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Got Em
Oct 8, 2017 1:27:06 GMT
Post by Raven on Oct 8, 2017 1:27:06 GMT
Raven supposed Gabriel was right. She’d been born as a boring ass, lame human. She’d never miss it, but it was frustrating when it came to understanding her newer body chemistry and trying to understand daemon customs. The noble-human life was so ingrained into her brain, it was nearly impossible for her to forget about it and just focus on the stuff she’d learn from what was essentially her teacher for being a daemon. Of course now, she’d been on her own for so long, and there was next to no one to really from at that point. Well, except the Daemon Lord. It made sense why he was so passionate about these things, both from a political standpoint and just from being a daemon one’s whole life.
Mentally, she took notes on what Gabriel was correcting her on. She really had no idea how to fashion a good story, but already the way he changed words around made it sounded much better.
His logic seemed sound to her, even if she didn’t like it. Raven shrugged, but also nodded in understanding. They couldn’t go back, that was that. Maybe she should have talked to the guy with his guts hanging out. But he was so out of it, would she have even been able to get anything out of him? Oh well. No use on dwelling it. Raven preferred to live in the moment anyways.
It was hard for her to keep up the pace with Gabriel, but she managed alright. Her fear of being stuck on the ground was really getting to her, and she was constantly flinching and jumping at every unusual noise she heard out in the Tangle woods, or instinctually flapping her wings to try in get in the air at any sudden startle, but she couldn’t even get any lift off the ground. It was all just too unnerving and frustrating for her.
Gabriel’s pace seemed to change at a point when it felt like they’d been walking forever, and she wondered if they were getting close to some…random…place in the middle of the woods. When he gave her some advice though, she nodded. Raven was too tired for mischief anyways, truth be told. On a normal day, she’d be against the idea of being modest and not daemon-y. “Right okay. Think I’m more interested in getting food in my belly than causing an uproar.” Her pride was also wounded too badly to think otherwise.
The village was extremely small and overall, uninteresting. The houses were fashioned out of the same wood of the trees surrounding them, topped with large waterproof leaves for the rooves. There were a few people milling out about, some women with baskets on their waists filled with fruit, others skinning the carcass of an elk that they’d just recently killed.
The sight and thought of food made her belly grumble, but she had no idea how to ask for food from these people. There wasn’t any sort of inn or anything familiar like that. It was just the townsfolks. Raven frowned and tensed as well, feeling a bit…uncomfortable. They defiantly weren’t daemons or humans. She looked at Gabriel warily. “Uh, you wanna do the talking since you’re, ya know, good at it?”
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Got Em
Oct 13, 2017 22:37:48 GMT
Post by Gabriel on Oct 13, 2017 22:37:48 GMT
Gabriel diplomatically chose not to comment on the fact that travelling with Raven was, currently, a lot like travelling with a frightened baby deer. She was startling and flinching at the smallest sounds, and whenever she instinctively tried to take off, ash and charred feather swirled around them and the air smelt like smoke again. He glanced at her a couple of times, wondering if he was annoyed enough by this behaviour to try and calm her down, but decided maybe it was better that she try to adjust. She was going to need to learn to deal with being grounded for weeks or months...however long it took burnt feathers to grow back in.
Within the village, at least, lay relative safety. The village people - all Human - were hard and lean, with pale skin from living beneath the shade of the trees. They relied on superstition to some extent - iron charms in their windows and over their doors to ward off Fae, bright streaks of pigment over their entrance ways to scare away demons, bunches of herbs and flowers hung from the eaves against witches. But they were not entirely impractical; all, women men and children, could wield the rough iron weapons they kept in easy reach by their doors, or hung from their hips. Gabriel could tell, from experience and observation, that they were a hunting people primarily, although they also kept small gardens and some domesticated animals. There were probably no more than thirty of them altogether. It was fall, which meant they'd be slaughtering their meat animals soon, and with any luck Gabriel could convince them of some supernatural reason it would befit them to help weary, hungry travellers that had stumbled into their midst. Failing that, there were practical things these people would want - some purpose to which he could put his fire, or his telekinesis, or some other magic, to aid them in return for their help. Gabriel smiled at Raven's request to do the talking and nodded.
