Masur of As’lin :: Jae’s Evolution [End]

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Koudo Zhol Omawynn
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Masur of As’lin :: Jae’s Evolution [End]

Post by Koudo Zhol Omawynn »

"The colossal beast recoiled in pain, shaking its lumbering tree trunk of a neck, as it rose its head to just narrowly escape the freshly sharpened tip of our hero's mighty blade." A voice rang out. It was deep and smooth, clearly belonging to a well spoken man with a little bit of an accent. It was clear that Common wasn't his first, or second... or even third language, but he was fluent enough. His tone seemed cheerful, jovial, as he spun part of a tale.

Where his voice dropped out, "The Hero smiled, pleased this legendary... green dragon's strength wasn't just the stuff of rumors. He gleefully brandished the magic sword, gifted to him by the mysterious old man... in a random cave." Another picked up storytelling duties. This one was softer, more melodious and feminine. She wasn't as confident at storytelling as her companion, the hesitation of her improvisation gave that away almost immediately.

She sighed in relief. "Er...r... right! He wielded the magic sword of the ancient hero king with pride, confident that his next sword stroke would be the last blow struck in this mighty battle between the unstoppable forces of Good and the immovable vileness of Evil!" As the more confident man picked up the story once more. He gestured grandly with his hand, like he was wielding this mythical sword of legend himself, as he and his companions walked this trail they'd been walking for what seemed like days now. There was no actual destination in mind, for they were wanderers by choice, and by nature.

The lady joined him, in his gesturing, mimicking the motions of the majestic dragon's neck with her long, slender arms, while the man prepared his imaginary sword. "The beast snapped at our hero, just as quickly as he prepared his sword, quick to seize the opportunity to swallow a knight whole as he prepared his final slashes. It's gaping maw large enough to fit four or five of our hero, standing on each other's shoulders, easily between its rows of teeth with knife like sharpness. If dragons were capable of feeling joy, then this particular one took sinister pleasure in ending heroes right before their final heroic deed was done." Her lips curled into a cruel smile as she lunged at her male companion with her arms.

The tall, solidly built man stood firm against his female companion, steadfast like our hero! "But our valiant knight was prepared for the dragon's black humor. Holding his sword erect, he pointed it towards the inside of the beast's mouth and screamed with primal fury. Welcoming the darkness, as the dragon's jaw shut around him..." his speech trailed out as he was tackled by his woman companion. She didn't knock him over, of course, but he did wrap his arms around her and whisk her around in the air as she planted a kiss to his expecting lips.

"And then! And then!" A third voice finally announced, excitedly. This voice was a little shrill, definitely a youngling female.

Masur, was a terribly tall man with a hearty frame. He'd always been big, even in his earliest memories, and he didn't mind it. He had been blessed with his mother's softer eye color, beautiful nose and lips. While he'd been cursed with his father's devilishly handsome squared-jaw, sharp eye shape, thick eyebrows and long silky hair.

He laughed at his daughter's excitement, shaking his head and wrestling his face away from his wife's. It was slightly weary with age, but his eyes and expression were as spry as they could be. In fact, everything about him belied his true age. "Another time, youngling," He said calmly to Korra, as he placed Odea back down on the ground beside him.

Odea was a woman of moderate height, especially when compared to her husband, with a shapely build and gorgeous chocolate skin. Her beautiful natural hair framed her round face to perfectly highlight her cute nose and the soft expression of her hazel eyes. It was often Masur found himself staring.

He knelt, "Your sister is here for you." He said calmly to the youngest of his brood before rising to his feet and looking down the path a figure, about his height, approaching from the opposite direction.

As it came closer into view, even through the cloak, the figure was clearly feminine, but built tall and solid much like the father that she approached. "Father. Mom." Kara said, professionally, nodding in respect to her parents before she knelt to touch the head of her youngest sister. "Ready, Korra?"

Korra wanted to pout, because she enjoyed her time with her father and mother much more than either of her sisters, but she knew it would do her no good. She sighed, at least older sister Kara was more fun than Khana. All she cared about was training, at least Kara did fun mission stuff. "Fiiiine."
Last edited by Koudo Zhol Omawynn on Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:53 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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The rigid tension in his oldest's voice, stung deeply. She still hadn't forgiven him about how he handled Jae the last time they saw her younger brother. While he had explained his course of action, and why he had been the proper decision, his bond with Kara remained strained regardless. He guessed dragons's held really long grudges.

