Alyss Desmarais

Idiot, her thoughts echoed her sneer and a feeling of victory. I'm not some common pigeon. The man below her was struggling and spluttering through a horse's trough of water. You can't hunt me!
She let out a shrill sound as she banked, and circled the city further. She felt quite proud for evading the idiot hunter so easily. But she also knew it was a desperate attempt to feed his family.
Alyss soon soared over the great gates of the City of Light, where the people inside were hurried about their business. It was safer here, than outside. She angled downward slightly, and with her improved eyesight could spot the gargantuan marketplace. The merchants below saw her and moved as many goods as possible into hiding; she was notorious here for her thievery. Her wings spread as she dove at a booth with a blue flag. The city folk took cover as she dived and then shot back into the air like an arrow. Clutched in her talons was a large loaf of bread. Not fresh, of course. So much wildlife and plant life had disappeared or died when the magic took over. Food was expensive and hard to get. Drink, on the other hand, was not. Alyss returned to the bell tower, her makeshift home. She flew to the top, and landed on one of the ledges surrounding the bell. She morphed back into a human, breathing heavily as she sat. Her hands shivered as she stuffed some of the bread into her mouth, before she passed out. Magic was difficult, and if used too carelessly you could die. The best thing to do, from her experience, was to eat something directly after transformation. She leaned against the stone for a bit, her eyes closed, resting.

A half hour later, her eyes reopened. She stretched luxuriously and stood. The sun faced her directly. It must've been about ten o'clock.. Alyss was bored. As usual, there was nothing else to do. The girl decided on where to go, and walked casually off the top of the bell tower. She fell for a bit, loving every second, before spreading her arms. She willed herself to fly, and so she did. A sudden rush overcame her, and then she was circling the city once more. Pleased, Alyss went lower, to rooftop level, and waited until she recognized the place..
Ah, on the corner. There were no doors, simply a large rectangular opening. The Scarlet Rose tavern.. there were many similar places in the city, and there were none that Alyss liked better than this one. She soared in, not bothering to transform. The few people inside didn't seem to care; she was a regular there. The barkeeper spotted her and returned to his glass shining. Alyss disappeared into a hole in the wall, it was virtually undetectable. Well, it had been. Before she used it.
That was where she always was. She perched inside the wall, and watched warily as the barkeeper shuffled to her, slamming down a mug of something sweet. It wasn't alcohol, both of them knew, but the barkeeper always gave it to her anyway. He waited while she stood and presented her talons. He held out his hand. Seven silver coins, fell into his scarred hand, and he nodded and shuffled away. He was mute, she knew.
Alyss fluttered to the table and dipped her beak into the mug. Usually by now she'd have morphed back to a human to drink, but she didn't seem to want to. She lazily sat about, enjoying the familiarity of the feel of the place. A few people stared, yet she ignored them. She had caused more than one bar fight. And won every time.
I hate this. I can't go outside like I used to. I'm stuck in this stupid human place.. I'm hunted everywhere I go unless I look like a human. I swear, I will fly to that witch if I must..
But thoughts of the dragon Sethekk gave her a chill, and she calmed down. Slightly.

Deac Walks out of the forest path, he looks up at the high walls of the City of Light, He squints at the sun shining brightly just above the walls. It was a cloudless day, he could here the sounds of the Monstrocities of the witch's forest. He had spent the last five days fighting his way through that forest, but that was nothing compared to the time he had spent living in it. He noticed a single bird fly over the walls letting out a shrill call, he thought nothing of it and continued to the City walls. The large Wooden doors standing at about 40 feet tall, there were four guards at front, on either side of the door and there were archers posted on the top of the walls. The doors were run by some sort of magic set by the kings High Sorcerers. It would only open to the touch of those with their hands marked by the High sorcerers. He walked up to the door.
"Halt! State your name and business!" Yelled the guard to the far left.
"My Name is Deac Aurelius, I am here for trade" He Lied. the real reason was to get information on the group that the king was supposedly organizing to strike back at the witch"
"Remove your cowl" Said the Lead Guard
"I can't Sir, I have been cursed by the witch, if sunlight were to contact my face, it will combust, and be turned into ashes in a matter of minutes." This was a half truth, while he was cursed by the witch, it was not in that way, although he had once heard of a man who had been cursed in that way, needless to say, the poor man died.
The guard looked at Deac suspiciously. Deac raised his hands to show he meant no harm and moved his cloak a side, to show that he had weapons, so as to not look like he was hiding it. But instead of noticing his weapon, the man noticed Deac's armor, perfectly black and form fitting, the whole thing looked as if it traced his musculature lines.
"That is awfully nice armor, where did you get it" Asked the guard, not to hassle him, but bandits were abundant, and it would not be good to let them in the city knowingly.
"It was a gift. I once saved a man's life twice in a row, he was wealthy, and i refused his monetary payment, so despite my denials, he forced this on me."This was the truth. He had once escorted a man by the name of Anthony to the city, saving him from a pair of bandits along the way.
The guard seemed genuinely content with the answer, he looked to the guard at the far right, who turned around and touched a marked brick with his right hand.
Immediately the doors split and opened sliding into the wall.
It truly has been too long since I've last been here thought Deac.
He walked him nodding to the guards on either side. He walked through the city, hearing the ruckus of City life. Being the only true "Safe Haven" in the country, The place was jam-packed, beggars at every corner, merchants at every wall. Citizens conversed noisily as they walked back and forth.
He ignored the calls from the merchants offering him exotic handmade carpets, made of Forest spider's silk and said to fly you to your hearts desire, and Prostitutes at the corners seducing the younger guards who were easier to corrupt. he threw some gold at a beggar mother holding her child. As he continued down the street he saw a tavern, Scarlet rose Tavern
he walked inside and and looked about. He saw a table with a bird drinking from a mug.
what is this? He said to himself, stifling a laugh. I might actually be able to pull my hood off. He thought to himself, although he knew it wasn't true.
He grabbed a seat next to the bird and watched it sip from the cup...



((:P last post for the night i got school tomorow.))

That's it... Bricana urged, A little further... She watched in delight as the barkeeper's flea-infested mut sauntered over to a hunk of meat. Bring it here, Good boy... she cooed. It had been so long since she'd eaten anything with drippings her mouth was filled with begging taste buds.

A melody of scratching talons broke her concentration and the flea-bag ran out of the tavern. "Curses..." she breathed under her breath as she turned to look towards the source. She turned just in time to see a bird perch inside a hole in the wall. Her glare narrowed, and continued to narrow until a rumble from her stomach made her focus. The mute barkeeper was standing beside her. "Slice of bread..." she mumbled, yanking a silver coin from her pocket and giving it to the him. "Please..." she uttered weakly. Even under these trying times it was so hard for her not to be polite.

Bricana slumped against the wooden wall behind her, poking her ribs absent-mindedly with her finger. She wasn't going to last much longer, she was growing so weak that even the rats were breaking away from her control easily.

The keeper appeared before her, placing a measly piece of bread in front of her. He lingered for a moment before setting a small plate with a slice of butter on it next to her. She stared at the delicacy with fervor. Her neck craned to meet his eyes. He simply blinked in acknowledgment and resumed his post behind the bar. She spread the butter thinly, and tried to savor each bite. She focused her thoughts back to the bird and it's new company to keep from cramming the entire piece into her mouth at once.

Ivory had been watching the gates for a good portion of the morning. She sat completely still, staring at the magically enforced gates. It was impressive... But a paper-thin barrier in comparison to the crushing power of the witch and her disgusting lizards. Ivory was crouched in the underbrush, reddish-brown cloak wrapped around her. She had pulled the hood up, the dark fabric hiding her luminescent silver hair. It would do no good to draw attention. Even if the so-called "City of Light" was a safe zone, enemies could be hiding everywhere. And she was already notorious in the ranks of the witch's followers.

