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| An Animal Lover's Plight [Complete]; Open | |
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| Topic Started: Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:07 pm (240 Views) | |
| Vyse | Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:00 pm Post #16 |
 
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Vyse chuckled, she was such an honest person, she didn't know how to fight and wanted to protect animals, he wanted to help her, but he had his business to look after and already had little enough time for his and Umbriel's own lounge time. Vyse scratched his head, she wanted to learn how to save animals without any skill in weaponry, he only had two ideas, "I've seen people who fight with their hands and feet as their greatest weapon, frail old men knocking out men in chain mail, you could learn the way of hand to hand fighting from a monk. Thought you could study magic, there are plenty of spells that stop people from being able to fight or scare your enemies into running away, though if I was you, I'd learn both. Some men and women are naturally resistant to magic or have magical items that let them destroy spells before they can get to them, but some men and women wear heavy armor, and learning to fight unarmed will teach you how to trip them and through opponents much larger then yourself without killing anyone." He had seen mages and monks non-lethally end fights, he didn't know magic very well and found it difficult to use, as for unarmed combat, he personally wasn't interested in it. Vyse heard something odd... like a gurgling noise, he looked to Umbriel who looked back to him, he chuckled, "Go on Umbriel, if you're hungry get to hunting." Umbriel slowly stood up, stretching as she began to walk to the forest's edge, disappearing into the woods. Vyse looked to Vivi, "I always make sure she never loses her animal instincts, she will never be truly tamed, at least not for many years, and I like it that way. She won't be like a real house cat until we're both old and gray in the hair, suits me just fine." Vyse stretched with two of his arms, while the other two searched his pockets, taking out two small bags and a canteen. He tossed one of the small bags to Vivi, inside was just simple bread and cheese, in his own was the same bread and cheese. He opened the canteen and took a small drink, offering it to her, "Would you like a drink Vivi?" All he had was fresh water in the canteen, Qadaj said it wasn't good to go carrying around a barrel of Black Water Ale on his back, though he was probably right. |
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| Vivianne | Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:23 pm Post #17 |
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Although she listened to his advice politely, Vivi knew there was no way she could do either of those things. She was quick and lithe, but there was no chance she could become an unarmed combat expert. Nor did she have any aptitude for magic; Jeyne had been a hedge witch, but she could never teach Vivi even the most basic spells. Her skinsharing abilities were the only true weapon in the girl's arsenal... but perhaps that would be enough. What if she bonded with a dire tiger, like Vyse? Then she would be able to control the feline's body when she needed to protect the forest. Such a creature had more than enough natural abilities to protect the forest. The girl mused on this thought as Vyse continued to talk, contemplating the actual effectiveness of such an idea. If she could collect and bond with enough animals capable of defending themselves, perhaps she could find a way to truly protect the forest she lived in... She giggled as Umbriel padded off into the underbrush, watching the tiger as it blended into the forest. It disappeared almost instantly the striped pattern of its fur melding with the dappled shadows from the canopy above and completely hiding the animal from sight. Although she could hide in the forest when she wanted to, Vivi was not nearly adept at stealth to disappear like the tiger had. "She will n-never truly be tamed. An an-animal that has tasted freedom will always y-y-yearn for it." The girl was smiling faintly as she stared into the trees, a strange, zealot-like light in her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize that Vyse had said something else to her, and she turned to look at the merchant. "Ah... Y-y-yes. Thank you Vyse." She took the canteen from his hands, being careful not to accidentally brush his hand. Although he had saved her twice and owned one of the most wonderful pets she had ever seen, the girl still did not entirely trust him. Who would get an extra pair of arms just to fight better? She took a deep drink from the container, the cool, crisp water trickling down her throat. It was sore from all this talking; she had not spoken this much in years. Not since Jeyne had died and she had buried her in the depths of the forest. "Thank you f-for helping me Vyse. I d-d-did not expect to be s-saved." |
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| Vyse | Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:35 am Post #18 |