He did.

He recoiled to the suddenness of an elbow jab to the ribs from Odea. He peeked at her, as he rubbed his side, and saw she ushered for him to speak. To speak before Kara just collected Korra and vanished as she had been doing for some time now.

He scratched behind his head, before clearing his throat, "Umm, yes. You look well... Kara. Training properly?" It sounded just as forced as it was. He really wanted to mend fences with Kara. She was one of his baby girls, after all, and she bore on his mind much more than she probably thought.

Kara didn't look away from Korra, preparing the youngling for their journey by dressing her in protective clothing, "Of course, father, I complete my training regimens properly every morning, noon, and night. As instructed." It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to her dad, she did, but Jae was bearing heavily on her mind. For now, he only ever targeted their father, but his assaults always seemed so random. They could never tell when he would show up, nor how dangerous he would be when he did. She couldn't tell her dad she was worried about him, he'd just try to appease her worries with his usual speeches about how he got strong so he didn't have to make his family members worry.

They only made her worry more.

He felt another jab in his side, "That's gre-Good... Excellent wor-"

Kara stood quickly, lifting Korra into her strong arms as she did so and resting the youngling on her hip, and removed her hood to reveal nearly identical hair to Odea, with the same round face and cute nose accented by Masur's sharp eyes and thick eyebrows. "Be careful. Call if Jae shows up." She paused, teasing Korra's cheeks, before looking gravely at her father and mother. "Me and Masur-Khana. She's been neglecting her assignments and I'm tired of picking up her slack."

"Ri-" Masur started, "Annnnd their gone." He finished as his oldest, along with his youngest, disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared down the road.

Odea patted his shoulder, "At least she answered your question this time." She sighed, shaking her head. Honestly, she knew what both of them were hung up about, but they were so stubborn that both wanted to have a real conversation with one another so bad that they convinced themselves it was impossible to actually do.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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Fierce independence was a natural staple in dragons coming of age. Masur folded his arms as he watched his oldest storm the countryside, at full speed, with his youngest cuddled closely to her chest, for protection. Kara was his oldest, and was the one closest to the age at which he'd conceived her. If they were in Lale Caelora, then Masur would be giving the order that Kara take her pilgrimage, based upon her age, if she hadn't already deserted it before he could tell her it was okay.

He remembered he was the same way when he was her age.... maybe a little more rowdy and rough around the edges though. By this point, he'd lost his father and both his grandparents. In the grief, he surrounded himself with people that he would, obviously, outlive so that he didn't have to bother with actual bonds forming. He fought and trained. He partied and adventured. He... irresponsibly had a child with a woman he knew nothing about, at the time. He was just like his dad.

Kara was an anomaly. As far as he knew, after she would leave his company, she would just work the jobs assigned to her and take care of Korra. In fact, besides him and Odea, she was the primary care provider for her little sister. His oldest was mature and patient, like her mother, while focused and determined, like her father. She took her training seriously, but not as seriously as Khana, but Masur, himself, had never witnessed her full power. In a way, she was almost like his mother.

He looked to his wife and smiled, with a small shrug of his shoulders, "I'm proud of her regardless." He began walking again, in the opposite direction as his children, with Odea stepping to match his stride.

Odea knew this, of course, "You just have a hard time expressing yourself in words." She locked her arm around his and intertwined their fingers to take hold his hand. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder, "She knows you love her, and are always thinking of her."

She paused for a second, sensing a tension in Koudo's arm. It wasn't an aggressive flex of his muscle, but he was certainly on guard. She opened her eyes, moving them from the visage of her husband, whose face bore a look of concern and caution, to the grisly sight of two dead horses sprawled about fifty feet ahead of them, blocking the path.

Masur hummed his concern, paused his approach. He and Odea had been on this particular trail for about two and a half days, or more. From the information he had been able to gather about the trail, it was universal considered one of the safer roads to travel between settlements. Robbery was the go to for any aspiring banditos, so violence wasn't at an absolute zero chance but it was pretty fucking rare.

