A cove of bright blue water. Along the shoreline, the tides have carved the rocks into inlets and pools where the tide catches. There are many caverns and rock formations to explore here. The tide can rise quickly, flooding many of the areas without warning. An excellent place for gathering shells or hunting crustaceans.
As the air got chillier warning of the approaching cold season, Flame had seen her bees become less active. Though she had only been keeping them for a few months, she instinctually knew it would be too cold for them to produce honey once winter came. It saddened her to see her friends becoming less active, but they were strong enough to survive the coming seasons and would regain full strength in the spring. She was more worried about herself. She had already shivered in the chilly autumn breezes, and she predicted it would only worsen as days ticked by.
This would be her first winter as a Jackal. Just months prior, she had been a simple luna moth. She had Ohr to thank for her transformation; who else? Only the god of life could rebirth her into her new, more intelligent form. Still, the problem of the colder weather remained. She just hoped her fur coat would be enough to keep her warm.
Leaving her bees to their own business, Flame had traveled to Brightwood. She had made it her duty to care for the surrounding flora and fauna, helping to mend any withering plants or save animals from unnecessary harm. Though she could grow herbs with a simple touch of her paw, Flame still always made a point to scout the surrounding lands, finding where the plants grew naturally and ensuring they remained healthy for others to forage, should they need them.
Unfamiliar trees warned her she had traveled further than anticipated, but curiosity kept her moving forward. A beautiful trail of green clouds and stardust trailed behind her as he flittered her wings past the last few trees and into a clearing of dappled light. Her eyes widened as they fell upon the ocean. The crashing waves were an unfamiliar yet welcome sound to her ears. Glee filled her as she let her paws touch the ground and paced closer to the waves, watching them glisten beneath the sunlight. She slowed as she got closer, but curiosity beckoned her to dip her paw into the water.
“Ahh, cold!” she’d shout, buzzing her wings and bringing herself skyward again. Maybe ocean water wasn’t her thing, but she was happy to watch the crashing waves from a distance.
Balthazar had finally made it to the cove after some time of travel. He had a companion with him at some point, but he assumed they temporarily wandered off and would return.
He found himself captivated by the glittering stones in the daylight. Balthazar sighed loudly. "Sometimes this is mostly a curse." He muses to himself, havting his vampiric allergy to sun exposures. So badly did he wish to step out of the shade and feel the sun- and the water if only for a moment...and yet, he couldn't budge. How annoying.
A glittering green glow would pull the hyena-bats gaze through the trees. He decides to follow ot after scenting the air. This smell was..canine, mostly. Maybe they were friendly-- maybe they had seen Reed- or Larkspur! "Hey you!" He shouts after the glowing green canine with the big wings.
However she must not have heard him. Balthazar could only watch as she came nearer to the waters edge. "Go easy now, water is rather mysterious and likes pranks!"he cackles after the canine in not.
Flame became alert as she heard someone speak. "Go easy now; the water is rather mysterious and likes pranks!" She’d quickly turn around, finally noticing the hyena behind her. “It plays pranks?” she’d glance back to the water, watching as the waves gently rolled onto the shore. She felt the urge to put her paw in again but stopped herself. “Is it always this cold?” She’d ask the hyena, noticing he still stood in the shade. Why didn’t he come out into the sunshine?
After concluding he wasn’t budging, the jackal figured she would have to meet him where he was. She’d flutter closer, enough to hear him better but far enough to keep a safe distance. Something about this figure seemed suspicious. Why did he hide himself in the darkness like that? Her curious nature prevented her from staying quiet. “Why are you hiding in the shadows? It's way too cold; at least it's warmer in the sun.”
Not warm enough. The jackal would shiver as a breeze blew towards her. It was undoubtedly windy by the ocean. Part of her wanted to head back inland to Verdantis territory and curl up in her den. Another part of her wanted to find out about this stranger. For better or worse, the latter urge was stronger. She'd have to brave the cold for now.
The bright colored creature, a-kin to what seemed to be moth noticed him quickly. Balthazar himself took a long moment to observe the canines speices a little closer. Their resemblance to a moth was almost uncanny. He had started to speak up until the green wolf spoke up.
" Aye. Yes, " The water did often like it's pranks. The thought touches a faint smile to the sea-fairers lips. Balthazar could retale more than a few counts of the God of the water teasing him. Sometimes it was playful- and other times it was harsh and brought a fight with it. But he supposed that life came to pirates and riverside craftsmen.
"You haven't been around this much before- the water I mean?" It seemed pretty obvious based from her queues.
However it was when the little moth startrd to take interest in how Balthazar clung to the cool, shade of the trees that made him tense, if only for a moment. "Ta' sunlight dun' like me all that much," he offeres a somewhat crooked grin. "It hurts me eyes and burns da skin, I haven't had time to make goggles or salves yet." He remarked, chewing on his lip in after thought. "I am a vampire- but I keep up with feeding so no need to fear." He tries to reassure them now.
The entire time he remains leaned on the tree. Less movement seemed less spooky right?
"What brings you to the Cove? I grew up in palces like this...but you seem, a little out of your element here."
She’d briefly let her gaze fall off the stranger, looking back towards the water. It did seem as if it had a mind of its own. The tide pulled in and out with what appeared to her like no rhyme of reason. It seemed fitting it would like to play pranks. Flame briefly wondered if the rapids in Verdantis territory liked to play pranks, too. She hadn’t given it much thought until now, but the waters seemed to move with their agenda there as well. The water there seemed to move even faster. Those rapids were so fast and powerful that she had never been brave enough to set a paw in them.
