Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Alliance of Living Things (Team Story) - Ambrosia Software Web Board

[OOC][url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/001435.html#BigJoe08-01-200308:09PM"]The story starts here.[/url][/OOC]

Joe turned to find two attractive women on sitting on top of the boulder. They appeared to be twins, and both were clad in long dresses. One was wearing a green dress which appeared to be made of leaves, and she had some sort of ivy binding her her hair in a long pony tail. The other’s dress was made of brown, pliable animal hide, and her hair was draped over her shoulders. The one in brown spoke.

“My sister is Flora, and I am Fauna. She is the Spirit of things that grow from the ground, and I am the Spirit of the animals. Our brother talks to much, and rarely gets to the point he’s trying to make. You have been summoned here because you are the human I have chosen to bring the animals of this island into alliance with the humans. They see your kind as invaders, killers, and destroyers. They like you, however, Joe. Have you ever wondered why they always respond to your lyre? You have the gift of the mage in you, and unconsciously focus that gift into your music. But you also have a love for animals beyond that of most humans, and the animals see that and respect you for it. I have chosen you as the Bard of the Beasts, the one who sings and speaks to and for the animals, primarily for this reason.”
“But why is it so important that the animals ally with humans? And am I the only one bringing about this alliance?” Joe asked.
This time Flora spoke. “A time of destruction is coming to the island. I can assure you that unless all living things on this island work together - people, animals, and plants - nothing will survive. I can see on your face that you don’t understand how you can work together with the plants. They don’t appear to move or think very much, do they? But they are alive, just the same, and they will be necessary for your survival. And as to your second question, don’t be silly. Of course you are not the only one who is going to bring about this alliance. You have been chosen by Fauna as the BeastBard. But she has also chosen another servant, which you will meet. I have also already chosen two servants, they will bring the plants into accord with the others. And Morte has chosen one that he summoned from another universe, and he will chose three more servants.”
“My servants will be emissaries of a sort to the Four Powers of the island, attempting to gain their help in the coming strife. They don’t want to believe that the whole of the island is in danger, but they will sooner or later, and it would be better for us all if it were sooner. And we are already gathering the other servants,” Morte said. Joe looked around.
“We will gather together the others soon enough. Do you remember the brown smoke in the clouds that made you come up here? Only those I have called can see them. Flora’s Smoke of Summons is green, and Morte’s is blue. It won’t take long before they notice their signals and come to answer them,” said Fauna. “I have a task for you before the others are gathered, anyway. A long time ago, I put much of my power into enchanting a small, metallic charm in the shape of a running titan. It allows those who I chose to be able to speak and understand the languages of the creatures of this island. I think you will find it helpful if you were to search for it. It is lost in the forest on the west side of the island, just north of Land’s End Volcano. The cave it resides in only opens at the waning half moon. That’s in three days, and if you are forced to wait until the next moon cycle, it may be too late.”
“That’s on the other end of the island from here! How was it lost all the way over there? And how am I supposed to get there in time?” Joe exclaimed.
“A long time ago, it was necessary for me to chose a human servant like you to avert a different crisis. He successfully saved the various of animals on the island from tragedy. But after he saved the animals, he made the mistake of insulting the snakes, and they turned on him. He survived the attack, but his mind was addled by the poison. He lived out the rest of his days in the cave as a hermit, and died still wearing the charm. You will get there by riding your titans, but you will need to gather some friends to help you. There now resides within the cave a great evil. I do not know what it is, for I have not seen it, but I can sense it. But I do know you will need help.”

***************************************
Joe threw the doors of the Tavern open. “I am going to the other end of the island, and I may need some people to ride along with me,” Joe announced to the patrons.
“Ride? What do you mean ride?” someone in the crowd asked.
“I mean I have to get there fast, and we’re going to ride my titans.” Joe then related most of his story to those that would listen.

[OOC] Yay! I got a story started. Now we just need some participants. Here are the current positions, both filled and unfilled. Note that those who fill the positions of the Servants of the Spirits of the Wilds (Morte, Flora, and Fauna) will need to write their own little bit about how they were summoned. Also, in case you couldn’t tell, I have not thought of what tragedy the island is facing, so maybe someone can help me with that.

Morte’s servants:
(Remember that Morte has already chosen one, and is yet to decide on the others)
Emissary to the South (Fire): Liberius, son of flame and spirit of chaos ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Celchu08-09-200312:29AM"]bio[/url])
Emissary to the North (Air):
Emissary to the East (Water):
Emissary to the West (Earth):

Fauna’s servants:
Bard of the Beasts: Big Joe [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#bigjoe04-24-200303:03PM"](bio)[/url]
(invent cool title here):

Flora’s servants:
(invent cool title here):
(invent cool title here):

Titan Riders with Joe:

1. K'reec'renetch'oorom, the Moogle & Sorcerer of Soil ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Hamster208-02-200312:28AM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Elessar
2. Thomas of the Crystal Daggers ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#DarkJet08-05-200301:35PM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Ory
3. Nixus, the wanderer ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Nixus04-23-200306:40AM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Elanor
4. Ferazel, the Habnabit ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506.html#ferazel_0910-26-200007:27PM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Dory
5. Yunaleska of the Forest ([url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Yunaleska08-18-200306:22AM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Peregrin
6. Villa, the scoundrel ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#dusk07-21-200305:09AM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Glorfindel
7. Pyrus, apprentice swordsman ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Fanatic7280205-09-200303:04AM"]bio[/url]), Titan: Striver

Other Travellers:
D'ak Taan, a dark-elf assassin ([url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html#Rogan01-16-200302:35PM"]bio[/url])

Okay, that’s it. If we need more positions, we can make them up as we go. [/OOC]

[This message has been edited by Big Joe (edited 09-30-2003).]

