RP:Aranhil and the Preklek Party

Grassy Knoll

The road through Kelay is down the northern side of this hill, while more hills are to the east. A lushly painted forest grows in the west, but here, atop this knoll, there is no vegetation. Gravel covers the earth, creating an uncomfortable rest spot for everyone. Why this hill is covered in small stones, no one knows. To the furthest south of this area, though still in view, you spot a rather odd looking building of sorts which sports a rather large sign that reads, “Aranhil’s Amazing Aromatic Aerbals.” If you were to enter, you would see many plants, or bins full of freshly picked plant parts; everything from leaves, to stems, to flower petals, to roots, and even mushrooms. You find many bottles placed around the interior, each labeled something else and each with a description. Most of these appear harmless, as if one may use them as a prank on another; however, there are some that express using extreme caution, for they may even take lives. Others of course would save lives, in fact many more of the herbs and potions were for the art of healing than of trickery and pain. You look at the price tags as you browse through the items, and each price seems reasonable enough. You take what you will, paying the man at the counter. A small sign hangs from the counter saying “Restocked Daily,” letting you know that should you buy them out, a new stock would soon arrive. Happy with what you have found you may leave this place back outside and head west, north, or east and continue on with your life no matter your intentions with whatever you may have bought.

An Elven Herbomancer is here.

Aranhil recently arrived at his shop, the cart he pushes around hollow with him would be placed out back with the containers opened waiting to be restocked. Right now he stood on the customer side of the counter conversing with the elf behind the counter of the many prekleks they seem to be finding outside of their shop.

Diamond hopped in like she had the one time when she came to the shop. Perhaps this time she won't run into anything though...One hop, two hop...One hop two hop. it continued, taking longer strides until she would reach the shop and enter, peeking her head in first before pushing it open with her elbow- right now she was cradling the fox, Ara-then slipping in and closing it soundly behind her. The elf would lean against the door and wait to be noticed before approaching

Aranhil's conversation persisted, they talked of perhaps getting a guard for the shop so that the elf wasnt overworked. For it seemed a new preklek would appear before every hour. Suddenly the elf would interrupt Aranhil and simply nod towards the door as he easily noticed the woman waiting there. Aranhil would turn and upon seeing her a smile would cross his face as he walked towards stumbling over a basket he had left on the floor the previous day. "Diamond, how are you?" he would ask, it had been days since he had last seen her, though he knew this was his fault entirely for he had been too busy recently to visit the meadow.

Diamond rubbed one of her blood shot eyes and shrugged, " I am fine." But, of course she didn't look to good. Scratches bared her arms, and neck. One even got on her face, just up to her lip. Her eyes, were of course, bloodshot, and her hair was straight as pins. Which was never actually the case. With a yawn her head would tilt, " You?"

Aranhil stared for a moment as these small but noticeable injuries became apparent to the half elf whose eyes flickered from injury to injury and back to Diamond's eyes. "Are you sure, what has happened?" he would ask after running a hand through a small section of her hair to perhaps note the verify the change his eyes saw with what he could feel. The cuts looked fresh, not too old perhaps.

Diamond stared at the man like he was crazy, " Uh...Yes, I am fine, actually..." Why was everyone asking her that? First strangers and now Aran? Geez, " Why do you ask that, anyways?"

Aranhil was dumbstruck for a moment, 'Surely she saw the the scratches upon her arms.' he thought. Raising an one of her arms so that she may see it he would show the small injuries to her, "You look as though you might have been attacked. And your eyes, when was the last you slept?"

Diamond pulled back slightly, " Oh that....I was in the meadow doing some training." She blushed, it was silly, actually," And this strange beast...Well, I can't say beast, but...this..-thing- came in and attacked me. And I have been sleeping, but maybe I think I am. I have been having nightmares again."

Aranhil would turn for a moment releasing her arm and go further into the store for a moment and return with several small blue vials of liquid. "Take these, they helped you before, they will surely help you sleep again." He would hand the items to Diamond, not giving her the chance to reject them. "Now tell me of the creature that attacked you. Last thing we need is for a creature of the wood to start attacking travelers in the mountains."

