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Darkseeker
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Pleas don't post unless your name is listed in the title! Thanks! |
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Darkseeker
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Alyosha Vieyra Male | 21 | Sexuality | Bi | Species | Human | Appearance | Standing at a towering height of 6ft 5in, Alyosha is above the average males height. Due to many physical labor jobs, he is quite muscular. His body is defined and toned. He has obvious veins that line his large hands and arms. His large hands are rough and calloused. He is naturally tan and has clear blemish free skin. Just like his body his facial features are sharp and defined. He has hollow cheeks, paired with high cheek bones. His jawline is sharp, with slight stubble. Having broken his nose on a few occasions, leaves it slightly crooked. His eyebrows are thick and angular, but have a good shape for his face. They also seem slightly unkempt. His eyes are rather hooded, adding to his intimidating looks. He has thick, long, curly lashes that line his hooded eyes. Alyosha's eyes are a fiery amber color. They have light browns and orange hues in them, but overall remain bright. Which can be rather intense and striking to look at, with his tan skin and darker features. Below his ethnic nose, are his plump rosy pink lips. He also has very prominent dimples, but they never seem to see the light of day, as he doesn't smile. Alyosha has a full head of jet black hair. His hair texture being curly. It's usually in a messy curly fringe cut, thats a bit longer on the bottom towards the nape of his neck. It also tends to fall into his eyes quite often. He has a slash like scar over his left eye. It cuts into his eyebrow, leaving a pink scar and no hair growth in that one spot. He wears a gold necklace with a strange symbol on it. | Personality | At first glance, Alyosha is an intimidating man. He is quite reserved and likes keeping to himself. You'll never find him initiating a conversation, as he's not much of a talker. Especially, not towards complete strangers. People may take his reserved attitude as, rude which could start issues for him, but he won't let people walk over him. He knows how to protect himself and wont hesitate to do so. Same goes for the few people he cares about, he wont stop at anything to protect his loved ones. Once one does get past his hard exterior they get a closer look at his real, raw self. | Strengths | - Smithing Skills - Physical strength - Archery & close combat skills | Weaknesses | - Lacks patience - Not good with a sword - Stubborn | History | Alyosha never met his parents, making him an orphan. He was taken in by an elderly woman, named Yira. He grew up living a small village, that didn't get much visitors. |
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Lightbringer
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Name:
Agni Verlesper
Age:
13 years
Gender:
Male
Species:
Human
Role:
Reincarnated warrior
Appearance:
Standing at a solid five feet tall, Agni is about the expected height for a boy of his age. Only time will tell in regards to his final height, whether he will be taller than average or just around average, it is unlikely he will end up on the shorter end. He has a more slender build, built for speed and agility than for brute power. His body has a light amount of muscle, a leaner sort, due to him being more on the active side. He has fair skin that has a touch of a rosy tint to it, as seems to be expected of people with light skin.
He has black hair, a dark shade that seems to be more reminiscent of ink; it doesn't really appear to be brown in the sunlight like some with darker hair, but the ends of the hair do have a brown color. But for the most part, his hair is just black in color, and is straight in texture. For the most part he prefers to keep his hair short, above earl ength or so; but for the moment his hair has brown a bit longer, to the point where it's starting to get in his eyes. The color of his eyes are a stormy gray, a extremely uncommon color among humans; they're a shade that isn't too light, nor too dark, but in the fine middle ground.
Personality:
Agni is an unusual child, visible even within a few minutes' worth of being around him. The main part of it stems from his calmer demeanor, he is not overly hyper like some children around his age and does not seem to be as emotionally driven as they. Most of the time he seems steady in the way that beings much older and experienced than him are, like the eye of the storm or how a mountain remains unmoving in the face of the strongest storms and winds. His maturity often wrongfoots people, especially adults, when he meets them; it is simply not expected for a person who is not even to their mid-teens.
With that, there is something that he does not like at a base level. He does not like being talked down to, he feels it an insult to himself and his level of maturity. Hearing sugar-coated words or to be addressed as a child he beyond irritating for Agni; and it is one of the things that can truly drive him to the breaking point of his patience and tolerance.
Agni tends on the quieter side, while not afraid to strike up a conversation and can in fact be quite talkitive if the mood strikes, but for the most part he prefers to reserve his words unless he needs to say something. He tends to avoid the company of children around his age, as he often cannot reciprocate the often juvenile interests and entertainments, and partly due to unpleasant encounters with some unpleasant children. He will display a wisdom that is beyond his years, a way of looking at life and just general advice or things that he says; things that one would expected from an old warrior or ruler, in a sense.