[OOC]ooh, interesting...
Assuming that the evil in the cave isn't the huge evil you speak of, the huge evil could mabey be a demon of pollutants, corrupting those on the island to pursue more industrialized goals. The combined force of all the living things on the island would be required to stop the force of industrialization sweeping the landmass. Just a thought.[/OOC]

The one moogle undid it's spell of multiform, and coaleced into it's true form. It communicated telepathically with joe.

"I wish to aid the ground in this mission you speak of. I shall become the Sorcerer of Soil." The moogle stepped towards Joe.

[url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506-3.html"](bio)[/url]
(scroll down to the moogle pic)
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I scream. You scream. We all scream. For pork loin.

[This message has been edited by Hamster2 (edited 08-02-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Hamster2 (edited 08-02-2003).]

[OOC]

Quote

Joe's journey to retrieve the animal-speech charm is just a sort of subplot in the whole thing - a preliminary adventure before the real one. And as for the time of destruction coming to the island, I was thinking a little less idealistic. Like meteors raining from the sky or something. See, I thought of the basic solution to the problem before I actually thought of a problem, which is generally not the best way to do things, but unfortunately, that's often the way my mind works.

Quote

I'm confused - what position in the list I made do you wish your moogle to take? By "Sorcerer of Soil" do you mean that you want the moogle to be Morte's emissary to the West/Seldane/Earth? If so, you'll need to write a bit about how Morte came to choose the moogle as such. Of course, that's not necessary if you simply want to join Joe as a fellow rider on his journey, and just have a nifty title.
I've read most of the other incarnations of the Tavern, and several of the other team stories. From what I can gather, the Cythera we've created on this board is a cross between Tolkein's Middle-Earth and Greek Mythology. We have primarily humans, and a handful of elves, dwarves, and hobbits. We have a few gods, goddesses, and spirits, too. There are a very limited number of other types, and those who use them generally explain in detail how they came to Cythera. You probably need to write a little more about how a moogle came to Cythera, and why it wants to go on this journey with Joe. You'v got the first moogle character on this board, and only some people even know what a moogle is (I did, by the way ). I'm pretty sure that Joe doesn't have a clue what a moogle is, and a telepathic koala with bat wings would most definitely freak him out.

[/OOC]

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"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Inventor of the "Analytical Engine", the first computer.

[This message has been edited by Big Joe (edited 08-02-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Big Joe (edited 08-05-2003).]

Thomas walks in just in time to hear all what Joe said, Thomas walks over to Joe and asks if he can come. [Ooc: what else am i supposed to say, oh btw can i join in on this story? Bic:]

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[OOC]Not a problem, Dark Jet. I'll put Thomas down as a Titan Rider. Oh, Hamster2, unless you tell me otherwise, I'm putting the moogle as a Titan Rider. I guess you can do the whole introduction thing later. So that makes two companions so far. It looks like we're getting under way! [/OOC]

Joe replied to both of those who confronted him. "I would be glad to have you both riding at my side, even though I've never met either of you before now. However, you both appear to have formidable abilities, both in magic and in physical skill, and though I don't know what we'll face, I'm sure that you will both be valuable allies indeed. The titans are out in my stable by the river. You can both go now and choose which titan you would like to ride, if you want. When you go down there, you should know that my steed is the big green male with the tusks, and he'll get angry unless you tell him I sent you. By the way, I didn't catch your name, Mr. --"
<K'reec'renetch'oorom> said a voice in Joe's head when he faced the moogle, <but since I know you can't pronounce it, you may call me "Moogle".>
"Alright, friend Moogle," Joe said with a slight grin, an then he looked thoughtfully at the moogle's body structure. "Do you need me to have a saddle made for you? A titan's neck is about the right width for a human to ride bareback comfortably, but you don't have long enough legs to ride without falling off. I'm friends with the local tanner, and I'm sure he could make a saddle for a very reasonable price, and quickly, if I asked him."

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"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Inventor of the "Analytical Engine", the first computer.

[ooc] Joe, I'd love to join in, so save a spot for me! However, I'm not sure whether I should use Villa or rush Dusk back and use some one I'm used to. Any thought's on teh subject? I'm not sure if you've read Villa's description, but anyways... I'd appreciate some input [bic]

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Better to die on your feet then live on your knees.

OOC: I'd be a part in this story but Moogles annoy me even more than elves. Also I'm not entirely sure how a Necromancer would fit into an allience of all living things...
Maybe when the story gets going a bit.

Az

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zin is human; even more zin is divine
[url="http://"http://onlineprozac.topcities.com"]Feeling down? Don't ask, just click.[/url]

From the shadows, smoke drifts up. It twirls, condensing into a solid image, that of a robed man. The smoke segregates into colors, the grey robes barely distinguished from the dark black face. Red, flame-shot eyes burn outward. A slight hissing permeates the sudden silence.

"I am needed." The blast of air is cacophonous, like an explosion, and the words are barely pronouced. "I will bring your case to the Element of Fire, for the mind of a Flame is focused on chaos, and only those born into it can hope to understand. I, and only I, will be able to represent you in this, for chaos cannot be learned."

A wavering voice asks, "But what are you?"

"I am Liberius, the spirit of chaos and freedom. I am born of Fire, but not with it. I am the essence of free will." The figure floats away, its feet neither moving nor touching the ground. "I will need no mount, for the flame dances where it can without hinderance."

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Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out. And then it was nice. - Forrest Gump
Check out my [url="http://"http://www.livejournal.com/users/~celchu"]blog.[/url]

[This message has been edited by Celchu (edited 08-09-2003).]

Villa stumbled into the damp wall opposite the door and straightened his shirt, looking disdainfully back at the Two Tailed Rat. He mumbled something rude under his breath and walked away.
Cheating? Me? He thought indignantly, He hadn't been cheating, he just bumped the table. By accident, of course, it was sheer luck it made him win.
He brushed anoyingly at his clothes, scrubbing at dirt that wasn't there. He scuffed his feet and hung his head, mumbling misrably about life in general, the unfairness. Why did everything bad always happen to him?
Ever since Villa had landed in Cythera, swimming ashore in disgust after being thrown over board, he had been befallen by a string of bad luck. Firstly he had been robbed what precious wealth he did carry by a local fishermen, who found him on the beach. Then, Villa remembered (rubbing bruised ribs) there had been that run in with a wine sellers daughter on the east coast, and the "friendly" game of draughts in Kosha, which landed him a black eye and a debt with more then two digits. And just now he had been kicked out for "being a bloody nuisance".

