Life Stone

[tangletail]

Leo had left the group a while ago, and managed to pilfer a few coins from unsuspecting pedestrians as he walked by. Not once drawing suspicions to himself as his hand moved smoothly to snatch their coin purses. He didn't plan on stealing a lot. Only enough for a handful of coins to purchase a few vials of medical salves and bandages for the group from a local stall, being sure to use up every coin he could to rid himself of the conviction if someone wises up. He spoke with the stall owner for only a small amount of time, only to get the information on what the salves were for.

“Quicken the healing process and to also stave off infections,” rasped the old stall owner as he now began to pack up his things to retire for the night. “That salve is good stuff there'ie boy. Just put it on ur wounds, and let the herbs do all the work...”

“Ah, much appreciated. Sir,” the thief chimed with a smile, now picking up the packages.

“Boy I remember when I was ur age..”

Now interested, the feline looked up momentarily. His eyes now shining with some curiosity. He was almost inclined to sit and hear the story. Only memory of two of his allies wounds told him other wise. “I am sorry, but I need to get going.”

He then entered the Inn he had once saw his group head to with a a few pouches of goods. He easily slipped by the two females without a word or giving them so much of a glance. If he found Helios, he'd give him a whistle and toss him a pouch with a vial of herbal salve and a bundle of bandages. He'd take a moment to look between the two and then asked, “Where's Suzumi?”

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

Helios scarfed down what food he'd ordered, only looking up once to look at the to female furs who'd entered the tavern and again to see Leo. "Thanks Leo, but I'll let my wounds heal like normal. Korius was right, What I got was small. As for Suzumi... I think she's in her room, but if she's like my Luna was then I'd advise against seeking her out." With that Helios turned to the bar ordering a drink. He took it small gulps watching the shy and timid Red Panda and  the lofty Kitsune who'd entered only moments before with interested. He'd only ever known one Kitsune and she was a force to be reckoned with. This Kitsune in a lot of ways reminded him of her. "Leo take a seat I think things are about to get interesting again." He smiled watching the two girls.

[Vosur Aekira]

The blacksmith laughed a bit before he picked up the second keg to tap it to the one that Korius held in a cheers manner before he started to drink it down. Once the two of them were done, the blacksmith was still apparently sober enough to speak coherently. "Take the cask with you. It's always to have a drink with'ya on the road." he said as he got up after finishing his meal and paying for the two 'drinks' since Korius took only a small amount from him. "Also, if you can think when you wake up, tell your people to stop by my shop tomorrow morning. It's only fair I give them all something on the way out." He leaves and heads back home, seeing Karina on her bed, so he picks up her bow and closes the door behind him before he heads to his shop to work on it while she's asleep.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Kiana was glad when Helios didn't go on about believing she was interested in Korius after they had entered the inn. While she was eating, the door burst open noisily causing her ears to flatten against her head. Irritated, she pulled her hood up over her head to block out everyone else. She heard Leo ask where Suzumi was, assuming that he must have slipped in when the door had opened. All she did in response was point up above them but Helios answered with words anyway. She didn't care if anything interesting might happen with the newcomers to the inn so when she finished her food and drink a minute later, she headed upstairs and entered one of their rooms. Closing the door behind her, she pulled her bow and quiver off her shoulders then sat down on the edge of the bed. Placing her bow on the bed behind her and her quiver between her feet, she started going through the arrows in the quiver one by one to examine them more closely for any issues that might impair the arrows' effectiveness in combat. Memories of her brother started to flash through her mind as she looked at her arrows which were a sort of reddish-colored wood with red feathers. She reached up and tugged her hood further down over her eyes as her vision blurred and she tried not to let tears fall. She grunted in irritation, wiped at her face with a fist, and continued to examine her arrows while doing her best to block the memory of that day, of her brother dying in her arms and red staining everything.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Korius attention was temporarily taken away from the festivities when a short, female red panda slammed right into the tavern, looking all nervous. What the hell is wrong with her? Probably a greenback that missed the Hunt. Not too long after, a fox came charging with a presence that was very unbecoming of her stature, Most likely another petty thief who got a lucky break. From the looks of it, she probably still hasn't even had anything more than a regular bounty of a few copper coins like Leo. Their skill sets are different from each other, but the level is around the same. Without thinking any harder about it, he drank more. When the night was over, half the tavern had already turned in for the night. Korius lifted the barrel he had been drinking from and brought it out of the bar, his sword dragging along the floor with the handle clinging to his belt, chugging the last few gallons on his way back to the inn. However, just before getting to the front door, something rushed out and hit him.