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Vyse smirked, "She'll probably be tame once we're both to old to go out and traverse the land... as for saving you, don't worry about it. I try to help those who need it, I also try to do what is right, though sometimes it's not all black and white. I have trouble trying to see what is right and what is wrong sometimes, I don't regret any of my choices, but I've had to make many, many hard choices, one of them caused the death of around a hundred people and a hundred water spirits. Though that was the best choice... the other was to save all of the humans or all of the spirits... I chose the middle road and shed as little blood as possible. You should remember that to Vivi, sometimes it's best to shed as little blood as possible and save both sides, over killing all of one side to ensure the prosperity of the other." The young girl was probably a bit naive, but her passion for animals was real, she must love the creatures of the wood, but she didn't seem to like people... she was constantly wary about him and paid more attention to his tiger then to him. Vyse sighed, "You know, I have a question for you, if you saw an old couple being cornered by a lone wolf, would you try to help them... or would you sit back and let the wolf do it's grisly deed." He had to know, this girl made humans sound like horrible people, did she hate humans or only hate bandits... if she knew anything about animals, she would know that only a sick or starving wolf would actually attack people, it would be humane to put it down, or maybe she had a better solution, either way, he needed to find out what kind of person she was. |
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| Vivianne | Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:52 pm Post #19 |
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She could relate with wanting to spill as little blood as possible. The thick, metallic odor of the corpses still filled her nostrils with each breath, and she knew she would be tasting its nauseating flavor on the back of her tongue for weeks to come. Still, as the mercenary claimed, sometimes it was necessary to harm those who were truly evil. Like anyone who mistreated animals must be evil. Vivi did not even have to contemplate what she would do if she possessed Vyse's strength and saw someone attacking a defenseless animal. She would kill them without hesitation, even if she had nightmares for years afterwards. Humans and other similar races she had encountered in the woods simply lacked any degree of respect for nature. If only there was a way for her to force them to truly appreciate the animals around them... and the consequences of mistreating them. Vivi pondered the question for a moment, clearly thinking about it deeply before answering. "I would stop the wolf, Vy-Vyse... But I wouldn't h-h-hurt it. There are other w-ways to calm down an an-an-animal. I could st-stop it from attacking with my m-music." She pulled a small, hand-carved instrument out of her sash. She had made it based on a diagram in one of Jeyne's fading books, but it worked well enough. It had a light, airy noise that reminded the girl of a bird's song, and she had taught herself to play it passably well. "But if a c-couple was being corn-cornered by a wolf they m-must have done something t-to deserve it! Wolves will n-not attack without provocation!" She knew this because she had actually befriended one of the packs of wolves that wandered the Norwood Forest. Although it had taken weeks for her to ingratiate herself with the alpha male, after that they had been incredibly friendly towards her. "Animals only at-attack people if they have b-been wronged. It is t-t-t-the cruelty of people that results in an-animal attacks." She nodded as she said these words, feeling them ring through her entire being with a sense of absolute righteousness. Humans were always to blame for the trouble in the forests. Without humans all of the animals could live peacefully, with her. That would be such a wonderful world. |
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| Vyse | Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:12 pm Post #20 |
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Vyse nodded, she was to naive, she thought animals weren't at fault and could never be so, he had to teach her a lesson, "Shouldn't you be asking, why would a lone wolf attack an elderly couple, wolves travel in packs, they don't attack people unless they were provoked... or sick. Animals can become feral and lose their ability to act normally, feral animals tend to attack people because they are simply there. Humans have just as much of a right to live as animals do, humans even contribute to keeping the animals alive. Did you know some hunters literally go out into the woods, hunting for a single kind of creature so they can whittle down it's numbers, and if they didn't that animal would keep on growing, kill more animals, and end up attacking the humans because the predator ran out of food in the forest?" Vyse let that sink in, sick animals were dangerous, angry and sick animals needed to be put down. Vyse looked into the sky, "Did you know sometimes it's best to put down an animal then to try and save