He wandered in the fading light towards the next tavern he could find, the Alaerician Tavern- as it's swaying sign pronounced regally. Villa shrugged and pushed the door open, trudging towards the bar itself. The patrons were rowdy as it was still early and torches burned safely behind their coveres on the stone walls.
Villa grinned as charmingly as he could manage at the bar tender and ordered a good wine. He sat wearily and sipped at his glass when it had arrived.
Merry music played from the corner, laughter drowning the melody. Very few people wore frowns, and those who did huddled on darker tables, murmering. The wine was good, and no one paid any attention to Villa. He sighed and thought of paradise islands he had never visited, woman with barely enough clothing to fill a pitcher of fine wine and riches beyond his unconcious thought.

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Dice fell chattering to the table, bringing a small smile from Villa. The other man grumbled and pushed another two obols across. So far he had been going well, his revenue increased to a breath taking twelve obols.
"So I told him-" Villa continued, sipping another (his seventh) glass of wine "I told him 'if you don't let me go, you won't live to tell the tale!'."
The man smirked and rolled the dice again, "What happened then?"
It was Villa's turn to sigh, reluctantly scraping three obols back towards his companion Thaos. "They had to let me go, didn't they? After all, I was the only one who knew the location of the secret island, and the emperors daughter." he lied. In truth his short imprisonment with the Eastern Pirates had him wind up broke, naked and devoid of his entire stash of fine wines after they decided (quite loudly, and without any tact, might he had) that he was a "worthless piece of parrot ****; who fancies a drink?"
Thaos laughed and gathered his winnings, patting the quite properly drunk Villa on the back and left, returning to his forge. Villa pocketed his meager money and fell asleep, heavily clunking to the table top. He awoke a few hours later, finding his money yet again missing.
[edit] spelling [/edit]
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Better to die on your feet then live on your knees.

[This message has been edited by dusk (edited 08-10-2003).]

There was a burst of black flames next to the fireplace, followed by a high-pitched ringing tone. With a whirl of a cloak, Stephant appeared into the Alaerician Tavern. He stepped up to the bartender and ordered a glass of ale, after withdrawing several oboli from his pouch. "The names Stephant, Nathaniel Stephant," he greeted to the bartender. There was no reply, a few villagers in the tavern stared at the cloaked man, whom called himself Stephant. Stephant took a sip of the ale, and ignored the gestures and remarks of the villagers. The tavern was swept back into normalness, conversations resumed and the music started playing again.

"I'm going to Pynx to pick up a few belongings, don't worry, I'll be back," he commented to the bartender. "Asmerald Ort !" Stephant exclaimed, and again with a whirl of his cloak he was gone.
"Quite a touchy entrance and exit if you ask me," the bartender muttered to himself, and returned to his buisness.

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~"Never look back at your
past, but at the future that
awaits you."~
Captain Nathaniel Stephant

Moonlight filtered into the small room, painting silent figures of furniture with its pale and vulnerable glow. Nixus’ silhouette sat on her bed, dark and untouched by the light. She was completely silent, lost deep in thought, and didn’t even notice when the drowsiness took her over and she fell back on her pillow, fast asleep.

Morning dawned grey and miserable. The young mage rose and made her way out of the room and toward the library for yet another day of pouring through books. But before she had even made it half way to her destination, she ran into Dusk and Lindus, who both seemed very preoccupied. Dusk was holding a folded piece of parchment securely in his clasped hands.

It seemed that Nixus had found them at the end of their conversation, because before she had approached them, they had bid each other farewell, and Dusk began walking back toward the young woman.
‘Dusk,’ Nixus said, a note of concern in her voice, ‘is everything alright?’
The man looked up at Nixus and thought for a moment before speaking.
‘Um, this letter just came for me,’ he said. ‘It is from King Alaric, the King of Cythera. He has requested that I join him as soon as possible.’
‘What ever for?’ Nixus asked.
‘I don’t know; he didn’t specify why,’ answered Dusk.
‘And what about Roughs Point?’
‘I am afraid that this takes priority, Nixus.’
Nixus nodded. ‘I understand.’
‘You could come with me, if you wanted, Nixus.’
There was a pause. ‘No Dusk,’ the young woman finally said. ‘King Alaric asked for your presence, not mine. This is your story. I think it would be better if I went back to Cademia.’
Dusk looked disappointed.
‘I came to Cythera in search of something, and my going with you, I am sure, will not assist in me finding it,’ Nixus said. ‘I know it sounds a bit selfish, but it’s something that I have to do.’
Dusk gave a single nod. ‘If it is what you wish, then I will respect your decision.’

It did not take long for the two to ready themselves for their separate journeys. Lindus came and saw them off.
‘Farewell,’ he said, taking both Dusk and Nixus’ hands. ‘I hope that your brief visit gave you the insight you had come for.’
‘Thankyou for all you have done for us,’ Dusk said.
He and Nixus both bowed and took one last look at Pnyx, and Lindus left them.

‘Are you sure you will not come with me, Nixus?’ Dusk asked, turning toward the mage.
Nixus looked at Dusk. ‘No Dusk,’ she said, sadness filling her voice. With a final smile she added, ‘I will not forget you,’ and began her journey back to Cademia.

- - - - - - - - - -

Days blended into nights, and Nixus hardly slept or ate, until the image of Cademia stood welcoming her. From the moment she saw the very tops of the city, Nixus did not stop running, until she finally arrived outside the familiar tavern where she’d first met the only people in Cythera that she knew.

