CREDIT
All she could recall was crashing hard last night, unable to keep going. She had spent the previous three trials awake, travelling and earning money. What inn is this, anyway? Her eyes were bleary, and her limbs felt heavy.
The sun outside her window showed that it was almost noon, the sun high in the sky for this time of the arc. I think I passed out around...12 breaks ago? Maybe 13? I don't remember very clearly... She tried to stand, feeling her limbs resist the movement. They felt as if they were made of lead, but she dragged herself across the small room, wrinkling her nose at the smell. Eww, what is that?
She froze as she saw vomit spattered across the floor, her brain going in a million directions at once. What the-who-how did- no wait- She spun around, her eyes widening as she saw a body in her bed.
Oh no
She was remembering now, but her sleep deprived brain couldn't recall everything. I got here late....pulled my usual scam...but how the HELL did I end up with this...thing in my bed? She quietly tiptoed back towards him, and lifted up the covers. He was naked too.
She groaned. God dammit, not again He stirred at the sound, and Alex's eyes widened. Nonono, sleeeeep, please! She did not want to deal with the 'morning after' conversation. He shifted, pulling the blankets partway off, and Alex averted her gaze. Ew, gross! I can't believe I...EWWWWW.
He was a fairly good looking man, but he was easily in his mid 20's, and far too old for her in any case. She noticed his hands were soft and had dark blotches spattered across them, figuring he was likely a bookkeeper of some sort. His hair was a disheveled mess, but she remembered the short brown hair had looked good on him last night. Slowly her memory was coming back, but there was still gaps. The last time I ever go that long without sleep.
She creeped back across the room, avoiding the unknown man's vomit as she quickly gathered her things. She packed her bag quickly and quietly, managing to not wake him, though that was likely as much due to the copious amounts of alcohol he had drank, rather than her skills at being quiet.
She finished, and looked around the room. The straw on the floor was a good call she idly thought as she sidestepped the puddle, grabbing the man's pants. She felt the pockets, pulling out a small purse with a few dozen silver nel. Bah, not even rich. I really was out of it.
She walked towards the door, and paused. IF he wakes soon, he'll likely come after me for the purse....hmm. She gathered up his clothes, scattered across the floor and table, throwing them into the pool of vomit. She poked them around with her feet, making sure they were well and truly soaked, before she returned to the door, and slowly creaked it open.
As she pushed it, she glanced down at her hands. The dirt and grime encrusted on them nearly made her cry out. She froze in place, staring at her hands in horror. She heard a voice inside, telling her that this is ridiculous, but she still couldn't force herself to keep going. She turned around, and headed for the small wash basin by the window. Peering inside, the grimy water didn't look much better than her hands, but she plunged them in anyway. She scrubbed her hands, brought them out for inspection, and pushed them under again, scrubbing fiercely.
I can't believe that I did this
The splash seemed louder this time as she brought them out, and shoved them back under the water, but the man on the bed didn't move.
What was I thinking?
Water hit her shirt, the murky liquid seeping into the fabric as her hands came out and went in again, and Alex felt herself relax. Finally, they're clean. She pulled them out of the water, and though they hardly looked any better, she felt as if the world was lifted off her shoulders.
She left the room, feeling much better with her plan. She made it down the stairs, and handed the innkeeper a few of the man's silver, quietly asking him for some food for the road. As he made her a small basket, she nodded her thanks and took the basket, heading for the door.
A crash sounded above her, along with an impressive string of expletives. Her eyes flew down to meet the innkeepers, who had turned to stare at her. He took a step towards her, his arms raising, and she back pedalled, quickly pushing her way out the door, and taking off down the road. Luckily she hadn't had a horse or wagon to deal with.
She slowed to a jog, looking back over her shoulder at the empty road. Haha, I made it! Her mouth turned slightly upwards, not quite what one could call a grin, as Alex headed down the open path. Her hands went to her waist, and pulled out her bulging purse.
The previous few nights she had been pulling her favourite scam. It played to her strengths perfectly, and it was hard for those she scammed to come after her- just how she liked it. It paid for her travels from city to city, and allowed her a huge amount of freedom.
