RP:Head Over Paws
Mountain Path
Carrying on through the mountains, the path you're on heads down from both sides as it briefly winds through a small valley. Even so, the view is still spectacular: High mountains to the north and south, and to the east the beautiful Sage Forest, broken only by the buildings which make up the various cities nestled within it. The road is very well worn, as it is the main trade-route between the cities of the east and kingdoms of the west. To the north is a small shrine, and there are a few devout priests praying inside. It's unclear from here which God they pray to, but the doors to the shrine are always opened and seem welcoming to any weary travelers as a place of rest. Heading west will lead you further into the Xalious Ranges, and the eastern path leads down towards Sage Forest and the various cities which reside there.
Sabrina was walking the path East to West, probably hailing from Larket as the smell of the river was still upon her. Ebon trusses hung about mid-thigh, still wet no doubt from a late morning rise, alas there was nothing pressing to do today. She wore her usual ‘not gonna kill nothin’ attire which consisted of inappropriately short-shorts, a form fitting top and an unbuttoned floor-length duster to conceal most of the impropriety. She walked mindlessly, her nose pressed into the book that forever consumed her free time. The antique looking feature was spread open to the middle; looking plain and old and completely average- if not dusty and worse-for-wear. Beneath the thick and worn cover thin tendrils of what appears to be vines spread forth, encircling her thin hands and arms- seemingly clinging to her. Rohk followed closely, too many times he lost her in his wake when he took lead; this way he can keep an eye on her while she wanders.
Vakko walks the same path as Sabrina, coming in from the wild to restock his supplies in the nearby town, little could be told about the man by his appearance, his long crimson coat covering him nearly from head to toe with the cowl of the hood pulled down low to cover his face. His hand where kept in the outer pockets of the coat as he trudges along his head slightly bowed. The only feature of his face that could be seen from the shadows of the hood was an ebony angular chin and a single crimson eye, slightly glowing with the Drow heat vision and all. His pace does falter slightly as he sees the other, his silent foot falls slowing ever so slightly as he looks over the woman with her nose in the book, roots, and maybe nature based magic. He then looks to the hell hound, all kinds of trouble there. He heaves a soft sigh and continues on his path almost hoping that nothing where to happen.
Krice ventured northward from Sage Forest's western edge, moving just as soundlessly as the drow who unwittingly followed Sabrina. The warrior emerged on the mountain path roughly in-between the two travelers, though a metre closer to Vakko, and turned to walk eastward. Dressed in a black button-down with the collar open and the sleeves rolled to his elbows, plus comfortable denim-type slacks, and his katana strapped to his back, the warrior seemed no different today than he was on any other day, as he went on his merry way.
Sabrina wouldn’t have noticed anyone here unless they stepped on her toe, Rohk on the other hand found himself torn. A distinct association of the human and food… and the minding-his-own-business Drow which past encounters of that kind told him this would not end well. He looks behind him at the two, then ahead at Sabrina. He lets out a low whine/growl- it is always difficult to interpret a hell hound. He finally succumbs to his baser urges and opens to a full trot toward Krice- cause that guy made his person buy food and with any luck he could coordinate a repeat of the last episode. Human or not, Rohk decided he would like this Krice person. Sabrina stops as if having been shouted at. Looking up from her book with a glittering emerald gaze that was darker than the norm she turns briskly wondering what the commotion was about.
Vakko gave another soft sigh as the hellhound burst into motion. A quick sidestep would separate himself form the near crazed departure of the hound, his right hand slipping from his pocket and with a slight flex of his wrist a double edged throwing dagger appeared in his hand. He kept the weapon hidden as he looked from the hound to its apparent master who was just now looking from her book. "A fine pet you have." His voice was soft and almost melodic, like most elven kind. His singular glowing eye moving from Sabrina to the charging hound, rather curious to see the interaction between the two.
Krice was perfectly content minding his own business, carrying on his way. However, the sound of a growl, followed by the pattering of canine feet, stole his attention and told him that he would not be on his way without interruption. A glance over his shoulder confirmed the suspicion that the hell hound was running at him and his left brow lowered, bemusement evident in his expression. He slowed but did not halt, and after a brief, speculative glance in Vakko's direction, the warrior asked Rohk what his intention was with a simple, " What?"