The young woman panted heavily and leant against the outside wall as she caught her breath. As she did so, she could recognise the voice of Joe coming from inside. She listened intently until his story ended, then silently entered the tavern and took a seat in an unoccupied corner.
When the crowd around Joe began to thin, Nixus approached him. ‘Hello again, Joe,’ she said, smiling.
Joe looked taken aback. ‘Nixus!’ he exclaimed. ‘Welcome back! When did you return? And where is Dusk? I have some rather interesting news for both of you.’
‘Actually,’ Nixus began, ‘Dusk isn’t here. I returned alone.’ She told Joe of the journey to Pnyx, the letter from the Cytherian King, and her hurried journey back to Cademia.
‘Anyway,’ she said finally, ‘ I was wondering if there would be any room for me on one of your titans?’

(ooc) Oh, it’s great to post again! (bic)

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When doubts arise, the game begins

Dusk had finished what little of his food remained, sheathed his sword and, in his long trench coat, helmet dangling from his wrist; he made his way towards the Landking Hall. The note had been brief, the hand scrawled and rushed, not Alarics save for the signature.
Dusk was troubled, his pace fast and careless; tripping and snagging his pants on passing bushes.
Why did Alaric want him?

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Villa shifted table again, closer to his mark. Only one more table. He sat drinking a glass of wine, very slowly, and spilling as much as he could, so as to stay sober. Villa knew as well as anyone that even one glass would go to his head.
Villa spied again over the rim of his glass. Joe's form was still on the table, in deep conversation; and there, at his belt, hanging neatly over the edge of the chair- was Villa's ticket, his aim. A pouch of obols, all he had to do now was to lean over, undo the small knot and...
He moaned, there was probably less then a hundred obols in there. He couldn't quite bring himself to it.
Since his birth Villa had been acoustumed to a rich life style. His parents both 'worked' full time, his father a corrupt judge who's bribe payments fed the family, and his mother was a secretary for a local businessman. Villa always suspected her late night's at the office weren't just paper work, but he never questioned. Wine had been his liquor of choice since he was young, and Villa was opposed to almost any phsyical work, believing this to be for the farmers and black smiths. In an odd way, his rich life style had carried itself on, perpetuating itself in his theifing. Villa had always shied away from pick pocketing and shop lifting, viewing it for some reason in the same category as phsyical work.
Villa leant over, having swapped tables for the last time, and set to work deftly on the loose knot, taking the wieght of the bag gently. As he finished, tucking the bag neatly into his cloak a hand fell heavily on his shoulder.
Villa's stomach turned, queasy. A cold sweat broke out, his mind switching through a million excuses a second, most to please himself more then his perscutor. He turned grimly, facing a big man who had introduced himself earlier as Avatara.
"Well... You see-" Villa stuttered.
"Thought you might just help yourself? Wretched villian, speak up!" Avatara shook his shoulder painfully and dragged Villa to his feet, chairs clattering.
By now the tavern was silent, Joe stared indignantly.
"What is your name, theif?" Joe stood now and walked around Villa, who was held firmly in place by Avatara's strong hands.
"I'm Villa, please don't hurt me I dind't mean anything by it, honestly just a bit of money you wouldn't miss it I would've given most of it back I-" he blurted, cut off by a shooting pain, as his arm was twisted into the small of his back. He yelped and cringed. Joe motioned for Avatara to be a little more gentle and continued his questioning; "What are you doing in Cademia, Villa?"
"Oh just passing through, just-" Villa yelled again as his arm shifted "Ahh! Ow! Gentle! Stop stop stop!" Avatara stopped and growled, advising Villa that it would be a good idea to be a bit more "descriptive".
"I was thrown over board and swam ashore, I don't know anyone I came here to find some work, I was robbed on the beach and-"
"And what is your work Villa?" Joe paced around, the other patrons still paying attention, but less obviously.
"I'm a gardener. I mean, a botanist! I study plants."
Joe smiled, thinking of what Flora had said, maybe this theif would be of use after all. "Plants? Hmmm..."
Joe motioned Avatara, who dropped Villa to the floor, he sat up and rubbed his arms, looking pleadingly at the stoney faces about him.

Joe looked Avatara in the eyes. "If what he says is true, we might need him, Flora mentioned that the plants would play an important role too."
Avatara frowned "He is a theif. I would not trust him, but the decision is yours."

[edit] added a proper ending [/edit]

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Better to die on your feet then live on your knees.


[This message has been edited by dusk (edited 08-12-2003).]

Ferazel rises from his metaphorical grave and wanders over to the Tavern. After getting a drink, he notices Joe, and approaches him. "If you want me to join you on this quest, riding a titan, I can help. I'm quite an expert on Cytheran spells, and I have created a few, being a master of the art spellcrafting."

Joe replies "Yes, that would be quite fine. We shall leave soon enough."

Ferazel pulls out a titanium PowerBook, connects to the local AirPort network, and telnets in to Ramen-San for maintenence.

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Key Part in the making of Xichra's Revenge.
---
Welcome to the lighthouse at the bottom of the hill / we don't get many guests 'round here; some say we never will / the world is crumbling before your eyes, before your vacant stare / listen to the sound of trees falling when nobody is there.
---

Yunaleska was afraid but tried not to let her fear get the better of her. She had heard about the alliance that was to go ahead and she knew that it was what she was destined for. Yuna had lived with animals for as long as she could remember and she could speak better with the animals than she could with humans. She was lucky though that she had been taught to talk well when she lived with her horrible foster parents. She had always thought of their methods as hard and cruel but now she silently thanked them for she could now communicate with the alliance leaders.

She walked over to a man with short brown hair and a beard of the same colour. He wore a hat brown hat and thick leather boats. Before she could say anything to him she heard a man call hello to him as he walked past, “ Hey Joe, How’s it going?” Joe replied in a similar way and continued his walking.

