inherit
22
0
Sept 15, 2023 20:45:24 GMT -8
2
bearsetc
2,035
Nov 4, 2020 23:46:59 GMT -8
November 2020
bearsetc
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Post by bearsetc on Nov 17, 2020 18:28:08 GMT -8
As Ciel had hoped, it had actually been very easy to sneak into the Village of Alae. As a small, lakeside town, Alae had neither towering walls nor the manpower necessary to post soldiers at every possible entrance. Ciel very easily hid in the branches of trees and the shadows of alleys, making his way toward the center by instinct. Once he got close, however, he became reluctant to actually enter the open air bazaar that served as the smaller town's marketplace. There were entirely too many bipedal creatures there, many of whom were Magescians. They made a ridiculous amount of noise and very clearly weren't looking where they were going. If Ciel could use his wings to fly, maybe he wouldn't be so scared of their boots and shoes, but his wings were currently too small to support his weight. He carefully did not think about how he had no idea how to fly nor did he have any idea who would teach him in the future.
Since the center of the marketplace seemed unreachable for now, Ciel chose to skirt along the edges instead. He observed various merchants as they talked up their wares, trying to make the ordinary seem extraordinary. Ciel shook his head, unimpressed by the easy way in which the bipedals lied. Moving away from where the majority of material goods were being sold, Ciel found himself drawn to a different corner that was predominantly occupied by food stands and grocers. The smell of roasted meat reminded Ciel instantly that he was hungry.
While he'd already begun to understand a little bit about the concept of currency and exchanging goods, what the little orakoi understood best was that business deals were done between bipedals. None of the orakoir or orakovan he had met seemed to have possessed any currency of their own. Instead, zil and tears were kept by their partner Magescians. After some thought, Ciel decided that he needed his own bipedal. Until then, he was unlikely to be able to perform any deals on his own.
With this as his excuse, Ciel chose to stalk the shadows around the food stalls. He would wait for the unsuspecting merchants to turn their heads before skittering forth to steal a bite here or a strip of meat there.
bpTq9ntM1-100
(1-70 - Get caught) (71-100 - Continue to succeed)1-100
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inherit
22
0
Sept 15, 2023 20:45:24 GMT -8
2
bearsetc
2,035
Nov 4, 2020 23:46:59 GMT -8
November 2020
bearsetc
|
Post by bearsetc on Nov 17, 2020 18:58:42 GMT -8
He was very pleased by his quick successes and eventually grew sloppier and less careful. At the smell of some particularly delicious rotisserie chicken, Ciel gave up all pretense of caution. He circled the stall from his place on a nearby roof. The seller was constantly moving from the alley, where she had set up his rotisserie, to the front to help customers. After observing her path back and forth, Ciel waited for another customer to catch her eye before diving toward the unmanned cooking station.
A few centimeters shy of the cooking chicken, he felt his tail yanked. His wings uselessly flapped to try and achieve balance, but he tumbled backward and hit first the floor and then the wall of the nearby house in close succession. "What is this?" growled an unhappy voice. Ciel could already tell it was dangerous and immediately jumped up in fear, taking a mere moment to glance at the angry face of the Asarei man who had appeared next to the cooking station, before trying to dash away. "Oh no, you don't!"
Ciel quickly recoiled backward, just in time to avoid a butcher's knife that had been aimed for his neck. Shivering, Ciel inwardly cursed the evil bipedals! It was just some chicken! Was that really worth his life?
"Excuse me, sir. It seems like you've found my orakoi," a woman's voice said from the side. It was completely different from the food stall owner's voice--Ciel had no idea who it belonged to. He looked deeper into the alley, where a woman dressed in fine clothes seemed to be standing half in and half out of the shadows.
"This is yours? He was trying to steal meat! Exactly what kind of Khehora have you been raising?" the man was grumpy but he likely realized the same thing Ciel did: That this was a Magescian, an experienced one at that.
"Yes, I do apologize. He has only recently hatched, and I've been keeping him away from other Asarei. He's still learning the etiquette of living with others." Her words relaxed the angry man's shoulders. While he seemed exasperated, Ciel could tell he wasn't likely to be killed anymore. Letting out of a huff of relief, Ciel smartly chose to crawl over to the Magescian and hide behind her fine leather boots. He didn't trust her, but his immature mind still understood that he was safer with her at the moment. "Let me pay you for the inconvenience and then we'll be on our way."
"I don't want your payment. Just leave," the man scowled, walking over to retrieve his butcher knife.
The Asarei Magescian felt no need to push. She curtsied slightly before walking off without a word, expecting Ciel to follow. Ciel, filled with new caution, did.
"What a little troublemaker you are," the Asarei Magescian commented once they had reached a good distance. Ciel's legs were bent, ready to take off at any time, but the Magescian made no move toward him. "Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt you. You must be a feral orakoi, yes? I don't know many Magescians who would let their Khehora wander into such trouble. Ah, but your scales are beautiful."
Ciel backed away a few steps, letting out a few warning sounds.
"Now, now. It's difficult traveling on your own, isn't it? I'm not looking for a Khehora of my own, but I might be able to help you." Her gaze fell on him, and Ciel could tell that she was looking straight at the totem around his neck. He made several sounds in protest, and when she began to approach, he even attempted to flee. But she was both faster and stronger than him, and she soon caught him and held him upside down by his tail. Powerless, he hung there as she took off his makeshift necklace and examined both the dragon totem and the pouch filled with its tear and herbs. "Oh, how interesting! Where did you come across Gold Petalia herbs?"
He chittered and growled, his way of saying 'I won't tell you.' She seemed amused by this, separating out the herbs before approaching the jade totem.
"Those herbs really aren't worth the souls I'm putting into this. You should be grateful," she scolded. Ciel instantly perked up at the mention of souls. Catching onto the fact that she seemed to have his attention, the Magescian let him drop and reached for her own pack. Crouching nearby, Ciel watched as she did... something to the jade totem. He could tell that it had changed afterward, even though it looked the same on the surface. It wasn't until she had reattached it to his makeshift necklace, along with the pouch, and handed it back to him that he could feel the totem seemed... warmer. If he looked very closely at it, he thought he could see a swirl of shadow under the totem's usual luster, interrupted occasionally by flashes of light.
He quickly realized that the Magescian had helped him realize his dream. Looking back up, Ciel meant to show his gratitude in some way, only to find that the mysterious woman had disappeared. Surprised, Ciel paced back and forth, looking around a bit longer but still couldn't find her. Staring at his dragon totem, now infused with souls, he realized he had a more pressing matter to deal with. He could thank the Magescian if he ever saw her again. For now, he needed to find a safe place to guard his totem until it grew!
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