[The People's Market]Meeting near meat[Aello]

[Clyde Sullins]

Having made yet another loud noise, Clyde tried to continue on a bit more. Stealth had never been one of his greatest skills, and he did not spend to much time sneaking around. Also he stayed mostly inside cities, he rarely went out into the wild when he was not traveling... But he was not against trying out new things. Clyde watched as the womans bird went flying off, and he indeed did not hear what she said. There were many sounds coming from the surrounding area, along with his less than average hearing. He vaguely thought that Aello had said something, but could not hear what. Regardless, he would follow her along, seeing were they would go for some food. He tried to keep his eyes open, and pay attention to what was going on, but his eyesight was not all that good either... Hopefully anything that was a threat would be big enough that he would be able to see its movement, or else he would not catch it... Who knew though what they might meet in these woods? Anything was possible...

[Verilian]

Ambush The forest was quiet today. Or at least it might have been if it wasn't for the company Aello was traveling with. Clyde may have been a scholar in his own element, but out in the forest he was a bumbling fool. Each twig that snapped under his foot made Aello cringe, but they went on. Perhaps they would get lucky and find a deaf animal? Or at the very least his noises might frighten away would-be predators. Maybe for once Aello could venture into the forest without being attacked by wolves. Luck was with them, however, and before long Aello spotted him. He was the most handsome buck she had ever seen. Huge, with a rack just as big. The buck would be a feast for the both of them, and there would still be enough meat left to sell if she felt so inclined. Beyond that, luck favored them with the wind, and it was blowing in such a way that the deer would not catch their scent either. Despite Clyde's footsteps, the large animal didn't seem to notice either human approaching. And the trees, they seemed parted just so that Aello could move right into the perfect position. Just a few more steps.. slowly, quietly. She could even start pulling back the string. One more step. Just one more step and she would be lined up for the perfect shot, but half way through she heard a snap and froze in place. Clyde stepped on a particularly loud branch. That snap was all that saved her. The deer's ears twitched, it's head popped up in alarm. But none of this matter, Aello might not even notice. All that mattered was the arrow that zipped past her face, nearly grazing her nose, and thudded into a tree just to her right. Perhaps had Clyde been more alert he could have warned her, but no, it wouldn't have mattered. Even if his vision wasn't poor, he wouldn't have seen the arrow coming, or where it had come from. Aello was alive by the grace of the gods, it seemed, but where had the attack from from. She could look, but there was nothing around. Only trees, and even the deer had run away. It couldn't have come from Clyde, because it had come from her left, so he was not at fault. No.. somewhere out there was her assailant. Somewhere, there was someone who wanted her dead. But where? OOCFeel free to PM with questions.

[Aello]

