Re: Mini-Grand 5109 [Round 2: Aranina]
12-09-2011, 12:51 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Jacquerel.
It was perhaps not in the most heroic position that our pair of rebels discovered their "prophesied hero" as they trudged slowly through the snow-covered dirt towards the village. The elderly skeleton was bent over an indistinct shape in the snow, apparently trying to unravel a length of cord from the tarpaulin protecting it from the weather but meanwhile getting the intricate bones in his fingers hopelessly tangled and knotted together. It's really not as easy to manipulate things with skeleton hands as you might imagine, things keep slipping between the holes.
Every so often he'd stop from his pitiful attempts to extract himself (accompanied by some distinctly unheroic language) to shove a deeply distressed pigeon back up into his ribs as it tried to flutter its way free, apparently having decided to take the cage-like aspect of his anatomy quite literally. As he got himself more and more tangled in his pilfered twine and paid absolutely no attention to the approaching Satyr and his hulking associate, the goat-man decided to cough politely to capture his attention.
Startled, the elderly skeleton spun around, attempting the futile gesture of hiding his hands behind his back. This simultaneously pulled the cord free of its attachment, sending the tarpaulin billowing off in the night winds and the filigreed clockwork assembly it had been covering toppling over into the snow with a loud clatter and grinding of gears.
"Aha! Natives!
I ah... do apologise for the racket only I tried knocking on the doors but it doesn't appear anyone's in.
Do you think I scared them? I am quite aware that my aspect can be rather intimidating to some, and I do hope I haven't caused any damage to ah..."
Vhaegar glanced downwards at the probably ruined piece of machinery on the ground and gave up trying to figure out what it was.
"To whatever that thing is but I simply must get some twine to tie up this infuriating animal.
Good that you're here actually, I appear to have got myself into rather a tangle. Here, hold this for a minute would you?"
Vhaegar reached into his ribcage, yanked out the frantically struggling pigeon and thrust it into the Satyr's single unoccupied hand without giving him any chance to respond. Somewhat bewildered, the satyr stared down at the bird in hope that he could discern some kind of explanation but although it looked fairly exotic (blue flames burning from the eyes aren't a staple feature of pigeons, fantasy land or not) and seemed to be clutching some kind of golden band it was acting like any ordinary bird.
It decided to try and prove this further by relieving itself on his hand.
"Sir I really must-" Vhaegar cut him off in mid sentence as if he hadn't even heard him talking.
"You know it's been so long since I've ever had an actual conversation with anyone. I'm actually fairly excited I must say!
I'm sure you must think me awfully rude to come into your village and steal your rope but if it helps it is an emergency, and besides I didn't come here of quite my own volition...
I do have quite a tidy sum of money tucked away at home but I'm afraid I can't repay you immediately, whoever brought me here neglected to send me my wallet.
But I digress, you're the first people I've met for a while who haven't taken one look at my face and done something regrettable! Apart from that boy in the dungeon I suppose, although actually he did almost knock my head off so he hardly counts. And then he killed someone! Terrible business really! How on earth are we meant to accomplish anything if we go around killing eachother?"
Vhaeger suddenly flicked both his wrists at once, creating a somewhat impressive collection of rattling and clicking noises as his knuckles bounced off each other in all directions before settling back into their correct places, dropping the piece of cord neatly onto the ground.
"Ah! That's the ticket."
Vhaegar grabbed his bird back from its temporary minder and began binding its wings to its chest with rope, humming quietly to himself as he did so. While he lacked the necessary apparatus, the odd angle of his jaw gave the distinct impression that were it possible he would have been biting his tongue in concentration.
"Sir while I am sure what you are doing is of some importance, I have a matter of great urgency to discuss with you!"
"Who me? Why didn't you say so sooner, man!?"
The Satyr graciously declined to answer that question, instead electing to count his blessings and just get on with what he had been trying to say.
"We heard of your arrival and our leader has requested to see you in person, she says that your arrival was foretold and may be of great importance. Furthermore she also instructed me to first supply you with-"
"Ah! Wait! This must be about the voice yes? The one that brought me here, and that terrible man too! And there were another two but I barely met them and one of them is dead. I'd never seen a man killed before you know? I mean I'd died myself plenty of times but it's different when it's not you. Such a waste!
Actually this reminds me of a story I heard when I was younger..."
The Satyr sighed, and tried to exchange glances with Brutus, who appeared to have fallen asleep where he stood, the bat he was meant to deliver still clutched in his other hand.
