Open Midnight Shift.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

67th of Spring, 515.

"Eyes open, squire." How the Akalak could know when the squirrel had his eyes closed or open, given the fact that he didn't even have any eyelids, was utterly beyond comprehension. Doing it in utter darkness where Arch could barely see a few feet in front of his own face and the knight was just showing off.

Even with adequate warning last morning that he was to spend the day sleeping in preparation for a night shift of patrol, he was still falling asleep in the saddle. Not his own, thank goodness.. he was riding on the back of his patron's, as usual, with the Sykanis-breed mount somewhere close by. Likely somewhere a little further back would be Alex and his patron.. who, funnily enough, Arch had never met up until that point. Heck, he could have never had a patron at all and Arch probably would've believed it too, given their first encounter. Then again, neither had he ever heard anything interesting about the man.. nor did Iros have anything good to say from rumor and legend that he picked up occasionally.

"We'll be passing the Sukina Geysers in a few chimes. Need everyone up and awake so you don't go for an early swim." The idea was to cross a direct line down the middle of the Bronze Woods, lead up the fringe of the Cobalt Mountains for a few chimes and then cross back over again, cutting out a small triangle in the land on the way. They'd have to pass around the Geysers and close to the Aylasa Caves in the process though. There were plenty of things that liked to hunt at night that they all needed to keep eyes out for, regardless of whether or not they wore the normal thick plate-mail armor that was supposed to protect them so well.

"Arch, time for you to get some exercise." Abruptly the Pycon lifted his head, pulling himself out of the strange equilibrium between wakefulness and the comforting night that he'd basked in for what had to be at least a bell or two now - since they'd first pressed into the woods. Though he meant to ask what the petch the knight was talking about, all that came out was a low, unintelligible grumble that earned a jolt from a metal-coated elbow. "Shut up and get climbing. I need you up in the trees scouting out ahead and getting a better view of the area as we go. Understand?"

No, he didn't. Unlike the crimson-skinned Akalak, the squirrel didn't have the great gift of night-vision or whatever the petch the knight was using to maneuver so easily in pitch-black conditions. It didn't matter whether the squirrel was three feet underground or on the back of a Wind Eagle high above, he was still going to see shyke. "Why don't you go and climb the trees and tell me what you see? Probably have better luck than me!" Just like all the other times when he made a perfectly reasonable suggestion, the Akalak just turned and stared until the squirrel understood that there was no talking back to the knight.. or even offering any sort of criticism to his plans, positive or not. "Alright.. alright."

Though he could just about see the bark in front of his face and nothing else as he stumbled back up to his feet and jumped off the back-end of the horse to the next tree they'd stopped to, he dug his little clay claws in and begun to climb. "Hurry up there, squire! I'd like you to make it up there before daybreak, if I can help it."

[Wrenera]

The tender meat gave way to her gnashing teeth. The crackle of bone was punctuated by a deep rumble of satiation. She licked her lips and bent her head down to tear another piece of flesh from the long-eared carcass. Nearby, the bloody tool she had used to skin the creature lay on a stone. Around the rock were strips of hide ,wet with blood. She would tan those, and try to trade them to the humans. If they did not want them, she would use them to make her cave home more comfortable.

The spring night air was neither warm, nor cold. Wren didn't mind the chilly nights. The silky layer of fur that covered her sleek figure kept her well insulated. The night air around her awash with the sounds of insects, and fauna that called the Bronze Woods home. To Wren, it sounded like music. Each sound distinctly individual, yet harmoniously beautiful in unison.

Her sharp ears perked up suddenly when a discordant sound disturbed that harmony. Her sensitive ears deciphered heavy footfalls. Wren cocked her head to the side, listening more intently. The sound was familiar. An image of the large beasts the people took to riding sprung to her mind's eye. Her brow creased with concern. She dropped the near-finished carcass unceremoniously to the carpet of leaf, dirt, and tree roots, moving stealthily in the direction the sound had come. Not breaking stride, her clawed fingers wrapped about her sharp tool, removing it from the rock. She left the hides where they lay.

