Even now, there are only embers...

[windandrain]

Who: Vegeta, Saori, and Cliff (and maybe a few others)
What: Fairy Tale RPG Adventures
When: During the 2014 Total Recall Event
Where: All over Luceti
Summary: Saori and Vegeta are stuck living out a Fairy Tale RPG adventure with Cliff as an overlord. Shenanigans ensue?
Rating: PG-13? Possible violence and language. Maybe.



Lazeria, a once peaceful barony, is a land under siege by dark forces and hellish magic. The baron, a noble and kind (if somewhat oafish) man named Cliff has been cursed by black magic during a feast. A sorceress appeared and transformed him into a beast-man and the once bright land fell into shadow. The streets darken, strange creatures randomly attack passersby, and the baron himself hasn’t been himself for some time.

Enter two strangers from another land, intent on completing a mysterious quest. A fortuneteller had directed the pair to Lazeria, telling them that if they could defeat the accursed lord of the land that not only would light return, but that wealth and power beyond imagining would be their reward. That draws them in like moths to a flame, and the duo arrives in the dead of night, eager to figure out how best to overthrow Cliff and claim their prize.

Comments

[aerialassault]

It was a lesson that would be well deserved in the end, but there was something almost feral about the warrior that had captured the Hound's attention, driving him to act on his base impulses. The cool, spring breeze kicked up the stray leaves on the path, sending them rustling paper-like as it carried her scent down and away. Primarily led by scent instead of sight in the cover of darkness, the subtle act of nature confounded his sense of direction. Cliff stopped, out in the middle of the path, and stood tall with his ears lifted high in search of any hint of where this woman might really be.

[windandrain]

She's not stopped walking, at least, her feet crunching softly on the damp path. Her steps are slow, as she deliberately moved softly in an effort to force her pursuer to get closer. There was no reason for her to fear, she knew, confident as she was in her ability to deal with whatever thief or naerdowell this kingdom might have produced.

[aerialassault]

The small, rational part of his mind that knew he was being foolish was forced into silence when he heard the soft sound of leaves and stones being jostled by someone's footstep. Driven by his curiosity, Cliff pursued the sound into the darkness. The sounds of his claws catching in the dirt as he moved would have been a dead giveaway of his location to any astute observer-- there was no reason to bother with stealth on nights like this.

[windandrain]

It is a giveaway, and the warrior stops, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade as she regarded the dog that'd suddenly appeared. Narrowing her eyes, she stood her ground, not quite glaring but decidedly unfriendly.

"Are you following me for a reason, beast?"

[aerialassault]

The dog stopped, but didn't drop his guard when he saw hand at the ready. While he didn't particularly care for a fight that evening, he had no way of guessing what these travellers would have wanted in his town. After the failure that resulted from his meeting earlier with the woman's travelling companion, Cliff was sure that they would have given up and returned to their own lands. There was nothing for them here, unless they had something more untoward in mind.

He lowered his head in a silent gesture of innocence, a silent promise not to cause harm. Words weren't available to him in this form, much to his eternal frustration, but he was confident in his ability to somehow find ways to communicate whenever he needed to.

[windandrain]

The gesture caused her to loosen slightly, hand instead coming to rest palm up on the sword's crossguard instead of around the hilt. It's as close to passive as she'd ever get around a strange animal, which...if the rumors were true, could very well be in the service of the baron. Or the baron himself.

"Were you just smelling some treat, dog? Or are you spying?" she asked, tone vaguely teasing. It couldn't speak, after all, so she imagined that a reminder of that inability might be a way to ruffle the beast a bit.

[aerialassault]

Snorting and snuffling in agitation, Cliff shook his great mane of hair and cast the woman an irritated look. Spying wasn't necessary in this part of the land because of the well-fed rumor mill that kept information moving in the outskirts of town. Pure, instinctive curiosity was all that drove him...but, without words, he had no way to clearly express that.

