Quest Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Just when everything seemed to be going alright...

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The westernmost tip of Kalea, Wind Reach is home to an amazing group of people and their giant eagle mounts. [Lore]

Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Postby Phoenix on October 5th, 2012, 1:55 am

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The angry mob never found what they were looking for; by the time they tracked Aela’s flight to the ledge where she had encountered Ivak, the young woman was long gone. Rather than dishearten the vengeful Inartans, however, this only made them more determined.

Aela managed to stay one step ahead of her pursuers all the way into The Unforgiving. Night had long since fallen by the time the tree branches canopied above her, cutting her off from even Leth’s pale light. To top it all off, in her mad dash to escape, Aela hadn’t brought anything with her other than the few small necessities in her pack. Tent-less, bedroll-less and food-less, at least she had her flint and tinder and a few Pinions. Fire should keep away the things that crept in the night, even if the money would do no good.

It would be a long night for the young woman if she was unaccustomed to sleeping outside, alone, in The Unforgiving. Such a thing was normally downright stupid, a dare traded between young Inartans that no one ever was ever really expected to follow through on. But the danger that gathered back within the city would kill her more surely than anything that might be lurking nearby.

When dawn’s fingers stretched and chased the night from the sky, Aela would be awakened from whatever shelter she had managed to make not by the light, but by the sound of voices. Very close voices, coming from the tree line. A quick inspection would reveal an old man and his horse, making his way towards the road that lead up into Wind Reach. His back was bent with age, a knobbly stick in his hand clearly helping support his weight as he hobbled along, the white whisps of hair atop his head blowing in the cool morning breeze. The old man walked with purpose, as if he had been here before. And in fact he had, a traveling trader that stopped by the mountain city when he found himself in the vicinity. The Yasi loved the arrival of the old man, for his appearance meant that they could try and beg some sweets out of him. Aela would surely remember him from her childhood, Old Man Grale.

His horse was heavily laden with goods, and Aela would be able to spot a little of everything she would need to survive in the wilderness, for a short time at least. But was it worth the man possibly carrying the news back to Hof and his fellow Endal that a young woman had been spotted in the trees? Perhaps she could obtain the items she wanted without being spotted… but the pinions also clacked around in the bottom of her bag. Choices, like before… except this time, they were her own.
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Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Postby Alori Sai on October 5th, 2012, 4:55 am

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Aela didn't get much rest that night, the unforgiving earth beneath her, crusted rocks sheltered under, and between the thick roots of the large tree trunk yielded no comfort. The armor that she wore, though slender in form, felt bulky upon her tiny frame, making any position that she attempted to rest in very uncomfortable. The frightened teen was awaken, for the short moments that she had fallen asleep, by the calls of the wild. The blood that was caked in her hair, and splattered across her armor still waffled into her nose. The smell was rich and thick, and even though it had dried bells ago, the odor still remain. A horrific reminder of her crimes each time she took in a shaky breath.

The voice that awoke her was sudden as it reached her ears, and sent the little Avora into a short panic. She reached for her blood stained talon sword and scooted herself in front of the egg that still rested inside her backpack. Eyes of emerald green stared fiercely from behind a mess of matted and wild red hair. Aela searched quickly, fingers curler tightly around the handle of the blade as she looked for her hunters. She signed once her vision had cleared, somewhat halted by the new mornings sun. She was still alone, and no one had found her resting place. However someone was near.

Aela turned and slowly crawled to the side of the tree and peeked out from behind it. She looked around for a bit, making sure to search everywhere before her gaze fell upon the old man and the horse heading up the road. It took her a moment to recognize him, but she eventually did. She remembered him from those days so long ago. She had been one of the first to rush up to him any time that he ventured into their city. Unlike some of the other yasi, Aela always paid for her sweets. She would find a way to get a few pinions and was ready to spend each and every one of them. In those days things were much simpler and there wasn't any problem that lasted beyond two bells, there wasn't any problems that couldn't be fixed.

