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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 7:42:38 GMT -6
Well, perhaps not so regretfully. It made the foal easier to manage in some respects, even if in others it means having to put in more work. But there was beauty (and convenience) in something having a simpler mind and being easier to influence due to it. He inspects the hat, and though it still has enough structure to be wearable it doesn't quite come off as 'courier' in feel. Perhaps if there was another costume party it might serve was an element to the attire (But it was rather doubtful. Still, tall hats had their uses, especially in emergencies).
He loops the hook around the end of the tail, by means of carrying it around without having to constantly hold it. If they're lucky they might find a bag or basket or something to put it into, and if they're really lucky it wont combust on them in the process. Or attempt to eat them. Or cause hallucinations. Or become eaten by the foal. Really, the manor is full of options.
. 9 . Chalceus: 3 (4/5) September: 9 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 8:33:07 GMT -6
With the distraction taken care of the foal is considerably more agreeable towards moving onwards. Juvenile behavior aside, she does make for better company in noise if no other way, by which he means there's barely any. A nickering here and there doesn't even come close to the barks the pup could let out if he got particularly bored. She also doesn't seem to mind following along so much. Curious, of course (It's a youngling trait), but not so much as to immediately tear off the leash to chase it. (And less likely to teleport around, which was also a plus).
The trees do not thin as they continue through the orchard, even as their colours range from all shades of pastel to the dubious types of red, green and yellow. The hedge in the distance draws closer, revealing a house beyond it, but seems to crawl almost like molasses, as if every other steps is being taken with no visible progress. If the manor's tempting him with the orchard, it's not doing a good enough job (And honestly, there's little here to be tempted by).
. 10 . (added) Chalceus: 4 (0/5) September: 10 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Jack on Sept 9, 2021 9:44:33 GMT -6
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 15:39:43 GMT -6
Another sound of something not quite an apple hitting the ground, catching the courier's attention. There's a pause, as the repeated occurrence of this instance begins to draw its own logical conclusions, some of which aren't exactly.. favourable. He leans down to pick up the third marble of the day and isn't even able to pocket it before something soft lands nearby, bounces a few times across the ground and rolls head-over-heels before stopping with a faint grassy rustling just between him and the foal.
It looks to be a bundle of wheat at first, until it begins to move and stand up shaking off the landing (And inwardly, the man groans, recognising it as yet another beast that's most likely a moment's hesitation away from starting to follow them. The first time he entered and left this place the entourage had grown to about a dozen such beasts of different style and make).
. 11 . Chalceus: 4 (1/5) September: 11 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 15:44:07 GMT -6
And sure enough - No sooner is it upright and looking around that it looks between man and foal, gives the tail a little wiggle and takes up step next to them, as if expecting a treat. They aren't quite beasts, these.. They couldn't be. (Actual beasts wouldn't want to be within five miles of him if they can help it). And yet they're animate, mobile and seeming to posses some measure of cognitive ability, however slight.
At least in this the foal could be considered the smarter of the two, even if her immediate reaction is to try and bite at the wheat-bundle thing (A goat of some sort? Close enough). He's almost tempted to let her.. A certain degree of purely scientific curiosity makes him wonder how much of the wheat makes the goat and if these things are truly incapable to cognitive reactions or if they none the less possess some survival instincts for self preservation.
. 12 . Chalceus: 4 (2/5) September: 12 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 15:49:43 GMT -6
It's more the inherent potential for value that causes him to reach out and push the foal back, away from it, "No, no.. Not this time." Maybe in future. In the meantime, if they ever get out of here he can try and see if there's a market for these things. (The last thing he needs is the tower being flooded by the small buggers, especially if they're as untameable as they are persistent to sticking around). To the wheat goat's discredit, it doesn't even seem aware the foal was about to threaten its further existence in a rather direct manner. To the foal's credit, she didn't try again once dissuaded to back off.
As if there wasn't enough drama to begin with, it is then that another thud sounds quite close to them, this time much heavier and resonant than the glass sphere had been - This one actually sounding like a fruit of sorts, most likely an apple.
. 13 . Chalceus: 4 (3/5) September: 13 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 15:59:12 GMT -6
There is hardly a pause between recognizing the sound and making the connection when something else whistles through the air and strikes him in the shoulder. Wincing, he jumps back and stares at the bright yellow fruit bouncing into the grass. The whistle of a third one is all the warning he gets, but it is enough - The man jumps back again, as a third apple hurtles through the space where the head had been not but a few seconds prior. The frills of the foal rise up as she senses the commotion, though noting is inherently aimed at her. (And why would it? The manor seems to delight in torturing him more than the beasts. Even the dragon and pup from previous companions were mostly just misplaced rather than falling under any specific type of misfortune).
Cautiously, he scans the space above the tree line, in case there's a fourth volley still pending arrival. In truth, everything so far - from apple to glass sphere - likely didn't originate from the trees themselves (Not that he could prove it anyway).