Yuna found her opportunity as he walked quietly after him. “Excuse me sir,” she yelled in her young voice, “excuse me?”
He turned to her and replied with a general, “huh?”
“Sir is it possible for me too join your alliance? I have a lot of experience and… I … I can talk with animals,” She found her self shying away from the last bit of her sentence. She had never told anyone about her 12 years of living in the forest with animals as her only company. The tall man looked at her for a few minutes. He seemed to be unconvinced but didn’t immediately dismiss her.
“ You do realise that most of the people on the expedition will be older and mostly men, don’t you?”

She replied with a little more confidence “Yes sir and I think I can handle it.”
He still seemed a little unsure but she seemed so confident and sure about her ability to handle this and he knew perfectly well that her ability to talk to animals would be an asset that he had to allow her. He smiled at the young girl and said “ Ok we will give it ago.”

[Ooc: Thanks for this Joe can’t wait to see how this ends up. I’m reasonably new to this so if any of you have any tips don’t shy from telling me =) Bye.]


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[OOC] Welcome to the boards Yunaleska! If you want, you can post a brief biography of your character on the [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506.html"]Character Info[/url] page. Great to have you aboard. You too, Ferazel, Dusk, Nixus, and everyone else that I haven't acknowledged. If you'll notice, I've been updating my topic-starting post to include participants in the various positions. And AZ: I agree with you about the moogles, but I'm trying to be polite to the new guy.[/OOC]

Joe welcomed all of the people who had joined him, shocked that so many were so willing (or so bored) that they would come along with him to accomplish a task that he himself did not know much about. He hadn’t offered them any sort of compensation for their efforts, they just volunteered. Joe realized that he knew very little about the people he would be riding with, either. Most had simply approached him out of no where without any iinformation about themselves or even a greeting in some cases. But help was help, and Fauna had said he would need help recovering the creature-speak charm. As he had already dedicated all of his titans to riders, he figured that he must have enough help.
Joe announced to the motley crew gathered around him that they would be heading out at daybreak. Groans about the early departure could be heard from most of the group. “I know it’s early, but in order to get to the cave in time for it’s opening, we have to leave and move as quickly as possible,” Joe responded. “I advise you all to finish your drinks and get to bed, because you’ll all need to be alert tomorrow morning as we go through some very basic riding instruction before we head out. Thank you all for your willing assistance, and good night.”
As he walked to the small room he had built for himself in the attic of his titan stable, Joe thought about the people going with him. He was especially intrigued by two people: a young girl who said she could already speak to animals, and a sleazy crook who claimed he studied plants for a living. The spirits he had encountered up on Rough’s Point had said that he would not be the only person involved in establishing this alliance between the plants, animals, and people. He resolved to take them both up to the rune-covered boulder as soon as he had retrieved the charm he was sure he would desperately need.

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"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Inventor of the "Analytical Engine", the first computer.

The candles around the tavern slowly began to melt into themselves, the flames upon their wicks spitting and dieing in the liquid wax. Nixus had sat alone twisting her fingers around her pendant, thinking, for a short while after Joe had retreated to his room in the titan stable, but the hour was growing rather late, and she knew that she’d need all the sleep she could get for the long journey in the morning. Stretching her arms and yawning contently, the mage rose from her place at the table in the corner and received a room from Avatara.

It wasn’t the same room as before, but it looked the same on the inside. Nixus found a box of matches and lit the stub of a candle resting beside her bed, giving the room an eerie yet warm glow. She climbed into her moth-eaten bed and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost emediately.

A night bird flew past the tavern, and back again, running its glistening wings against the glass of Nixus’ window. The girl woke with a start, and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. ‘The sun will soon rise,’ she said to herself. ‘Not much point in falling asleep now.’ She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and looked down at her feet, taking a few moments to wake up properly, then changed and headed down to the tavern below.

At first, it seemed that Nixus was alone in the tavern. She ran her fingers through her hair and rested herself against the window, looking out at the very early morning, when a deeper shadow than the ones filling the tavern flittered into Nixus’ view. She turned around to see that it was another girl around her age.
‘Oh, do excuse me!’ Nixus said in her surprise. ‘I did not see you there.’
A shy smile played on the girl’s face, and Nixus could see this as she stepped into a lighter patch of the room.
‘Quite alright,’ the girl said shortly. ‘Um, are you going with the alliance, too?’
Nixus smiled warmly. ‘Yes, I am. How did you guess?’
The girl gave a short, timid laugh. ‘Why else would you be up at this hour?’

There was a period of silence, and both girls began to become uncomfortable. Nixus spoke up to break the silence.
‘My name is Nixus, by the way.’ She held out her hand, which the girl shook.
‘Yunaleska,’ she said. ‘Nice to meet you, Nixus. I was afraid for a moment there that I’d be the only girl and youngest traveller of the alliance.’
‘How old are you? You can’t be much older or younger than I.’
‘I am seventeen,’ Yunaleska answered. ‘How old are you?’
‘I turned eighteen just over a month ago,’ Nixus said. ‘Sure is nice to have someone around my own age nearby! Are you excited about the journey?’
‘Oh very! I can hardly wait to get off. Just one thing, though, what are titans?’
Nixus laughed airily. ‘To tell you the truth, I’m not so familiar with them myself! They’re big green beasts with a long neck and thin little legs. Odd they are, really.’

By this time the sun had began to glimpse over the horizon, spreading its golden light across the whole of Cythera. Yunaleska noticed this, looking out of the window.
‘The others will be here soon.’

(ooc)There was a little information about Yunaleska in my post that she hasn't mentioned on the boards as of yet, but I have spoken with Yuna and she told me a little about her character, so any information above about Yuna was created by her (bic)

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When doubts arise, the game begins

By now the sun had fully risen. This was more different then anything Yuna had ever experienced, waking in a room and seeing a sun rise from such an unusual place for her. Yuna had never slept in a room for as long as she could remember. Even before she had run to the forest Yunaleska had slept on the floor of the living room. She had been so warm all night that she found herself sitting up by an open window all night!

Yunaleska sat in a world of her own, imagining her animals, and wondering where they were now, if they were ok and if they missed her. The small girl felt her eyes sting and allowed a tear to escape. Yuna didn’t want to seem weak but she had lost a forest full of family and couldn’t hold back.