Things were different, she wasn't a kid anymore and despite the fact that she hadn't reached her 18th birthday, she was still considered an adult. There was no going back now, and the only thing she could do was try to survive and protect the egg that she had stolen..It was all that mattered now. Aela watched the old man closer, eyes washing over the goods carried by his horse. She was so hungry, and in her haste to escape hadn't taken any food with her. Aela could hear the pinions in her bag, she had heard them that night as well when she escaped the city. There weren't a lot, just a hand full left over from the last time that she had taken her backpack out into the wild.

It gave her hope for the moment, and she was thankful that she had been too lazy to clean out her bag when she had returned that day. She imagined that she had enough for a few things, at least enough to tide her over, until she could figure out what she was going to do next. Then it hit her, just as she started to reach into her bag, Old Man Grale was going into the city. The city where the Endal, and probably even other Avora hunters were searching for her. She wondered if he would run into them, if he would tell them where he saw her. Old Man Grale had always been kind to her, and even if she didn't have enough to pay for something, he'd give it to her anyway. She could trust him, she had faith in him.

Standing up with the pinions clutched tightly in her fist, Aela started to walk, but as she did her eyes glanced down and she remembered. The blood of the mother eagle nearly covered her armor, and got onto her bryda and even into her hair. It was too much blood for a simple hunt, and chances were that he would know that something was wrong. A loud, trembling sigh escaped her parched lips as frustration took her once more. It was too much to handle as the nightmare continued, ripping and tearing into her until there was nothing left but the remnant of what was once a pure dream.

She had to eat, she needed water, and it was all right in front of her, but she couldn't risk being seen. Suddenly an idea presented itself, and gave way to new hope. Aela wondered if she could possibly sneak up and take what she needed without him seeing her. He was old, and she doubted that his hearing was as good as it used to be. Or so she hoped.... Moving back behind the tree again, Aela began to fumble with the armor, pulling and tugging until she was able to remove it. Looking down upon her pale flesh, she noticed the color of the vinati she wore, having forgotten that she had chosen red. It seemed a fitting choice just as much as a cruel joke. Aela then sat back and removed her boots, being silent was something she still needed practice with, but she figured that going bare foot should help even her odds a bit.

Once she was ready, Aela slipped from behind the tree, talon in hand, and leaving the egg along with her armor, bow and boots behind. The desperate huntress moved as silently as she could as she approached, soft almost inaudible hisses and moans slipped from her lips as her bare feet stepped upon tiny jagger rocks and twigs that littered the ground. Light steps continued to brush across uneven earth as she moved closer, walking close behind the old man as she attempted to slip a few items off the horse. Somehow, he became aware of her presents, and as he started to turn around, Aela panicked. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she moved behind him, raising her sword upward and bringing it down, the long butt of the handle slamming into the back of his head.

The old man grunted, his body twitching as it fell to the ground in a lump. The horse suddenly frighten became restless, and Aela had to hurry to try and calm it before it raced off with her food. Gentle, soothing whispers were offered, her smalls hands upon the horse's face as she tried to calm it down. Once it was settled, Aela's mournful stare fell upon the old man again. She didn't want to harm him, and keeled down, her skinny fingers touching his rubber-like neck as she searched for a pulse. She sighed, feeling relieved that he was still alive. Closing her eyes, Aela breathed slowly, trying to fight back the urge to break down and scream.

She wasn't sure of anything anymore, and had no idea what her future would be like. Or how long it would take before her hunters eventually found and punished her. Only time would tell and for now, all she could do is try to survive. "I'm sorry Sir Grale." Aela felt like crying, wanting weep for herself and those that she had wronged. But her tears were all dried up now, and there was nothing left but a shadow of a flame that once burned brightly. Still there was no time to think on it further. She needed to get away before he woke up, or the hunters found him. She collected as much as she could carry and hurried back to gather her belonging, before disappearing further into the unknown.


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Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Postby Phoenix on October 18th, 2012, 12:55 am

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Old Man Grale never even saw Aela coming; by the time he regained consciousness, the young woman was long gone. His horse and cart remained, but a quick search of his wares found a large square of canvas, a bag of dried meats, a bag of salt, the small amount of fruit he had stored away, a water skin, and his cooking pots and pans missing. Clearly, he had been robbed.

