Awkward If Not Anything Else

"You'd make a nice pet, sure. I'd be happy if I were you. Better pet than dinner, huh?"

The bear lumbered along, though the ride was a bit smoother than could be expected of a trotting horse. "I guess you really are a city kid... that lick was a spell. I thought I might have damaged your tail in grabbing it." The woman sat on the bear's shoulders and looked back towards her current traveling partner. "I'm sorry that you didn't feel we were adequately introduced. Smells always do more for me than names do. I'm Iskra, the one who rules Rasvamaal. Maybe you've heard of me, yea?" She grinned at him. "Are these arrangements uncomfortable for you?"

It was sort of a manifestation of her confidence, of her belief in her own power. Powerful people often required exotic pets or possessions. The colors on the male were exotic to her, much flashier than she'd seen in many other beings, and he seemed to lack the power to resist her intentions for now, though she tried to remain polite about the situation.

[ EXP: 210 || +1 TEXP (2nd thread) ]

"Careful of your desires," she said, rather abruptly and seemingly out of the blue. "You say that they will come to you in time... pah." A grin stretched over the woman's face, and it was all she could do not to release another jarring, jittering laugh out onto the air. "My desires... they took me to hell and back. I have a simple want of offspring. To get the offspring, I need wealth. To get wealth, I have to... sacrifice people."

A few moments passed, and her tone lightened. "But you are immune to that, unless your demon heritage makes you into that sort of thing. I just want to keep you. You're interesting to me, Bran."

They came into an open meadow in the middle of the trees, and the sunlight was bright, almost blinding as it filtered down from the fluffy clouds that lazed across the field. Bees labored at bushes that were as green and red as a holiday. The long flowers flowed from a stalk to the ground like streams of blood. "That's the sign of my village. We should be getting there soon. When I show it to you, you're free to do whatever you want. You aren't a slave; I just want you to know where you can run to if you need help."

[ EXP: 240 || +1 TEXP (2nd thread) ]

"Help?"

Well, it was terribly kind of him to want to help all of a sudden. How he would be useful outside of the capacity as "exotic pet" hadn't exactly popped into her head yet. She was sure he had some abilities, however. He just needed a little bit of discipline.

"Well..." she began, going over various roles in her head. "You can't fight that well. Do you know how to sing or dance?"

Somehow she didn't feel like she should involve him right away with the darker side of her city unless he sought that out on his own. He didn't seem like someone who she wanted to expose to such a system of oppression and slavery.

Then again, if he made a name for himself, that would have a good effect on her city if she were the one who originally helped him out. Most people in the realms didn't have time to practice the arts. Such things required a patron. She wouldn't mind being his patron if he could entertain her well.

[ EXP: 192 ]

The bear lumbered as he talked. His heavy steps took him past a few small, straw structures and a few larger ones that blended in with the woods and flowers around them almost completely. The trees were still present, and it was as though they hadn't set foot outside of the woods.

"Not long. Actually, we're here," she announced without the excitement that the phrase implied.

She hopped off of the bear, and a puff of sparkles and light came over the creature.

"Great! I was tired," the bear, now a horned man with black hair of a slight, though muscular, build all but shouted through the black mask on his face. His amber eyes scanned the surrounding area, and he seemed inordinately pleased at what he saw. "Hiking is so exhausting. I must have a bath. Oh, and hello to you, Bran."

Wherever the other man had fallen or stood, the incubus held his hand out for a shake. "My name is Run, but I prefer to be called by my sirname, Rivers. Pleased to meet you. What's your favorite food?"

[ EXP: 205 || +1 TEXP (2nd thread) ]

Taking advantage of Bran's distraction, Iskra's hand would make a wide arc and, with a terrible momentum, swing towards the hybrid's buttocks. If it made contact, it would be with a powerful force and an audible slap that would cause birds to noisily spring from the forest trees and take flight.

"Don't get distracted. If it's not something that comes natural, I can teach you. I know how." Her hand would never move from his buttcheeks until she resumed walking.

Run blinked for a moment. "Well, I suppose we're having chicken and cabbage tonight. I'm so happy that we have a guest!" The odd man seemed like he'd bubble over with cheeriness. "We don't get them very often. The last visitor was this girl who's still chained up in the basement somewhere and she doesn't like to talk much. She just cries... but I think it'll be different for you!"

[ EXP: 174 ]

Iskra ignored the question from the other man, speaking curtly to the former bear. "Don't talk to him about her."

She didn't offer any further explanations or reasons why, but simply continued walking as she was. A few people scattered around waved as they progressed through the "town".

"Yea, I guess I am stronger than you. Good thing you're not a kami, heh heh heh... oh, have you ever met an angel?"

They came upon a building that towered far above the rest... a veritable king among ruins. Little rodent-like creatures (link) peeked out from various angles among the ruins, their noses and ears twitching inquisitively as electricity periodically sparked off of their cheeks. Clearly they weren't used to strangers either.

