[The Hunter's Guild] How Not To Die 101 (Raeyn)

[Mauriel]

43rd of Fall, 518 AV

It's been more than a whole season since her fall, and despite all of the plans and best intentions, Mauriel has done next to nothing to make travel a more viable option for her. She didn't know exactly how dangerous the wilds were, but she knew that it was enough for her to be repeatedly warned not to leave city premises if she doesn't know what she's doing when people figured out that she's a newly fallen. She wondered if many Ethaefal were lost to the lack of such warning, for people to so persistently insist on it. Either way, she had no idea of where to start on her journey towards "knowing what she's doing," so she decided to seek some guidance. People pointed her towards relatively newly formed Hunter's Guild. Most locals still weren't completely sure whether the members would tutor her and at what price, but she figured it sounded like a good place to try. On top of that, she finally had some money to compensate said tutoring, so she felt comfortable seeking it out.

She brought along her new dagger, one to replace Ragespike which she had not been carrying ever since the incident with Haneht. The pale scar across her abdomen was an eternal reminder of how unbearable that dagger could be, so she was glad to finally own a replacement thanks to the patronage she managed to receive earlier this season.

Once she was on Sartu Peak, it wasn't hard to find the guild itself. It was very close to the gates, and the old building looked exactly like the people had described it. Heavy wood lining its walls and roof, likely the only reason it hasn't fell into disrepair in the period it has been abandoned, with a lot of decoratively engraved bits and a large freshly made sigil in the shape of a bird.

When her wings ceased to flutter as she approached the large door, she noticed a board in front of it. Wondering if it's anything of note, like rules of engagement, she took a peek, but it was just a pinboard of different jobs people here would presumably be interested in. She dragged herself inside, praying to whoever was listening that flying indoors would be allowed at least here, having had no luck at either The Bharani Library or The Basilika.

When she finally entered, the room was quite plain, a simple tavern so to speak, somewhat in contrast with the fancy exterior. It was late afternoon, so there wasn't many people in there, most probably being out for work. She looked around for somebody to talk to, but nobody appeared like a receptionist of any sort, so she just opted for dragging herself to the nearest group of people to pose the questions to them.

[Raeyn]

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Funny how quickly old bridges are rebuilt. What felt like destruction of the very foundations, came to find old structures hidden beneath years, waves rolling over them. Though rusted and weathered, a friendship of iron stood the test of time. Though the poison ivy of hatred grew over it, flames quickly did burn it away.

That afternoon, it was curiosity that carried Raeyn's feet back to the guild, to the auburn haired petch who had once broken his heart. But no matter how much the Inarta tried to feed the flamed of hatred, years dulled them and a simple hug snuffed them out. How could he stay angry after all they've been though? The weight of his longing outweighed his spite for Liard. There wasn't any more to it than that.

As his shoes hit the familiar wooden floor of the guild, a cat came to rub up against his leg, purring delightfully before leading the Inarta to the nearest table where, slumped in his chair, the mixed blood sat, drunk as a fish. “Well well, haven’t you missed me, Rae Rae? Back so soon?”

Truthfully Raeyn found the man far more charming when he kept his lips shut. None the less, letting the snide remark slide off of him like water off a duck’s back, the hunter took his heat across the table and rested his eyes on a dozen empty tankards. He’d been more impressed if the man left one full one for him. “I didn’t come here to see you.” He lied though his teeth. But whatever he was going to say next would forever remain unsaid for he noticed the drunk’s eyes lift above his head before a tap on his shoulder startled the young hunter.

His whole body turned over in his chair only to lay his eyes on the most curious creature he’d ever had the privilege to see. And confused by the sight as he was he stared rudely with no such intent, as if the half woman half seal hovering over him was a circus curiosity not a sentient being. Lips hung slightly ajar. A white strand fell across one of his eyes as they blinked, almost not believing what they came to see.

“Seems we’ve got company. You lost, lass?” Came the voice of Liard behind him, slurring his words ever so much.

*Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

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[Mauriel]

As she dragged herself towards the group, Mauriel repressed the urge to ask about whether she was allowed to fly before even introducing herself, though the bunch did not look like people who'd be hung up over etiquette. The closest people were two redheads, seemingly in the middle of some sort of relatively friendly-looking banter.

"Hello," the men were greeted with a shy smile. "I'm Mauriel." Complete lack of subtlety in the stare of the long-haired man was a clear indication that he was among the vast majority of Lhavitans who have never seen an Akvatari in their life. The lack of regard his friend showed for her unusual features was a clear indication of how drunk he was, however.

Mauriel's tail was for the most part covered with a skirt she was wearing, but it was purposefully short enough to allow her to move and stand on the ground, revealing a rather large portion of her seal half. And anyone who'd miss the tail surely could not miss the wings. "I'd be glad to keep you lads some company if you're inviting, she responded to the drunken man at first, "though I'm here for business. I was wondering would anyone offer classes on how to survive in the wilds for somebody utterly clueless?" The price would be settled after they've confirmed this fact. She was unsure whether they had any official pricing for this as a guild, but then again she was unsure about just about anything when it came to this place.

After saying that, she looked at the long-haired man, extremely amused at his reaction. She was more than used to it, being quite a rarity in this parts in both her forms, but especially so during the day. And yet, she could not get enough of pure honest to Gods shock on people's faces. Perhaps it was just vanity, wanting to be noticed and reacted to, and perhaps it was her general desire to keep people entertained, the Akvatari was unsure. She raised her eyebrows, as if taunting him to comment what was clearly on his mind, though her slight smile betrayed her amusement enough for him to tell that she wasn't offended.

[Raeyn]

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What an absolute oddity she was. The upper half of a woman with the tail of a seal in place of legs. Shimmery gossamer wings crowned her back. Even to a man who had lived in a city where oddity was an everyday occurance, she was some vision of otherworldly strangeness. Only a cruel joke of fate could have created such a creature. But to comment as such would be rudeness and Raeyn was anything but.

As the shamelessness of his eyes was matched by the creature’s introduction, Raeyn quickly found himself comitting her name to memory. He’d been growing more and more used to being around people as of late.

It was her next question however that had the two redheads exchanging puzzled and amused glances. “Classes?” echoed Liard finding himself almost amused at the notion. “I suppose if you can sucker someone into giving you a few lessons. Are you a hunter? You sure don’t look like any hunter I’ve ever laid eyes on but then again what do I know... come grab a seat.” He slurred his words ever so obviously. Not quite free of his wits but not exactly bound to them either.

Since Mauriel introduced herself it was only fitting for the hunter to repay her with the he same curtsy. “You can call me Liard, missy. And he’s Raeyn.” He nodded to the long haired man and sat across from him with his hands crossed and a white discolouration beneath his eye in the shape of a crescent moon. “ So... what has you wanting to get our fine self out of the city so much, eh? No boys to grab your fancy? We can change that.” He grinned.

But the next thing to come out of the drunk’s mouth was a wince and a muffled “Ow!” As the bottom of Raeyn’s shoe made contact with his calf. The Inarta was no longer simply glancing at them politely. His eyes turned to a glare sharp enough to sever veins. Teeth gritted as he hissed at his companion like an angered cobra. “Must you embarsss me? Make yourself useful and get the lady a drink.”

“No can do I’m afraid. I’m skint till pay day.”

It didn’t take much persuading for Raeyn to thrust some Kina into his companion’s palms just to get rid of him. But it was only as his eyes trailed the back of Liard’s neck as he wobbled towards the bar, followed by his feline friend, did a though occurr to Raeyn. The man said the same thing last time they met which had only been a day or two prior. Well if that was the case then how did Li manage to leave a dozen empty tankards in his wake?! Suddenly it became all too clear to the grumpy Inarta that he had indeed been taken for a fool. What a bitter pill to swallow?