The blow had rattled the old man soundly; where he tottered along before, now he had to clamp knobbly fingers on the edge of the cart to hold himself upright. A quick glance to the forest line and Grale visibly shivered. He had always known the dangers of The Unforgiving, but he had never been attacked before. It took only a few chimes for him to calm his horse, a handful more to convince the beast to go forward, but soon he was on his way, constant glances over his shoulder as the cart trundled away, towards the road that lead up into the city.

Whether Aela stayed to witness her victims recovery was another story. If she was smart, the young Inarta would be deep within the woods and as far away from Wind Reach as possible; as soon as Grale reached Val the Gatekeeper, he told of the attack. The connection was instantly made and the Endal, frothing at the mouth with fury, shot off towards the forest in search of the guilty Avora.

It seemed, for once, that the girl was finally going to catch a break. Though her crimes were technically not her fault, she nonetheless was now forced to fight to survive. An entire day’s worth of travel showed her no more incidents, other than having to stop to catch her own food. By the time night fell, however, the girl was still without shelter. If The Unforgiving was dangerous during the day, it was downright deadly at night.

Just as Leth’s light began to cast it’s pale glow on the towering trees, the temperature dropping drastically as night fell, Aela heard a languid gurgling sound nearby, as if a slow, morose river trickled on the other side of the trees. Since she only had the one water skin, Aela could not turn up the chance at finding more of the life giving liquid.

However, the closer the girl got to the sound, the hotter and drier the air got until the heat was almost unbearable. Right when she couldn’t take it anymore, the trees cleared and the source of the sound became evident. It wasn’t a river at all, or water of any kind, but a lava geyser.

The molten rock bubbled slowly in its nest of rock, a bowl-like shape in the ground containing the lava; there was hardened lava around the edges, blackening where it cooled, hardening into the drip and splash patterns to create beautiful, dangerous patterns. The nearby trees were all stripped of their leaves, dried and dying with the proximity to the geyser, a large hillock made of rock sheltering the geyser from anyone who should be flying overhead. It was almost as if the place had been made to hide the fugitive girl.

A somewhat spacious cave sat in the center of the hills side that faced the geyser, deep enough that the shadows obscured the far wall, the air back there crisp and cool, unaffected by the heat from the lava; shelter and someplace to keep the egg warm. What more could the girl ask for?

OOCIf you think Aela is going to stay here for a while, I can write you up a location to use for this, if you’d like ☺
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Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Postby Alori Sai on October 20th, 2012, 6:15 am

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The cave was a wonder, and a sight to behold for the young Inartan. The night before camping in the forest was more harsh than she had imagined. There was no comfort to be found and only the sadness and loneliness to hold her in it's icy embrace. The cave however, brought a new found calm to the wiry teen. It reminded her of home, and her own bunker in the mountain top. Aela stood inside the cave, her backpack still strapped to her chest and the egg held firmly inside. She looked around the cage slowly, searching the darkness for any movement or sounds. "I guess....this is our home now." As sad as her words may have been, she couldn't have been more pleased to finally be out of the forest. She was tired, and had barely slept at all for fear of the hunters catching up to her or the wilds claiming her.

The cave was a refuge and a break from the madness that was now her life. She could rest there and try and figure out what to do with herself..and the egg. Aela moved further inside and removed her pack and sat it down against the wall of the cave. Standing up again, she glanced across the fall wall of the cave, and to the floor where she had placed her armor and the goods that she had stolen from the cart. She realized that she would need to build a nest for the egg and a place to sleep for herself also. With that in mind, the Avora slipped out of the cave and back into the forest.

She was careful as she left and searched the trees and the grounds outside before she reappeared from the mouth of the cave. Moving cautiously, Aela searched the area closest to the cave and picked up as much dead stalks, weeds, dead leaves, and twigs as she could carry. Paranoia struck hardest at night when the frightened girl could no longer see clearly, and the shadows, darken slits and curves between the trees and bushes provided the most ominous of shapes. There was no way to tell what could be stalking her from the shadows, or for that matter who, and it made her uneasy.

