Although still audacious blue, fiery stakes of amber began to lay claim to the heavens, marching their way across the wilting sky, evening, or as some would say “late afternoon” had arrived. Eventually night and the curtains of purples and blues it brought, would be upon them at last.
“HELLOOOO!” Shouted an overly jolly voice from the far eastern section of the clearing.
Sonne’s massive frame came in from the rainbowed darkness, still missing her signature top-heavy armor. Her open-arm tunic and legs now clad in dress that resembled a leather apron, or something of that nature, the orc’s gloves, and leg armor, still heartily in place. The orc came out kicking, her foot nearly sending the tree Al sat upon flying, it slid a little before stopping, a darkened brown shape came down over her shoulder in an earth-shattering swing. As the carcass of a large pig-like animal was slung out, the sack of meat crashed against the log, jarring the other side, as Albatross was launched to his feet, cementing his scared cat demeanor, as he jumped off the bucking slice of lumber. Galena barely batted an eye, still idly flipping through her tome, while the porcelain shape of Every, jumped up from behind a bush, multiple sticks threaded haphazardly through her hair. She eagerly clapped up and down, eyes like wide dishes, a true giddy child in nature. Sonne placed one leg on the tree, striking a heroic pose for her audience of one, arms on waist, muscles bulging, a smile plastered across her face. The orcs jowls squished in a wide smile, pushing out rosy cheek dumplings.
“Haaaa look what I got here lads, lasses, and everything in between” she pointed, belching out a laugh, “found this one rooting around in the undertrees” Sonne said, bending over the metal at her waist, hinging a deep angle to poke at the dead animal, which laid almost as large as the orcs weighted frame.
Sonne speared and prodded at the darkened mass of brown fur, the animal striped length wise, with a pattern Al had never seen before, rows of black bristled hair matted its form. Two massive tusks protruded aggressively from its boar-like maw which led up to a spine lined with quills, flowing down large tendinous valleys to toes housing two sets of massive claws. Sonne sniffed at the thing before her eyes shifted up, moving while her body froze still. She stood, gripping the fur with one hand, fingers alone, throwing the corpse next to the smoldering pile of ash like it weighed nothing.
“Aye lad, ya done this sorta thing a few times before?” She gestured to the dead animal “help me prepare this musk-bear will ya, right up your alley yes?” Sonne tilted her head smiling down at Al with a salacious grin. Every hopped up behind the larger warrior “OOOOOOhhh please, oh please, oh pleaseohpleaseohplease. Sonne cooks a wonderful honey-bear steak, ah it tastes so good.” Every’s eyes clamped shut, probably dreaming about the behemoth’s cooking.
“It’s a secret recipe” the warrior said as a whisper, bouncing it off a shielded hand. Whoosh, a thin blunted blade landed in the boy’s lap, wrapped tightly in a thick greased leather spool, the red lion having tossed it from her still open hand. Pausing Al shuffled forwards towards the carcass, splinting himself over the warm meat like a tent, drawing the rounded iron edge against fur, cutting in with a deep carving crunch. Followed by a sincere pop, Sonne stood straight clapping her hands to her sides, “thatta boy, a hunter too aye, I see, I see. Ah Galen, he could help ya with those creepy crawlies you hate so much, what’re they called again?” “Deep stalkers” “yeah those things, witchy needs the eyes and fangs for her magicy stuffs.”
“For the love of all that is The One, if we aren’t using titles Commander Sonne, then can we at least use names, this is a mildly stressful situation for some of us.”
The animal’s corpse was wrenched form the warrior boy’s hands, as Sonne picked it up with her armored hands, with one tearing rip, she tore the skin off the jiggling bag of sticky meat, with no lack of hardened malice or practice. Her actions vicious, as if the thing that laid in the charcoal pit was now more of an adversary than food.
“See, you know i’m on guard Galena, no need to worry, we’re well within borders by now, no need to be so… hostile.” Al looked between the two, a stoic beast who had just frozen still, and a mind bender who had never thawed. “You’re right, I’m s… I apologize Sonne, just a little on edge is all.” “Yer never like that Galen, never” “you got that right'' the witch replied, looking over her tome to flick a single left-long wrist, sending a jolt of air out in a line.
Heat was sapped from the surrounding areas, Al felt his chest draw cold, as the once deceased fire, roared to life again, in a sparking fit of energy. “That’s the spirit, fiery, just the way I like it” the orc crouched, turning the skinned animal over, as it rested within the swirling hypnotic flame. Sonne used her gauntleted mitts more like tongs than anything else.
