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Post by Flare on May 2, 2020 19:12:23 GMT -6
Panicked, the humanish broke into a faster hobble as he didn't want to lose sight of the puppy. Who had no idea of the world, or anything, and there was an angry giant tree snake on the loose! Which probably ate puppies!?! His cane-staff wasn't helping, and no speed could be gotten, but his limbs weren't equal in strength. Shabh crashed into the bushes with all the grace and fluidity of a breaching whale, struggling through the bushes until he broke through, shaking off the broken branches clinging to his fur and his scales. Thank goodness for being a dragon hound; scales were nice. But the puppy was young, and squishy looking. More squishy then his alpha. Which wasn't good. He looks back at his alpha, who struggles with the thorny bushes. A few months into spring and the thorny bushes are nice adn fluffy with leaves and flowers, but with many thorns that tore and impaled and ouched. {Find the puppy Shabh} he nods forth. Staying with his squishy alpha and going to find the squishier puppy wars within the rakai, but he huffs and tears off past the freed bushes and howling ominously. The puppy on the other hand skidded into a patch of grass and broken branches, finding something unsuual? 15 3/7 35/43 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 2, 2020 19:24:04 GMT -6
All the creatures of the mansion seemed to scurry away from the crashing noises of small medium and large. Of what came pelting sloppily through the bushes and pounced happily on the little oak bush that was enjoying a good sunning. Little bush didn't grow much, for nyssa grew like trees. Slowly. A few more branches with small growths joined its canopy over the springtime, but wasn't much bigger physically. But little bush didn't notice being not alone until something smaller then it came crashing into it. Waff waff! A woody reptilelike? face blinked at the squishy canine upon its trunk, barking squeakily in its face. Waff waff! Brach braker! The creature, unsure on what puppy barks even meant, or even what a puppy was, picked up the squishy thing by the scruff with long twiggy fingers. What an unusual thing. Three things happened very quickly when the held creature started to yowl. Two somethings, much larger then itself crashed into view. A much larger, much more dangerous looking squishy thing, with bones and fire and much anger. Another, taller, more humanoid struggling into view, their leaves tattered from chasing through the wood. And a third, crowned with peach colored blossoms. A four way standoff. 16 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 9:45:14 GMT -6
The dryad paused in mid-task of something or another; there were intruders in the plane. And she could sense the little bush's panicked confusion. Attack? Dainty she may be, but a force to be reckoned with. The little bush was her charge. The brush opened to her, and she came upon a strange sight. The little bush was holding something that squirmed and barked at it, floppy brown ears almost as long as its limbs. Was this the 'dog' creature that the wood dispised so much? It looked, almost cute. The little bush wasn't so afraid as curious and a bit miffed. Little bush wasn't alone, as another, much larger dog, one with wings and scales and brushed with fire crashing into the clearing, angered and growling. And... a very familiar figure tearing itself through the wood into the clearing. She couldn't mistake the magical sense of what came from the figure, who had changed drastically from the near dead creature she'd been caring for in the hidden hillock not a few months ago. The fabric of his pants caught on everything thorny. Thankfully it didn't tear. Flare pulled himself free of the bushes last, stumbling into the clearing. What... what was going on? 17 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 9:58:22 GMT -6
