These woods are nice for a casual walk or even if you have a more adventurous urge. Bubbling hot springs lie just around the bend, fruits can be found to suit every taste bud, and rumor has it there are talking Tali who can speak Lambastian! (+2 Precision)

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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:11 PM

But as soon as she said so, she lashed her tails again. "No, I'm definitely going to track it. That thief stole my brushes. I'm not going to rest until I punt him half-way across the range." Her eyes burned with a fierce determination, and Li found himself pitying the thief, just a little. Well, that thief shouldn't have stolen their stuff in the first place, but they couldn't have known that they'd be dealing with someone like Mercury.

"Are we going now?" he asked. She shot him an incredulous look, but he said, "I just got the fire going again, see? And it's---" He looked up at the sky, searching for the moon. "Geez. It's not even that far past midnight. I don't know about you, but I need my beauty sleep."
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:14 PM

Mercury gave a hearty snort at that. "Don't bother, it's not going to help," she informed him. Li opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, continuing to speak. "The scent's weak enough as it is. If we leave it any longer, it might disappear entirely."

Much as he and his tired body hated to admit it, she had a point there. He cast one last reluctant look at the fire, then sighed and rose to his feet. "Alright, but you're carrying me this time," he said. If she was going to insist on their searching for this thief, then she could do the walking for them. He wasn't in any sort of mood to be taking a night-time hike through the mountains.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:17 PM

She rolled her eyes at his words. "Don't I always carry you?" Evidently she had expected that line of protest, and didn't even complain when he slung the bags over her back. At least they were both of them used to breaking camp quickly. Li worked with deft hands made only slightly sluggish by fatigue, and soon enough they were ready to set off.

... Well, by his standards, anyway. From the way she shifted from foot to foot even as he swung himself up onto her back, it was still too slow for Mercury. She took off before he was even properly seated, and he had to cling to her neck and hold on with all his might not to be thrown off.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:20 PM

"Hey, slow down! Do you even know where you're going?" Li did his best to regain his balance, but he found that he had to grip her sides hard with his legs. If he loosed his grip the least little bit, he found himself wobbling precariously. Given the fact that she had six legs instead of four, one would have expected her gait to be smoother, but running like this, somehow it was more jarring. It didn't help that she had gone off-road, and the terrain of the mountain was considerably less even than the path.

His question wasn't entirely unfounded either. She had said it herself, after all, that the scent of incense was weak. Li himself couldn't smell anything, so the Riopath's sense of smell must have been the stronger after all.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:23 PM

"I've got it," said Mercury, sounding fully confident, but the next moment she stopped abruptly. Li toppled sideways, hanging nearly horizontally, and gripping her mane with white-knuckled hands. Usually she would have protested at that, but this time she didn't so much as shift or sidle. She had put her nose to the ground again. "I've got it," she said, but clearly she didn't, moving her head this way and that as she searched.

Li had just about regained his seat when, sure enough, she went tearing off again. He was beginning to resign himself to the fact that he was probably going to get bucked off tonight. "Maybe I should have just walked," he muttered.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:27 PM

But as soon as he said it, he thought better of it. If he had walked, then he certainly would have been left behind. Mercury was in no mood to wait even a little bit, and the Riopath taking off at full speed wasn't something he could match just by running. If they became separated, there was no guarantee they'd be able to find each other again no matter how long they'd been together before.

Mercury, to her credit, was making admirable progress. She lost the trail a couple of times and had to double back, but she always managed to find it again. Li began to marvel at the distance they had travelled--- Mercury was starting to pant with exertion, but still there was no sign of the thief anywhere to be seen.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:30 PM

He was starting to rethink his assessment that it might be human. Maybe it was something like Mercury, a sentient creature of some sort. It would have to be, to travel so quickly. If Li couldn't outpace Mercury, then another normal human certainly couldn't. The travelling lifestyle necessitated fitness, and Li himself was no slouch.