it... a horse with two broken legs will never be able to walk correctly again, even if his legs heal they might heal improperly and cause it pain until it dies naturally. Remember Vivi, humans are not always at fault for killing animals, sometimes killing one will be a mercy, while killing several could save the lives of dozens of animals and human lives and stop a threat to an entire region. Not everything is black and white, even when it comes to killing animals. You need to learn that animals aren't always what they seem to be, some animals need humans to live. Think of it this way, if you didn't save the couple and the wolf killed them, they didn't get home to feed their live stock or grow their food, killing a dozen animals and quite a bit of food. Which leads me to a lesson I learned a long time ago... sometimes the decision you think is evil or wrong, can lead to the greatest good." He stood up, stretching as he groaned, he wondered if Vivi would really understand... she seemed to innocent to know what the world was truly capable of... but also from her talk of humans it was possible she was wronged a long time ago... like he was with his father. |
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| Vivianne | Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:14 pm Post #21 |
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She didn't think the fact the wolf was by itself was such a concern. There were plenty of wolves who wandered the woods without a true pack. Sometimes they were scavengers, but most of the time they had simply been ousted from the group when they crossed paths with the alpha male. She also didn't think that it was right for the hunters to cull entire species like that. Vivi knew that certain creatures were so rare in the forest that they were almost extinct, and it was never nature's fault. It always traced back to the hunters and poachers and bandits and druids who despoiled the woods with their presence, hurting and killing both the flora and fauna. She no longer expected Vyse to understand why she was so uncomfortable around other humans. He was clearly a creature of society, born and raised outside of the embrace of nature. He would never understand... "There i-is a difference between m-m-mercy and killing an animal f-for protecting it's territory or it's f-family. Why do humans en-encroach on the f-f-forest at all? They have p-plenty of villages and t-t-towns and other areas to in-inhabit." She shook her head slightly, handing the canteen back to Vyse with a small frown on her tanned features. "Any an-animal can be t-t-taught to not kill. I wish I could say t-the same for h-h-humans..." She pulled her hair back for a moment, scraping some of the mud and filth from the dark brown locks. She could not remember the last time she had talked to another sentient creature like this. Jeyne had been dead for a decade, and the mercenary who had helped her take out a group of poachers had not exactly been a conversationalist. "I don't t-think the greater g-g-g-good is something we are m-meant to assess." Vivi shrugged at this. She did not believe in any specific deity, but she knew that nature itself had a heartbeat, a pulse that reverberated within every living creature. She could feel it sometimes, when she was alone in the forest with no other soul in sight. She could hear the trees breath and talk to each other, and in those moments she knew that she had made the right choice in isolating herself from other humans and living in the woods. |
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| Vyse | Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:27 pm Post #22 |
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Vyse nodded, "The greater good is supposed to be decided by the individual, no god, other being, or thing should set your own goals or ideals for you, you should make your decisions based on your own mind." Vyse took the canteen back, drinking from it before putting it away. He shrugged, "I'm not one to judge people though, in fact sometimes I question my ideals, I'm only physically strong, I've done things that make me believe I have a weak heart... literally." He coughed a few times, blood coming out, he had noticed it for a while, he coughed up blood more often... even while not in battle. Vyse wiped the blood off into the grass, "Let's walk away from this area... the smell of blood is giving me a headache." He rubbed his eyes, trying to hide the red color starting to fill it, his bloodwrath was starting to react to the smell of blood. He walked towards the woods, meeting Umbriel as she started to walk out, licking blood from her jowls. Umbriel could smell blood on his hand, she purred and nuzzled Vyse's arm. He smiled and started to pet her head. He looked back to Vivi, "I know I'm probably not one to judge, but you shouldn't be to harsh on humans, we're imperfect and stupid creatures, thinking only of our own needs. It's good you think of the needs of animals, but it's always good to know how to forgive humans. I'll admit, some people don't deserve forgiveness, but we're both rather young, eh? As for humans and killing... most humans can go their entire life without killing a single person, mostly it's people who's ideals clash that start wars and kill each other." He stroked Umbriel as he strolled through the woods, wanted to get away from the smell of blood, he had a feeling his bloodwrath and his coughing up blood were related. |
