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 Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:12 pm
Aestivalis snarled as he faced the man in front of him, a bandit. The man grinned as he stepped in to fight the young half-demon, broadsword glinting in the sun.
Aest wrenched the blade free from the dying man at his feet and faced the new comer, sword held in a defensive stance, tip pointed at the new opponent.
Four more men surrounded him, with another five dead. Aest wondered if these bandits were attacking out of blood lust, or something more. There was something about their eyes.
The bandit darted in with his sword flashing, a swift silver arc slashing singing his funeral dirge.
To hell with that. Aestivalis batted the sword down, ripping it out of the man's hands as he blurred into action, lunging forward with a scavenged b*****d sword he found from somewhere else.
Two slices dropped the man in a gurgled howl of pain. One across the chest, opening him up, and the next through his throat. Despite the stories saying that when a man was cut, they would fountain blood.. It was kinda true, albeit temporarily.
Aestivalis spun around and parried another man and smashed the man in the chest. His daemon strength broke the man's sternum and sent him flying back. Aestivalis stopped paying attention as he turned and swung his b*****d sword like a baseball bat, nearly slicing a man in half before it got wrenched in said victim's spine. The dying man fell back, taking the sword with him.
Aestivalis looked at the other two, who gritted their teeth and held their swords with grim determination as Aestivalis picked up a longsword.
"So, who sent you?" He asked as he stepped over a corpse to the others.
"An employer." One hissed as they stepped forward to meet him.
They offered something rather valuable to these brigands to off Aestivalis. He idly wondered what it was as he sprung into action, striking one of them down with a swing that took the man at the shoulder, and cut deep into him, while spinning and hit the other man three times. Once in the abdomen, another in the chest, and the final blow to the man's throat.
Even without crushing his windpipe, the man was doomed as Aest burst the man's internals.
Panting with exhaustion, he picked up another scavenged broadsword, hunted around for its sheath, and continued down the path... only to discover that he was lost. Sighing as he trudged through the increasingly wild brush, he wondered what he had gotten himself into.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:32 pm
Manna counted the rest of her earnings from a hard days work at a small diner in Arias and sighed, 'Barely enough left to pay taxes... I might have over done it...'
But it had been so long since she had treated herself to such simple treats, and inside a petite wicker basket was her treasures; Some yarn for knitting, Fresh chicken, carrots, celery, and potatoes for some soup, and a book she has been dying to read for months now.
Reaching the edge of the woods she pulled up the hood on her full length emerald cloak she took a deep breath and began a brisk walk home. The woods was always her least favorite part; Full of bandits, Wicked sprites, and wolves... Which she hardly worried about, but they were still out there.
As she neared the half way point she snagged a carrot from the propped open top of her basket and decided it wouldn't make it to the soup, as she bit the root off and began munching. it wasn't until she returned to looking in front of her that she realized there was commotion up ahead.
Ducking off the path she parted a near-by overgrown pine bush and slid her basket in it's center, then hid behind a tree, held her breath, closed her eyes, and prayed the men passed by her.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:50 pm
Aestivalis started quietly as he heard the girl duck into the bushes...Aestivalis looked back behind him, letting his hand drop to the sword at his waist. Scanning the sides of the road, he turned around.
"Whoever you are, you can come out now. It's safe, I assure you."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:57 pm
s**t!
Her heart raced as she thought about what to do. Every part of her wished to bolt as fast as her thin, frail body would carry her, but alas her legs were frozen. So there she stayed, eyes clenched shut, waiting for any sign of the man left standing to be on his way.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:05 pm
Aestivalis' hand dropped away from the sword hilt as he walked up to the quiverring bush. "It's okay, I promise you." He said congenially as he started up the bank to where to said bush.
His sense picked up her heart, and her scent marked her as female. Aestivalis' gulped. This could be awkward.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:11 pm
Manna looked over her shoulder and saw the man going for her basket. Seeing her opportunity to escape she removed her hood and bolted in the opposite direction.
Her thoughts were blank as her body ran on adrenalin and shear instinct. she hopped over roots, ducked under branches and found herself blinded by the tears streaming down her face.
Was he following her? What if he was? Would she be able to fight him? the questions came by the tear and she wasn't able to focus on what she was doing. soon she found herself hung up on a bunch of branches, Most caught in her frizzy flame red hair. struggling to break free, her heart raced as she began crying in frustration and fear of the potentially approaching male.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:48 pm
Aestivalis retrieved the basket and stared at it. Where there vegetables, there was someone-- crash Well! There was the someone. Carrying the basket, he took off after the girl. Panting as he reached her, he huffed as he examined her predicament.