[tangletail]

Leo's gaze followed Kiana's finger, before finally looking back down to Helios with a dull look. He'd raise a hand up and bring it down in a light cuffed slap across the man's ear after shaking his head “After you passed out from your own wounds? You must be down right crazy if you are going to call -that- a flesh wound,” He'd say as his gaze followed the direction he was pointed to. Quickly spotting the two woman from across the empty tavern floor.

 
Rather than commenting immediately, the feline took a moment to look them over dully. His eyes first looking to the red panda, whom he almost mistaken for a fox. The most he could tell was that she was shy and seemed to be well out of place. There wasn't much else he could size up, due to the cloak. His eyes then fell onto the bold kitsune. He found her actions odd at first. Her filthy clothes and fur were enhancing the feline's curiosity about her even further. His eyes no longer seemed to seem to be as bored, but more contemplative and filled with curiosity. It clearly looked as if the cat was actually watching her hips, but seemed to be absolutely disinterested in pursuing any abrasive thoughts.

 
“That one is odd...” Leo thought to himself as he watched her behavior. “filthy, but jaunty and charismatic,” he thought to himself, his eyes now looking for a more specific detail. Her fingers, and eyes. Seeking out any scars from blades. And even looking for lumps in her clothes that would signify any hidden equipment.“Ah... well that's a thief. But why is Helios interested?”

 
He'd look to Helios, and immediately blinked when he saw his expression. His head slowly canted to the side before finally dropping on it's shoulder. “You've got to be kidding me, Helios. Do you really plan on flirting... now?”

He'd make way to his room after a quick purchase of dood.

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

"I knew a Kitsune like her once." He said with a sigh though he smiled at the thought of his Kitsune. "In all my time with her I never knew a dull moment. What ever that Kitsune is up too it will be interesting." Helios watched as she sauntered about as if she owned the place. He couldn't help, but feel a certain draw to her. He downed another pint unwilling to leave the bar. He'd stay here all night if it meant getting out of his sorrow. "Just promise me Leo, that you won't follow me to my bedroom." And with one more pint Helios head to his room and his bed.

[EllieDragon]

Anoi took a seat at the bar, eyes still downcast in discomfort at the situation she had been suddenly thrown into.  It didn't help that Rosanna was, as usual when she managed to get a hold of some money, strutting around like a peacock.  She lifted her head and sent a glare toward her mate.  "Must you draw more attention to us?"  Her eyes wandered over Rosanna's dirty clothes and frowned. "You know.. You could always ask me for some money for new clothing."  She whispered quietly to her before lowering her head again, attempting to use the hood on her warm jacket to keep her hidden from the residents in the bar.  However... She soon felt a tug at the link between her and the spirit.

Suddenly her hood was swept back, revealing her to those in the bar as it was. "Ēḍēna!"  She almost shouted as she attempted to reach her paws back and grab the hood to pull it over her head again.  But the spirit held onto the hood, making her even more uncomfortable.   Now that the hood was down it would be revealed that she was indeed a Red Panda kin.  Triangular, white ears were lowered down against her head.  Long, orange hair cascaded down her back.  Compared to her mate she kept herself much cleaner.  They truly did make an odd match. 