Suddenly a loud tromping noise filled her ears. Ivory froze where she was, not daring to breathe. She relaxed when she saw it was a man, fighting his way through the bushes. He passed by on her right, heading towards the wall that surrounded the city. Ivory observed as he neared the gates and was questioned by the guards. she couldn't get a proper glance at him, for, like her, a hood was up around his face. It seemed as if Ivory wasn't the only one trying to stay inconspicuous. After a bit of mindless questioning, the guard allowed the hooded-man into the city. Ivory sighed and sat back on her heels. She had been sitting there for hours.

After many months of roaming from village to village, Ivory decided to head to the city. She had been following a trail of rotten people, from corrupt guards to shady bartenders. All minions of the witch. Ivory had spent years assassinating these petty followers, torturing information out of them. But she had long grown tired of these meaningless kills. She was no closer to her original goal than she had been when...

Ivory stood and stretched. She leaned against an elm. She breathed in the healthy smell of the forrest. The magic of the city had about a mile radius that protected this section of the forrest. Ivory had missed the dappled green sunlight that fell through the leaves. Long ago, everything had turned dead or deadly where she had once lived. Ivory climbed skillfully into the elm's branches, reclining against the trunk. She'd have to wait a bit. From what she could see, the guards questioned everyone thoroughly and demanded to see faces. This was not good. Perhaps when night fell, Ivory would have a better chance of getting in. It was her hair that made everything so difficult.

She fingered a lock of the shining hair, and felt it's rough texture. She hadn't bathed for weeks. But when one lives in the woods, one can't be choosy. Ivory studied the silver hair, a wave of sadness rushing through her. She had inherited her hair from her father, Orion. She remembered his shock of messy silver hair as clearly as she remembered the day the Stymphalian bird attacked him. Ivory clenched her teeth. Slowly, she forced herself to bottle away the emotion. She was growing closer to the witch, she could feel it. She had heard the rumors that the King was assembling a force against the witch. She didn't plan on joining it, of course. The King was naive. He was fairly young, from what Ivory had heard. His entire life, he lived as a sheltered prince inside the glistening fortress he called a city. He couldn't have any idea of what the witch's power was. However, Ivory did know one thing. Many people would be flooding into the city with the intent of joining the King's little assassination squad. Most likely, there would be people in similar situations as she. And if Ivory herself was anything to go by, these people would be thirsty for retribution.

Yes, Ivory was at the city for one thing and one thing only. Find others with the same burn for vengeance, and murder the witch. If it was the last thing Ivory did, she would watch the witch fall.

((Ok. That's it for now. Ivory will enter in later, perhaps last. She needs to wait until the sun goes down. Don't worry, I've concocted a scheme to get her inside.))

"Better get to town before anything catches my sent." she whispers to herself. Humming a soft tune as she journey further into the forest. Rustling of the vampire trees keep Jinx look every which way. The sun's violent rays seep through the naked branches of the deadly trees. Jinx gripped the wooden handle of her bladed firmly. Her skin crawled as the thin grey twigs brushed against her arms and face. A slight smile appeared on her face as she came to the entrance of the city. Jinx stood tall as she walked to the gates. Suddenly I strong hand grabbed her shoulder.
"Why so happy Evergreen?" chuckled the guard.
Jinx removed the guards hand "Are you going to let me go through or am I going to have to stand here all day?" she hissed followed with a glare.
"Very well" he said raising his hand to show no offence intended.
The tall doors creaked as the opened once again. Slipping through hoping not to gain any attention Jinx covered her face with her green satin hood. It was no use people crowded around her as if she were some celebrity.
"Could it be?" one girl shrieked
"It is! It's the last healer!" another girl followed
Jinx pushed the beggars out of her way.
Ever since the witch killed off all the healers everyone as been all over me. At least I won't go hungry. The beggars shower Jinx with gifts, rejecting the gifts was a hard but necessary thing she had to do. After a while she finally got them to leave her alone. Keeping her hood on for precaution she sneaked into the bar. She sighed as she noticed the unusual amount of people in the bar. Taking a seat at a stool Jinx removes her hood to examine her surroundings. The sight of a hawk sipping from a cup. A man also stood watching the bird with a weird expression. Jinx's green eyes focused on the shadowed face of the man under the hood, she could tell it wasn't a human face. Placing her blade in her pocket she reaches for the sap colored drink in front of her. Glancing over at the hawk she noticed they were drinking the same thing. Jinx spaced out as she watched the bubbles in hr drink slowly dissolve, the hardy laughter of a drunk man two seat from her brought her back. Bored Jinx found herself tapping her nail in the thick glass in her hand. Holding the glass to her lips before she takes another sip she suddenly looses her thirst for anything. Placing the glass back down she searches her pocket for money. Holding her pale hand out the man comes back and accepts the slightly rusted coins. Might as well just stay here, I have nothing else to do since Lilith is still is school. Jinx rests her chin on her right and with a bored expression.

((Hope that was good enough -smiles- Oh and Lilith is Jinx's little sister she finally got enough money to go to school))

Alyss Desmarais

Alyss, the hawk, tried not to notice the new arrivals of people in the tavern. She did perk up as a man swung into the seat directly next to her. She was cautious, at first, but reminded herself to stay calm; lest her feathers rise. She looked like a chicken when they did. With sudden realization, she thought All these people.. staring.. the hooded guy..
Not enemies, surely. But perhaps they were.. like her? How would she show them..
Glancing surreptitiously around, she noted that no stranger was here. Well, any stranger that threatened her safety, anyway. The witch had spies within the walls. And although she must take into account that these people could also be spies, she pretty much had to trust them. They held an air about them.. grief or loss or something all seemed to resonate here. The foggy tavern atmosphere had darkened considerably. Well, then. Time to show 'em..
Alyss spread her wings. Careful not to knock over her mug, she rose into the air. She drifted over the ground for a minute before her figure was distorted. Fingers began to grow from where her feathers were, five on each. The transformation was only two seconds, but to Alyss it stretched to infinity. From her talons grew feet and her beak receded to her nose and mouth. Though her brilliant green eyes remained the same. She stood gracefully on the floor, and stretched lightly. She sat back down, and gripped her mug. Should she introduce herself? Did she want to rush things? No. There were ears that she didn't want to have hear certain conversations. Alyss would've loved to go right out and demand them to stop staring, but was desperately keeping her fierce attitude under control. She did not want to anger these people. Most of them looked older than she, anyways. Could she assume they were like her? If not, she'd have hell to pay. But, they did look different. Unlike the other gaunt people of the bar. What next? Demand a meeting? Ask to speak privately? She didn't know. She kept her stiff formality and proud posture.
Alyss hoped that her transformation had given these people enough to know what she was, and by how she looked (underfed and slightly grimy) that she was suffering under the witch's magic especially. She kept her eyes on the table, but did not go red. That was unacceptable.
No weakness at all. It would ruin her self esteem.