Wren enfolded her wings tight to her body as she crept through the trees. Countless years of survival evolution of her kind worked to her benefit, knowing instinctively that less body mass was more elusive not only for visual reasons, but for the simple fact that less wind resistance was also less noisy. Simple notions really, but those thoughts never crossed her mind. The only thought that did concern her at the moment was the immediate threat of someone encroaching upon her hunting grounds.

That someone, or someones wasn't very far off by the sounds of things. Wren detected other noises now. Voices. Somewhat muffled movements, the occasional creak, and snort. She concealed herself behind a thick bronze bole, allowing herself a brief look to what lay beyond. Scarlet pools reflected a jumble of figures, still too far to see clearly. It was also hard to discern their shapes with the intervening trunks, extending branches, and leafy canopies.

She jerked her head back behind the tree's rough contour. The thundering of her own heart seemed louder by far to her at the moment than any noise around her. Had they come for her? Would she share the same fate as her twin? Wren's face distorted in bestial defiance. If anyone wished to eat her, they would know her fury, up close, and personal.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross "You all right up there, lad?" Ranqor called from behind Alexander, squinting his eyes against the soft glow of Digby's coat. Ranqor knew exactly where they were headed, but unfortunately Alex did not. The only reason the boy was in front was because of his mount's strange ability to glow at night, which provided enough light to guide them around obstacles. Of course, Ranqor still had to point the boy in the right direction every now and then, but there was otherwise no trouble. "I'm fine, Ser." He called back without taking his eyes off of the path they were on. He did not exactly know what they were doing, nor who they were supposed to be meeting up with. For some reason, Ranqor never disclosed any information to him. Not even the slightest hint could give away what their objective was. Whenever he asked, he was met with either silence, or a simple: "You'll see when we get there. Now, keep going." Alex sighed and continued onward, reaching forward to scratch Digby behind the ears. He listened closely to his surroundings, both for any danger, and to keep himself calm. The way he could function much better at night than he could in the day was astounding. Even Ranqor seemed to have noticed it once or twice. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his mind and body at ease, yet alert at the same time. For a split second, he glanced back at Ranqor to see if the knight was keeping up. Of course, he was. Up ahead, he suddenly heard the hoofbeats of a third horse, hand sped up a bit. Eventually, Digby's gentle glow revealed the form of Iros and his mount. "Good evening, Ser Iros." The boy said softly, pulling up beside the knight. He noticed that Archailist was nowhere to be seen, when usually the Pycon would be resting on the horse behind the saddle. "Where's Arch? Couldn't make it?"

[Claudia Blackwood]

It was night. She didn't usually go out at night. It wasn't that she hated being out at night or anything. She just didn't have a reason to. Besides she had heard the being outside the city at night was dangerous. She didn't actually know, but that was what she had heard. Yet this late tonight, she was awake and out of the city, for what exactly, she herself did not know just yet. It was slowly approaching midnight, and the moon has risen to its peak in the darkness filled sky providing an illuminating light for everyone and everything else below. The huge parties of people were walking along the outskirts of Syliras, going along the route planned for the midnight patrol.

The ex-squire was among the group of knights and squires going for their patrol. She had never gone on a night patrol when she was a squire, and now that she was no longer one, she was finally going onto one. The irony was not lost on her. Although now that she was no longer part of the order, she was under no obligation to participate in the patrol. yet here she was. She had wanted to tag along for the learning experience as she was still fairly new, and had never been out of the city once night fell.

Knowing that one of her friends, Alexander Ross would no doubt be participating in it, she had asked if he could help to secure permission for her to join in the patrol. He was a squire and was the only one she knew that would no doubt be involved in it. And he had obviously managed to do it, for here she was now, marching alongside him, following the rest of the group as they went about the planned route. Although she was fully armed and armoured, she was dressed and armed differently from the rest of the knights and squires. The knights and squires all wore their standard steel suits of armour, along with the much preferred long swords and other knightly weaponry. She was dressed in her suit of steel lamellar armour, and unlike the long sword, she was carrying a gladius. She had left her bow and its accompanying quiver back at home in the inn, not seeing the need anyway, when they were already several archers here.