The home of the elder, or chief, or leader - however they fashioned the man of highest rank amongst them - was easily distinguished by its position in the village on the most pleasant site, farthest from the trees that always pressed close around small clearings so that it was even touched by sunlight some of the time - a position normally reserved for gardens. Leaving Raven to wait Gabriel knocked before entering, and after no more than ten minutes re-emerged with an elderly man, chatting and laughing.
"We've arrived on the first day of their slaughtering week. There's a celebration tonight - dancing, a feast, we've been invited to join them." What he'd told the man, or promised in return, Gabriel did not elaborate on. Overcoming their natural mistrust of Daemons wasn't easy but Gabriel's magic overrode the man's fear of a people they saw, usually, as hunters and destroyers, dangerous to small villages like this located deep in the Tangle and far from the protection or even conscience of their King. And, although he was not a sentimental person, and was not given to random acts of kindness, Gabriel would not harm a people who treated him as a guest and intended to repay their hospitality.
"This week we prepare for the coming winter by beginning the fall slaughter. First the sheep, tonight. The celebrations will begin shortly."
'There's a stream not far from here where we can wash, beforehand." Gabriel was still stained with blood - mostly his own - and they both smelt like ash and smoke.
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Got Em
Oct 14, 2017 7:21:46 GMT
Post by Raven on Oct 14, 2017 7:21:46 GMT
Raven didn’t mind letting Gabriel do all the talking and figuring stuff out. She was more interested in watching the people as they went on with their daily lives, side-eyeing the two strangers with distrust and minor paranoia. It was a fair reaction, especially since they were in the middle of deadly woods and…well, they were covered with blood and dirt.
When the daemon lord momentarily left, she stayed put and watched as a woman hauled in her rabbit and duck kills, no doubt for some sort of big feast. The lady was doing everything herself and had just started working on plucking one of the birds as Gabriel returned with an explanation of what was going on. She nodded in understanding, almost a little afraid to speak in fear of saying something that would upset the settlers.
Finally, she said something. “Dancing is fun! I think I still remember all the lessons I took when I was human. But food….mmmm. I hope they have plenty of fish.” Raven couldn’t help it, she just really liked fish. Trout specifically was her favorite, raw if not at least cooked without too much seasoning or added flavor. Once she was finished eating and having some fun dancing though, as well as maybe getting some rest, Raven was sure she’d finally leave the Daemon Lord to get some peace and quiet without her, and set off on her own. Without her flight, it was just too uncomfortable to be in the woods, exposed and vulnerable to predators, without being able to swiftly go into the air and fly away.
The young daemon wasn’t able to contain herself at the idea of getting cleaned up though. She immediately perked up. “Oh gods, I really need that.” She looked at where the wound that Gabriel had, had been before, the area surrounding it soaked with blood. “Er, well maybe not as badly as you, but I could use a little refreshing. Lead the way!”
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Got Em
Oct 15, 2017 1:14:54 GMT
Post by Gabriel on Oct 15, 2017 1:14:54 GMT
The stream wasn't far away, and Gabriel followed the faint burbling sound to find it, trusting Raven would follow. It branched off from the main river that the village used as their water source further away and was thin and shallow, little more than a trickling creek. Certainly not suitable for full immersion, then, but Gabriel disliked the cold and wet anyway. Even kneeling alongside the creek to cup water in his hands and run it through dark hair grown longer than he preferred, and rinse away the worst of the now dried blood flaking off silver skin, caused the Daemon Lord to hiss at the unpleasantness. Fire Elementals experienced a direct energy drain when exposed to water and, even as a halfblood, the sensation was uncomfortable. Still, by the time he finished the water trickling down his neck and chest was clear and the smell of smoke wasn't so intense.
Gabriel sat cross-legged away from any trees, away from the water, then and fire rippled from the very top of his head, along every inch of skin, until his skin and even his hair and pants were perfectly dry, the water curling off him in curls of pale steam that evaporated into nothing within seconds. It was a quick fix for his discomfort, though he wondered at the utility of bathing right now. If the smell of charred flesh and smoke from the beast hadn't been clinging to them he'd have suggested they didn't bother until later, as he then explained to Raven.