Glancing around the bar she noticed two individuals who were intently staring at herself and her mate.  For a few moments she stared back at the cat person, trying to decide if they were a threat to her or not.   Something about them reminded her of her mate while she could not place anything about the other.  She only knew that they made her even more nervous with their staring, but at the same time she was curious.  However, she was more worried about getting that hood back from the spirit! 

After about five minutes of struggling with the unseen force she managed to get her hood back and slipped it over her head again.  Her food had arrived and so had her drink so she busied about that but not before taking out a book to read.  Time passed in the bar and she spent most of it just sitting there at the bar, reading.

[Rosanna Foxfire]

The Foxkin enjoyed a relatively quiet meal with Anoi after the theatrics of her entrance.  At least, it probably seemed that way.  After a few minutes of waiting, eating and drinking, she excused herself.


"I'll be right back," Keio whispered to her companion, continuing to walk with as much swagger and confidence as she could muster.  Hips swaying, tail swishing, feet placed one right before another.  Her shoulders moved back and forth with her stride.  Until she was out of sight of most patrons and owners.  In the back hallway, she slipped into a washroom.  She quickly and quietly wandered the length of the room, ensuring that she had the room to herself.


Then, she splashed stale water across her dirty fur, rinsing the dirt out.  Her clothing was turned inside out, a process that took a moment or two.  She didn't have a mirror to check with, but she thought it would make her look more respectable to a cursory glance.  Especially without the dirt and grime covering her shoulders and snout.  That done, she left the room, and climbed the stairs.  She glanced at room numbers, tested door knobs, and kept a weary mismatched eye out for open doors and patrons.  All the while, she acted like she belonged- if questioned, she simply said she was lost, had forgotten her room number, or was here to see a friend.


She wasn't questioned often.


By the time she had selected a room, late afternoon had turned to evening, and the patron of this room didn't look to be coming back soon.  She pried out her small knife, and stuck it between the doorjamb and the handle, wiggling it to jimmy open the lock and gain entry.  She slipped inside, closing the door behind her.  Without much care for how much noise she made, but also not making more noise than someone moving about the room would.  She quickly gave a cursory glance of the room, and opened a bag left around, rummaging through it.  She grabbed a pair of gem-encrusted gloves, and shoved them under her shirt, tucked between her waistband and her fur, before making her way out.


The door had to be left unlocked, unfortunately, but then she could simply and calmly make her way back to Anoi.  Once back in public, she sauntered, swaggered, and swayed like one who knew what she had, despite her small stature.


She grinned, tapping the Red Panda on the shoulder.  "Race you home."  And then, she bolted out the door, only to slam into someone much bigger and stronger than she was.  Naturally, she bounced right off and landed flat upon her tail.


"OW!  My tail!  Watch where you're going, Baka!"

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Kiana found that a few of her arrows had hairline cracks in them so she snapped those ones in two and tossed them aside. It hurt tp get rid of any of her arrows but it had to be done since flawed arrows would be no good to her. Once she was done going through her arrows, she got up from the end of the bed, grabbing her quiver by its red leather strap and walking around the right (handed) side of the bed. She leaned the quiver against the side of the head of the bed then grabbed her bow off the bed and put it with the quiver. Climbing into the bed and slipping under the covers, she stared up at the ceiling for a while. Before she knew it, her eyes were closed and a nightmare like a bad home video played on the back of her eyelids.


