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Post by Xentus on Aug 8, 2021 9:46:36 GMT -6
Current Quest - #24
> Xentus, accompanied by...
Another odd job, but Xentus wasn't a leopard willing to let someone in need go without. Besides, he was looking for a distraction today. The man mused on the idea of playing a game of 'I spy', finding it like potentially fun. He garnered a list.. A long list of baubles, bits, and bobs that the kapper 'misplaced' and the rough whereabouts of them. How did one misplace intricate, handmade works of art, he didn't know. Forgetfulness? Perhaps the man was showing off, got distracted, and wandered off without them. Which.. Was likely the case, considering the leopard had already returned a small glass rose the kapper managed to leave on top of the notice board. The board was several feet taller than the kapper, how did he even manage to do that!? That experience was all Xentus needed to know that this venture might end up more difficult than he anticipated..
A crew was gathered. A small one, albeit, but a crew all the same. Mashiik and Sequinn, the shiny hunters. Sort of. The alurook was his ride and the faeron was there for getting into hard to reach places. Fresh air for both and a little bit of bonding time. This would be fun, right? Xentus held tight into the saddle (and Sequinn held tight onto him) as the giant owl launched into the air. Now, to spy something...
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Post by Xentus on Aug 8, 2021 9:56:26 GMT -6
Something serpentine and blued. First on the list was a lotine statuette, last seen somewhere about the docks. If he had to guess, likely around the shipping and warehouse district. That's probably where a kapper peddler would wander to sell his art, right? Or would he approach the people training their aquatic beasts on the pier-dotted shoreline.. Xentus guided the glimmering alurook toward Loch Glanda-Lynn, the lake which the city was settled around. Mashiik's wings silently pivoted and flapped as she glided through the air with little effort. Sequinn was doing her best to properly latch onto the leopard's arm, but her own wings lifted and fluttered in the wind. The man made a mental note to get the faeron some flight training sooner than later.. But that was not the task at hand.
The alurook landed on the sandy shoreline, tucking her wings in neatly as the leopard slid down her back. Xentus may have taken an extra second to ruffle the soft plumage on the owl's side, just for the sake of it. Ah, now then, there to begin the search.. They could go about searching every pier for a misplaced statue. Atop one of the wooden posts, gently licked by the waters sounded like an elegant place for a wayward glass lotine.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 8, 2021 10:09:04 GMT -6
"Come along, Mashiik", the leopard called as he began his hunt. He didn't fear that the alurook would wander off anywhere, but she was prone to standing in a spot, preening her feathers for a while before she realized she was getting left behind. Not that it would be a problem; it was nearly impossible to somehow lost a giant, shimmery and golden owl. A chuckle escaped the leopard as he imagined somehow needing help finding Mashiik if he managed to lose sight of her. It would be far more likely that Sequinn wandered off, eyes caught by something shiny. The faeron was like a crow or a cat. Attracted to glimmers of shiny things. Then it clicked, that's why Quinn probably wasn't afraid of the alurook. A smirk rested on the leopard's muzzle as he stepped down the length of a wooden pier.
Now then, if he were a kapper carrying around an absurd amount of glass trinkets, where would he meander to.. Xentus kneeled down and gazed about the shoreline, peeking at the top of posts, ends of docks, and the occasional tethered boat. In the morning sun, anything glass would probably sparkle a little, or at least shine. A hum escaped his throat as he thought he caught a glance at what he was searching for - on a bench overlooking the waters.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 12:43:26 GMT -6
A quaint place to rest on an evening walk, a point to show off the delicately made glass sculptures to those passing by. The leopard imagined the scene with the kapper in vague detail, picturing the forgetful man placing down the glass lotine, getting distracted, and walking away from it. What was surprising was that nobody thieved the art piece. Seeing such a well crafted piece of work left out on by its lonesome would certainly make it easy pickings for anybody with sticky fingers or hopes to give it a better home than on a bench. Being a collector of trinkets himself, had he not taken on the mission of finding the kapper's works, he likely would've scooped up the lotine himself should he'd happen across it in his routine.