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| Vivianne | Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:02 pm Post #23 |
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Vivianne was not entirely sure what to make of this man. He seemed to have quite a lot of opinions for a man that had admittedly once been a bandit hunter. She wondered what had caused him to give up such a life; he was clearly still capable of fighting with enough skill to quell outlaws and other wrong-doers. Perhaps fighting had gotten too boring for the man after he grew a second pair of arms. She would not know; she was completely useless at combat with the limbs she already possessed, she had no idea how two more would assist her. However, when he coughed Vivi saw a trace of blood in his hands, as if he was incredibly sick. Had the extra limbs damaged him internally? Or had one of the bandits managed to land a blow while she was hiding her eyes? The skinsharer followed Vyse as he left the clearing, completely unaware of his bloodshot eyes. She was not smiling, pondering what they had discussed thus far. Although she doubted Vyse had reached the same conclusions, all the that the girl had decided was that the forest and animals needed someone to protect them from the cruelties of humankind. The start of an idea entered her mind then, a tendril of thought that wormed itself into her brain and began to blossom. However, before she could fullly develop the thought Umbrial rejoined them, nuzzling her master before plodding next to him. Vivi watched the animal for a moment, appreciating its grace and strength as it walked alongside them. "That m-may be true, b-b-but the pe-people who do deserve t-to be punished? Who d-deals with them?" Although the Norwood Forest technically was patrolled by rangers from the village, there were not nearly enough woodsmen to patrol the entire woods. The druids who inhabited secluded regions of the wood also policed areas of the jungle, but there was no unified force that protected the flora and fauna from poachers, outlaws, and other individuals of ill repute. |
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| Vyse | Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:55 pm Post #24 |
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Vyse nodded, "I don't know who would punish them besides rangers and mercenaries, I would do it myself... but I'm a merchant now, I'm usually far to busy to leave Cascadia, only now can I wander free since I hired more help for my assistant. If I could I would spend the rest of my days happily righting the wrongs of other people, but I can't. I would be more then willing to teach those the skills to do so though, which is why I plan on asking to become a teacher at the Academy, where I can teach those who would really appreciate my skills. You could learn a thing or two there Vivi, but it would take you far away from the forest, I doubt you'd like that... hmmm maybe you should take up the bow Vivi, a shortbow wouldn't take to much strength to pull and you could practice it on trees during your spare time." He kept on walking, mulling over ways to help the young woman, her spirit was admirable and she truly wished to stop bandits and protect those she cares about. Vyse pondered other ways, trying to keep his mind off of the bloodwrath, he needed to stay focused on anything but that. His mind wandered through all of the possibilities he could think of in a moment's notice, none seemed all that great since he doubted Vivi would leave the forest to come to a town where she could actually learn how to fight even with her small size. Vyse stroked Umbriel's fur as he walked, taking comfort in his pet and her warm fur, if Vivi wouldn't take help from humans, she would need to find a way to talk with animals. |
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| Vivianne | Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:00 pm Post #25 |
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Vivi knew it would be too much to hope for if Vyse had agreed to serve as the protector of the forest. Although he had a wide range of skills that would be perfect for such a position, he also seemed to have responsibilities within civilization that would hold him back. She wondered how comfortable those Cascadians would be in their floating city without the fruits, vegetables, and meat provided for them by nature. How superior would those humans feel without the bounty of the forest and the fields? Still, she held her tongue. Vyse shared some of her beliefs, but there was no way he would truly understand her vantage point with his background. He had been corrupted by human society, just like the poachers and bandits and outlaws. Only his own moral fiber kept him from being just like them. "Per-perhaps I will leanr how to use a b-bow. It would make h-hunting easier, after all." She mainly foraged for berries and tubers, but the girl sometimes shared Artemis's body in order to hunt and kill small forest