"We almost had it you petching asshole!" Aello screamed into the woods, her voice bouncing off the tree trunks, and scattering into the sky; the upper branches. Her eyes darted around wildly as her heart pounded in her tiny rib cage. She was pulling back farther and farther on the bowstring, more than annoyed that her meal was now gone, and that her hunt had been interrupted. It's alright, she finally told herself, as her muscles began to tense, her breath coming in and out rapidly with her growing sense of frustration, if someone thinks they can have you for a bit of sport, you may as well return the favor, you need the target practice. A small smile crossed Aello's lips, as her eyes began to sparkle. Yes, that arrow flying past her head had both scared her and pissed her the fuck off, but no matter; someone would pay for it, and quench her thirst for blood. Rid her of her anger. Without looking back at Clyde, Aello muttered, "stay low, and behind a tree so whatever that is can't shoot you. Try to remain out of sight, only move if you have to. Try not to give yourself away," as soon as the words had left her lips, she crept forward, hiding behind the trunk of an older tree so that whoever was trying to shoot her could not get to her. As soon as she reached it, she took a deep breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth, trying to calm herself. Seconds later, a sea of color had come into view, shrouding the forest in a gentle mist. Several paces behind where she now stood, was a bright red aura, shrouding an archer in a deep red mist. The aura seemed to ebb and flow, to pulse rapidly, like a beating heart, matching the pace of each of the archers. Waiting to hit their mark. Well someone is rather angry, Aello thought, or more than ready to add another head to their wall of trophies, another kill to their list. There was a slight pause, whoever that is, they were sent to kill you. They don't want Clyde, just you. Or perhaps, that will change now that you have been seen together, associated with one another. After all, that petching assassin will have a loose end to tie up, if they manage to kill you. A small smile crossed Aello's lips as her pupils dilated, her eyes flashing menacingly, making her look like a crazed jungle cat. She was watching the assassin on the move, creeping around the forest, trying not to make a sound, stalking its prey. Waiting to find the perfect position to shoot. The funny thing about this game of cat and mouse however, was that neither archer was truly a mouse. Aello waited, her mind slowly rattling off reasons why this person may have been sent to kill her. Perhaps it had to do with that one time she killed a city guard and got her butt out of jail, perhaps it had to do with the countless people she had picked on and tortured- Ephraim, Cinder, Slade, the list went on and on. And perhaps, it had nothing to do with that, and more to do with that filthy band of hypnotists Cassandra had introduced her to; the source of her hatred and her rage towards the magical discipline. Perhaps it had everything to do with the breed of magical beings she wanted dead. Suddenly, another arrow shot past Aello's face, forcing her to thrust her back into the tree, so as not to be hit. Instantly, her thoughts fled, as her heart skipped a beat, before continuing to pound even faster than before. Aello's palms were growing sweaty, making her grip on her father's old bow all the more difficult to maintain. She was going to have to wait to figure out what this was all about. Aello could sense that the other archer was reloading their bow. The girl took a deep breath, before skirting her way around the tree, her back rolling around it, as she lifted her bow. When she came to a halt, she allowed herself a moment to aim before pulling the bowstring even farther back, and letting go. The arrow erupted off the string, sending it into a series of rapid vibrations, that produced a low humming sound. As soon as the arrow had been set free, Aello ducked back around the tree, and began to reload. If everything went according to plan, the arrow she had just shot would strike the assassin in the right leg. Better to wound your prey than to kill it right off the back; at least when you want some answers. And once you have, you can enjoy finishing them off slowly... and painfully. OOCSo Clyde, welcome to the world of Aello's many political and social problems. V- if I got too far ahead of myself just tell me and I can edit. Also, sorry for the cursing.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde was surprised by the sudden thump of the arrow striking. Turning at the sound, Clyde fired his slingshot at it, only to see a few seconds later it was an arrow. Though his aim was so off, it did not even hit the tree the arrow was in, let alone the arrow. As directed, Clyde moved down trying to make himself small, and less of a target. He moved over to behind a tree nearby, taking out another stone, to load his slingshot. He looked around, wondering were the arrow had come from. He saw as Aello prepared for something, and had an odd air about her. Then she fired an arrow once more, at something which Clyde could not see... Had she seen there assailant? Or was she just firing for a response? He was not sure, as he knelt low, trying to not look obvious. There was a part of him... Something... Which wanted to reach for something to defend him... But he could not imagine what he thought he could do in this situation. His head ached as he tried to think of what he had forgotten... But he could not remember what that was...

[Verilian]

