A river valley between two mountain ranges. A powerful river flows through rocky terrain, creating strong currents and dangerous rapids. Precious gold ore can be found in the river for those brave enough. The forests surrounding abound with life.
The physical contact made the connection between her Will and Shifty's strong enough for her magic to be a success this time. As the energy left her, she felt a drain on her own energy in return. She'd been hard at work since she'd first woke up and between the traveling and magic, was starting to feel fatigued. She had made a point of making sure her healing magic had been extra potent for him. Now, she was regretting it. "Hmph" she laughed as he tried to lecture her on not being aggressive right away. "I wonder what your history is to resort to aggression as a last resort, instead of a first. Maybe if you grew up like I did..." She let the rest of the sentence linger unspoken.
"Anyways. What I had in mind for a deal was this. Not only did I save your life, I also healed you too. So now, I figure you owe me right? Makes sense. But see, I'm a good wolf. I'm not going to hold helping someone over their head. You know why?" She paused momentarily, just long enough that Shifty might start to respond, then immediately started speaking again, cutting off any words he might have started to say. "That's not what Tsillah is all about. She's about empowering others, driving them to be the best possible outcomes of their selves. She sent me here to find you, to guide you down the right path. So, how about we make this deal instead. You come with me, back to my kingdom escorted by a Monarch, and you learn the ways of the Goddess who rescued you today."
After the brief uncomfortableness of physical contact from a total stranger and healing will power course through his body. Shifty felt explicably rejuvenated. He felt he could run over the Savanah like he did when he was a pup. "I accept your deal, only because it will be good to have an adequate healer in my back pocket when I rise to power in Duskorna. Shifty was mostly only enjoying the banter with Enya. He never really want to be responsible for leading an entire kingdom. One could aspire greatness in life. Maybe now she will get a hint of why he was called 'Shifty'. "If you don't keep an eye on me you'll have a thorn in your side before to long to remind you that i'm not to be over looked."
"Well you say i reek of Verdantis, Where to My lady? He was ready to move on first hour here and he already resented this water way.
(As a side note this is when Shifty changes over to Duskorna from Verdantis)
Enya chuckled at Shifty's response, boldly claiming that he would one day rise to power in Duskorna. "I won't be in your back pocket, Shifty. I'll be on the front lines right alongside you. I hope you rise to power, because that means that our Goddess has gazed upon you fondly as she has done here today. It means that she was watching you, just like I will be." If he intended to ever challenge for the lead of Duskorna, well, she'd gladly accept it just to teach the pup a lesson.
It seemed, however, that he was just as ready to be out of the Verdantis stench as she was. He prompted her to lead the way, and so she did. Which way, though, was the question. She could push further into Verdantis territory, after all. If she got caught, it could be 'oops! I thought he was escorting me out of the territory!'. Of course, that relied on Shifty playing along with her story and with the locals accidentally labeling him as one of theirs. No, there were too many factors that could go terribly wrong with that idea. She had already pushed her luck and drained her energy on healing Shifty's wounds. She should turn back and escort Shifty home like she said she would do.
"To your new home, Shifty." She motioned with her head for him to step along with her, then started off in a casual nonchalant walk. "By the way, if you're going to use titles, I prefer Queen, Majesty, or Monarch over Lady. Lady is a term for those who hope to rise to power someday. Majesty is a term for one who have achieved that power." She did not want to be downgraded by an improper use of a formal title. "So, is Shifty a nickname or what? It's unique. Usually I come across wolves with names like like Galzaroth or Rowtag or Thorne. Either something their mother made up or a name a mother gave them after the first thing they laid their eyes upon."Her children's names had all been picked very carefully. "Shifty doesn't seem to fit either of those, unless you got some sort of magic or something that your mom pulled it from."
STEALTH ROLL FOR TRESPASS #2
Success: Enya maintains her stealth as she exits the territory with Shifty.
Failure: Enya can't stop yapping and they get busted. Oops!!
Note: If Enya succeeds but Shifty fails, then that is an automatic fail for Enya as well regardless of the outcome. This is for rp flavor, as they are walking side by side chatting. Hard to see Shifty and not her!
Character Diceroll 1: Unuccessful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Stealth.