A loud sigh escaped his lips as he swallowed his pride for once and let signs of bitter realisation fall from his handsome features like raindrops from window glass. Instead he turned to his new acquaintance, forcing a polite half smile to his lips. Eyes however, they did betray him.

“May I apologise on his behalf if he’d caused you any offence, Mauriel. Believe me we all have to put up with it over here.” There was a formal tone to his words. A stiffness to a man clad in garb far too fine for the establishment arround him. A manner far too refined. Such was Raeyn, nothing if not formal at first encounter.

*Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

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[Mauriel]

She helped herself to the seat offered, happy that they seemed open to discussing her request. "No, I'm not a hunter, no." A chuckle interrupted her words, her attempts to talk through it somewhat in tune with the drunkard's slurring. "I'm a bard hoping to travel one day." Perhaps it would have sounded like a vain hope to one looking at the odd creature, but she said it with a confidence contrasting any such impressions, a confidence undoubtedly stemming from her immortality and lack of other aspirations, which allowed her indefinite time for this pursuit.

She nodded to both of their introductions, commenting that it's nice to meet them both. The redheads looked rather dissimilar except for their hair color, and not only because she counted one too many tankards besides one of them. Raeyn's was a stern beauty, undoubtedly coming from his confidence and reserved distance. He opted for elegant clothes, sporting long well-groomed hair with a single strand of white, matching a patch of skin under his eye. Mauriel wondered what was the cause of that, but it gave him a unique touch she couldn't help appreciate.

She wouldn't have found his friend's attempts at flirting entirely unflattering if she had not been utterly convinced that he'd flirt with a pigeon right now if it had the right curves. She offered a shy nervous chuckle and a smile, entirely faked for his benefit. He was very handsome in his own right, but his attitude didn't suit him in Mauriel's opinion. He looked very gentle and benign, though strong, and this boisterous behavior was unbecoming.

Despite all of that, she thought Raeyn's reaction to be a bit cruel, embarrassing him in front of a new person like that and getting rid of him with such a lack of subtlety. Having to deal with drunks all the time, she developed a bit of a soft spot for them. One would perhaps expect it to be the opposite, but she found that nothing could really compare to an empathetic ear. Still, she was probably a bit harsh. This place might be their gathering place, but it's also a work hub, and she probably would've employed easy manipulation herself if money was on the line because somebody was being careless.

"I don't think you need to apologize to a bard for drunk people, I'm more than used to it. He even seems rather manageable," she said with another playful smile. "I appreciate it, though." A brief pause might have been made uncomfortable by her struggle to think of what to say. She thought that might have come out harsh, but found no way to soften it, so she just moved on.

She wondered whether establishing rapport first made more sense, but decided she wanted an answer to her proposal first. "I am in the mood to socialize, but I'd prefer if we discussed what I need first, if you don't mind." She'd allow herself to be interrupted if he did mind for whichever reason. "As mentioned, I need to be able to travel at some point. I am not interested in hunting per se, for I am an Ethaefal and can use moonlight for sustenance to a large degree. However, I may need some amount of food and I will need to be able to defend myself from men and beast alike, so anything you can teach me that would help with that would be wonderful. I also need to learn a lot on how to survive, I have no idea how to pick a safe spot to sleep, keep myself warm, find water, avoid poisonous plants, or anything of the like." She thought that was enough for him to build a picture of what it was that she needed. "I was wondering if you'd be able and willing to teach me any of that or would you recommend anyone? I'd be willing to pay a kina per class in any of those skills. I think that'd be fair since I'm so new at everything and not even in the guild or anything." She would not be too happy about that price rising, but she was open to it if need be.

[Raeyn]

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As the girl assured him there was no need to apologise for his friend's clear lack of manners, Raeyn couldn't quite keep himself from giving word to his thoughts. "What a sad state of affairs." he murmured, more to himself than anything. It was an undeniable fact however that Mauriel seemed to fit into the ambience of the Guild of Hunters far better than he did in all his refinement. For in spite of being far closer than anyone else with the drunk Liard, even he refused to simply grow used to his belligerence.