Aello did not hear the cry of pain that she had been hoping for, only a thud as her arrow impacted with a tree some distance off. The assassin's aura had vanished by the time she looked back around the tree. He was gone, completely gone from what she could tell. Unless her magic was malfunctioning? Or, perhaps the assassin was more skilled with auras than she was, and had the ability to hide his own? He was at least as skilled as she was with the bow. Both arrows had come within a hair's breath of sending her to an early meeting with Dira, and Aello knew it was only sheer luck that had kept her alive so far. But would her luck run out? And where was the assassin now? He couldn't have gone far, he must be hiding out there somewhere. Clyde was definitely out of his element, out in the forest with a woman he barely knew and an unseen killer trying to take at least one of their lives. It wasn't exactly his ideal way of spending the day, to be certain, but at least it was exciting. If only he could remember that which he could not. Perhaps then things would be different. Lucky for him though the assassin seemed focused on Aello, and had not yet attacked Clyde. Things seemed to calm down for a moment after Aello fired her arrow, but Clyde hadn't heard a cry of pain either. The only sound was that of the wind blowing gently through the forest. If he peeked around his tree he would spot Aello peeking around her own tree searching for the assassin. He didn't know that Aello was searching for an aura more so than an actual body, but it didn't matter. Clyde knew that if she kept looking in the direction she was looking she would never spot the assassin. How did Clyde know this? He didn't need perfect vision to spot the movement of an archer just getting into position to Aello's right, and a little behind her just out of her line of sight. It didn't take the wit of a scholar to realize that Aello wouldn't see him in time to do something about it. Was this the same man who had attacked them before? If he was he must have been very skilled at moving quickly and silently through the forest to have circled all the way around so quickly without being noticed. The archer pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back. His eyes were completely focused on Aello as he fastened the arrow to the string. He didn't appear to notice Clyde. He was too far away for Clyde to hear the quiet click of the arrow as it snapped into place, but he could see the archer drawing back on the string, preparing to take aim. He knew he had only moments to do something, or it would be too late. The archer's arrow would shoot forward, slicing through the air, and strike Aello in the right side of her neck. Blood would spew forth and she would fall to the ground as the life sustaining fluid covered the grass in red. Once the arrow left the bow there would be nothing he could do to stop it, and what would happen to him after the man was done with Aello? Would he to be slain, left to be eaten by the wild beasts of the forest? But the arrow had not left the bow yet. The assassin was only just raising his how to take aim. Clyde still had time to save Aello, and himself.. Posting OrderOkay.. so I realized after typing this that the posting order will need to change, unless Aello wants to be dead. So Clyde, you post first.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde saw as Aello used a bow once more, though it did not seem to make its mark. It seemed neither of the archers had done so, but were simply maneuvering and trying to get a better angle than the other. And there he saw him, off were she could not, the archer trying to kill one or both of them... What to do? Since he could not see how Aello would see him, leaving him to announce his location. He doubted he could even find his way back from here... That settled it... A moment of thinking, and e decided to react with action. All at once Clyde sprung up, letting out a loud shout to draw the attention of the assailant. Then he pointed his own slingshot, and fired a second round at the person. He would most likely miss, but there was a good chance that Aello know knew exactly were her target was.... Hopefully that would be enough to save her, the combination of the shout and the fire, giving her the precious time and target necessary to counterattack.

[Aello]

