealing tournaments over in Roshmi. Kuroi Usagi was not a name easily forgotten, and if Roshmi’s Grand Champion was Slick’s sidekick then the guy had to be one hell of a badass bounty hunter. So while he was starstruck at the mention of Kuroi’s name, the lupine woman had already finished scolding Slick and headed into the room with the group they were spying on. Then everything slide into place; Kuroi was from Roshmi, and Slick was bodyguarding someone important, and the reason that lupine look a little familiar was that he had just been in the presence of Princess Mikazuki, and there hadn’t been a thing wrong with his ears earlier.
Now Slick hadn’t mentioned an orc earlier, but it seemed that the orc who called himself Uzul was working with them as well. Leaf supposed it might be the sort of thing that one would keep secret as orcs tended to put folks on edge but Uzul had far better manners than he’d ever seen from an orc. As far as orcs went this one seemed like he had an interesting story to tell but he headed off with the princess, wishing he and Slick well on their date. Which actually would be a decent cover for the whole spy mission but Leaf was sure their cover was entirely blown now and the spy mission was over. Even so, he had just been in the presence of a princess, found out Slick was a bounty hunter, and might even get to meet Kuroi Usagi in the near future.
For a second he felt so high on excitement alone that Leaf got a bit woozy until he remembered that the woman, no princess, he reminded himself, had been disappointed to see him with Slick. Then he felt a bit nauseous because while sure he was nothing when compared to a champ like Kuroi, he really wished he could’ve made a better first impression on an actual princess. Or at least managed to speak rather than just sit there with a dumb look on his face. If he hadn’t already ruined his chance to make a good impression and get himself that job Slick had mentioned, the appearance of a small, speedy, pixie pretty much sealed the deal.
Just as Leaf pieced together what was going on, the pixie appeared, fluttering about, crashing about onto the table where Slick and he sat. Leaf couldn’t help himself, and as he watched the tiny creature fly about the table shouting in her tiny high-pitched voice his paws shot out controlled by feline instinct alone. Like a cat enthralled with a laser pointer, his entire attention focused on the pixie as he tried to catch her between his paws. It didn’t seem like the pixie noticed, as his paws crashed into the table just after the pixie had rolled away and jumped up again. So Leaf jumped to his feet, knocked the chair over, and moved to cup his paws around the pixie as she hovered in front of Slick.
For a second he grinned, fairly confident he had caught the insect-like creature until he realized that he probably looked like a foolish kitten in front of Slick the Badass Bounty Hunter and the High Princess of Roshmi City, and everyone else in their vicinity. Leaf’s only hope of salvation now was for the earth to open up a maw to swallow him whole. Unfortunately, that seemed unlikely.
“I, uh, think I caught it?” He said slightly embarrassed as he slowly pulled his cupped hands away from Slick’s face, careful not to smush the pixie or let it out. He used his foot to kick the chair back upright, showing a bit more grace than he had a moment ago. “I guess we should go give it back to them?” Leaf added, although he was pretty sure he was about to be fired from the job he didn't really have anyway.
Time: Morning Location: River Port Interactions: Rue@Potter & a gang of ne’er-do-wells Mentions: Arn @Omni5876 Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (a bit less than an ounce), rolling papers, and 191 amas.
Bowyn matched Rue’s pace, hanging close to her side and following her lead towards the Surfside Cafe. For now, he at least found the silence between them easy and comfortable, almost like the way things used to be, rather than an awkward chasm that seemed impossible to cross. The few brief moments of silence that felt like peace were shattered by the abrasive voice of an orc. Bowyn stopped abruptly, almost at the same moment Rue had, and took another step to place himself just a bit ahead of Rue. He felt the sensation of the cold chill that traveled from his core down to the tips of his fingers, a sudden readiness for a fight as he starred the trio down.
