Open It's Raining Death, Hallelujah! (Kovac, Aidara/Open)

[Rengar]

Note: This is open to anyone who can bring proper skills to a trek into the wilderness. This can be hunters, Avora, or anyone else who feels eligible. There will be a moderate amount of real danger. Rengar was sitting on the edge of the board walk section he'd just finished, looking down the way that still needed to be done. He'd heard that the winter hadn't been too harsh, but the ice had still managed to push several boards out of place, splintering handfuls of them. He felt a presence walk up behind him, and heard the man start speaking. He was essentially Rengar's 'boss' and had been keeping Rengar incredibly busy ever since he returned to the mountain. Rengar smiled when he thought back to his arrival. He'd been walking up the Sanikas Pass, enjoying the brisk air on his bare chest, watching several Yasi and Dek digging snow away from he outer edges. He hadn't been back here in nearly a hundred years, and yet it was very much the same, save one thing. Rengar could now smell the wood from all the trees, as well as a bit of smoke, though not from wood. He wondered if he was smelling the inside of the mountain. He looked down at the paw prints that were now forever a part of his skin, and they reminded him of the goddess who'd been watching him for all of his life, and all of his children in their homes. He wondered if Jaiela ever gave birth to his son all those years ago. She'd surely be long dead by now, whereas he'd be fully grown by now. Well if there was another Akalak, he'd sure he'd end up meeting him eventually. He saw the many eyes that sidled over to him, all wondering who this purple skinned foreigner was, never stopping until he passed through the gates and into the Valintar, which surprised him at still being in the same location it'd always been. He opened the door to the current operator's office, a man by the name of Kaden and stepped in. Kaden looked up at him, not intimidated in the slightest, "And how can I help you today?" Garren always preferred to take over in social situations, which Rengar was quite alright with, "I'm looking to take up my old trade of a woodsman, I've returned from a rather long trip. My name is Garren and Rengar." The man nodded, and quickly began looking through massive amounts of paperwork, but came to no success, "How long ago was it when you left?" "If I remember right, it was around the four hundred and thirty-fourth year after the Valterrian. It's been a little while." At first the man looked at him as if he was being pranked, but Garren kept his gaze serious. The man sighed and disappeared into the back of his office. He returned a good while later, "I'm surprised that these records survived, but I finally found you. You did fine work, consider yourself reenlisted into your old position. I'm sure you know what you'll have to do. Welcome back Rengar and Garren." Back to his boardwalk seat, Rengar looked back and up to his supervisor, Dumoise, who's red dreads dangled comically. "I'm getting a small expedition together. We're running low on wood to be used in making bows, mainly ash and yew. Meet me at Phaurd's in two bells, and bring all of your supplies, never know what might happen out there. I'll take care of getting the rest of the group, some hunters while we're out, some Avora like yourself that need supplies, Yasi that need to learn the world outside, and Dek to haul everything back. You'll be in charge of the other Avora, but watch yourself, you know how some of these hunters can be." Two chimes later, Rengar had his full pack upon his back, many of his axes dangling from it, his hatchet, throwing axe, and battleax all on his belt. He was leaning against the outside of the lodge, waiting for the rest of his expedition to arrive, Garren's excitement growing. He'd been wanting to go deep into the wilds for a wild, and now they were tree hunting. I hope some women come on this trip, we haven't been with anyone since Alvadas, I'm going stir crazy brother. "Calm down brother, we've only just arrived, I'm sure it won't be long before you get seduced by some young thing much smarter than you."

[Kovac]

Kovac had not been to Thunder Bay in nearly a year. After the Djed Storm, the Avora was sent to Water Reach to help support efforts there to rebuild, hunting for food and defending against the new and strange creatures that appeared after the cataclysmic event and the opening of the Inartan's eyes. When offered, or assigned, the task to accompany an expedition scouting for good timber, Kovac accepted gladly. Anytime away from instructing at the ranges was a gift indeed, though his recent foray's into the Unforgiving has been rather harrying.

The mongrel stepped through the doors of Phaurd's, a place familiar to Kovac. What was not familiar was the hulking creature waiting inside. Suddenly, all the snickers and strange looks given to him by his superiors made sense. All he knew was that he was to meet a Rengar at Thunder Bay. At first, Kovac thought it was another unfortunate side effect of the massive release of djed, that some poor sucker had been mutated into a colored beastman, doomed to live out here because he was a freak. But then the words of Iosha came to him, a story she told of a place where giant colored men lived, she called them akaks, or alykaks or something. Perhaps this was one of those.

