Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest

Last edited by WolfGirl on Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

Gael blinked his surprise at her sudden embrace, but made no move to push her away. What was he supposed to do? Just sit there and look rather stupid? He got a grip on himself again before she could notice his uncertainty and surprise. Maybe he should let the matter die, but he had started his tale and it needed an ending. Why, he didn't know. But it was like something in him was desperate for him to go on... He had never told his story before; maybe he just needed to get it off his chest. And if Beatrix was willing to hear him out.

"Adir wasn't the only one to die," his voice was bitter. He touched each of the long, cruel scars in turn. "One each for Adir, for Mother, for Father. They all died that year; and it was my fault each time. If I had gone with Adir to market that day, she would have been safe. I would have been the one to be attacked, not her, and the entire business would have been finished. Life would have gone back to normal. But I didn't... I still trusted them enough not to harm her. I was wrong there." He looked at her, mouth twisting wryly at her bitter comment about humans. He didn't pick up the indication tied to it, though. "Humans are flawed," he agreed. "Terribly so... but I suppose there are some good things... I'm still trying to find them out, but I'm sure they're there." He rubbed his eyes that seemed too big for his gaunt face; he really ought to gain more weight.

"There was a riot, one night. I ran back home, tried to warn them. They were coming and they wanted blood this time. Killing Adir wasn't enough for them anymore, they wanted all of us. I tried to tell them what was going on; Father told me to run... and not to look back." He broke off. Should he go on? Yeah, might as well. He couldn't stop now. "They were going to give up their lives for me... Sacrifice themselves so that I might live... What could I do? Let them die in vain? I ran... an' I didn't look back."

Gael bowed his head. And that wasn't even the all time low of his life. Then, he had just been stupid, cowardly, fickle. He had turned his back on his parents, let them die and hadn't lifted a thing to help. But today...? He had taken innocent lives; and he had done it with the terrible ease of someone who knew the nature of life and death... He had been cruel, he had been cold, he had been merciless. He had been a monster not only in his werewolf form, but in human as well... And the death toll only grew.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:34 pm

Beatrix put her left hand on Gael's shoulder.
"Perhaps we should sleep now. Thank you for telling me your story. It must have been hard for you, and for that I am sorry."
Beatrix smiled once more and laid down on the cold, hard ground.

OOC: Sorry for the shortness of this one....

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:44 pm

Gael nodded without looking up, ears detecting the subtle sounds of her laying down for the night. At last, he looked up. The moon would not be full for five days yet, there was still time. With a sigh, he decided not to keep watch. The cave hadn't been used in a long time and it didn't appear that anything else was living in here now. It was freezing, and there was little way of keeping warm because he couldn't light a fire in the cave; the smoke would suffocate them since there wasn't anything for it to go out of except the small entrance. Silently begging that she wouldn't kill him, he laid down with his back pressed against hers. There was nothing implied in the simple contact. He wanted to keep her warm without making her scared for uncomfortable and didn't know any other way to go about it.

"Night," he murmured. "Sweet dreams..." With that, his exhausted and battered mind finally shut down and he was asleep.

ooc: No worries! Sorry 'bout Gael being so dead depressing. xD

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:15 pm

Beatrix awoke to the sounds of birds singing. How idyllic! she thought cheerily. She sat up. Gael was still asleep. He looked much more vulnerable and friendly when he was asleep…..Beatrix’s stomach growled. She had better go get some food. She walked out of the cave and glanced at Gael. He would be fine until she came back. She morphed into a falcon and quickly flew off. What to eat, what to eat…Normally she would just catch a few mice in her falcon form, but she had Gael to think about. She flew over a thick forest, and then over an open expanse of snow. There we go! Perfect! A village! Beatrix flew down closer to the ground in hopes of finding something she liked. Meat…too heavy…Pastry…too delicate…Bread…excellent. She flew down and began to circle the bakery. The Bakery’s window was wide open, as was its door. Beatrix landed on the windowsill and peered through the open window. A loaf of plain bread lay invitingly close. Beatrix did not hesitate. She flew through the window, grasped the loaf of bread firmly in her talons and flew out of the door, gaining altitude as fast as she could once she was out. She could hear the baker shouting, but she didn’t mind. She flew back over the snow and the trees back to her cave. She landed at the door, dropped the bread on the stone and morphed back into a human shape. Beatrix was pleased with her find, but she hoped that Gael was not awake yet so that she could come up with an explanation for it.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:31 pm