Something flits to his side, into the line of view. It's small, about the size of a teenage human just starting a growth spurt; with peachy pale skin and delicate pink eyes. The dainty slightly tall fae stands there, clothed in petals? He can’t keep his eyes off the thing, but the branches sprouting from her head like a pair of antlers were hard to ignore. They had tiny cherry blossoms. Close to the little walking tree. Almost protectively? 'You are stronger then when I last saw you, child of sand.' the delicate wispy voice that he couldn't 'hear' with his ears spoke out quietly. 'I didn't expect you to willingly find the grove again.' Her pink eyes narrow briefly. 'Why are you here' He remembers this faeish creature, she'd been caring for him when he woke up in the grounds, weak and wounded and back to ...normal. 'You bring dogs into the wood.' {Shabh follows me willingly, he has the choice to run. We followed the puppy.} he gestures with the basketless hand at the squirming houlou in the young nyssa's grip. {She heard something and ran from us.} There is truth in the child of sand's words. Even if he is accompanied by a dog. 18 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 10:05:41 GMT -6
{I must ask the mother why she attacks the goat animal's garden.} Remembered clearly that the senses of the forest called him 'human animal' and her 'goat animal'. {That a nyssa is back and wrecking her garden.} The dryad stiffens a bit, her features shadowed. {I only wish to ask the mother. Has the mother been stealing again from the goat-animal.} She isn't sure what to do here, because the grove only opens to those who are chosen, but he has entered twice, once unwillingly, because she had found and... brought him there herself. Shabh puts himself between his alpha and the walking tree thing, growling audibly. His wings and scales make an ominous rattling noise. Put down the pup. Is about what he's trying to put off to the creature. His jaws clack shut rather close to the nyssa's arm. He's perfectly capable of snapping the limb; and he likes chewing things. It doesn't take much for the nyssa to get the picture; and the puppy drops a short distance to plop on the ground. She's not expecting this, and waff waffs at them both. Her paws ache from the drop, and she whines piteiously. Something in his instincts...like a switchboard, hears the cry for help... and it switches over. Click. 19 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 10:23:48 GMT -6
The instinct claws its way to the surface, and Shabh puts his head straight up and howls. Its not a normal howl... but something all but the puppy felt deep in their cores. To the bone. STOOOOOOOOP Pained and confused, the houlou puppy mimics big blocky head and gives a tiny awooing howl too. Its adorable, if the rakai hadn't silenced the entire clearing in one voice. The dryad is rooted to the spot, staring at the skeletal winged animal, whose howl peeters out and he looks between her, the bush who is frozen in place, and his alpha, who is staring between him and the dryad. {We mean no harm to the grove.} The humanish bows his head, vivid bangs falling into his face. She doesnt know what to do... unable to move briefly for the howl rings through her, forcing lack of movement. Had the Mother taken from the humans again? It was the season of seeds... Shuffling forward slowly, past the howling beast and the miming beast, the young plant creature took hold of Flare's fingers with its own twiggy ones. Come. Come to the forest. It remembered big lizard. Different. Scale but no scale. Wounded but fixed. The feel of hard work under its woody fingers. Woody, like it. 20 -shabh tries verdant whisper- x.20 4/9 36/44
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Post by Fiera Ferella on May 3, 2020 12:56:34 GMT -6
It looks like your making progress with these creatures, but you aren't out of the woods yet... literally! (No success yet.) 11-17
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 13:34:52 GMT -6
He looks down at the little nyssa. {I remember you. I tripped over you.} The twiggy branches poking up from its head seem to shift back and forth, like nodding? Maybe? {Will you take me to Mother Tree?} Flare asks the nyssa, crouching down to its height. The other twiggy hand reaches forth and explores Flare's face. Hadn't been able to reach it previous. It pauses about a foot from his face, then pokes the small nose gently. No giant lizard face? '{What is it with these creatures and my face...}' he thought briefly as the twiggy fingers trace the lines of cheekbone, chin and even trace the scar before withdrawing as if burnt. The little bush looks past the crouching not-lizard and looks to the dryad, who is still rooted to the spot by the angry howling beast. No longer howling though. Stepping to stand over the tiny miming beast, that looked up at its protector. 'Take the human-animal into the grove. The Mother Tree knows he is here.' she finally manages to convey to the nyssa. If the Mother had taken from humans, the Mother must've had good reason. No humans had visited in the last year or so around this time of the harvest. Or the little bush nyssa had slept through it. Very possible. it was no longer harvest, but seed. Only one path seemed to be a good one. Go to the Mother. Its little eye glints focused upwards at the scaled human thing. 21 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 13:47:20 GMT -6