animals for her meals. Learning how to use a bow would allow her to hunt larger game as well. There were plentiful deer in the woods, after all. The girl justified her hunting of the forest because it was always done out of necessity. She would never kill and animal for sport or for money; she used every part of the animal after slaying it. Jeyne had taught the girl to tan and sew hides together, so she now made most of her own clothing, and feathers were useful for stuffing her pillows and comforters. "Wouldn't people think I-I was a bandit if I act-acted like that? Attacking people f-for mistreating animals?" She had a suspicion that most humans would be unable to recognize the pattern of her attacks and blame her for any animal or bandit attack in the forest, if she truly tried to protect the woods. She did not want to be villanized or made infamous simply for trying to save the animals. |
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| Vyse | Thu Sep 1, 2011 6:35 pm Post #26 |
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Vyse smirked, "There are such things as Divine Bandits, people who only rob caravans that sell over-priced items and extort the weak. Though in my opinion, if someone mistakes me for a bandit, I won't correct them with words, I prefer to speak through action and prove myself that way." Vyse's mind wandered for a second, remembering the times his clothes were turn and bloody, people accusing him of being a bandit, only for him to show them where he had killed the bandits, he was sometimes called a monster for his strength and number of arms. Though he didn't really care what the people thought of him, he did what he thought was right, no matter the consequences. Vyse stopped and turned, Umbriel turning with him, he looked at Vivi as he climbed onto Umbriel's back, "Well Vivi... be safe, if you ever need my help you can always send a message to Cascadia, I'll do my best to help in any way I can. Seeing as how this place has a lot more bandits then I remember I think I'll gather the mercenaries that are part of my company and give them a bonus if they can hunt down some of the bandits... though don't worry Vivi, I'll tell them not to harm any animals and if they can to set them free if they aren't domesticated. Any animals that they bring back will be taken care of and given to people I know who will take good care of them." Vyse had Umbriel turn and started heading east, he would do some hunting in the woods for random bandits as he circled around and made his way towards Cascadia. Before going to far though he turned, waving to Vivi, "Goodbye Vivi, I hope we meet again in a more favorable circumstance." He turned back around, looking forward, grim determination on his face, a young girl with no combat experience would be in trouble out here, he would organize a mass bandit purge if he had to, he would make this forest safe for everyone. |
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| Vivianne | Thu Sep 1, 2011 10:25 pm Post #27 |
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The girl watched as the mercenary disappeared into the forest. He had promised to help her, but could she truly trust the words of a human? He did seem like a nice enough man, but brutal as well. Violent in a way that only sentience could create. Animals were violent for acceptable reasons. They were unforgiving when they hunted or when they were defending their young or their home. Furthermore, animals would often another beast they fought for dominance to live, but Vyse had displayed no mercy to those bandits. Just as if she truly wanted to protect the forest, she would have to show no mercy... The girl remembered the last time she had encountered a group of humans who had taken advantage of the forest. They had been poachers, slaughtering and mutilating the creatures of the woods for material gain. A mercenary named Kalim had helped her to defeat them, and the lesson she had learned in that experience had been the same. In order to protect the forest, she must be willing to act... like a human. Vivi would have to embody all of their rage and violence and cruelty, and focus it to serve the forest instead of mangling it. Perhaps, with enough planning, she could rid the forest of poachers and bandits without the assistance of men like Vyse or Kalim. They were only human after all; they did not fully understand the importance of the woods. The only hitch in that plan is that she abhorred violence. The first time she had killed a man she had been physically sick afterwards, and sobbed for almost an hour. It was wrong to take another's life. The taste of blood in the back of her mouth had remained for weeks, and she had been forced to burn her bloodstained clothes in order to get rid of the stench. Yet every day she killed in Artemis's form, catching squirrels and smaller birds in order to feed herself. Why did she feel comfortable with that degree of slaughter, but not other humans? She hated humans... But perhaps when she was skinsharing she could help the forest more than in her natural form. It was something to contemplate, at least. The girl disappeared into the woods, her thoughts bloody. |
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