“You ok Yunaleska?” Nixus interrupted as she handed her a mug of tea. Yuna left her nightmare and wiped her eyes quickly before taking her drink.
“ Yes thank you… I’m fine,” She sniffed and tried to compose herself. Yunaleska found herself shying away from Nixus but suddenly realised that she needed Nixus to trust her and the only sure fire way for that too happen was for herself to trust Nixus.
“I just miss my family,” Yuna hurried, “ No biggy.”
“Your family? Why’d you leave them and decide to join a bunch of people who just want to help the animals?” Nixus asked, obviously intrigued.

Yunaleska jumped up away from the window and Nixus and walked over towards the door.
“ My family got killed when raiders burnt our forest,” Yuna said quietly so Nixus had to strain to hear. Nixus was confused. This didn’t sound like a normal place for a family to live.
“ Your family lived in the forest?” Nixus asked the younger girl.
“ My family was all the animals of the forest. When I was five I ran away and the animals of the forest took me in. I can communicate with animals. That’s why I’m here.” Yuna told Nixus in a sad tone.

Nixus new better than to force the girl to tell her more than she immediately offered. So Nixus asked Yunaleska if she was hungry and the two of them went down to breakfast!


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Rhemi walked up to the tall figer of Joe and told him he was the dancer of fire and he could be usefull in this quest."Can i join and come with you" asked Rhemi.


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im am shaman of all the
shamans fire is my friend
i am the fire dancer

Villa had gone to bed reluctant and regretful, eating little.
After what seemed all too brief a time, Joe had decided that Villa's botany skills would be an excelent addition to the team, and (with a little encouragement from Avatara) he agreed heartily.
As luck would have it Villa did know a little about plants, his mother being a keen gardener in her spare time. But joining an heroic expedition in a strange new land with the promise of danger and adventure was not exactly what was Villa had in mind.

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Villa walked down stairs, grumbingly about the bad "room service", his bed had been cold, and was woken far too early by some wretched bird.
"Not even breakfast in bed!"
Villa realised when he arrived in the main room of the Tavern that very few people were awake, two woman sat eating breakfast at the table, both paid little attention to his arrival. Villa recognised one of them as the girl who had arrived to join the party the night before. After a moment he decided that he hadn't been seen, and snuck as silently as possible towards the door. On his journey along the coast to Cademia Villa noticed another city in the distance, shimmering and flickering like a mirage. This is now where he intended to head- avoiding the still sleeping members of the team would not be too hard. As he reached for the nob of the heavy wooden door, it turned and clattered, revealing again the form he was begenning to loath.
"Out for an early morning stroll I see, Villa?" Avatara grinned and helped the nearly escaped criminal to the bar. "What's that Villa? You'd like to buy me a drink? How very kind!" Avatara grinned, clearly enjoying himself. Villa flipped a few obols onto the table and sat heavily.
I guess what the captain said about these people being "a bit intolerant" of people like me is right on the money, he thought glumly.

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Better to die on your feet then live on your knees.

(ooc)Hello all im going to make a new char that is an exiled assassin named Satori, she and Pippin are at the moment living a life of misery together.(bic)

Pippin and Satori slumped down at a table and orderd a beer each,Pippin noticed a large ammount of heroes in the tavern, "God not another adventure; and Satori don't get us mixed up in this one ok?"
"Ok." replied Satori grumperly, the figure of Ferazel walked by, Pippin growled. Satori asked "What was the matter?"
"That man that justed walked by I have a gruge against." Pippin felt for her sword, but Satori heled her back, "No we dont want to get involved in a fight."

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Yummy! My moldy, crunchy, mouth-watering... *drools* frruuuiitt cakkeee...

[OOC] Pippin, this is a team story, not the tavern, so unless you want to add something constructive to this story, please don't post here. I don't want to prohibit you from participating, but try to keep the things you post in this topic involved with this particular story. And Rhemi, the position of Emissary to the South/Fire is already filled by Celchu's character Liberius. [/OOC]

Joe woke before the sun rose. After making a little bit of porridge for breakfast and washing it down with a glass of goat’s milk, he came down from the attic to prepare the titans. “You know, fellas, you’ll be going farther in the next two days than you’ve ever gone,” Joe said to the beasts as he strapped on their harnesses. “We’ll also be going pretty fast too, so we can get there in time. Are you guys up for it?” To Joe’s amusement, his personal steed Green Giant gave a resounding growl in response. “Good for you, Giant,” Joe chuckled. Joe used a long rope to tie their harnesses together, then mounted Green Giant and led the herd to a big open field west of the city. He tied them to a small shrub, told them to stay put, and left to go gather the other adventurers.

*************************
When he arrived at the Tavern, he found that though it was still some time before daybreak, the two girls accompanying the party were already down in the common room of the Tavern. “Good morning, ladies,” Joe said as he entered. “I’m glad to see you both here. Is anyone else from our group here?”
“Not that I noticed,” replied Nixus. "Avatara's around, he might have seen someone."
Joe looked over the room, and found Avatara sitting at the bar, with someone unhappily pouring him drinks from a bottle.
"Good morning, Villa, Avatara," Joe greeted them warmly. "Villa, I'm so glad to see you actually took my advice last night, stopped drinking and went to bed. I half expected to find you sleeping off a hangover on the floor this morning."
"It's so nice to have so many people to look after me. I just bought Avatara here a drink to thank him for showing me so much hospitality," Villa sneered.
"And who says he didn't pass out on the floor?" Avatara interjected. "I carried him up to a bed about midnight, after he'd 'borrowed' some of Borus's strong Royal Red from a man who had already passed out from it's influence. I figured it might be better for your expedition if he slept it off in a bed."
"Thank you, and I'm sure Villa thanks you, too," Joe said.
"Yes, anyway, when do we go to the titans, if you please?" Villa asked in an effort to change the subject.
"Oh, as soon as the whole group shows up. Shouldn't be long now."