. 14 . Chalceus: 4 (4/5) September: 14 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2021 16:03:50 GMT -6
For now it seems to remain clear.. Though he's quite vary about taking his eyes off the skies and the canopies surrounding them. The foal, quite unlike the shadow, doesn't seem to be able to pick up on the sense of unease and instead takes a more curious gander at one of the apples that had landed. Perhaps she assumes that with the wheat goat out of her prospects these apples might suffice instead. The man doesn't necessarily need to look to her, to simply pull the lead a little closer to him and hold a hand to her back to avoid her wandering off. "Shh.. Leave it."
After all, the manor's food has been.. somewhat dubious before. He's not yet hungry to be desperate enough for the apples (or anything else in the orchard), and the foals is certainly by no means starving on her feet, even though she would surely like him to think so.
. 15 . Chalceus: 5 (0/5) September: 15 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Jack on Sept 9, 2021 16:04:27 GMT -6
SPLAT!
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Post by Èdan on Sept 11, 2021 3:46:43 GMT -6
Keeping eyes on high ends up being the smart choice, as a breeze rocks the top of the thinning tree canopy, shaking something loose. Much like the apple before it, the man simply sidesteps the fruit as it lands in the grassy dirt just in front of them, though this one is certainly no apple. A short moment later a second one follows suit and then the breeze dies down again. Picking it up, the fruit seems softer than he expects, perhaps reaching more towards that 'overripe' state. His best guess is a plum, though the ones back home never got this big.. Perhaps the city likes throwing magic into its food just as much as it enjoys throwing it into creatures. Well, it's much too risky to eat it here, but if the things decides to still exist once they leave, might be worth keeping around as storage. The abundance of restaurants, pubs, cafes and other similar establishments hardly make food a scarcity in the City, but if it's the dead of night and there's a sense of peckishness, it's good to have something on hand.
. 16 . Chalceus: 5 (1/5) September: 16 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 11, 2021 4:23:22 GMT -6
That is, assuming these things don't dematerialize as soon as they cross the fence. A wary eye is raised to the skies, but with no breezes picking up to threaten another fruit-filled rainfall, he leans down and picks up both the apples and the plums. A forward thinking person would have perhaps invested in bringing along a bag or some sort, but given none of this had even been adjacent to any plans, much less part of them, the best he can do is flip the witch hat over and place them in there. Folding up the sides, it makes for a handy make-shift contained, while simultaneously taking them out of the foal's sightline. She's not quite as prone to rash actions as the pup, but he's not going to be taking any chances at all in anything, until they can locate the exit. Experience has taught him as much, with this place.
Looking around, there didn't seem to be anything else of particular interest, so he gives the lead a small pull and keeps walking onwards. Presumably, the fence will reach them eventually.
. 17 . Chalceus: 5 (2/5) September: 17 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 11, 2021 6:05:59 GMT -6
He keeps the direction fairly straight, since there's not much reason to weave between the trees - The orchard looks planted by human hands, so it runs in neat little straight rows of trees (Not that it necessarily matters, since geometry in the manor has been somewhat loose in the past). Passing each, the eyes still search for any other signs of anything falling or being thrown at them, but for now they seem able to enjoy a momentary peace from skyward assaults. The wheat goat is still following, of course. The manor would have it no other way.
As for the foal, her curiosities are largely tamed in relation to the length of the lead. She can certainly stray off the path some paces, but once the lead offers a small tug of pressure, she hops right back on the path again, expression seeming as if intentional. Perhaps this one has a bit more spunk in her nature than initially anticipated, which was good for a spirited mount.
. 18 . Chalceus: 5 (3/5) September: 18 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 11, 2021 6:11:42 GMT -6
Somewhat less when you still need to train said mount to be one. Supposedly the breed leans more easily towards the more martial style of horses, meaning she is less likely to be skittish and shy. What semblance of fear existed against the sense in the beginning was also quickly trained out by passing some coins to the relevant hands. When the foal returned, one could hardly seem to assume she had been afraid at all. But.. This can also make them willful. Something without fear is something that can't be easily goaded to follow. Of course, fear isn't the only way to influence someone, but with animals lacking in a certain brightness, it is, perhaps, the easiest.
Which is to say he's expecting many instances of sore backs, necks and anything else that takes the hit when landing off of the horse. Willfulness doesn't exactly lend itself well to accepting discomforts, particularly if that discomfort is an armored rider.
. 19 . Chalceus: 5 (4/5) September: 19 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Èdan on Sept 11, 2021 7:04:38 GMT -6
Small graces, then, that the foal is still so small herself. Theory supposes the beasts have some sense of bonding with their retainers, so if he's lucky she might consider it worthwhile to only toss him off the back gently, and not in a full swing arc. The last thing he needs is to break something and end up at the healing temple, this time with a much more credible concern.
That is assuming they find their way out first. The foal might very well grow old by the time the exit, if it goes the same rate as last time. The hedge beyond is quite a bit closer again, and only seems to shift in perspective whenever he isn't focusing on it. Blink and you'll not so much miss it as suddenly find it before you, with neither ground nor trees seeming to shift at all. As much as he'll appreciate being out of the orchards, there's no telling what other things end up beyond the hedge, so the proverbial frying pan colloquialism might yet come true.
. 20 . (added) Chalceus: 6 (0/5) September: 20 Serpent's Dawn
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Post by Jack on Sept 11, 2021 22:35:11 GMT -6
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