So two dead horses blocking the path was a cause for caution, which Masur began his approach with. He knelt beside the two dead animals, avoiding any of the blood. Not because he was cautious of getting his clothes dirty, but he'd tussled with a few weirdos that could use Naten to manipulate blood. It was better not to give them an easy weapon.

Odea remained standing, avoiding getting too close and allowing Masur to handle the investigation. She felt for the creatures slain here, and closed her eyes briefly to offer a few solemn, silent, words. A blessing and wish that their souls pass peacefully to the next life. In that, her form began to radiate with a warm light. When she was finished, the dim aura passed as she opened her eyes.

"I'm not sensing anything worth being afraid of," Masur finally said as he plucked an arrow out of the body of one of the horses. It was crudely made and primitive. The head was a rock pounded roughly into a jagged edge, and the tail was adorned with the black feathers of the either raven or crow. After searching the saddlebags, and discovering they had already been looted, he stood, arrow still in hand, and turned to his wife, "but we should proceed with the intent to defend ourselves."

Odea inspected the arrow as well, but for different reason than her husband. Specifically, she stared at the tip to make sure that it wasn't poisoned. She felt a little more relaxed to find out that it wasn't, "The question now is, who was attacked and where are they now." Poisoning an arrow tip showed a killing intent, and she could only guess that the bodies would still be here.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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Masur nodded his head in solidarity with his wife, agreeing with her assessment of the situation at hand.

“E-” He moved his mouth to give audible affirmation, but he sprung into action instead. Swiftly, he slipped closer to his wife, shifting her closer to his chest and tensing in anticipation as the tough hide of his back was pelted with arrows. He grunted as the sharp arrowtips bounced off, falling to the ground, unsuccessful in their attempts to do him physical harm.

Odea spared her husband an outward expression of her concern, she knew he could handle much more abuse than this. More importantly, her eyes scanned over his broad shoulders to identify where the arrows were launched from

Her eyes narrowed, “Masur. There are four.” She whispered quietly in his ear as she slipped from underneath him to get a better look at the woods surrounding them.

Sure enough, poorly hidden in the woods in both sides of the trail, there were four goblins encircling our heroes. These diminutive creatures couldn’t be more than a third our hero’s height, and severely out of his weight class. They were various hues of green, clad in crudely constructed leather armor and wielding weapons of the same quality. Two equip with scimitar, and the others with longbows.

“Oh. Is that all?” Masur asked through a smile as he adjusted himself for combat while the two goblins equipped with melee weapons rushed him and Odea.

“Still more than nothing.” The songstress replied, pushing past her husband and his overprotective swaddling. She opened her mouth and a chorus of angels filled the air.

Masur found himself smirking. She only used that dry tone when she was upset.

Her heavenly voice used an ancient, indecipherable tongue that only she seemed to speak. Her husband had researched it, in hopes of learning more about her past, but he couldn’t find anything about it.

He did know, it was relaxing. So much so that it always caused his naten to explode to life. Like a flare, or nuclear explosion, Masur’s considerable metaphysical power made itself known, but only for an instant. A miniscule, insignificant amount of time.

But that was enough.

The goblins approach became much more hesitant, but they rushed regardless of the man’s overwhelming murderous intent. Boldly, they shrieked at each other in the goblin tongue Masur had heard before, but never bothered to learn. Usually it meant, ‘Attack the woman!’ It was the typical stratagem of a coward.

Instead, what they found was-

*PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW*

Precise, singular energy beams piercing each one of their individual skulls.

They all dropped to the ground together, and Odea stopped her song.

Masur reached for his wife’s hand, blowing gently on the index finger of her left hand, which still smoking with the rich purple aura of her naten. “Mosquitos and and bees don’t register either.”

Odea touched his hand, “Weak threats.” She removed it from hers, “are not the same as none at all.” Her accent was fairly thicker than his, adding to the air of mystery that surrounded her. Masur loved her all the same.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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Masur actually preferred when Odea rose her hand to drop their foes. It was much cleaner, more humane. Masur often found himself getting lost in the activity and using more force than is necessary. Truthfully, there'd be nothing left of these goblins if he acted, and he needed one of their brains.

"Brain dead?" He asked, stepping from her side to inspect a 'corpse.'

She didn't answer, because she didn't need to.