"Look, Quinn", Xentus murmured to the faeron perched on his shoulder as they approached their mark. The fae dragon's eyes widened at the sight of the sparkling glass figure, and the tiny beast skirted down the length of the man's arm to get a closer look. The leopard was quick to grab ahold of the lotine before the faeron could get its claws on it, fearing the energetic dragon would end up breaking the delicate looking glasswork. With quarry in hand, the man turned back to Mashiik who was waiting patiently nearby. On to the next one!
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 12:52:20 GMT -6
Come to think of it, how did the kapper travel about with so many glass baubles without breaking them? Even with his pack, the leopard was afraid the fragile looking tendrils of the lotine would break from any mere touch. He could.. Wrap it in some fabric, he supposed. Though he didn't have much to spare. With the butt-end of summer, he hadn't worn much when he went out aside from his silken pants.. The leopard's eyes turned to the soft, fluffy alurook beside him. And flicked back and forth between the glass lotine and the owl's soft underbelly. He.. He could probably loosen some down from the alurook.
"Mashiik wouldn't mind if Xentus preened her for a moment, no?", he quietly asked, looking now at the owl's face. She was staring at him, seeming confused by his odd behavior. Something was up. Even Sequinn chittered quietly, looking between its keeper and the bird, suspicious. A clawed hand reached into the alurook's soft underside, gently combing through the feathers. A disturbed sound escaped Mashiik, though the owl didn't make an attempt to move away from its keeper's touch. Even if she hated her belly being ruffled, she put up with it..
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 13:44:04 GMT -6
The underlaying downy feathers of the alurook were coated in a dusting of powder which.. He wasn't certain of it was dander or some kind of natural secretion from the bird. Probably some kind of protective, grooming thing? No matter the purpose, he only hoped the kapper wouldn't mind some dust coating their beloved 'glasses'. And that they weren't allergic..
Xentus carefully combed through the alurook's belly, pulling free a fair amount of loose downy feathers. They were plush, soft, and exceptionally large thanks to the owl's great size. Mashiik was less than thrilled to be 'groomed' and let his distaste be known in the form of disgruntled trills. But the ordeal was over soon enough. It didn't take long for the leopard to gather enough down to cushion the bottom of his pack and add another layer of fuzz atop the glass lotine placed within. With that done, though.. He'd probably need more feathers as he collected more baubles. With that in mind, the mammalian took a bit more time to gather down. Sequinn thieved the occasional wayward feather drifting free, hoarding them under her own wings. Once the leopard's pack was half full with the pale yellow down feathers, he clambered back onto the alurook's saddle. Back to the air.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 14:36:32 GMT -6
Next up on the list was a glass vespa and sarane pair, noted to have been lost someplace in the city's park. Knowing that vespa were giant, dragon-killing bugs, thinking about a pair of glass figures of the two species seemed odd. Would they depict a fight? Stalking? The dragon overcoming the bug? There was also the chance that the kapper hadn't made some connection between the two and was merely showing the pieces off.. Still, Xentus was curious. Flying away from the lakeshore and toward the central park, the trio of item-hunters made good time with their quest. Travel time was no issue - an alurook could fly insanely fast. Mashiik was more of a cruiser than a speedster, though.. He was certain that if he'd pressed her to fly faster, she would. But there was no rush. And he didn't want the unfortunate mishap of Sequinn falling off and fluttering to her doom. The leopard shook such a thought from his head and rested a hand on the faeron's back for security.
