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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 18:46:48 GMT -5
The group left the city quickly after Mammoth got finished with the blacksmith. The cold never bothered him, as a Wyrris he didn't really struggle with handling the cold. That being true, the current temperature was only chilly by a typical human's standards. Mammoth traveled silently for the trip. Likely it was because he spent so long in solitude that he didn't know what to say to someone he was traveling with. Nonetheless, the night was full by the time they reached a point far enough away from town that Mammoth deemed it good to make camp.
"We'll make camp here." He said, "Unless ya ain't tired."
He didn't know how long she had been traveling up to that point, so he gave her the option. Mammoth's training had given him the ability to go a day or two without sleep before it began to bother him, so he'd leave it up to Glacia.
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 17:00:38 GMT -5
Mammoth turned and walked out the door, waving his arm for her to follow. He stopped and turned around to see if she had listened to him and had put on the cloak. If not, he would tell her to, but he wanted to see if she had good attention to detail. Before heading off he looked at the Kirin and knew that everyone would realize who she was with Kirin in tow. Mammoth went out to look and there wasn't anyone out in the streets, so he took the gamble that they could get to the smithy unmolested.
He was going to head for the blacksmith. With his last bit of coin, he was going to buy a weapon for her. Seeing how quick and agile she was, it would have to be light, and it would have to allow for a quick strike. He decided upon either a long dagger or a short blade, probably a pair of them so she could parry.
They got to the blacksmith without running into any issue. Mammoth walked into the blacksmith and got the attention of the smithy, who was working late into the night, convincing him to sell was a difficult task, but once he had done so, he was able to see what wares the smithy had. He looked at the stock and came upon two short gladius swords. They were likely a bit heavy for her, but that would be good, it would build her strength. Mammoth spent all but a few coppers on the two weapons, the sheathes, and the belt for the sheathes. He turned out and handed the weapons to Glacia.
"We can't stay here tonight... We'll camp a little ways out in the fields."
It was cold, but they had come far enough south that it wasn't terrible. It was uncomfortable, but another advantage of the cloak he had bought Glacia was that it would help to keep her warm against the cold that she was no doubt unprepared for after living down in the crevice.
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 16:43:42 GMT -5
Mammoth nodded.
"Okay then... Be aware that once who I am after knows we're here... he won't stop. It's either him, or us..." Mammoth said, his face showing a stern ferocity, he wanted her to understand exactly what she was getting into before she committed.
"If ya come with me, ya have to be ready to kill or be killed..." Mammoth smiled at her, trying to reassure her that if this was her path that she could do it. "I'll teach ya everythin' I can, but ya gotta be ready to use it, ya have to be able to conquer ya fear, and when the time comes, ya will have to take a life. Are ya sure ya can do that?"
Mammoth opened the door...
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 16:31:55 GMT -5
Mammoth lowered his head.
"I am gonna go to ya home, look for signs of demons. My people... we were in charge of defendin' this world from the greatest bein' of destruction this world has ever known. A mage, a man that excels in magic, which are... powers not of the physical world..." He struggled to explain what magic was, but continued, "is tryin' to bring that evil to this planet. I have to try and stop him... I likely go to my death."
Mammoth knew what he just said carried immense weight, but in his mind, he didn't want to bring this girl into this, even though it involved her should he fail. Most would avoid what he described, refusing to believe it, or for fear that they would die in pursuit of it. People fear death, Mammoth is no different, but he knows his duty is greater than his fear... He never expects anyone to share this vision. This girl was no different, she was so innocent... Where he was going would destroy that... It bothered him...
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 16:22:49 GMT -5
"No... I am much like ya... I spent my time north in the mountains where my people were from. They're all gone... I dunno where you could go..."
Mammoth hated the look on her face. It was a combination of fear, desperation, and torment. She had no idea how to deal with this world. Mammoth sighed.
"I'll tell ya what... If ya want, ya can come with me, but ya will let me train you, ya learn to fight... Or, ya can try and find a person who will take ya in, work to help them in their trade, whatever that may be..." Mammoth finished, knowing the decision was not easy, and leaned against the door.
"Not an easy decision... I know..."
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 16:14:23 GMT -5
Mammoth stopped at the door and lowered his head. He had hoped that question wouldn't come up, but somehow he knew it would. He turned around and shook his head.
"I dunno..." He paused, sensing that she might be wanting to go with him.
"I am a warrior, where I'm goin' is gonna be dangerous..."
He didn't know what to do for her, her life would be so difficult, but she might not have a life if she went with him, she was no fighter...
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 16:07:33 GMT -5
Mammoth pulled out the cloak and showed it to her.
"Put this over ya head, it will hang down over the horn and hide it from people. It goes along ya back like this." Mammoth tossed it over his head to demonstrate. He took it off and handed it to her. "If ya go into town, wear it and it should avoid most of ya problems."
Mammoth had already put the cloth he had bought as bandage in his pack on his hip. He nodded to her.