Diamond looked at hte vials and shaked her head," They actually didn't help. I know that much." They were placed down on the floor, since she didn't know where else to put them," And I don't know..It was small. Well, for a human I suppose...I think it was human. Not the way it acted...' She shrugged, " I... don't know."

Aranhil would listen and frown slightly as the vials are placed upon the ground. Then suddenly something else would draw his attention, a disturbance outside. Grabbing Diamond and pulling her further inward the doors of the shop would swing open when two singles walk inward. The elf behind the counter had already acted, the two plants near the door suddenly sprang to life as they grew with the Herbomancer's magic, the prickly vines quickly wrapping themselves around the intruders. Poison was what happened next, the thorns secreted their own style of poison, one whose strength rivaled that of the deadly nightshade. In moments the plants would retreat and the two scouts would fall to the ground dead just inside the door. "Diamond stay here, Come with me my friend, I shall need your help!" He shouted as he released the magic into his rings and the strength of giants flooded his veins. Grabbing quickly several sacks of seeds from his shelves he ran out the doors the herbomancer running shortly after him. Outside the shop they would confront the Preklek Scouting Party, "Perhaps you didn't learn when your previous scouts did not return! You are not welcomed here!" Aranhil would shout as he prepared himself further for the battle that was sure to follow.

Diamond stared akwardly toward the commotion, and wouldn't let her gaze falter even after she was pulled, or commanded to stay. Ha! Like she would...But honestly, she didn't really hear. The noise had brought her into shock, and a memory of a sort flickered in her head. But as soon as it came, it left, leaving the elf sad, confused...and well, she wanted more. So she followed the two elves-one half, one full-but only enough so she would be standing in the doorway. Pale lips pursed and button nose wrinkled, " Who are they?"

Aranhil: The Prekleks would look back and through the open door see their fallen brothers. Each of these Prekleks appeared exactly the same, most likely cloned as was the custom of their race. It didnt take but for one of them, probably the leader of the party to look around, before they would begin to race for the Merchant and his follower. "Diamond, these are the Prekleks, stay back!" He would nod to his friend now who began releasing his magic once more into the rocky knoll they now stood upon. Aranhil had darted forward grabbing from the pouches he had snared from his shop were a set of seeds. Aranhil would toss them outwards, each of them the same style of grassy flowers. The seeds would land upon the other preks as well as the ground and begin to grow, but as they would do so Aranhil would fight. The strength granted to him by the knuckle bones of a Giant that he wore in the shape of a runic ring on his hand would allow him to throw back several of the aliens with but a single powerful reverse punch. Very few knew of Aranhil's ability in battle, and now Diamond would be one more as she would see him showing his skill in full of its glory as he would take on nearly the whole of the Preklek Party. Suddenly, more of their kind, the other half of their party would appear from over the hill. Aranhil was quickly tiring, and soon more blows would hit him than he could stand. However he had foreseen this, the grassy flowers that now began to bloom would burst open showering them all in a very potent yellow powder, a paralysis style natural poison. The whole of the party would breath this in, and almost instantly the effects would take hold. Their lungs would begin to constrict, each of their bodies begging for air they could not recieve. Aranhil was in the same torment, though not near as bad, for the half elf had held breath for a time before he had inhaled the powder. "The others wont stop you, drink one of the blue vials you were given and rush another to Aranhil and force it down his throat, I would do so but I must remain here." The elf had told Diamond, the thought never crossed his mind that she may freeze up, and for Aranhil's sake, he hoped she didnt.

Diamond :: Of course Diamond knew nothing of Prekleks, and knew nothing of actually to other's sensible advice. But as soon as the first hit was blown she would stare mindlessly at the battle. Now, it wasn't like the elf liked fighting, but mostly it was graceful, it was beauty- in most cases- it was art. Of course, times could get so far that it would turn into something...not to pretty. Diamond stared for a bit, until the elf would speak to her. Her feet shuffled back and she turned, moving towards the vials she dropped. Obviously she had not frozen up. Her boots padded against the floor boards, and soon, the sound of them padding against the grass could be heard. As she ran, she drank, and thankfully didn't choke as she tried to swallow and breathe at the same time. Dia kneels down to Aran, and hesitates, before opening it and pressing it to his lips. She didn't say anything- maybe she was too scared too-but did pour it down his throat, if allowed. Even though the elf said they wouldn't attack her,she pulled out the knife she had in her boot, circled around her ankle. Not the best, or safest hiding place, but what was important was she hid it underneath her knee and waited for Aranhil to do motion

