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Post by Xentus on Jul 19, 2020 21:50:38 GMT -6
Whenever he cared to watch closely, he felt as if he could tell what each element preferred or not. Wind seemed to enjoy being in the open air, but it would rattle if in a confined space. Earth was the opposite, preferring small, tight rooms. Water of course was fine fully submerged in liquid, but it seemed to prefer small pools to splash in. Fire seemed to gravitate towards areas that were well lit, and would clatter in the dark. He had the feeling that he was getting a good idea of what the subtle behaviors of these creatures meant.
He could still be wrong..
But he liked going with what felt right to him. Above all, the golems wanted to be near him. As long as he was close by, they seemed to be a lot more willing to behave more freely. When left alone, they appeared to go in a semi-dormant, inert state. It was an interesting behavior and he wasn't quite sure what was the trigger. Was it the simple lack of his presence? Did his presence provide something for them? They still fed on their element in that state, but didn't engage in any other activity. It did help keep him from feeling guilty about leaving them alone though. He could reasonably only spread his attention to a few of them at a time.
The mammalian man changed direction and headed down an offshoot path toward the forest. Trees enclosed him, and the sound of nature swarmed.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 9:43:43 GMT -6
It was peaceful, being out in the woods. The mammalian man was the kind of person who revered nature. It was a source of awe and wonder. Perhaps today he would find a spot to meditate and pray to his god. For the steady growth of these seedlings, who were forces of nature cultivated into living beings. When he thought about it, that tie was something he envied of these simple things. He could only dream of such closeness in life. Only when his body rotted into the soil and returned to the earth would he obtain it.
Or if he dabbled into magic. But that wasn't quite the same. Nodes, magic, and things of that ilk were arcane. Part of nature? Questionable. Tied to nature? Most certainly. Ah, now when he thought about it, were the golems natural or magical? His face scrunched as he thought about this mental quandary, rolling the wind seedling in his arms. Well, he knew they were created, so that was a strike against 'natural'. He didn't know how exactly they came to be, but it was likely via magic means. But they did grow by absorbing elements, incorporating that into their bodies. Which made him reason they became nature in a living form. So, both.
Still, they seemed closer to nature than to magic. He settled happily on that thought. Having them as part of the creatures in his care made him feel tangentially more close to whatever made this world. It felt nice..
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 10:20:28 GMT -6
Xentus exhaled deeply. The scent of pine and wood flooded his senses as he inhaled again, bringing a dazed smile on his muzzle. Somehow, he'd managed to wander off the trail and into the thick of the forest, surrounded by tall grasses and taller trees. This wasn't even the work of his innate wanderlust. This was more.. Him getting too lost in thought and ending up someplace when he finally escaped his depths of own mind. It happened often enough that it wasn't something that startled him, unless he managed to get himself in some kind of trouble. In the city, it sometimes meant wandering onto private property or worse, into the unsavory streets. Out here though, he didn't feel that he had much to fret over. Unless he'd managed stumbled upon some angry beast's home. In which case, he'd be in a bit of a pickle considering the only defense he had was to abandon his three seedlings and run for his life.
He laughed at that. That'd be the last resort he'd have if it came to it. But thinking about it more, the golems were nigh indestructible anyway. They could be used to distract some beast for long enough that he could escape, then later come back to retrieve his pets. They wouldn't mind, right? Blue eyes peered down at the segmented shell of the wind elemental in his arms. It would give its life for him if he were in mortal danger. That was the depth of the bond..
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 13:44:54 GMT -6
... Not that they could do much in their current state. But he was certain they would try to selflessly defend him in any case, even if it meant becoming chew toys. It was unclear whether or not these creatures had a sense of self or sense of will. Perhaps they behaved in the ways he thought they should.. Because he thought they should. How they sprung to life when he was around made him consider this. Perhaps with this bond, that shock to the heart he felt upon touching the eggs, they also feed off him in some way. Not maliciously or parasitically, but rather feeding on his emotions, his aura, his presence. They weren't mind readers, he knew that for certain. A telepathic ribbon connected a mind link; he knew how it felt. But these creatures had something different. Not an emotional bond, not a soul bond either. Perhaps it was a metaphysical connection? Something that was beyond being, yet not. A relationship of cause, intent, and reason.
Ah what did he know? He was no philosopher. The leopard shook his head, trying once again to escape the confines of his mind. Now was as good a time as any to finally unpack his other two seedlings. They were rather patient in there. He placed them in the little dirt clearing he'd found, settling on arranging them in a row with the wind seedling in the center.