With a wary gaze, Kovac dropped his gear and took a step closer to the big violet man. Even Kovac had to admit he had a god-like beauty, which greatly displeased the smaller half-breed. He scowled for a moment before flattening out his grimace.

"Kovac" He nodded in greeting. "I am supposed to go with the expedition. I am the archer." Kovac had been offered up as a expert shot with the bow, able to bring down small game to help feed the group, and to defend them from the uncountable dangers of the Unforgiving. The Avora also had a pretty keen eye. His gaze drifted down to the man's gear. Rengar seemed to own a plethora of axes. "You like to chop stuff?" He asked plainly.

[Aidara]

Turning for only a tick or two to watch as Sira’s massive form disappeared back up into the sky, back towards their nice, warm mountain, Addy sighed and kicked her toe at a shell nestled in the sand nearby. Of course, she missed, and received a fine, face-full of the gritty stuff as a sharp, short gust of wind chose that moment to blow.

Oh, how she hated sand.

Puffing and spitting the stuff from her mouth, Addy bent to remove her boots in an attempt to hide her cheeks, flushed crimson with embarrassment; the last thing she wanted to do was get sand down in her shoes. It would never come out, and then it would be forever falling out all around the aerie whenever she walked and…

The string of silent complaints continued as the little woman trudged across the sun-warmed beach to the little hut that sat near the water. Sira had dropped her off here with a mission, but the little healer suspected that it was either a prank, or a cover. They hardly ever needed to go to Thunder Bay, and whenever they did it was for something… worthwhile.

“I need a rudder.” Addy pushed into Phaurd’s and stated her needs without preamble, kicking the sand from between her toes on the doorjamb. “Or a rutter. Or a router. That thing, on the back of the boat. Or something.” De-sanding complete, Addy looked up and groaned. The tiny hut was completely filled to brimming with men.

Well, one huge man and Kovac.

“Well, it looks like this is the place to be, eh?” Cozying her way in, Addy gave Kovac a wink, but any further flirtation was futile as the big, muscley, and gorgeous purple man towering over him completely demanded all of her attention. How rude would it be for her to deny him it. Now wishing desperately that she had been dressed to kill, Addy ran a hand back through her dark red hair, tousling it so that it looked something other than wind-whipped. Her riding leathers were snug and tight on her petite little form, and there was nothing she could do to fix those, save taking them off. Hmm, perhaps….

“And who are you?” Her voice was a purr, all memory of rudders and why she was supposed to go find one instantly erased from her mind as she shimmied in between Kovac and this strange man, craning her neck upwards to get a good look at his face. “I am Aidara.”

[Rengar]

Rengar watched the short man drop his gear on the ground and nod his way. Garren decided to take control at the man's succinct conversation. He crossed his arms, cocked a smug smile, "I do. I'm Garren, the woodsman, and I'm supposed to be leading this expedition. Do you like to shoot stuff?" Then an intoxicating scent invaded his gifted sense, one that stirred Garren's desires. He smelled leather, worn and salty with use. There was also the predominating smell of woman; a second sniff revealed it wasn't just woman, rather it was women. As the scent got closer, he detected undertones of feathers and sulfur. But deep down was something else he couldn't quite peg, a scent he wasn't sure of. Then she got close enough and introduced herself, and he had yet to even look at her. But he knew immediately that she was an Endal. Not by her tone, her word use, but because all of the Endals shared this smell. Watery, light, strongest when they've just flown. He'd asked one about it, and was told that it was the smell of clouds. One thing was certain though, she smelled beautiful, like a proper working woman should. He turned toward her, his smirk quickly shifting to a charming smile. Her hair was a dark crimson, thick, curly, darker than many of the others in the mountain. She wore leathers that many Endals wore. But unlike the rest of them, she wore them well, snugging all the right curves. A working woman indeed, his favorite kind. His gaze locked on her own, a playful light behind his eyes, "It is my pleasure to meet you Cloudrider Aidara. I do hope you will be joining us on our jaunt to find some wood. Maybe you'll find a great deal of meat out there, I hear our mutual friend absolutely loves to shoot things. And I am Garren, the woodsman of this journey." Is that good enough for you brother? She is quite beautiful, and most certainly your type. Jealous? Not really, you know I prefer a different type of woman, just don't get us in trouble, she is Endal after all. You know how these Endals are, it is all sex and killing with them, so either way, one of those will happen. And you know how hard we are to kill. That was when Dumois and three Dek showed up. The supervisor's dreads stunk something awful, "Hello Aidara, Rengar, Kovac. These are your haulers for this trip, try not to get them killed, we're running low on strong ones that aren't afraid of the wilds. We need ash and yew mainly. Rengar will find and fell the trees, you two will provide protection of the group, as well as hunting. We need at least two good sized trees of each type. Be safe, and work hard." Garren looked down at Aidara, his lips teasing, "Shall we?" With that, the Akalak shrugged his backpack up onto his shoulders, and he started for the tree line, axes bouncing lightly from his pack. He looked back over his shoulder at Aidara, "Why don't you come keep me company up here? Maybe you can tell me what game is in season right now, and maybe I'll share a secret or two with you."