A crimson-haired elf whose entire demeanor changed on a dime when she noticed they were being watched, flanked by two others, clearly lackeys. The orc, loaded with sharpened steel and a massive frame built for brutality, whose voice had boomed down the hallway and a feline demihuman who wore a gaze so hard and cold it rivaled his own. Everything about them set him on edge, scratched at the part of his brain that warned of danger. Although Rue and he differed so wildly on how easily they extended trust, in this instance they seemed to be on the same page as she soon gripped his hand only to let go moments later. Had she felt how cold he was? Realized how incapable he was of providing anything warm and comforting to anyone, even someone who mattered? It seemed likely because right now all his hands wanted to do was bring destruction to the threat that stood in front of them.
But the encounter with the trio was brief, and the crimson-haired elf soon led her lackeys away. Bowyn would not forget the way she had studied the two of them, the unnerving amount of control she held over the orc, and the aura of danger they carried with them. He tried to shake tension from his shoulders, flex the cold out of his stiff fingers which sent loose bits of frost from his skin as he did so. He slowly exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding in and nodded at Rue.
“Huge, but a head full of rocks and a face only a mother could love.” Bowyn said with a forced grin. “You got good instincts though, something's not right about them. Probably smart to avoid the blacksmith today.” He added as he continued towards the Surfside Cafe. He tried to find the same peaceful silence they had before but it was gone now and Bowyn felt too tense for it anyhow. “I guess, after breakfast, you’ll want to look for Arn, right?” He asked, keeping his tone carefully neutral, trying to hide his hostility towards the dwarf. He didn’t want to provoke another fight with Rue, so if she was still set on traveling with Arn he was just going to have to fake civility and keep a close eye on Arn.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor-Bed and Breakfast Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf followed Slick’s lead and starred into the window of a bed and breakfast as he tried to catch what the other man was looking at. He quickly spotted the elf in green, a rather regal-looking creature who carried an imposing air of grace. He committed the face of the elf to his memory, just in case she managed to give them the slip. He listened carefully as Slick spoke and nodded as he understood the task presented to him.
“I’ll use every sharp sense Zidur has blessed me with. I won’t let ya down.” Leaf spoke with his head held high and a toothy grin as Slick went to find someplace to tie up his horse. Leaf felt an overwhelming confidence as he entered the bed and breakfast. The air held the warming scent of breakfast, and a day when breakfast happened twice could only hold good things.
Leaf carefully picked a table for Slick and himself, a good spot to keep both eye and ear on the other group but out of the way enough to avoid notice. He couldn’t wrap his head around how it would be rude to simply join the other group, having always been the sort that would welcome the company of a stranger especially at mealtime which really was the best time to make new friends. But that was elves for you, all stiff and proper with long confusing rules of decorum, he wondered how they managed to keep all those rules in those heads of theirs.
What Leaf did understand was that Slick was a bodyguard, teamed up with another who was a skilled assassin, therefore it only made sense that whoever he was guarding was someone important. This group they were here to spy on consisted of not only the elf in green, but five others, and it seemed wise of Slick to want to scope them out before his employer met with them. This wouldn’t have been a plan he’d have come up with and he liked the idea of learning from Slick. In fact, being a bodyguard sounded like a great gig; it offered adventure with a side of danger and worthy cause. All he had to do was show Slick he was worth keeping around and he might even get his paw through the door.
He kept his keen ears open and alert as he pretended to look over the menu at the table, waiting for Slick. Occasionally he would look up and glance around, as if he was waiting for someone, and made sure his gaze did not linger on the table of elves. Then as he pretended to read the menu he made mental notes of what he had noticed of the group. The menu itself was not distracting, as Leaf couldn’t actually read a word of it, so he used it as a prop to look as innocuous as possible.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf listened as Slick spoke, his ears alert with excitement and tail all a twitching as the man told him all about what he was doing in Myiarmor. It was hard to imagine the guy needed more excitement; out here guarding a beautiful lady, a real-life damsel in distress, and getting paid for it. Paid enough to purchase a fine horse and a top-shelf crossbow. This man was not just some wandering adventurer, he was like a great hero from the old stories, and he even had a sketchy assassin-type sidekick. The idea of killing folks, sneaking around, and snapping necks sat a little uneasy with Leaf. Although, he supposed one could be a good assassin, killing bad guys and all, the way Slick described it sounded so cold.
