We will type our roleplay actions/story description stuff in the "Post a Comment" section below.
Prompt:
Image - "The gate in the walls of the big city"
Travel Music
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deactivated
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Type anything between one sentence and a few paragraphs!
If you need a memory refresher of any of the Vael lore, shoot me a message on FB and I will answer. Or you can include it in your roleplay post (I think it lets you edit comments later?).
Mikio struggled to keep his balance as Lushia dragged him along towards the Market District, one of her favorite places in the Avaelian City, with a big grin on her face. A man wheeling a cart of goods stopped Lushia in her tracks, and she clung Mikio's coat so he wouldn't fall forward.
ReplyDelete"Mikio! Mikio! Look!" :D Lushia exclaimed, seemingly fascinated by the exotic fruits on the cart. "Those fruits look interesting."
The fruit seller smiled at them shyly and continued wheeling his cart. He was heading towards the Market District as well.
The smell of fresh, exotic fruits filled the air and the noise of the hustle and bustle of the busy market made Lushias shouts all the more nessecary, getting louder as they followed the fruit sellers route to the markets.
ReplyDeleteMikio always enjoyed the variety of sights and tastes and smells along the marketplaces. It was the people that always spoilt his day. The rush of ongoers swarming around like moths to a flame, flickering from one seller to the next without thought of hesitation for one another.
He managed a slight smile at the kindly fruit seller who greeted them as Lushia continued to whirl her way through the crowds from stall to stall, eager to take in the variety of goods on offer.
"What exactly are we looking for again?" Mikio asked, trying to make himself heard over the haggling and advertising going on around them.
"Umm..." Lushia looked around, trying to redirect her distracted thoughts. She then looked down, focusing on a specific cobblestone on the pavement, until she remembered.
ReplyDelete"We're mostly out of candles... I may have burned them all..." she recalled her late nights drawing by candlelight until she fell asleep, accidentally leaving the flame to burn. It was a miracle their tent hadn't caught fire yet. Mikio preferred that their temporary home on the outskirts of the city would last a while, as a tent replacement wasn't in their budget.
"And some charcoal sticks." Lushia finished, referring to her doodling medium. "I think we need food, too. Do you need anything?"
"Candles. Right." Mikio sighed, resigning himself to more nights spent worrying about the flammability of their temporary residence.
ReplyDeleteHis head twisted and turned, trying to follow the flow of the crowds around the bustling marketplace. The smells of local butchers meats and exotic spices caught his nose through the air and it flared with excitement.
"Lushia, I think I found us our dinner."
Mikio grabbed lushia as to not lose her in the tumult of activity in the marketplace and drove towards the deliciously scented foods, eager to see what was on offer, and for what coin.
A bit of shine caught Lushia's eye as her gaze locked on a jewelry cart, upon which sat glass cases displaying expertly-cut gems. She turned her attention back towards the direction Mikio was taking her, and her senses became confused by all the different scents of food.
ReplyDeleteMikio dashed, dragging lushia bewilderedly behind him, towards the vendor selling "Meat! Fresh from this mornings hunt! Meat! All cuts available fresh! Fresh from this mornings hunt" The seller yelling loud enough to be heard above the dun of the other sellers vrying for coin.
ReplyDeleteEagerly, Mikio purchased a rather large cut of meat and turned to lushia, eyes wide with anticipation "Cross dinner off the shopping list!?" he laughed "whats next on the list eh Lushia?"
Lushia stuck out her lower lip.
ReplyDelete"But I wanted fruits and veggies too..."
Mikio laughed and patted her head. "Of course, I almost forgot. Go on and pick some out, then."
Lushia skipped over to the nearest vegetable stand and grabbed an armful of red and white leek-like veggies, potatoes, and sweet corn. Mikio handed her a basket after she nearly dropped half of it.
"Careful, we're carrying all this back so don't take too much." Mikio told her. He helped her gather the vegetables into the basket, and paid the seller at the vegetable stall.