Gael woke because Beatrix was gone. He stirred, but only faintly, being tuckered out both from yesterday's battle and the recounting of his past life. The birds singing their hearts out in the trees were doing everything in their power to wake him up, but he was resisting. To heck with the birds. Instead of getting up as he should have, he lay awake with his eyes closed, slowly preparing himself mentally to face the day. At last, he heard a rustle of wings and then the quiet steps of a woman. Wings? Well, he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was starting to get the idea that Beatrix was more than she let on... Still, he had no reason to think ill of her, she had been more than nice to him yesterday; she had shown him kindness that he clearly didn't deserve and he felt indebted to her for doing so.

With reluctance, Gael opened his eyes and say up. His hair was tousled from sleep, but his eyes seemed brighter than they had yesterday. His stomach gave a sudden lurch as he realized that she had food with her, fresh-backed bread to be exact. The smell hit him first before his dark eyes darted to the loaf in front of her on the hard rock ground. She looked pleased, but anxious at the same time. He owed her for last night, so he asked no questions. However she got it was her business and he had no intent to pry.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, raising a hand to cover a very wolfish yawn. "Aside from the fact that it was freezing..."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:17 pm

"Oh, it's much warmer when there is someone else there."
Beatrix ripped the fresh, warm loaf of bread in half and handed a piece to Gael. "Here is some bread for you."
Beatrix didn't even bother to say that she found it. If he asked, she would tell him. If he didn't, then she would be much happier.
Beatrix looked at him and noticed for the first time how tousled his hair was. She almost burst out laughing; it looked as if a bird had attempted to nest on his head.
"You should neaten your hair, it looks as if the birds have been at it!" Beatrix felt bad to make fun of him, but he really did look ridiculous.
Beatrix sat down to eat her bread, savoring it's warmth. This was really good bread.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:02 pm

Gael slowly smiled, a real, happy smile. It looked out of place on his face, but it was good to know that he could smile; he had looked so forbidding before. He wasn't used to smiling; he had had no good reason to since he was fifteen, really. It felt strange to do so now, as if the muscles in his face had to work extra hard to remember how. His face was set in a near-permanent frown and he almost had to concentrate to bring back the expression of happiness. But, in the end, he managed it.

"If it makes you happy," the werewolf said with another yawn, accompanied by a stretch this time. "I think I'll keep it this way."

Despite his teasing words, he did make some attempt to straighten his hair. He gave up though, there was no reasoning with it. With a helpless shrug, he took the other half of the loaf and began to eat. He had to take it slowly, because his body wasn't used to eating so much at one time, even if it was only half a loaf. After only a few bites, he set it down, feeling faintly sick. Fortunately for him, he didn't look it.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:54 pm

Beatrix tried not to speak with her mouth full, but failed miserably. "Sof, thoo weef keef walkfing tofay?"
She realized he couldn't understand her and swallowed before she repeated herself. "So, do we keep walking today? and were are we going?"
She noticed that he hadn't eaten all of his bread, probably because he wasn't used to so much at once. The poor starving werewolf....

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:01 pm

Gael allowed himself a tiny smile. She was funny when she was trying to speak around her food. Without a word, he offered her his bread; he wouldn't eat it. There was no way that he'd be able to eat that much which, in retrospective, was a rather sad fact. He should have devoured what little he was given, not barely been able to stomach it. The werewolf could have hunted his own food with no trouble, but he kept himself on the edge of starvation, feeling that he didn't deserve to eat food made by others nor did he have the heart to kill an animal for meat unless he had no alternative.

"Not too sure where you're going," he said, putting emphasis on 'you'. "But I'm trying to make my way to the Sol Mountains... so that's to the north. If you're heading somewhere along the way, I can always accompany you there if you wish it."

He hoped that that didn't sound like he thought she couldn't fend for herself, because she had to be tough to have made it this far on her own.

ooc: Sorry for taking so long! I was at the beach with a friend of mine all week and forgot to tell everyone! AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!! Okay, done freaking out! Very Happy

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:43 pm

"I go wherever the curiosity takes me."
This was probably the biggest truth of Beatrix's life.
"Keep the bread. I may not be able to get more later on." She froze for a moment, realizing what she said, and then relaxed. Rarely anyone knew how to recognize a Chimaera. She was probably worrying for no reason.
"Are you ready to go? We shouldn't stay in one place too long..."