Deac sat quietly, listening and watching his surroundings, while maintaining the appearance of absent mindedly watching the bird drink. He saw a girl nearby savoring a piece of bread like it was the only piece of food shes had in a while, and she looked the part as well, He heard two men speaking drunkenly in the background, a girl walked into the tavern, she had bright green eyes, but looked like she had lost more than a girl her age should have experienced. But, if its one thing Deac learned, it was not to ask what was wrong. There was alot of crazy people, and they can turn on you in seconds. All of a sudden the girl focused on him. He hid his face in his cowl a little longer. If she realized something, she didn't say it. and she seemed distracted by the drunken laughter of the two men.
Deac returned to looking at the bird. About a minute passed, and all of a sudden the bird stopped drinking, and looked around. Then it took two steps back and hopped off the table, and flapped its wings, hovering over a table. The bird was looking right at him when it happened. Had he blinked, he would have missed it, but now standing in the spot where the bird was hovering over, was a young woman, about 17 or 18, standing about 5'8" or 5'9", she was well muscled, and had green eyes, which he realized were green since in her bird form. He also realized that the bird flying over the castle walls must have been her. She sat down and suddenly found something interesting on the table to look at. Deac looked around, wondering how no one reacted to what just happened here.
Must only be new to me... He thought. He too decided to stare at the table. He beckoned the bartender, and ordered a mug of water, only water. Deac didn't drink, he never did.
"Quite a trick you pulled there. What's your name?" he said, Making sure not to sound hostile or too nosy. He then looked at the girl, who was still fixated on the table.

Watching this transformation closely, Bricana sniffed the air wearily. The absence of the sickening sweet smell of Death set her partially at ease, this wasn't a spy for that despicable Witch. Another deep inhale told her that this thing was quite human, with an odd mixture of fresh air... Many countrymen talked of this infamous bird, but rarely did she transform so flamboyantly. After all, she was technically on the Guard's wanted list for stealing from the market. Unfortunately, we all have bigger things to worry about than a stolen loaf of bread.

Oh... a loaf of bread. What she wouldn't GIVE for one right now... She shook her head hastily and returned her focus to the odd couple.

The hooded figure seated by the newly transformed human was a different story. The ominous hood created impenetrable shadows. It's overall shape, obscure. Whatever or whomever was hiding under there was doing so for a good many reasons. The creature ordered something from the barkeeper, Bricana strained to hear. She huffed out a puff of air and used what little strength her bread returned to her to quiet the drunken companions closest to them.

Focusing her eyes intently on the gents, she whispered soothingly in her mind. Alcohol always made the violation easier. As the men began to take her bait, and their rumbling hollers turned into soft words of camaraderie, Bricana could feel a stirring on her back. The soft touch of feathers against her skin felt rich as the colored marking tried to take form. She cringed as she turned her head and whispered, "Not now, Sezae... We haven't the strength..." Instantly, the pleasureful companionship was gone.

She snapped back to her reality as she heard the hooded figure speak.

"Quite a trick you pulled there. What's your name?" he said.

Bricana felt her lip twitch and eye brow perk. So... He hasn't been here before. she processed.
Everyone knew of this shapeshifter. And most everyone either feared her because of her magic, or loathed her because of her thievery. Bricana didn't feel much obliged to pick a side. Everyone was in dire situations now days. Stealing food was a means of survival, not a means of gaining wealth.

But a name? What a brave stranger, or maybe it was just stupidity. Either way, this would be interesting.

City of Light, the Market Squares


Callous was the hand that brushed a poster against the brickwork of the tavern, belonging to distinctly male figure obscured by the alleyway's shadows. On it was a painted picture of a woman, troll-like face complete with a conical hat, everyone's impression of the witch. Two swords struck through her throat and red paint sloshed where she would bleed, below was captioned: "For our lives life we vie, she needs to die!" But it was not alone, several yards back, on the same wall, yet another poster with a different phrase.

They have become common sight to some, but most do not heed it, thinking they could live behind the walls. That everything would still be here, that their safety was ensured at least till their ripe old age. Or that they could do nothing except die if they went out, which wasn't far from the truth, in fact the man knew that. But

"HALT!"

When he spun around, his hood fell off revealing a rough-cut adolescent who looked like he hasn't slept in days. Thick dishevelled hair, dangled in front of his green eyes. Though not neat, it was not particularly messy either. His jaw and chin was lined with bristles and his eyes were dark with fatigue, staring at the two patrols with silent indignation.

--------------------------------------------------

As they approached, they notice he had a strong build and was dressed in acceptable clothes. Mainly a brown linen robe that was torn at the sleeves and lower waist to form a second shirt of sorts, with thick durable trousers held up by his belt. On said belt, a wornout scabbard hangs witholding a short broadsword. A somewhat handsome fellow, if not looking lifeless. He looked like he could put up a fight, but not like he wanted to, as his hands still grasped a stack of the papers.


"You!" One of the officers yelped. The man gave something of a grunt before starting to walk quickly in the other direction but the two caught up too fast, too soon was a chainmailed hand placed on his shoulder to turn him around.

"Yes, what do you want!?" The man said defiantly in a tired and annoyed voice, though obviously knowing the answer.

"We throw you in the dungeons without your fingers or all this-" The other guard tore off one of his glued on posters and thrust it's remains into his chest with a loud thud. "-all taken down."

"For?"

"This is treason." The guard replied.

The man's eyes rolled up, looking anywhere but at their faces for awhile. How was this treason? Then he glanced back to them, scowling rather, slowly he took in a deep breath then gave them a piece of his mind.

"Wh-!"

Before they could react, he had pushed the two of them down then bolted right out of the alley. Knocking shoulders with way too many people as he made his escape, the two quickly picked themselves up and gave chase with spears held high.

He did not want to argue with them because they always used their ruler's name to cover their backsides, there was no point. They either torture you to confess to something or just forget about you when you're behind bars, it's one of their 'job benefits'. Being total asshats.

He could not tell how far he had gotten from them but he wasn't giving up yet, taking a right turn which bought him some time, he took yet another deep breath and murmured over the posters.

"Hhaaauurrlluuu~" Then flung them high, scattering them to any winds who heard him. The man imbued into this single word; all his yearn for people to notice the dilema they were in and all his hope that they would rise up to the occasion. It was spoken with great demand, with great expectations.

"Stop right there!" He heard two voices cry out behind him, breaking his trance and it made him quicken his steps once more. But not before looking back one last time, when he turned around he saw many of his papers swept away by an awkward wind and through the windows it flitted through ...the Scarlet Rose.

Alyss Desmarais

Cruel, cruel attention, she mused herself into not replying for a bit. "My name is Alyss Noelle Desmarais." She decided to reveal her last name. Why not? Her family was rich, for they were one of the major trading empires of the city. Most people knew her last name, but no one knew about Alyss. Her father had smothered word of the attempted assassination, and how his whole family was saved by her. No panther lived around the area with green eyes. They must've figured it was her. But any rumors were stomped down by her old family.
Her name was so regal for the scroungy girl. She was darker than the rest, not by tan, her skin was a light brown, like the fancy chocolate that flowed through the marketplace. She used to love it when she was younger.
"As you can probably guess, I'm a shapeshifter. There aren't too many around, anymore," she said with a hint of bitterness in her tone. Her eyes shifted from place to place, not wanting to linger. She blinked as suddenly a large piece of paper was swept into the window. Alyss stared at the window, in wonder, then got up to go inspect it.
What was portrayed was a witch. Red paint seemed to symbolize blood on her. Weapons were shown in her throat. Alyss immediately thought, so this is what awaits all of our kind? Death..?
She rethought it. She knew from her experience that most village folk disapproved of magic ever since the witch had unleashed hers upon the land. But it didn't seem that they were portraying the death of any other magic uses. Words lay at the bottom, that she didn't dare read aloud. Alyss wondered if she should share it...of course! She picked the paper up and set it down on a table, in the center of the people who took interest.
I've never seen these before.. perhaps once in the city.. then again, I don't wander the streets too often.

