Loyahl 'Sentry' Zpolebh's Story

Loyahl was nearing his fifth week of tracking whatever 'beast' was rumored to lay in the woods, and as each day passed, he grew more and more skeptical of what it actually was. He wasn't a fool when it came to tracking, he set up an area to return to to resupply every week or so that passed, a gypsy camp that lay north of Wing City and rest in the more sparse area of the woodland area.

His visits became less frequent, however, and he had recently ended up staying out much longer than he originally intended. Not that he felt welcome in the camp, anyway. It was discerning, and there was an eerie stillness whenever he entered it, hushed whispers being thrown about around him.

He had been becoming more skeptical because whatever it was he was tracking was entire aware of it, although not at first. It was relatively easy to pick up on, but as the time stretched on whatever it was became more careful. Covered its tracks and left Loyahl with a dead end. There was only one direction for it to head in, however, and Loyahl ended up heading farther North than was safe for him.

The greater the distance between him and the gypsy meant more time wasted between trips, and more time wasted meant a much greater lack of supplies each time. Just like at that very moment, as the winds weren't as particularly harsh as they usually were, and he relentlessly trekked up a mountain peak that he wasn't even sure housed this 'creature' he was following.

And it was harsh on him, leaving him tired, minimal on supplies, and utterly frustrated.

As Loyahl made his way deeper into the icy peaks, the way only grew more treacherous. Rocks slick with ice and snow left each step as dangerous as his last. It would be hours though before he caught ear of the distant sound of a flute carried in on the crisp evening air.

The source of music was that of Rynhart who was lounging on a crumbled bit of rock, one leg dangling freely over the edge. The man would seem a peculiar sight this far from civilization. He looked elven in nature, but was clothed in exotic and expensive looking finery unbecoming of traveling this icy landscape. Resting upon the ground near the rock was a great sword, sheathed in an ornate scabbard with gems embedded into its surface.

The tune he played on this day was a somber one, carrying a weight of remembrance in its notes. It would almost seem to compel any who heard it to give pause and listen, to seek out its source.

And hours it was, the sun slowing beginning to slip below the horizon as the faint notes found their way to him. Needless to say, it threw him off, hearing any sort of sound besides the whip of the wind this far out from any human contact. And of course, its source was what was more of a red flag to him, considering the only logical conclusion he could think of was that it was whatever he was chasing. What were the odds that it were just some random person out in this harsh weather, playing an instrument? That would be ridiculous.

And they it seemed to take several moments for Loyahl to perk up at the sound, notch an arrow, and try to muffle the crunch of his footsteps against the snow as he became to move again, it really happened in a mere instant. His reflexes were conditioned enough, and he now moved at a drastically slower pace, the arrow notched but not yet drawn back, aimed downward and in front of him for now.

He tried not to focus too much on the weight the music carried as he followed it, the tune coming across as rather depressing to him. And although it was beautiful, it was too much of a distraction to get caught up in, and he'd be damned if he died because he feel victim to some siren song.

It had only been around twenty minutes by the time he came up on the man, and he froze. He wasn't sure if the man was yet aware of his presence, and he wasn't about to give away his position just yet. Instead, he drew the bow back slightly, raising it to aim at the man as he crouched and side stepped out from his concealment.

He then stood, making small strides towards the man and looking at him down the arrow. This had to be the rumored beast. Anything else would be, again, ridiculous. He remained silent at first, standing there and staring at the man with the arrow drawn before hesitating, raising a brow at his playing, and then lowering it to the ground once again.

"Who are you?" Way to let your guard down, Loyahl. It might be the death of you.

The tune ended abruptly mid note as Rynhart lowered his flute to give Loyahl a curious look.

"I am Rynhart," he replied. Though elven in appearance, his accent held a hint of something more exotic, something foreign. "But it would seem that I'm the one that should be asking you that. Though then again not many pass through this way without a specific destination, even if they don't yet realize it."

He raised his flute up again and played a few experimental notes on it before pausing and glancing overhead. "The sun will be down soon, you don't want to be out here after sunset. It's a full moon tonight you know."

He wasn't sure it that was a threat, or a friendly warning, but it didn't make me raise or lower his guard any more than it already was.