She would enter a smaller inn, and look for the largest, loudest person in the place. Often it would be a younger guy, eager to prove his manhood. She would challenge him to a drinking contest, which in itself was unfair: Yludih can't get drunk, and instead just gain incredible amounts of energy from alcohol. But to make it even more one-sided, she would slip a small dose of a sleeping agent into their drink. The side effects matched those of a bad hangover- headache, difficultly thinking and a sensitivity to loud noises. That, mixed with her attitude and small stature meant whenever the man would pass out, his friends would find it hilarious. This resulted in her being above suspicion, and allowed her to rake in nel.
Far off hoof beats shook her from her flashback, and she turned around. Behind her, just on the horizon was a cloud of dust. Now that could be nothing...or... Her gut told her it was for her, and she looked around frantically. To her left was an open field, as far as the eye could see. To her right, a forest was on the horizon, but the flat ground between here and there would let them see her no problem.
Alex sighed, and set down her pack. She undid the strings on her shoulders, large gaps appearing in the jacket. Her change began slowly, as always, with an odd pricking heat in her core. The heat would bloom until it was almost unbearable, but she grit her teeth and pushed through.
Cold began to push back the heat, and her fingers slowly returned to normal, followed by the rest of her body. Her wings sprouted, and she felt the tension in her back as it grew to accept the new anatomy. She shivered all over as the change finished, both tired and energized at once.
Valyeria reached into her pack and pulled out a black tunic, quickly changing out of her leather jacket. A flutter of her wings to settle the fabric, and it was doubtful that they would be able to recognize her. She took to the air, a scant dozen feet above the ground, and continued flying in her direction.
A little over a break later, the hooves beat below her. Looking down, she saw four men-at-arms galloping along, speaking with a civillian in the center. She paused, as she recognized him as the man in the Inn. They glanced upwards as they sped below, and one of the man-at-arms began to knock a bow, before the civillian shouted something unintelligible, and they passed by.
She couldn't see them a break later, and decided to land. Makes no sense to stay in Avriel when everybody hates the Avriel. Plus then people hear that an Avriel is travelling in Western Idalos- hardly a common sight. The lower profile I keep the better.
She switched back, the temperature change making her shiver as Alex put back on her leather jacket, and plodded along the road, just as the first crack of thunder was heard on the horizon.
Alex paused at a bridge, and decided to take a break from her travels. It had just begun raining, and the bridge might provide some sort of cover until it blew over. Ahead of her the road split, and she couldn't see down either path, but trusted in her hearing.
She slipped down the muddy slope, humming tunelessly to herself as she opened her pack and grabbed a bite to eat. The meal felt perfect to her, the four slices of bread perfectly balanced by the apple, meat and cheese. She bit into it, not realizing how hungry she was. She was halfway through her meal when she heard the hoofbeats again. Her eyes widened in terror.
Too close to change- a Yludih is much much worse than a thief. She looked left and right, before grabbing her pack, and scrambling along the river bank. She managed to make it into a bush just as the five horses thundered past, slowing as they reached the bridge. The men hopped off, and Alex cursed.
I didn't finish my meal... The thought crept into her head, a growing certanity that they would find her because she didn't finish it.
She stayed perfectly still, realizing that her boot prints were clearly marked in the soft mud of the river bank. Stupid, stupid! What was I thinking?.
A shout from one of them as he found the footprints spiked her heart rate, her breathing accelerated and she felt herself grow afraid. I knew it! I didn't finish the meal, and they're going to find me. No, I can't stay here. I'll run. They can't catch me in the forest. I can't just stay here. They can see me. They're coming for me. Her thoughts grew steadily more and more panicked, before her resolve broke, and she scrambled upright and tearing off into the wet bush, the crashes she made attracting the guards attention. She heard their voices as they leapt to their horses, tearing off down the path towards her.
She tore through the woods at a breakneck speed, dodging branches and leaping rocks with abandon. The rain poured down, soaking her hair and leaking down her back. Her pack bounced uncomfortably, but the heavy breathing of the horses behind her was all the motivation she needed.
She headed towards a different creek bed, the babbling just could able to be heard. She jumped from rock to rock across the river, and headed downstream even further. The rest of the ground soon changed to rocky surfaces, and she left the stream to enter the forest again. She paused, listening for any signs of pursuit as she caught her breath. I think I lost them.