Their eyes met for only second until the startling laughter of two drunk men broke the stare. Silence filled the bar as the girl spoke. "My name is Alyss Noelle Desmarais." The name rung a bell, yet she couldn't place where she heard it from. She tried not to stare as she explained that she was a shape-shifter, an almost extinct type of magic.
Jinx's eyes wondered to the window, suddenly a piece of paper fluttered in. Looking around she noticed the shape shifter also noticed the paper. She watched with the corner of her eye has the girl cautiously picked up the paper, her expression had to mean what ever was on the paper wasn't pleasant. She set the paper down for all to see it, small gasps left the mouths of the sober ladies and gentlemen. The gruesome picture was certain to be permanently burned into her memory. Jinx could feel all the blood drain from her already pale face. No words were exchanged, along with glances. Every one's eye were glued to the paper reading the neatly written words.
Should we expect more of these? More of our kind dying one by one. Jinx could feel the anger growing in her, she was ready for revenge. trying to hide her emotions she place her satin hood to hide her face once again. This disgusts me, who do such a thing? Jinx sighed as she tried to calm her anger. "This has to end." she muttered under breathe bitterly.

Ezekiel looked around the bright streets, blinking in the bright light. He figured it was about mid-morning, nearing noontime. He stretched, leaving the inn that he had snuck into. There weren't many people in the Kingdom of Light that didn't already live there because the gates were going to be closing permanently. And who wanted to be trapped away from home? So he had climbed into the building, and found an empty room, and stayed there for the night. Ezekiel had managed to actually sleep the night before, as well. He felt gloriously refreshed, and decided to celebrate his rare sleep with a small drink in his now-pleasant mood.
Walking through the crowds of people, he kept his pace easy, steady, and his eyes low. The colors of people's souls were generally bright, and they gave him a headache when he saw them in such a wide array, so to further assist in avoiding seeing the multitude of colors, he pulled the hood of his cape down over his brown eyes.
The night before had been the first time he had slept in about two weeks because, when he closed his, he could still see the souls of others, as little flickers of light dancing in the blackness behind his eyelids. He would be awake for night after night after night, until his body could finally take no more and he passed out. He usually slept for about 12 hours in these bouts, sometimes shorter, sometimes even longer.
He ended up bumping into a few citizens as he passed through the marketplace, planning to steal a bite to eat as he traveled. He apologized, seeing their auras shift from a typical neutral color to a violet-ish. Once he even tripped, falling into a bread stand. This was intentional, however, and managed to tuck two small loaves into his side bag while the shopkeeper was distracted and trying to fix everything up.

Before reaching the tavern, Ezekiel had stolen a few small fruits, and had pick-pocketed for enough money to purchase one or two drinks. He could be a very crafty thief if he wanted, being able to see who was distracted by their surroundings and who was focused on not losing anything, but he decided if he had enough to get by it didn't matter too much, even if he did have to steal a bit along the way.
Once he glanced up in time to see someone's intentions flicker greedily with a shade of green, as if they were about to reach in to his own bag and steal what they could. He casually moved his left hand to his sword hilt as the stranger bumped into him, and they walked away empty handed, a look of fear on their face.
But then he saw the small structure, some posters hanging up outside. Ezekiel smiled, then walked up to the entrance, pausing to glance at the posters. He felt a flare of anger at the assumed picture of the witch, wanting to kill her right then and there, but relaxed himself.

There's no point in getting angry at a picture. I have every right to be enraged,and I accept that I am angry... after all, she did kill my family. But to let it out at an inappropriate time would only create a scene. He sighed, walking into the tavern and approaching the barkeeper, pulling his hood back and lifting his eyes because the setting was smaller. There weren't as many colors assaulting his pupils, and the area was shaded. Sitting at the bar were two men who had wavery, watery auras. They were obviously drunk already. Another girl nearby had a violet colored soul. She seemed to be quite the angry type, then. Either that or she was having a very bad day so far. Then the barkeep caught Ezekiel's attention. He had been dazed off, as usual.
"Hey, what do you want? I can't just sit here and wait for you," He snapped impatiently. Ezekiel could tell he at least somewhat enjoyed his job, though. It bought money.

"I will have..." Ezekiel began, his strong tenor voice contemplative. "A small mug of ale, I suppose. To me, today is a good day." He grinned, flipping his coins to the barkeep, who got on his order while Ezekiel found a seat at the bar, two chairs away from the drunk men. One of them had idly started to ignore his purse, and Ezekiel contemplated swiping a few coins.

No, I think what I have will suffice. Then he pulled out of his bag his fresh and still warm bread and fruit, taking a large bite of an apple and thanking the barkeeper, who had graciously supplied his drink.
"At least you're having a good day. That might be the first time I've heard that in some time," He grunted.
Understandable. But at least you get extra coin from those who drink their cares away. Should be a good thing for you.
Then Ezekiel glanced around the bar, observing and keeping a neutral expression while he ate, and keeping an eye on the girl who's aura was an angry violet. She was looking at a piece of paper, and he noticed that it was the poster that he had seen outside.

Deac waited for the girl to respond. If she didn't answer, it mattered not to him. He could always move to the next person around the bar and there were many taverns, with many loose-lipped men and women willing to talk. She suddenly spoke, yet she didn't take her eyes off the table.
"My name is Alyss Noelle Desmarais," she said, she paused, seeming to contemplate the meaning of the name. Then she spoke again. "As you can probably guess, I'm a shapeshifter. There aren't too many around, anymore,"She said, adding a little bitterness to the last part. But, alas, she was right, most shapeshifters have gone either into hiding, or have been killed. Deac about to reply, when suddenly a piece of paper flew in through the window. He watched it fall gently to the floor, but there was something off about this. Despite the paper been blown in, there was no breeze, or atleast, it seemed like the wind stopped flowing once the job of transporting the paper was accomplished. He noticed a movement and saw Alyss get up to pick up the paper. Deac was about to stop her, but it was too late, she picked up the paper. Absolutely nothing happened. But his caution was well founded. The unnatural appearance of the paper could have been a set up for a curse. But this time, it seemed not to be so. She put the paper on the table. Deac leaned over, careful not to expose his face, and looked at the paper.
What was portrayed was a witch. Red paint seemed to symbolize blood on her. Weapons were shown impaling throat. Deac wondered what it meant, did it mean deah to the witch, or something more symbolic, He knows of the superstitions against the magic users, perhaps this was some form of hate crime, and if it was, he may be in danger, for due to his curse he had often been mistaken for an average beast, and more than a few times had to escape from angry villagers and a few mobs, despite his attempts to prove himself innocent. He noticed the quiet as people gathered around to read, and besides the occasional gasp and the ruckus outside. it was dead silent. He saw the green eyed girl look at the paper. Her earlobes started to gain a pinkish tint, as though she were trying to control her anger, and besides that and her slightly dilated pupils, she did a good job in hiding her emotions. He was about to look away when he heard her bitterly mutter under her breath "This has to end".
He wondered, if this truly had a message to all magic users, how did it relate to her? He muttered under his breath as well, half hoping she would hear, and half hoping she didn't "Agreed"

((P.S. Can my aura be gold? Deac is supposed to be noble so it would be a good color. if you do it thnx, if not, meh thnx anyway :D))

With her back against the tavern's wall and her foot propped up against her chest, Bricana watched yet another hooded figure enter. Well, Well... today is the day when all the 'freaks' come out of the wood works, she smirked. Smelling the air once more, she decided the newest addition wasn't a minion of the Witch; but as for the still-hooded figure, she didn't trust his smell for a minute.

Bricana observed the male remove his hood and order a drink. She was surprised to find that he wasn't bad looking, either. She nearly smiled as she watched him contemplate lightening a drunken man's purse. Now this seemed like a fellow thief that she could get along with. But as he pulled out his warm bread and produce, she scowled at his bounty; staring in envy as the juices from the apple wet his lips. Her stomach writhed with hunger. Pulling herself up from her seat onto shaky knees, she began her journey towards the back door.