[Kovac]

Kovac's snarky retort to the Akalak, which certainly would have included an ample boast of his archery prowess, was cut short by the entrance of a woman that arrested both men's interest in conversation. Kovac did not expect to see Aidara at Thunder Bay, and her sudden appearance caught his tongue for a moment. Certainly, the petite Endal had come into Phaurd's for some mundane purpose, but any inclination of what that was became only a fleeting memory in her eyes as Kovac watched his friend so easily slip into her modus operandi. Addy gave him a wink, a bone tossed to a mutt, and Kovac only looked back with a knowing roll of his eyes as she fixed her aim upon the statuesque foreigner.

What transpired next was all too familiar to the half-breed, though, he was usually participating, especially when it came to Aidara. But the hulking woodsman had absconded with the attention of the doting healer, to the absolute exclusion of Kovac. The hunter shrugged and returned to his gear. Taking up the recurve bow and bending it, Kovac slipped the string over the upper tip, then gave it a few good tugs.

Dumois walked in with Drudges in tow, greeting the party. When the man mentioned Aidara as part of the group, his head snapped around towards the Inartan, who was still ogling the big violet outlander. "You are going too?" With a quick glance around the make up of the party, Kovac could easily speculate the dynamics of the outing, and he scowled as he gathered up his gear. "Great, fantastic, petching wonderful," he muttered to himself as he stood, slinging his gear over his back.

The group spilled out of the small shop and towards the woodlands. Rengar looked back, his attention on Aidara, and as he made his honeyed offer, Kovac merely smirked. He realized then that didn't bring nearly enough wine.

[Aidara]

“I prefer to hug things rather than shoot them, if I’m being completely honest.” A tinkling little laugh left the healers lips, though she paused only long enough to sweep her fingers back through her long, curling locks; of course, if she had been aware of what she was going to encounter down amongst the sand and waves, she would have planned ahead. Spent hours in front of the little mirror, applying rouge and khol. But ah, best to not wish for what one did not have, for she could work what she did have, unprepared or not, to devastating effects. “But either way that is an invitation that I simply cannot deny. I just simply… love…. Nature.” The lie only stuck on her tongue because Kovac was watching from the corner. Glowering from the corner.

Even though it was hard not to notice her greatest friend skulking as she plied herself on another man right in front of him, the possible rewards were just too muscly to pass up. “He likes to do more than just shoot things. I think he could drink both of us under the table and still take down the prize stag afterwards.” It was more than a bone she was throwing to Kovac, for her eyes did indeed hold a sparkle when she shot him a glance over her shoulder, one that shone for few others.

“A woodsman, huh?” The fiery little redheads attention was quickly drawn back to the big Akalak, her little hands reaching up to take a squeeze at the big muscles of his forearms; the unyielding results practically had the little woman purring when she spoke next. “I suppose if we have a hunter and a woodsman, I’ll just be the entertainment, with a little healing on the side.” A pair of dimples was being flashed up at the giant man when Dumois arrived. Addy hardly registered his appearance, and would have been left hanging on Garren’s arm if Kovac hadn’t pushed roughly past and out into the sand and wind.

“Oh, good goddess.” It was going to be one of those trips. With a great sigh of regret, Addy followed Kovac outside and stood quietly while Dumois debriefed them; apparently, her presence there had automatically included her in this little trip. Sira would have to be informed and come get the bloody tiller thing herself, then. Served her right for just dropping her off to fend for herself in the sands. Couldn’t even drop her at Phaurd’s doorstep… Sira, I’m going with Kovac and this big, delicious, muscly man into the forest to shoot things. Don’t wait up for me… Oh, and come get this wood tillard thing yourself.

