The Plains of an Old Age (OPEN RP)

[Nori]

The first signs of dawn peek over the distant mountains, beyond the Rivers of Passing, many leagues from here. The rays spread its fingers out over the vast plain, bathing the long grasses with warmth and light. A faint breeze sweeps over the grasses, making them dance and sway to an ancient tune that few would hear.
The warm glow passes over a tree, a large Oak, supporting a house seeming to be made from the tree itself. You see a hint of light shine a different way... the rays of light pass through the glass of a window.
Below the tree, a shaded figure sits, their tail weaved through the grand roots that hold the massive Oak in place. The figure takes a breath, and quietly, barely whispers, '....Something is coming..... the old ways will be tested......'
These nine words sweep over the grasses, carrying the sound to any who could hear. As the sound carried further, it began to sound more frantic.... desperate even. The question is... do you stop an listen? The leaves from the Oak know the way to the voice.... but will you stop and listen?


(Brief ooc info: This story is based in a fantasy medieval time. There are not many 'kingdoms', more of it is ruled by the otherworldly deities, each representing a part of the natural world. A hawk is the sky, an otter is the water, a fox is the plains, and a horse is the Path to Paradise. The story will most likely be 'my' side trying to defend the pains from being overrun by this 'something', being metal machines from a region that will be discovered later on. The River also plays an important part. If it gets tainted, the souls of the past wont be able to make it to Paradise, and will be doomed to haunt the plains until the end of days. 
If you want to be one of the other side, who are bringing the machines in, please PM me and we can work out how you will enter the story. In addition, anyone who wants to join in, send me a PM with your characters' name, age, species, abilities (reading counts!!) and/or weapons. Also if you want me to know anything else, like a phobia of spiders or something, include that as well!
OOC thread for random shenanigans is http://www.thefurryforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=31881.0
A map (ignore the odd bit at the bottom, each bar equals twenty leagues

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

A few blinks came from a wolf laying in the tall grass, still half asleep, until he closed his eyes again. Then a few blinks more, until the eyes shut again. He heard a soft buzzing coming closer and closer, until a fly landed on the fur inside of his ears, making him wildly shake his head to the side. He finally opened his eyes completely, with only a few blinks left, and looked around him with tired eyes. Nothing had seemed to happen since he fell asleep. Well, what should have happened on a plain field anyways?... he gently shook his head, getting up onto his feet, stretching his long body to it's full length, before letting his arm dangle down his sides again. He quickly checked if he still had all of his gear, and to his pleasure, he had.
His ears suddenly twitched. What is that?... he thought, as he curiously turned to where he had heard the noise. That... whisper... and still not entirely. It sounded just like the blowing wind, but not quite. Something was definitely with that sound... and he wanted to know what.

[Nori]

A leaf twirled through the air, before turning sharply down in front of the wolf, and twirling off into the direction the sun was rising. Could he see the leaf with the bright light of the sun? Either way.... a voice whispered, though parts of it were too quiet to hear.... two words could have been audible. 'Follow......swift....'

[Nori]

The figure under the lone oak tree suddenly stands, an ear twitching, trying to sense something. The tattered poncho covering the being gets lifted over the female figures' head and tossed aside. She stands in the light, the sun making the small shells and grasses adorning her leather wrappings shine. She closes her eyes for a moment, a blue furry hand reaching out to the oak, running her fingers along the ancient bark. She gasps, and in a flash of blue and black, leaped up to the top of the tree, almost in the blink of an eye. The wind picks up, blowing through her aqua hair... and carrying whispers to her ears.
"..... It seems even the other side of Life is troubled...." Her ears pin back, her long hippogryph tail whipping to the side as she jumped down to the ground, lightly on her feet. She became very still, feeling for the vibrations in the earth... trying to find of anyone heard the call. Sensing someone off in the distance, she bolted, running as fast as her two legs could carry hear. "Fox of the Plains.... lead me to help.... Death cannot resurface... we must prevent this threat from coming...." She leaped through the tall grasses, pausing on a single rock that peeked over the golden strands. She climbed it, looking back the the mountains, the sun steadily getting higher in the sky. "..Death has already suffered much.... He cannot be over burdened...."
She paused for a moment, before closing her eyes and lifting her head up, calling whatever strength that was in her, and let out a shrilling kraa.... hoping someone would answer. Then she leapt off the rock and sprinted through the Plains, her ears listening for anything... and her legs carrying her to where she hoped a village would be... or any kind of help. She needed to warn them before the evil presence showed itself.

