[Seasonal Quest] Hunt of the Season (Open)

[Skram Silverstrider]

Caoin brought her dog along with her which was a good thing. Skram would have his hands full protecting himself and did not want to spread his attention too thin especially when they were going to be dealing with a glassbeak. A big glassbeak. He did not stop the dog from jumping at him knowing it so well and after it was done with its licking, Skram told Sealgaire to "take care of her for me" his face full of concern should his cousin really choose to put herself in harms way. Caoin had some expectations of herself as the heir to the pavilion to the others and her suitors but going up against a glassbeak should not be a way for her to prove herself. Not wanting his cousin to see what he was thinking of, Skram gave a smile and pushed the dog aside after he was done. "All of them? That is good then because there is nothing they would want waiting more than you" he joked lightly. With something as serious as a glassbeak would Caoin just go along with the joke or take offence with it? That is yet to be seen.

Like everyone else, Skram's attention was taken away by the horn to listen to the speech. Nothing too spectacular but it made the day's event sure. The Drykas men would be going to hunt down that glassbeak after they had two bells of preparation. For some it might seem too slow where they only needed to prepare their supplies to take down the beast and for others it will be not long enough, either being their last chance to say their goodbyes because if the gods Caoin spoke of was not with them, then injuries will be the least of their concerns. Skram was one of those who felt that two bells would be too slow. He wanted to go out there more than saying goodbyes to whoever he should.

His cousin Caoin would be one of them if she just did not suggest that she is going out as well. "Just what exactly are you going to do out there cousin?" Skram asked looking intently at her for an answer. Caoin might be a drykas but her skills with animals are more suited for nurturing them than eliminating them. Shaking his head he explained that "I suppose I will be going back to the tent to get the rest of my equipment. Do you have any idea on who you might want to pair up with?" It was not often that Caoin would willingly select a man for something so perhaps today she was hunting for more than glassbeaks. "That guy?" Skram asked thinking that Caoin had already found someone so fast and turned to look at the tent as well but by then the hooded figure would already be inside. "I don't see anyone cousin but anyone in that tent would have better people to group up with than us."

[Ronan]

Ronan listened to the speech half-heartedly. There were no rules or regulations as far as he was concerned. This was a personal crusade. He'd let go of the past, but it didn't change his desire for atonement. The crowd bristled excitedly, everyone wanting a piece of the action - and the glory. Hunts were a big thing to the Drykas. They weren't just a display of masculinity from the males, but they were also a chance to prove one's self. There were just as many women as there were men in the crowd, all vying for some stake in pride and success. As the speech ended, something caught his attention. In the corner of his eye stood a cloaked figure. He half turned, and watched the figure glance round before entering the large tent. Something had been clasped in his hands, but Ronan hadn't even caught a flash of it. Something about the situation didn't feel quite right. His family's gift tingled in his chest. Shivering, he turned back and narrowed his eyes. He didn't need bad omens today.

[Auldwin]

OOCWell, Zeal's retired now so I'll just kind of slowly back away from him. Hope you don't mind the interaction Caoin, I know we're acquainted by now.

Caoin wouldn't have to look long to find someone to potentially work with in apprehending the glassbeak. What she found wasn't exactly a 'man' like she had hoped. True Auldwin was once a man, but now his only recognition was as a Ghost. He wasn't there for honor or glory, instead he wanted the simple satisfaction of taking down one of those carnivorous bastards. Soon enough he had floated his way over to Cain, although in order to not attract too many strange stares he did the best he could at Materializing himself into a more solid form. It wasn't perfect, but it was less conspicuous than hovering around as a see-through cloud of man-shaped mist.

"Drykas girl, we see each other again." it seemed his Pavi was still far from perfect, but it was good enough to convey his thoughts, and he was learning new words and expressions all the time. Auldwin didn't have quite so many reservations appearing before the Drykas these days. It seemed that more often than not the people of the grasslands were accepting of his existence. Auldwin stayed out of the way, mostly. He knew that there were very few among the Dryas that could limit his movement as well, but it was better to keep a people as potential allies and utilize their civilization as best he could than to make a new enemy.