"Stay put, little seeds", he jokingly said to them, then turned to get camp set up.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 16:47:26 GMT -6
If somehow these things were able to walk away and disappear, he'd be horrified. To be safe, he did keep the trio in his peripheral vision while fiddling with the supplies in his backpack. The seedlings took up a lot of space in here, but there were a few other things he'd managed to squeeze in on the bottom. His foldable personal tent, some lunch, a lighter, water, and of course, his ocarina. There were some miscellaneous items toss in there and in side pockets, but they weren't pertinent to the task at hand. He pulled the tent free, then unlatched the velcro keeping it bundled tight.
Like a miraculous trick, the tent popped to life. Mostly. It needed a little help expanding to its full size, barely large enough to house a single man, but aside from tightening the fabric and making sure it wouldn't fly away in the wind, it was as set as it got. Next, he contemplated getting a fire started. He'd need some firewood and kindling. Somehow, it felt right to take the fire seedling along for the search. It would get nestled into the embers to keep it happy. The leopard turned his attention back to the trio of golems. Yup, right where he left them.
"Alright, this one is coming with Xentus", he cooed gently at the fire golem as he picked it up. It writhed its little tentacles in his arms, wrapping itself snugly. The other two were left alone for the time being. Who knows, maybe he'd come back to something different.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 16:55:05 GMT -6
Sure it would be a surprise, but he liked surprises. Most of the time. As long as he didn't come back to his tent eaten and his pack in a tree, he'd be fine.
"Keep watch, little ones"
And now he was off on a little escapade with just him and the fire seedling. Fire 2, as it was tagged. There were four of each element, as his fusion plan needed. Again his mind was wandering to the whole ordeal he was getting himself into. He looked forward to it as much as he didn't. Trying to keep in mind that the payoff would be worth it was difficult.. All he could do was live in the moment, have patience, and let the days pass. It's what he normally did anyway. He shook his head again, trying to prevent getting lost in his thoughts. The task at hand, right. Firewood.
How was he going to haul back wood with the golem taking up his hands? Perhaps he didn't think this through. Perhaps it was all part of the plan. No, no it wasn't according to plan at all. But he would pretend like it was. The leopard turned on his toes and made his way back to his pack, sheepishly looking at the waiting two seedlings.
"This one forgets to bring his pack", he muttered, as if to assure himself he'd meant to leave it. Not like the golems cared much. They probably only enjoyed the sight of his return, now that he thought about it.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 17:07:27 GMT -6
It was kind of funny to pretend that the seedlings cared as much as any other person would. This was one of his only forms of entertainment with these things.. He had to make due with whatever pleasure he could have talking to nearly inanimate, over-sized eggs. Ah, what was he even doing with himself? He felt silly. But it was also okay to be silly if it meant having a bit of fun. Especially when nobody was watching. Just to be sure though.. The leopard peeked around, hoping not to catch sight of any other wayward camper out in the woods in the middle of summer. He seemed to be alone enough, aside from the company of the seedlings.
He debated between carrying the fire golem or keeping it in his pack. His paws needed to be free, but he also wanted to see the fiery-orange creature.. Ah, he had an idea. Golem in the backpack, worn backwards! Yes, this worked.
Now he felt silly and looked silly too. He stifled a laugh and shook his head again. Nobody watching, not a worry. Not that he cared much if anyone was indeed watching. If he could entice someone over to question what was going on, at least he'd be free from his own thoughts for a little while. Or maybe he'd give them the ability to tell a funny story about a strange blue mammalian man wandering the woods with their egg-pets. He set off again, waving goodbye to the remaining two seedlings.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 20, 2020 19:20:20 GMT -6
Stick, twigs, and branches for his campfire. Easy enough materials to find in a forest. They needed to be nice and dry, otherwise they wouldn't hold a flame.. Oh, and kindling. Moss would do, dry grass maybe. Stones and rocks to insulate the fire. The leopard made a mental list in his mind as he waded through the grasses and weeds in the forest clearing, heading towards the shade of the pines. Dead needles for kindling would work, and smell nice. His mind wandered. Tea would smell nice too. That's what was forgotten back at home. He had some sparring knowledge of plants, maybe he'd keep a look out for some herbs or wildflowers.