She was caught on branches. Swallowing a gulp of air, he circled around so she could see him. He hoped his half-incubus nature came into play to calm her. He DID have disarmingly blue eyes.
"Lady? Please relax. I have no wish to harm you." He said as he would a frightened animal, with soothing tones. He reached for a belt knife to help cut her down slowly.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:10 pm
Her light blue eyes scanned him as her heart raced. she couldn't tell if it was from fear or how oddly attracted she was to a man half covered in blood... her body continued to tremble as her pale rose lips began to open, "I-if you want... Money.... I-I think you're after the wrong girl.... I have near to nothing....."
She slowly tugged off her cloak and let it continue to be hung up on the branches as she began snapping twigs off and letting them hang from her hair, "And.... I sincerely hope you'd aim for higher than me if you were looking for someone to.... Well..." Her pallor face gained a soft pink as she turned to her cloak and tried to untangle it.
Reluctant to look at the man she would peek when she thought he wasn't looking and then quickly focus on her cloak, hoping he didn't notice, "Um..... Are... You hurt?" her voice cracked and she wrapped her untangled cloak around her arms while waiting for an answer.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:30 pm
Aestivalis took his hand away from the knife. "Well... no." He said as he took a step forward to help free her. "I just heard you. That's all." He held out her basket for her to take. "When you fled, I could not help but want to return to you. That's all."
Aestivalis was sun haired and blue eyed. Handsome to the point of almost being beautiful, he had a worn look to him. His cloak, made of fine cloth was frayed at the ends, and looked travel stained. The armor that he wore was dust covered and battered, with one massive cut crossing acrossing the breastplate. The clothing he wore under that was dark and of fine manufacture but also looked worn from the little bits that peaked out from the heavy armor. The man had two sword belts. One had a salvaged sword from the fight he just came fresh from, and the other seemed to be for a massive claymore, of which the hilt was jutting out from his waist. One would wonder why he never drew the blade in that fight.
"I did not mean to disturb you Ms...?" He left the question hanging to ask for her name.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:37 pm
She took the basket and examined him further, being sure to circle around him, since she figured if she used her swirling index finger to indicate him to turn around, it wouldn't work... Then gave him a funny look at his hung off question, but pushed it aside, "You look as though you've been through a rough time..." She muttered while examining the cloak, "Interesting material... You're not from here....... Are you?" Manna prodded as she continued to look him over.
Stepping away from she unraveled her cloak and tossed it back over her shoulders, "Not to be too nosy, but..... Are you lost?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:49 pm
"You could say that. Yes." Aestivalis said as he watched her circle him. "My name is Aestivalis. I am a mercenary of sorts, you could say." Aestivalis said as he didn't move.
"I am lost in more way then one but on a practical matter, It appears I was waylaid by bandits whom were paid to do harm to me." He shrugged and said.
"May I ask your name, Lady?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:55 pm
She stepped away from him and turned away, brushing a twig tangled lock of frizzed hair behind her slightly pointed ears, "M-My name......." she blushed softly and replied quickly, "Manna."
Looking back toward the path she wobbled back and forth, from heal to toe, "Um... Well....... I know my way around here..... A little..... where are you trying to get to?" Manna asked as she met his eyes briefly for the first time throughout this entire encounter, the soft pink returning to her cheeks.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:59 pm
"I don't know. Anywhere, to be honest." Aestivalis sighed as his stomach growled. If he was lucky, he could catch an animal unawares if he meditated.
Aestivalis shrugged. "I have no home, and no goal in mind. I am a drifter and wanderer."
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:06 am
"What a shame..." She muttered as her eyes drifted to the ground, filled with sorrow, "Such a beautiful man to have no goals... " her vision blurred in panic as she just realized she said that aloud. Immediately slapping a hand to her mouth, Manna avoided all eye contact and pulled her hood up, "It is getting too late for me to travel back into town... I bought enough with the intentions of having food for a week, so there is more than enough... If you were to be seeking shelter... I can show you the way to town in the morning..."
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:15 am
Aest blinked, unsure what to make of her comment. A light blush came to his cheeks. "I ah, just came from there." He said quietly. "But Shelther would be nice, Manna." he muttered as he shifted uneasily.
Aestivalis swallowed and began to follow her. Ever since he simply didn't go back, he wasn't sure what to do with his life. If this was freedom, parts of him didn't want it.
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