There was nothing he could do but wait. And wait. And wait. Even with the jerky motions of Mercury's frenzied pace, Li eventually dozed off. He didn't wake again until, close to dawn, Mercury abruptly stopped in her tracks and he was finally unseated.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:36 PM

"Ack!" Having fallen unceremoniously onto the ground like a limp sack of potatoes, Li found himself jarred painfully awake. Rubbing his shoulder, where he had taken the brunt of the blow, he forced himself to sit up. "What is it?" he asked blearily. Mercury didn't answer, but she didn't have to this time. He realized it too, as soon as he had a look around.

They were back at their campsite. At first he couldn't believe it, and took a double-take just to be sure, but yes, that was their fire. It still smouldered a little, not quite having burnt itself out yet. They hadn't been gone for long enough for it to die.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:40 PM

He could even see the spot where he had laid down his bedroll. The grass was pressed down by the weight of his body. At the thought of his bed, he began to feel sluggish again, but more than that, he felt defeated. "It's leading us in circles," he said. "What a waste of time..."

Mercury's excitement seemed to disappear with this discovery too. She had gone dazed again, except unlike when she had first discovered the missing bag, there wasn't the same anger simmering just below the surface. "I was so sure that we'd be able to catch the thief," she said. Her voice sounded so small compared to the fierce tone she had used before.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 10/15/2015 11:43 PM

Li laid a hand on her flank, trying to think of something comforting to say, but nothing would come to mind. He felt sorry for her, but there was nothing they could do. They had lost their only lead on the thief, and he couldn't see any others.

"Maybe we should ask the mountain guardian for help," he said.

She eyed him unhappily, but there was no heat in it anymore. "Don't joke," she said tiredly.

He returned her look. "Who's joking? The locals seem to believe in it. Maybe it'll help us find the thief," he said. When she didn't look convinced, he added, "It can't hurt to try. Besides, you said incense, right? That guardian has temples, and maybe we'll be able to find more leads if we go to one."
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby .:Random Event 2:. » 10/16/2015 2:24 AM

As the pair talked in the forest, suddenly the birds stopped calling, the bugs stopped humming and it seemed even the trees themselves came to a complete standstill. Any wind has ceased and suddenly the forest was filled with an ominous and foreboding air, as if something vast and terrible had slipped in between the trees.
Then something moved between tall oaks, a thin black Celestial Mist, filled with glittering stars. As it touched the ankles of the two standing in the forest and flooded the leaf litter floor, they would have felt instantly at ease, and the ominous presence slowly faded. As the mist moved away, life sprung back into the forest again, the birds started chirping, the bugs started humming and the soft breeze returned.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 06/02/2017 5:21 PM

Mercury still looked doubtful, but her response took a different tack than what Li had been expecting. "Alright, suppose we do go and try to find this guardian. How are we supposed to find a temple if we can't even find our way out of this mess?" Li opened his mouth to answer, then hesitated. She had him there. Even following a scent trail as Mercury had been doing, they had just wandered around in circles.

... Wait a minute. "Merc," he said slowly, eyeing their surroundings with a more cautious gaze. "The scent led you back here, right?"
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 06/02/2017 5:21 PM

"Where are you going with this?" The Gyrraptor narrowed her eyes at him, not following his train of thought.

Li's attention wasn't on her, however. He remained quiet, as if trying to listen for something. It was only when an impatient Mercury nudged him with her nose that he came back to himself, and answered her question. "Well, what if you never lost them? They could have doubled back," he said, his voice still hushed, as if he was afraid of being overheard.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 06/02/2017 5:21 PM

"What?!" Mercury, clearly having no such qualms about being heard, emitted an ungodly screech. Even Li, who was used to her, had to wince and cover his ears against the noise. "You mean that thief could be here?!" Immediately she began nosing through their bags, checking for belongings. Mostly her own belongings. "That stupid no-good stuff-stealing... If they took anything else..." She dissolved into muttering darkly, most of which involved threats of some sort. Some of them sounded pretty dire.
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Re: The Way of Forgotten Things [HUNT] [self]

Postby crow » 06/02/2017 5:22 PM

Li swallowed, despite knowing full well that he himself wasn't the thief, and tried not to look too closely at her claws. Mercury was his companion, and she was his friend, but even she could be dangerous when the mood took her.

"H-Hey, let's not get too hasty," he said, though she didn't look like she heard him. He didn't bother trying to stop her from searching their bags either. If nothing was missing, she would at least have that comfort.
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