To his delight, she'd only given them a small lobotomy. Masur dusted his hands, sparks of deep blue and silver aura spilling from his hands like grains of sand. He touched the goblins forehead before his eyes began to glow with the same energy on his palms.
________________________

"Damn it all, these fucking pests are everywhere." A tall warrior cursed as goblins swarmed he and his traveling companion. He was a fit man, quite skilled with the way he drew and wielded his longsword with ease. He was aged, mid-50's, but spry for a human of such age.

His shorter companion hummed his agreement, "Aye, those two there are guiding them. No matter, we've tussled with worst on this journey." He was a gruff and stocky man of solid build. Short and bearded, he brandished a Warhammer like a man four times his height with half the effort. Dwarven, protective of something he held close to his chest.

The human's expression softened, but only for a brief moment before the fighting truly began. They fought well for men overwhelmed by numbers all things considered. Masur could admit them were more formidable than he initially might have thought.

"Those two there, they're commanding them! They're Cragmaws!" The dwarf yelled to his companion. Masur got a glimpse of the larger beasts, but he couldn't discern what they were. This one's memories of them were hazy, perhaps intentionally so, but he could remember their stench.

Unfortunately, the men were ultimately defeated by the superior numbers of the goblins. Goblins organized by smarter creatures were a dangerous force to reckon with and them made quick work of the two men.
_______________________

Masur lifted his hand from the goblin's forehead, the light show dying. "They captured the owners of these horses." He told his wife, standing and pointing eastward, through the thick brush and forest of trees. He could smell the stench of the larger beasts and one of the scents made his nostrils itch.

Odea, looking momentarily concerned, nodded her head as she looked towards the direction in which she was sure her husband now wanted to travel. "I couldn't perhaps persuade you not to get involved?" His nostrils only flared like that when he smelled something particular.

Masur smirkes playfully at his wife, "You could try." That's how it went after all. He started to walk, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck as he did so. He was in no rush, they could have their fun, and it gave he and his partner ample time to discuss the consequences of action versus the benefits of inaction.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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The duo traveled for what could have been days. Time was relative to your perception of it. They had lived such a long time already, before they even met each other, that days felt like only a couple of minutes to them. In essence, this could have been a lost cause already, but Masur was as adamant about these men still being alive as Odea was about him being a heroic fool for pursuing this distraction in the first place.

Still she stood at his side, as she had for centuries. Always advising him against heroics, despite his nature, while urging him to remain focused on their ultimate goal. Masur, of course, never forgot the mission closes to his heart, and he knew, despite her many protests, Odea found their frequent diversions just as thrilling as he did.

They came to a stop before the opening of a cave, slightly obscured by thickets of thornbushes and broken branches. If not for the shallow stream that flowed out of the cave mouth, Masur wouldn't have noticed if he didn't already have the scent. On the right-hand side of the stream, there was a narrow dry path that lead into the cave.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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“It’s thickest here,” The pungent odor of goblin was everywhere around them, It wafted so thick from across the stream that he’d be a fool not to think it was a hideout filled to the brim with them. Unfortunately, his nose couldn’t sniff out how many. The pests usually traveled in packs of around ten when a larger creature was commanding them, Masur knew that much. Too many, and they were more liable to kill the beast in their sleep then actually follow instructions. Damn pests.

“Pests.” his companion scoffed, and the relatively young dragon couldn’t contain the small chuckle that escaped him. Seemed she was thinking along the same lines. Though he could only guess at why she’d come to the same conclusion about them.

She looked to him, briefly, and he settled down. Thankfully, his nose wasn’t his only means of tracking.

When he stood up straight, cast his hands outward before him, and shut his eyes, Odea knew what he was preparing. She hummed along to the vibrations of his naten’s new activity, watched as his right arm was illuminated by the deep blue and silver light that his naten generated, before the awe his, now, glittering white locks usually elicited struck just as it had the very first time.

Masur concentrated as hard as he could to focus naten through his eyes and the palms of his hands, mainly through the tips of his fingers. Waves of thin, thread like energy rained, drifting through the air and into the cave. It was a majestic sight to behold, if you had the sight to behold.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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The Seeker’s sight pasted on the acrid winds, extended beyond the orbs to his soul by the multitudinous fingers of his soul’s energy. Not a technique to be used lightly, or without the proper time and respect. It took many centuries to learn to pass his senses to the winds, and many more to become proficient. Mastery… it still eluded him.

