RP:Asailu and Mihael Begin Clean-Up
Part of the Appeasing Aramoth Arc
Hunting Grounds
Asailu was not one for the cold snowy lands of Frostmaw, but the current job she had put in for called for her presence here. Fur-lined boots and a cloak were bought in exchange for a potion or two before the elf was set to venture out toward the ruins to help rebuild them into the new establishment Queen Satoshi was working on. With the edges of the cloak pulled tightly shut the swamp elf had begun her journey though the dangerous hunting grounds. Not sure if she would be the first or the last of the group she made sure to leave her trail easy to follow for those that knew where they were supposed to be heading. As she reached the snow covered ruin wall Asailu came to a stop, not surprised that she was the first to get there. Always early she was. Leaning back against the wall she waited to see who else would be helping out this day.
Mihael could be heard as he entered the area. The chains that bind him dragged and clanked against the fractured stones, bouncing at the occasional pieces of frozen metal and wood. Wrapped tightly within his cloak, he was protected well from the cold, and seemed to shrug it off. His head lay low while he walked forward, leaning upon his staff as he did so. With each step the thud of the staff and clank of the chains only increased as he neared the ruined wall. The ancient being stopped as he neared his destination. Looking about, he spots a rather large broken piece of the wall, he takes a seat and lets out a long sigh, his breath can be seen before it dissipates.
Asailu turned her vibrant jade gaze toward the sound of chains clinking and something thudding against the ground. It sounded familiar to the elf, almost like she knew who was coming, but could not place who until they came into view. The crazy man from the cave was here. Taking in a slow breath and expelling it she watched the 'fog' fade away. Keeping her gaze on Mihael she flashed a crocked smile, "Hello, Sir. Nice to see you again."
Mihael glanced in the direction of the voice, it was Asailu, the strange elf he had met not too long ago. With a tilt of his head to his right, he nodded. The mask upon his face shifted as the colors blended to form a smile where his lips would be if they could be seen. Slightly muffled the voices spoke at once, “Fancy seeing you here strange one.” Leaning back and stretching, his back could be heard cracking in several places, “What brings you here?”
Asailu pulled the hood of the fur-lined cloak up over her head. The chill of the air this far into the hunting grounds was starting to bother her sensitive pointed ears. The sound of the man's back cracking like such sent a shiver down the swamp woman's spine. Shaking off the sensation she turned her bright gaze upon him once more, "I am here to help in the cleanup and rebuilding that Queen Satoshi is planning. Yourself?"
Mihael seemed to almost ignore her for a moment as he took in the surroundings. His pet phoenix, Smokey, hopped about pouncing from broken rock to broken rock. After a few seconds pass he looks back toward the woman, “I am here for the same reason.” Standing up he cracks his neck, the colors upon the mask shifting about again to form a solid mass of ebon. “Shall we get started then?” he asks while pointing his staff towards a small pile of wood. Muttering a black flame is emitted and begins to thaw the ice surrounding it. Smokey lends a hand so to speak, and sends small jets of flame onto the nearest pile. The pair setting up areas to keep warm as well as to lend more light.
Asailu watched as the man along with his bird companion starting lighting the ground with flames. They were so much more useful in this frozen wasteland than she was. A healer and a plant person, no spell casting from her or amazing strength to lift anything too heavy compared to her small stature. Pushing away from the wall the elf began to work alongside the duo. Where the ground was thawed enough from the flames to pluck the wooden debris free is the task she started with. Pulling them up from the ground with nimble fingers before moving them over to start a pile where they could make a big fire as they remove the wood. Two for one she thought.
Mihael raised his staff and struck it deep into the ground between a pair of stones near him. Pulling his pick axe from his belt, he began to strike the wall, to bring it down so that a new one might be rebuilt. The chains on his wrists and his neck rattling with each stroke as the metal clashed into the ice that covered the stone wall. Smokey followed The swamp elf around as he helped her pick up wood and light the piles she began to create. The phoenix also noticed that she was cold, thus it sent bursts of flame here and there to warm the air around her. Mihael could not help but smile as the bird hopped about doing what it could to help.
Asailu paused a moment to glance over her shoulder at Mihael and watch him smash away at the ice on the ruin wall. Starting a pile of debris a few feet away from him with the help of the bird she felt like she was aiding him too, providing a heat source for him as he hacked away with his pick. Then she was back to the tedious work of picking up the debris scattered all over the ground before the wall. Working on section at a time before moving on to the next little area. It was going to take a lot of time and effort to get the ground cleaned up, but she had time. Nimble chilled fingers not bothered by the random splinters they were gathering.