"You haven't been around this much before- the water I mean?" Two pointed ears perked overhead as the hyena spoke. “No, no, I suppose I haven’t,” She’d reply. Was it that obvious?
"Ta' sunlight dun' like me all that much, it hurts me eyes and burns da skin, I haven't had time to make goggles or salves yet. I am a vampire- but I keep up with feeding so no need to fear." Flame's eyes lit up with surprise, though there was little fear in her gaze. “You’re a vampire?” She found it more intriguing than anything and immediately wanted to know more. First thing was first, however, she had to help the poor creature who was allergic to the sun.
“I might be able to mix together a potion to help you, temporarily, until you can get those goggles and salves you speak of.” Flame may have appeared naive on the surface, but she had a deep, instinctual knowledge of all sorts of herbs and their uses. She'd pause, thinking over the ingredients she might need for such a concoction. Fennel and Passionflower would be suitable for eyesight. Beeswax would work for protection from the sun. She could grow the herbs herself, but she would have to go back and visit her hive for the beeswax unless they could find one closer. She knew bees liked to build nests in Brightwood. If they were lucky, they could find some on the border.
“I will need to search the borders between here and Brightwood for a bee hive. Would you want to join me? the whole area is in the shade." The bees would most likely build their nests in the trees, so Balthazar wouldn't need to expose himself to direct sunlight.
Balthazar sat at ease for a long time, watching the tide come and go. It's flow was almost hypnotizing and always so different, no matter how long the brute may have looked at it. He enjoyed the way the other canine marveled at the waters way of dazzling and winking. For a moment in time the vampire might have thought the lass would move in closer to the water- either for a small taste of action or just for a closer look- but she does neither, and speaks up; after Balthazar's earlier speech. "It's quite marvelous," he nearly purrs about the waves, "I love the water, grew up on it me whole life.." the bat-like-hyena's gaze now intent on the moth as she flutters closer. His vibrant gaze dares not stray from her; no, its watching her every move- every breath- - what was next?
He nodded at her question. "Yes, ma'am, I am a vampire! In the flesh- though, I wasn't turned..mine was natural. I washed ashore on these coasts, or at least- a coast very similar to this one." The stranger hadn't exactly volunteered for stories, but Balthazar was never against digging just a few bones up. "A lot of my memories had to come back. Like about who I am.." He pauses, then somewhat softer, "What I am." Now, he's blinking it away his thoughts and focusing on a new found solutions for a temporary fix!
Salves! "How did you come to learn about Salves-- and healing in general? and of course, don't worry we will find what it is you seek ma'am! I am Balthazar Black, and I am at your services!" Balthazar was curious now, just who was this little moth? His scaled nose crinkles, and another smile is offered; it is not meant to creepy- only a quick and easy going, I like you!
"You know miss, ya neve'a gave me yer name." He chuckles now, if a little darkly, those vampire pupils flickering and glowing among the shade of the trees. Then he shrugs and slides off deeper into the trees, clearly very at ease in the wooded darkness as he moves without much evediance he had ever been there to start.
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{OOC NOTES}|:
DICE ROLL
success: 0-6--> Balthazar flies into the trees and is able to search the borders finding two potential spots for live nests.
fail: 7-10--> he fails, finds nothing, and must keep searching
NPC Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
506 was added for Level 1.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
"Yes, ma'am, I am a vampire! In the flesh- though, I wasn't turned..mine was natural. I washed ashore on these coasts, or at least- a coast very similar to this one. A lot of my memories had to come back. Like about who I am.." Flame was intrigued by the Hyenas story; ears perked forward in interest. He had just washed ashore? With no memories? That sounded awful. The idea made her want to help the stranger even more.
“How did you come to learn about Salves-- and healing in general? and of course, don't worry, we will find what it is you seek ma'am! I am Balthazar Black, and I am at your services!” the question caught Flame off-guard. How had she learned about healing? She had always just had a strange, innate knowing of plants and what they did, though she wasn’t entirely sure why, or how that was the case.“I’ve always felt a strong kinship to plants - it's like they speak to me, letting me know what uses they may have, be that healing-wise or poisons. Same thing with animals.” She’d do her best to explain. “My best guess is it a blessing from Ohr, just like my jackal form!” She’d speak, realizing she hadn’t given the pirate her story. “You see,” She’d begin, fluttering her wings behind her as she spoke “I used to be a moth, but now, all that remains of that life are my wings.”
"You know miss, ya neve'a gave me yer name." Flame would give a quick giggle. “Oh, silly me, I can be forgetful sometimes; my name’s Flame!”
With introductions out of the way, the bat-hyena seemed eager to get off and search for the hives. Flame could barely keep up. Her wings could get her off the ground, but they didn’t move her very fast, so she decided to sit beneath the shade of a tree and wait for Balthazar to return.
Her look of getting caught off guard didn't escape Balthazar's eyes. The green canine seems to be in thought as she speaks. The plants spoke with her? Now that was curious!
She continued on to say it was a type of gift! Just like her Jackle shape she's been blessed with by someone called Ohr. Who was this Ohr? the Bat-like hyena wonders to himself as he contiues to listen to the green jackel. Watching as she flutters her smaller wings explaining how she had once been a month.
A moth? "Do you remeber much from being a bug?" Unable to contain his own curiosity. His head tilts as he stood in front of her, waiting and listening.
__ time skip, hes in the woods__
He yells out hoping flame might hear his voice from the woods. "Flame! i think I found some nests, can you come help me?" He faces back to where flame stood, yelling to make sure she heard him clearly. Balthy set his paw on one of the palms and gave it a soft shake. "Should I just knock the hive down? What do I do flame?"