At the sound of Clyde's voice, Aello's eyes grew wide, her ears prickling in sheer pain as the sound bounced off the trees and upwards, into the sky. Her neck turned rapidly, and finally caught sight of their assailant. How the petch did he get over there? she wondered, as her right foot moved past the left, crossing her legs as she shuffled around the tree and out of the archer's reach. As she moved, she raised her bow slightly as her head continued to pound alongside the rapid beating of her heart. As her head continued to scream, considering, wondering, how this could all be. He was just over there a moment ago, making his location so very apparent, and now this? Making his aura fade and nearly creeping up on each of us? This man must have the favor of several of the gods, or some serious magic up his sleeve, the girl thought, as she paused around the far side of the tree for a moment, before rapidly spinning around it. By the time she had once again exposed herself to the archer's line of attacks, Aello's bow had been raised, and her left eye was shut tightly. She was inching the bowstring back farther and farther, past her smile, and then her ear. But no matter, two can play at that game, Aello thought as she raised the bow just a tad higher and then let go. The arrow shot off the string, sending it into a series of rapid vibrations. It sliced through the air with a gentle whooshing sound, headed directly for the assassin's right shoulder. Again, Aello only wanted to disable the man, so that she may question him, drawing out his pain and torture to simply get her way; before she slit his throat. The bowstring was humming, reminding Aello that everything was still in perpetual motion; that if she stayed still too long, she may never again be able to build up enough momentum to return. Thus, she quickly ducked back around the tree as she reloaded her bow, waiting for the next best moment to strike. Unless... "you know, it's not quite right to shoot at a girl," Aello called over to the assassin. "Or her companion for that matter," she added, not entirely sure if Clyde had been shot at or not. "So instead of trying to inflict pain on a man you're not after, what do you say we end this a little closer? In a place where we can see each other, face to face?" she asked, as she began to pull back on the bowstring, now that it was loaded. "We are both well-matched with the bow, and could easily be forced to run around this forest all day, until we have both depleted our quivers." There was a slight pause, "or we can end this more quickly, test who is better in close combat, with their fists, or with a blade..." Aello's voice trailed off, giving the man time to consider her offer. To consider how much more pleasurable it could be to see her fall; to see her covered in her own blood; his sweat. The look on her face the moment she realized she had been defeated. "As I said before, we both know it's not him you're after, so why don't you just come and get what you want?" Aello asked, before whispering in a rather amused tone, "if you can." The girl would wait no more than a minute for the man to answer, and if he refused, she would end it as swiftly as she could with her bow. If he did speak, she would be sure to try and check his aura before approaching him; just to be sure that neither of them tried to do anything too stupid. OOCSo yeah.... guerilla warfare to cursed dagger vs. man... *shrugs* do what you want, Aello is just being her typical, underhandedly mean self. And that assassin is going down.

[Verilian]

Clyde's slingshot missed it's mark, but it did distract the assassin long enough to give Aello a chance. Unfortunately that distraction was not in Clyde's best interest and the assassin turned his way, quickly taking aim. Aello fired her bow at the same time that the assassin released his own arrow. Both projectiles flew through the air, Aello's headed for the assassin's shoulder and the assassin's headed for Clyde's heart. Both arrows hit their marks. Clyde saw the arrow coming, and there was nothing he could do. They were too close, almost point blank, for him to avoid the arrow completely. Even if he tried to move he would still get hit. Whether it hit his heart or not they were out in the wilds and there were no healers around to save him. Even assuming Aello survived the attack, would she even spare the time to save Clyde as he had just saved her? He was in Ravok so the answer was likely no, but then again what Ravokian would offer to teach him to hunt? Aello was not the norm, that much was obvious, but none of these things had much time for consideration. The arrow hit him directly in the heart and... nothing. Clyde felt nothing. There was an arrow clearly sticking out of his chest, blood was everywhere, and yet he felt no pain. He was still alive, and if he were to grasp the arrow he would discover that his hand could pass right though it. The assassin had no aura. That much Aello noticed while firing her arrow before ducking back behind the tree. He had no aura at all.. or rather, his aura was that of the forest around them. Or even stranger, it was almost as if there was nothing there to even have an aura in the first place. As if what she was seeing wasn't actually there. Her arrow passed through the assassin's shoulder, a direct hit, but it's result was not what one would expect. Rather than lodging in the assassin's shoulder the arrow passed clean through and thudded into a tree far behind. The assassin did not cry out in pain, nor did he fall to the ground dead or drop his bow. He simply vanished. Clyde saw this, though Aello had ducked behind the tree again and was to busy shouting her challenge to notice. In the direction opposite where the phantom archer had been Aello heard the snap of a twig and a muffled curse. She did not see anybody at first, but the aura was there. It was the same one from before. The curse was followed by a sigh and a call to the spiritist, "Right then. A fair fight we'll be having if that is your wish." The sound of shuffling preceded the sight of a quiver being tossed from behind the tree, followed by the bow. The man's aura showed he was being truthful, though it was hard to tell. There were deceptions, but not of his words. The aura around his body, from what she could make out through the tree, seemed layer in deceit. And yet the man did not deceive, at least not yet. The moment Aello's bow was out of her grasp he sprung from behind his tree and charged her, pulling his own dagger at the last instant to attack. OOCIf Aello doesn't relinquish her bow then he'll remain behind the tree and force her to approach him. Aello and the assassin are pretty much evenly matched with the dagger, though he has some other tricks that will come into play later. Feel free to PM with questions.