It didn't take him entirely too long to find some sticks and rock for the fire. Such things were abundant in the middle of the forest. His timber wasn't quite entirely dry enough though, which was his only concern. He supposed he could simply go without a fire, as the summer was quite warm. Dealing with insects swarming through the night might prove to be annoying, but he was more concerned for the elemental. Without flame meant his precious fire seedling would have to go without feeding.. It seemed cozy there in the back, clinging to a broken branch that he gave it to occupy its tentacles. Soon, the leopard made his round back to his campsite. He'd go looking for flowers and herbs later, once his hands were free. And much to his surprise (not) the other two seedlings were still there, right where he left them.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 22, 2020 1:35:33 GMT -6
"Xentus has returned, little clams", he greeted them upon his approach, a toothy grin on his face. The twigs, branches, and pine needles he carried were deposited in a messy pile for the time being. A fire could be sorted and made later. The sun was just beginning to crest into the sky; night was still far from now. The elemental seedling in his front-pack was beckoned to drop its held branch, a clawed finger pointing from the timber to the pile. It took a moment for the creature to understand exactly what this meant though.. Its two tentacles slithered on the surface of the wood, tightening its grip for an instant before relaxing and letting it fall to the ground with a clatter.
"Excellent. Xentus appreciates your assistance", the leopard cheerily praised the simple creature. It vibrated its shell in response, something Xentus likened to happiness. He'd pretend it was happy at the very least. Since the wood ordeal was settled, he could turn his attention to his thirst for wild tea. Or sate his hunger by hunting. Fishing, perhaps? He did intend to find some kind of steam or pond for the water seedling. His blue eyes glanced over to the two on the dirt. He could take them all with him as he roamed about the wilds.
Gathering up the golems was an easy task. Wind was placed in the frontpack with fire, and water was carried under-arm. This arrangement was cumbersome, but it worked just fine for quick relocation.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 22, 2020 1:45:44 GMT -6
Thankfully, these simple creatures didn't have much heft to them. They were surprisingly light for their apparent size, only a couple of pounds each. It made sense when he thought it over - the carapace was the only truly 'solid' thing about them. The interior of the shell was more or less hollow, aside from the seed floating weightlessly within. And their appendages weren't fully material. They were like rocky balloons. With tentacles.
A quick glance of the sky gave him the feel it was a couple hours before noon. Plenty of time for adventures deep in the forest. Xentus surveyed the campsite for anything amiss, but with as light as he packed, there wasn't much substance to it aside from the pile of sticks and his tent. He gathered his bearings, making a mental map of the area, then set off due north. The plan was to find a pond, and look for any tasty looking tea-herbs on the way. Two birds with one stone!
"Keep a look out for anything good for tea, yes?", he asked of the golem trio sarcastically. It would be astounding if they could tell a plant apart from a rock, much less actually alert him of the presence of herbs. Still, these creatures did seem to do their best with what little they had, only serving to please their bonded. Telling them his will may not result in any action or response, but he hoped it would be enriching. What did he know, perhaps they would surprise him.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 22, 2020 1:56:59 GMT -6
The forest seemed to swell around him. With every passing step, he became more and more engulfed by the sounds of birdsong, the calls of small animals and insects, the scent of wildflowers in the breeze. He hadn't really keyed his ears to it, with his focus centered on his seedlings. But now with all of them traveling with him and with a wandering oriented goal, he could actually absorb the natural scenery. Passing under the thick canopy of the evergreens provided plenty of shade from the sun. The towering trees swayed ever so slightly with the wind. His eyes scanned for any interesting plants while his feet drove him forward, deeper into the foliage.
A couple of webbed cocoons were of interest as he passed them. The work of a spider, maybe? Or silkworms. His travel paused momentarily while he attempted to appraise the strange insectoid structures. "What do the seedlings believe this to be?", he asked his company, holding them close to the cocoon, "Of arachnid make or not?" He was no true biologist, but he did have a rather strong interest in the subject matter. He enjoyed studies of animals and plants, though he certainly leaned his favor towards fauna. Arthropod works were something he wasn't very keen on, even if they were fascinating in their own right. Curious blue eyes gave the strange cocoons a thorough looking at, deciding the apparatus was definitely of silkworm make. A spider would have a web there, most likely. Satisfied with his conclusion, he continued to venture on.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2020 11:08:44 GMT -6
Xentus shuffled the three golems around for a bit more comfort. They were a little cumbersome to juggle while walking under the forest canopy. If they could walk about on their own, this adventure would be a lot more fun. Soon enough, they'd be able to, he reminded himself. But they needed patience and time until then.
