|
Post by Harle on Jul 19, 2005 23:05:58 GMT -5
Harle's ears perked attentively as she planned to only listen, allowing her eyes to fall to a subtle close as her head leaned towards her lengthy blade. Soon, her cheek resided near a chilled slab of metal as the other (lower) blade was partially leveled into the ground. Umbra was quiet for a while, as though recalling a previous event, but his lips soon moved into action as her ears steadily engulfed his words. She sought for a want, a desire of some sort, since she couldn't picture anyone seeking her out for simple company or a joyful chat. Joyful, not exactly something that appealed to her, or something that she was all too akin to. Still, even with that certain lack within her being, she didn't appear to mind his presence. He was tolerable, unlike most others.
Hhmm... I see now, I guess he may have had a brush up with a towns person or two. Well, if he wishes away from these people, a better water source could be found elsewhere. Such as the beach, some distance away from here... I'll seek it out.
As he finished, before settling himself against an oak tree, her mind drifted partially, while her body gave all focus towards one of her more primary senses. Her nostrils flared momentarily as she probed the air for any signs of drenched salt. It was a casual search, as her head continued to laze against the blade, allowing the tender chill of the metal to caress her skin. Another superficial chill brushed along her veil and lavender locks as a prominent breeze ran along the tree that Umbra reposed against. Umbra was left untouched, as the gust threw its weight gently onto Harle, though not hindering her search in the least. Only after a brief moment was she able to gain the aroma that she desired, it didn't appear too far from their current location. But she was certain, as the scent that coursed down towards her tongue was quite familiar.
I see, I've found it then. Hmm... to my right, not at all too far, even if just to amble all the way there. Since this forest surrounds Chalegra...
Her nose rested after her find, as her frigid blue eyes opened, a quiescent gleam found within them. "You'll find a beach, just east of here. It's not likely to be too far, but it is found outside of this forest." A shallow silence fell, but it was soon disturbed as he appeared to have a change of heart. A single brow rose at his second request, finding that her answer was substantial enough. But she spoke nevertheless, to show him how the beach would in most cases facilitate his search for peace and shelter; just incase his placidity was to crumble. "Well," Harle politely began, "I feel that you are likely to find an Inn or hotel of some sort, since a town borders the beach. So, that kills two birds with one stone." Harle's violet lips grew immobile as she rested along the rock, her dress quivering momentarily along her obsidian boots. She hadn't looked at him once since their second meeting, and it seemed that even with his certain departure, her eyes would not lay upon Umbra.
That should aid him on his way, though... this must be the first time I've given directions. Queer... very queer.
|
|
Umbra
Infantry
With great power there must also come great responsibility.
Posts: 128
|
Post by Umbra on Jul 20, 2005 20:22:27 GMT -5
An ocean-side hotel, that should assist me in sorting things out.
Umbra thought to himself as he uncrossed his arms, the sharp stakes no longer pressed against his skin. He rubbed the black metal slowly, and laid his arms at his side. His right arm brushed against the cool leather of the sheath of his blade, and he thumbed the hilt. He put his hand around the cloth-bound sword-bottom, and remembered the many times he has had to use it in his short existence as the white-haired warrior. He closed his eyes, as he heard the first trails of the Shadow-khan imprisonned, flowing through his mind. He tried to contain the increasing throbbing of screaming in his head, his eyes closed tighter, and he begain to grimmace, trying to hide the pain inside him.
"please, no"
He said softly in a coarse whisper.
"not. . . NOT now"
Beocomming dizzy, Umbra took a step forward, the dead plantlife cracking under his feet. Suddenly the noises of the forest became too much. The sounds of the cawing of the birds, the moaning of the trees, the cracking of the leaves, and the rustling of the wind pennetrated his mind, increasing the pain of the already growing headache. The throbbing spinning inside his mind, he fell to one knee.
"Thank. . .you. I - I appreciate it."
He said, an unbearable strain on his voice. Knowing he was extremly vulnerable, he took three steps around the tree, his back now to Harle. Trying to get away, he began to run, attempting to turn into a shadow as he ran. Unable to handle the mental strain of using his abilities, he managed only to make the bases of his legs intangible. No longer able to stand, he fell in mid-stride. As he lay upon the forest floor, the noises entered his brain, accumulating to the already unendurable pain of the voices screaming in his mind, Umbra passed out, just as he began to cry, clear tears pouring from his white eyes.
((I wish I had more time. I could make this so cool, but I've got to go.))
|
|
|
Post by Harle on Jul 21, 2005 19:57:34 GMT -5
((That's alright, no problem. ^^))
A single finger edged away from the centerpiece of her blade, as it lightly teased the immaculately silver metal. Swirling continuously, in a tender and ginger motion, she busied her naked hand as another fit of silence ensued. With the soundlessness shared between them, the many chords of nature became more so apparent to Harle. The coursing of the brook, as it broke into an infantile rill, the scurrying of rodents as they hurried home, the dulcet chirps of birds; all pierced her ear drums, setting her into a deeper state of tranquility. The noises of the forest, so chaste and untarnished; the purity of this music almost annoyed her to some extent. But that annoyance was never able to surface as it would reach some stimulation, but only to be quelled to the simple twitching of an eye.