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

As he was about to head in the direction of where he had originally heard the soft whisper, a leaf came dancing through the breeze in his direction. He didn't pay too much attention to it first, however, as he went off towards the whisper, the leaf took a sharp turn down in front of him... and not in a natural way. It was like someone... or something was controlling it. He stood still for a few seconds, watching as the sun shone through the thin skin of the leaf, perking his ears up, as he heard that... something again. That breeze that was so strangely uncanny. Follow... swift... was the only words he could make out between the quietness of the whispers. As the leaf set off towards the sun, he swiftly followed, making sure not to lose sight of the leaf. This was all so strange... and weird... but exciting. He felt his lips crook up in a soft smile, that he couldn't hold back. He had never experienced anything like this before. I don't know why I'm doing this, but it's exciting. He thought, as he quickly followed after the leaf, jogging through the tall grass, making it hit his legs and feet.

[Nori]

She paused in her run, head lifting up and sniffing the air. She turned in the direction of where she came, a breeze blowing in the direction of the Oak. She saw a swirl of leaves in the distance, swerving this way and that. It was unusual, however; they all stayed together, and moved in unison. She frowned slightly in thought, before bounding toward the movement, her nose beginning to catch small whiffs of something living. "Please be one of the People..."


She eventually reached her destination. A ways away from the oak, but the leaves were gathered here.... she panted, trying to catch her breath, as she looked around, trying to find where the scent was coming from... it was getting stronger. She squinted her eyes, seeing the grasses move further up ahead. She slowly walked toward the disturbance, her head tilted in curiosity. She paused about halfway there, before shouting at the air, "Have you heard the leaves sing... or are you lost?!"

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

The breeze slowly became heavier, as the wolf set into a light run to follow the leaves, that had now joined the first leaf. Running over the fields, he breathed at a regular pace, making sure to not pressure himself too much... who knows how long he'd have to run. Why am I even doing this?... he eventually thought, as he had been running for a little bit. It was probably just my imagination. Right after he had thought that, an old oak tree showed up in the distance. He slowed slightly down, staring at it. He had seen oaks before... but not ones this... particular. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts, as he saw the leaves blow farther away, and he set after them again. Although, after having running a little closer to the oak, a voice suddenly made him stop, dead in his tracks "Have you heard the leaves sing... or are you lost?!" It said. He stood there, thinking a bit about what the mystery person had said. Heard the leaves sing... so I'm not the only one that heard it... he thought, before yelling back: "Little bit of both!... But I did hear the singing!" He began walking towards the person that had yelled... or at least from where the voice had sounded from. He panted softly, trying to catch his breath, as he walked through the tall grass, step after step.

[Nori]

She breaths out a sigh of relief. She stretches up taller, using her tail to lift herself up a bit. She saw a wolf there.. one that didn't seem too feral. She smiled softly, slowly approaching the other. She stopped a few feet in front of him, the grass padded down from their feet. ".... you say you heard the leaves? ...Then perhaps you can help." She spoke the last sentence mostly to herself, before nodding once. She looked back up at the wolf, a hopeful look in her eyes.
"...something of great disturbance is coming to the Plains.... the Aspects are uneasy.... and I have reasons to believe that Death itself is unhappy with this new change... can you run?" She asked the question with urgency, pointing with her muzzle to the far mountains to the East, then to the North. "We must warn the villages... if there is a physical presence of this danger.. we'll need all the warriors we can muster. If the dark spirits are the culprit.... we need the shamans." She hefted her spear from the scabbard at her back, setting it on the ground, leaning on it slightly.
"... the tree behind me.... its counterpart is in the lands beyond the River of Passing.... they speak to each other. You're about 20 leagues Northwest from the village of Nar'theron, for your question on where you are."


