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Post by Duello on Jun 1, 2007 10:14:54 GMT -5
Duello silently lead his horse through the forest, his eyes darting around the tree limbs, ever watchful for the crimsha they were hunting. While they had yet to find so much as the first landmark, a pond of stagnant water shaped like a horseshoe, he didn’t dare let his guard down, given their chosen prey.
“Have you ever faced a crimsha before?” he asked his companion, preferring to get any useful information before they got close to the nest.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 1, 2007 12:41:41 GMT -5
"No," Eldarion answered a little distractedly, eyes narrowing down the trail. "My father was killed by one, but that doesn't really make me an expert on the matter. From what I understand they're able to move in complete silence though. We'll need to be careful." Rather obvious, that.
Whatever the case, it seemed the paladin had his own personal reasons for accepting the mission, monetary gain aside. Many Zhoan had lost family and friends to the crimsha. It wasn't really an unusual story.
"I hope you have a strong stomach. I imagine its' nesting ground is probably full of more than a few gruesome reminders of it's last few meals." It was a noted fact that the crimsha didn't leave much behind of their victims, and what they did leave was never pretty.
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Post by Duello on Jun 1, 2007 13:34:32 GMT -5
Duello glanced at Eldarion, gaging his emotional ties to the mission. he looked away, keeping his eyes to the forest and his voice low. "Yes, it would be most unfortunate to lose ones nerve while facing a crimsha." he said and fell silent, his ears would do him little good here, but his woodsman-ship gave him some insight into where best to look. Taking out his bow, he readied an arrow, just in case.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 2, 2007 15:44:20 GMT -5
Eldarion didn't seem overly emotional about it all, but then again he seemed to be the calm and collected type on the outside, what was going on inside his mind might be an enitrely different matter. It's really rather hard to say. Being exposed to both the Grand and the Thrae'Goden Valley growing up left Eldarion as somewhat of a peculiar, but not unlikeable fellow.
Regardless, he kept his claymore drawn and the few spells he knew circled his mind as if preparing for the last possible moment when they might be needed. "More like a deadly error," he answered blandly.
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Post by Duello on Jun 2, 2007 21:21:42 GMT -5
if he'd had time he'd have studied his companion more. he'd lived in both the grand, and the Thae' Goden valley and had, over the years, come to recognize people's origins by they way they held themselves, yet Eldarion was a mystery. the elf had the nobility of the grand, but with the more rustic overtones of the Thrae'Goden. he wondered idly if Eldarion was the image of what he would have been had he stayed more with his mother than his father.
in his musings, Duello almost didn't notice the bones until he was a few feet away from them. yellow red and fresh there were a small handful of bone fragments scattered next to the path. he inspected them. his eyes evaluating where they lay. they had been dropped from above. whirling he pulled back his bow and scanned the tree limbs above himself, but saw nothing.
"i think we've found the first signs of our prey." he breathed to Eldarion.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 3, 2007 10:27:34 GMT -5
Eldarion looked up, eyes narrowed. "Let's hope it didn't find us first," he answered, looking above him to scan the treetops. "And that it's the one we were sent out here for." Because really, there were plenty of crimsha in the Lunar Wood and not unheard of that one might find them in their travels. His hand tightened around his sword and he thought on his spells--he only had two and only one was likely to be remotely useful. It made the paladin feel a little inadequate, but, well, at least he still had his sword.
Tetra give me strength,' he thought. 'For I am most certain I am going to need it.'
Beneath him, he could feel Yago's muscles tense in nervous anticipation and laid a gentle hand on the horse's mane in an attempt to calm him. It worked, somewhat. But the horse wasn't the only one feeling tense. He found himself listening though he knew crimsha made no sound when they attacked and led Yago in a circle eyeing the leaves in the air above them from behind and then turning onward again.
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Post by Duello on Jun 3, 2007 10:57:45 GMT -5
after several tense moments of scanning the forest for a foe, Duello reluctantly relaxed his bow. "crimsha cant hide themselves well, they're too large. if it was here, we'd have seen it by now." he looked back to the bones. knowing full well that they were likely from a fellow elf. he bit the edges of his tongue lightly to keep his anger in check. he rose and continued forward.
"come on. but keep yourself alert and quiet" he whispered. "it's unlikely that we'll catch the beast unaware, but possible. i want to see it before it attacks." he finished then moved on slowly through the woods. his bow was ready and his sharp eyes scanned the trees and ground alike, watching for the bloated bodies of their prey.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 4, 2007 13:23:56 GMT -5
"True enough," Eldarion answered, another echo to his more rustic tones. A grand elf would probably have said something more formal 'a valid point' or somesuch. But that was entirely irrelevant given the current situation. His shoulders relaxed a bit, but not much, and he sent another prayer up to his goddess regarding the souls of the dead. It wasn't her domain, but at the very least it was the polite thing to do. And any halfway decent paladin knew his manners with prayer.
"Not something you need to ask," Eldarion answered lowly. "Let's just hope the gods are feeling kind." Which really was a 50/50 chance, and that much if they were even paying attention to the affair at all.