Lushia nodded, only half-listening, and happily made her way to the fruit stand. She selected a few quinces and a small bag of goga berries. Mikio soon joined her and paid the fruit seller as well.
"Now all that's left is candles!" Lushia said contently, looking at her basket of fruit as Mikio carried the veggies and meat.
Mikio glanced around and spotted a small enchanting shop nearby. He motioned for Lushia to follow, and they walked towards the shop door.
The sound of chimes was followed by a pleasant muffling of the noise outside as the old wooden door shut behind them. Lushia soaked in the scenery: colorful tribal blankets, shawls, and tapestries were displayed all around the walls of the shop. Charms, feathers, and herbs hung from hooks and pegs. Small idols were lined up on some shelves, immaculately-stacked scrolls on others, and there was a section for various bottles of potions and dyes.
Mikio headed towards the familiar shelf of candles and incense as Lushia fixated on crystal charm necklaces hung on a swiveling display stand. He selected two medium-sized pillar candles and a bottle of lamp oil.
"Lushia," said Mikio, turning around. Lushia didn't react as she was fiddling with a skillfully crafted amethyst. "I got the candles, ready to go?" Mikio asked, knowing she was listening.
"Yeah." Lushia replied simply. A few long moments passed before she finally put the amethyst back on the shelf, and turned to face her patiently-waiting friend.
Mikio placed the candles and oil on the glass counter, and an old man with furry elf ears, squinted eyes, and henna-tattooed shoulders scribbled something onto a ledger.
"Good news for you, my friend." said the old merchant in his thick tribal beast-elven accent. "Our Lord Oriens has blessed my family with provision this week, so the candles are discounted."
"Thank you, Kamili." Mikio replied, cupping his hands in front of him to show his gratitude. Being a regular at Kamili's shop, he was well-versed in tribal-elven manners. He took out his wallet and handed Kamili the coins, and Kamili nodded at Mikio as he and Lushia left the shop.
Warm air hit the pair of them as they left the shop, the sharp but quiet ringing of the small golden bell signalling their exit as the door swung behind them. They stepped into the hot afternoon, the sun bearing down on them and the busy streets encroaching on them once again.
ReplyDeleteBoth Mikio and Lushia were weary from the days tasks, the oppressive heat and busy mid afternoon markets had taken their toll. Despite feeling a little refreshed by their pleasant dealings with old friends, the two agreed that it was time to head back to camp before the day got the better of them.
They walked a slow pace back towards their camp, discussing the events of the day and their purchases as they travelled.
The day pressed on and the streets thinned out as the company of two headed away from the busy markets and as customers began to head back to their dwellings. It was nearing dusk when they returned to the camp, and the air around them was quiet, filled with only the sounds of wildlife in the distance as Mikio began preparing a fire with which to cook their dinner.
Lushia compulsively hovered around Mikio to make sure he didn't need anything else, then wandered into the tent after seeing that he was preoccupied with building the fire. She plopped down on her pillowy bedroll and hugged her extra blanket close to her chest. The familiarity of the tent and the softness of her carefully-arranged bed was comforting to her, as always. She slept there awhile until the flap of the tent opening tickled her keen hearing, and she heard Mikio's voice.
ReplyDeleteLushia couldn't quite process what he said, so she simply gave him a weary glance without speaking. Mikio respectfully closed the tent, knowing that Lushia needed a bit more time to gather herself before she could come outside to eat.
The air felt a bit more chilly now that it was dark. Lushia yawned and rubbed her eyes, stretching her limbs and torso in all directions to convince her weary body to wake up. As much as she loved being in the city, the commotion always wore her out.
She rolled over onto her stomach and reached for her notebook, her fingers brushing against the teardrop symbol beveled into the soft leather cover, and then opened the book. The pitch blackness of the tent made it impossible to see what was on the page.