He still has his moments of course, he is still young, and it would be unusual for him to never be in a mood or have a bout of intense emotion. Although due to his steady personality, when he gets worked up enough to really be affected by something, it is best taken as a sign that he truly feels strongly about the subject. But he does have moments of being in a mood, which typically means he'd like to be left alone for a little bit to work through it or cool off.
Strengths:
-Speed & agility
-Maturity
-Stealth
Weaknesses:
-Age
-Physical strength
-Stands out via behavior
History:
Agni grew up in a fairly large village, and he never really fit in with the other children, and people found him strange in behavior and such. His parents died early on, early enough that he can barely remember them; a friend of the family took him in. When he was 11 years, the friend died due to illness; and he kinda took off.
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Darkseeker
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The sun was coming down fast, the forest would be immersed in darkness in a matter of minutes. Branches snapped under Alyosha's heavy weight, as he made his way through the thick overgrowth. He huffed out a breath, as he leaned forward to pick up a larger branch, that lay in his path. In annoyance, he tossed it aside. Having left his home before the sun had risen, he'd been hunting. His hope was to come across a deer, but he had no luck. Having only been able to get a few measly sized squirrels. He would have to make do with what he had caught. Lately, he began noticing how bare the forests near his home have become. It was odd, as they were once filled and had an abundance of prey. Plenty to go around. Not anymore. For the past few weeks he'd been surviving off of squirrels and rabbits. He had grown quite accustom to venison. One could even say he was spoiled. His mouth watered at the thought of eating venison once more. Alyosha was a large man. Larger than the average male. If he keeps up with this diet of skinny rabbits and squirrels, he'll be a tall walking skeleton in a few weeks time. A branch snapped a few feet away from Alyosha. He was relying on just the daylight left in the day. He hadn't bothered taking a lantern, or torch with him, as he hadn't even planned on staying out this long. Being the stubborn, hardheaded man he was, he stayed out way past the desired time. Determined to get a deer. He quickly slinked behind the nearest tree trunk, that would hide his massive size. He peaked out, looking in the direction of the sound. He squinted his eyes, as he searched the area. A part of him had his fingers crossed, hoping for a deer to appear. Alyosha's eyes spotted a large round shadow. Brown bear. The pelt blended in nicely with the trees surrounding it. The bear huffed, trying to pick up near by scents. Alyosha ducked back, pressing his back into the trunk of the tree. He hadn't felt fear, or anything for that matter. It wouldn't be the first time he'd tussled with a brown bear. They were ferocious beasts, but nothing Alyosha couldn't handle. He waited a few moments, waiting for the bear to continue on its way. He wasn't exactly in the mood to rough house with a bear at the moment. Simply wanting to get home, and throw his tired body into his cot. |
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Lightbringer
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Observing the sun that was quickly making its way down the sky and the rapidly darkening forest was a child, he was crouched down on a particularly wide limb of a tall tree, close to the trunk of the tree where it was most stable. Unlike many who would see the shadows lengthening and closing in, there was no sign of dismay or uneasiness in his gaze; instead there was only interest as he peered through the branches and leaves up at the sky. It was an unusual sight, for many children his age would not be in a forest alone, nor would they be so content watching the source of light and perceived safety drain from their surroundings. A pale hand was placed in front of him to steady himself, but otherwise he appeared near perfectly balanced on the branch, no sign of unsteadiness from being in a higher location.
After watching the sky for a few more minutes with eyes the color of storm clouds, he broke his attention from the sight above and shifted just slightly, feeling the little wobble beneath his bare feet as his weight changed and a foot scooted to accommodate the movement. Rebalancing himself and making sure that he had a good grip on the rough bark, the boy tilted his head downward to access the ground, if there were any predators lurking nearby that might think that he would be a desirable meal. A few moments passed before he deemed the ground safe, despite the growing darkness there seemed to be no hostile creatures near his location at the moment.
And so the young boy started his descent, slender frame navigating the branches easily and smoothly, as if he were a wild cat making its way down the tree than a human child. Only once did he slip, a foot landing too near to the curve of the limb and slipping off, but the stumble was corrected with a quick jerk forwards and grasping a thinner branch in front of him. And soon he was close enough to the ground that he simply leapt from his branch, the force of the landing making his legs bend under it. Alert eyes scanned the forest as he stood there for a minute, making sure he did not have to scramble back up the tree in an escape from a predator. Once again finding nothing to be alarmed by, he faced a direction and started moving. It was admittedly hard to see in the darkening forest, but he did his best to move quietly, avoiding fallen branches when he either saw or felt one make contact with his foot.
The boy was not quite sure where he was going or what exactly he was doing, but he did know that he had rested enough to be restless and that his hunger was still satsified for the time being. He had no shoes, not anymore, the pair he had had with him finally gave up on him not too long ago; but the absence of them did not bother him much, not on the softer terrain of a forest anyways.