[Clyde Sullins]

There was a short celebration for Clyde, as his plan worked, and the slingshot bullet gave Aello enough time to fire an arrow. He watched as the arrow left her bow, and at the same time a arrow left the mans bow. In the blink of an eye, both arrows were gone, sliced through the air to there destination. The arrow struck him, hitting him in the heart. Clyde let out a gasp of air in surprise, expecting pain to slice through him, as he died... But he felt nothing.... He looked down for a moment, to see an arrow sticking out of his chest... But felt no pain from its tip inside of him... He moved his hand to grasp it and pull it out... But he went right through... He was covered in blood... But he was not dying... and he could not touch the arrow... What was it? "Is it real?" He spoke out loud, only enough for Aello nearby to barely hear him, almost as if he was saying it to himself... Clyde stood there shocked, out in the open... Watching the scene before him... Which made no sense... He saw as the man vanished, finally realizing what it meant... "He disappeared when the arrow hit... So he can't be real, right?" This time turning and speaking directly to Aello, looking at her in her hiding spot, at a normal tone which was easily heard. Then Clyde thought he heard someone speak, directed at Aello... but he could not make the words out from this distance, with his hearing... What had he said? Was it even a man? And wasn't it from a completely different location? Was it even the same person, or did they have more than one foe? Clyde was pretty confused, and utterly useless in this situation. He clung to his empty slingshot, forgetting to put a new bullet in. More for the confidence holding a weapon gave him, than for the actual use it would give him.

[Aello]

What a complete and utter fool, Aello thought as the man tossed his bow and quiver to the side. But that's no matter, his stupidity merely makes him all the more vulnerable to one's attacks; far easier to kill. But where is the fun in that? The sport? The joy in killing a worthy opponent? the girl wondered, as she peered back around the tree for an instant, simply to view the damage she had done. To her surprise, she found that the archer had vanished, and that the arrow that pierced Clyde's heart had not killed him. "He can't be real," Aello called. "For if that was all real, you would be a dead man... but if you saw him too, and you see the arrow that has lodged itself in your flesh, and spilt your blood, then we both must be imagining things." There was a slight pause, but what could cause us both to hallucinate? To see that which is not there? To hear it too? Could it be something within the air? Something that surrounds us? Or is it simply the nature of this city... being engulfed by darkness for so long that we have lost our minds? "The one that shot you can't be real, but the one that cast his weapons aside is," Aello decided as she glanced back around the tree, at the real archer's aura. It seemed to dance, a combination of several colors that whirled around wildly; like a hurricane. Mocking her. She took a deep breath, in through the nose, and out through her mouth. As soon as every last bit of air had escaped her lungs, Aello put her bow down gingerly, leaning it up against the tree she had been hiding behind. Assassins don't fight fair, her mind whispered, and neither should you. Slowly, Aello reached over her shoulder, and pulled her quiver off of her back. She placed it beside her bow. "Now we are even," she called, as she swiftly pulled her cursed dagger out of concealment. The fingers of her right hand curled around the hilt. All twisting towards her palm, with the exception of her thumb, which was turned towards the blade. The blood that stained the blade glistened in the light that trickled down from between the trees. Its tip resting just above the girl's elbow. It was so very cold, sending the tiniest of tremors up the length of her arm, forcing her to stay awake, alert. Although it wasn't quite cool enough to truly make her shiver. "Come out and fight like a man! Fight until you fall!" Aello screamed, her voice bouncing across the forest as she waited for him to come for her. Luckily, he does not know of the nature of your blade... or at least, he should not know; for you have never crossed paths before this day, her mind whispered, and that should, hopefully, be enough for you to destroy those with a similar set of skills. "Fight until you are left begging for your life," Aello whispered, as a single bead of sweat trickled down her brow. "For you fear the wrath of the lady of death, the goddess known as Dira."