*************************
Before the sun had finished rising, the rest of the party had arrived at the Tavern. After greeting each other and talking for a little while, they agreed to go out to the titans. Joe brought them out to the field where he had tied his herd, and he mounted Green Giant. “All right, in case you’ve never seen one, these are titans. They’re normally pretty docile, and if you treat them well, they’ll be friendly right back.”
The long-necked, six-legged titans wandered in a circle around the strangers, smelling them, very curious about these newcomers. The group just stood there, slighly intimidated by the massive reptiles. “All of my titans are well-trained, so to mount them, just say ‘Help me up’ and they’ll kneel down and let you climb on they’re backs. Sit right at the base of their necks, like me, when you get up. All right, the two with the brown stripes down their back are twin brother and sister, named Ory and Dory. Thomas and Ferazel , you can take those two.” The boy and the Habnabit both said “Help me up” and quickly mounted their titans.
“The big one with the black diamond-shaped spot on his head is yours, Villa. His name is Glorfindel, and you two should get along well. His personality is as charming as yours.” Villa said “Help me up” and the beast kneeled down, but when Villa tried to mount him, Glorfindel stood up and knocked Villa in the dust. “Try again,” Joe said. “You probably bumped his sore shoulder.”
“Typical,” Villa said. “I get the one with the sore shoulder. Help me up.” Villa mounted Glorfindel successfully this time.
“The one that’s all brown is Elanor, and Nixus can ride her. Yuna, you take the one with the black spots on his sides. He’s Peregrin, and he’s a little inexperienced, but you’ll do fine. And the last one with the saddle and the brown stripes on his tail is for you, Mr. Moogle. The tanner was too busy, so I carved a saddle out of a wooden chair and some rope. I hope that’s all right. I made sure it wasn’t rickety or anything, so you shouldn’t have a problem with falling off. You titan’s name is Elessar.” Nixus and Yuna mounted their titans quickly the normal way. The moogle, though he could telepathically give the command and the titan responded, was still too small to mount properly. So he backed away a few paces, got a running start, and did an impressive little backflip right onto the seat on Elessar’s back. Everyone clapped, and the moogle took a little bow before seating himself.
Once everyone was mounted, Joe showed them some basic commands and riding techniques, and they rode in circles around the open field for a while. Soon, when they all felt comfortable with their steeds, they gathered to talk about plans. “We have two options,” said Ferazel. “We can go straight south from here until we hit the swamp, and then go along the south east side of the mountains until we reach the south shore, and then go west from there. That route is probably the most direct, but it might be slower if we have to deal with ruffians and swamp gators. I think we’ll go a little faster if we take the pass through the mountains toward Pnyx and then head south from there to the cave. The pass takes us a little out of our way, but it’s a little safer, and we don’t have to smell the swamp.”
“I agree, I think we’ll take the road west. It may be a little longer, but the titans can handle it, and they’re afraid of the swamp, anyway,” Joe replied. Everyone agreed on the route, so when the sun had finally finished coming over the horizon, Joe gave the word, and they all rode off together to the west.

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"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Inventor of the "Analytical Engine", the first computer.

[This message has been edited by Big Joe (edited 08-19-2003).]

Pippin and satori rode up on there horses towards the titens and there riders. Pippin called to them asking if she and satori could come with them for they were heading towards the same direction.


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Yummy! My moldy, crunchy, mouth-watering... *drools* frruuuiitt cakkeee...

[OOC] The characters in the story ride titans because there are no horses on the island, like in the game. [/OOC]

Just as the riders were heading out of town, two very small people calling themselves hobbits came running out of the bar to ask if they could come along.
"These are the only trained titans for miles, little one, and I don't know of any other beasts on the island that can keep pace with one," Joe told the halflings. "Also, I've heard that you don't get along well with certain members of our group." Joe caught Ferazel and Pippin glaring hatefully at each other. "We need to go quickly, and grudges between members of our party will be detrimental to our quest. However, before I left the tavern last night, I overheard two men, Acrolek and Val, talking about recruiting people to go on another quest. I think they're storming a forbidden city or something. You both look like pretty scrappy little fighters, they might need you. Thanks for your offer of help, though. I may need your help once we recover the charm, so don't feel bad. Goodbye, and good luck."
And with that, Joe turned his titan around and the group rode towards the still unlighted west.

[OOC] The quest Joe speaks of is Dark Jet's [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/001469.html"]The Siege of Korax[/url]. It looks promising, he hasn't put any limits on participation (like I did with the number of titans), and he does need volunteers. Oh, and you might want to add a little bit of background information for your characters Pippin and Satori on the [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum5/HTML/000506.html"]Character Info[/url] page. [/OOC]

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"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Inventor of the "Analytical Engine", the first computer.

[This message has been edited by Big Joe (edited 08-20-2003).]

Nixus closed her eyes, feeling the cool air on her bare face, breathing deep the morning. The titan, Elanor, rocked oddly beneath the mage who wasn’t used to riding animals with more than four legs. She stroked the beast’s long neck and it grumbled softly in content. Nixus looked around at the familiar path, they passed the place that she and Dusk had first camped on their journey to Pnyx, and her thoughts wandered to where he may be now.

Yunaleska had been riding close by Nixus, and noticed the “deep thought” look upon her face. She took one hand from the reins and reached over to tap Nixus on the shoulder.
‘Are you alright?’ she asked. ‘You seemed so excited earlier, and now you’re all…detached.’
Nixus looked over to Yuna, who had returned her hand to the reins, and smiled. ‘I am fine, thankyou Yunaleska. I was just thinking, I walked down this path only a week or so before now, but it seems to be an age ago. Dusk and I camped over there,’ she pointed to a space by the side of the path, ‘and over there…’ She had completely forgotten about Francis up until now.
‘Over there?’ Yunaleska asked.
‘Oh, um we, er, found a wild titan,’ Nixus lied, and not too well. But Yuna “ah’d” and nodded her head.