468 was added for Level 1.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Walking next to Enya didnt make Shifty uncomfortable at all considering her outward appearance, half wolf half serpent type creature he guessed. A 'New Home' again he had just gotten used to last one. O well new places to see, new things to learn, new things to swipe. He thought shaking his head shrugging off that that bit. He had turned away from pickpocketing he didnt need to revert back to that old life. Now he can start fresh in Duskorna "To Duskorna"
Enya had mentioned the Titles she wanted to be called. To him he didnt see that she was royalty yet. So he wasnt going to be using them she could dislike him for that but he didnt care. He'd call her by her name and thats all. Probably not the wisest choice but he had made his mind up.
When she asked him about his name he couldnt let her know that he was a thief...not yet. "Oh Shifty I came up with it when I was transferred to the First realm. This is my 3rd Realm. My given name is Neuro because I have venom in my bite its also why my coat turned green. I just dont want everyone to know that and lose my surprise". When Shifty finished explaining he went up to a tree, knocked off a piece of bark and bit it to show his venom to her.
Gabriel had just recently woken from a brief rest. Getting out of his den and stretching each limb, he decided to get his blood flowing by going over and checking the borders. Perhaps it was luck that afforded him to catch it, or maybe Ohr knew the consequences of letting this go without confrontation, but whatever the situation, it did not take long during his patrol to notice a recent scent crossing over the border.
Immediately, he recognized it as Duskorna. And, after a glance around to see if the culprit was within view, he sniffed some more and discovered that not only was it the scent of the enemy, but of the Monarch of Duskorna herself. It was most peculiar. He followed where it led him, noting how there seemed to be no other scent but hers. Were they planning to surround them? Did they use magic to disguise her other followers? Or was she truly here alone? Once the scent was thoroughly within his nose, he began to pick up pace, and when two-toned eyes finally laid eyes upon the leader and another member, he called with a voice loud enough that they could hear easily. "Halt!" just before his large form would move at a trot in their direction, he would send out an intruder alert howl, but he would not wait for them. This needed to be handle immediately.
With the wild dog's scent having been washed away from the tide, gabriel could not recognize the verdantis member as one of his own. the lack of scent answered one thing -- he must have used the river to sneak past the border. he could only assume more would follow, making this an especially careful situation. defenses were put in place. he kept his head low and steel ram horns on display, tail out for balance and legs spread, "you trespass on verdantis territory, vhich i'm sure you're aware of. you vill not be leaving until you've provided good reason vor you being here," but no reason was a good one, and he was sure they meant trouble.
The authoritative bark cut through the noise of the water and echoed through the trees. Urna's ears swiveled toward the source an instant before her head followed. Her nerves twanged with anticipation.
And then there it was, loud and haunting: the telltale alarm howl of a sentry wolf. She threw back her head for an answering whoop, and gathered her paws into a low lope that gradually escalated into a full-out gallop. Urna burst through the undergrowth and onto the rocky riverbank. A few dozen meters downhill, she recognized the earth-brown coat of Gabriel, in a stand-off with—
Her hackles rose. The tendrils on her back curled tight with banked tension. She didn't recognize the green dog, but she very much recognized the red wolf. Enya. One of the leaders of Duskorna. What was she doing here, in Verdantis?
Urna picked her way downslope, a rumble in her throat underlining Gabriel's demand. "Don't run," she added—though what self-respecting Tsillan would flee from the consequences of their actions?
A howl rang out and Quinn’s head snapped up, away from the berry bush his snout had been stuffed in. For a moment he debated dashing to the river before he met the call - his jowls and chin were dark and sticky with berry juice and he loathed appearing unkempt - but upon analysing the voice, it sounded urgent enough that he knew he’d have to risk showing up in his juice-stained state. It looked a lot like he’d just consumed a meal of blood; the tell would be the distinctly sweet smell lingering around him.
And when it came to smells - the scent of Duskorna thickened from a hint to a pong that, in spite of his appearance, made Quinn glad he’d recently been gobbling berries directly from the bush.
The turquoise wolf emerged from the pines at a trot, the ring of feathers around his neck lifting slightly as he slowed to approach the scene. He bobbed his head at Urna, meeting the gazes of others - if they met his - with bright curiosity.
“Ah - am I late?” Quinnat chirped, tilting his head as his eyes settled on Enya and Shifty. “Are you lost, ma’am?” His tone was light, his body language poised but not aggressive. Not yet. His tongue swiped out to catch a trickle of juice from his chops. “I’d be happy to escort you elsewhere, if so.” He offered a smile.