Before long, the three touched down at the park. A familiar place for the alurook. She'd even chosen the plot of cleared dirt the leopard favored as his personal training spot to land.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 14:41:45 GMT -6
The park was a vast place, offering plenty of space for people and their creatures, big and small, to come and learn tricks and unlock the potential within.. Xentus's mind trailed off, pondering the next lessons he'd come to teach his beloved pets. Ah, but there was a mission at hand. He shook his head and focused up, scanning the park for the most likely place for a forgetful kapper to leave his prized possessions. Perhaps he was a trainer of beasts too? He didn't strike the leopard as such though.. He seemed more like a passerby, observing the people around to pick out any potential buyers of his craft. Probably. Did he even sell these things or was he just a collector? The questions made his head ache.
Xentus sauntered off toward the vendor stands near the entry of the park, deeming it the most likely place to spy a missing glass bauble. If the lotine was on a dock-bench, then he'd expect more of the same. The vendors catered to the hungry and thirsty visitors, making good profit off the traffic which passed through. Did the kapper have a stall among them? It would make sense.. The mammalian made sure the alurook and faeron were keeping up as he lead the way.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 14:48:12 GMT -6
On the walk, he could picture the kapper laying out glass figures of the creatures he saw visiting the park, offering them as trinkets for pet owners who were particularly proud of their beast. That'd make having a vespa and sarane out much more reasonable. The leopard played through the potential motions the kapper took in his mind. He pictured the man getting caught up by an old friend, walking off with them for lunch or something and leaving behind some baubles that he was showing off. The made-up narrative made him chuckle. Maybe it was unfair that he gave such an aloof personality to the man he hardly knew, but he was also the one looking to repair their mishaps so he felt slightly entitled.
With its keeper in his own aloof state of mind, the faeron found itself at liberty to dart off as it pleased. A chitter escaped Sequinn as she launched off the man's shoulder with a flutter of her wings, scampering toward her quarry. "H-hey! Quinn!", the keeper cried out at the unexpected act, now chasing after the small dragon. And trailing him was a gigantic owl, wide-eyed and confused about the sudden chase, but somehow happy to be a part of it.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 15:06:15 GMT -6
Thankfully, chasing around unorderly creatures was part of the norm in the central park. The leopard didn't feel awkward or out of place, nor were there any eyes which were drawn to the sudden outbreak of commotion. There was already far too much going on in this place. The faeron thankfully wasn't intentionally trying to leave behind its keeper, and ran at a fairly slow pace rather than feeling the stress of chase. It almost looked like play, if not for the odd focus the creature seemed to have. Looking ahead of them, the faeron was honing in on a particularly overgrown shrub near a cobblestone path. It wasn't far off, but whatever the tiny beast was intent on was not easy to see. Upon reaching her mark, the black scaled dragon ducked into the foliage with a rustle. Xentus' run petered to a stop and he hunched over to catch his breath for a moment.
"Wh.. What's gotten your eye.. Quinn?", he managed to say between breaths to the bush. It offered no response. Behind him back Mashiik sauntering over, halting her own run a little while ago. The alurook was far too refined for a chase - she opted to simply walk.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 16:00:36 GMT -6
The rustling in the bush quieted after a minute. Xentus was quite curious to see what the faeron was up to in there, debating on whether or not he should intervene or not.. He trusted that the tiny dragon wasn't up to something naughty like trying to give him the slip.. He felt that they were fond enough of each other to enjoy the other's presence - enough to dissuade the creature from abandoning him. There was always the chance that he was wrong, still. Thankfully, after another minute or two of waiting, the faeron poked her head from out of the shrub, big grey eyes staring at the leopard as if she was wondering why it was taking him so long to follow. After that moment of eye contact, the creature ducked into the bush once more, letting out a laughter-like trill.
Ah.. He wasn't anticipating getting twigs and leaves stuck in his fur and hair, but he supposed this must've been important enough.. "Stay put, Mashiik ", he murmured quietly to the alurook, who was now keeping herself busy preening. And on his hands and knees he went, pushing into the bristly overgrown foliage after the faeron. Whatever the dragon had found better be worth the trouble..