He wandered for a short while. There was plenty of things to look at in the forest that sparked curiosity, leading him astray and providing distractions. A squirrel hopped from one tree to another, felling a bunch of loose leaves and pines from high above. He got caught under it, a cone almost falling squarely on his head. The seedlings began rattling as if to warn the danger away, but that only made him chuckle and shake his head. How hopelessly protective of them. It was nice, though, knowing they were so keen on guarding him, even though they had literally no means to do so. That strange bond they shared with him.. It was something he still couldn't fully wrap his head around. Maybe with time and as they grew, he'd come to understand it better. But until then, he was still thankful for these odd, elemental egg beings.
Crisis averted, he continued wandering among the undergrowth of the woods. A thing of note was that the trees here seemed to mostly consist of pines and firs. At first glance, the two kinds of trees seemed nearly the same. He hardly knew the difference himself..
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Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2020 11:20:24 GMT -6
From what little botanical knowledge he had, he knew that firs had much shorter needles that was a little more rounded. Pine needles were flatter, and more difficult to roll between one's fingers. Their cones were different as well, with firs having more tube-like cones, he felt. Pines cones were.. Well, cone-shaped. His curious eyes flicked their gaze between the trees as he passed them, playing a mental game of pine or fir. The bark of that one seemed scaly, like armored patches.. That was a pine, probably. And that one was flaky.. Did firs have flaky bark sometimes? It could be something different. His mind made the most amusement it could out of the wilderness around.
Soon, his eyes happened upon a tree that was much different from the rest. It featured large, broad leaves, and a branching system that was wide at the base and rather squat at the top. It was distinct from the tall, lance-shaped pines. This tree was more like an umbrella. His footsteps stopped a few yards away from the odd looking tree as he tried to assess what it was. He'd had his fare share of meandering into stinging oak. Not a pleasant experience, to say the least.
"Strange tree ahead, little cones", he warned the seedlings that he ferried, "Let us proceed with caution." The leopard adopted a sneaking stance, as if to try to prevent the tree from noticing him prowling about. It wasn't a bad idea either, considering trees could be much more alive than one believes them to be.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2020 11:28:32 GMT -6
Sneaking wasn't something he attempted often.. And so he wasn't very good at it. The comics and movies made it all seem a lot easier that it actually was - to silently wade through undergrowth in a forest was a lot more difficult in reality. You had to watch out for all things underfoot, buried in the leaf litter. A small twig easily snaps under the lightest touch, and sounds a warning that can clearly be heard, even to ears that are hardly attentive. The shuffling of leaves, the breaking of twigs, even animals that are much more keen about intruders on their territory are all telling sighs of something amiss in the forest.
Xentus had no luck keeping even remotely stealthy. He sighed and gave up the act. The tree stood dormant, as far as he could tell. If he'd somehow happened upon a nyssa, he's be rather startled. There was always the possibility of such a thing happening, and when it did, he only hoped the living tree would be docile. He'd heard that some breeds of nyssa could be rather reckless, if not completely violent.. Which sounds off for a tree-creature. But then again, considering their heft and bulk, it takes as little as not getting out of their path to get seriously injured by one.
He shook his head and tried to get the thoughts of murderous trees out of his head. A clawed hand petted over the trio of seedlings for reassurance, a smile creeping onto his face at feeling the grasping pseudopods.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2020 11:44:29 GMT -6
But his eyes remained locked on target. The strange single tree that he happened upon. As he got closer, he noticed that there were odd green lumps camouflaged among the leaves. They almost looked like inflated leaves.. Could nyssa bear fruit? He paused for a moment, pondering the different kinds of living tree. Oak and maple were the.. Poplar ones. He snickered to himself. Ah. Tree jokes. He didn't want to get.. Rooted in a situation with those ones! The snickering continued, teeth now showing on the man's muzzle. But really, he didn't think nyssa ever produced fruit. He didn't have one in his care, but the thought did cross his mind. Who wouldn't want to build a tree house atop a fully grown nyssa as it trawled through the forest? It sure would beat camping in a tent.
If anything came of this little forest trip, it would be that he really wanted to add a nyssa to his collection now.
Anyway, he'd come to figure that this strange fruit tree was safe enough to approach. He still walked carefully toward it, keeping an eye out for anything that might prove dangerous. He really wasn't sure what kind of fruit bearing tree could grow out here. It was likely a wild fruit tree, but perhaps some camper years ago discarded their breakfast and it turned into this. "What do the little seeds think?", he asked gently to the trio, as if they had expertise on trees, "Wild or cultivated? Safe to eat, perhaps?"
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