Sabrina looked at Vakko puzzled. Did he say pet? Rohk was ‘this close’ to skidding to a halt with twin tails wagging in front of Krice when his attention jerks toward the jerk that just referred to him as a lesser creature. His hackles rose, chattering from a dusty grey to intense burning crimson in the blink of an eye. He barreled around Krice and with intent of great speed- toward Vakko. Krice’s query would fall on rage-deafened ears that passed by him close enough to feel the heat from his scales. Sabrina sighs heavily, dropping her hands and with them, the book. The book descended into a feathery grey nothing, vanishing before it hits the ground. Small pale hands pull fingers tight to upward palms, in effect dragging the ground from beneath Rohk’s form which caused him to roll head first toward Vakko’s feet. His momentum would not stop him in time if the crimson eyed male chose to stand his ground and test the weight of the beasty.
Vakko gave an even greater sigh as the hellhound took offense to his words and diverted from the human to come at him with great speed. "I guess he did not like that." Pressing his thumb to the base of daggers blade he gave a soft groan, he did not choose one of his enchanted daggers, only a common one and that would be akin to throwing a stick at a dragon when it comes to the hides of hell hounds. Then another quick change would turn the coordinated dash of the hound into a stumbling rolling ball of claws and teeth and a rather poor attitude to the drow. Diving to the side Vakko rolled, planted his free hand to the ground and used it to spring off further to the side, well away from the passing ball of hound. Tucking his legs in close he completes his hand spring by landing lightly and silently upon the balls of his feet, falling into a crouch to absorb and latent force form the maneuver. The sudden movement had allowed the cowl of his hood to slip down revealing the rather handsome, as most elves are, ebony visage of the drow. Blinking a few times, still trying to understand what just happened he looked to Sabrina, one eye colorless save for the pupil in its center and the other a deep crimson and mirrored the human's earlier word. "What?"
Krice arched a brow and halted when Rohk zoomed away in anger, pivoting to watch the creature on its path toward the hooded drow. With his gaze fixated on the scene, the warrior watched it unfold in subdued scrutiny of the events that took place, from the magic of Sabrina's groundbreaking - literally, it would seem - action, to Rohk's subsequent fall, to Vakko's subsequent evasive maneuvering. Quietly, without panic or anger or even any real curiosity, Krice watched on, perhaps watched -over- the scene.
Sabrina watched Rohk tumble past the Drow, his legs flopped over his bulk, ungracefully, in a heap- thankfully not leaving him end-up but still rather humiliatingly not up-right. He shook his head, planting a rather malicious taloned paw to the ground and hoisting his form to proper stance. He was still quite reddened and unfortunately not due to embarrassment. He growled lowly, the deep tones reverberating outward and shaking the ground at Vakko’s newly skillfully-placed feet. Rohk’s weight fell to his haunches, readying him for a powerful lunge when he is interrupted by the tiniest melodic “Ahem.” She took her time, which was a long time in a silence only broken by the sound of Rohk’s frustrated breathes, to make her way with small strides toward the heaving hound. She passes Krice with not but a quiet bow of the head and stands next to her ‘pet.’ She dusts off Rohk’s plated shoulders which were level to her own while speaking to Vakko calmly. “Won’t be making that mistake again, now will we?” She was upset with one of them, but it was unclear which one. She turns to Vakko expecting some response.
Vakko slowly stood and straightened himself as Sabrina took her time to stand next to Rohk, and start to dust him off like he was a child. Not seeing an attack soon his right hand rolled slowly and with another flick of the wrist the dragger vanished as quickly as it appeared. He made a moment to resort his gear later so he would not run into that issue again with the increasing number of uncommon creatures cropping up, though he himself was not one to talk. "Indeed." Was all he would offer first as he took a moment to brush the dust from his coat. "I think next time I will simply keep my mouth shut and allow him to have his fun with people. He seems to dislike the term I used for him." Fixing a sleeve he looks to Krice and arches an eyebrow slightly, he questioned why the man was so quiet and seeming to apprise the varying skills and weaknesses of those gathered in his silent little side of the path, or the man was indifferent to the whole world and he was just gazing off into space, there are plenty of those about as well. His attention shifted back to the scantily clad woman with the large hellish escort. "I must admit you have a rather.. Unique way of saying hello." He offers a slight smile as he looks to Rohk and gives a slight bow.
Krice found no reason to intervene. In fact, there was no reason for him to involve himself at all - beyond a little message, which he directed to Sabrina. " Your hat was with the restaurant staff last I heard." He turned, venturing eastward.