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 16:09:33 GMT -6
The overgrown shrub was not very welcoming to the man trying to push his way into it, but after getting through the outer layer of leafy branches, he found his way through.. Marginally easier. With a grunt and a few snapped twigs, Xentus was able to get closer to where Sequinn was happily waiting for him. The faeron was perched over what seemed to be a burrow or nest of some kind. With that smug look on the dragon's face, he wouldn't have been surprised if the tiny beast managed to make this itself at some point. But knowing the thing had been safely within the confines of his keep, that was unlikely. The burrow was full of scraps like bones, egg shells, leashes and collars.. Leading the leopard to believe that more than one unfortunate pet had been claimed as victim to whatever made its home here. There were other bobbles like coins, watches, a wallet.. And glass figurines. They were dirty, but surely they were what he was looking for.
"This one does not know how Quinn had found this, and he will not ask", the man murmured suspiciously toward the faeron before pushing his way in closer to collect the bounty stashed away here.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 16:16:21 GMT -6
The kindred spirit he was prompted him to collect as much as he could. The figurines were a top priority, but he also grabbed a couple of collars, a watch, and a wallet. He wasn't terribly interested in raiding the nest in its entirety, but he supposed he could tell a vendor or two about the secret stash should anyone go asking around about missing trinkets or pets. Getting out of the nesting spot before whatever lived here came back was likely the wisest option.
"Come along, Quinn", Xentus called for the faeron as he backed out the way he came. A few twigs scratched his backside, and there was definitely more than one leaf stuck in his dreads, but he finally escaped the grasp of the overgrown shrub. Freed from the leafy confines, the man sat down for a moment and exhaled deeply. He felt a helpful beak nestling itself into his hair, plucking the foliage out while he sat there. "Thanks, Mashi", he muttered, glancing briefly over his shoulder before turning his attention to his quarry. The dirty figurines counted more than two, surprisingly. There was the vespa and sarane, along with a wiurn and chiryma. The first two were notably less dirty, leading him to believe the latter two had been missing for much longer.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 16:23:21 GMT -6
If he recalled correctly, they were on the list, noted as 'unknown locale'. There was supposed to be a weaver too, though it seemed that one was missing elsewhere. He was glad to have more of these in hand though! "Well done, Quinn. Perceptive one, aren't you?", the man praised, reaching to give the faeron a pat on the head. She seemed happy to receive some positive attention, leaning into his touch with glee. Xentus then took a moment to give the glass figures a quick cleaning, rubbing them free of as much dirt as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed the wings of the sarane and wiurn were chipped and cracked.. Oddly, the sight made him chuckle. Both dragons could suffer from dry, cracked wings if not groomed properly. Art mirroring life, perhaps?
The 'glasses' were placed carefully into his down-lined pack and marked off the list. Next up was the bulk of the missing items, presumed to have been lost in the community center.. That'd be a fun one to search through. Xentus allowed Mashiik a few more minutes to preen his hair before getting up and leading the crew to the entry of the park. There was no good place to offer things as 'lost and found', but an abandoned box near the entry gates would have to do.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2021 16:32:49 GMT -6
With that settled, the leopard stalked about the vendors, eyeing one offering hotdogs. A busy one, and he could pass off some information while getting a snack. The woman there seemed to even know about this wayward kapper asking about missing glasses, commenting about how he'd not been very successful in his efforts.. And then promptly handed the leopard his hotdog so that she could get to her next customer. Helpful.. Ah, but he didn't expect to exchange much more than a bit of information anyway.
Xentus took a moment to eat, offering bits of his meal to the faeron and alurook accompanying him. Mashiik seemed to scoff at the scent of cooked, processed meat. Sequinn was far less picky and snatched up her share in an instant. Perhaps it wasn't a good thing to do, but what harm would sneaking a bit of food to his beloved pets on occasion do? Xentus shooed away any berating thoughts that threatened his mind and finished his food. Then it was time to saddle up and head out to his final destination. The faeron clambered up onto his shoulder, holding on tightly as the owl thrust up into the air at the man's word.
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