"It's not so much a destination as it is a target, or a goal. Maybe even a prize, but I suppose some would argue that they're all the same thing." He didn't sound as pompous as he looked, and instead had a rather calm tone when talking. At the point, he was more amused than alert, and the arrow found its way back into his quiver while the the bow was lowered to his side.

"Does the full moon hold any significance?"

"To some," Rynhart replied. "Come, there's food and shelter not far. No need to spend the night out in the cold."

Swinging down off his rock, Rynhart picked up his sheathed sword and began to make his way up the mountain path.

Loyahl hesitated, but the prospect of food AND shelter tempted him too much, considering how many days he had spent in the cold weather, barely finding any animal up there large enough to give him the required nourishment. He silently followed the man up the path, his free hand twitching slightly as he readied himself for the need to notch another arrow.

The trek wasn't far, but progress was slow as Rynhart led them up a precarious incline. One might have thought the way impassable, but Rynhart seemed to know the twists and turns to get them through the worst of the route. Their destination was a temple, its entrance concealed upon a small rocky plateau that overlooked the icy peaks below.

Roughly hewn from the earth of the mountain-side itself, the temple entrance was little more than two rugged pillars of stone standing sentinel at either side of a small cave opening, just large enough for two people abreast to fit through without stooping. Runic wards had been placed over the entryway, though the language was not one which Loyahl could decipher.

A fire pit was situated just outside the temple entrance, shielded from the elements by the overhanging rocks of the mountain face. The coals had long since burned out, and a heavy covering of snow hinted at its disuse.

"Go on in," Rynhart offered. "I'm going to get a fire going out here." Though why he chose to light the fire this evening when it was so evidently unused on nights past was difficult to say.

.The sun had set nearly an hour ago and the crisp chill of the evening air had turned bitter cold, but rather than retire to the temple proper, Rynhart was seated at the entrance, poking at the campfire with a stick. After a moment he tossed it into the fire and leaning back against a rocky pillar, staring into the flames for a time. It wasn't long before he settled in to let his mind wander to times and places long ago.

It was funny, despite how many days he had gone without a proper warm shelter and a proper meal, he still had trouble even sleeping. This man, still a stranger to him, had been hospitable enough to prevent it all to him without even asking for his name. He felt bad at the moment, as if we was taking it all for granted, and after many minutes of discomfort, he eventually withdrew from the quarters he was assigned and left the temple to accompany Rynhart.

It was nightfall and despite the chill of the air, the fire that the man seemed to be mindlessly poking at did wonders of warming of those gathering around it. Loyahl remainded just as silent as the man that was now situated across from him, assuming he was too lost in thought to bother at the time. And so they both sat there for some time, both aware of each other's presence.

But Loyahl could only stay like that for so long before piping up eventually.

"My name is Loyahl. I apologize for my lack of manners upon our meeting, and in turn thank you for your hospitality. I hope my curiousity isn't unwelcome, but what exactly is this place...?"

"Not unwelcome no," Rynhart assured Loyahl as he stirred from his moment of reflection. "But that is a question I'm not sure I can answer for you. This place is something different for everyone. Knowledge, hope, a new beginning? You'll need to find that answer for yourself. What brings you this far north anyways?"

Loyahl was surpised that the answer wasn't as cryptic as he expected it to be, but it was still rather vague. He debated on whether or not telling the man what his intentions up there were, but he figured he should be truthful in return. "I was tracking somebody. Or something, according to rumors. Though, I suppose hunting would be the more appropriate word, who knows what would have happened when I found them. Or it."

"This one you pursue, has it wronged you?" Rynhart asked. He rubbed his hands together and held them out closer to the flames to warm them against the icy chill of the night air.

"Not me, but other people. Enough to scare them. Enough to be hunted." Loyahl's tone made it sound like he was trying to convince himself more than he was Rynhart. He was never really the type to have a solid set of beliefs, or feel morally obligated to do or not do something. But as the time he spent tracking this person, or whatever it was, he grew more and more unsure about what he'd do whenever he finally ran in to it. "Still, I guess they were only rumors. I probably would have been too forgiving if it had turned out to be something other than a beast. Unless they attacked me."

