The Village (Anyone)

OoC: My character's bio can be found here: http://www.zeldauniverse.net/forums/...2444-tora.html
This is my first attempt at an RPG, so I hope it is good. This RPG is open, so anyone can join.

BiC:
Tora strolled down the curving, weathered dirt road, wondering where the next village must be.
"Why would they build a road in such a desolate forest?" Tora thought.
He had been walking for miles, not a single man on horseback, not a single wagon, nothing passed.

Several hours later...


Eventually he came to a fork in the road, the normal dirt path branching off to the right, and a smaller cobblestone path to the left. Next to the cobblestone walkway was a sign, it read...
<--- Quietwood Village
"Finally" Tora beamed.
He hadn't drank anything for hours, his water flask had run out and he was thirsty. The forest was extremely quiet, not a sound, no birds, no animals, nothing. He walked for roughly an hour, when suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes...
"Who's there?" Tora called out, putting his right hand on the handle of his sheathed sword.
As fast as it started, the movement stopped. Tora began walking again, but he made sure he was on high alert. He continued walking, and the only sounds were his shallow breathing and footsteps. The sky was still cloudy, but it didn't rain. The forest suddenly opened up, and Tora looked around in relief, straight ahead he saw a small fountain, probably a town square. There were dingy, wooden buildings on both sides of him, each two stories high. In the square with the fountain, there were 3 buildings, likely stores and such. A woman was on a balcony, hanging laundry, she looked down and saw him, gave him a look, and looked away.
"This place is so quiet." Tora thought to himself.
He walked up to a place called, "The Milk Bar" in the square, and stepped inside. There were only two people in the place, the bartender, and a man sitting in the corner. Tora sat down.
"What can I get you, sir?"
"One Sage Milk, please." Tora replied.
"You must not be from around here." The bartender said through his mustache.
"No, I'm not." Tora replied.
"That's what I thought, there's no towns around here for miles. We seem shut out from the rest of the world, seeing as we're right in the middle of such a thick forest. It's extremely rare we see a foreigner like you, where are you from?"
"Pala, north of here."
"Ah, Pala, I've never been there myself, what's it like?"
"Well..." Tora thought of his sister, "It's nice, there's lots of people there that... care about me."
"I don't quite understand why you'd leave, then." The man said. "But I guess it's none of my business."
With that the bartender walked away.


Tora sat, wondering what to do next. He was examining the jars of Herbs on a shelf when the door creaked open, and a figure sat down beside him...

OoC: Heh, that is perfect for me. Character in sig. Oh and I have my cloak on
BiC: The bartender was saying,"...I guess it's none of my business." and he walked off. I had just got into this littlle town, and I was tired. I had use all of my beads and had to use some of my own energy to make it here. I hoped I lost the enemy with that trick. they probably are still looking for me. I grinned. I sat at the milk bar and was waiting for the bartender to come back so I could order. I noticed the guy sitting next to me for the first time. He did not look like the natives, so I asked, "You new here as well?"

OoC: Okay, thanks for joining.

BiC:
Tora turned, surprised that the stranger was talking to him.
"Yeah, I am heading south, and I stopped here." Tora replied.
He noticed the person had deep green eyes under a cloak, and he was on the shorter side.
"I'm Tora, who might you be?"

"My name is Tarok. I was heading south as well. I just stopped here t get supplies and rest." Which was not a lie. I was heading south. I knew I looked older than I was, and I liked it that way. Then I asked, "Why are you heading south?" even though I Knew exactly why.

"It's a long story." Tora replied, looking down at the wooden bar counter.
"Something... attacked my village, I still do not know what it was, but whatever it was, it killed my father, and I will avenge him." Tora squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them.
"But anyway, what brings you this way?"

Would you mind if I joined? Most of my RPs are frozen at the moment, due to missing persons. I'd use Leonna Fallenstar (link in sig)

Sure, feel free.

OoC: Alrighty, then, here I come!

BiC:

The woods were delicately silent, as if they were holding their breath while the earth began making its slow change from twilight to night time. It would only be a few hours before darkness fell and the noctornal preadators would awake from their slumber. Until then, the golden light of the setting sun would sift through the leaves of the trees, filling the forest with its soft glow. Even the underbrush and the trees appeared more placid, their soft hues of brown and green waving slowly in the gentle breeze above me.