(and I made a map in the first post (:  )

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

As he reached the female, he answered her smile with a soft one of his own. He crossed his arms, perking his ears up, listening to what she had to say. "Yeah, I did... but help? Help with what?..." He asked, looking into her hopeful eyes. Is she expecting something from me?... am I suddenly a hero? He thought, before the female spoke up again. As he listened, the words "Death itself" hit him, as if the words burned a permanent mark in his mind. Death... itself? He thought. That... that doesn't sound too good... "Sure I can run," he said with a soft grin, being slightly proud at his own stamina. But she seemed so urgent about the question. He looked to where she was pointing... But that's where The Sleeping Tree resides... he thought, shivering a bit at the thought. Oh that tree... it was the stuff of nightmares... literally. It was the main subject of the ghost stories that were told to kids back in his village... oh his village... He snapped back into reality, listening to the female again, as she took out her spear, leaning slightly on it. "Woah, woah," he said, lifting his paws in front of him. "We just met, and you're already requesting for my help? Heh, I don't really know. An adventure sounds tempting, but what's in it for me? I don't care much for most people... not since..." He stopped, staring into the empty space in front of him. Images of his village burning, children running around screaming, men and women yelling for their families and friends, flashed before his eyes... the helpless pup standing aside, holding onto the last belonging of his family... before running away, tears running down his cheeks... the images disappeared, as he looked back at the female, before walking a few steps forward, standing with his back towards her. He wouldn't want her to see the few tears coming out. "It doesn't matter..." He said. "I just don't care for most people... and that's how it is." He finished.

[Nori]

Nori's ears twitched, sensing the waves of emotion that mixed with his scent. She fell silent, waiting a few moments after his last statement. She sighed, taking a few steps closer. "....it is not common for anyone to hear the music of the Earth... and the leaves seemed keen on bringing you here. It is their will. If you wish to carry on about your time, I cannot stop you from doing so." She paused, lifting her spear and pointing it the the distant gates.
"Something stirs beyond these borders. Whether you wish to assist in warning the rest of the region or not... it will come if the gates do not stop it. You will experience it either way." She lifts her head up, scanning the sky. ".... the disturbance is trying to hide its presence... that is why the local shamans of the other villages, and the City, have not come for me yet. The Oak however... its eyes stretch far." She looks to the male, walking a few steps past him. "I only ask because two traveling to different areas of the region are faster than one. and you heard the Oak sing.... so you must play something in this."

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

Still having his arms crossed, Ulvus stood still for the few moments of silence. Looking at the grass in front of his feet, he felt the thoughts rush around in his mind. Should I... or should I not?... Why should I?... they didn't do anything good for me... but... I can be the bigger man here... but still... He couldn't make up his mind at all. He hadn't even noticed the female step closer to him, before she spoke up. I guess... maybe I was meant for this... He remained silent as she spoke, still staring at the grass. He got the feeling of... responsibility. If determination. Motivation... but very vaguely. He felt as if he needed to be a part of it, but the doubts were still present... however, not as strong as before though. He raised his head, looking at the female again, with softly moist lines down his cheeks. "... I guess I'm chosen, then... I gotta be a part of this..." He said, looking at the oak, before looking back to the female again. "So, where are we gonna start?" He asked, looking over the horizon.

[Nori]

Nori chuckled lightly to herself, smelling the different emotions roll off his scent. She studied him once he spoke out loud, her ears twitching back. "...Do you know the way to Andernak? It's a straight nearly 40 leagues from here, but the major trade route passes through there.... that would be our best bet to warn the guards...." As soon as she finished speaking, a heavy gust of wind blew from the East.... the smell of rain following close behind, yet the sky was clear.
"... we must be swift..... Death is already burdened.... He should not have to deal with this..." She growled to herself, taking a few steps South. "You may go about your way, but know that if something is coming.... you will eventually have to face it."

[Ræfóa Aldrnari]

Ulvus looked back at her, once she spoke up again. He nodded softly along as she spoke, turning his head to look south. "You just lead the way." He said, as he felt the gust of wind blowing through his fur, the smell of rain filling up his nostrils. He looked up at the sky, a little surprised over the lack of clouds, before turning his head to her again, as she spoke. Death is already burdened?... well, that just made it a whole lot harder. He thought, following her, as she walked south. "I'll follow... you can count on me." He said.

[light]

-jumps off a rock and sighs- "This is way to much why do i have to collect water."-Leans head bad-"The stream is to far away
!'