In a clearing in a forest near their house, Kiana and her brother were training with their weapons. Kamau was the one who taught her how to use a bow and arrow even though he was proficient with a sword as well. Today, he had his sword hanging from his right hip like he almost always did. Forever the mirror image of each other, even though they were four years apart, Kamau was the left hand to her right. Target practice was the main training today in the clearing. It was moving targets in particular, ones that Kamau controlled with a couple ropes. Kiana was doing pretty well. She had hit half of the targets she had aimed at, though only a couple out of those were on the bulls-eye. She was laughing and having a good time even though she was training. It was always entertaining to work with her brother.
The laughter was interrupted as both of them felt their ears twitch at a sound in the forest. The sound wasn't coming from the direction of their house and it sounded like someone or something big. Kamau instantly looked at Kiana. "Go hide behind the big oak!" Kamau ordered her, always worried for her safety. "I'm sixteen, Kamau! I can help if we need to fight!" She hissed, sounding like the usual teenager who didn't like it if it felt like they were being looked down upon. "I don't care! I'm not letting you get hurt!" Kamau snapped and drew his sword then pointed it toward the oak tree on the opposite side of the clearing from the targets. "Now go!" Kiana wasn't pleased but she did as her brother told her since she knew there was no point in arguing with him at that point. She jogged over to the oak and slipped behind it then peeked around the corner. Seeing her brother standing there facing in the opposite direction, she felt a pang of worry in her stomach. She knew he was a great fighter but she couldn't help it since she also knew that he would avoid fighting if he could.
A moment later, a Rhino-kin burst through the trees. He was carrying a large sword that seemed to have been broken in half. His eyes instantly landed on Kamau, caught by the reflection of the cheetah-kin's sword in the sunlight. The Rhino-kin grinned at the sight of the sword. "I'll take that sword." The Rhino demanded as he towered over her brother. She couldn't quite make out what her brother said but judging by his hold on the sword, he wasn't going to give it up. "You'll give it to me or I'll take it by force!" Kiana's fingers were almost digging into the tree as she stood there, wishing she could telepathically yell at her brother to tell him to fight. Then, it happened so fast that if she had blinked, she would have missed it. The Rhino swung out his sword with a speed that didn't seem to fight his large build. He brother didn't have time to react and he fell immediately, a huge gash diagonally across his torso.
"NO!" Kiana screamed and dashed out from behind the tree towards her brother lying on the ground. The Rhino didn't even take the time to look at her and just pulled Kamau's sword out of his weak grip, running off and leaving behind a trail of maniacal laughter. When Kiana reached her brother, she practically threw herself on the ground, causing her quiver to come off her shoulders and over her head which caused her arrows to scatter over the ground on the other side of her brother. Tossing her bow aside, she lifted Kamau's torso and laid him on her lap. He looked up at her and smiled. "Told you I wouldn't let you get hurt..." Kamau said in between gasps as he placed a hand on hers. "But you're not supposed to die!" She said, tears already streaming down her face. "Don't cry, Little Sister. Be strong like I know you are. You'll be fine...without me..." He said with a smile still on his face until his last breath, and then his hand slipped off of hers when his body lost all ability to keep it there. Kiana hugged his body close to her chest and sobbed. "No... Please... Please come back..." She whispered as the tears streamed down her face. "Don't leave me alone..." At the end, her voice lost its hope and she gently closed Kamau's eyes. All that was left were her tears and the blood that covered everything, soaking her clothes and turning her arrows red, as she rocked herself and her dead brother back and forth as she kept telling him that she was sorry.


The nightmare wouldn't go so far as to show her parents finding her like that and pulling her away from her brother. It wouldn't show how they had screamed at her and blamed her and wished she was dead instead. She had already died inside and all her focus had been on her brother. Her memory didn't bother with her parents. She never mattered to them so they might as well have been dead to her already. It wouldn't be shown that the last time she saw her brother had been at the funeral and she had never gone back. No. It ended in red, just as her brother had with that smile upon his face.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Korius looked down at the small, squeaky voice that yelled at him and recognized the little fox. He tossed aside the now empty keg and picked her up by the back of her shirt, his thumb and pinky gripping at her left shoulder and collar bone as well. Because of this, her shirt lifted up a little, and he saw the glimmer from her recently nicked prizes. "Those don't belong to you, little one. They belong to my party member." Korius brought her partially exposed belly to his muzzle and bit down on the gloves, taking them back. He then gave a sniff around her to make sure she didn't steal anything else from his party. He smelled like the bottom of the bar, his fur having been partial wet from the excess alcohol that didn't make it into his maw when he was drinking. The wolf then let go of the fox and took the gloves out of his mouth, placing it securely into his belt. Korius then unhinged his sword and slung it over his shoulder so that he could go into the inn.