Sabrina seemed pleased with Vakko’s response; however Rohk saw fit to blow a round of snot in his direction. Sabrina slammed her little foot down hard right on his claw, sending the sheath back into its non-violent home. The massive mutt picks up his paw looking pathetic and injured- no doubt an effort to redirect Sabrina’s anger to sympathy. His scales simmer down to a gentle amber glow- couldn’t go grey right now if he wanted to. Krice chimes in with some mention of a hat. “You have seen my hat?” She looks at him quizzically thinking she is probably supposed to know who he is. She does her best to offer a feeble look of recognition and a smile of familiarity. “Thank you, Sir.” She watches him head eastward, unable to help the feeling that this human was one of those type that lost it, and he probably had no idea what her hat even looked like. Rohk would likely take her to the restaurant later since she seemed insistent on not writing anything down.
Vakko founds the whole scene with Sabrina and Rohk rather comical, thought he refrained from giving any sort of amused sound as the feelings still may be a little raw with the hound. He looked to Krice for but a moment as the human turned and took his leave with little than a hand full of words, well he must be a bundle of fun. The drow's two tone gaze fell back upon Sabrina as he tried to get a better measure of the woman, after a while he was even able to see past her choice of dress. She used nature magic, that much was clear with the shifting earth under the hound. "Now for proper introductions, unless that was your style of proper, and if that is the case, well played. I am called Vakko." He gives a slight bow again though this one directed towards Sabrina.
Krice exits east
Sabrina smiles at Vakko, lending him a proper Elven curtsy, though she was not sure if he would be used to such pleasantries. “It is a good strong name, Vakko.” His name on her lips was a melodic gift akin to her kind. She introduces her companion in a similar song “This fine gentleman is Rohk.” Rohk’s chest puffs outward, his rear end finding the floor in the same fluid movement that stood him an eyebrows length taller than Sabrina. Standing next to her he always felt like a king. His eyes stare straight, abyssal pupils turning to a twisted crimson vortex that seemed to never end. He was a magnificent specimen, even for a half-breed; even now as his scales slowly begin to darken at the edges in what would eventually become his original dusty grey. For now it would just seem as he glowed from the inside, the color fluctuating with each slow and steady breath. His ears twitch as the human Krice slips away eastward, following his retreat and somehow anticipating he will never get to eat with that guy again.
Vakko was honestly taken by surprise at the proper greeting, usually he is met with hostility, and that is even on the better m meetings, sometimes his greeting is returned with sharp implements of metal. So the proper formal greeting left the drow slightly speechless for a moment before he could manage a, "Thank you." He blinks a few more times before giving his head a shake, he was thinking too much, he gives a soft sigh followed by a chuckle before letting his eyes fall from Rohk to Sabrina. "Quite a pair you make, almost same height to. Thought I do not think he likes me very much. Must have a liking for darker meats." His little smile grows a little before he continues. "Thank you for calling him off the way you did, I did not wish to get into an… argument with him."
Sabrina looks up at Rohk in adoration, “Ro likes who he likes, when he means to like them.” She winces at the insinuation she had anything to do with Ro’s actions. She places a hand around the underside of his maw, pressing the top of her head against his chin almost child-like. His scales were already a-chatter when he lifted his hind end off the ground. Sabrina was quick to make the correction “I do not tell him what to do, he does what he pleases and it pleased him to respect my wishes. Unfortunately most arguments with him are one-sided so I try to interject when I can. Understand he does not always listen, nor is he obligated to do so.” Rohk seemed satisfied with her answer and wandered off East in search of the Food Human. He about-faced quite abruptly, swinging both tails to smack Sabrina hard enough for her to take a step forward or risk meeting the ground in a manner similar to Rohk only moments before. She pushes hair from her eyes, tucking it behind a pointed ear. She ignored his point directly and so he scoffed eastward; twin tails dragging tiny canyons in his wake. She is still smiling when she suggests “I have to go, he tends to find trouble faster than I can dispel it.” A small thin finger gestures off in Rohk’s direction. “It was nice almost meeting you.” She is already taking a few steps backwards, each step leading her to forget anything that just happened whether Rohk cares to remind her later or not is clearly up to his mood.
Vakko looked to the hell hound as Sabrina spoke of him, he gave a slight nod of understanding, it was hard to get animals such as the hound to do anything against their own will, even when magical means where used. They are just too damn stubborn. The sight of her childlike with the large hound caused the drow to smile, what a pair they made, he would like to get to know them better, maybe on their next meeting they would have a bit more time. He gives a slight shrug, they would meet again sure if no one tried and succeeded to kill the drow between now and then. As the Ro starts off down that path and Sabrina was close to follow, the drow would raise his hand slightly in goodbye. "Well keep yourself safe then and feed Ro before he wishes to eat someone." He gives a slight chuckle before pulling the cowl of his hood low again and started once more into the town, a slight smile still on his lips. What an interesting woman.
Sabrina nodded to the Drow happily and took after the hound.