In appreciation of her random intuition, she tucked a handkerchief into the chosen page of her book. She then plodded out of the tent and carefully stood up, glancing at the cooking pot hanging over a flickering fire. Mikio looked up from the log he was sitting on, the fire bathing his face in a warm light. Even in the darkness, Lushia noticed the bit of stubble growing on his chin. She looked around for her wooden bowl and spoon, found them on one of the logs, and ladled in some stew before sitting on the log adjacent to Mikio. She glanced at him briefly, and he smiled at her as he looked down at his half-eaten bowl of stew with a laugh.
"I tried my best to wait, but it looked so good." he said, and he continued to eat.
Lushia attempted a smile (though she wasn't sure if it looked like one) and dipped her spoon into the stew. It had some of the meat and vegetables they picked up earlier: the rabbit meat, red leeks, and potatoes. One bite of the thick, savory soup and Lushia started to feel better already.
~
The next morning...
"Hey Mikio?" Lushia said, carrying a small bag on her shoulder. "I saw a really pretty necklace in the Marketplace yesterday... would you mind if I go back to get it? I saved up my own money for it. And you don't have to come with me, since I know you've got work to do outside the city."
"Of course." Mikio replied with a smile, before continuing to poke the embers of the fire from breakfast to snuff them out. "Just be back before sundown. And be careful, yeah?"
He stood up, reaching into his pocket, handing her a couple small grey orbs.
"Smoke bombs?" Lushia asked, puzzled.
"In case you run into trouble." Mikio explained. "Simply throw them at the ground and the force will activate them."
Lushia nodded in response, not really worried about "trouble." She slipped them into a small pouch on her belt and shifted the strap of the bag on her shoulder.
"Thanks, Mikio." Lushia started to walk off towards the city walls, waving. "I'll be back!"
Lushia walked away from the jewelry stall, humming contently. Opening the small pouch she held, she discreetly pulled out the necklace she had wanted. It was a butterfly-shaped pendant, with light blue crystals and a silver setting. Its silver snake chain was silky smooth.
ReplyDelete"Even if I can't wear another necklace, it's still pretty..." Lushia uttered to herself, using her free hand to fiddle with the moondrop necklace she was already wearing--and always wore. She pulled a leather hair tie out of her pocket and intertwined the chain of the butterfly necklace around it, knotting the leather and silver strings at each end. Careful and focused, she held her new "bracelet" around her right wrist, the crystal butterfly dangling at the bottom, and used her fingers and teeth to tie it at the top.
"There." she held up her wrist and smiled at her work, then continued on her way to the city walls.
Her smile stuck to her face, even as a merchant ran past her in a panic.
"Goblins!" the merchant shouted to the people he passed by. "Goblin raiders outside the walls!"
Lushia's smile faded as she stopped in her tracks, the situation sinking in. Uh oh.
Music > https://youtu.be/4un7Jedpicg
"Close the gates!" shouted an Avaelian guard at the other guards.
The guards rushed towards the gatekeepers, relaying the the message. Alarmed, the gatekeepers began cranking the levers on either side of the market district's entrance. Each massive door on the gate began to creak and move inwards, joining like the inside of a pointed bird's beak.
The sound of screeching goblins echoed outside the gate. Just before the resounding *thud* of the doors slamming shut, one of the short, sickly-looking creatures slipped through the opening. Lushia only caught a glimpse of its greenish skin, crooked pointy ears and glowing red eyes.
The gasping of the frightened crowds was drowned out by the screeching as the goblin rushed headlong towards them, wielding two crude axes. Lushia backed away behind a stall, watching this strange being sprint in a direction (thankfully) not near her. It didn't get far as it was swiftly surrounded by the guards.
As the guards came upon him, Lushia looked away. The war-screeches became shrieks of agony, followed by the thud of a fallen body. Lushia looked again to see blood on the ground beneath the feet of the guards. They talked amongst themselves hurriedly as other guards ushered the crowd away from the scene. The gatekeepers, in the meantime, kept a tight hold on the cranks of the gates while backup gatekeepers set up a large metal barricade--like a cage--in front of the gate.