Purity is so overrated. Yet, it appears that the only things capable of maintaining such a status are the animals and plant life; chastity it is simply undaunted for them. Even if a lion is to kill, it was meant to do so... being in its nature and instinct.
Another sound penetrated her thoughts and ears, a whisper, one saturating in pain. Umbra's pain; he was struggling against something clearly unseen. And more so unheard, at least, by anyone other than himself. Harle's ears twitched lightly as she heard him. The music of nature was finally closed off from her ears as Umbra's slight wallowing become noticeable. A brow rose in question as she became rather curious, though no inquiries rushed from her violet lips. His aura swerved erratically about his lengthy frame, signifying that something pained him, but she could only assume that it was something internal. But what? She didn't know, but as he fell to one knee, straining to thank her in a pained voice, he took off.
Yes, very strange... fighting with himself. Or maybe there had been something more... within him.
She shook her head at the thought, her cheek abandoning the upper slab of metal as her skin tingles once more. She has no plans of following him as his body seeps halfway into the ground, there hadn't even been much acknowledgment of his gratitude. Finally, after she had neglected to track his aura further, she nodded, not uttering a single word as her eyes shied towards her left. Harsh beating was issued along the ground, crushing dried leaves and ferns as something, or rather someone drew near. Harle allowed her body to remain rigid and still as she found something familiar within the stark pattering. Hooves, hooves were traipsing over the ground, as well as worn-in boots. From the scent that this person threw off, she could tell that it was a human, a male possibly, along with a horse sauntering at his side.
Just as he leaves... another arrives. Still, that is strange... why travel in such an obscure area? Heh, I suppose I shall find out...
Soon, the man unveiled himself from behind an oak tree as he set his horse aside, looping the reigns onto a low and thick branch. His face bore a severe expression as he eyed her, noting her dark attire as something ominous. Harle's gaze rested upon him, impassivity flowing about her crystal blue orbs as she watched him approach her, a knife at his side, quivering in the darkness. He was a stubbly man, gruff in manner as he soon stood but five feet away from her. "Beast," he spat, his composer erect and dominant. "You are to either leave this forest or come with me, we can't have you as an impending danger. Not after what you've done..." His words didn't even leave a scar, as she gazed up at him in mild confusion. More so, she was angry, having never met this man before, and just now, she was having to endure a slight tirade. "Excuse me," she questioned, venom thick within her voice as she tried to remain calm.
What is this? I mean... I know that I have my own natural will to kill. And of course I tend to enjoy it, but still... I've never been here before. This is going to get him no where...
"You heard me," he retorted, flailing his knife threateningly, but she obviously didn't flinch. "Now, are you going to cooperate, or must I use force?" Her gaze darkened as she did not wish to leave, peace is what she had sought, away from annoyances. But this man was burning the final straw of patience that she had left. "Look," she voiced, seething dangerously, "I have no idea who you are looking for, but I assure, I am not that person. I am unfamiliar with these parts."
"Right, right, so I am to believe a shadow being such as yourself."
"I don't care what you find dubious or believable. I request that you leave me alone..."
"No can do Miss, for all I know, you could be him in drag."
There was a short pause, before her eyes fell away, a dark gleam slowly invading her cerulean orbs. "Take your leave now, I'm not going anywhere."
The man didn't seem to take the deadly intimation as her grip tightened along her blade. He stepped forward, his free hand gripping her darkly clad shoulder, almost drowning within the unnatural fabric as her body tensed harshly. Within less than a split second, her anger erupted as she lifted her blade from the sullied ground, striking blindly towards his gut. A piercing screech rung into the air, sending a ghastly melody into Harle's ears. This sent his quiescent horse into a frenzy, neighing fearfully as it broke away, dashing into the lighter depths of the forest. Instantly, the scent of blood caught her nose as she remained upon her roost, blood decanting down her blade in light droplets. Choked breaths poured from the stubbly man's mouth as he felt burning metal impale him coarsely. Harle's nostrils flared momentarily as the man's hand fell, blood flooding from his mouth as she retracted the crimson slab of metal, setting it carelessly before her.
No... that was a mistake, I shouldn't have gotten angry. Hmm, but... I had wanted him dead.
Steadily, he collapsed against the ground, blood staining his shirt as his eyes laid glued to the overbearing leaves, rustling gently against one another. Harle didn't look towards him once more as she stood quietly, commencing to tread along the brook, perennial rose in hand, and blade satiated with blood once more. Speckles of darkness remained within her optics as she glanced towards her blade, almost hungrily, before dismissing the glance and looking ahead. She couldn't stay there, and since she didn't have an acquired taste for human flesh, she couldn't dispose of the body. But why try? The scent of blood would attract the scavengers in the forest; either they would find him or his people would.
|
|
Blue
Newbie
Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.