"This might be a wasted effort, as it happens. In exchange for joining their feast, the village elder has asked we help with the slaughter. There will be a lamb sacrificed by himself at the beginning of the celebration, but the rest need to be prepared in advance so they can start cooking them and, well, Daemon claws make it an easy task for us to aid them with." It was a small price to pay for the hospitality of the villagers but it could get messy. Gabriel didn't know if Raven had any experience with butchery. Gabriel, who hunted large game regularly and who was a very picky eater, had refined the skill of separating prime cuts from a carcass centuries ago though, and could teach her if she wanted. She kept going on about fish - maybe that was all she ate.
"I'll sleep here the night, after the feast, then I'm going back to the Tunnels. I'm needed there more urgently than traditional travel allows though, so I'll be teleporting out of here. What do you plan to do?" Raven had become marginally less irritating with time - the Daemon was still very young, incredibly naive, and casually disrespectful, but she was tolerable. He wouldn't have time to guide her to the Tunnels but he wondered if she might head that way next too. All Daemons should see their spiritual home here - all Daemons should definitely see the portal.
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Got Em
Oct 15, 2017 1:58:42 GMT
Post by Raven on Oct 15, 2017 1:58:42 GMT
Raven was quiet while she followed Gabriel, not really aware of how odd that was even for her. She was exhausted from the fight, and still wondering what she was going to do without being able to fly. He had been right earlier after the fight though, that they would grow back. She was merely too vain to think of any positives about it, besides, maybe, working on her fear of…well, everything.
The only noise that did come from her was the crunching on leaves and the occasional stick on the ground. She was still her normal, jumpy self, but felt a bit more relaxed with the village and all. Being around people made her much more calm, even if she preferred to be alone most of the time.
The stream was nothing special, and as she bent down to mirror Gabe with cupping the water to wash off the dirt and grime, her face grew into a wince from the sharp pain along her entire abdomen and chest, namely where she’d been hit by the creature. Once she was kneeling, Raven noticed the hiss he made and looked over with a questioning look. Raven suspected that it had to do with his elemental magic, since for obvious reasons, fire and water didn’t much mix. “Not too fond of water?”
It took her a little longer than the daemon lord to get ready, though she had significantly less blood on her. There was still a heavy taste of iron in her mouth, and the occasional cough did happen with small bits of blood along with it. Briefly, she pulled up part of her shirt and winced at the red and purple sight that completely covered her abdomen. No wonder there was some blood coming up.
Not wanting to waste Gabriel’s time though, she went as quick as she could to clean off the grime. She even let her wings out and angled them forward so she could wash off some of the singed primaries. They were still full of ash, especially around the harder to reach areas, but even so she stood up and brushed off the debris from her skirt and turned to face Gabriel, forcing somewhat of a fake smile.
Honestly, she…had no idea how to properly butcher an animal. As he might have guessed from her recommendations, all she really ate was fish, with the occasional good meal from an inn or something or other if she could even afford it. Ever since changing, it was all she craved most of the time. Raven was not opposed to learning however. “Yeaaaah I have no idea how to clean out anything but fish. If you’re willing to show me though, I can try to help??” Getting dirty was not big issue, though it felt…odd, to be helping these people rather than messing with them. She was dying to cause some mischief!
Heading back, Raven felt a bit refreshed from the quick clean at the stream and she had a bit more perk to her step. She was looking around the forest, this time not so much to look out for things that could kill her so much as just admiring how wild and free it was. As she suspected, Gabriel had plans and she…well, didn’t, but though he was nice company, Raven wasn’t super dependent on people being around her, so it didn’t much bother her to hear that he’d need to leave after some rest.
“I’m…not sure. I…have a fear of being in enclosed spaces.” If that wasn’t clear enough. “Maybe. I’m grounded for a few months, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt?” It would not be hard to get herself to travel to these so called Tunnels, but it would be immensely difficult for her to convince herself to go underground.
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Got Em
Mar 24, 2018 2:39:54 GMT
Post by Gabriel on Mar 24, 2018 2:39:54 GMT
They were peaceful, these small Tangle villages. The entire population here was less than fifty people, and they built only what they needed because maintaining things against the constant encroachment of the trees was hard work. So, it blended in to the natural landscape easily, and the people had learned to move and live quietly to avoid attracting predators. They wouldn't be the first Daemons to have passed through, but Gabriel figured they had visitors only rarely. It was a nice enough place for a night or two, and for Gabriel the adrenaline of the fight had well and truly worn off to be replaced by the kind of weary contentment that followed that type of event. It had felt good to stretch his muscles, his magic, to test himself again. For a while it was sate the natural desire for violence.
