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Post by Silas on Aug 25, 2007 23:34:05 GMT -5
Silence.
Empty, forlorn, dreaded.
A deathly silence.[/i][/b]
Cold. The chilling feeling has been with the warrior for four days now, the forest and its bleak silence unnerving him. He realized that it shouldn't have that effect upon him. He was worried, concerned... afraid. And now he was alone.
Alone.
The very word itself seemed to send him into despair even farther than he already was. Nevertheless, he continued marching with a heavy heart along the shadowed path.
The beast stepped into a sliver of light, illuminating him for a brief second in the night, offering a fleeting glance at the warrior. He was indeed a squirrel, taller than most, with blue eyes and a saddened expression, a sword hanging by his side. He marched onwards, following the trail of a murderer.
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 0:20:12 GMT -5
OOC: Before I post, is he in the forest or on a path near it?
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 0:23:38 GMT -5
OOC: The path runs through the forest, I thought. So there's trees on either side of the path.
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 0:34:43 GMT -5
OOC: Ok.
Up the path, nearly concealed in the darkness, and animal lay on the side of the path. It was resting against a tree trunk, asleep, dozing the night away. With the lack of light, it was hard to tell the color of the creature's fur, but it was some shade of gray or black. Icy eyes were glazed over behind closed eyelids, as the beast slept on, unaware of the frightened squirrel.
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 0:41:59 GMT -5
The warrior squirrel saw the beast up ahead in the gloom, recognizing him as sombeast he met before... someone who almost killed him inside Salamandastron, yet after that... after that they helped each other. Such was fate. Unclear, murky, enigmatic in its workings. That day was five years ago. He hadn't seen the wolf around for two of those years... The squirrel wondered what the lupine creature was doing in the pine forests of the north as he stepped closer, accidentally stepping upon a branch and making a distinctive snapping noise.
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 0:52:08 GMT -5
The wolf's ear flicked toward the sound, his subconscious now aware of Silas' presence. The gleaming eyes opened, and he looked up at the squirrel, for a moment dazed from sleep. After a moment however, his instincts kicked in, and he whipped a kunai from his belt.
Xylon clutched the weapon steadily, ready to defend himself as he scrutinized the squirrel's face. The creature was not in well being. It looked miserable, lost, and scared. He; the creature was definately a male. Young, not far past teen years. There was something about his face that seemed familiar, but Xylon couldn't quite place it.
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 0:59:00 GMT -5
The squirrel, whose name was Silas...
No. That's not who you are.
A thought ran through his mind, the very words arousing more painful memories. He wasn't Silas. It was just a name to go by when he was young and could not defend himself against the evil that sought to destroy him. No, he wasn't Silas. He was Sethar A. Rheiuven.
The squirrel did not put paw to blade just yet, looking at the wolf in the dark, speaking in a parched voice, "Xylon?"
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 1:06:54 GMT -5
His eyes narrowed in the dark to try and see the squirrel more clearly, Xylon rose slowly. He pocketed the kunai, knowing the beast not to be hostile. There weren't many beasts who knew his name. It was a strange, foreign one, and he didn't like to say it.
Taking a step forward, the wolf leaned and brought his face close to the squirrel's so that he could see him. Weary eyes, lined with fatigue, came into his view. Cold, icy eyes. Like his own.
"Sethar?"
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 1:11:32 GMT -5
Seth smiled thinly at the use of his formal name, but the expression faded as quickly as it had come. "It's been awhile..." He reflected how much of an understatement that was. Two years...
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 1:18:36 GMT -5
He remembered now. How couldn't he? They had been through several battles, and saved each other's lives more than once. But Xylon did not remember the squirrel as he was now. He had been more whole, happy, strong, and not...alone.
Now eyeing more than Silas' face, looking at his paws, torso and limbs, Xylon spoke again. "Are you okay?"
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 1:25:36 GMT -5
Silas did indeed look worn, fatigued... He had been traveling nonstop for four days, without rest, and little food or water. His paws were sore, his legs were wobbly, and he was just plain tired. He sighed heavily, replying, "I... don't know..."
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 1:33:40 GMT -5
The wolf gave a weak smile. "What'd you mean, you don't know? Even I can tell you're not okay." Putting a paw on the squirrel's shoulder, he beckoned him to come over to the trees, away from the road. With his other paw, he took out a small canister of water. Giving Silas the canister, Xylon looked at his face again. "You should rest, but first, tell me what's going on."
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 1:50:58 GMT -5
Silas drank from the canteen gratefully, letting the water course down his throat, chilling him a tiny bit as it did. He moved over to the side of the road, and gazed out in that all-too-familiar faraway look before speaking.
"Alright... About five days ago, Keia and myself were stayin' at this Inn up north, in a real quiet town... Well, I was talkin' to the clerk up front when Keia said she was gonna go back for 'er staff she accidentally left in a shop we were checkin' out earlier..." The squirrel reached into his pocket, his tone growing in despair as he went on, holding out an item for Xylon's inspection. "When she... she didn't come back, all I found were these..." In his paw was a silver amulet, a beaded cord threaded through it and a saphire inset into the middle of it, and a scrap of paper with an odd symbol upon it drawn in charcoal.
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Post by xylon on Aug 26, 2007 11:44:29 GMT -5
Xylon took the parchment, looking down at the dark mark on it. His jaw had tightened as he heard the squirrel's story,and he blinked several times, but his face was emotionless. "That's all you know?"
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Post by Silas on Aug 26, 2007 12:12:52 GMT -5
Silas nodded gravely. He didn't have much to follow, if anything at all... but a sense of absolute determination settled inside him that night, and whoever took Keia would pay a high price indeed. He didn't even know if she was still alive... but he had to try. He was not without hope.
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