Auldwin could remember his first meeting with Caoin and, based merely upon her appearance, he couldn't help but think about how much she reminded him of his wife. His wife had been half-Drykas, as had his father, and so the appearance and lifestyle of the Drykas wasn’t so much of a stranger to him. He had never gotten the chance to experience it first had, although as a Ghost he often wondered if what he was doing was truly considered ‘experiencing’. Sometimes it felt as if he was just a spectator, watching from afar. Waiting for something, anything. Reaction was what he had been staying away from, what he had sworn himself against as he now went about the world in his state of limbo, yet it seemed he had come to it regardless. This hunt would be his chance to stab back at his own lack of motivation, and perhaps gain some peace inside. If he could better one of the creatures.

He noted there was a man with the girl, and Skram and Caoin at the very least seemed to know one another. Auldwin still wasn’t very good at introducing himself to the living, and so he moved his attention over to what the girl had said previously, ”He was not with the rest of the men?” Auldwin didn’t know any better, he tried to memorize the many important people of the Drykas, but folks came and went so often getting a handle on the population was next to impossible. ”I could check.” he determined. Surveillance was quite easy for a Ghost, due to the whole ‘incorporeal’ thing he had to deal with on a daily basis.

[Akilah Windsong]

She heard him before she saw him, turning around to greet the young Drykas. "That's good. I was worried I'd have to go hunt you down." She stared at him for a moment--something seemed amiss with his appearance. "You look...different."

Akilah couldn't quite put her finger on it, on the change with him. It wasn't just the slightly cheerful greeting he gave her--though, that, on its own right, was strange enough. No, it was something else, something in his appearance.

Before she could ponder it further, the hunt was announced, and she turned back to face the speakers. The tall man, draped in rich green, was confident and bold and she shivered at his words.

A massive glassbeak? Ah, here was prey worth catching, as dangerous as it was. As long as she had a good group, she could manage it. Excited, she grinned at Khasr. "I can't wait."

It was hard enough to keep still, but before she could race home to get Adámas she had to find more hunters.

Searching the crowd, she saw her cousin. "Ronan!" she yelled, ignoring the looks those near her gave. Confident that Khasr was following her, she weaved through the crowd, slipping through the small gaps between people. "Want to--"

His eyes were distant, his expression troubled. Following his line of sight, she shivered as a the dark man entered the tent. Suspiciously, his hands were tightly gripping something and with the way he looked around, it didn't seem like something good.

"Who was that?" It was near impossible for any Drykas to get so pale, with the constant days out in the sun. And only a fool would wear such a thick, black cloak on a day like this.

It troubled her more than she could say. Hesitating, she looked up at the sun. Two bells wasn't much time to ready her strider and hound, but she couldn't just run back like this.

Worried, she stepped forward. "We should take a look."

[Ronan]

"Ronan!" He span to find his cousin moving through the crowd towards him. He smiled at her, noticing a young, strong looking man behind her. No sooner had she found him, she too noticed the figure scurrying into the tent. Akilah showed her youthful confidence as she suggested checking out what was going on. Ronan thought for a moment and then nodded. If he was to join the Watch, he would have to investigate anything he deemed as suspicious. Now was as good a time as any - and besides, he didn't need any time for preparation. When the Hunt began, he would be ready. "He had something in his hand... we should be careful," Ronan said, hand moving to unsheathe his dagger. He turned to the other man whom he didn't recognise. "I'm Ronan, pleased to meet you." He put out his hand towards the man to shake.

[Colt]

“You look… different.” “Do I?” he replied, slightly amused. She gave him a wide, excited smile, and he startled in spite of himself. He tilted his head at her, but she turned and dashed off before he could ask her about anything. He blinked, then slipped after her. He didn’t like all these people. She stopped in front of a man with troubled eyes, and Khasr instinctively kept a small distance between them. He watched for a few moments, then followed their gazes to a man entering a pavilion. He frowned. That was certainly an odd Drykas, but he couldn’t really condemn the clothes. After all, he was wearing a cloak as well, even if it was more green than black. The other man started to unsheathe his dagger. “No!” Khasr said. Ignore a beast and you would be ignored in return, but stare at a beast and you invited trouble. “You want to see, fine. But no weapons. Bad idea. Be cautious, not hostile.” The man introduced himself and offered his hand. Khasr jumped, staring at him as if he’d grown a second head. He looked at the hand like an unidentifiable object for a few seconds, then snapped out of it and hesitantly clasped it with his own. “Uh… Khasr. Khasr Windheel.” He stood there awkwardly, then let go of Ronan’s hand as if it was hot and pranced back a few steps nervously. “Erm… we go see who that man is?” he suggested.