With it, he could roughly understand the layout of the cave, and, more importantly, he could see who was inside and where they were located. Invaluable data. Unfortunately, it seemed they might very well be too late.

He withdrew his naten, dispersing it into the very winds that carried it for him.

“What did you see?” Odea was prepared to ask once she saw his hair returning to its natural raven color.

Masur shook his head sourly, “No sign of the two men…” He paused, reached for his wife’s hand and clasped it tightly, “But there are plenty of goblins, and something bigger, who can tell me what happened.”

Odea closed her eyes and bowed her head, assuming the worst to be reality. “Do what must be done.” She whispered before the consistency of her form became more fluid. It ebbed and flowed, then boiled down to a much more useful form.

A form Masur brandished proudly, ripping the sword from the rippling energetic being that was his wife. He didn’t move two steps before he pointed it to a thicket of bushes right across the flowing water.

In concert with his motion, a tendril of water began to rise from the stream. A tendril that pulled all of the water that was flowing into itself before it began to rotate like a raging whirlpool.

He nonchalantly swung the sword down to his side before walking towards the entrance of the cave. As he did, the tendril whipped through the bushes, separating the topiary from the earth it called home, before returning to the river with a crash. The muted screams of two goblins could be heard about the same time.

“That’s 2.”

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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He entered with a focus he could admit he only ever experienced when life and death matters were at play. His life was not in danger, but two men he hadn’t known. Why he cared for their lives boiled down only to having nothing better to do, but there was no good goblin besides a dead one so they balanced.

This would be nothing short of a genocide.

Just inside the cave mouth, a few uneven stone steps led up to a small, dank chamber on the east side of the passage. The cave narrowed to a steep fissure at the far end, and was filled with the stench of animals. Savage snarls and the sounds of rattling chains greeted the Seeker’s ears as he spied two wolves chained up just inside the opening. Each wolf’s chain led to an iron rod driven into the base of a stalagmite.

“Pets?” Probably more like hunting dogs, kept starving to enhance their ferocious and scrappiness. The fact that there wasn’t a dire wolf here told the Dragon about the bravery of the creature in charge.

The beasts snapped and pulled at their chains, trying to feed on the delicious morsel that was our hero. They growled and snarled, hoping for the mysterious man to get just a hair closer. His scent drove them absolutely mad with ravenous hunger.

Masur could be cruel, in his earlier years for sure, but he wasn’t inherently so. “Sleep.” He commanded, raising his wife’s point at the wolves and using her calming naten to lull the beasts into a temporary slumber. One that would hopefully last long enough to give their capturer a permanent one.

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Re: Somebody Else's Quest

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Now that the wolves were dealt with, slumbering in heavenly bliss, masur calmly stepped past them and deeper into the den area that they were protecting. There was more path directly before him, along the side of the stream, but something had caught his eye. The pile of trash behind these beasts.

It was a narrow opening, which the trash spilled through, but it couldn’t escape his realization as he approached. The stench of something larger than goblins lined the walls, stinking it up something fierce. He tried his best to stare through it, looking up a natural chimney that traveled upwards for about 30 feet. Big enough for someone to be able to climb up… or down.

Just not big enough for him.

Hmmm, the dragon briefly pondered bringing the wall down. He certainly had the strength for it. He shook his head though, for he wasn’t sure if that would bring the rest of the cave down with it. Despite his resilience, surviving a cave-in wasn’t a situation he was willing to risk his wife for. Especially with her safely in his hands.

No, this required more subtlety.

He took time to aim properly, lining his wife’s blade up with the slit. He’d only get one shot, and if he missed then he’d be… unarmed, and his wife would be separated and at the mercy of the beast waiting for them above.

“ Transmission. “ Masur whispered before he flung Odea up the chimney. She cut through the air silently, before embedding herself in the ceiling of it. At the same time, Masur’s form was engulfed in a mixture of blue and purple light because he was condensed down to a small ball that followed immediately after.

His actual form reconstituted itself, holding the hilt of his wife and just shy of being stuck between the narrowest part of the slit.

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