"Something more than a beast?" Rynhart replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps at one time. It makes its way north when the moon is at its fullest, you can hear it out there sometimes, hunting."

"Something more...?" Loyahl mused, raising an idle hand to brush some hair out of his face. "So you know about it then? Why don't you pursue it, out of fear, or a 'If I don't bother it, it doesn't bother me' philosophy?" His tone was honest, despite the words seeming like they were more to be a jeer.

"I have no quarrel with it," Rynhart replied simply. He pulled his flute free of his coat, raising it to his lips as he blew a few experimental notes upon it.

"Ah." Loyahl's reply was even simpler, and he returned to staring into the fire for quite sometime, either quietly contemplating something or not thinking about anything at all. After some time of going about like that had passed, he spoke up again, raising his gaze to the man across from him.

"You said this place was something different to everyone. What is it to you?"

"A graveyard." Rynhart lowered his flute, seemingly losing interest in the instrument.

Loyahl hesitated for a moment, taken by surprise at the response, having expected something less... depressing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to press the matter or leave it alone, and so he sat silently, staring at the ground for a couple of seconds.

"What sort of graves does it house? Those of people, memories, what?"

"A bit of both I suppose," Rynhart remarked thoughtfully.

As the conversation wore on, a distant and bone-chilling howl pierced the night air. It was an unnerving sound that rolled through the mountain peaks with a reverberating echo before at last leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

Loyahl did experience a shiver as the sound rang out, and he wasn't sure if it was due to the cold, the howl, or both. Regardless, he tried to push it to the back of his mind, not wanting to abandon the warmth of the fire in front of him.

"I suppose that was my more than a beast target, eh?"

"Do you intend to set out after it again, come morning?" Rynhart inquired.

"I'm not sure. Having a warm place to sleep reminded me how much I miss feeling like I belong somewhere. I might just set back out again. It's not my problem, anyway. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Rynhart replied. "You'll find shelter here, should you return." He raised his flute once more, and this time as the instrument reached his lips he began to play, the rich notes filling the air with their pleasant tune.

Loyahl nodded in response, casting his eyes outwards, to the seemingly desolate scenery around them. It was really all he needed to hear to get back into it, and this place was a better base of operations than the previous one. Though, that last little portion he had said... 'Should you return', it resounded in his head. It was dangerous terrain, and if what he was tracking was really as deadly as everybody said, maybe he was in over his head.

The doubt faded quickly, however, and he stood up. "I thank you again for your hospitality. Come morning, I will set out again. I'll leave you with the details of what area I should be in, and if I don't return in twelve days time, you'll know what to think, and where to look for me should you do so."

It had been three weeks. Two of those were spent out, navigating the Icy Peaks and tracking whatever it was he was tracking. Human, beast, both, he had been told multiple stories. He still wasn't sure, the only thing he was sure of was when he heard... whatever it was howl, it sent a shiver through his bones colder than any wind that mountain could blow. He usually would stay at wherever he was an stock up for a minimum of two days, but once Loyahl returned, he stayed for five days longer than that. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to head back out within that month. It was a tiring process, and ultimately frustrating. He would spend seven or eight days following a trail only to find it abruptly end, then spend the next six or seven days trying to pick it back up again before heading back.

Usually he did. Pick it back up, that is. He'd find the trail, but have to go back to resupply, then he'd head out and start the process all over again. Whatever he was following was extremely clever in its own right, always seeming to pick up on him within a designated time frame. Loyahl had a lot of a time to think during these days out, and was beginning to wonder if it was even worth it anymore, or if he'd ever successfully track it down. He didn't even know what he'd do if he did find it. Kill it? Reason with it? Who knows.

So there he stood now, in the altar room of the temple he had so kindly been offered as a place to come and go as he pleased. He ran a hand over the intricate carve work, waiting. He wasn't sure who or what he was waiting for, but he waited nonetheless, sure that if he waited long enough, the question of what for would be answered eventually. Still, with his lack of things to do, he found himself walking around the room, still trailing a hand over the walls and columns. He would run his eyes over the statues of the deities, long forgotten he assumed.