{Shabh. Follow close.} He asks the angry beast to join him. The rakai swings his head to glare at the dryad, who has not made a single movement. Whatever the howl had said, done, whatever, made her stop. The nyssa had not stopped though. Interesting. Or it had briefly. He snorts disesively in her direction before lowering his blocky head and grabbing the puppy around the middle in his jaws. Uppsie. He steps past her, and joins the alpha. The puppy, surprised by the sudden pickup, hangs there with her limbs and tail just with no place to go. She wags her tail a bit, enjoying the ride. The nyssa turns and leads the three into the grove... that looms before them without much warning. But the vague hum of the magic coursing in his veins gave the feeling he'd been here all along. This is a grove that is not constant all year long. As he looked about, the magic house appeared to be getting now farther away? Perhaps it was just the angle at which the little nyssa led him. It didn't appear to even be phased by the cane-staff he used to walk. Had whatever or whomever- the thought fizzled anew. Just being egged on to move. To walk and to follow, to be led deeper and deeper in. The little sprouts on the young nyssa's back stood straight up multiple times as it led the human-animal down the path. Something. Something off. Keeping a close watch although not turning away from the human-animal to watch the animals. 22 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 13:54:44 GMT -6
The spell of the grove fell over the human-animal as the nyssa led them down the path into the grove, deeper and deeper. This time Elder Sakura wasn't where normally found, lounging in the corner of the gardens. Probably had ventured onto the sunnier side of the mansion, to indulge the bees that flew free for May flowers. But they kept walking. Every question that seemed to bubble inside Flare's mind fizzled and he just kept walking. Shabh's growl of warning came from beside him, but he did not hear. It came out muffled and garbled around carrying the baby bulk of the houlou puppy. Small plant. Do not do that. The nyssa isn't familiar with voice of animal, but does understand voice of forest. This isn't voice of forest though, it is so badly garbled, but voice of earth, although baby sounding. This wasn't a normal beast-animal. Very few beasts were allowed into the grove. The forest darkens significantly, but the little bush can see perfectly fine. Just with its feet instead. The human-animal doesn't appear to be phased even by the change of light. Neither does the larger beast-animal. The small beast-animal makes confused noises of nondescript. Little Bush. The nyssa sapling freezes in place. You bring human-animal into the sanctuary. The shadows shift gradually. The large overbitten heads of two approaching older status nyssa glance down from their statuesque positioning. Bring human-animal to find its lost. Mother has stolen from the humans, it tells the guards. Stolen more. 23 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 14:01:14 GMT -6
The two guard nyssa don't need to look at each other, for they can sense the other through the roots buried in the ground. Little Bush is not lying, but to lead a human-animal right to the Mother... Little Bush is very foolish, they believe. Humans will lie. This human is different. Smells of earth and ash, but the faint feeling of powerful pure energy from within. Foolish Little Bush. But the sapling nyssa remains stubbornly wanting to go in. The feeling of 'let them in' washes over for a second time, and the guards allow the Little Bush to pass with the human-animal. But they try to block the beast animals. Beast animals are not welcome deep in the grove. The nyssa pauses when the human-animal looks back. {'They are my companions. Please let them pass'} he speaks to the trees, although the voice is faraway. Voice of earth... and sand. This is the human-animal that was allowed previous. awkwardly, they allow Shabh to pass, holding the mini beast-animal in his jaws. Who barks at them as they pass. Finally, they enter the grove. Its nearly pitch black for anything without nightvision. Or the ability to see with their feet. The heart of the grove... 24 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 14:14:13 GMT -6