OOC: LOL....It's OK, I kinda slacked on the stories too, actually, so it's all good....BTW sorry for the short posts, I like interaction between characters, and I can't play you, so....yeah....sorry....

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:52 pm

"No worries," Gael said with a shrug.

So that was why she had gotten up so early. Dang, she must have either woken at around midnight or sprinted to the nearest town, because he had no idea as to where the nearest one was. If there was a town, they would undoubtedly smell it from a long way off. He looked now at the girl with a new respect.

He pocketed the bread with a little hesitation, thinking that he should probably say something to the effect that she should keep it. It wasn't too late to offer it to her, but he got the idea that she would just make her keep it. Without a sound, he rose silently to his feet in one, swift motion. She was right, of course. They couldn't stay here. There was no telling if Christian might still be lurking around or if other monsters inhabited the area... it was safest, therefore, to keep moving.

"Alright then," he said, with one, last look around. With a gesture to her that indicated companionship and friendliness, he ducked under the low entrance to the cave and stepped out onto the new-fallen snow.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:49 pm

They began walking onward. They walked in silence for a good while, until Beatrix said "Tell me more about yourself. I hardly know anything about you."
She looked up at his face as she spoke, wondering about him. He was so...human. And yet, he wasn't human. What a curious man.
Beatrix had never met another being like him, not in all of her 237 years.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:37 am

Gael looked warily over at her. Tell her about himself? Tell her what? It wasn't like there was a lot to tell, or at least, there wasn't a lot to tell that would make pleasant conversation or would be nice to hear. His life hadn't exactly been rainbows and butterflies.

"What do you want to know?" he asked her, wariness edging his hard, cold voice.

The snow crunched under his light footfalls with every step he took, and as they walked, he noticed something. If Beatrix had left as some point to get food, she would have left footprints. As he assumed that they were heading towards the nearest village, they would be following a similar trek to the one she had taken earlier. The only problem? There were no footprints; none. There were none to be seen leaving the cave and none returning. It was irrational, illogical, but a grain of suspicion worked its way into the werewolf's mind. Beatrix looked human, but was she really? And if she wasn't human, then what kind of creature could she possibly be?

ooc: Ugh, this took me way to long to post! So sorry, I had to go to a retreat from Monday til Thursday and then got sidetracked from replying. So sorry! :/

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:04 pm

Beatrix stopped and looked Gael dead in the eye, portraying her seriousness. "Everything you can tell me."
Beatrix began walking again as she explained. "You see, my one true desire is to gain knowledge. To know everything that there is to know. Perhaps then I will understand--."
Beatrix broke off. She was really bad at keeping secrets.
Beatrix grinned, but it wasn't the warm, friendly, vibrant smile she usually wore. It was full of age and knowledge, betraying her only secret.
"So, tell me everything."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:12 pm

Gael didn't know what was going on, but when she smiled, her face was laid bare. Decades worth of knowledge was written there and her eyes were old, so old that his heart faltered. He had finally made up his mind. He took a step back, a guarded and defensive look coming over his face. No. He was telling no more to Beatrix, whoever, or whatever, she was. It was no longer safe.

Tell me everything... Her words echoed in his head, they seemed, now, ominous.

"How about not," he said softly, looking her dead in the eyes. "Not until you tell me your story."

His knife was in its sheath at his belt and within easy reach. If she tried anything funny, he would be ready. The werewolf didn't want to hurt her, be she friend or foe for she had been good to him... but he did have some small value for his own life. He didn't want to go down like this. Not now. There were too many unanswered questions.

"So let's have it." He was talking fast, too quickly and his rough voice stumbled over the words as he spoke. Face cold as frost, he pressed on. He looked, suddenly, fierce and menacing. "Why didn't you leave any tracks when you left? How'd you know where the cave was? Why are you so interested in a werewolf, eh? I don't know about you, but something is amiss and I'm not moving until you give me a few answers."