She wasn't too good with the bow anyway. He was mounted on his horse, but she was on foot, preferring walking with her own two feet rather than sitting atop a mount. The clinking of the armour of the marching squires could be heard among the clippity-clopps of the hooves of the mounted knights and their squires. She could hear Alex talking to a knight, probably his patron. She had never met his patron, and didn't know who he or she was. She wasn't exactly paying full attention of was they were talking about, concentrating on the road ahead of them.

It wasn't much later, when another horse trotted up alongside them. She didn’t know who the rider was, but Alex did. He was a muscular, well built Akalak, but then again all of them were well-built. He addressed the newcomer with the title of Ser Iros. He then went on to ask about where this Arch guy was. She wondered who that could be? Was it his squire? Come to think of it, he seemed to be alone. Where was his squire? It was dark; she couldn't see much apart from the occasional torches some of the squires were carrying.

Her head quickly swivelled to the somewhere in the darkness as she thought she had heard something in the darkness. She had no idea what that sound was or where it came from. She peered into the sea of blackness but was rewarded with absolutely nothing for her efforts. She couldn't see shyke. She promptly brushed it off, thinking that it must have been a nocturnal animal or something like that.

Nothing to be worried about. Nothing indeed.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

By the time he'd finally pushed into the lower reaches of the forest canopy, the Pycon was already pretty exhausted. The clay over his paws was almost entirely numb from the constant shifting back and forth, like it was literally being pulverized to a thick paste. It wasn't like it normally felt that way, either. Even as thick and alien as his limbs felt by the end of the long climb though, he swore he could feel something. Dismissing it as nothing proved useless as well. Perhaps it was just the sound of leaves in the wind, or the look of the shadows.. but it felt like there were eyes on him. Whether sentient or not, hostile or friendly.. well, he couldn't tell, not now.

Without a word down to his patron below, Arch begun his approach. Both arms spread as far as they could to keep balance, knees bent and body mass lowered to keep his center of gravity near to the tree branch. An uncomfortable pose when standing still, even worse when trying to move, but it was still effective. Even more so as his heavy tail swung back and forth, almost unconsciously correcting the minor shifts in balance to keep his advance down the length of the branch uninterrupted before he leaped up to the next one a few inches above. A few creaks as the branch struggled to handle his weight but otherwise a smooth transition, only causing a few ticks of readjustment before he continued.

Again and again he went, hopping between the branches that intertwined, moving higher through the canopy.. and most of all, keeping low. In the midnight dim, range was his enemy. If there really was anything to justify the tremors running down what he guessed would be his spine, no point causing a calamity and giving himself away at the first glance. Exactly why he had no intention of calling back down to his patron, either. Goodness forbid. Knowing Iros, they'd just end up in even more trouble if it turned out to be something not trying to kill them.. which was a very large possibility. All messed up because of a bird or something stupid like that. I'm an idiot.

Down below, Iros wasn't even concentrating enough to offer a question on his squire's wellbeing. The Akalak was too busy gawking like a child at the glowing horse Alex had appeared on. Good thing the visor covered most of it. "I doubt this bell could even be called evening any more, but a good one to you as well." His eyes lingered far too long on the horse before the Akalak finally drew the strength to turn back to where he was supposed to be looking.. though the squirrel was already long-gone, along with Iros' chances of finding him again amongst the branches high above. "He is... scouting ahead for us, at the moment."

The knight could hope for that much, at least. If there weren't other knights, squires and... other people around as well, he'd have called, but admitting that he couldn't even keep his squire under supervision for five chimes wasn't something that he was going to do lightly. Speaking of other people; "I didn't realize we'd have company with us." Though his eyes still spent slightly longer than reasonable scrutinizing Claudia, there was no malice in his tone. "A civilian taking a few nights out with a knight before she enrolls? Or your girlfriend for the evening, squire Alexander?"