[windandrain]

She shakes her head, rolling her eyes. "You're no ordinary dog, are you? I can feel that much about you. Or you'd have run away." She had this nasty habit of being able to terrify most animals, but particularly dogs.

[aerialassault]

Cliff watched the woman warily for a moment before sighing heavily. "Oh," he wanted to say, "is that all?

He trotted forward in lieu of further reply, and gracefully leaned back on his haunches before her. This woman felt like she was a force to be reckoned with, but Cliff saw no reason to fear her.

[windandrain]

She looks back down at him, eyes narrowed. A few things clicked all at once. A bold dog, a cursed baron. That sigh and the lack of fear.

"You're the baron, are you not?"

[aerialassault]

Were he still graced with a human countenance, the woman would have seen Cliff's amused grin at being found out. Despite how common the knowledge of his curse was, the people of Lazeria had yet to fully connect the nightly appearances of the giant hound with their leader's affliction.

Cliff barked once, in an affirmative to her question. Perhaps, he realized, they could work together while he still had his mind.

[windandrain]

Well now, wasn't that terribly convenient. The dog was the baron. She affected a sympathetic smile, surprisingly convincing for someone so obviously malicious.

"You poor thing. It must be dreadful not being able to talk. Did you need something, though?"

[aerialassault]

"Yeah," he wanted to say. He needed a lot of things-- like information about the state of affairs outside of his lands, what her purpose for travelling here was, and if she had any ideas about how to help him with his particular problems.

Instead, he barked once more. It was terribly frustrating.

[windandrain]

"Well," her viper's voice still honeyed with the hope of catching more information, "If you want my help and you can't talk perhaps you can lead me to where ever it is I can? In my country, some intelligent wolves write in the sand."

[aerialassault]

Cliff cast the woman a long, withering look at her barely veiled insult before acquiescing to her demand and scratching out a quick symbol in the dirt:

?

He had only been curious about her and about anything she knew, but the full explanation was too complicated to write out when you weren't graced with the blessing of thumbs.

[windandrain]

The question is somewhat apparent after a moment and she smirks.

"You want to know why I'm here? Well, I'm here because of all the rumors. I see they're true."

[aerialassault]

Cliff dropped his head with a heavy sigh, internally chiding himself over how obvious the answer was. His affliction was no secret, but he had hoped that word hadn't travelled too far outside of his lands.

He eyed her up and down, still curious. He didn't recognize the style of clothes that she wore...

[windandrain]

She leaned on her sword, a cocky look in her eye, armor clanking in the silence as she shifted position.

"It's news that's traveled far, to the East, beyond the Sea of Fire and to my homeland. Quite the curse, really. I've never seen it's like before."

[aerialassault]

The dog stared at her, as if struck dumb by the revelation. Such a distance was truly beyond the limits of Cliff's imagination. Influenced by a lifetime in this rural region, the idea that someone on the other side of the world had heard the tale and believed in it enough to leave her homeland to veryfy it for herself was unthinkable.

--unless, there was something else in play.

The growl was low, guttural, and started deep in the hollow of his chest. Ears flattened against his head, he snarled at the woman in a demand to know what it was that she truly wanted from this exchange.

[windandrain]

There's always something else at play, where people like her are concerned. His growl doesn't rattle her in the slightest, merely drawing a mocking roll of her eyes. He's just an animal to her, and that's all there is to it.

"Don't like visitors, Baron?"

[aerialassault]

Cliff eyed her warily, distrusting the woman's tone and her intentions, and made a mental note to keep a keen eye on the woman's activities during her stay in his lands. Whomever she was, she was as dangerous as any beast.

Only one of those was allowed in this region, as long as it was under his watch.

[windandrain]

With no real response, Saori turned and began to walk away, bored of dealing with the creature before her already. He'd be dealt with soon enough, after all.

[aerialassault]

Lacking the patience to deal with a woman like herself, Cliff let her go. The night was stil young and, if she were truly a threat to him or his lands, then the facts would make themselves known at the opportune time.

For now, there was no reason to give chase, but he would have his people keep a sharp eye on her in the future.