The thought of Francis had come as a bit of a shock. Why hadn’t he returned since then? Nixus had travelled alone back from Pnyx, and would have been an easy target, even if Francis did just want to talk like the last time they’d met. It struck Nixus that she’d escaped Francis many times – he’d never managed to “finish her off” – and she wondered why; he was a far better mage than she, and magic was often stronger than physical melee, which was Nixus’ specialty. And what of the land she’d once loved so? He had told her that their people were dieing, and the War was drawing to an end – their end. What would the elves do? The beautiful, clever, tricksy night elves whom Nixus had called friends?

‘Nixie!’ Yuna exclaimed.
Nixus shook her head and blinked. ‘Sorry, did you say something?’
‘Yeah, I asked where you’re from; you don’ t look Cytherian.’
The mage sighed. ‘Yes, I am not Cytherian,’ she replied. ‘I am a mage from the land Esper Salam – ‘
Yuna grinned. ‘You’re a mage? Wow, can you show me something?’
Nixus hesitated, looking around to see if anyone was watching (she didn’t like being the centre of attention, and didn’t want to look as though she was showing off), but everyone else was busy talking amongst themselves. She held out her hand, which was closed into a fist, the back of her hand facing down and whispered ‘Ir’ien tel.’ Upon opening her hand Nixus revealed a solid crystal of ice.
Yunaleska gasped. ‘Wow, that’s amazing!’
Nixus laughed. ‘It’s nothing compared with what the rest of the mages my age can do. I was fortunate enough to be born with a rather odd gift, it blocked my magic and I can’t summon even some of the simplest of spells.’ She placed a lot of sarcastic emphasis on the words “fortunate” and “gift”.
The ice melted and Nixus brushed the wet from her hand, before returning her hand to the reins. Yunaleska looked in front of herself to make sure she was on track, before turning back to Nixus.
‘Tell me more about Esper Salam.’
Again, Nixus hesitated, looking for the right words to describe her home. ‘Well, for a while it has been very war torn and dried up – not a pleasant place to live. But, I do remember when the war had only just begun and the land hadn’t changed a great deal. I lived in a small village in the kingdom of Junninon. Everyone in my village lived in thin stone towers. I lived with my mother and father, and my younger brother, Salem. Salem and one of his friends always used to join me down by the lake, and we’d swim for hours with the rainbow-coloured eels, and the dwarf squids. Most of my village was covered in ancient trees, some of which were hollow and you could climb up them on the inside.
‘When I left my home, my village was burnt down – a lot like yours, I suppose – and I fled to Myrith, the smallest, yet most magical, kingdom of Esper Salam. It was like a never-ending forest, and the trees seemed to talk to one another, alive and human-like. The tarns and lakes were fairly small, until you actually dove into the water and discovered that they were all connected beneath the earth. There were giant cities of merpeople and nymphs far below the surface. Many of the nymph cities were built from precious jewels, such as blue topaz, lapis lazuli, and sapphire (they tried to live unnoticeable, and blend into the water), whereas the merpeople preferred to live in stone cities carved from the existing underwater mountains.
‘I never had the privilege of going down to one of these cities, but I had read many books and heard many tales from those who had. I instead joined a cult of night elves. Night elves were much like castaway elves – a lot like myself. They lived on the plains and tundras beneath the naked sky and were very mastered in stealth. My particular cult was named “Goth Lorrir”, after our saviour, Nixumphadora.’
Nixus looked dazedly ahead. ‘I wonder how my people are now, and just how much of the magic of Myrith remains…’

Nixus became silent.

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When doubts arise, the game begins

Glorfindel was tempremental to begin with- bucking Villa off every few steps but soon he settled down to a comfortable plodding pace, jolting Villa in at least an even fashion. The scenery rolled past in an almost mundane way, birds twittered in their usual mindless fashion and plants swung their leaves.
Swining their leaves, thought Villa, like animals clawing. He had often read of trees "clawing" or "waving", as if they were people in their own right, to Villa they all just looked like trees.
Villa rode on, ignoring his surroundings as much as he could and focusing on his thoughts. Expecting them to dark and glooming, he was suprised to find himself not all together uncomfortable. Despite himself, Villa did like the out doors, and now Avatara wasn't around the company wasn't all that bad, he supposed.

Villa had been wondering for a while how to go faster, a point which Joe seemed to have 'left out' of his training. The others already knew, but whether that was past experience, or Joe's instruction he wasn't sure.
He attempted leaning forward and urging the morose male titan to move a little more speedily; the result was a quick series of grunts and a voilent, gutteral growl. "So it's not like that..." Villa mumbled to himself. He peered up from his efforts to watch the others. He saw Joe pass the two woman- girls really, judging by their age- and retake his place at the front, after quizzing Ferazel about the path.
He was doing something with the reigns, thought Villa.
Villa tugged gently on the reigns of Glorfindel, who moaned in protest and stomped angrily on the spot before resuming his relaxed pace with the other large, green animals. He tried again, this time sort of flapping the reigns around Glorfindles neck. He was obviously not having any effect, as the six legged creature ignored him all together.
Villa sighed and leaned his head onto the long neck of the odd creature. Hopeless, utterly hopeless. "Why can't you just go faster Glorfindel?"
At these words Glorfindel picked up the pace, trotting past Thomas. Villa was delighted and was suddenly over come by an urge to shout. He almost did, but decided that this discovery was probably better kept to himself. He spoke quietly now, almost whispering for Glorfindle to slow down. The titan obeyed and dropped back into place.

Villa's mood had picked up, and he was almost begining to enjoy himself, when it started to lightly spit. Perhaps a sun shower, he thought optimistically, but his hopes were crushed when over the mountains that surrounded them peaked the tips of dark, ominous clouds.

[ooc] I'm sorry my posts have been so short and... well, useless and pathetic. I'm pretty tied down by school work at the moment, I'll try and get more time. [bic]

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Better to die on your feet then live on your knees.