The Invasion of Arias Chapter 4: Massacre

[pendejochy]

"Not sure the exact time, but it is sometime in the evening. In case you didn't know, Bos {better not call him that, the others might hear}--er, Aquilla left us to watch the caravan while he goofs off with Tantalum." *sigh* {Well, I suppose everybody is just going back to the caravan to sleep.} "I know, I'm a bit sleepy too. But, I can last a shift. I really wouldn't want to meet that thief again. For some reson, I think the mind spell he used on us is the same one that was use on that large gnoll to make him forget. I'm not sure why the invaders gave him metal legs. Those village vampire-halves couldn't have done it. Village V.H.s aren't smart enough to create something like that."

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

The hare was a scrawny scrap of meat, and Tantalum couldn't help but swallow her meal whole, planning to regurgitate the indigestable parts of the body later in traditional owl fashion. She clacked her beak, unsatisfied with her morsel. Her head swivelled around, watching Aquila finish eating.
Food. Need more food, her belly told her mind. It looked like Aquila had the same thought, as he efficiently finished his meal and took to the skies again. She laboured up behind him, slightly fuller than before, to hunt for their next possibly larger prey.

[wilysword]

Juras rolled off the caravan when it stopped, intending to go right back to sleep, but when Shirin mentioned camping, he thought a fire would be nice, for cooking dinner at least. He went off to gather some wood.

[Ryu Kurai]

(OOC quick note: Vargus still has a right leg. Only his left one is made of that special alloy which will not be named at this time.)

Karvan looked at the salted meat and fish distastefully. He didn't consider himself a gourmet, but the mediohcre steak back at the elf town had been better than this. He stared after the two werebirds as they went off to hunt. He looked around at his companions. Pende didn't seem like the type to hunt living things, and Aiera was still asleep. Shirin had more experience in caring for animals than killing them, and thusly was a poor choice. Vargus was probably still sorting out his thoughts or asleep, Karvan wasn't sure which, as the gnoll was seated in a corner with his head leaning forwards in a sitting position with his eyes closed. He looked over at Hale. Well, he wasn't gone yet and he was definately an experienced hunter. Other than that there was Vex, who didn't seem to be up for anything but fighting and getting gems. He went over to Hale and said gruffly, "Hale going hunt?"

[TheBlindMime]

Hale was seated with a chunk of bitter salted meat, he was gnawing away at it slowly. He saw Karven approach and ask him whether or not he was going to go hunting, he decided to reply in Yurijan. "Your english is coming along nicely Karvan, you must be observing the others closely to improve your accent so quickly. Yet, I do not wish to hunt today, I've grown quite sleepy and the stars have a way of easing me into a lullaby. I think I'll rest while I have a chance. But if you wish to hunt I believe you will have no problem finding something tastier then the common salted beef." Hale laughed for a moment before finishing his meat and leaning his head up against the caravan. His eyes slowly faded away as he stared at the stars, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Hale was shrouded in darkness, everything was there, but missing something. All he could see was himself in perfect clarity, his stunning golden locks of hair, his blue eyes and his rugged smile. He was a human once more, he smiled in acknowledgement of the freedom he enjoyed from his alternative destiny. He was free, untainted from the ways of a beast. It was then that he saw a door.

It was like any door you would see in Yujiro, a deep dark wood which held strong against the element. As he approached he watched it open for him. There she stood, their child in her arms beaming at him. His guitar appeared from no where, or maybe it had been in his hands all along he couldn't recall, not that he cared either way. He strummed out a tune, it was her favorite song, the one he never mastered and yet it was flawless now. She merely smiled as their son waved, he began strolling forward, in no real rush.

An echo reverberated through the area, a powerful booming voice. "This is not the destiny for my son." The door swung to close. He ran forward, clutching his guitar in one hand as the song continued. His son merely waved as Jenna smiled and shrugged a goodbye. He scratched at the door screaming no, that was what he wanted, why couldn't he have it.A taloned hand gripped his shoulder and whipped him around. He came face to face with his hybrid form whose gaze ripped through him. "Stop hiding in the past you fool, you need to understand the now."

Hale forced his way from the beasts grips, "NO! Get away from me you monster, you're not what I wanted to be."

"And yet I am what you are, you cannot hide here anymore. We are bound forever now, I am within both our conscious and our subconscious now. You can no longer live here with that woman anymore."