Posts: 19
|
Post by Blue on Aug 1, 2005 2:44:09 GMT -5
Blue sat on a downed log in the forest, hopelessly lost. He was surrounded by heavy undergrowth, green by green by green. The sky above was a cloudless blue, bringing a sweltering heat in the near-noon sun. Blue could already feel his white v-neck shirt cling to his back. Three weeks of tracking a criminal through and endless forest, and Blue was ready to accept that he had lost his mark. His badge was in the back pocket of his jeans, and his gun hung in the crook of his left arm. The gun harness straps were very apparent with nothing to cover it, but Blue didn’t really care. He rarely used his gun anyways, especially now that he had run out of bullets. Come to think of it, I seem to have run out of food. All of the sudden a look of ecstatic realization passed over Blue’s face, and he leaned far back on the log, until he fell back into the soft leaves of the forest floor. Ten feet to his left, a swarm of ants converged on an anthill, its workers slowly transporting dead poppy petals from the nearby meadow.
The sky above Blue was laced heavily with mesmerizing green foliage that swayed whimsically in the breeze. His legs from the knees down were still draped lazily over the log he had until recently been residing on. Beneath the young man, soft leaves seemed to sympathize with his lost position. At least they comforted him… they might just be phoney about the rest. Ah well, if I’ve lost him then I guess I’m off duty. Blue took a few more minutes to stare at the sky, then swivelled his feet off the log and sat up. A few ants were crawling on him, so he flicked them off, and sat back up on the log. He suddenly realized that he hadn’t bathed in two weeks, and must be covered in that musty-sweet smell of long days and hard work. Blue spoke out loud to the expanses of labyrinthine trees and game trails.
“Suppose no one’s watching… though it would be nice to have a smoking buddy for a change.”
Blue got up and meandered over to where his travel pack lay against a tree. It was currently swarming with black ants. Blue muttered, “Sorry fellas, I’m out of food,” as he brushed them off and reached in. Everything was packed very loosely and haphazardly, Blue having to sift through a few shirts and his toiletry bag before he found his pipe and root pouch. Walking back to the log, Blue checked how much angel root was left in the bag. It was plenty full, since Blue had stopped smoking while hunting for his mark. Too bad the man got away… that meant no money to go back to. He had wanted to stay alert while in the forest. Fall asleep too soon and you would likely never wake.
Back at the rough log, Blue withdrew a few pinches of dry root shred and pushed it down into the bowl of his peace pipe. He set down the pipe to refasten the buttons on the pouch, and swiftly thread the little leather thing through his belt until it hung from his right hip. Blue took up the pipe, shifted to pull a wick lighter from his back pocket, and with a flick of the thumb, brought a half-inch flame to life. After a hesitation, Blue let out his breath and raised the pipe to his lips. His left hand pushed the flame into the bowl, while his right fingers tenderly held the long neck of the pipe. A serene smile peeking out along the rim of his mouth, Blue sucked in the sweet smoke.
After a few more similar drags, Blue felt it hit on a rush. “Whoa,” he mumbled out loud as the world reeled in front of his eyes. The trees… they were beautiful. Everything was. It was like being in a painting, where everything was put there for a reason, and together it created a perfectly designed collaboration that was breathtaking to behold. All of the sudden, Blue had no doubt that divine creation existed. He took another deep drag, tried to hold in the smoke, and erupted into a spasm of hacking coughs. Tried to hold in too much again. After he recovered from his coughing, Blue continued his good long smoke for a half-hour, knowing that he had all the time in the world and no threat of being discovered.
When he was done, Blue got to his feet, swaying visibly but not noticing. He looked at the anthill, and all of the sudden it was just so hilarious. He burst out laughing, staring at the little things scattering across the loamy forest floor. Why do ants have colonies? Why aren’t there hermit ants? Dumb li’l buggers Blue took off his shoes and socks, and let the small insects crawl across his skin. Then he looked at the pipe in his hand, and dumped the ashes out next to the anthill. Little black worker ants began to carry away the miniscule black particles. Blue smiled, knowing that soon enough the anthill would be foggy on his pipe dregs. Now he felt like travelling, maybe towards the burbling of that creek he heard in the distance. Blue walked over to his travel pack and started to brush off the ants. He took one swipe then got bored and just slung it over his shoulder, letting the small insects scurry around on him.
Then the young and foggy marshal stumbled off through the underbrush. He tried to be stealthy, but failed miserably, tripping over every bit of brush between him and the river. Blue could be heard by anyone with half an ear. When he was close enough to glimpse bits of blue in between the brilliant green foliage, Blue spotted a horse tied to a tree. Oblivious to everything else and stumbling in a zigzag path, Blue approached the horse and found the saddlebag flap. Gods, I’m thirsty. Suddenly Blue realized how ridiculously dry his mouth was, as if cotton had swabbed out all the moisture. He looked down to see the pipe still in his hand. He slipped its neck into the back of his jeans as he rooted through the saddlebag.
As Blue was about to pull out a box of granola, he looked up to see a young woman by a bloody blur. He froze in his tracks, and started to grin sheepishly.
|
|