A flash of light, and a wave of sound that shook her chest made her straighten, and look around. The rain was pouring down, and the last strike of lightning had nearly hit her. She decided that it was high time to get out of the open. She didn't recognize where she was, but just ahead of her on the right was a small cliff, and what appeared to be a cave.
She warily brought out her knife, and tried to creep along quietly, leaving her pack behind. She had very little success, her feet just happening to find the wrong sticks to step on, or stumbling across a slippery rock. She made it into the cave, however, and found it dry and deserted. She returned, grabbed her pack, and lit a torch, she looked around at the bare rock of the tiny cavern. It was about big enough to fit two or three people lying side by side, and not much else.
Alex figured she'd wait out the storm, and began to set up camp.
Alex woke, shaking and screaming. As she panted, staring at the embers of the fire, the dream she had began to come back to her. It had involved her parents, that much she knew. She also knew that it had begun nicely. Then she remembered something about her changing, and suddenly it clicked. She had been a Grey Velox, and had been hunting with Lupe. Tracking the prey, the scent, her body had felt so alive. And then finally catching up to realize the prey was her mother's dead body, her father staring at her with dead eyes.
She looked around, and peered out the small entrance. The rough rock had hidden a horrendous downpour, what appeared to be half hail, half rain. It was totally out of season, and Alex sighed. Well, I'm stuck here for a while now...
Her thoughts returned to her dream. It had been several arcs since she had last thought of her initial attempts to change into a Grey Velox, and she chuckled dryly to herself at her for not completing it. I mean...I'm not going to go anywhere, and I doubt I'll be able to sleep for a while....Might as well?
It took her nearly a break to calm her nerves, and slow her breathing, her arcs of practice coming back to her. She looked inside for that switch, that feeling, and pushed. Her body began to get warm, spreading throughout to be met with tingling cold across the extremities. She felt herself begin to go formless, and she slowly relaxed, bringing her consciousness back to reality, snapping gently back into her human body.
Ha, just like flying. Once you learn, you never forget. She settled in to practice, an enthusiasm long forgotten blooming in her chest.
Arc 711, 52nd trial of Ashan
Alex smashed to the ground, jerking awake as she fell. Her eyes flew open as her face crunched into the dirty wooden floor, unable to react in time. She winced as she got to her knees, uninjured but startled nonetheless. Looking down, surprised at her lack of clothes, Alex paused. Hmm...That's odd. Oh well... I was pretty tired last night. I probably just don't remember.All she could recall was crashing hard last night, unable to keep going. She had spent the previous three trials awake, travelling and earning money. What inn is this, anyway? Her eyes were bleary, and her limbs felt heavy.
The sun outside her window showed that it was almost noon, the sun high in the sky for this time of the arc. I think I passed out around...12 breaks ago? Maybe 13? I don't remember very clearly... She tried to stand, feeling her limbs resist the movement. They felt as if they were made of lead, but she dragged herself across the small room, wrinkling her nose at the smell. Eww, what is that?
She froze as she saw vomit spattered across the floor, her brain going in a million directions at once. What the-who-how did- no wait- She spun around, her eyes widening as she saw a body in her bed.
Oh no
She was remembering now, but her sleep deprived brain couldn't recall everything. I got here late....pulled my usual scam...but how the HELL did I end up with this...thing in my bed? She quietly tiptoed back towards him, and lifted up the covers. He was naked too.
She groaned. God dammit, not again He stirred at the sound, and Alex's eyes widened. Nonono, sleeeeep, please! She did not want to deal with the 'morning after' conversation. He shifted, pulling the blankets partway off, and Alex averted her gaze. Ew, gross! I can't believe I...EWWWWW.
He was a fairly good looking man, but he was easily in his mid 20's, and far too old for her in any case. She noticed his hands were soft and had dark blotches spattered across them, figuring he was likely a bookkeeper of some sort. His hair was a disheveled mess, but she remembered the short brown hair had looked good on him last night. Slowly her memory was coming back, but there was still gaps. The last time I ever go that long without sleep.
She creeped back across the room, avoiding the unknown man's vomit as she quickly gathered her things. She packed her bag quickly and quietly, managing to not wake him, though that was likely as much due to the copious amounts of alcohol he had drank, rather than her skills at being quiet.
She finished, and looked around the room. The straw on the floor was a good call she idly thought as she sidestepped the puddle, grabbing the man's pants. She felt the pockets, pulling out a small purse with a few dozen silver nel. Bah, not even rich. I really was out of it.