He glared at her, posture very upright and eyes glittering with a mixture of defiance and unease. He wasn't used to playing this part.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:34 pm

Beatrix gaped. No. No. No.
How could he have realized? What a stupid question to ask yourself.
She shook her head slowly, afraid to look into his eyes again, afraid of what he might see.
She smiled weakly at the ground. "All these years and I still can't keep a secret."
"You don't like who you are, and I'm sure you don't want to know who I am." Beatrix spoke so softly she was worried that Gael wouldn't hear.
"I travel the world" She said, raising her voice slightly. "I travel the world trying to learn everything. Why? Because I am a part of so many things, So many things that people fear me."
She looked back the way they had come. "However much I want to learn about you, dear Gael, I believe that it is best if we go our separate ways. You would not like me if you knew who I was. She turned, ready to change into a falcon whether or not he was watching, but she stopped.
"I am sorry, but you really shouldn't know who I am. I understand curiosity more than most, but that particular knowledge has broken humans more than once."
Beatrix smiled in a strange, quirky way. "Strangely, animals seem to take it better."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:53 pm

Gael swore under his breath. He had frightened her; he hadn't meant to, but then again, there were a lot of things that he had never meant to happen. He took a few steps towards her and seized her by the upper arm, not caring if he was hurting her for once, and swung her around to directly face him, bending down so that they could be on the same eye-level. His dark eyes seemed larger up close.

"Listen here," he said, speaking very low and clearly. "I didn't ask for any of this to happen and neither did you, but now that it has, you might as well tell me as much or as little as you can. If you wish to keep your silence, then I won't force you to do anything, alright? I'm not like that, Trix. But can you at least explain yourself, or try to? I get the feeling that you're a lot more than I'll ever be and that even though you're young, you are also old and wise... but still a child in many ways." His dark-eyed gaze was intent, fixing on her eyes with a startling intensity. The grip on her arm relaxed ever so slightly, but he did not drop his hand just yet. "Please," he breathed.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:04 pm

"Trix?" Beatrix smiled faintly. "I've never had a nickname before...But then again, not many people know my real name anyways, and you're lucky I told you mine first off."
Beatrix's face hardened suddenly.
"I will tell you what I am, and you may not have even heard of my kind. We are rare; that is true. We are feared; that is certain."
She ripped her arm away from his, surprising him with her strength, for although she had a tiny frame she had the strength of all her shapes.
"Do not blame me if I break you. You are as fragile as you are strong. I will tell you, and if you do not like it, I will leave. If you only pretend to like it, I will leave. If you try to injure me, you will die."
Her face softened. "I do not want to kill you, though. You seem like a nice creature. Anyhow, it is not in my nature to kill, as it so often is for others of my kind. But before I tell you more, let me tell you what creature I am, or rather what creatures."
Beatrix brushed a loose strand of her red wavy hair away from her face.
"I am a Chimaera."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:22 pm

It took Gael a few seconds to take that in. He took a step back, figuring that it would be a good idea to give her some space; she didn't seem to be in the best of moods. And then it started to sink in.

Chimera.

He cocked his head at her, stance no longer hostile. "A shape-shifter," he said, his voice almost questioning, but he understood that much of the term. No more. The word meant very little to him... While he was a wanderer and had seen much of the world, he had never run into another like her and had rarely heard such creatures mentioned. He got the idea, however, that they were extremely old and powerful, judging from her words and the almost-contempt that she seemed to have for other creatures.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, dropping his gaze. "But I don't really know what to make of that, Trix. I just... don't know..."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:38 pm

Beatrix stared at his face, seemingly confused by her words.
"Hardly anyone does." She murmured. None of the innocent joy was left in her eyes now, just an age old understanding that no one would ever accept her. She had never felt the pain of loneliness until now.
"Go on, ask me the questions everyone asks about my species. And don't you dare ever assume that I am just a stupid human girl, wasting your time with lies. I am a Chimaera through and through, as I have been for centuries. Do not fear me, for if you do you will surely die."
Her golden eyes were harder and colder than ever before, prepared to kill this nice werewolf for the sake of herself. Let it be known that no Chimaera has died from another species weapon. So it has always been, so it will always be.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:49 pm

"Well." Gael clapped his hands together in a sudden gesture and he smiled rather suddenly. "I'm not about to try to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I'm sorry, but you've been to kind to me to deserve anything of the like and I've nothing personal against you." His smile suddenly vanished. "But I would be a fool not to be cautious and to have no fear at all. Kill me if you like, it's all one to me... but I think we can continue on much as before. After all," and here a faint smile lit his dark eyes. "What you are doesn't change who you are. Just because you're a Chimera, doesn't mean that you aren't Trix too. Does that make sense?"