His eyes came to rest on one in particular. A goddess, she seemed to be portrayed with short, cropped hair, and a circlet. Loyahl noted that the likeness of her wasn't exceptionally gorgeous, but whoever this goddess was, she had a certain allure to her. An aesthetic charm, and Loyahl couldn't quite place it. He looked lower on the statue, searching for a plaque of sort to designate her name, or even her affiliation to the mortal realm, but he found nothing.

"Pity."

It was just a word mumbled to himself, but it still did well to break the silence and bounce around the acoustics of the room.

He remained looking at the statue for a while after the question had been asked of him. He knew who it was as soon as he heard the footsteps, and the voice only confirmed it for him further.

After all, despite all of the supposed traffic into the area, Rynhart was the only one Loyahl seemed to bump into.

Not that he cared much, he liked the man well enough. He seemed friendly enough, and had be kind to the extent to offer him shelter in this area between his trips. But still, he felt as if he didn't want to leave again. And the question of him returning (once again) from another failed tracking session just left him questioning it again.

"Yes, unfortunately. Not that I don't appreciate having this place to return to, but I'm humoring giving up."

He spoke quietly, considering how well the room would carry the sound anyway. He remained silent before turning his eyes to the man and raising a free hand to point at the statue.

"You wouldn't know what Goddess this is, would you? Or are they all lost to us..."

"Perhaps." Loyahl mused in return, crossing his arms behind his back and turning to the man.

If he was honest with himself, this place being something different to him had been resting on his mind ever since Rynhart had said it. He was just unsure of what it was he would find, because he wasn't yet sure of what it was that he was looking for.

It often lead to moments where he would have conflicting thoughts, and it sometimes would interfere with him when he was out on his own and tracking. And then the fact that he was personally sabotaging his own progress would frustrate him.

"Did you find what you were looking for here, Rynhart? Did you mean to find a graveyard?"

Loyahl frowned only slightly; That was the second time the full answer had been denied him.

Regardless, he didn't offer much reaction to the people that had just barged in, one of them appearing to be unconscious. All he did was cross his arms behind his back tighter, which made him straighten his posture a bit.

Regardless of this lack of response, he was absolute delighted on the inside, almost giddy even. This would be the first case of him even getting to meet somebody besides Rynhart, and speak with them! He attempted to remain composed as his eyes bounced back and forth between the new three and Rynhart, waiting for whoever to do whatever first.

Growing tired of waiting a little too quickly, Loyahl was the first to speak up and break the little silence there had just been.

"Ah. More people, finally. I was beginning to think it was just you and I in this place, Rynhart, and that you were leading me on about any other frequenters existing."

He shrugged before uncrossing his arms from out behind him and maneuvering himself over to the two and hoisting the unconscious woman's other arm up and over his neck, using one of his hands to pull hers down and, thanks to his height, causing her feet to lift off the ground as she was canvased between the two men.

"And yes. I am the elusive one out tracking snow beasts. You can call me Loyahl, for short. Nice to meet you."

He gave a nod to Rhea then, acknowledging her, and then a nod to Rynhart, agreeing with the sentiment of finishing the conversation later.

"Well then, Adriaan. Hi ho, hi ho, off to the dormitories we go?"

Loyahl had to hand it to whoever built the place, the acoustics were damn good. All it took was a murmur for the sound to reverberate and bounce of the walls, being amplified and thrown about. Just imagine what it did to a shout.

Needless to say, it made it very loud and woke up sleeping hunters. Hunters that had nothing better to do due to a recent spout of laziness, and were resting on a staircase that was hardly used, with their face essentially stuck to the wall.

But the shout awoke the sleeping hunter, otherwise known as Loyahl, and he shot to his feet with the vigor of a herd of wild antelope. The room he was assuming the sound originated from was on the other side of the temple, and he managed to reach it within seconds, recognizing not only its owner, but the urgency of it.

Inside said room, he found two people he recognized, to his relief, and a third that lay looking rather savaged on the dining table. He had some experience in doctoring, but his knowledge of it certainly didn't extend far enough for somebody as mangled as he was observing.

If anything, the wounds he would be able to treat were the moderate abrasions and cuts, and maybe the leg, depending on the severity of the break, but he assumed by looking at the state of the arm that it was beyond his help.