After a bit of this, walking quietly through the darkening forest and keeping a wary eye and keen eye out for anything that may need harm, he came across an interesting scene. A man, taller than what was probably average, the boy doubted his head would even come to the man's shoulder, was pressing himself against the trunk of a tree. As the older human's, probably human anyways, back was to him, he was unseen for now. He took a cautious step forward, trying to see ahead, to spy what the adult was watching. After a few more steps forward, he managed to see it; a bear, brown in color. Definitely something to not want to tangle with. Although the man looked as if he were strong enough to match such an animal in strength.
Standing there for a minute, unsure whether to silently leave and let the man deal with the bear on his own, or to step forward and ask if he needed help. A moment of indecision, and the boy looked away briefly, before turning back. He knew he wouldn't leave the man, even if he did not know him, there. Potientally he didn't need help, but it didn't hurt to check. With that in his mind, he edged off the side, and stopped a few paces from the man, who didn't seem like he had noticed him yet.
"Syvest, do you need help?" The ancient greeting slipped out of his mouth before he could process it, his words quiet, but he did not falter. And he kept his eyes on the man in order to gauge his behavior and reaction. He had faith that he could escape if he needed to.
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Darkseeker
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Staring blankly ahead, Alyosha waited for his cue to leave. The man was good at picking up sounds and which direction they came in. If it's approaching or leaving, those sorts. After a few silent moments, he checked again. The grizzly bear was still there, scratching at the ground, as though it found something of interest. It wasn't exactly ideal, but that seemed like his chance to get away. That was the plan until, he heard a voice. Or maybe he was hallucinating. Who else would be in the middle of the woods at this hour of the night? Clearly, someone up to no good. With his broad back against the tree trunk again, he scanned the area. Finding the culprit rather quickly. His thick brows furrowed, as he looked over the...kid? A scowl played on his features. Not because he was upset, but it was just his natural resting expression. He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the kid. Clearly, confused as to why a child would be in the middle of the woods, alone. Was this a trick? With that thought, he quickly checked his surroundings he could see. Then his gaze was back on the child. It finally clicked as to what the kid had even said in the first place. If he needed help? That was almost as odd as a child out in the middle of no where. Well, maybe that didn't beat what the kid first said. Syvest. That certainly wasn't a word Alyosha knew. It also wasn't a language he recognized. So many questions swirled in his head. "No." His voice was firm. Although, not loud enough to attract the attention of the bear that remained a few feet away from the two. Pushing away from the tree the slightest bit, he placed his bow onto his back with the straps. Fixing his gaze on the kid once more, he shook his head. "Kid, what are you doing out here?! Where the h-" He cut himself off. He wasn't full on yelling, more so whisper yelling. He glanced past the tree once more, making sure the grizzly was still distracted. The bear now had it's back to them, still distracted. Looking back at the kid, "You shouldn't be out here, it's dangerous." He hissed, quietly. Suddenly, a deep growl roared out behind the two. Alyosha cursed before spinning around towards the bear. The bear was facing them, eyes trained on the target. The target being Alyosha and the child. Grabbing the closet weapon, a branch on the thicker end, he held it up in defense. The branch was even too thick for Alyosha to hold with one large hand. The grizzly bear began charging at the two. Stepping out from behind the tree, he braced himself for impact. Rearing up on it's hind legs, it stood taller than Alyosha, it began slashing at the tall man. Managing to get one good swing it, the bear only seemed to get angrier than before. It's jaws clamping down on the "weapon" the tall man held in his hands. One heavy paw remained on the other end of the branch. Without taking his eyes off the bear, "Run!" He strained against the sheer strength of the bear. Swiftly, he knocked the bear off balance. Bringing the thick branch back, he swung at the bear. Hitting it square in the shoulder, it shook it's head as if to shake the pain off. It roared loudly again, ready to charge once more. Alyosha's eyes fiery eyes fixed on the bear, waiting for it's next move. Alyosha's plan wasn't to kill the bear. If it was he could easily do so. He had other weapons on him, other than the bow on his back. Although, that wasn't an ideal weapon in close combat. He had two daggers on his hips, which he could have pulled out at first, but refrained from doing. He didn't want to hurt the bear, to where it couldn't survive out here. So he went with the next best option, a branch. Obviously, too distracted with a large grizzly, he couldn't see if the kid took his advice and ran. The bear charged again. Taking on the same position they had before. The two wrestled, until Alyosha heard a loud snap. The branch that was keeping the two separated had finally given in. In a flash, the bear slashed at Alyosha's skin. Giving him three slash marks on his right bicep. The wrestle still continued until Alyosha could see an opening to make a run for it. |
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Lightbringer
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The child felt a spark of amusement at the confusion from the dark-haired man, who had tilted his head and stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure out where he had come from. He supposed that it would be strange to find a child out in the wilderness, especially at the current time; it may have been more normal to find someone of his age roaming about in the day, but not now, with the sun setting and dark enclosing the forest rapidly. He had originally been ready to move when faced with the man's scowl, as that particular expression did not usually bode well when directed at him. But then he sensed a shift to confusion rather than irritation or potiental malice, and he had let himself relax slightly. It had been an amusing minute or two before the older seemed to register that he had spoken in the first place, as if his mind had been trying to figure something out and it had finally caught up to the present situation.