I sighed, stopping for a moment to adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder. It was not a heavy burden to carry, but days of travel had slowly begun to wear on my shoulder. Even my feet were starting to become sore, tired after endless days of high stepping through foilage. I had avoided using the main roads that ran through the forest, not wanting to run into any travelers. It was simply easier to avoid unpleasant confrontations with others, even if it meant having to endure a more difficult hike.

As I gazed ahead, I noticed that the forest was starting to thin, spreading the trees out further as it sloped down a hill. While the many trees blocked out much of what was at the bottom, I could make out a small dirt trail. Seeing as the path was rough and thin, it was easy to guess that this was a route that few took. All the better for me.

I moved quietly down the gentle slope until I reached the rugged trail, glad to at last have some good footing to travel on. There was nothing at all to be seen except the forest that surrounded the area, the only sound being an occasional cry of a bird. Now that the sun had softened its rays, I could already hear crickets starting to chirp in the deep grass that bordered the path. I was glad of their company, enjoying the sound of something more than my feet plodding against the dirt.

As I continued my walk, my mind began to wander away from the forest and into my own head. After the chaotic events of Garal, I still had not learned much, aside from the fact that human cities could be terribly violent. Even as I walked miles and miles away from that strange city, I could still remember the picture of it clearly in my mind. The tall stone buildings, the wide paved streets, the delicate wooden doors and shutters of the large homes...it had been truly eye opening to see such a place for the first time. I had wondered if most human cities were like this, and if it was even possible that there were larger ones...

My mind traveled out of my head again when I heard the cry of a wolf. The sound came from an echo far away, though I could not quite place its origin. If there was indeed a pack of the creatures, it would be for the best if I reached my destination before sundown.

Quietwood Village, they had called it, this place that was supposedly closest to Garal. While I had little hope that the village held the answers to my burning questions, it had seemed like a good place to stop and get some peace and quiet after the events of Garal. Then I could start to consider where it was I should go next, perhaps to some place that held ancient ruins. While it would in all likelyhood have no connection the ruins I was looking for, the idea was quite attractive. Ancient civilizations held strong and deep magics that have long been forgotten.

My train of thought stopped again as I looked up over the tops of the trees ahead to see the shingled roofs of buildings poking through the trees. There was no sound of activity coming from them, which would give me more freedom to roam about the place. Still, I placed the hood of my grey cloak over my head and pulled it tighter around me, just in case there were curious people still moving about.

To my relief, I found that my previous conclusions were met when I walked into the small village. The dirt road that ran inbetween the small brick buildings was entirely empty, leaving only a few signs hanging from some shops to give the road company. I moved silently past the windows of shops and houses, gazing passively into their dark interiors. Some of them actually held people who were moving about, either tidying some last table up, or conversing with another as they lit candles and fireplaces in preparation for the night to come.

I walked until I came to one particularly large building, pausing for a moment to gaze inside its glossy windows. From the looks of it, it was some kind of bar, with a counter separating the tables from the serving area. I could see a large variety of bottles sitting on the innermost counter, most of them filled with a creamy white substance. I could also see two figures sitting at the bar with their backs turned to me. One was small enough to be a child, though I could see very little of them, as they had a dark black cloak covering their entire back. The person sitting next to them was clearly a man, who seemed normal enough. His black hair matched almost perfectly with his overcoat and pants; all of which were a midnight shade of black.

An ominous group indeed...they have a somewhat magical aura around them as well...it feels tainted with darkness. My eyes lingered on the two figures, who appeared to be conversing lightly with each other. While there presence was indeed somewhat shadowy, this presence was not strong. If I had not been observing them, I probably would not have noticed it...

With a resigned sigh, I walked into the pub, deciding to chance an interaction with the strangers rather than continuing to wander aimlessly. My body was tired, and the strangers were not likely to notice a silent person who stopped by for a moment just to rest their feet. I sat at a table closest to the door, quietly reaching into my bag to grab my water pouch in order to steal a drink of the fresh fluid. As I sat, I silently listened to the conversation of the strangers.

"Why are you heading south?" The small figure turned to the man, its voice young and soft like a boy's. The skin of his face was strangely pale, as if he had seen little of the sun.

"It's a long story." The man replied to the child, his head bowing slightly. His voice held a deep sadness, anger even. Despite the fact that I hardly knew him, I could not help but feel for the man. "Something... attacked my village, I still do not know what it was, but whatever it was, it killed my father, and I will avenge him. But anyway, what brings you this way?"

I smiled slightly, amused to see that we were all strangers here. I had suspected it from the moment I saw their dark forms, but it was nice to know I was right. However, I was troubled by the man's mention of violence. Such things seemed to follow humans everywhere...