Mihael kept hacking away at the wall, the pick axe making its way through the ice and between the stones. The hermit was aiming to remove sections of the walls in slabs, removing each stone individually would take far too long and would be far more tiring. Grateful for the small bon-fire Asailu had created, the voices muttered a soft, “Thank you.” Continuing to work he had already chipped away enough for half a slab to be removed. The smoke phoenix perked its head at the old man, watching its master work before it went back to its duties, melting the ice upon the ground in sections to make it easier to pick up the debris.
Asailu flashed a brief smile before replying, "You are welcome." It was called quietly over her shoulder as she worked away with Smokey. Together the two had cleared a small section of the ground a few feet by a few feet. Being hunched over for so long the elf stood up and stretched out. It was this time her back was the one cracking with the motion. Pausing a moment to rest the elf rubbed her hands together, warming up her frozen fingers. She was not used to this climate . Her body was warm from working, but her hands were cold from being exposed. After a short break she was back to word clearing debris from the ground.
Mihael had finally broken enough between the stone wall to remove a six foot by six foot section of the wall. Leaning back he stretched for but a second or two before the lycan began kicking at the section, sliding the stone inch by inch out of the wall and onto the ground. Once this was done, the old man began to flip the slab away from the wall and into a small clearing that the elf and his pet had cleared. Placing it flat upon the ground where he would stack the slabs before they would be removed from the demolition sight. Afterwards the hermit began upon another section of the wall, just to the right of the hole he had created.
Asailu stopped to watch as the man moved the slab of rock into the cleared space. It was interesting to see how much strength the old man had. The next few hours would pass in a similar manner for the swamp elf as she worked hard at clearing the ground from the wooden debris. Pile after pile of wood stacked up and burning in medium sized fires to destroy the wood. Smaller piles made here and there to keep the warmth in the area for both Mihael and herself. Breaks were taken here and there when muscles cried out for a break. Hours of tedious work, but it paid off as the ground was finally cleared of all wooden debris and any other debris was stacked off to the side in a pile for later removal.
Mihael continued to work, his muscled burned and were soaked in sweat, yet he continued to remove slab and slab. He now had three stacks reaching thirty twenty four feet high in the original clearing. Now the ancient being was taking a break while the fourth stack was only twelve feet high. Sitting down for a moment, his pick axe lay at his side while he took a few bites from a biscuit and a few swigs of milk, the only things he survived off of, he let out a long sigh. “How are you feeling over there you two?” he asked while the mask began to shift to form a multi colored question mark.
Asailu had made herself a seat near to one of the medium sized fires. It was much warmer sitting near it now that she was no longer busy moving around working. She had her hands held out before the flames as she rubbed them together occasionally. At the question she looked over her shoulder, "Exhausted." She said softly. Though her work was not near as hard and demanding as removing the slabs of wall, it was more moving around that the elf was used to. In the swamps she made potions and poisons, not cleaned.
Mihael chuckled in the several voices, the cloth mask changing to form a huge jaw with jagged teeth laughing. “I bet.” he said to her with a glance to the phoenix who was playing with the flames near one of the fires. Pouncing and hopping about, as if each flame were a fly and the bird were a phoenix. The hermit finished up the food and drink before he rose to his feet with a great sigh, picking up the pick axe he once again began to work. Instead of removing the large chunks, he began to remove the small pieces of the stone wall that were left upon the ground where he had already removed the slabs. This way the portion of the wall was fully removed and there would be no place for someone to trip over the stones that were two feet off the ground at the highest.
Asailu watched as he picked up the smaller rocks around where he had been working hard to clear a gap in the wall. Grunting a bit as she pushed herself up from the ground she made her way over to help the man clean up his area. It was the least she could do after he had moved all the heavy slabs by himself. When it was all cleared up she flashed him a tired smile, "I think it is time we head back into town and rest up. No need to overwork to the body to the point it stops working. Few will find us this far out if that happens." With a big yawn, covered by a pale hand, she would start putting the fires out using the snow from the ground. When the work site was clear to be left she waited for him to accompany her back to town.
Mihael was grateful for the help as he moved the smaller stones to a separate clearing thirty feet away from the massive slabs. There was still much to do and the elf was right, there was no need to overwork their bodies. Once they had finished this up he let out a grunt before walking over to remove his staff. The chains rattling as he did so, bouncing here and there between the cracks of the stone on the ground. “You are right, it is time to head back into town. Besides you seem rather tired.” As she began to put the fires out, he walked over to help. “Lets leave these for the next crew so that they might stay warm as well.” With that, he waved her over so that they might begin their journey into town.