Several thoughts ran through his head as he maneuvered to the side of the table opposite of Rhea, next to Adriaan, with a surprisingly calm stride. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before actually mustering words.

"This was no wild animal."

Loyahl took a sharp intake of breath as Rhea presented his options to him. He almost didn't want to be bothered with a potential corpse, but the signs of this being a result of something more than just an animal swayed him, and he figured he could ask questions if he somehow contributed to the survival of this girl.

And so he stayed, removing his cloak as he maneuvered himself again, tossing it to the floor before reaching to the side that Rhea was on and looking around for any form of cloth before using his teeth to tear at the sleeve of his shirt and ripping it off. He handed it off to Rhea and pointed at the girl's leg, using his now free hand to unclasp the metal plating that rested on his neck and also handing it to Rhea.

"You know how to make a splint, I'm guessing. Just make sure it's tight."

He then slid down the length of the table to find himself near the girl's head as she finished vomiting, and rested a hand firmly on her naval as he used the other to lift her torso and place her partially on her side. Didn't want to have her drowning in her own vomit.

After that, he waited for the things Rhea requested from Adriaan so he could treat the lesser wounds.

Loyahl let out a deep breath as he slipped out of the room and rest his back against the wall next to the door frame, raising a hand to run through his hair. They had just finished treating the girl, and she was now supposedly stable.

Rhea and Adriaan both handled extremely well, and he sat there wondering if they had a lot of past experience with it. Though, Rhea seemed like she knew more of what she was doing than Adriaan.

Loyahl pushed himself off of the wall and silently worked to put his cloak back on as thoughts ran through his head. After finishing, he ran a head through his hair again and let out a small sigh.

"You saw those bite marks, right? I've been up in this area for over a month, there's no sign of an ordinary animal capable of bites that size ever being up here."

He didn't address one over the other, and instead left it addressed to the both of them. He moved his hands up to rub at his temples as the possibility of it being caused by whatever he was tracking ran through his head.

"Anything you'd like for me to do, then?" He asked as he began to walk with the other two, pausing his stride as Adriaan offered to stay behind, but picking it back up again at Rhea's reply.

He raised a hand to rub at his temple again, letting out a slight sigh. He had a headache now, and thinking just made his head hurt more than it needed to. He was still thinking on the possibility of this being a result of the creature he was following.

The fact that it might be a bite that turned hadn't even crossed his mind yet.

Loyahl nodded, lowering his hand once more and rearranging his priorities in his head.

"Alright then, I need to find Rynhart and talk to him. I saw him outside of the dining hall, but only for a brief moment." He paused, letting out another small sigh. "I want to see if he knows anything."

"Do you know anything?" Loyahl wasn't anything less than direct as he first caught sight of Rynhart, leaning against a pillar. He wanted answers, and the past couple of times he would have been able to get any, he was either interrupted, or Rynhart was being mysteriously vague.

He planted himself in front of Rynhart, the wind causing his cloak to whip outwards and his hair do the same. His eyes seemed fierce, despite not actually being angry. He just wanted confirmation of his thoughts.

Loyahl stood there for a couple of seconds, hesitant, before sitting down as gestured. A maelstrom of thoughts blazed through his mind as soon as Rynhart what it was exactly he wanted to know. Such a broad question! He leaned forward where he sat, pushing the tips of his fingers together and raising them to his lips as he mused.

It took him several second after that to formulate exactly what it was he was going to ask, and then prioritize them into order. First things first, the girl. "The girl in there, those bites. What do you know about them? Did this happen because of the beast I am tracking?" He tried not to sound demanding, but his tone deceived him.

"There has to be more you're not telling me. What is it I'm hunting? Who is it?!" He voice grew more frantic now, due to his annoyance at Rynhart still keeping up his vague nature.

"The Ulfhednar?" He asked, lowering his hands now. She, it was a she. He was hunting a female, that was the last of a lineage. He was hunting something to extinction. At the revelation of this, he let out a small groan.

"What are the Ulfednar? What does that make her?"

Loyahl let out a small scoff.

"They were more than just a species. You can't be much of anything with only one living member left..." He was about to say something else before he stopped, and thought back to the girl, the realization hitting him like a wall of bricks. The bites, the likeness to werewolves.

"Do they turn via bite?"