OoC: Sorry for the long post. Introduction and all...

I had sensed someone looking at us through the window. I knew it was best to keep my attention on the conversation at hand. When she came into the milk bar, I asked the bartender to send her a drink. She was different from the humans I had met. She had something... astral about her. I then turned to her asked, "Would you like to come sit with us ma'am? It's alright ,we won't bight." I made sure I had that kid in my voice to ask her. And I was being very polite,calling her ma'am and I hoped she would sit with us,so I could learn more about her. And as I waited for her response, I answered Tora, " I don't really know, or even particularly care."

The boy’s sudden request startled me. Not only had he noticed my presence, but he did not seem disturbed by it in the least. I hesitated before answering the child, taking in what I had seen. Yes, the boy was perfectly polite, speaking respectfully as a child would address an adult. What bothered me was the great intelligence in his deep green eyes, a knowledge that surpassed that of a normal child his age.

And this is certainly not the first time I have seen as much. It would appear that magic manifests itself in many ways, even in those particularly young. I cannot tell just what kind of power this child has…though he appears to have some connection with shadow magic.

“Such a kind request would be rude to refuse,” I stated softly, placing my water pouch back in my bag. With faux ease, I approached the boy, taking the hood from off of my head and moving the rest of my cloak behind my shoulders. I took the seat next to him, but allowed my attention to linger on the stranger beside him. He, too, shared a strange trait, an unnatural purple color near his pupils. The man did not appear to be bothered by my intrusion in the least, though the same sadness lingered on his expression.

“I am impressed.” I turned my gaze back to the child, smiling mildly down at him. “You are very observant for one your age, though I am perplexed to see such a child as yourself wandering from home. I imagine your parents would be worried.”

I smiled when she came and sat next to us. i then put my own cloak down ,so the to could see my face."They don't really care."Which was true, in case she was a lie detector. Which I had met in my travels. I was ready to share my history with the two yet. I then asked her,"What's your name? And what brings you down here?" I asked, as our drinks got here. The bartender handed her one as well as I. I hoped she liked what I ordered her. I handed the bartender some meseta, and he did not seem to mind that it was different money.
OoC:I know what you mean. You're in one of my RP's and Tp is gone. The same in one of my others.

BiC:
Tora had been deep in thought, but was attentive enough to notice the figure sit down next to Tarok. She had a mystical aura about her, and there was something in her voice that seemed mysterious. He turned towards the two, and was perplexed by what he saw.
The woman had blonde hair, braided in a bun. She had a soft, kind face, but her most stunning feature were her eyes, blue, the color of a cloudless sky. Her irises almost seemed to glow.
Tarok had just asked,
"What's your name? And what brings you down here?" As the bartender brought them two drinks, and he handed him some foreign money. It was the first time he had seen Tarok's whole face, as he pulled his hood down. He had a young looking face, and his hair was black, but red on top. Tora turned toward the two, waiting for the woman to reply.

"I am Leonna," I answered bluntly. The boy had finally removed his hood, showing his pale, heartshaped face. There was something strangely soft about it, as if it was not meant to meet the bright rays of the sun...

Before moving on to the child's second question, I turned my attention back to the glass the gruff bartender had handed me. There was not anything particularly special about the cup itself; just a plain copper tinted glass shaped like a V. What intriqued me was the white liquid inside, which smelled exactly like a cow's milk, though it was somewhat sweeter. It was cold, too, something that was practically unheard of in my home village of Bren.

I smiled bitterly as I thought back to my home, remembering what it had been like as a child. My mother and I had to take care of our small farm, and part of that consisted of milking the cows and goats. Their milk was always warm and creamy, a rich taste that my mother had always been proud of. This fresh milk always had to be traded and consumed quickly, as it would not keep long and we did not have ice or anything of the sort to keep it cool. Cold milk was only available in winter, but even then, one would have to travel up farther into the mountianous region to get a good handful of the frozen water.

And so I held the glass delicately, tracing my finger around the top edge of the cold glass for a moment. I could not remember the last time I had had milk, and it would be interesting to try this different kind. With great care, I brought it to my lips, taking a small sip. I let the cool liquid sit in my mouth for a moment, reveling in its sweet, creamy flavor. If I had to guess, I would say that the bartender had mixed this milk with a few drops of honey. From the richness of the milk, it was easy to tell that he had aquired it from a fine breed of milking cows.