"Fire Elemental," was all he said in response to her question about water, figuring it was self-explanatory. He looked relaxed and happy now that he was dry though; unlike Raven, having healed himself he had no injuries to contend with. The minor scratches and scrapes that he hadn't bothered to attend to caused no pain on account of his Golem breeding, and he was therefore in a much less delicate mood. He was also tired, but not exhausted; Raven was much newer to all this than him and the fight seemed to have taken a lot out of her. A good meal would do them good, especially her, he figured.
"It's not difficult once you figure out where everything fits in a body." Gabriel stood, stretched, cracked the joints in his neck, and then turned to head back in the direction of the village. He tried and failed to imagine feeling uncomfortable at the Tunnels, then shrugged.
"It's up to you. Some of the Tunnels are quite narrow, but actually although the system is underground a lot of its huge. The central cavern fits a small mountain inside it. I'm sure you'd get used to it, anyway." Really, though, it was no big deal either way. Though the Tunnels were spiritually and strategically important to the Daemons, plenty never visited in their entire lives. Human-born Daemons were even more likely to not go, not feeling the same nostalgic love of the place as he did. His trail of thought broke off as they returned, though; the leader, whatever they called him, was waiting by a pen of sheep. He offered them both freshly sharpened knives as they approached, which Gabriel declined - earning a quizzical look from the man, who clearly had met few Daemons in his life, and spent no time with them. He left Raven to choose between the tool and her own claws.
"Will you two really sort this entire pen for us?" It was a job that would take the villagers half a day, and require five or six people. Gabriel grinned and nodded, and the old man shrugged and left them to it.
"Right. I'll show you on the first one, then?"
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Got Em
Mar 28, 2018 4:59:29 GMT
Post by Raven on Mar 28, 2018 4:59:29 GMT
“Oh…yeah. Fire. Water. Don’t really mix. That makes sense.” Raven felt a bit dumb for asking if he was bothered by the water. She had seen the fire he used while they were fighting the beast in the forest. Sometimes she wondered herself how she had been able to survive on her own for so long. “You said you were also a golem, yeah? Does that, like, mean water doesn’t affect you as badly as a pure fire elemental?” She was sure she knew the answer, but the curiosity was racking at her brain so bad, she had to ask. Plus, he didn’t seem as annoyed as he had earlier. Even if he was though, she would have still asked. He was a cool dude, however grumpy he had seemed when they met.
Raven was fairly intrigued by the description of the tunnels though. She could not even begin to imagine a cavern big enough for a mountain. “WAIT. Are you serious? That’s a thing? There’s space in the Tunnels for me to fly?” That was the defining factor, for her being able to fly. If she could not even do that, then she would be even less willing to visit.
Once more, she splayed out one of her wings with their singed feathers and sighed despressingly. She elected to try and ignore it, despite her vanity, and tucked that wing back up to her back. “Okay what else in the Tunnels? I’m sure its not all sunshine and daisies. Monsters? Are those a thing in there? Beast or whatever you wanna call them?” The idea of fighting another creature was not very thrilling either, especially if she were more likely to be on her own. Raven didn’t really have friends or anything.
On their way back, the young daemon had tripped over a tree root that was sticking out of the ground. She’d managed to catch herself without falling, but the embarrassment was there regardless. As much as she could, Raven pretended that the incident had never happened.
When the village chief approached them, Raven’s shoulders immediately sagged a little. Though past the age that most humans would live till, she was still essentially a teenager in all respects. The idea of doing work and not having fun was less than ideal.
It did not take much to make the young avian daemon look up to someone. In the short while that she had met Gabriel, she was still completely amazed that out of pure chance, she had run into the Daemon Lord! Because of this, there was a side of her that strived to be like him in the sense of strength and skills, less so on the grumpy, anger ‘I’m old as hell.’ Attitude. So when the leader of the small village gave her the option for tools as well, she too declined. Raven was not the slightest bit interested in keeping any of her humanity. She was set on becoming the best damn daemon she could be.
“Uh yeah, I’d like that.” Despite her ambition though, Raven was a little too self conscious to admit that she had no clue what she was doing.
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