An unpleasant scent stopped her right in her tracks. It danced into her nostrils, insulting her gag reflex yet begging her to smell again. Death. It was near, and it's sickeningly sweet odor permeated the Tavern. As she turned on her heel, an odd current of wind brought in a single piece of parchment on its back. The shapeshifter curiously made her way to the paper. Bricana held her breath, waiting for the paper to devour the girl whole, or to burst into a million flesh-devouring spiders. The girl picked up the paper.

Nothing happened.

Life continued. Laughs were shared, jokes were told and drinks were spilled.

But not by this girl. She stared intently at the poster.

Carefully, Bricana moved closer, trying not to gag as the scent grew stronger. A few others had gathered to look at the scrap. She glanced carefully over their shoulders, only to find herself face to face with a depiction of Allandria... the Witch.

((wow second day and it's already getting really interesting))

Leaning back into her stool something caught her eye, a man walked in giving Jinx a weird look. Jinx was use to being stared at but something about how this man was looking at her, it was as if he was looking past her appearance. Still flustered she could feel her face grow hot from anger. Hiding behind her hood her green eyes glowed. The man took a seat a couple seats from her. He pulled out some fresh fruit and what it smelt like warm bread. Noticing the odd amount of people entering the bar on such a sunny day. Jinx's nails dug into her leg as she bit her lip harshly. Glancing back at the man with gentleman sitting near by "Agreed" he muttered in response. Jinx almost feel off the stool, taken back by his response Jinx chose to ignore it.
Growing bored Jinx decided to show off a little. Removing her nails from her leg she held her hand in front of her. A green glow blossomed from her hand, the glow of the healer. Jinx quickly closed her before she attacked any unwanted attention. She peered from her hood to see that new comer was still watching her. Is he staring at my soul or something? She chuckled slightly at her own thought.
A great amount of magic filled the room, and Jinx could feel it. Jinx kept her eyes on the table as her emotion bubbled. A drunk man bumped into Jinx as he asked for another beer, Jinx shot a glare in his direction even though she knew he was paying no attention. "Why do I even come here?" she hissed under her breath. Suddenly a sweet tune came from the back of the bar. Jinx turned her head to find a girl playing on the old grand piano. Under her hood a half smile grew on her face as the young girl hit the keys with grace and talent. Jinx resisted the urge to sway with the sweet tune.

Kasper walked with his head down in the shadows of the street. He turned down into an alleyway, the damp cobblestones on his bare feet cooling the hash blisters and cuts. Once out the other end of the dark alley, the young boy looked up, for the first time in a while, and observed with a keen eye. The marketplace was busy; a perfect time to snatch a few coins and some food. Kasper stepped back into the shadows, bracing his back against a stone wall. The boy closed his eyes, and in a mental picture he tried again to use his future-seeing ability.
All he could see was a river that seemed filled with people, stone shore banks and many pebbles resting in the flow that rushed each shore. Near one side, he noticed the dark figures of the Kingdom's officers crowded; they seemed angry, against the flow. Something broke away and made a dash for a new place smelling of fermenting alcohol, leaving Kasper with a picture of the witch thrown in his face.
The boy coughed, his head pounding to put the pieces together. The river of people was obviously the market place; he decided to slink through and follow the officers, hoping to find their runaway's destination. Taking a breath and clearing his throat, Kasper rounded out of the alleyway and disappeared into the river of people.
He passed many food stands and others in the marketplace, the traders and beggars rotting on the side of the road. Using his telekinesis powers, Kasper lifted an apple resting in the pile of a stand in front of him. He grabbed the apple and put it in his backpack, then in one fluid motion, grabbed a slice of bread and three gold coins out of a man's satchel. With his pockets full, Kasper hurried through multiple alleys and lonely roads to find the ale house he'd spotted in his vision. Finally, his nose led him to the Scarlet Rose Tavern.
"Not exactly the place for a typical eleven-year-old, but I'm no typical eleven-year-old," Kasper muttered under his breath, slipping in after some drunkards. A small attention seemed to be drawn around a table, and he kept away from it. Taking a table to himself in a corner by a foggy old window, Kasper spread out the apple and bread slice. Carefull to savour every bite, the young boy took his time, examining the strangers around him with a wild look. He kept his eyes on the crowd, though, just in case.

((Wow, I did not mean to copy Ezekial at all with the bread & apple, I promise. Great minds think alike?))

((sorry double post))

The girl seemed to hear him mutter the word, for she reacted quiet surprised, but she played it off immediately, and quite successfully too. But he did not pursue it. He noticed two new additions to the guests at the tavern, in the back was a young man, staring intently at the young woman who he had muttered the response to. And a girl looking over Alyss's shoulder, she had a face like she had smelled an exceedingly foul stench. The sound of the piano came over the background, the girl was playing a sweet tune, it was almost a sad one really. He thought of what these people must be going through.... how the witch has affect their lives.... as she had affected his... He paid no mind to either of the new comers. The one who who did pay attention to was a young boy who looked to be around eleven or twelve. When the boy walked in quietly, not alerting anyone of his presence and sat down, Deac's Heart skipped a beat. Deac remembered back when he wasn't under this wretched curse, his hair seemed to be the same color. The boy's also had the same color eyes as Ophelia, Deac's wife at the time. The boy had the same color skin tone as Deac, although a slightly lighter version.
It cant be... Thought, but the more he thought about it the more likely it seemed. This boy was around the right age, perhaps...
Gah... what good could it do me if he was... given my current condition, how would I be able to even approach him, and then after that what would I say? How would I explained to him that I abandoned him...Deac couldn't help but feel a deep sadness... his eyes watered... but he knew there was no point in crying, so he stopped his tears, npt moving, but just not crying. not on tear dropped, instead it was absorbed by his face. But perhaps he could find away... somehow he could introduce himself to the boy... but for now... Deac realized how the boy looked, besides his bodily appearance... he looked dirty, and like he hadn't eaten in days. and his clothes werent in the best shape... the boy ate slowly, savoring each bite like it was his last, or, more likely, his first in a long time. Deac couldn't help it. He turned to the bartender and paid him handsomely for a well cooked meal. One for him and one for the boy... but he didn't want to be to direct. So he tried to think of another way... He looked around to see that the very few that were not drunk. He emptied his bag of gold and separated the price. Deac was not wealthy, but he knew how to save and spend his money. He quietly ordered a hot well cooked meal for them all of them consisting of steak and potatoes being careful for them not to hear. him and got up and sat at an empty table not saying a word to anyone until the food was done.


((I'm Guessing you all figured that the few sober people are only you guys and i was moving towards uniting you all. hence the Empty table, but dont conform to my plans, just a possible setup ;P))

Alyss Desmarais

Alyss dropped the poster like it was a red-hot stone. It fell to the table quietly. The witch's eyes did not have pupils, yet they seemed to bore into Alyss. She did not like that. She backed away, in a "it's yours" type of movement and let the other girl stare at it. She kept moving back until her hand came across rough wood and she sat down in a chair.
More people kept filing into the tavern, all of them shrouded in mystery. A younger boy, maybe four or five years younger than herself, was slowly devouring an apple, his eyes slightly wild as he surveyed the room. Tensions were high, it seemed, and so were hers. This might be a problem.. her transformations, yes, were under her will. She was still learning to control them. In high emotional situations, she'd transform automatically. Some sort of animalistic instinct in order to protect herself. It might have come from her time spent in the wild. If she was surprised, or furious or desperate she would morph without realizing it. And that usually ended up with lots of awkward questions.
Distracting herself, she sat back in the chair to notice she was sitting at the same table as the hooded man. She thought that was interesting, but said nothing. This table was otherwise empty, however.
The smell of meat suddenly drifted over to her. She didn't want to seem like some weird werewolf of some sort. She tried to retain her human features.. but she couldn't help lifting her head slightly to better get the smell. Not quite as refined as if she were a panther, but she knew it was meat being tossed into something sizzling. Deer? Cow meat was a little hard to come by, as the cows made invaluable and precious foods. Although she'd eaten.. her stomach couldn't help but rumble.
You're so greedy. Alyss scolded herself. Wel, technically, she used to eat whole deer back before magic twisted the forests. She'd been living off scraps and morsels, not unlike everyone else here. Alyss tried her hardest not to involuntarily morph ..

