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 Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:26 am
 Kou Gatuge. That was the name of the purple shadow that slipped his way through this shaded area of the forest. Kou Gatuge, the loner. At least, he had been for many seasons of his life, until recently. Until he'd been captured by the people of a small village, until he'd been forced into a corner, and had to make a deal with a Mage to gain his freedom or risk death at the hands of the village that now thought him to be dead. Were that he were so lucky, though many would count it in his good fortunes that the man sent to kill him was a magic user and only wished to obtain Kou's alliance, rather then his head. He sighed, inhaling the earthy smell of the forest. He didnt get let out of the Mage's house much anymore, and so the little trips he had like today's were precious to his sanity. Time to relax. Time to remember where his roots were. Time to be what he was meant to be, and pretend his 'house pet' life did not exist. He blinked his eyes open, his silent breaths mingling with the air that drifted around him, carrying the calls of birds, the scampering sounds of the rodents and lizards through the rotting vegetation under his feet. "Be it ever so humble..." He murmured, before starting onward again, slithering his way into some brush as easily as a snake into it's hole.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:40 am
 Paramicha had wandered away from her human again. She always felt bad when the woman became weak around her. She knew it was somehow her fault, but the cleric always said not to worry about it and to go have fun for a while, but to be very careful. So that's what she was doing. She'd left the village where her human was staying several days ago now. But Paramicha was enjoying the darkness of the woods. The earth was moist, as if it had just rained. But it smelled heavy of decay. Paramicha always found it odd that she didn't recoil from this smell the way her human did. Oh well! The human's loss. She fond a fallen log, deep in the darkened woods. It was covered with moss and mushrooms. The mushrooms grew in a near circle around some of the moss. "A fairy ring!" The pale orange and pink creature placed her claws upon the center of the ring of fungus and pushed, quite hard, breaking the rotting wood. There was a flurry of buzzing, flying, crawling, squirming bugs running from their now disturbed home. The Neverlin found it to be a game and chased some of the bugs around. Her claws carelessly squished a few, but she never noticed. Her antics of chasing the bugs only stopped when an elegantly winged insect landed on her horn. She froze where she was, crosseyed and staring at it as best she could. Was this a fairy? She didn't have a chance to ponder this as she heard a rustle in the branches and brush near by. Para's gaze snapped to where the sounds came from.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:54 am
He's heard it closeby, of that Kou was certain. What exactly 'it' was, he wasn't certain, but he hoped it was something entertaining. He'd missed hunting from the earth, and while his hunger was fed by what he now supposed would be 'his' human, he missed the act of chasing something. Catching it, holding it and watching as the life energy left it's body.
Slowly he crept up toward the area he'd heard the racket coming from, aware that now it was very quiet indeed. Once he was able to see trough the brush, he realized why. The other, like himself, was fully aware that something was watching it. Surely so, since Kou himself was looking directly into her eyes through the brush, and so there was no point in hiding. Slowly, he snaked himself out of the brushes, raising his head to show his territorial side.
Not that he had the right, since this land wasn't his to claim anyways.
"Whom are you?" He finally asked, looking the other over with curiosity. He'd had no idea others were close by, and he felt certain that this was a sign in his good fortune. Perhaps he could trade her for his own freedom from the Mage.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:18 am
When the other emerged from the brush, the 'fairy' that had landed on her horn fell, lifeless now. Paramicha let her eyes roam over the other as he stared back at her. She hadn't encountered anything like him, or was it... another like herself? When he spoke, her tail swished from side to side, and she almost forgot to reply him. Her eyes narrowed though as she sized him up.
"Paramicha. And yourself?" With the arrival of the male, it seemed no life was left in the clearing. That was, a little sad. She had enjoyed the drone of the creatures that she'd scared up. The frightened noises, the fleeting life, it was like a game, and the other had ruined it. Her long tale whipped against the log she'd previously smashed, sending decaying fragments scattering.