The boy finally got an answer in the form of a firm denial, and reflexively he snuck a quick glance at the brown bear that was a mere few feet away. It did not seem disturbed and so the younger's attention was returned to the man in front of him, who had pushed away from the tree a little and returned the bow to his back. Which in his opinion was a good sign, it didn't mean that the unfamiliar adult was about to try and go after him any time soon. Hopefully. But he still took a step back, just in case.
The gray-eyed boy tilted his head ever so slightly when the man started hissing at him, asking what he was doing out in the forest. What was the big deal? The man was, and roaming the forest was equally dangerous to both of them, after all. A part of him knew exactly why it was a big deal to an adult, but he decidedly ignored that niggling thought. The words "So? You're out here, and it's as dangerous to you as it is me" was at the tip of his tongue, but he shoved down the urge to open his mouth and say that at the moment, but the sentence still lingered in his mind. The area around his eyes was slightly tightened, on the verge of noticeably narrowing but not quite; and he didn't care if the man with fiery eyes noticed or not as he met his gaze.
Honestly, he should not have been startled at the growl. But he was, and with a jolt of fear that made him instinctively skitter back as the man whirled around to face the bear that charged at the two of them a moment later. The fascinated terror that rooted his feet to the ground broke its spell as the adult began to engage the bear with only a branch as a weapon. Skittering back a few paces when the order to run reached his ears, he hesitatated as he watched the fight. His instincts were telling him to run, and he very nearly broke and fled in those first few moments when the adrenaline shot through his veins; but he didn't want to leave the man to get mauled by the creature. He didn't know why exactly, perhaps it was his conscience, or an instinct that went deeper than the age-old urge to run or fight.
Ultimately, despite his thundering heartbeat sounding a rapid rhythm and something like fear casting a sour taste on his tongue and his swift breaths he took, he stayed. Swallowing nervously, he made himself take a few steps to the side, fighting the primal urge to stay still as a statute. With a kind of urgent indecision being the promient emotion in him, the boy looked around for something, anything to use to help. He only had a small knife on him, and he severely doubted that it would be very useful in this situation, not against the thick fur and muscle of a bear.
As he watched the man and bear begin their wrestle, sans the branch that the man had wielded at first, the boy opened his mouth to call out. The urge to call to someone he had no recollection of, yet the impression of a name was on the tip of his tongue, ready to be released into the air. He faltered for a moment, when he tried to gather the name into a coherent thought, a proper name that was not fueled by a rush of familiarity and memory, yet the meaning of the moniker and the name itself skirted out of reach.
The child shook his head, as if he could shake away the brief but intense feeling that had flowed through him and the thoughts that accompanied it. He had to focus. Taking a deep breath, he withdrew the sheathed knife where it was hidden in the waistline of his pants. As he fumbled with the sheath to remove it, he felt a calm begin to steal over him, as if the fear that caused his hands to shake was receeding, and he was sinking into a haze of calm. He held the small blade confidently, and he moved to a slightly different angle, as to reduce the risk of hitting the man accidentally. Then, once in position, he took his aim and threw, the flash of silver as the blade caught a bit of retreating light on its surface.