But Slick offered for him to tag along. It wasn’t exactly an offer one could turn down, an honest job helping out some beautiful damsels. So even though Slicks neck-snapping sidekick set him on edge, he trusted Slick. Slick had agreed with him about the lioness, which told Leaf that the man had honor, and a good spirit, and that was enough for Leaf. The young cat didn’t care for the lack of direction he currently had, he needed a purpose, and although this one sounded like quick work and tame, in comparison to what he was used to, it was a start. A journey starts with the first step, and this could be a step in the right direction. So Leaf clapped his hands once in excitement and nodded at Slick.
“You can absolutely count me in. Excitement and beautiful damsels in need of assistance, who could turn that down? Say this elf you’re looking for, ya got anything of hers? I don’t want to brag, nah who am I kidding, I love to brag, and I am an excellent tracker. One sniff of her scent and I could have her found in no time at all.” Leaf offered, making no effort to hide his enthusiasm in the least.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor-near Sturdy Stables Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf watched as Slick trotted out atop the horse he’d come to purchase. Even he could admit the horse had a very fine coat and the beast certainly did look like it could run. Maybe another time he could challenge the horse to race, but his mind was far too heavy now for a race to be more than just a fleeting thought. He noticed the horse looked more or less content, and while he was no expert on the subject, he guessed the horse probably was content. Slick was fond of the horse, he’d keep it well fed, let it run, and keep it safe. Leaf doubted prey-like animals cared too much beyond that. Not like a cat, to a cat, freedom was everything.
“I’m thinkin’, what sort of cat would I be if I looked at something I knew wasn’t right and did nothin’? Then I think, those stables don’t have much in the way of security, and I’ve got just the skills to do something about it. So, as much as I’d hate to lose a hand, or end up in a cage myself, it’d be worse to know that l left that creature there to be some fool’s pet.” Leaf spoke in a quieter voice as he looked on away from Slick and Champ and back towards the stables. And maybe it was unwise to speak his thoughts so freely in front of a relative stranger, and he wasn’t entirely sure why he did so. Maybe he wanted someone to agree with him, confirm that it was the right thing. Or maybe he wanted someone to talk him out of trouble. Leaf wasn’t entirely sure which he wanted to hear.
“But maybe this isn’t a conversation to be had in the daylight. So what are you up to, with your shiny crossbow and brand new horse? Got a great adventure planned?” He asked, not so subtly changing the subject, a stranger was not the person to springboard dangerous ideas with and he knew he needed to stop searching for outside approval.
Time: Morning Location: River Port-headed to the Surfside Cafe Interactions: Rue@Potter Mentions: Arn @Omni5876 Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (a bit less than an ounce), rolling papers, and 191 amas.
Bowyn felt Rue’s gentle hand rest upon his shoulder as she spoke, accepting his apology. Even though her words were warm and comforting, to hear her say he’d been right filled him with a sense of dread. Dread that he’d made Rue doubt herself, or think that she was wrong to want the world to be a better, kinder, place than what it was. He’d had that once, or something like it, a sense of faith in people, a way to see the world as it could be, hope for better things to come. It was hard to imagine ever being like that, ever thinking that way. How do you put into words how hollow that loss felt, how much worse it was than physical pain and missing wings? There was the tightening of fear in his chest as he worried that staying with Rue might mean he’d be the terrible thing that smothered her light.
Then the conversation was back on the more tolerable subject of breakfast. The Surfside Cafe, perfect, right next to the vile flock of seagulls that shriek for scraps. But Bowyn kept that thought to himself because Rue lit up with excitement as she talked about eating by the sea. He couldn’t ruin that, and even with the sun that shone too strongly here, and the seagulls and the ever crashing waves of the sea were all too loud, it was still breakfast and it was with Rue. So before he answered he thought about hot food and Rue until the idea became appealing enough that he answered back with sincerity.
“That sounds wonderful.” Bowyn paused then, slowly beginning to suspect why it was that he felt such a distance between them. Distance from Rue, his oldest friend, someone he’d once shared every dream and fear with, without any reservations. So he focused on relaxing some, let the zemak guide him towards something more peaceful, reminding himself that Rue already knew he was all sorts of messed up and she was still here anyway. So despite the fear that clawed at him, all he wanted was to close some of that distance, to be closer to the light that was Rue.