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Post by Duello on Jun 5, 2007 10:49:12 GMT -5
They continued forward, Duello's eyes bouncing around the forest, scanning for any sign of their target. A few times he noted trees with patches where the bark had scraped away high over head. A crimsha had come through here, but without a closer look at the bark there would be no way for him to tell how long ago. Finally, after what seemed like hours but which was, in reality less than an hour, he saw a faint glimmer through the trees. Drawing closer to it he identified a pool of green gray stagnant water, somewhat horseshoe shaped around an old rotted tree. He gestured with his head, jutting his jaw toward the pond to point out their first landmark. The next would be a downhill slope with a bolder jutting out of it at the top. He stalked away from the pond, his eyes alert for danger.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 5, 2007 13:43:34 GMT -5
Eldarion gave a curt nod of recognition. This deep into obvious Crimsha territory his imagination decided it didn't want to know what they might find at the bottom of that small pond or inside the trunk of that rotted out tree for that matter.
Yago let out a snort as if chastizing his partner to pay attention and Eldarion lightly pet the horse's mane as if saying, 'I know.'
They continued onward. Eldarion narrowed his eyes in the distance, as if doing so could will the jutting stone to come into view. No such luck. Though he supposed they were lucky enough to not get attacked by any other crimsha on the way. Best to count one's blessing while you've got them.
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Post by Duello on Jun 7, 2007 10:43:00 GMT -5
The pair stalked through the forest, alert and on edge for any movement around them. Hesitation could mean death when hunting crimsha. The path began to go gently up ward when the saw what looked like a large flat bolder at the crest of the hill. As they got closer it began to take shape, sticking out the other side of the hill like a peninsula in the air. Duello silently climbed onto the boulder and crawled to the edge, scanning the forest in front of them. The other side of the hill was a steep decline into a sea of dark undergrowth. Duello eyed the tree tops and after a moment his eyes settled on the slightly moving legs, and bloated body of a crimsha. This one was small, no larger than their horses, but it was there, hanging from a tree with a net of sticky webbing which it waited to drop on anything foolish enough to pass below. He held up his hand for Eldarion to be silent and then pointed through the trees. They'd gotten lucky this time, but this crimsha was much smaller than the one they'd come to find. He watched the paladin, curious as to how the swordsman would respond while he readied his arrow and prepared to start shooting.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 10, 2007 11:38:18 GMT -5
(sorry for the dealy. Things got a little busy for a few days there)
Eldarion gave a curt nod. Unlike Duello he was not equipped to attack from this distance and scanned the neighboring area for signs of other company. He didn't expect to find much--while Crimsha were plentiful they had a certain tendency to nest alone--unless, of course, this smaller one was a babe--then its mother and other small crimsha could be nearby.
"Lady Tetra, guide my hand," he mumbled the prayer barely audible under his breath. Unlike Duello, Eldarion was not equipped to fight from a distance and what little magic he had lacked range and was highly a defensive art.
"From this distance, I doubt you'll be able to get a clean shot," he said. Though if Duello could, all the more power to him. "But if you could perhaps distract it I'll try to come at it from behind. Foregoing that, I suppose I'll be the distraction and try to draw it a bit out of the tree line." Good to have a Plan B--and as much faith as he had in Yago, he knew the horse couldn't move with even half the silence of a Crimsha. They would be heard if the monster wasn't otherwise occupied.
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Post by Duello on Jun 10, 2007 15:32:28 GMT -5
Duello nodded. "You are correct, I'll stay here and watch, you go yonder" he pointed. "When you've gone a little way, I'll start firing. that'll distract it and draw it in. I'll need you to engage it when it gets about half way, I'm not equipped to handle it at close range, but if you can get it still for a moment about, there," points to a spot half way between themselves and the beast "i should be able to slay it." He draws his bow and watches for the paladin to know when to begin the assault.
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Post by Eldarion Kildare on Jun 11, 2007 12:33:21 GMT -5
Eldarion's gaze followed Duello's gestures and trailed once more over the landscape. "Just don't miss," he said, a very faint sparkle of humor entering his gaze. "I'd rather not turn into a Zhoan-kabob." Well, that comment was the Thrae'Goden side peeking through if ever there was one. Still, his gestures and features remained calm and subdued as he told his horse. "Come on then, Yago, it's time to fight."
The speckled-gray stallion galloped off, his rider keeping his gaze narrowed upon the tree line for any signs of movement. It was a good plan as far as plans went...but you know what they say about plans--they often go awry.
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Post by Duello on Jun 11, 2007 20:35:26 GMT -5
He watches the paladin gallop off down the hill, at first confused by his companions less than stealthy descent, but his hesitation lasted only a moment. a shift high in the trees caught his attention, the spider was adjusting to intercept the approaching rider, it's net in hand. a fringe of fear gripped him for his companions safety, and sanity and he raised his bow, leveling it at his target he fired and readied the next arrow without waiting for the first to land. he knew it would miss, and if it hit then it would do little damage at that range. it would take a direct hit to penetrate the spiders exterior, anything less would be deflected, or would lack sufficient power to injure it. the second arrow skimmed the beasts back and it turned toward him, apparently abandoning it's ambush method and rushing into the fight. it charged through the trees, working it's way lower toward the rider. it seemed intent on snatching a meal and then fleeing. as it got close it drew up hesitating, trying to plan it's approach to best grab the paladin and run. Duello rained another arrow at the beast, then cursed. "too far." he murmured. "bring it a little nearer." he readied his shot, hoping to at least keep the beast distracted and off his brave companion.
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