Learning that Mauriel was an Etheafal came as a surprise indeed, much like her dreams of traveling. For a hunter who spent half his life in the woods, Raeyn was certain that Mizahar was far too dangerous a land to travel though willy nilly. He was quite familiar of the peculiar shapeshifting nature of the ethereal race however, for his master was a fine Etheafal himself. And judging by her lack of horns or exquisite beauty at this time of day, and mention of a certain fondness for moonlight, Raeyn deduced she was one of Leth's children.

The hunter listened as she made her requests. A freckled cheek leant against paper white knuckles, plagued by the same discolouration as his face, closely followed by red hair draping onto the table like a velvety curtain. Eyes studied her closely, albeit with not a spark of excitement at the proposition.

Raeyn let out a quiet, drown out sigh before answering. "Your best bet is my father. Although he doesn't really take on apprentices... you see. Especially not ones with no interest in hunting per se."

With another sigh he leaned back in his chair. What he was about to say next he would soon find himself wishing he had spent a little more time contemplating in days to come. It seemed that introducing newcomers to the path of the wild was a responsibility that, with no request, had landed on his shoulders and he had grown quite passive in his acceptance of such. Thus slowly and with a rather cold tint to his voice, at last he spoke. "I suppose... I suppose all of that falls well within my realm of capabilities. I suppose... I could bring you along with me on the next hunt and show you a thing or two... I suppose."

There was clear unwillingness in him to do so. but if she was hoping to find a teacher in the guild without being a member, a grumpy ginger was about the best she could hope for. And in this part of Lhavit it would be unwise to look a gift horse in the mouth.

*Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

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[Mauriel]

While she did not miss the quiet mutter, the winged woman gladly pretended not to hear it. It even crossing the redhead's lips, if not an accident, was a one-way signal to her, a little bit of a window into who he was, but clearly not one he was ready to fling open. Perhaps if it were said differently she'd give a sad shy smile in return pretending to agree, or perhaps she'd debate the point, but like this she just felt like it was not a comment on who she was, but rather a mere reflection of her interlocutor.

It did, however, make her wonder about Raeyn. He was a very polite and gentlemanly individual, clearly taking pleasure in luxurious appearance and elegant hesitance. However, it was somewhat unlike what you would imagine a person like that to be. It seemed somewhat like it all weighed on him, rather than pushing his head into the clouds, like he felt he belonged here, but not quite. Mauriel couldn't know, she was just guessing, but she was unable to help herself, given that he was quite peculiar. Or perhaps she was just too familiar drunken stereotypes of men to know if he was peculiar among the commonfolk in general.

She listened to him recommend his father, only to start dissuading her from seeking him in the same breath, with a small chuckle. However, his indecision was not over, and as he leaned back to consider briefly what he would offer, the Ethaefal instinctively imitated the motion, leaning in her chair herself. His offer made her laugh again. She was worried she was being impolite at this point, but she could not help herself. "I suppose," she teased, "I'd appreciate that very much." She genuinely did, as he truly seemed to be venturing out of his comfort zone and it was very sweet. He was hardly the first person to do so for her, though she could hardly name anyone doing anything on a remotely similar level. Touched, she smiled in gratitude. "You do sound worried, however, I'd be happy to listen to any advice or guidance you have beforehand and will prepare however you instruct me. I don't want to be a burden, but I suppose it's somewhat inevitable."

One of the inevitable struggles was gonna be that he would undoubtedly make her go as an Akvatari, as they were probably going to avoid the dark. She was sure flapping of her wings would alert any prey he would go for, while dragging her tail through the wilderness would be almost impossible. She decided to actually address the seal in the room. "To top it off, I'll be like this in daylight. It would be virtually impossible to drag myself around the wild, and-", she flapped her wings briefly to demonstrate the sound it produced, flying up from her chair before letting herself float back down gently.