She walked towards the door, and paused. IF he wakes soon, he'll likely come after me for the purse....hmm. She gathered up his clothes, scattered across the floor and table, throwing them into the pool of vomit. She poked them around with her feet, making sure they were well and truly soaked, before she returned to the door, and slowly creaked it open.
As she pushed it, she glanced down at her hands. The dirt and grime encrusted on them nearly made her cry out. She froze in place, staring at her hands in horror. She heard a voice inside, telling her that this is ridiculous, but she still couldn't force herself to keep going. She turned around, and headed for the small wash basin by the window. Peering inside, the grimy water didn't look much better than her hands, but she plunged them in anyway. She scrubbed her hands, brought them out for inspection, and pushed them under again, scrubbing fiercely.
I can't believe that I did this
The splash seemed louder this time as she brought them out, and shoved them back under the water, but the man on the bed didn't move.
What was I thinking?
Water hit her shirt, the murky liquid seeping into the fabric as her hands came out and went in again, and Alex felt herself relax. Finally, they're clean. She pulled them out of the water, and though they hardly looked any better, she felt as if the world was lifted off her shoulders.
She left the room, feeling much better with her plan. She made it down the stairs, and handed the innkeeper a few of the man's silver, quietly asking him for some food for the road. As he made her a small basket, she nodded her thanks and took the basket, heading for the door.
A crash sounded above her, along with an impressive string of expletives. Her eyes flew down to meet the innkeepers, who had turned to stare at her. He took a step towards her, his arms raising, and she back pedalled, quickly pushing her way out the door, and taking off down the road. Luckily she hadn't had a horse or wagon to deal with.
She slowed to a jog, looking back over her shoulder at the empty road. Haha, I made it! Her mouth turned slightly upwards, not quite what one could call a grin, as Alex headed down the open path. Her hands went to her waist, and pulled out her bulging purse.
The previous few nights she had been pulling her favourite scam. It played to her strengths perfectly, and it was hard for those she scammed to come after her- just how she liked it. It paid for her travels from city to city, and allowed her a huge amount of freedom.
She would enter a smaller inn, and look for the largest, loudest person in the place. Often it would be a younger guy, eager to prove his manhood. She would challenge him to a drinking contest, which in itself was unfair: Yludih can't get drunk, and instead just gain incredible amounts of energy from alcohol. But to make it even more one-sided, she would slip a small dose of a sleeping agent into their drink. The side effects matched those of a bad hangover- headache, difficultly thinking and a sensitivity to loud noises. That, mixed with her attitude and small stature meant whenever the man would pass out, his friends would find it hilarious. This resulted in her being above suspicion, and allowed her to rake in nel.
Far off hoof beats shook her from her flashback, and she turned around. Behind her, just on the horizon was a cloud of dust. Now that could be nothing...or... Her gut told her it was for her, and she looked around frantically. To her left was an open field, as far as the eye could see. To her right, a forest was on the horizon, but the flat ground between here and there would let them see her no problem.
Alex sighed, and set down her pack. She undid the strings on her shoulders, large gaps appearing in the jacket. Her change began slowly, as always, with an odd pricking heat in her core. The heat would bloom until it was almost unbearable, but she grit her teeth and pushed through.
Cold began to push back the heat, and her fingers slowly returned to normal, followed by the rest of her body. Her wings sprouted, and she felt the tension in her back as it grew to accept the new anatomy. She shivered all over as the change finished, both tired and energized at once.
Valyeria reached into her pack and pulled out a black tunic, quickly changing out of her leather jacket. A flutter of her wings to settle the fabric, and it was doubtful that they would be able to recognize her. She took to the air, a scant dozen feet above the ground, and continued flying in her direction.
A little over a break later, the hooves beat below her. Looking down, she saw four men-at-arms galloping along, speaking with a civillian in the center. She paused, as she recognized him as the man in the Inn. They glanced upwards as they sped below, and one of the man-at-arms began to knock a bow, before the civillian shouted something unintelligible, and they passed by.
She couldn't see them a break later, and decided to land. Makes no sense to stay in Avriel when everybody hates the Avriel. Plus then people hear that an Avriel is travelling in Western Idalos- hardly a common sight. The lower profile I keep the better.