Immediately after the knife left his hand, without watching for a reaction nor wishing to stay around long enough to be potientally charged by the large beast, the boy bolted for the nearest tree that he would be able to climb, for he had heard how fast bears could run and knew that he would not be able to outrun the creature. He had to leap for the first branch, catching the limb and hauling himself atop it much like a feline would. The calm that had overtaken him was gone, leaving adrenaline coursing through his veins, aiding the speed at which he ascended the tree. Pulling himself higher, higher, scraping his palms once or twice against the coarse bark in his haste. Finally, once he was of a decent height, he stopped and balanced carefully on the still wobbling limb, his sides and chest heaving as his body took the opportunity to regain the breath that had left in his swift climb. |
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Darkseeker
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One had to have some respect for other creatures that roamed the earths plains as one did. At least thats how, Alyosha looked at it. It was how he was raised. One said a small thanks before letting their arrow strike an animals heart. However, theres a cycle in the food chain. Alyosha couldn't survive without sacrificing another animals life over his, and to that he was thankful for. Although, predators such as, great big grizzly bears, were not prey. They weren't hunted for food purposes, maybe other purposes like pelts. Normally, they were left alone most of the time. The only issues that arise is grizzly bears and humans hunted the same thing. In this case, that wasn't the issue. It was a simple misunderstanding that would have unfortunate consequences. Consequences not aimed at Alyosha though, well it depended on how one looked at it. The large man was more than capable of killing this bear, it didn't mean he wanted to. He had no need for it. Bear meat was not good, and he was not in any need for a bears pelt. It felt like a waste of resources, but the situation at hand was getting trickier by the minute. He knew the branch wouldn't stand a chance. Actually surprised by the fact it lasted a single round against a brown bear of this sheer size. He assumed it would snap with simply holding it up. Alyosha grunted as the bear basically threw all it's weight onto him. He struggled for a moment, holding his forearm up against the bears neck, as to keep it from taking a chunk out of his face. He could feel the bears claws digging into his skin as it tried swiping at him over and over again. The bear flinched in Alyosha's grasp. Whatever happened only angered it more. Confused as to what even happened, he didn't linger on that thought. He couldn't see much around him, as brown fur crowded his vision. One wrong move and the bear might actually win. Alyosha didn't like the sound of that. He was too prideful to lose to a bear. Finally bracing himself against the thrashing of the bear, he used his free hand to reach for his dagger. He had already made up his mind. He would kill the bear, as much as he hated the idea. There wasn't much choice. His fingers circled around the familiar blades hilt. Pulling it out of it's hiding spot, he plunged it where it hurt the most. A loud roar broke out of the bears throat. It sounded painful. Alyosha closed his eyes for a brief second, as if he had felt the pain himself. Over a coarse of a few seconds the bears fight slowed. The dagger he used was long enough to reach the sweet spot, and with Alyosha's strength he could cut through muscle and skin. Waiting a minute longer, until the bear completely stopped moving and was limp against the man, he pushed it off him. The bears body thumped loudly against the forest ground. Alyosha stared down at it, his expression still fixed in a glare. Dagger still grasped in his large hand, blood dripped off the tip of the blade. His chest heaved slightly, his black hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. He cursed out loud, as he looked over the bears large body. The life drained from the creature. Lowering his large body to the ground, he kneeled next to the bear. With his free hand he placed it on the bears fur. A short phrase left his lips, in a silent prayer. His thanks. It was his native language. It was common where he lived, but uncommon in other areas. He sighed, as he stood up. Wiping the blood dipped dagger on his trousers, he looked around. In search of the kid he had told to run. Turns out the kid was smart enough to listen to him, as he was no where in sight. Returning the dagger to it's home on his waist, he turned his attention back to the bear. Well, he wasn't about to waste 1000 pounds of meat. Looking at the sky for a brief moment, he thought about his next plan of action. The male was strong but not "pull 1000 pounds of pure muscle miles away strong." He'd have to bring the boys tomorrow in the morning to be able to bring the meat home. The boys being two large draft horses, that could pull ten times their weight. The adrenalin was beginning to wear off and he was starting to notice the stinging pain in his arm and a few other spots on his body. He looked at his arm, unfazed. He should probably wrap it, but he was too tired. If he had a better angle, he could have left the fight unscathed. Although it didn't help, that his original plan was to fight the bear off just enough to be able to make a run for it. If he had went into it knowing he was going to kill the bear, he'd have a different outcome. Checking his surroundings he looked for some loose branches. He began covering up the body. There wasn't much he could do to avoid other creatures potentially getting to the body before he does. It didn't help he didn't have anything on him either that could help. He brushed his hands off on his shirt. Something glinted in the moonlight and caught his eye. Reaching down he noticed a knife had been plunged into the bears pelt. He spun the knife in his hand looking it over. It wasn't his knife. It was small. It wouldn't do much damage. He tucked it into his waistband. Once more he looked around for the kid. The man had morals. It didn't feel right to leave the forest without knowing the kid was safe. Many dangers lurked in the forest at night. He was about to walk off in the direction of his home, but his guilty conscience wouldn't let his feet move. He sighed, before turning around and stopping in the spot he'd last seen the kid. "Kid?" He called out, rather weakly. The exhaustion was finally taking a toll on him. "Kid!" He hollered out louder than before. He waited for a moment in silence, seeing if he'd get a response. Hell, the kid might be long gone by now if he ran like Alyosha told him to. His fiery amber eyes once more scanning the ever growing dark woods. |
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Lightbringer
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As the gray-eyed boy gulped for breath on the branch, body wound so tight that he was trembling from the rush of adrenaline and fear that the bear attack and the sight of the ensuing struggle had inspired in him, as he crouched low and did his best to pick up the sounds below, he shut his eyes and clutched the rough bark with a white knuckled grip. He had felt fear before, when the mean old dog in the village he grew up in chased after him through the homes; the sharp sense of terror was clear in his memory, as was the feeling of hot breath on his legs and sharp teeth snapping at his heels. He had felt it again when he had been chased off by a man who was under the impression that he was a thief, shortly before his guardian had died; but the looming figure chasing after him had been almost as terrifying as the dog.