The bartender laughed as he watched me, his brown eyes sparkling. "Just look at the girl! You'd think with all that finesse that she's tasting wine."

I smiled slightly back at the dark haired man, taking the glass from my mouth but keeping the smooth object in my hand. Cold things always felt strangely soothing, and I liked the feel of the glass in my hand. "Such a fine drink far surpasses wine." But the bartender's comment brought me back to the fact that there were others here as well.

"And I ought to thank you for providing me with such," I said, gazing kindly at the boy. Behind him, I could see that the black haired man was looking at me now, very much aware of our conversation. "To answer your question, I am here merely to stop by. There are...certain things of which I plan on taking care of upon leaving." I then turned my attention to the young man beside him. "I apologize for intruding so into your conversation, but it would appear that you are here under unfortunate circumstances."

I smiled knowingly as she fingered the glass carefully. I had taken the liberty of going not to deep into her mind to find if she would like it. I had known I was right as she said that the milk far surpasses wine, which I beg to differ. But she had not tasted it in years, so I thought she would like it.

Tora came out of his trance, surprised at Leonna's question.
"Y-yes, you probably heard the story as you came in." Tora replied, taking a sip of his milk.
"But what brings you down here?"

I sighed deeply, unsure of how to answer the stranger. How could I ever tell these people of the quest to which I had given myself, to find the people to which I belonged? My only clues to go off of were vauge at best, written into the stone of a ancient ruin near my village. My only chances of finding answers now were to search for more of the ancient artifacts, hoping that somehow, they would solve the mystery of my existance.

"I merely seek knowledge, and in my journeying, I stopped at this quiet place." I paused to drink from my cup, once again enjoying its cool taste in my mouth. "But tell me, stranger, do you truly intend to bring violence to this place?"

I glanced back at the muscular man, trying hard not to think about the boy's eyes that were still boring into me. There was something strange about them that made me uneasy, as if he knew more than he should about me.

Ah, so she was an astral faerie. I than asked, "Would you mind if I join you? I could probably help you on your quest for knowledge." She was looking for where she belonged. As was I. I had not meant to go that deep into her mind. I caught glimpses of her past, and wanted more.

"I never wish to bring violence upon anybody, but it killed someone I cared deeply for, and it's the only way. Something that evil does not belong in the world, I have to do it, so it does not cause harm to anybody else, whatever it was, it probably lives far away from a peaceful place like this, I have a young sister, and if that thing is still living, who knows, it may come back, I have to protect her. I'm very sorry if I offended you with all this talk of avenging my father."

"Something that evil does not belong in the world, I have to do it, so it does not cause harm to anybody else..."

The man's words hit me hard, despite the fact that he had spoken them so softly. He sounded all too much like the villagers of Bren, people who feared what they did not understand. Of course, also like them, this stranger probably had good reason to fear, seeing as the creature sounded particularly violent. I felt for the young man, knowing the ache of leaving those I cared for, but at the same time, I pitied the creature he spoke of. Violent attacks always had a motive behind them, and this creature he spoke of was likely a victim of hatred, just as he had been.

"This talk of avenging," I stared into my glass, unable to look at the stranger as I spoke, "does not offend me. What I find curious, however, is that you would leave a loved one behind. If you are worried for your sister, running off to avenge some creature does not seem like an effective way to protect her. If you have the good fortune of having a family, leaving them for the sake of revenge is a waste of that gift." My hands clenched tightly against the cold glass as I said the words, a familiar pain involuntarily sinking in. This man had a family, a gift that I yearned to have...a place to belong. Thinking for a moment that anyone, unaware of such value, would leave it behind was...difficult to accept.

But even as the pain settled into my chest, I realized that there was still an unanswered question. The boy wanted to travel with me. It was obvious that the young human had no understanding of my power, the manner of creature that I was. Those who did knew how to keep a safe distance from my destructive nature.

"I apologize, young one, but some things are best left alone." Taking a child along was entirely unacceptable. I did not have any ability to care for another, especially since human company, or any company at all, was foriegn to me. Such responsibility was far more than I was willing to bear.

OoC: Sorry if Leonna's comin' off as a little harsh. She naturally shies away from other people, but she'll warm up eventually if the other charas have the patience for that sort of thing.

"Well alright then." I said, speaking the words softly as if disappointed. Which I was, seeing as we could be a great help to each other. I then put on the hood of my cloak, finished my milk, and found an inn to stay at. I had perposely left a bag of meseta on the counter so one of them would have to come find me and give it back to me.