The most noticeable thing about the building, however, were the sounds emanating from within. Rather, it was less a sound and more a vibration, louder than the loudest bards in the loudest taverns possible. It rumbled the entire ground. "This is where I live!" she shouted above the din before she opened the door and hearing anything but the music became impossible altogether.

[ EXP: 241 ]

Iskra continued forwards, politely holding the door open for her new pet friend. "Well, they have all kinds of stuff like this in the eastern ends of the forests. This region is where I'm from. sometimes you see big ruins like this. They don't have them in the western half that I've seen... well, they have small ones. Very small ones that aren't as fancy and don't have as many abandoned relics."

A bunch of the little electric rodents ran up to the new arrivals and gave a sweeping, polite bow.

One of them had a red cloth tied around his head, as though he were preparing to do some physically intense training, and a staff longer than his body (link). This one seemed to be the leader of the company there, who gave a polite bow.

"Honored Goddess..." he began.

Iskra rolled her eyes. This one seldom really talked to her unless they wanted something. "What is it, Lion-O?"

The little yellow creature cleared his throat before he continued. "You've brought many people here and they all seem to be doing quite well. They grow goats and... stuff. All we want is for them to consider growing some grain so our people won't have to forage so far and wide. We've had five fatalities this year just from--"

"Don't worry about it," the woman interrupted, waving a hand. "We'll look into getting you some stuff to eat."

The little mouse-thing grinned, bowing again. "Thank you, most honored one. We've no doubt of your ability to answer our prayers."

Iskra rolled her eyes again and walked past them. They scurried out of the way and back to the various busywork and idling they'd been doing prior to her arrival.

[ EXP: 356 || +1 TEXP (5th post) ]

The rats blinked at the man who suddenly spoke. Nose twitches traveled through the small pack like a wave, and they hopped closer, sniffing everywhere and asking a dozen questions at once.

"Hey, what are you?"

"Whoa! What a wild hair color! Are you a god too?"

"Can you make electricity?"

"I think he looks sort of like one of us."

"I bet he's wicked with poi."

"Poi! Oh cool! Remember when Ragweed tried with those and caught his tail on fire?"

"Yea, ragweed was dumb."

"You said you're going to get us some food, Mister?"

"I like buckthorn."

"I like cherries."

"I don't like cherries. Get us some strawberries!"

Lion-O spoke up above everyone and the general thumping of the bass still in the background. "Berries spoil quickly and they don't last the winter. If we're interested in having food for a long time, we should get wheat and corn."

For a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the background music before all of the rodents answered, once again speaking at the same time.

"You're so smart, Lion-O!"

"I prefer corn, though."

"Wheat tastes nice too."

"And some millet! Millet lasts a long time too, right?"

"Thank you, Mister!"

"Wait, what was his name?"

"He's got red hair and a red tail. I think we should call him Redtail."

"His name's Redtail?"

"What a funny name for a god."

"It doesn't matter. All hail Redtail! Bringer of food!"

"Hail! Hail!"

Their cheeks began to spark as they cheered.

"Cherries!"

"Wheat!"

"Corn!"

"Food!"

[ EXP: 314 ]

If there was one thing that Iskra knew precious little about, it was the farming of plants. Firstly, farming was a product of civilization and many generations of trial and error. Secondly, it produced products that she found wholly inedible, as the only produce she consumed was the flesh of live things. Bread, such as that produced by wheat and corn, was a grey area, but it was wholly unfun to eat.

"Yes," Iskra began in response, understanding that her new pet friend was looking to her for guidance. "You can start there. You might find some wild wheat and corn, but the humans have seeds that make fatter corn. There are farming encampments around in the woods. You can either go steal or ask them for some, and they might have to give you some directions on how to actually use the things." She wrinkled her nose, as though they were discussing something scatological. "If you do visit a human camp, though, would you get me a goat or two? We're almost out."

[ EXP: 204 ]

Iskra rolled her eyes again.

The former bear's face lit up with glee. "He's hungry!"

It seems a trail of stars might have followed him as he pranced through the foyer, up the balcony, down a hallway, and off to the kitchen. "I'll fix you something right away. You'll love it, I guarantee!"

The owner of the building turned her hands up with exasperation. "Good going. He's going to get carried away and cook up half of the house now."

His voice rang from deeper inside the club. "Did someone move my wormwood salts? Nevermind! Here they are!"

The hyena demon sighed and rubbed her temples. "He always cooks... so much... and I always have to go out and get more. I guess you're going to have to bring me back a few other things too. If he kills a chicken or a cow for the meat, we're going to need a replacement. Also..." She hesitated, as though she were about to tell him something she wasn't supposed to. "If you can find any warm blankets... wool blankets or pelts... we're going to need some too. We have a few... female guests. They get cold at night, and I don't want them coming down with a sickness."

[ EXP: 231 || +1 TEXP (5th post) ][UPDATE CHECKPOINT]