“The classic smell of honey bear, I can’t wait” croaked Argjend, causing Al to jump out of his skin, the boy had not seen the man arrive, or sit down, or set about his lounging on a leather throw. Propped against a rather suspicious log placed right next to the witch, cane in hand, the shade laid at an angle, wrapped in his own cloak, wallowing in the dirt. Al recovered, sitting himself back up, propping chilled body on the side-long log that was now splayed about. A bouncing snowy shape came into view, Every hopped up, plopping herself down next to the young boy with a flourish of her elegantly dirty skirt, patted down to be modest. Al did not move, instead allowing his eyes to wander, staring inclusively into the fire, drilling deep into its bowels, until his self-reflection and internal marveling was cut short by a finger between his ribs.
“Hey, hey, Al, check this out” Every bubbled, “hmmm” the boy replied as he tilted his head to address the girl’s outstretched, balled up fist, after a few idle, awkward seconds, he grunted reaching his digits out in kind, as a soft fluttering befell his hands.
“Look look, I found it in the woods earlier, do you know what it is, can you make some cool potion with it?” the girl bobbed her waving golden curls with subtle excitement as Al retracted his palm slightly.
Amongst a series of smashed gray and black flowers, came a light rustling. Seeping dewy leaves were pushed aside as a white smoldering speck moved into view, its silhouette contrasted against the darkness of the leaves. A small little thing with a rice shaped body, tiny and budding, clad with bulbous slight wings, it crawled along. A mix of a grub’s slither and a beetle’s trekking, the thing ambiently moved with large, darkened eyes.
“Oh, actually this is interesting. '' Al started with eyes as wide as the moon. “It looks to be a newly hatched masara moth, these things are crazy, they grow to the size of a large bed, and they’re usually only found far to the…” He trailed off as his vision was pulled up by a rather eerie and unsettling silence.
The witch had set her book down, now gazing at Al with burning intent, a stare of curiosity, or perhaps laced with a vicious sting. Argjend was now standing, and Sonne had stopped her flame bound rifling.
“Let me see that, quick boy, '' Galena asked, as Al jogged over, trying his hardest not to crust the delicate thing. “Hey, wait, I wanted to look at it some more” Every called out, “hush child” the witch continued as she poured through the leaves which the boy had delivered, eventually pinching the grub with her dagger like nails.
“Aww but I found it” the younger girl said, standing, kicking dirt in a mild-mannered huff. With clinical precision, Galena held the wriggling grub to her lips, and then to her nose, taking a deep draft of the thing’s sparkling snowy scales. Before Galen handed the beast over to the old man, who had appeared from the shadows next to her, without looking, the being was exchanged and Argjend held it up to the fire light. Flames illuminated the snow-white insect as the shade trapped its plump body between the planes of his dark leather gloves, eyes poured over it thoughtfully, fuzzy shell a shining beacon in the coming night.
Argj handed the bug back without blinking, Galena pinched it again, rolling the thing’s soft form between her nails, Al raised a finger keen on opening his mouth, but in one swift motion, legs still crossed, the witch speared the bug on her nails, before popping its corpse past her plush snaking lips.
“We have to move… now'' Galen's words were curt and sudden, “understood” came Argjend, “Aye'' said Sonne, “but we just got here” Every replied, before daggers were stared from everyone in the clearing, sparing Al. “And be quick about it” the witch said, turning her gaze to the boy for a brief second, eyes laced with a single thought, words with a mind of their own. Al turned quickly and silently, shuffling under the large oaken tree, trying his fastest, collecting tattered clothes, as he shoved them into a crude and frayed leather satchel, that the warrior had given him by the bank. A few roots, a few sticks of drought herb, and half a heel of bread, were all the possessions the boy owned, barring his sword of course.
Soon Al was tasked with helping the camp's other denizens before the fire ran its course, the embers acting like a smoldering timer. Shadows signaled busy hands, as Sonne dragged the cooked slab of bear meat through the dirt, pulling it straight from the fangs of the fire, sending sparks and subtle waves of ash in all directions. To Al’s left, Argjend wrapped up a large velvety tarp of pure black, the man’s sunken visage illuminated in the rich amber light. A beckoning motion directed itself towards Al, who trudged over quickly, taking one side of the cloth as the man let it billow out, spreading it, before the two met at the center again, folding the thing into halves, and then quarters.
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