[tangletail]

Leo was sitting on the side of the bed, with his tunic in one hand and a thread and needle he had found in the night stand next to the bed in the other. He had taken the time to repair the hole in his shirt before he went to bed, every once and a while giving a lonely glance to the outside world through the window. His eyes always returning to one single direction to the west. He pulled the string taught, and broke it, so he could tie it off and finish his work. Afterward, a thought slowly began to form, but the feline was quick to discard it with a bight of his tongue.

 
He'd then slide back into his tunic, and throw his shawl back around his neck, covering up his collar once more. He'd sigh some, and shake his head a bit as he now laid back. His gaze now directed to the ceiling. But sleep didn't come to him yet. Instead, he began to recall the recent events. Recalling the tricks he saw made by the advanced group, and some of the fighting. Then everything he had learned about the party he was with, and even attempted to recall some of the skills they have displayed today. “Well,” he began in thought. Begrudgingly he remembered each moment. Each member proving to be more useful than he was. “This is absolutely disheartening,” he sighed, now closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

[Suzumibachii]

Suzumi laid down and placed her gloves on the table next to her, she was out cold before her head even hit the pillow her body was heavy just like her sleep. She didn't even hear somebody slip into the room and pinch her gloves her dreams were a mix of past events, the days happenings and rather strange images. her body twitched a little and she tossed and turned gripping at the bed sheets, if she were a mammal she would probably have broken out in a cold sweat instead her tail curled around one of the bed posts and gripped tightly.

[EllieDragon]

Anoi sat at the bar most of the night.  Even though she was a graduate she still believed that she should keep up on her studies.  Gradually the tavern emptied as the locals went home and those who stayed went to their rooms.  But Anoi still sat there, reading as she waited for her mate to come back.  For now the spirit seemed content to just watch which Anoi was thankful for.  She was about to get up and go looking for her mate when she felt a tug on the link between herself and the spirit.  Looking up she saw Rosanna just as the fox came to tap her on the shoulder.  She seemed to be in a hurry which could mean only two things. 


But..  Sadly the Red Panda kin was quiet naive so when she was challenged to a race she giggled and quickly got up, tossing a coin onto the bar as she ran after her mate.  But then she saw her run into the large man and this brought her to a rapid halt.  Watching the fox get lifted into the air caused Anoi to growl in anger.


"Put her down!"  She shouted but then sighed, seeing the gems that she could only assume were trophies from Rosanna's wandering. "She is sorry she did so...  Times are hard you know? But that is still no excuse!"  She walked forward after Rosanna was put down and attempted to take the foxes paw, hoping to hold her back from doing anything more. "A party?  Like.. Mercenaries or adventurers?  What are you looking for?"  She asks through narrowed eyes at the wolf.  She never was able to trust a wolf...

[Rosanna Foxfire]

The foxkin squirmed within the grasp of the wolf, ears pinning back as he spoke, pulling her prize from her belt.  She was too focused on loosening her sleeves, arching her back in an attempt to get leverage.  Small as she was, she was more than capable of defending herself from assault.  At least for a little bit.  She heard Anoi speak behind her, still struggling with the knife hidden up her sleeve, as well as trying to remove her shirt.  It was just a shirt, easy to come buy, and lifting her by it wasn't a good idea, generally.  And then... She was put down.


Her brow furrowed, ears twitching slightly as she processed the fact that she was not bruised.  Was not in a different location, or seperated from Anoi.  She was unharmed, save for the gloves she'd intended to sell for money.  Her jaw twitched, and she straightened up, turning to face the wolf as he left.


"Hey, Baka, why didn't you attack me?" She shouted after him, ears pinning back, mismatched eyes staring hard.  In the history of stupid questions, this one had to rank up there.