A sudden snap of a twig from deeper inside the forest caused the girl to jump, a loud yelp slipping from her lips as she almost dropped everything that she held. She froze for a tick before slowly leaning down to collect what she dropped. Her eyes darted back and forth quickly, as she peered into the darkness. The wary teen continued to search the area, wondering if she should drop everything and reach for her bow. Aela wasn't an accomplished hunter, but she knew just how fast things could go wrong when she was the hunted.

After waiting a few ticks and hearing nothing more, Aela left the forest quickly and returned to the cave and her egg. The process wasn't easy, and took longer than she had thought. The nest at the aeries were large, and she figured that she could at least build one big enough for her to sleep in as well. A chime later the nest was complete, it would have been done sooner if she hadn't needed to go out and get more padding for the floor of the nest. It was a good idea, and the effort proved worth the trouble. Once the nest was done, Aela placed the egg inside before flopping down into the nest herself.

She rolled over onto her back and stared at the rocky ceiling above. Soon after she stopped moving and gave her body time to settle down, all the aches from the past days returned again. It was hard for her to tell if there was any part of her body that wasn't bruised or sore, and sadly laying still seemed to make her limbs stiff. Still she was too tired to move and simply stared off into nothing for a time. Aela attempted to fall asleep, though even in her tired state it was not to be. Her mind was still very active, and her thoughts raged on even as she tried to calm them.

She thought about her life, and what once was. It wasn't the perfect life, but it was enough and she could have been happy..at least she thought. Her thoughts wondered to her friends once more, and she could only imagine what they all thought of her now. She remembered Euthisa, the librarian from the Enclave. Aela didn't visit the place very often, but once they became friends, she found herself going more, even reading more just to have something to chat with her about other than boys.

She thought of Vaas, her friend of three years, and the only guy in the city that could make her smile no matter what was going on. She remembered fondly, the day that they had escaped from the busy city and took a trip to Thunder Bay. It was a fun trip and they made memories there that she now held onto tighter than ever before. As she laid there on her grassy bed, she could feel the cool moister slowly growing around her eyes. A soft mournful sound slipped from her lips and she began to sing.

"Lock doors.."

" Hit the floor.."

"Send the eagles away."

"Because now the fisherman are out, and...... we are going to play."

"Hoorey...."


Suddenly over come with emotion, Aela turned away from the egg, and curled her knees to her chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

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Ambitions (Aela Calder)

Postby Phoenix on October 28th, 2012, 3:21 am

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Aela Calder

Experience
Skill XP Earned
Leadership 3
Observation 5
Stealth 3
Unarmed 2
Brawling 1
Falconry 4
Weapon (Bow) 4
Weapon (Talon Sword) 4
Intimidation 5
Wilderness Survival 3






Lores
Lore Earned
The First Wind Eagle Egg laid after the Storm of 512
Selflessness: Putting yourself in danger to help a child
The Wrath of Hala
Injured Saving Little Timmay
Caught Unaware: Effected by Ivak
Visited by Ivak in a Dream
Controlled by Ambition
Only one-thing matters: Become an Endal
Gearing up to do the Unthinkable
Murduring Hala
Stealing a Wind Eagle Egg
Assaulting an Endal
Marked by Ivak
The Life of a Fugitive



The Order of the Phoenix

This was a great thread. I really loved destroying your PC's life for the time being and you were a great sport about it! And you got some cool stuff out of it as well! BONUS!

The Spoils: Aela made it away with the Egg of the Wind Eagle Hala. For this crime, and that killing a Wind Eagle in cold blood as well as assaulting an Endal, Aela is banished from Wind Reach. Should she be seen within the city, she could be killed on site.

She has escaped with the items entailed in this thread into The Unforgiving, more specifically into The Hideaway, which can serve as shelter as well as a place to keep her stolen egg warm. She will, however, have to hunt or steal for her food.

In addition to all of that, Aela has also received a Gnosis mark from Ivak in this thread, totaling her Azenth Marks at one, in the Family Zaital.

The hatching of the Wind Eagle Egg Must be moderated by one of the ST's in Wind Reach.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out. :)
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