He cocked his head at her. She was an interesting person, that was for sure and he had never met another like her and he likely never would.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:52 am

"Yes. Nearly, anyways. I understand what you are feeling."
Beatrix smiled warmly. Things were back to normal and she would be alright. She could have the information she wanted and she wouldn't have to kill him.
"So, tell me more about yourself, unless you want to know about me first..." Beatrix looked confused for a moment. She had never openly allowed anyone to know she was a Chimaera. But she needed to let him understand the kind of danger he was in, for one bad move could be his last move, period.
"Just know that, although I may appear small and weak, I have the strength of all of my forms, including a bear and a cedar tree. So cross me, and you won't last long. Just treat me like you did before, and all will be well."
Beatrix smiled warmly again, to show that she didn't plan on killing him.
"So, tell me another story...."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:58 am

"There isn't a lot to tell," Gael said with a shrug, resuming walking onward because he didn't know what else to do. Snow swirled around them, landed in his shaggy hair. "Want to know about when I was a kid or later on after they ran me out?"

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow in question. He really didn't know what to make of her. She seemed to want to be thought of as normal, but her behavior towards him was anything but. As he was still unsure of what to make of her, he thought it best not to assume anything and to watch his mouth. What wasn't known, in his world, always had the potential to be extremely dangerous... And he got the feeling that Beatrix was just that; dangerous. To heck that he was a werewolf, it didn't matter all that much since he could only transform once a month, and then again, only at the full moon. She had complete freedom in her life and transformations. Well, it looked like he'd just have to wing things for the moment and see how it went.

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:36 am

"When you were a child, and then when they ran you out. I like to learn things in their proper order."
Beatrix walked, unconsciously careful to step lightly. She was amazed that Gael had taken everything so well, so smoothly, as if he was a Chimaera as well. But he was not a Chimaera, for Beatrix would know if she had met another Chimaera. If he was a Chimaera, she would have known his true name. It always seemed that humans and several other creatures were just too shallow to have true names, and so Beatrix could always tell when she met another Chimaera. Gael wasn't deep and complicated like a Chimaera, but he seemed to understand more than most humans. With any luck, however, he wouldn't feel the need to ask questions about her, and then tell another human. For if he did, then word would get around who she was, and the allowance of thirty people knowing who she was would seem to be a very small number. Thirty one people knowing that she existed was all that it would take to get exiled to the darkest parts of Caligo, and stripped of her shapes.
"So, begin."

Subject: Re: Dark Creatures Live In The Dark Forest Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:01 pm

Gael didn't like how she was ordering him about. Just by being a Chimera seemed to, in her mind, make her superior to him for whatever reason. She was probably correct in that way of thinking, because there was little honorable that he had done in his life that would make him worth anything. He was dirt beneath her feet, so be acknowledged this shift in status quo and bowed his head to signal this acceptance. He was her inferior; he understood. What was there for him to do then, but for him to begin his tale?

"My parents lived in Ellianaya, a fishing village found on the shores of Paludem..." He started, voice rough and cold as if he hated what he was having to do. "I was three when my mother gave birth to Adir, my little sister." The werewolf's eyes flickered when he spoke her name. Adir; his sister... In effect, he had murdered her, even if it was indirect. "Adir followed me around constantly, always wanting to follow me when I wandered off or wanting me to teach her how to track, fish, and use a knife... I let her come with me only on occasion, she being still little and taught her what I could. Maybe that was why she idolized me so, or maybe it was just that I was her older brother..."

His eyes wandered over to a tree trunk, followed the rough back upwards until it was so obscured by evergreen needles that it vanished from his sight. A gust of wind whipped through his hair and his eyes watered slightly as he ducked his head to try to block some of it. What good it did to him, though, was marginal and he kept his head bowed as the wind battered his thin frame. He grit his teeth determinedly and kept on.

"I was fifteen when I was transformed, but that didn't mean anything to my folks. I was fifteen; they reasoned that I could take care of myself since I would be leaving them soon enough anyway to strike out on my own. Adir, though, was different." A look of bitterness crossed his face before he wiped it away just as quickly as it had appeared. Unless Beatrix was watching him closely, she would have missed it, so fast did the emotion come and go. "She hid from me for weeks, terrified that I would kill her or something worse. It took a few months before she would voluntarily be in the same vicinity of me, and about a year before she fully got used to me." Another memory crossed his mind and he smiled faintly, lips barely curling to resemble a smile. "She nicknamed me 'Wolfy' when she finally came 'round..." It hadn't been that long ago either, but he had almost forgotten the nickname she had given him. Memories clung to it, rising in sharp relief out of years of him trying to forget.

» Gavin Pritchard