"I suggest Kirin stays outside of towns, she'll draw attention too." Mammoth smiled, "Be safe."
He turned away and began to leave, he knew he had to go to the valley and learn of what happened.
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 15:31:03 GMT -5
Mammoth smiled, "Relax, there's nothin' wrong with your horn. But if you notice, I don't have one, and neither do other humans. We're a very visual race. That horn reminds us of demons, and they won't be as willin' as I am to talk to ya to realize otherwise."
He tried his best to speak with a tone that wouldn't cause her to be scared. He didn't want her running off. She was likely the last of her race, and Mammoth knew exactly how that felt. She wasn't very strong, both physically and mentally, so he needed to teach her to at least stay hidden.
"I'm goin' to go get somethin' that ya wear on your head to keep ya head covered. That way, people won't bother ya in cities. I'll explain better once I have it. Just try to trust me. If ya stay here, I'll be back in a little bit to show ya."
Mammoth opened the door and left, shutting it behind him. He hoped that she would stay hidden, instead of fleeing. He walked up to the trader, it was primarily closed down, but a few shops were still open in the waning hours of dusk. He walked up to a fur trader and was about to buy a cloak made of fur, but he thought about her love of animals and thought otherwise. The trader had a wool cloak that Mammoth decided on and bought it.
He grabbed a long strip of cloth made for underclothing as well and paid for that. He turned from the trader and headed back toward the alley, entering back in to the courtyard. He didn't immediately see her, and he was gone for a short while, so he hoped she was still around.
"Glacia?"
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 15:14:33 GMT -5
"I'm Mammoth." He responded.
"You're gonna have trouble with humans, that's what people like us are called, with that horn showing." Mammoth sat there thinking on how to solve that problem.
"You can get down off Kirin, I'm not gonna hurt ya." He said, before finally getting up and gathering up his gear.
"I need ya to stay here, stay hidden, I'm gonna go get ya some things, okay?"
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 15:08:12 GMT -5
How did Dace find them? This has to be his pure sacrifice. They're so animalistic and natural... untainted by humanity... It has to be...
"If ya escaped, others could have too." Mammoth said.
He couldn't think of much to say, much less what to do with this girl.
I'll have to go down into the valley...
"What's your name?"
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 14:51:12 GMT -5
Good God... A whole race living under our noses... Amazing... But... They were taken. They obviously have a connection with these animals, whatever they are. Could it... The sacrifice of the pure... Dace hasn't succeeded yet...
"I'm not sure..." Mammoth paused, "Would ya tell me about ya people, and if ya can, what happened when ya were attacked? If I know more, I might be able to venture a better guess."
Mammoth sat with his eyes closed, he had a hard time figuring that an entire new race was living under humanity's noses. He wanted to know more, it could give him insight into Dace's progress, and in the short-term, this girl might trust him, which could keep her out of immediate trouble.
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 14:41:55 GMT -5
Mammoth thought for a second. She just said "The valley." He was confused.
What valley? What the hell is this girl?
He sat there for a moment in silence before it dawned on him. The crevice at the base of the mountain where everyone thought just consumed lava flows. Could her entire race have lived at the base of that valley. It would provide for lush nature due to the fertile land from the volcano. It hadn't erupted the history any history Mammoth had known, but nobody dared venture into that crevice. It was too near to the volcano and no expedition dared go down into that for fear the volcano would erupt while they were down there.
"Below the volcano? There are more of you?"
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 14:32:29 GMT -5
"So ya do speak..." Mammoth said, nodding his head, "A demon is a creature of pure evil, spawned from the underworld." He answered without even thinking. Anyone should know what a demon is. While they are not commonplace, they had been seen from time to time, and are commonly summoned by rogue mages. Mammoth was confused as to where this girl came from, or if she was just tricking him.
"The horn on ya head is similar. The untrained eye wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
Mammoth looked over at the girl,
"Where are ya from?"
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 14:22:53 GMT -5
Mammoth shook his head.
"The villagers are gone... I talked them down... It's just me." He said, leaning against the tree.
He pointed to her animal before speaking.
"He's not scared of me." He said, smirking.
Mammoth sat down on the ground, removed his blade slowly so as to not be threatening and set it on the ground. He laid his helm next to it and sat back against the tree. If she ran he would not pursue her. He had sated his curiosity that even if she was a demon, she was not a threat. The villagers would not see it the same way, but he couldn't force compliance from her, rather, he wouldn't.
"If ya leave this room, leave the city. The villagers think you're a demon."
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Post by The Mammoth on Mar 22, 2010 14:09:13 GMT -5
Mammoth watched as the creature she had been riding started walking out. He didn't budge, just kept watching as it came up to him. Mammoth looked at the creature, intrigued, before nodding and walking around it. He didn't want to imply the trust that would be required for him to touch the creature, so he just let his actions of leaving it be show that he was not an enemy, at least not yet. He walked to the base of the tree and looked up at the girl who was hiding in the tree. He shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at her, waiting for her to come down.
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