[Caoin]

“Aye,” Caoin responded to Skram’s statement about the gods, the tone of her voice indicating that she was only half paying attention and seemed to be distracted by the crowd and everything that was going on. When he further inquired as to exactly how she was planning to be of use out in the field, she frowned and rolled her eyes at him. She turned to look at him, her attention fully on him as she felt the need to go on the defensive. “A hunt like this, you’re going to need more than just the manly hunters for, cousin. Accidents are bound to happen in the field. Animals and people alike are bound to get injured, to need tending to. Believe me, hunters aren’t the only useful ones on a hunt.” She sighed softly, “As for who we should pair up with… that is another matter entirely…” Caoin trailed off as Sealgaire, who had been circling around them with his tail wagging excitedly, began to bark and whine softly, his attention turning to something that seemed to not be there. Then there was a voice behind her and she turned to see the barely visible form of a familiar figure.

“Mmm… Auldwin right?” Caoin had all ideas that Skram would be confused at her talking to thin air, unless he was paying attention and Auldwin had materialized enough for Skram to see him. She didn’t seem to mind either way, “Mmm… No, Skram, there was a man… he went into the tent after the speech… he looked suspicious,” Caoin responded to Skram before turning her attention back to Auldwin. “It might be worth looking into, Auldwin” Caoin added to the ghost man. As she was discussing the strange man with Auldwin and Skram, Caoin couldn’t help but overhear the others who also seemed to be having a conversation about him. “I wouldn’t barge into the tent,” she called out to the small group, two men and the only other woman there. “The men in there are capable of taking care of themselves, I’m sure… but if you’re all curious, I know a man who can probably get in undetected.” She was obviously referring to Auldwin, though the rest of the group might not know that if they weren’t familiar with the ghost or couldn’t see him.

If Auldwin was willing to investigate, then it might be worth the effort to have him do so. Then again, perhaps it was none of their business. “Though, it might be best if we stay out of it altogether. Who knows, the gentleman could be working for them. We’d be barging in where we might not be wanted. Could get us into some trouble.” Ah dilemmas. They made life interesting, and also very annoying, because one never knew if they were taking the right actions or making the right choices. For all anyone knew, the stranger was someone that was working for those in charge of the hunt, perhaps someone who was relaying information or helping to track the beast. He could be completely innocent. Or maybe he was about to start some trouble.

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[Skram Silverstrider]

Caoin tried to justify herself with just what she could do throughout the hunt only...Skram knew very well that she worked with animals. Unless he was pretty desperate or his cousin was very insistent he would be finding another to do the healing. At the very least she knew that she was going to need to pair up with someone. Hopefully someone else who was a lot more skilled and strong than Skram was so that he could put his mind for his cousin at ease. If he, she was lucky, Caoin might actually find a suitable man for herself putting Skram and the rest of the pavilion's mind at ease with the knowledge of a new heir who had taken down one of the biggest glassbeaks they have encountered in the grasslands today.

Skram was a little bit confused with what was going on next and asked if "Auldwin is in the tent?" Granted, Skram would not know as much people in Endrykas as his cousin since he moved around a lot but for her to know someone important enough to be in the tent is very interesting. Perhaps she is now moving up in the world. It took a little while longer for him to figure out that Caoin was not talking about Auldwin but is talking to Auldwin but the only other one he could see around them was Sealgaire. Skram shook his head muttering to himself about how the world is going to the dogs and his cousin is going a little bit insane with an imaginary friend until he took a closer look.

The air seemed to have assumed an illusionary shape much like a mirage like one might feel in the grasslands given enough time in the summer for the sun to cook the brains. Only this shape was in a form of a man. "Mmm...Auldwin right?" Skram repeated only instead of the voice of recognition his cousin gave he gave his question in a voice of surprise. Unless Auldwin wanted to tell him anything else, Skram will just leave it at knowing his identity until maybe Caoin chose that they should pair up with him.