By the time Addy severed the mental connection with Sira, quickly and before the ornery Kelvic could respond, Dumois had finished his speal and had left the trio to themselves, with the Dek, of course. Garren weakened her knees with a very inviting smile, and it took all of her willpower to do so as Addy ignored this and made a strategic maneuver. Kovac shouldered his pack, and as he subsequently freed up an entire arm with the action, Addy slid in and wrapped both of her tiny ones around his own. “Kovac looks like he is pining for my company. He has put up with me for long enough that he deserves a bit of a priority spot. But I am taking a rain check on that offer, Sir Garren. Come here and talk with us short-legged people?” A smile was flashed at the Akalak paired with a wink of promises to come, while a kiss on the cheek was planted on Kovac's cheek and moved in to walk a little closer to him.

“So, what are you exactly? I have to admit that I haven’t seen a purple man in person before.”It was partially true; Addy had encountered one other, though at the time they were too busy fighting for their lives to really engage in small talk. And the dream....well that was a completely different story as well.

They were making their way laboriously across the sands; or at least, it felt that way for Addy, as she had to take two steps for every one of Kovacs and it was just plain exhausting having to slog through the sand. “How did you hear about this?” The last was directed at Kovac, who had the fun job of practically pulling her along. “I mean, we don’t have a very good track record with hunts together. Should we warn him?”

[Rengar]

Garren smiled at the petite woman's compromise, "How could I resist such an offer?" The wink she gave him made Garren's pride soar, while Rengar chuckled from within. It doesn't look like this should be too hard for you brother, if you can get that other one to go mind his own. He sidled up to her unoccupied side, trekking through the sand a lot more easily than she. But his legs were much longer than hers, so he slowed his pace to not make them tire as easily. The sands would soon gave way to the grass, that would give way to the forest they sought. Garren laughed heartily at her question, "My people are called Akalak, and we come from a city called Riverfall. I'd imagine you'd love it if you ever visit, beautifully carved into a cliff face, nestled around the largest waterfall you'll ever see. And we aren't all purple, some of us are blue, green, even red. I imagine many of our kind don't come this way often, I haven't been here for at least... seventy, eighty years now? When I was a boy, my mother told me that Akalaks are living gemstones, hence our colored skin, and Riverfall is the world's largest treasure chest. " He listened to their small talk for a while, smiling at the last part. At least he wasn't the only person in the world to have exciting hunting trips nearly every time he went out. The sands met dirt and grass, and an over hanging lip, raised about four or five feet from the ground on which they walked. Garren slipped off his large backpack and deposited it atop the higher ground. He turned toward the gorgeous redhead, "Would you like a lift, ruby-haired rider?" Any excuse to place his hands on her hips, or get a view of her taut little backside, and the offer wasn't extended to Kovac. "I will say I'm a bit odd for those from my city. We don't often travel, so many have similar reactions at the sight of us. Have either of you ever visited another city? I'd imagine people would love the sight of your crimson locks, which outside of here, is far rarer than one would think."

[Kovac]

The petite fireball juggled the attention of both men with practiced ease, a phenomenon that Kovac had witnessed often. The Avora half-breed no longer faulted Aidara for her ability to cast her seductions across a group of men as the fishermen of Thunder Bay cast nets over a school of fish, snaring many at a time. He and his lute had been accused of the same with women, but never with the skill and breadth that the notorious Endal healer had achieved. No, Addy could get away with quite a bit and still garner Kovac's astute attention. They were friends and more. But love and lust were as night and day, and as those who shared in Addy's lust may be many, those who shared her love were few. He knew he loved her, and she knew it too.

So, as the small woman wrapped her arms around his muscular human arm, instead of the larger biceps of the Akalak, Kovac was content, knowing the hulking violet woodsman was too pretty and exotic for the likes of Aidara to resist. She had saved his life, he could bridle his foolish jealously. Addy deftly steered the conversation to the origins of the strange man, posing questions Kovac himself would have asked, admitting a curiosity about the axeman.

Kovac's small grin curled at one side as the woodsman spoke. His words wove a tale of a place that seemed magical, like Iosha did when she spoke of Mura. Garren was laying it on thick, Kovac giving the Akalak credit. It all sounded too good to be true, just like Io's Mura. Kovac veiled the shock of the suggested age of the woodsman, a stranger whom had been at Wind Reach before any of the residents accompanying him had even been born into the city. Where did this guy come from? Good gods, what if more of the Akalaks showed up? They must have a flaw, some negative that would dash their godlike nature. Maybe horrific body odor, or uncontrolled flatulence or an irrational fear of birds. Kovac made it his mission to discover something to level the playing field for his half-inartan brethren.