((Good God. In 24 hours you all came a long way. Shmeh. I literally came home at 6:30, showered, ate, napped until 8, and watched glee. I've got no energy. But I wanted to post here. I originally wanted to wait for nightfall to bring in Ivory... But I'm too impatient. I'll write around it. I just thought an evening/night atmosphere was better - usual bar patrons will have left by that point. Then it would just be our group.))

A crow cawed roughly and loudly just a few branches above the sleeping, silver-haired girl. Ivory started, nearly falling from her perch. She glared at the mangy black bird. She waved her hand at it, and the black scavenger took off. Ebony feathers fell lightly toward the forrest floor. Ivory squinted up at the sun. She couldn't quite pinpoint its location, but she assumed that it was around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Ivory yawned and stretched in the birch tree. Rolling her shoulders, she slid out of the tree.

Landing with a soft thud, Ivory checked her person. Everything was in its rightful place- bow slung across her body, quiver resting between her shoulder blades. She tightened the scarf wound around her face, before setting off. Ivory walked forward through the trees in order to peer at the city gates once more. The traffic still hadn't eased up; if anything, it got worse. Crowds of merchants were noisily making their way into the city. Ivory groaned. Originally, she had planned to wait until nightfall. In the darkness the guards would be less likely to remember her features... it also provided some disguise against her hair. If it was a cloudy night, the shining silver strands would come off as grey or white. But Ivory could wait no longer. She seldom stayed in one place for two long, forever wandering. Suddenly, and idea popped into Ivory's mind. It would take some bribery, but it would work. Besides, what else could she do?

Ivory backtracked through the woods, flanking the dirt road that lead up to the City of Light. The line of caravans had backed up about a half-mile. After Ivory was about fourty feet away from the gates, she slipped into the crowd. The large hood of her cloak was up, and her hair was swept to the nape of her neck. The cowl fully masked her incriminating tresses. Along with the scarf wound around the bottom of her face, only the bridge of Ivory's nose was visible.

Ivory weaved through the line of people easily, noticed by very few. She kept her head down and even crouched a bit in order to blend in. While Ivory's height was a large advantage when it came to archery, it was detrimental when she tried to disappear. Finally, Ivory drew to a stop next to a pair of what seemed like brothers. They were quite young. One looked to be about thirteen, the other around the age of seventeen. Ivory stood next to the older boy and nudged his side casually.

"I have a proposition for you," she murmured quietly. The boy turned and looked down at her. All he saw was a cloaked figure standing by his side. He opened his mouth to ask something, but Ivory grabbed his hand. She forced three gold pieces into his palm.

"I need to get into the city. Let me hitch a ride in your caravan and I'll give you triple the payment you hold in your hand." Ivory wrapped his large fingers around the coins firmly. She glanced up at him, to catch his slight nod.

"Get in." The boy moved aside, allowing her to crawl into the vehicle. She was forced to crouch in the cramped space, fighting against rough carpets for a spot of floor. She could not have entered soon enough. The two merchant boys approached the gate in mere minutes. Ivory could hear their muffled voices.

"Halt! State your business." The guard's voice was a monotone. Clearly he was weary of the entire business concerning the incoming populous.

"We're carpet merchants, come to sell our wares in the marketplace. We'll only be in for a day, you have my word." The deep, gravelly voice of the seventeen-year-old came clearly through the canvas covering the caravan. Not another word was spoken. The caravan jolted as the boys entered the city. After about ten minutes, the younger boy brushed back the hanging canvas and beckoned Ivory out. She obliged happily. Stepping out into the open air, Ivory stretched. She reached into her knapsack retrieving six more gold coins. She handed them to the older boy, nodding her thanks. With that, she disappeared into the bustling marketplace.

The entire street was swamped with the sheer mass of people. Ivory did her best to cut through the mob, but she was still jostled around. Her brown cloak concealed her bow, quiver, and knapsack, providing some form of protection against pickpockets. Ivory managed to slip into a rather deserted alleyway. She took a deep breath. Never before had she been around so many people. Her rural upbringing trained her for empty forests and other woodland areas. The city was absolutely daunting. Ivory decided that it would be best to find someplace to escape the sheer hysteria of the main streets... and perhaps discover a couple of rouges that wouldn't mind sticking a knife in the Witch's heart.

Ivory wandered down the winding alleys, eyes peeled for some refuge among the chaos. After about half and hour of searching, Ivory came upon a welcome sight. The Scarlet Rose Tavern was written in faded script on a rather weather-beaten hanging sign. Ivory entered the establishment with a sigh of relief. It was low-lit, like most taverns. A bartender was cleaning a mug with an old rag. Ivory sat down on a stool at the very end of the bar. She signaled the large man polishing the glass. He strode over, heavy steps thunking on the sturdy wood floor.

"Water, thank you." Ivory placed a bronze coin on the bar. The bartender picked it up, putting the piece in his pocket. Without a word, he went to retrieve the beverage. Ivory tugged her hood down even further. As good as taverns were for recruiting, they also seemed to be a popular venue for spies and the like. Slowly, Ivory took an inventory of the other patrons. On the other side of the tavern, multiple drinkers were sitting at tables. In fact, a small crowd seemed to be forming around a particular table. Not far away, was a large fellow with his cowl up. Ivory couldn't blame him. It never hurt to be inconspicuous. There were a couple ladies scattered about, one on a stool at the other end of the bar. Then, of course, there were the drunken fools that slurred mindlessly to themselves. Nothing seemed to be amiss.

The bartender suddenly slid her glass of water down the bar. Ivory looked up just in time to catch the glass. A couple water droplets jumped out of the cup, landing on the countertop. Ivory nodded towards the bartender. She pulled down her scarf and brought the glass to her lips. She downed the entire drink in one go, the liquid running down her throat. It had been a while since she had anything remotely "clean" to drink.

Ivory glanced in curiosity at the group still converging around the table. Perhaps it would be...educational to see what the fuss was about. Pulling her scarf back into place, Ivory slid off the stool and discreetly meandered over to the table. She walked a roundabout way towards the small table, attempting to stay unnoticed. She made a play at examining the ancient walls of the place, running her hands along the chinks of the brick wall. Soon she found herself peering over the shoulders of a man down to a piece of paper lying on the tabletop. Ivory's eyebrows twitched. The poster was colorful to say the least.

The flyer itself was nothing too original. It pictured "The Witch" herself, although the image was quite fanciful. Ivory felt a bit of relief. At least she knew some people were vying for the assassination of the hag. However, the style of the poster was disturbing. The stereotypical rendition of the Witch was enough evidence to suggest that the maker of the flyers did not look highly upon any practitioner of magic. Ivory had gathered enough information from the villages that she visited that a mass genocide was taking place. It was typical of people. Panic causes wild thinking. Stupid thinking. And because the Witch was an evil gorgon, the rest of the population began to fear any type of magic. Now it was rare to come across any magicians... The ignorance of people would be their own undoing.

Ivory examined the faces of the other patrons gazing at the flyer. She noticed a girl she hadn't seen before. She had startling green eyes, like emeralds filed to a sharp edge. She seemed most disgusted by the flyer. Ivory watched as she stood up from the table and backed away, eyes trained on the offending piece of paper. Ivory stored her observations away. She would stay in the bar for a while. It seemed worth it. At least the green-eyed girl was promising. Ivory too withdrew from the small crowd and sat back down in her barstool all the way at the end. She traced the edge of the glass with her finger, peripherally watching the emerald-eyed one.