Aranhil would choke and cough as he eventually swallowed the poisons antidote. Regaining his breath thankfully he would get to his feet slowly, shaking off the dizzy spell he would feel from the lack of oxygen. "Thank you Diamond," he would say to the woman as he led her back to the elf and he once more would nod to the being. The elf would understand and begin to work, chanting words of the arcane his magics became stronger and a grass unlike what normally grew atop the knoll would grow and quickly the bodies of the dying Prekleks would be covered completely by the greenery. Still the grass would grow crowding out the flowers that still disbursed the yellow powder and making them whither away as if time had sped up. The grass would eat away at what was left of the party's life energy before their supply would stop, and not being fed they too would grow pale and begin to whither away, until the grassy knoll was nothing more than rotted greens, and dead prekleks. "Aranhil, shall I grow back the grass that was here before, I am afraid that killed it?" he would ask. "Not right now, we must first rid ourselves of the corpses, we will carry them down to the base of the hill and set fire to them. Then in the morning the grass can be grown in the light of dawn. Turning now and flopping to the ground out of breath still although he could breath he would now speak to Diamond, "You probably dont remember the Prekleks, they are invaders from another realm. They intend to enslave the entire of the Hollow World, there are people like myself and my friend that fight against them." He would wait now, perhaps for a reaction as he caught his breath.

Diamond -much like usual- still couldn't grasp the newly accuired knowledge in her brain. The weird magic, the weird drink, the weird talk, and of course, the weird lizard type being. So-for a simple answer she could give- she plopped down on the grass next to Aran. Her eyes didn't even look at him though, she stared outward towards the grass that seemed to have literally ate the corpses, " Uh-huh...interesting..."

Aranhil would attempt and explain. "That man is what we call a herbomancer. He is an Elven Mage that studied the life of plants and what magic could do with them. That grass is a parasitic plant, its purpose is really unknown, but it has the power to leach the life from a being." He didnt know what else he could say to her, but he did know that he would need to file a report to The Fold Round about what had happened here. Naturally he would only tell them that the Herbomancer had taken care of the whole thing. After all, Aranhil was not a fighter, he was but a simple Merchant.

Diamond shrugs, " Alright then..." It didn't help, but she put on a fake smile and nodded, as if she did understand. Her knees were then pulled to her chest and chin rested on knee cap," So, you are alright, yes?"

Aranhil would pop his neck hoping to free him of the crick that he felt there. "I will be fine enough, this is probably the best place for one to be injured." He of course meant his shop and not his neck, but all the same soon the elf from before would approach Aranhil with a drink and a small vial, this one violet in color. He knew what to do with it and so mixed the hot tea and the vials contents together before forcing down the disguising mixture. "Now, where were we before all this happened? something about a human attacking you?"

Diamond shakes her head, " Nevermind its not important." ugh, how annoying. It hadn't been a human, and she didn't recall her calling it a human anyway. So the elf shrugged it off, not wishing to waste her time explaing something she could of hallucinated. Of course, she hadn't, and even if she had it wouldn't explain the marks. Dia...just didn't really realize it

Aranhil would shake off the bit of her being attacked, but made up his mind to explore the mountains later for any sign of hostiles. "Very well Diamond. Id like to apologize for not being around these past few days, I keep finding myself busy, though that to is no excuse."

Diamond tilts her head, " Don't be so formal with me. And I can't blame you for being busy; can I?"

Aranhil would nod understanding, "So, you have been well then, aside for these marking on your arms I mean?" He didnt know what else he should say to her. He wanted to offer her a bed in his store at the least, if not a room at the keep of his clan. But he knew she would only deny it, as she has in the past.

Diamond nods faintly, though acutally, she had been in a sour mood for awhile, sometime acutally. In fact, she almost hit a stranger with a blunt object for talking to her. It didn't make sense, she wasn't the violent type....Ara ran over to Dia and a hand would longingly reach out and brush the fox's muzzle, " I can't complain." She figured she must of had worse days then this before, " I remembered some more stuff...But it hurts to remember some things, and after I do remember I forget the important stuff..." The elf sighed and fell back onto the grass, " How bout you?"