Hale's blue eyes were tearing up now as he slowly slid down the doorway, curling up into the fetal position. "Please just go away, I just want to be me again. You took my humanity away from me isn't that enough. I can never return to her now, why can't I live with her in my dreams can't you at least allow that."

His wereform looked disgusted at this display, "I took your humanity? Your father took my life from me. I had a mate, young. I was hunting for them when I was forced into you. For all I know they died, as my mate waited for me to return as she protected them. And now she will wait, for me to return and I never will, she will presume me dead and my love will take another. You are pitiful, you see no one but yourself. You don't even see it do you."

Hale was weeping now, he could actually see it. The life of the eagle, he had never seen these memories before but they felt as though they had been there all along. "I see it now, we are the same. I lost my love to father as did you. He took our lives away from us.... I'm so sorry I always blamed you."

His wereform spoke slowly with a grim tone, "No you fool, you don't see what he is."

Confusion streaked through him, "See... see what who is?" There they were, eagle and human bound in form yet seperated by mind. It was something Hale didn't see, or maybe he simply wouldn't allow himself to see it. But he knew the truth now, as they were finally one.

(ooc: BOREDOM STRIKES AGAIN!)

[Ryu Kurai]

Karvan sighed heavily. He hadn't actually gone out hunting very much, he had usually stayed behind to do the dishes. Now with this other guy asleep, it was hopeless. He picked up his sword and chain anyways, walked out of the caravan, and took flight.

After flying into the plains for a while, Karvan came upon a deer-like creature drinking from a small pool of water. He had been rendered invisible to its prescence because of this, and took it to his advantage. He flew directly over it and dropped, tossing his sword's sheath to the side. The deer perked up its head and then began running. Karvan tossed a length of chain at it as he softened his landing with a flap of his wings, and the chain's spikes caught around its back leg, sinking deep into the flesh of the beast. It made a strange sound that Karvan had not hear before, a kind of yelping groan. He pulled it in, nevertheless, and stabbed it swiftly through the back of the head. Its body went limp, and Karvan quickly closed the wounds by lighting his blade on fire in addition to his chain. He carefully pulled out the sword and unwrapped the chain. The smell of burnt fur assailed his nostrils, and he sat down to skin it and cut it up some, so he could fly back with it.

[Gineko]

At this Aiera snapped at least a little more awake. She looked concernadly off to the side, then she shifted her weight and sat crosslegged. "Do you think he'll come back?"

[pendejochy]

"Eh? You mean Karvan?" I sat down along with Aiera and looked out into the horizen, feeling tired myself.
"Yeah, he'll be back. I think he was talking with Hale about going hunting or something. I guess he wanted some fresh meat. I hope he brings some back. It seems everyone wants a chance to work their wings before going to bed, except for the blue dragonkin over there. It has been quite a day today. *yawn* Say, I recall you asking about riding in Girito. His poison should have worn off by now, so it can give you free rides." Girito left it's tree and landed in front of Aiera and I. It gagged for a bit and spat out the pins in its stomach. I held one up and inspected it.
"Yup, poisons all gone." I got all the pins lying on the ground and spent some time puting them in Girito. There, now if Girito, or it's cargo is treatened, it can extend it's needles outward, like a pufferfish. if you ever need to fly just ask me, and Girito'll give you a ride." Girito flew off into a nearby tree.

[Mintaro]

Aquila spotted something large flying far off in the distance. indicating that they should investigate he flew off towards it. When they got close enough for him to see in the failing light. He saw that it was Karvan. They flew closer and Aquila flew in slowly calling out just loud enough so they wouldn't surprise the dangerouse dragon kin. Aquila landed softly near the dragon kin and gave him a confused look. Not really understanding why he, of all the group, would bother cooking his food.

[TheBlindMime]

Hales eyes flared open in a blaze of rage. He was a new man and he had alot of questions that needed to be answered now. He stood up as he quickly flipped off his cloak, he no longer wanted to be connected to him in that manner. He stormed over to Vargus ignoring his resting state, Hale once again began shouting as he had done before, but this time was different, this time he seemed as a man possessed. "Tell me Vargus were you ever planning on telling any of us that you were a half-vampire, or were you simply going to let us peace it together as we went?"