((Tada. About 1,500 words.))

Ezekiel was just about finished with his first mug, and had torn away at the apple and one loaf of bread. He had stopped observing the angry girl, who clearly had some skill in the arcane arts. To what extent, he really could not say, but as the red-violet glow that surrounded her became slashed through with silver, a color that indicated magic, he turned to observe the rest in the Scarlet Rose Tavern. One man, sitting at a mostly empty table, had his face covered by a hood. But covering a face did not hide souls from Ezekiel. This one glowed with a rich purple, the color of nobility. When viewed as an emotion purple could also represent rage, but over the years, Ezekiel had learned to tell the difference between one's soul and the emotions that run through it on a daily basis.
Now, in this man's aura there were also shimmers of dark yellow, bordering (but not quite) gold, shining through. He exuded patience as well. Some shifting colors of emotions flickered through, such as nostalgia and sadness as Ezekiel watched, but it then turned into something not often seen anymore: generosity.
From Ezekiel's place at the bar, he could tell that this one could be trusted, and to earn his trust would be invaluable and difficult. Ezekiel almost wanted to talk to the man, to learn from him or hear a story. But that might have just been an urge from a time past when he was still only 15, hearing stories of awesome battles and victorious struggles from his father...
Shaking himself, he was relieved to notice he hadn't been caught staring.
There was the curious young boy at the back, not even looking like a teenager, who held an air of uncertainty around him, and secrecy.
Nearing the back of the tavern, almost as if she had been sneaking out, was a girl who, oddly enough, had a tinge of envy around her as she glanced quickly away from his direction. But that was just a momentary thing. Overall, she seemed to have a kind spirit. Unsure of herself, and perhaps lacking in confidence from what Ezekiel could see, but willing to have a heart towards others. He figured he would be able to get along with her. The little streaks of silver and black unnerved him slightly, though.
Another rarity these days... Death and magic. A necromancer? he thought to himself.
Moving on, the local shapeshifter was sitting at the same table as the one who seemed to be a nobleman. She was extremely tense, and her yellowish aura of nervousness covered up most of everything else.
But then he noticed the barkeeper set a plate down behind him on the bar, from which delicious smells wafted up.
Wha... I didn't order this... But he decided, since the drunk men were still carrying on and not paying attention (almost to the point of staggering outside, which would certainly clear the air), that he would eat it anyway.
Steak and potatoes.
When Ezekiel last had a meal like this, he could not say. But he ate it in little time with just as little manners. He hoped nobody really noticed. He wasn't starving, but having a quality meal was not something he would let pass by, and he did thoroughly enjoy it.
Then he looked around, and noticed that everyone in the tavern who wasn't drunk received the same meal.
They all look very surprised. Nobody paid for it, so... Oh. Him. He looked at the hooded man. That was just a guess, but it would explain the generosity that appeared earlier. Also, there was some slight satisfaction barely under the surface.
So, Ezekiel decided to thank him.
He stood up from the bar, taking the last of his single mug of ale with him, and walked with his usual slow pace over to the man at the table, and took a seat, a chair away from both the nobleman and the shapeshifter, and cleared his throat. "Excuse my sudden approach, sir," he said, trying to be formal. If his guess was correct (and it usually was), this man was to be regarded with respect. And Ezekiel planned to do just that. "But I have reason to believe that you purchased that meal for me... and the others. And I thank you. Would you like payment in return?"
Offering money for a gift usually wasn't Ezekiel's style. If he received a gift he would be thankful for it regardless of whether or not he deserved it.

((It feels weird to be posting so often. Anyways, I'm not trying to get attention here. You could ignore me if you like, I'm just trying to get the whole "noob shapeshifter" thing set.))

Alyss had shivered in nothing else that could be described other than delight. A plate was set down in front of her. Something seemed to spark in her eyes, and she disappeared. One second, Alice had blinked, the next she was on the ground. She stared at her enormous claws, dumbfounded. Really? Really?! Damn, damn, damn!
Since she couldn't talk while in transformation, she let loose a current of curses in her mind. A huge furry lump rose from the floor. Sensing the bulk, and smothering rage, she knew she was a bear. A young adult size, not a full-grown male bear..
Alyss's bear mind was too lazy to bother to transform back, so she simply went to her hind legs. She stood at about nine feet, towering the rest for two seconds. Then she was next to her chair, tearing into the potato. The "meat" was gone in a matter of seconds. Then the steak. Although she is.. well, had been, a vegetarian, all this vanished. When she involuntarily morphed, the animal's instincts took over more. The steak was gone and she chewed on the marrow like a common hound. When she finished, she sat, dazed for a moment. Then she jarred out of the ravenous-devouring moment and stood, a human once more, and sat down. This time, her cheeks were red. Her temper flared, then, threatening to snap at any of the drunkards who asked. It'd happened before. And no one was happy in the end.
"Yes. Thanks for the food," her words showed her tight control of her emotion. She wasn't even sure if the man had bought it or not. Either way, she was grateful.
I destroyed that thing, she thought with a hint of pride.

City of Light, Market Square


"Basterds."

He muttered under his breath as he pressed his back closer to the wall, the guards were easy to spot in the crowd with their meticulously painted armor, he however, was not. Blending in with the populace, he sometimes walked sometimes ran and led them in circles around the marketplace. They showed fervour he did not usually come across in pursuing him, all for the matter of his posters. Maybe they did not want all the hopeful souls to venture out from the City of Light and risk their lives, ... he doubted that they would be so noble.

-------------

The chase had finally died down, they would have to take down the posters themselves now, he supposed and he felt a little prideful from being able to loose them. Twice that was, within a month. Silently, he stepped out of the corner to become one with the populace again.

A river of colors, bright as ever, ran through the square. The City of Light was humanity's last Bastion, people from all corners have come here to seek refuge from the Witch's influence. But the amount of life here was still suprising to him as ever, even after having lived here for almost a year. Merchants peddled their goods with enthusiasm, even luxurious ones like the carpet-selling duo who just came in on a caravan, hollered for people to buy their things. It did not take a keen eye to notice that fewer people sold foodstuff and more weapons were on the rise, many people were desperate for protection.

The allure of the market was strong but he did not want to get distracted, his shoes shuffled against grainy cobblestone till he reached the doorsteps of the Scarlet Rose, following a perculiarly masked young woman. It wasn't that hard to find fighters these days, they're really the only ones daring to go out at all.The tavern seemed more muted than usual, there was less banging-of-mugs per say. That and maybe because everyone was staring at a big, fat, bear eating from a plate in the middle of the room. His hand was immediately put on the sword, his steps faltered. Stepping back, he could feel someone's bosom pressed against his back. People were trying to enter the tavern and had unintentionally cornered him.

There were others in the tavern too, amongst them, two children. One haggard-looking boy and a girl cowering behind the piano, but there was something odd about this ...his own green eyes noticed her's.

"YOU again." He said with a little distaste. Far in front of him stood one of the City of Light's curious denizens, anyone who has lived here long enough would have at least heard of the shapeshifting nuisance who plagued the streets. More often than not, they would have seen her as well, just as he did. It's not like she had done anything crimminally unpardonable so far, but it was enough to make her unwelcomed in many places.



On the floor lay a few scattered pieces of his papers, looks he's in the right place afterall ...