Lushia didn't want to get swept up in the crowd, but didn't want to face the goblins either. She rushed from behind the stall to catch up with everyone. Her vision blurred as she struggled to process what was going on--adrenaline was high. She was ushered into a building with the others, and it took her a moment to realize it was the candle shop she had visited with Mikio yesterday.
Kamili the beast elf looked startled at the sudden throng of anxious citizens in his shop.
"What is happening?" he asked, looking around for one of the guards.
"Goblins..." one of the women answered. She looked down at the baby in her arms, her concerned eyes wide.
Minutes seemed like hours as Lushia stood quietly among the crowd, tense and heavy, trying to tune out the hushed whispers around her as she absently fiddled with the crystal butterfly dangling from her wrist.
Mikio smiled a smile tinged with a certain sadness as his companion dissapeared into the city after her little trinket, knowing that it would be a while before they saw each other again; his
ReplyDeletebusiness lay elsewhere.
The morning pressed on slowly as Mikio packed up camp reluctantly, making his earlier farewell linger in the morning air like the air of a pale spring morning;
fair and bright, yet still clinging to the cold of winter.
With provisions finally packed, Mikio set off, heading out east from the city towards the forests. He turned his head to look back on the great city he was leaving behind,
if only for a while. He took out a small note from the inside of his cloak:
'Hallowed forest. south. come quick. -P'
Mikio found himself at the stables on the border of the city, and bought a horse for the journey. Adorloth; a magnificent beast, strong and lean, but sturdy
enough for two riders at pace.
Mikio loaded adorloth with the packings from camp and saddled up, ready for the journey ahead. They set off, racing down across the open plains and rolling fields that lead out and down from the big city, that now looked ever smaller on the horizon.
Mikio was not eager to enter the hallowed forest before they had to.
He knew that there was trouble in the deep, dark places of the world and while he was well versed and experienced in wayfinding and wandering, he did not fancy getting
lost amid the troublesome roots and weeds that snaked around in an intricate network along the forest floor. His letter troubled him as they neared the forest, he did not know what other evils may be inside the wicked place.
Adorloth trotted on along the forest edge, Mikio on the lookout for the old paths that lead through the forest. Paths that were laid by the elves of old.
Mikio called Adorloth to a halt as he inspected a tree. A rune was inscribed into the bark. This was the sign that he was looking for. Mikio could see an opening in the
trees that showed even ground, and a winding path that lead into the forest.
Mikio lead his horse onto the path slowly and gently. The light from the clear mid afternoon quickly dissapearing under the thick green canopy of the hallowed forest.
The air was suddenly close, the heat of the day making the air exceptionally thick and heavy. Mikio atop Adorloth trod the path carefully, not wanting to get lost in the heady darkness.
The two of them closed into the centre of the forest slowly, rogue branches scratching them as they passed, snagging Mikios already worn cape.
On they rode until they came to a clearing, the trees seemed to part almost unwillingly, not wanting to show the clearing to unfriendly eyes. Mikio sighed. He knew this was where
the note would send him. He looked around himself, the air was still, every natural noise of the forest seemed amplified in the clearing making Mikios eyes flick from one source of noise to another.
Suddenly a whistling noise shot passed mikios face, followed by a sharp thud of metal on wood. An arrow. Mikio searched for the shooter in the bushes, hands raised in an unthreatening surrender.
'Friendly' he called. 'Im here about the note.'
'Old friend. I'm sorry. I had to be sure' Came a voice from the bushes followed by a tall, worn man concealed in a thick green cape not too dissimilar to the one worn by Mikio.
He approached Mikio cautiously. 'You look rough' he said, his voice almost a whisper.
Mikio almost forgot himself. 'Phillion!' he explaimed. 'Not as bad as you my friend! How long have you been hiding out in this gods forsaken forest?'