She couldn't help wondering if it was a good thing, or bad, that the other was here. Her human had always said she was special. But was she special if there were others like her? "Where did you come from?" Her voice was both curious and insisting. She needed to know more about this male.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:37 am
Kou nodded to her, giving a slight bow. "Kou, is what I am called." He glanced at her again, thinking. He figured he should play nice with her. Otherwise, he wouldnt gain her trust, and how could one betray another if not with their trust before hand. "I'm the resident Kage in this area. I'd no idea there were others around here. Do you live close by?"
He tilted his head innocently, giving his voice the soft hint of curiosity as he spoke. It seemed to soften him somehow, though he had anything but gentle thoughts.
"I currently rest in the house of a Mage by the name of Ari." He continued, walking fully from the bushes to reveal himself. "He lives a mile from one of the closer villages to here, works as their animal doctor." Kou could only hope sharing this information would get the female to open up to him as well.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:48 pm
"Kou." She repeated his name, still staring over the shadowy colored male. Her tail slowed and finally stilled again as she listened to his questions. "No." Came the curt response. But she soon expanded. "My human and I are passing through." She didn't want to believe this male resided over the area. It had too much life in it still for it to feel like it belonged to the male. But she didn't want to call him out on it.
"Shala and I travel all over the lands. So we don't reside anywhere. She just sent me away for a bit." She wasn't about to tell him her human got weakened or ill around her. That was just... Too much information for a stranger, right? "Shala heals the people." At least there was something in common with their humans. That was a good thing, right?
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:19 pm
Well crap. He couldn't take her to Ari if she had a human already....This ruined everything. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he just nodded. "I see...I wonder if it is a habit for healers to have creatures such as we." He murmured softly, looking her over. "Your human, they are a mage as well, correct?" He inquired, sitting himself quite comfortably. He didn't have anything to fear from the likes of a female.
"Perhaps my human would like to meet another such human as himself. He doesn't get to have many visitors, given that I am his resident house guest." Kou smiled a bit. Perhaps his captor would show him more freedom if Kou were to give the blasted hermit someone else to focus his attention on.
"As you said, they are both doctors, however different their patients might be. They could talk about their trade, and possibly be support for one another. We are not the easiest companions to have, with how most of humanity treat our existence. Having a friend who doesn't suck away your life might be rather.....refreshing for them."
He gave the female another smile. "Don't you think so?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:35 pm
What did he mean by sucking the life away? Her rose colored eyes danced a little as the male seemed to settle down and sat. She slowly did the same as she considered his words. Was she really why Shala got so weak sometimes? No. She pushed that thought aside.
"Not quite. While she has a magic background, she's only out to help. I think other humans call her a cleric... or shaman. Something like that." Paramicha didn't get to hang around often when Shala was with other humans, she only knew what she overheard and what her human told her.
"I suppose, though, that it may be nice if my human met another. She's so isolated because she travels, and because of me. Perhaps having someone to speak to who understands would be help them both somehow!" The notion was actually exciting to the innocent neverlin. "Your human wouldn't mind, would they?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:07 pm
Kou suppressed a smirk, hiding it behind a smile and nod. "My human is very excited about our kind. Having another human whom shares his passion for Kage such as ourselves will be very good for him." He agreed. It would also be so very good for Kou, if the blasted man would leave him alone more often.
"I do not think he would mind in the slightest, since he seems to like human company just as much as animal companionship. I feel quite right to say he shall be ecstatic to see another of my kind living with a human counterpart. He's very against the killing of our kind, since he believes there is a lot that humans could learn from us."
Never mind the fact that Ari did his 'learning' through experiments that resulted in the deaths of many small rodents and pests he'd been asked to capture and remove from people's houses to this point. Most had been very delicious meals for Kou.
"And who knows. Perhaps our humans will strike up a friendship. They could write to one another, when you and your human finally move on again." Kou offered, though he prayed they would take Ari with them and leave him in peace.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:27 pm
"I think I make my human sad sometimes." She said off hand. "I hope she isn't sad by all of us." That sounded awkward, and her long ears folded back against her head as she thought about it. Her head canted to one side before she spoke again. "Why do you think humans hate us?"