Hearing his cousin giving well thought advice to another group for once, Skram clasped her shoulder satisfied and complimented her that "now you are thinking well as the heir Caoin." His joy was shortlived however when she suggested to have a man go in undetected. Skram had no idea what she meant Auldwin and that Auldwin was a ghost and told her that it was "not exactly a good idea cousin." As and drykas would know, things in the grasslands are dangerous and can turn on you at a moment's notice. The worst that could happen is if her man gets caught and tells on them so that they would not be allowed to join the hunt.

Skram gave a sigh of relief hearing Caoin doubting her own idea. His words must have instigated some thought in her to think things through. Instead of wasting time pondering on just who was the man that entered the tent, "why don't we prepare our equipment and members instead? We got you and me. Auldwin?" he asked the ghost seeing that he already knew his cousin. "Will you be joining us as well?"

[Auldwin]

With the misty curls of Soulmist fluttering about Auldwin's form, one could almost see him shrug. Getting into the tent or determining who the second man could be wasn't a huge priority, so he felt comfortable enough to let it be. The Drykas could handle themselves, Auldwin had witnessed that first hand while wandering the dangerous Sea of Grass in the nearly impervious form of his Ghostly self. It was in that form that he could worry less about getting torn to shreads, and focus more upon the knowledge and beauty Cyphrus had to offer. It still didn't seem like a fair trade for everything he was as a Human. To be able to actually feel the grass one day was a concept that seemed so impossible, sometimes Auldwin would feel himself giving up. It was his determination though, that perhaps if he learned enough about Possession he could become so in tune with the body he wore that he too could feel things as he did in life.

"Agreed, I will stay out. If something goes bad, will hear the screams." he determined for himself. Screaming was always a good indicator to rush to someone's aid. Of course aid wise there wasn't much Auldwin could do at the moment. Not having a physical body was a real pain. His knowledge of Soulmist Projection was good enough to toss some light things about, but Possession was his real tool. Possession depended a lot on the person he was Possessing. Their mental prowess, their willpower, their skill with supernatural phenomena. Luckily most people became panicked and focused less on getting Auldwin out and more on running. That said, animals were always the better target for a good Possessing.

"And yes. I am Auldwin." he replied finally to that question. A Ghost with a name, it seemed to surprise people...outside of Black Rock at least. Though the living rarely came, those that did saw a concentration of Ghosts they would never experience anywhere else. It make sense, considering Black Rock was the isle of Dira. "I will join, yes. Have history with Glassbeaks. Still owe them for that history." Just the thought made his Soulmist uncomfortable, it seemed to exhale slightly before contracting, almost like the beating of a heart. Those Glassbeaks had taken his life, and now it was time to help repay the favor. That would at least be one less favor owed from life, then it would just be a matter of finding those Ghost that had Possessed him, all those years ago when he was still human.

"What is needed for Glassbeak hunt? Never been on one." he admitted. While the Drykas had a history of the hunts, in Syliras most of the food you ate came 'already dead'. There was no reason to go out hunting for the common laborer. He didn't know of stealth or hunting tactics. He wasn't even sure what the common traits of a Glassbeak was, besides being carnivorous, territorial, and annoyingly deadly.

[Caoin]

Well… Caoin had totally been intending to just walk off and gather people to team up with and supplies and all of that good stuff. However, that plan seemed to fade the more she thought about the mystery man. She wanted to know who he was really really bad. She also wanted to know what he’d been holding, equally as bad. It was too much for her and she found herself pushing what everyone else was saying to the background, the words fading out of her hearing. Slowly at first, she started towards the large tent where the leaders had gone to meet, but the closer she got, the more speed she picked up, until she was moving at a slow jog and weaving her way through the crowd.

As she neared the tent, she slowed once again. Her gaze moved left and then right as she looked to see if anyone was watching. She slowly approached, moving as quietly as she could. Once next to the tent, she dropped to a crouch next to the tent flap at the opening. She leaned in close as she attempted to hear what those inside were saying. As Caoin tried to lean closer, struggling to hear what was being said, she felt herself losing her balance, her figure falling towards the tent flap. If nothing stopped her, she was going to fall right into the tent in a little heap, and look up rather embarrassedly at the occupants.

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