Maybe he should have just tried to knock the lich out too, this was clearly going to be a long night.
It was perhaps not in the most heroic position that our pair of rebels discovered their "prophesied hero" as they trudged slowly through the snow-covered dirt towards the village. The elderly skeleton was bent over an indistinct shape in the snow, apparently trying to unravel a length of cord from the tarpaulin protecting it from the weather but meanwhile getting the intricate bones in his fingers hopelessly tangled and knotted together. It's really not as easy to manipulate things with skeleton hands as you might imagine, things keep slipping between the holes.
Every so often he'd stop from his pitiful attempts to extract himself (accompanied by some distinctly unheroic language) to shove a deeply distressed pigeon back up into his ribs as it tried to flutter its way free, apparently having decided to take the cage-like aspect of his anatomy quite literally. As he got himself more and more tangled in his pilfered twine and paid absolutely no attention to the approaching Satyr and his hulking associate, the goat-man decided to cough politely to capture his attention.
Startled, the elderly skeleton spun around, attempting the futile gesture of hiding his hands behind his back. This simultaneously pulled the cord free of its attachment, sending the tarpaulin billowing off in the night winds and the filigreed clockwork assembly it had been covering toppling over into the snow with a loud clatter and grinding of gears.
"Aha! Natives!
I ah... do apologise for the racket only I tried knocking on the doors but it doesn't appear anyone's in.
Do you think I scared them? I am quite aware that my aspect can be rather intimidating to some, and I do hope I haven't caused any damage to ah..."
Vhaegar glanced downwards at the probably ruined piece of machinery on the ground and gave up trying to figure out what it was.
"To whatever that thing is but I simply must get some twine to tie up this infuriating animal.
Good that you're here actually, I appear to have got myself into rather a tangle. Here, hold this for a minute would you?"
Vhaegar reached into his ribcage, yanked out the frantically struggling pigeon and thrust it into the Satyr's single unoccupied hand without giving him any chance to respond. Somewhat bewildered, the satyr stared down at the bird in hope that he could discern some kind of explanation but although it looked fairly exotic (blue flames burning from the eyes aren't a staple feature of pigeons, fantasy land or not) and seemed to be clutching some kind of golden band it was acting like any ordinary bird.
It decided to try and prove this further by relieving itself on his hand.
"Sir I really must-" Vhaegar cut him off in mid sentence as if he hadn't even heard him talking.
"You know it's been so long since I've ever had an actual conversation with anyone. I'm actually fairly excited I must say!
I'm sure you must think me awfully rude to come into your village and steal your rope but if it helps it is an emergency, and besides I didn't come here of quite my own volition...
I do have quite a tidy sum of money tucked away at home but I'm afraid I can't repay you immediately, whoever brought me here neglected to send me my wallet.
But I digress, you're the first people I've met for a while who haven't taken one look at my face and done something regrettable! Apart from that boy in the dungeon I suppose, although actually he did almost knock my head off so he hardly counts. And then he killed someone! Terrible business really! How on earth are we meant to accomplish anything if we go around killing eachother?"
Vhaeger suddenly flicked both his wrists at once, creating a somewhat impressive collection of rattling and clicking noises as his knuckles bounced off each other in all directions before settling back into their correct places, dropping the piece of cord neatly onto the ground.
"Ah! That's the ticket."
Vhaegar grabbed his bird back from its temporary minder and began binding its wings to its chest with rope, humming quietly to himself as he did so. While he lacked the necessary apparatus, the odd angle of his jaw gave the distinct impression that were it possible he would have been biting his tongue in concentration.
"Sir while I am sure what you are doing is of some importance, I have a matter of great urgency to discuss with you!"
"Who me? Why didn't you say so sooner, man!?"
The Satyr graciously declined to answer that question, instead electing to count his blessings and just get on with what he had been trying to say.
"We heard of your arrival and our leader has requested to see you in person, she says that your arrival was foretold and may be of great importance. Furthermore she also instructed me to first supply you with-"
"Ah! Wait! This must be about the voice yes? The one that brought me here, and that terrible man too! And there were another two but I barely met them and one of them is dead. I'd never seen a man killed before you know? I mean I'd died myself plenty of times but it's different when it's not you. Such a waste!
Actually this reminds me of a story I heard when I was younger..."
The Satyr sighed, and tried to exchange glances with Brutus, who appeared to have fallen asleep where he stood, the bat he was meant to deliver still clutched in his other hand.
Maybe he should have just tried to knock the lich out too, this was clearly going to be a long night.