Para's brain was working overtime. If what he said was true, about life energy or something, than did that mean they accidentally killed humans? She pawed the dead bugs on the ground a little. Humans killed things for food. Para killed things for food too. But then she gave the dead things to Shala for food. Her brow furrowed in thought.
"... Oh hey, that may not be too bad." She shifted gears quickly, away from her own thoughts. "Where is your human? ... Should I bring him food?" Always bring a dead animal to meet people. Yes.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:46 pm
"You won't need to worry about bringing any food. Ari always keeps a plentiful supply on hand, and he would love for you to partake of his offerings." Kou explained, though he knew Ari was more intrigued by how Kage took their energy meals, rather then by the fact that the kage would actually eat at all. Kou had a hypothesis that his human thought Kage took more then just energy, but what else there was to take, Kou didn't know nor care.
It was a stupid theory, and he couldnt care less about what is human did or thought anymore. "Are you and your human staying far from here? Perhaps we could set up their meeting for tomorrow, so that we can let them get use to the idea and properly prepare." He tilted his head, watching her. "But while we're here today....have you eaten yet?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:27 am
"Oh." Ok, so no hunting for anything. Maybe that was a good thing, right? Specially if his human was as picky as hers. Para flicked her ears a some. "Mmm... She's a couple hours away if I run. She sent me off a couple days ago while she worked, so I've just been exploring. But I think I can bring her here. Oh, ah. I haven't." She looked at the tiny bugs.
"I was exploring, but this part of the woods seem so dead. There was nothing good to eat here. That must be your fault, if you reside here." There was a mischievous lilt to her voice. "Hungry? I could use a good hunt."
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:23 am
Her mention of the lack of living prey stunned him for a moment. He hadnt thought his hunting trips were so large, as he only took a couple of deer down and a few rabbits. Maybe a bird or two on the way home, but they were harder to catch, and he liked the things on the ground better. Perhaps that was why they still populated the woods, but he hadn't sensed the presence of larger ground prey.
As Para talked, he thought about what she said. He wished he could go out for a couple days...He had to be back by the rise of the dawning sun. How he was jealous of her! He closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Ah, he can be picky at times. But he eats well enough to keep himself healthy, so thats what really matters."
Otherwise, while Kou might not starve since he doesnt have to feed off of Ari, the blasted man knew we enough that if he let himself become ill, Kou might 'accidentally' drain too much of Ari's energy from him and kill him. Doctor mages were too smart. It made killing them tricky.
He was brought back out of his thoughts when the female mentioned the hunt again, and he nodded. "Well then, why dont we see what we can scare out, hm?" He asked, standing up. "It may be rather bare here, but I can show you a very plentiful place." He turned back toward his home, smirking. It would be fun. "Have you ever hunted Sheep?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:47 pm
"Oooh." She couldn't hide the impressed tone to her voice. She really did want to see a place with more animals. She was, after all, feeling a bit hungry. "Sheep? Are they anything like goats? I tell you, those horns goats and rams have hurt a fair deal." Para had actually been told she was not allowed to go after the animals specifically raised by humans. She knew sheep were on that list, but if Kou was doing it, she would do it too. It sounded safer than going after a pack of wolves or a couple bears after all.
She stood and trotted over towards Kou. "Lead the way." She said, slinking behind him as hey headed towards wherever these 'sheep' were.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 3:27 pm
Kou glanced at Para with a laugh. "Goats are much more....stubborn then sheep. Sheep are very stupid animals." He explained, leading her back toward the village. "Even if you attack the group, they dont scatter. They huddle together as if that is going to save them." He smirked, amused at the memories he had of the weak beasts. "They're very easy to kill, and it is very easy to pass their deaths off as a wolf attack."
He slithered slowly and quietly through the brush, his body barely disturbing the leaves and foliage they were passing through. As much as he hated where he was forced to live, he already had the path back to Ari's house memorized in his mind, and it was on this forced memory that his legs carried him back to Ari's and through the forest behind the house.
"The neighbors has been complaining about a group of wild dogs in the area. If we're careful to cover our tracks, we can pass the herds destruction onto the heads of those animals." Kou glanced at her again, wondering how she would take how he was planning their hunt out.
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