Once more the odd canid overshared with her, delighting Enya with the information she was gaining without having to reveal much of herself. She grew especially interested when he informed her that his real name was Neuro because of his venomous bite. So, she wasn't the only one with fangs that dripped with venom - not that Shifty needed to know that yet. It was about the time that Shifty bit into a piece of bark to demonstrate his bite that suddenly a rustling came from beyond, accompanied with the loud demanding "Halt!". Her teal gaze immediately found the source in a large brown wolf who easily doubled her in size. Even as he lifted his head to howl (undoubtably to alert everyone else to her and Shifty's presence) she admired the way the large rack of horns sat atop his head. They weren't as regal as her familari's horns, but they were impressive none-the-less.
"It looks like the cat's out of the bag" she whispered to Shifty. She had known being caught was a possibility of her adventures. She had half-expected it. After all, it had been a 50/50 shot, and with a companion beside her now, talking, using magic, and overall just existing, the 50/50 odds really were more like 75/25, not in her favor. Wait, why the fuck was she calculating odds right now? Enya shook her head to refocus on what she was about to have to deal with.
What she assumed was a Verdantis scout or guard approached them, gave an order, and stood looking ready to fight. Enya's own heart quickened in pace as she realized how bad this situation could go if she did not handle it delicately. Before she could respond, anther revealed its self to them. She hadn't recognized the woop of a hyena originally when it called back to this horned wolf's call, but as the hyena was shown, Enya perked up with genuine interest. A hyena! The horned wolf quickly became classified as a lesser threat than the hyena. Enya hadn't fought one before, but when she'd monitored the slave trade of her Kingdom of old, she'd seen what a captive hyena's bite could do. Their jaws were not to be underestimated. Another order was delivered. "Don't run" she was told. All the while as Enya stood, her posture remained stoic. Her experience taught her that being the aggressor would get her nowhere, and she would refuse to be submissive to those who worshiped false gods. She did not run. She did not snarl or show teeth. She simply stood with her rank obvious as her tail raised high behind her and she held her head high. Each individual's gaze was met with her own.
Out came a third from the Kingdom, this one bright and full of feathers with a blood-stained mouth to boot. Had he just been digging into a feast of fresh kill, or was his muzzle naturally stained that way? It was hard to tell past the thick stench of Verdantis that assaulted her senses. At least this one didn't give her an immediate order she felt the urge to deny. "It seems so" Enya responded casually to the blue feathered wolf (Quinnat). "Fashionably late, perhaps." Now, how to handle the rest of his statements and situation overall...
Enya lifted a paw to point at Shifty, deciding to spark conversation with the feathered one instead of the others, as he seemed the least hostile to her presence. "I'm not lost, but he was." She started. She took a step forward to place herself between Shifty and the three - a gesture of protection towards him - protecting him from those in Verdantis. "He needed help and was basically dead on the shores of the whitewater rapids. I was scouting my own territory when I heard his cry for help. I couldn't let a creature in distress be left alone even if it did mean crossing over into Verdantis territory. You see, I am a healer. I have made an oath to the Society. If there is a creature in need, I must help them regardless of my differences." Her teal eyes quickly flashed to the hyena and large ram-horned wolf, then back to feathered boy. "If it had been one of you washed up on the shores fighting for what little life you had left, I'm sure in that moment you wouldn't have cared if I was part of Verdantis, Duskorna, or simply a vagrant passing through, hmm?" She took another step in front of Shifty, further placing herself between him and the three.
"It turns out that he decided to come back with me. It makes sense to me, following the wolf who saved you over those who showed up to threaten you for trespassing." She made a point to motion at the ram-horned wolf and the hyena. "So, yes, I think I'd like to take you up on your offer of escorting me out of your territory with my new devotee. In fact, I would be delighted by the offer." Finally her stoic expression broke and she stood there grinning at the three. "Or shall we shed blood instead? Imagine the tale. Duskorna wolf saves the life of someone washed up in Verdantis lands. While escorting him to safety, Verdantis shows up and spills their blood for trespassing. Hmm, I know that my pack won't take that well. What about your followers?"
Roll for Deception: Enya fibbed the tale slightly by saying Shifty called for help - he did not.
Success: They believe that Enya tells the truth - Shifty called out for help and she came to his rescue
Failure: They did not hear his call for help. They believe Enya is lying.
Character Diceroll 1: Unuccessful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Deception.
466 was added for Level 1.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