Aranhil would nod to her and speak, "I have been fine. I joined a clan recently, I do not think I have told you yet. I am now a member of The Fold. They have an HQ not far from here and its still in Sage Forest." A moment would pass where he would say nothing and then he would continue, "I am glad to know that you are safe."

Diamond sighs faintly, getting a sudden opinion that Aran was not in the mood to talk today, " Safe? Yeah...sure, 'safe'" The elf shook her head and rubbed her temples, muttering something about child under her breath before she opens her arms for the fox. With a giggle it launches itself into her lap and curls up, its bushy tail flicking lazily," I am glad you are safe too, then. I actually thought you had gotten hurt, since you never came to the meadow. But no worries now!" A hand gently patted his shoulder and a weak smile was offered.

Aranhil would move closer to Diamond and wrap an arm around her, he had not heard whatever it was she had muttered, but he could tell something was off. "Talk to me Dia, what is bothering you?"

Diamond pulled away just slightly, but gave up and placed her on his shoulder, " The person who attacked me. I have seen it before. -Her- before. In my nightmares, or hallucinations. But this time...she was scary. Her eyes were red and her hair was grey. But she still looked young, and beautiful...Her teeth were pointed, and she had very long nails...as you can see from these scratches..."

Aranhil thought for a moment, if any could learn the identity of the creature that had done this it would be him. He ran the different possibilities through his mind quickly discarding the ones that made no sense at all. Suddenly everything would seem to fit, or at least to him it would. "Tell me, did you notice if this creature that attacked you had a tail?" he wondered if the creature was that of the feline race, if indeed it was then Aranhil would seek this creature out, perhaps he could learn more of Diamond's past if he could get the creature to talk before he may kill it.

Diamond shook her head, " No...It looked kinda human..just messed up..." Best way she could put it..." It kept trying to bite me. Mostly on the hands, and it looked sad, very sad. But after I did nothing but stare at it it got angry...Then she..it, whatever, attacked..."

Aranhil thought on it still, perhaps a lycan then, maybe a vampire. "Hmm, if you had to describe it as an animal other than human, what would you say it was?"

Diamond looked confused and shook her head, " Uh...well...I can't think of such an animal that looks like it." She tried to think of pointy teeth, " Well. I guess a snake? Eh...no.." Her hands squeezed against her head, "C-can we not talk about this? Its hurting?" Actually, it hurt her heart more. That 'thing' that attacked her....Well, lets just say she had a bad feeling.

Aranhil would begin to wonder, the only other thing it could be was that of a vampire, but why it would go for her hands made him think that perhaps it was something else. Then when she would yell and clamp her hands to her temple he would lose his train of thought. "Its okay, Ill stop. Im sorry, I didnt mean to hurt you!" he tried anxiously to calm her, to stop the hurt.

Diamond :: By this time tears began to stream down her face," Aran, I am very scared, very scared! Why me? Why?" She sounded like a confused child, afraid of a spider in -their- room. ( its always their room, no one elses! ) But this was far worse. Her hands went away from her head to her face, which she covered. And then she leaned off of Aran, trying not to get him upset as well.

Aranhil would worry, moving to kneel in front of her he would place a hand on either of her shoulders. Once she would stop speaking he would take his turn, "Diamond, don't worry, I am here. Nothing will harm you when I am here." He would lean forward and place a kiss upon the top of her head. "Dia, will you please stay here at my shop with me tonight? I can prepare for you a cot and me and my friend here will be able to watch over you, at least just for the next day or so."

Diamond let her hands fall from her face, and then wipe away some tears that hadn't been dried up by her palms, " But...what if it comes for me and hurts you? How can I live that down? Its bad enough you have to deal with me, but...now that thing. I couldn't live it down, and couldn't pay you back for your kindness."

Aranhil would nod, "You have seen us battle, you need not worry for us. And knowing you are safe is payment enough, it'll keep my worries at rest. As for him he doesn't care, he gets paid all the same," he chuckles lightly. "Just knowing your safe, is enough," he would repeat.

Diamond nods, :" Okay..." she would then follow the man, to sleep