This time was a new instance to add the list of experiences that sparked true fear in him, not a brief flash of it when he had decided to lie multiple times, nor the reflexive shock of it that threw a sour taste on his tongue when he thought he saw something move in the corner of his vision. But a kind of fear stemming from the whole-hearted belief that he was about to be seriously hurt or even killed, the kind that sent adrenaline shooting through the system like the lightning he had seen in the summer storms while growing up.
That kind of fear was not easily forgotten by the mind or body, it left imprints in memories that would not be erased, but perhaps dulled with time. For the boy however, as he had not lived a long life, there was no fading of the time that passed to soften the intensity of those moments of the fear that made his legs unsteady and sent a traitorous weakness throughout his entire body; that made him feel as if he couldn't muster the strength to stand a moment more, the kind that seemed to twine around his throat and constrict until he felt unable to draw a single breath, or rooted his feet to the ground and made him freeze for precious seconds like a deer who had just scented hunting dogs on the breeze.
And so he clung to the branch, eyes wide open and leaning forward slightly, as if instinctively trying to see through the darkness and the branches and leaves to pinpoint the source of danger more accurately than merely listening to the sounds of a struggle far below his hiding spot. His heart felt like it was trying to beat straight out of his chest, to break the bone that guarded the organ and pop out of his body; his breaths came hard and heavy, the panting edged with an audible wheeze as he gasped for air, even as the body slowly realized that the danger was unlikely to be able to climb all the way up the tree to reach him.
The dark-haired boy wanted to see what was going on, listening to the sounds below was almost as bad as watching it, but on the other hand, he almost did not want to witness it. Either way, it was torture to hide up in the tree, perching on the branch like a bird or cat would be positioned. A small part of him felt like a coward, for running when he possibly could have done more. But the more logical part that was starting to emerge from the stark fear asserted itself, what could he have done? Despite his raging dislike about being considered a child, he was one and did not have a man's strength to truly make a difference. Nor did he have any other weapon than the small little knife he had carried. The course of action he had taken was all he really could have done; running out near the bear would not have ended well, he was pretty sure bears could run quite fast when they wanted to. And it was not like leaping on its back and attacking like a wildcat would have done much, the thick fur and muscle and fat that the animals typically carried would have prevented most efforts from hurting it.
As he sat up there with a conflict raging in his heart, he was startled by a loud roar. It carried notes of pain and traces of anger in the sound, and that was almost enough to make him jump right off of his branch. Instincts took control and tightened his grip and leaned his body back in order to balance better from where he was jolted from his perch, to prevent a fall that would have broken bones or even outright killed him in the darkness. A yelp almost made it out of his mouth, before he regained his senses and clenched his jaw tight and pressed his lips together. It ended as a strangled sound that carried traces of surprise, even as low as it was in the back of his throat.
The child lowered himself even closer to the branch in an attempt to better hear what was happening on the ground, and soon the sounds softened and then disappeared from his hearing. He swallowed as he shifted on the slightly wobbling tree limb, uneasily waiting for any sign of something going on down there. From what he had heard of the bear's pained noises, the man very well may have been the winner of the match. It could be possible that he had a weapon other than the bow and arrows, maybe even drove the point of an arrow into an eye or similiar weak point on the beast. But he wasn't sure, perhaps it was one of those situations where both the animal and man had perished. He wasn't sure, and he did not like that.
The time spent waiting felt like hours to the boy, sitting there almost motionless, barely daring to breathe for fear he would miss a sign of live stirring in the forest. While his heart's pounding had lessened into a calmer beat and his breathing that reacted to the slowing of the panic that had caused that and accordingly slowed as well, the uneasiness remained. It was not at the stage that it could be suitably called dread, but instead it flickered inside him like a weak flame that had enough fuel to stay alive but not enough for it to build into a raging fire. Not yet.