She switched back, the temperature change making her shiver as Alex put back on her leather jacket, and plodded along the road, just as the first crack of thunder was heard on the horizon.
Alex paused at a bridge, and decided to take a break from her travels. It had just begun raining, and the bridge might provide some sort of cover until it blew over. Ahead of her the road split, and she couldn't see down either path, but trusted in her hearing.
She slipped down the muddy slope, humming tunelessly to herself as she opened her pack and grabbed a bite to eat. The meal felt perfect to her, the four slices of bread perfectly balanced by the apple, meat and cheese. She bit into it, not realizing how hungry she was. She was halfway through her meal when she heard the hoofbeats again. Her eyes widened in terror.
Too close to change- a Yludih is much much worse than a thief. She looked left and right, before grabbing her pack, and scrambling along the river bank. She managed to make it into a bush just as the five horses thundered past, slowing as they reached the bridge. The men hopped off, and Alex cursed.
I didn't finish my meal... The thought crept into her head, a growing certanity that they would find her because she didn't finish it.
She stayed perfectly still, realizing that her boot prints were clearly marked in the soft mud of the river bank. Stupid, stupid! What was I thinking?.
A shout from one of them as he found the footprints spiked her heart rate, her breathing accelerated and she felt herself grow afraid. I knew it! I didn't finish the meal, and they're going to find me. No, I can't stay here. I'll run. They can't catch me in the forest. I can't just stay here. They can see me. They're coming for me. Her thoughts grew steadily more and more panicked, before her resolve broke, and she scrambled upright and tearing off into the wet bush, the crashes she made attracting the guards attention. She heard their voices as they leapt to their horses, tearing off down the path towards her.
She tore through the woods at a breakneck speed, dodging branches and leaping rocks with abandon. The rain poured down, soaking her hair and leaking down her back. Her pack bounced uncomfortably, but the heavy breathing of the horses behind her was all the motivation she needed.
She headed towards a different creek bed, the babbling just could able to be heard. She jumped from rock to rock across the river, and headed downstream even further. The rest of the ground soon changed to rocky surfaces, and she left the stream to enter the forest again. She paused, listening for any signs of pursuit as she caught her breath. I think I lost them.
A flash of light, and a wave of sound that shook her chest made her straighten, and look around. The rain was pouring down, and the last strike of lightning had nearly hit her. She decided that it was high time to get out of the open. She didn't recognize where she was, but just ahead of her on the right was a small cliff, and what appeared to be a cave.
She warily brought out her knife, and tried to creep along quietly, leaving her pack behind. She had very little success, her feet just happening to find the wrong sticks to step on, or stumbling across a slippery rock. She made it into the cave, however, and found it dry and deserted. She returned, grabbed her pack, and lit a torch, she looked around at the bare rock of the tiny cavern. It was about big enough to fit two or three people lying side by side, and not much else.
Alex figured she'd wait out the storm, and began to set up camp.
Alex woke, shaking and screaming. As she panted, staring at the embers of the fire, the dream she had began to come back to her. It had involved her parents, that much she knew. She also knew that it had begun nicely. Then she remembered something about her changing, and suddenly it clicked. She had been a Grey Velox, and had been hunting with Lupe. Tracking the prey, the scent, her body had felt so alive. And then finally catching up to realize the prey was her mother's dead body, her father staring at her with dead eyes.
She looked around, and peered out the small entrance. The rough rock had hidden a horrendous downpour, what appeared to be half hail, half rain. It was totally out of season, and Alex sighed. Well, I'm stuck here for a while now...
Her thoughts returned to her dream. It had been several arcs since she had last thought of her initial attempts to change into a Grey Velox, and she chuckled dryly to herself at her for not completing it. I mean...I'm not going to go anywhere, and I doubt I'll be able to sleep for a while....Might as well?
It took her nearly a break to calm her nerves, and slow her breathing, her arcs of practice coming back to her. She looked inside for that switch, that feeling, and pushed. Her body began to get warm, spreading throughout to be met with tingling cold across the extremities. She felt herself begin to go formless, and she slowly relaxed, bringing her consciousness back to reality, snapping gently back into her human body.
Ha, just like flying. Once you learn, you never forget. She settled in to practice, an enthusiasm long forgotten blooming in her chest.