Surprise filled Kasper when the bartender placed a heaping plate of potatoes and meat in front of him. The offering was like a feast to the starving boy, and he look up to make sure the dinner was for him alone, but the bartender was walking away, out of hearing range in the loud tavern, delivering the same meal to a few others. The boy hesitated still, observing each person receiving the meal. Kasper was just glancing at a suspicious looking hooded man when out of nowhere, a bear stood and stretched to its full height, wildly devouring its plate of food like it was only a few crumbs.
Kasper kept his calm, but inside he was wondering how the hell he'd missed a nine-foot tall bear entering the tavern. Then, before his eyes, the bear shifted back into the form of a woman, older than himself but still of a young age. She seemed self-conscious and angry at first, but then calmed herself and muttered something to the cloaked man.
Even a kid of his age, Kasper knew that shape shifters and others with powers were all too rare in those days. The urge to talk to her, see if she knew others with powers, began to overwhelm him. The boy hastened to finish his remaining bread, put the leftover apple in his backpack, and to eat the meal placed before him. The fact that meat was on his plate was like a delicacy to him; almost no meat was to be found nowadays because of the witch's curse.
In the middle of eating, Kasper noticed a man walk in around his late teens or early twenties; he seemed very tired and lacking personal hygiene, yet still full of life. Never judge a book by its cover... he thought. The man, he finally realized, was the runaway from his vision. Somehow, Kasper had arrived at the Tavern before the man. The officers chasing him must have taken longer to lose than he had originally seen in his vision.
Suddenly, Kasper was overtaken with a fit of coughing form his illness, most likely an effect of the witch. His telekinesis and future-seeing abilities had been retarded as well when the witch's curse had fallen over the land. He tried concealing his choking and control himself, but the boy just seemed to feel worse and worse. Finally, Kasper stopped, calling the bartender over and buying water with the coins he'd stolen earlier. He gulped down the clean water which soothed his throat, and relaxed. Kasper relaxed back against his chair, his head pounding with a headache. He decided to stay put and not visit the shape shifter until later.

((Sorry for random coughing, just needed a way to finish up))

((Solamente i've said it before and ill say it again, your awesome. i like the aura. better than what i imagined, the soul seer part fits you :D))
Deac sat quietly as he waited for the food to be brought out. He said quietly pondering, if he should have done that. Not because of the money he wasted, He could make that back quickly, But because of what they would say... but he figured whats done is done. He looked around at the patrons whom he had ordered food for, the sober ones. He knew Alyss and the young boy would get some, for he spoke to Alyss and she was definitely sober, and the boy did not get anything, he had his own bread and apple. He looked to the girl who was mumbling to the dog upon his entrance. She looked like she too had not eaten in a while, infact as he looked about, nearly everyone who he had gotten food for looked like the food would be much appreciated. He immediately felt a great satisfaction. He new that the young were the future, and doing what he could to help them prosper was good. Also it would show them that kindness between humans still existed, even in these hard times. He was happy he bought it for everyone.
Alyss suddenly dropped the paper to the table and started moving back. She sat in the first chair her hand bumped into, which just happened to be hers. But she did not say anything, she just sat down. A tall girl with a bow and quiver strapped to her back walked in. she sat at a table and said something the bartender, the bartender gave her a cup of liquid, which Deac could not see, but Deac figured it was not water because the bartender glanced at Deac, sort of asking this one too? but with no words. Deac nodded slightly and the bartender returned to the front, and began preparing another steak. He then took the other steaks off the fire and took the potatoes out of the boiling water and set them on a plate, cutting the potato in half and placing each half on either side of the steak, he did this for the other steaks and began passing them out. He got to their table, and put one plate in front of Alyss and another in front of Deac. He whispered to Deac,
"It's been a while since I've seen an act of kindness such as yours, so I'll wait to see those who show you gratitute, which will likely be most, but when they do, just call and you'll have a free round, on the house." He said smiling and walked back to the front.
Deac noticed Alyss eyeing the food hungrily, and she looked like she was trying very hard not to attack the food with the ferocity of a Forest beast. But he thought nothing of it. Deac stared at his food. The steak was still sizzling, the smoky aroma immediately filling the room. The juices sitting on the steak were still bubbling from the residual heat on the steak. Around the steak, the juiced that dripped off the steak were soaking into the potatoes. Deac picked up his fork and began to cut the tender meat, He looked around with his eyes, not moving his head and saw people looking around in confusion as they tried to figure out who had paid for this meal, a few had noticed it was him. He raised his first fork full when he noticed a shadow suddenly over take him and a chair clattering to the ground. In front of him a large brown bear was Demolishing the food, finishing it within seconds. Then the Bear stopped after the food was done with a dazed look on its face, and then Alyss was standing in it's place. She picked up her chair and sat down quietly.
"Yes, Thanks for the food." She said with a hint of pride in her food, and he could see why. She had pretty much wiped the steak from existence...
Deac was watching the whole spectacle with his first forkful floating outside of his mouth. When she finished and thanked him he chuckled and ate.
Definitely the right thing to do. He thought. He was calmly eating his food when from behind him he hears a chair pull out. He heard slow footsteps approaching, like a sleep man. Then the chair next to Deac was pulled out and in sat the boy who he had seen sitting near the farthest back when he moved to this table.
The boy cleared his throat and spoke.
"Excuse my sudden approach, sir," Deac noticed the formality in the boys voice, He seemed to be very grateful for the meal. "But I have reason to believe that you purchased that meal for me... and the others. And I thank you. Would you like payment in return?" He finished
Deac turned to the boy, who had a sleepy look in his eyes, but Deac could tell it was not of drunkenness. Up close Deac noticed his features much better. The man seemed to be young, in his 20's he had Tan skin and a tattoo on his left shoulder, one that Deac recognized
as one of the tattoos of one of the Nomadic tribes. He looked the part due to his clothes were light, like the desert dwellers would wear, With a sort of off white hooded cape that seemed to be able to be pulled over his face, he had his hair tied back in a small ponytail. He had two swords with hand guards on each sides, He had never seen swords like those but Deac wondered if the were to be reverse-wielded, He had once seen a man fight with swords that were meant to be reverse wielded, the dizzying speeds and distinguished attacks left Deac impressed. Bu these were different, they were of a higher quality, even deac was amazed to see such craftsmanship He wore knee guards, foot guarts and wrist gauntlets, which was sure to add weight to the mans swing, and if he is good it would add speed as well. The man also had brown eyes that seemed to look past you, and occasionally Deac would notice his eyes flitting around Deac and back, Almost as if noticing something of Deac's outline.
"Yes I did, Your welcome, but think nothing of it. If anything, please stop calling me Sir, it has been long since I had gone by that title." Deac said, his Deep and powerful voice seemed loud even though he was speaking quietly. He was remembering the day he was Knighted by the King and Queen as Sir Zegram Deac Aurelius of the royal guard. It was true, it had been a while since someone had called him that.
"You may call me Deac, and what, may I ask is your name" He said returning the respect to the Man next to him.
Before he could answer, there was another customer entering the bar. He stared at the girl at the piano. "You again!" He said but then kept going, He looked at the paper which now lay on the floor, and put on a face of satisfaction as he seemed to recognize them.
There was a sudden fit of coughing from the boy who Deac had originally decided to buy the meal for, Deac was about to get up to give him his water but the boy suddenly stopped. The boy called the bartender over and ordered some water, the bartender brought it over. Deac mentally kicked himself for not ordering it in the first place, seeing as how he had plenty of money left to get the water, but it was too late to do much... Deac went back to slowly enjoying his food, he seemed to be the only one doing so. Despite his situation, These people seemed to have it worse than him, or at least as far as he knows... he made a mental note to search for his wife. Perhaps throw some money her way to help take care of herself and his son... He pushed away that possibility, it was not the time to think of depressing thoughts, but it was there though, the possibility that the boy was not his son... and the possibility that he would find his wife and son... in the graveyard...
He pushed it as far back before it could really get to him... He then realized that all of this happened at once pretty much, He looked back at the man who had spoken to him. Who looked like he had just gotten of looking at the new guy and started to form his reply.