The boy was so on edge, that when the voice echoed up to his tree, it made him startle almost as bad as when he had heard the bear. The call was not anything more than a simple 'kid' but that was to be understood, as the man had no idea who he was. In fact they had not even moved past the confusion of him appearing in the forest before the bear had noticed them and been agitated enough by their presence to launch an attack that was the reason why he had scrambled up the tree as fast as he could manage. Now he faced a second decision, one that needed to be settled on fast. Did he want to stay up here in the growing dark and chill and wait for the man to leave, to let him believe that he was long gone when in truth he was not so far away at all; did he want to stay on his lonesome out in the forest and continue his existance how he had been living? Or did he want to come down and reveal himself, did he want to see what would happen if he went back down on the ground and see the man's reaction, what he would do when not confronted in such a tense situation? Did he want to give trusting this stranger a chance? While he did not seem bad and even took enough time to tell him to flee even as he tested his strength against a dangerous animal's, that action had seemed like one of a person who was at least decent, and he didn't even flinch or hesitate as he decided to face the attack instead of choosing to run. Even with that, the fiery-eyed man was still an unknown, and just because he did not show malice or aggression at first did not mean that he would not in the future. That is, if the man wished for him to stay around.
As the second call rung out into the forest, in the time that it took for the sound to fade from his hearing, the boy made up his mind and hoped that he would not grow to regret it. Mentally steeling himself for what was to come, he tenatively shifted so that a foot hung down to test for the presence of another branch. The bare foot brushed the rough bark and he dropped onto the limb below, near the trunk so that the chance of it breaking was lessened, he had long found out that the closer to the trunk one was, the sturdier the branch itself was. It was when he would shimmy out to the thinner end that he was in danger of falling. In the dark he knew he had to be careful, his human eyes were not able to see at night like other species, and he had gotten up the tree so quickly with the haze of fear overriding most everything except the primal urge to be in a safe place. With that knowledge, he decided that he'd better call out and let the man know he was still around. To prevent the taller male from leaving and forcing him to track through the forest.
"Still here! Give me a second!" He yelled into the forest as he dropped to another branch, judging incorrectly on where he was in proportion to the lower limb, making the thing shake dangerously. The sound of leaves rustling and being disturbed from the precarious up and down motion that was being made quite audible, a brief thought of wondering whether the black-haired man could hear it from where he was.
Then he was moving quicker, although not recklessly. He did not want to have the man wait too long for him to descend from his place, and he mentally kicked himself for climbing so high in the tree, it was definitely unnecessary. He didn't even think that grizzly bears could climb at all, maybe they could and he was mistaken, but it didn't seem very likely with their bulk. Shaking those thoughts out of his mind, he focused more on getting to the ground safely. Without having a branch snap under his weight and send him falling a good distance before hitting the dirt or somehow managing to get a grip on another branch and catching himself. He did not wish for that to happen again.
Then after a few minutes, he finally got within safe distance of the ground. He could actually see it from the limb he had paused on to take the briefest of rests. He had just needed a moment to catch his breath, collect himself so that he didn't seem too rattled or immature, and to steel himself so that he didn't go darting off into the forest at the first movement from the adult. Then he moved, making the choice to simply leap off of his branch and let gravity do the rest. The few seconds of feeling nothing under his feet, the lurch his stomach made when he leapt, and the air brushing his short hair back felt startling familiar, not unwelcome. It was like he was used to being up high, but he didn't have any memory of it. The intensity of the not-quite-memory almost made him forget the ground that was not very far down. He reached out his arms and tilted his front end down just in time, taking the impact on his shoulder with his head tucked into his chest, and rolling. He used the momentum of the roll to spring to his feet, taking a few quick steps forward to dispell the very thing that had made the action possible.
Storm-gray eyes quickly found the man's large form and accordingly, his body went forward. Walking at a normal pace until he was once again, a few feet away from where the adult stood. Conviently placed so that he was out of the easy reaching distance, and sporting a smile that showed the edges of white teeth. It was a calm expression, as if he had not been cowering against a tree branch and feeling the beginnings of dread replace the fear as he awaited the outcome of the battle. He tilted his head up enough so that he could meet the man's eyes, and cocked his head to the side just slightly, gray eyes gleaming with an emotion that could not be placed. After a moment, he spoke.
"Hello sir! Are you okay?" He asked, tone light and almost chipper. As if he were simply a normal child in a village where he belonged, and was greeting a stranger or someone he knew. Casually friendly, if there was such thing.