Despite his utterly professional demeanor, a bright smile cracked one half of his face in a cheeky lopsided way. "Don't believe we've had the pleasure. Ser I--" His introduction was cut short by a bark somewhere around his horse's ankles, making his mount jolt side to side a few times. "Shh, shh.. Xarex, quiet. Come on, quiet." The squirrel's dog-mount was sitting on the floor, staring up after the Pycon, tail still and ears half-folded back against its skull.

[Wrenera]

Wren heard the creatures talking. Many more than she had first thought to be present. They spoke in the common tongue, but were still too far away for her to make out anything more than a smattering of words. Her grasp of their language was fair. There had been human slaves in her homeland. As such, her people found it necessary to educate the young in comprehending, and speaking their tongue. A slave was only as useful as its ability to follow orders.

The Zith huntress distressed over the presence of so many, so very close to her cave. Why were they here? She could not recall a time before where those who lived beneath the man-made walls had dared to patrol the forest in the dark of night. The night was her domain. They did not belong here. Her features twisted in a scowl, her claw going instinctively to the handle of her killing tool. This was no simple sharp edged tool such as the one she employed for the skinning of food. No, the curved blade at her waist was truly a deadly weapon. She felt a craving in her, clawing at the walls of conscience, demanding the blood of these intruders no matter what the cost.

Wren gritted her teeth, staving off the wave of reckless appetite. Was she a fool? It would only result in her death if she struck at them now. It was true, she would have the element of surprise in her favor. But when the initiative was lost, what then? Those she had not managed to silence would surround her. She would be killed. Or worse, imprisoned. The thought of never being able to hunt again, to barely exist, shackled to a stone wall in some dungeon frightened her more than anything.

She kept to her hiding place. Coming to a crouch at the base of the trunk where the undergrowth was thickest. It wouldn't do to be seen. Although she hadn't come to a decision on what to do, she dared not give up the only advantage she presently owned. Wren predicted they would pass by her location if they kept to their present course. It would grant her a closer look, and then maybe she could determine why it was they were there. The procession had slowed for reasons unknown to her. Had she been spotted? Wren contorted her body to conceal every last inch of it, just to be sure. Why had they stopped? She listened intently, hoping to find answers.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alexander glanced up into the trees, yet unable to see much even through the soft glow of Digby's coat. He wondered if it was a good idea to send the squirrel statue to scout ahead, especially with how dark it was. Not even the rays of moonlight filtering through the trees provided enough light to illuminate one's path. He jerked the reigns once he realized that Digby had strayed a bit off the path, and kept his eyes glued on the path in front of him. "Girlfriend?" Alexander repeated in a confused tone. "Oh, goodness no." Of course, he knew very well that Ser Iros may have been joking, but he wanted to get the message across just in case. To be honest, the boy could not see himself with a girlfriend anytime soon. He yawned slightly, listening closely to the bustling sounds of nature. But he was nowhere near tired, and he stayed observant. After his last little adventure in the Bronze Woods, it was nearly impossible for the boy to even thing about letting his mind wander, or allowing his guard to drop. By this time, every snap of a twig or rustling of a bush or tree made him grasp nervously onto the hilt of his longsword. This was one thing he hated about being on guard, everything seems threatening and paranoia begins to settle in. Digby snorted and glanced back at him, and the boy replied by scratching the Gildling between the ears, taking deep breaths. Relax. There's nothing out here... well, not yet... "Alexander, why don't you pull up ahead so Digby can light the way? But stay close. We'll direct you from here." Ranqor suggested, earning a nervous nod from Alex. He carefully spurred Digby forward and stopped a few paces in front of the two patrons, keeping his eyes on the path while also being wary of his surroundings. There was a churning feeling in his gut, and he worried that he and his mount were an open target, considering how bright the glow was. To make it worse, he could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. You better not be using me as a meat shield, old man...