The man recoilled at the noise, but as the rest of the forest seemed unperturbed he was soon upright. 'Quiet. This is not always a safe place. There are dark times ahead. The Devaeli. They attacked our camp. I have never seen sure pure hatred and anger. Such a shroud of negativity that overwhelmed our unprepared defences-
'-The Devaeli. Out this far? are you certain?' Interjected Mikio. This news troubled him. The devaelians hadn't been an active threat for years.
ReplyDelete'-Theres no time. Take this. It was safe with us, but it is no longer so. Our Peoples called it The Light of Shiva. It shall be safer with you now. Take it to your elf friend.
Out of his cape, this ragged man pulled out a small jewel, wrapped carefully in soft cloth, and gently lifted his arms and handed it over to Mikio.
'Phillion.' Questioned Mikio as he took the precious jewel. 'What..what is this?
'Not here, This place is not safe, never is for long. Now Go back.
Mikio was about to ask Phillion to come with him but the worn and weary man had slapped the hind of Adorloth forcefully, and sent him speeding back into the woods, with mikio startled, holding on for his life.
Adorloth raced out of the forest, a clever beast, startled but wise enough to remember the tracks they took inward. He calmed as they came to the open air again, and mikio set off at pace.
Eager to find Lushia, they set off at speed, hastily making their way back to their camp outside the city walls.
They found only the remains of a fire, and some tattered rags where there had once been a tent. Mikio hopped down of Adorloth and inspected the area. This happened recently.
He took Adorloth by the reigns and walked anxiously to the gate.
'Halt!' Came the cry from atop the city gates. Followed by an arrow that landed at Mikios feet. 'By order of the mayor, you shall come no further!'
Mikio stood, silent and resolute. 'I must enter the city. We were camped here. My companion and I. I must find them!
'Come no further!' came the cry again from the gates. 'or we will put you down.'
'My companion goes by the name Lushia. Is she in the city? I must know!'
'That is non of my business. My business is making sure no strangers or goblin folk enter this city. Now Begone!'
Mikio and adorloth turned dejectedly away from the gates and made their way back to the ruins of their camp. Mikio needed to think. He needed to find Lushia.
No one was allowed near the windows of Kimili's candle shop. Lushia stood quietly, convincing herself that she was calm, despite her inner tension. She took a deep breath, focusing on a shining facet of her crystal butterfly charm. Glancing briefly around her, she noticed the panic in people's faces. Were they more afraid than she was? Lushia wasn't sure if her calm was merciful or should be concerning.
ReplyDeleteOne hour passed. The guards finally opened the door, and told everyone to go home and stay put. The crowd quietly filed out with sighs of relief, concerned muttering and comforting words amongst each other. Lushia left the shop, anxiously watching the guards. One stood by the shop door, and others took new posts around the town, mostly in front of buildings and around the city walls.
Lushia spotted a family heading back towards the center of the market district in the direction of the gate, so she followed behind them. Sticking close to the shop walls, she eyed the gate. It was just as she thought; guards were flocking there. Her heart dropped when she saw them hauling large metal girders to barricade the gate.
Lushia puffed out her chest in preparation, and began walking towards the guards. One guard separated from the group and approached her.
"Halt!" he said firmly, holding up one hand towards Lushia and gripping his jeweled spear with the other. "The city gates are closed until this area is deemed safe!"
"But my camp is outside." Lushia said. "My friend is waiting for me!"
"Your friend will have to wait longer, then." the guard replied with resolve. "No one--and nothing--is getting in or out of this city today."
Lushia let out her breath in disappointment, but she didn't want to argue. So she walked away.
Where would she stay for the night? She didn't really have a backup plan for this sort of thing. And she preferred not to be out and about all day until nightfall. She sighed again, and headed towards the residential district. Once there, she sought out a familiar copse of trees that often served as a sanctuary from the crowds in the city.
Lushia sat beneath a narrow tree, its odd curve suiting the shape of Lushia's usual slouch. This was her favorite tree. At least the weather was nice...
The warmth of the sun lulled Lushia into a peaceful sleep, so peaceful not even the thought of goblins troubled her.