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Darkseeker
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It was well beyond late now. The only light was being emitted off the moonlight. Although, it wasn't merely enough to be able to maneuver through the dark forest now. It wasn't the first time he'd walked through the woods at this hour. The male didn't need light to find his way home. He had a great sense of direction. Never really getting lost. Well, thats as an adult. It was a different story when he was younger. Getting lost was part of his personality growing up. He could remember his neighbors coming out to search for him, when his guardian couldn't find him anywhere. Of course, he was always uninjured when they found him. He never did learn his lesson. At least now he can find his way home again. Alyosha glanced around, waiting a few seconds for the kid to reveal himself. That is if he even was in the vicinity. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what he would do with the kid, if they'd stuck around. He's never been in this situation. He knew a few people from the village that could help. Thing was it was late. The ride to the nearest village, wasn't too far, but it would have to wait until morning. What would he do with the kid in the mean time? Seeing as he wasn't receiving an answer from the child, meant he more than likely took off. It wasn't his problem anymore. From the looks of it at least. At least the child didn't witness him killing the bear. That would likely be scarring and intimidating. As not just anyone would stand a chance against a bear. It wasn't like it was unheard of, killing a bear this size. It was the way he went about it. He hadn't hesitated to keep the bear away from the kid. Normally, hunters hunted in groups. It took quite a bit of men to take down a bear. Alyosha, did it with his bear hands, a measly branch, and a long dagger. His own sheer size definitely helped in that matter. It wasn't the most ideal introduction. Seconds from turning around and heading in the direction of his home, he paused at the sound of a childs voice. So the kid never left after all. He wasn't sure to be upset at the fact that the kid didn't listen to him and run like he had told him. The other part of him was relieved he was still around. As much as he didn't want to deal with a lost child, that was a lot easier than later on finding out something happened to the kid. He didn't live in a village. He liked the solitude of his cabin, but he still visited the village nearby. The villagers talked. About everything and everyone. They didn't have much else to do. The village was weeks out from any big cities and their Kingdoms. So they kept busy with one another. The village was made up of a few hundred people. It was nothing compared to the thousands housed within the Kingdoms walls. It finally hit Alyosha. The voice didn't come from ground level like he had expected. It sounded like it came from above him, a ways up there too. He glanced up, yet he couldn't see much as it was pitch black. He could see the outlines of branches and leaves, but that was about it. He scanned the branches as best as he could, only being able to hear leaves rustling here and there. Guess he hadn't specified what he meant by "run." Climbing up a tree was in a way running, just not what Alyosha had in mind. He shook his head slightly, as he glanced around at the nearby tree trunks. His arms crossed over his chest, as he waited for the child to make it to the ground. A familiar glare was playing on his features, as he waited. A few moments passed, then the kid was back in front of him. The kid was agile, he'd give him that. His brows pulled together, as th boy asked him if he was okay. He felt as though he should be asking him that. Now that he thought of it more, he could really feel the sharp stinging pain in his arm. He ignored the pain, and the kids question. "You do realize run and climb are two different things right?" His tone was almost scolding. Like a parent would to their child. He sighed, rubbing is face tiredly. "Nevermind that. Let's get you out of these woods before something else comes along." He turned, only to spin back around. "Almost forgot." Pulling the small knife out of his waistband, he held the blade part gently. Handing it back to the boy with the handle part out. "Here." He said softly. Alyosha was exhausted, and it seemed it was finally catching up to him. He used up his last bit of energy on fighting the bear. Now all he wanted was to get home as quickly as possible, before they run into another creature. He wasn't exactly prepared for any kind of fight at the moment. He didn't even have his sword on him, as the plan was just a hunting trip for deer. All that called for was a bow and arrows, so thats what he brought. Spinning on his heel, he didn't exactly wait for the boy to start following him. "I can take you to the nearest village. Then from there we can work on locating your parents." He murmured somewhat quietly. In the case there was another creature lurking nearby, he didn't want to attract it to them with his voice. His stride was rather quick, as he maneuvered around trees. That was mostly thanks to his long legs. "What's your name?" He asked. It was a way of making small talk, to fill the silence. This was going to be quite the trek back to his place. He continued to shove past bushes and other shrubbery. One look at Alyosha, one wouldn't think he'd be so willing to him a lost kid find his parents. The man carried on in life with a deep glare plastered on his handsome features. Fiery eyes that could strike fear in peoples hearts. A scar slashed into his eye and eyebrow. Clearly he'd been in a few fights. Hell, just his hulking size was intimidating. Yet, here he was helping a lost boy. Jumping into a fight he originally wanted to avoid, just to protect a kid he didn't even know. The thing was, he was more than willing to lend a helping hand to those he knew well. Apparently, it wasn't just people he knew, as of now. He was a good man, despite his exterior. It may have been his tired mind, but he hadn't bothered asking the kid other questions. He simply assumed the boy needed help finding his parents. No questions were asked about whether the boy could simply be a runaway and purposely was out in the middle of the woods by himself. There could also be a chance the boy didn't want any help from him. If he really thought about, he should have took note of some key clues. Like the fact the boy asked him if he needed help. One would think that if youre lost in the middle of the woods, you'd ask the nearest person for help, not if they need help. It was odd, but Alyosha was too tired to question anything at the moment. |
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Fall 
Night 
Clear Moon: 