'I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, HUMAN-ANIMAL.' The enormous tree-snake, the mother of all nyssa roils out of the darkness, coils of trunk and the single enormous orange reptillian eye. The spell of the grove breaks, and Flare has to catch himself with a backstep when his flesh and bone leg nearly capsizes, leaning on his cane-staff. He forgot how strong the voice of the Mother could be. 'YOU SURVIVED YOUR TRIAL, IT APPEARS.' The feeling of being examined closely washes over him, a tremor running from shoulder to tail, putting his hair roots on end. The enormous head is right in front of him, and expectantly seeking an answer. 'AND I CLEARLY REMEMBER COMMANDING YOU TO NOT RETURN.' {I was approached by the goat-animal again. She claims that nyssa break and destroy her garden.} Anger. He feels the creature's anger, and it BURNS. He has to compose himself quickly to hide the fast oncoming and the fast leaving pain of burning hate. 'THE GOAT-ANIMAL IS A DECEIVER. SHE FORCES TREES TO GROW SMALL AND SICK.' Shabh drops the puppy at his alpha's side, and looks up at the snake thing that could eat him alive in one gulp. He barks loudly, growling. Get away from my alpha, bad snake. 25 x.20 5/11 37/45
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 14:36:22 GMT -6
{I was not commanded for such. Your request was to never speak of what I have seen; and I have kept my word} Flare responded to the tree snake. The hum of magic in his veins bolstered his comfidence. {I only come with a question, great Mother of Nyssa. Are you the one responsible for the destruction of the goat-animal's property.} the orange eyes narrow a bit, enormous head weaving slowly back and forth, surveying the changed human-animal. She can clearly see the pulsing presence of magic that supported his heart. The frailness of his new body, yet still sporting reminders of being a different human-animal of the past. 'MY PRESENCE HAS NOT LEFT THIS GROVE, HUMAN-ANIMAL. THERE IS ANOTHER NYSSA THAT SEEKS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WARPED GARDEN OF THE GOAT-ANIMAL.' She declared. Flare's eyes narrow briefly. He's no idiot. {We both know that is not the whole truth.} he tells her, his cane-staff hand gripping tight enough to turn the knuckles white. {You showed me previously that you can change your shape, and leave the grove.} The whole forest seems to rock a bit with the feeling of great amusement. The snake's maw curls and exposes white root fangs. 'YOUR MEMORY IS SHARPER THEN YOUR TONGUE, HUMAN-ANIMAL.' she declares. Shabh's ears flatten to his head as he growls in return, fully ignored. The puppy looks between the blocky head and the tall one, and then the BIG ONE. 26 x.20
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Post by Flare on May 3, 2020 16:51:26 GMT -6
'NOT ONLY THIS, BUT YOU ARE NAIVE. A NAIVE LITTLE HUMAN-ANIMAL' In the comparison to the terror factor between the great snake and the chaos elemental or even the bone keeper of his dreams, Flare's state of mind put them about equal. The chaos creature bore quite a bit more haughty pride than the great snake, whose size seemed to be most of her intimidation factor. The snake angled her head slightly, staring down at him. Almost through him. 'HOW... INTERESTING...' From the ground, a white haired root appeared, brushing against and over him, lingering around the wound on his face... withdrawing sharply from the tooth necklace, like the others had done. 'YOU...APPEAR INCAPABLE OF FEELING TRUE FEAR...ANGER...' The root disappears as quickly as it comes. What had become of the human-animal to have such a stunted frame of self. {I don't understand.} What did she mean, 'true' fear or anger. He'd gotten scared before, and annoyed, but he'd never really gotten... angry. Ever. {I have been afraid. Annoyed. I am not stunted.} 'BECAUSE YOU CANNOT FEEL THE TRUE FEAR OR ANGER, YOU DO NOT REALIZE IT.' The rakai at his side, his scaled hackles raised, echoed an ominous howling cry. STOOOOP. Was he trying to do the thing again with the howl? The puppy howled to mime the blocky head. 27 x.20
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Post by Lethalia on May 3, 2020 17:19:42 GMT -6
You have rolled a success! Your QP will be added to the bank and your prize will be sent shortly. Feel free to keep playing!
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