Once the Riverian offered to carry their petite companion, Kovac knew the man believed he needed to separate the archer from his hard sought prize. Kovac's first instinct was to rile, but again, Addy was his in many more ways than this. So, instead he had fun with it, waggling his eyebrows at Aidara then offering his answer to Garren's question, if only to keep himself in the conversation. Though, Kovac's answer would certainly make him seem even smaller in the well traveled eyes of the stranger.

"I have not been to another city. Not many of us have, unless we are fortunate enough to hitch a ride with an eagle." Kovac's emerald eyes settled on Aidara again, a wry smile suggesting perhaps some day Sira could be coerced into such a venture.

[Aidara]

“You call it fortune, I call it a pain in my ass.” It was much more fun to take stabs at her bondmate than to fawn over her, which was especially pointless when she was nowhere near by to appreciate said doting. There was also the fact that Sira had recent left her abandoned out amongst the sands… Oh, she would be boiling over missing this opportunity, Addy knew, with a slight glance at Garren just to confirm it. “You can have her.”

The aside to Kovac had not derailed the little woman’s attention from the giant purple man at her side, his tales of his past life and home more than reeling her senses; it was quite true that Addy had no reference with which to separate truth from embellishment. She, like Kovac, had hardly ventured far from the Mountain. “That sounds more like a fairy tale than anything possible on this world.” Skepticism won over, a slender ginger brow arched in the big mans direction as they reached the edge of the beach and continued along towards the tree line, their going much eased by the lack of sand. If he wanted in her pants, he would have to do much more than ply her with fancy tales and outrageous compliments… Okay, so the compliments she liked, but she wasn’t that easy.

“You’re telling us that you are older than even my parents, whoever they are? That you’ve practically lived a century and you look like this? I was under the impression that once men tip over the other side of their prime, their muscles go as soft as their minds.” Another up and down, lingering and openly hungry look prefaced the smile that Addy gave him then. “You, my dear Garron, are shattering what I thought I knew best in this world.”

Stopping, Addy pulled Kovac up along side her with her hand still firmly on his arm. They had reached the edge of the forest, and though the banter was lovely, Addy knew she wasn’t walking in there without a plan. “What are we supposed to be doing? Who is taking the lead? It’s not going to be me, I’m telling you that. I wasn’t joking when I said my only purpose here is to look pretty and provide some extracurricular activity later.” There was a smile there, but then again Addy’s face almost always housed a grin of some sort. Either way, her tone was borderline deadpan and about as serious as the little woman was going to get. “You’re men. Step up. What’s the plan?”

x

[Rengar]

Garren smiled, he liked this one. Easy women were nice, but a good chase was even nicer. "Well I won't apologize for shattering your world with the truth, I just hope you'll return the favor in due time. And don't be shocked by my age, where I'm from I'm middle aged." He heard the woman's command, the change in tone, and knew that the time for playful banter was over and it was time to get to work. They needed yew and elm, though he knew yews were the preferred wood. And unlike elm, yews liked to congregate in small batches, so if you find one, you were likely to find several. There were three of them, one of whom would be busy searching the trees, one searching for animals, and the Healer. He thought back to his days as a youth, when they were taught formations, group fighting, and military tactics. "Kovac, you likely have the sharpest eyes in the group as the archer, so we need you watching the front, so you can track any animal signs you may come across. There's no specific place to find these trees we seek, so they will be found at random. We need to maintain vision while protecting Aidara, and maximizing the amount of ground we can cover. I recommend a line formation, with Kovac at the left a spears throw away from Aidara, and slightly ahead of her. This will allow you to see dangers ahead, and allow us to cover you quickly if needed. Aidara will take the middle point of the line, diagonal and back from you Kovac, so she can support the both of us should anything occur, and also allows us to provide her the most amount of protection for her. Finally, I will take the right side of the line, diagonal and back from Aidara, so I can watch the trees for our target, as well as watch both of your backs with a little secret my race comes with. With this formation we should be able to move at a moderate pace, keep everyone safe, and cover the most ground possible. Any questions or objections? If not, Kovac go ahead and start, and we will follow in suit."