"And for the record, I was never ‘right on the amas,’ not even a little. The way you look at the world, Rue, that’s a beautiful thing. Not your fault the rest of the world can’t meet your expectations. So you go right on and trust whoever your heart wants and I’ll be here watching your back. Once this war’s over, it’s gonna people like you who help make the world be what it outta be.” Bowyn said, confident in every word. And he meant it, even if it meant continuing to pal around with a dwarf he couldn’t trust, even if it meant more people he wouldn’t trust, because he could, at least, trust Rue.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor Interactions: Slick@FunnyGuy Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
Leaf tried to picture himself furless, tailless, earless, and without any natural defenses. The mental image itself was enough to give him a shudder. The idea of an elf with a rounded ears was a much less shocking mental picture but nothing like what he’d imagined humans looking like when he’d heard all the old tales about them. Nah, Leaf had always thought of them being built like an orc, some kind of creature with fists that could smash through boulders, and with magic that made elves and fairies look dull by comparison. He knew they lacked fur or scales, knew that they weren’t built like Avalia’s predators, but in the old stories they were larger than life characters.
“Nah, I’m not buying it.” Leaf said shaking his head, wondering where Slick was getting his information from. “They at least gotta be big, I mean they’re the biggest, baddest, thing on a whole other world, they gotta be imposin’.” He added. Either Slick was playing a joke on him or…Or he’s seen a human up close. Wouldn’t that be something? He couldn’t tell with Slick, the man said everything with absolute confidence, but maybe really had met a human. What he did know was that humans had the dark elves scared, they were out offering bounties and making bold moves now that the light elves had humans working with them.
Leaf couldn’t ask Slick anymore about humans because the fairy that owned the stables was there selling the horse. So instead he wandered about a bit looking inside the different pens. A few of the oversized flightless birds squawked at him so he paid them little attention, only thinking about how fun they would be to chase. In addition to the big chickens, he saw a few other horses, camels, and some big sleepy lizards. Most of the pens were uninteresting, it wasn’t like he could chase any of them around, and they didn’t have anything he hadn’t seen before.
Until he came to a pen that housed a very sad-looking lioness. He locked eyes with the great cat who offered a soft, defeated, growl as a less than friendly greeting. Just ain’t right. He wished he had the amas to buy the freedom of the noble creature but he didn’t exactly have lion buying amas laying around.
“You oughta be ashamed of yourself, keeping a lion caged up like this. May Zidur and Bastet both curse you with a thousand plagues, you greedy oversized mosquito.” Leaf shouted from the lioness pen towards the very annoyed-looking fairy as he interrupted the sale between the fairy and Slick. “I’ll be outside.” He added with a glance at Slick. Leaf gave one last sympathetic glance towards the lioness before kicking up sand and dust as he stormed out of the stables.
Leaf suddenly had a new idea for what he was going to do today, he was gonna come back at nightfall and set that lion free. There was nothing right about keeping a wild predator penned up like a domesticated animal. Nothing right about that at all. He thought as he walked around outside, tail flicking with agitation, as he studied the outside of the stables. He figured it was an easy enough place to break into, he had plenty of practice with that. No, the real trouble would be afterward. Although Governor Nasah was a fair man, Leaf was well aware of his punishment for thieving and he wasn’t fond of the possibility of losing a hand. At least he had the rest of the day to think up a plan.
The more he thought about it, the more his heart began to pound with excitement. One last caper, not for greed or for his old man, but to free an innocent prisoner. The anticipation of the sneaking, climbing, jumping, running; the fun of it all, and the high of the success at getting away with it. He hated how much he missed it all. He didn’t miss hurting people or having pockets filled with amas, but the thrill, the danger, that was the spice his life was missing. Old instincts and muscles finely tuned for it all itched at the chance for another adventure.
Member
DWGJay
CitrusArms
Potter
princess
HylianRose
AuthenticTomb
Infinite Cosmos
EtherealThorn
deegee
