[RP] The Second World

[The-Blades-slave]

Daylin shoved his armor on hastily, pulling his helm over his head and lacing up his greaves. He snatched up his axe from where it had been discarded and hoisted it over his shoulder. It's real, he thought, this wasn't a weird dream. His thoughts turned towards his current task and he grimaced, striding of his tent. Might as well get this done, 'ope that girl keeps 'er end. 

As if the world could read his mind, he heard an unmistakable voice whisper, "It's done, all you have to do is swing that axe." Daylin whirled around, but there was no one there. He shook his head, of course she wouldn't be. She couldn't get caught until he had won, or else they would kill her. The thought added strength to his step, and he marched to face the chief, chin held high. "I'm ready, bring yer onslaught."

[Lunartic]

She hardly remembered falling asleep. What she does remember is waking up in her bed at home in her cosy cottage at the farm, not a tent by a castle. It was a surprise, but comforting. The rest of her day was a blur. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Morning chores. Lunch. Archery. Supper. Evening chores. Bed. She didn't speak to Daylin. She hardly saw her parents. She didn't even go out to town. Her only thought was the . . . dream? No, it had to be real. There was no way it wasn't.

Falling asleep was like falling. You stand on the edge of a cliff, peering over the edge into nothing. It doesn't feel like you stepped off, until your breath is taken away. And when you breath again, you're lying in your bed staring at the ceiling of your bedroom.

Not this time.

Floressa woke up to the gray-brown roof of a tent, feeling a bit groggy, like she woke up in the middle of a deep sleep. Wearing green and brown clothing. There was no way this was a dream. She crawled out of her tent. Her hair was tangled and she had a rather large cow-lick over her left ear. She waved at her travelling partner and grabbed her bag. "I think I saw a lake a few metres back, I'm going to have a bath," she said and trudged, barefoot, through the forest. "If I catch you lookin' at me," she hollered, "I'll cut off your penis while you sleep."

[Yume Tsuki]

Neicha's ears raised when she could make up a smile in the little light the fire provided. She was relieved they weren't as territorial as she expected. Apparently they had troubles of their own they couldn't fix. Perhaps that's why she was a welcome face since she pronounced herself a herbalist.
"Oh? Did something bad happen?"
She moved to the camp fire, careful not to trip over any roots. She knew it was actually time to wake up in the other world, but she had to at least hear what had happened here so she could make an inventory of symptoms so she knows what to look for. She sat down next to Rockjaw. She decided upon picking that name since she wasn't really that fast herself.

[WhistfulSoul]

Tyrren @Floressa

Yeah, no worries, I'm no imbecile. Can't promise for Kaiyos though. The spirit whined. Aw, that's unfair! Tyrren smirked then unrolled his bedroll again so he could wait for the girl. He didn't mind waiting, he wasn't sure how he was going to begin his task and he wasn't ready to begin screwing up yet.

@Duriel

One of the men raised his eyes and grinned beneath the coat that was his beard. Aye, you know how dwarves are! Anywhere the ale be, is a spot to relax! And as you can see, we're carrying a large amount of the liquid gold, haha! The man seemed overly pleased with himself, patting both his wagon and his stomach. His companions didn't seem to mind, as they were both smirking as well. One of them spoke up, Name's Torig. The funny one's Herrish, and the quiet one over there is Colfer. We was heading back into the capitol tuh resupply our stock fer are tav'rn, and we thought any place good 'nough fer anuther dwarf is good 'nough place fer us. He got up and held his hand out to Duriel. We was hopin' that you migh' be willin' to come with us. Free ride into the capitol?

@Neicha

Rockjaw shifted uneasily, like the log beneath him suddenly wasn't as uncomfortably-comfortable as it was before. Well, more than something bad. One of the others, a fox, twitched his ears around to listen for intruders of their conversation. When he nodded, Rockjaw continued. A few months ago, some mages entered our territories without our knowing. We didn't catch them, but we definitely caught the aftermath. A whole chunk of the forest had up and disappeared, and around it, it looked as though everything was burnt. It was only after a week that we realized it wasn't a burn but a plague that was growing. It doesn't stop, and if you touch it, you're infected and it spreads over your body. It leeches off your body, only stopping once you've withered away to nothing. But we have learned that one plant isn't affected. We haven't touched them in case they're important or dangerous, but we have collected one sample and kept it safe at home. He patted Neicha's shoulder with his enormous paw. And that's why we need you. But, let us rest first.

@Daylin

The Chieftain grinned, the bloodstains on his teeth showing. He addressed the crowd of orc civilians that had gathered for the occasion, despite the short notice. Captains! Show this man what happens when he shoves his foot where he is not welcome! One of the captains arrayed on either side of the Chieftain stepped forward. He was what one might call a smaller orc, but he was still huge in comparison to Daylin. He wore little armor besides gauntlets and a chestplate forged of a weak steel. Instead he bore a huge axe, double sided and tipped with a red metal. It seemed heavy in his hands, but his eyelids seemed to droop as well. Rather than a charge, the orc seemed to stumble in Daylin's direction before remembering his task, and swung his axe at Daylin's waist.

[Desbear]

The dwarf smiled at the others, looking over them... Torig, Herrish, and Colfer, eh? He liked them, they seemed like good, honest dwarves! Further more, Torig had said they owned a tavern, so he felt a bit compelled to do what this guy wanted, as it reminded him of home... He shook the other Dwarf's hand, and began to reply, a jolly tone to his voice. Ah, ye own a tavern, eh? I work at one back home, what are the odds!" The dwarf thought for a moment, contemplating whether he should have said that or not, but merely shook his head and continued on. "I'd love a free ride to the capital, but if ya' don't mind me askin', why were ya' hopin' for me to come?"

[Humen]

Jacob

A soon as he had closed his eyes Jacob seemed to reopen them in an instant. The sun was raised in the sky it had to be nearing midday already, and he was lying there in his room back home.  It must have been a dream, he supposed, that made the most sense anyway. His father scolded him for waking up in the middle of the day. His sisters had a good laugh at his expense and his mother did her best at calming his father down afterward. The day was pretty normal form that point onward and when night fell he stood outside patrolling for thieves or wolves, still hearing their menacing howls out in the distance, until his father relived him. He lied down in bed exhausted from another days work and drifted off into sleep.

Jacob opened his eyes again with seemingly no time having passed at all. It was morning as early as when he usually wakes on the farm, but the room was different he was back in the dream again and in the elf castle. All the belongings the goddess had given him lied in the corner and a strange note lied on the floor. What could be in the library he pondered pocketing the note in his satchel as he dressed himself? As he left the room, there were few guards and servants wandering the halls, considering how early it is that seems pretty natural. They didn't pay Jacob any mind as he wandered to the royal library following the crude map. The library was substantially larger than any Jacob had ever been in, well if he had ever been to a library before. "I wonder if they expected me to come this early? I guess I could at least try and find some real books on herbs while I wait."

[The-Blades-slave]

She kept up her end, Daylin realized. The drugged orc teetered forward and swung at him, but he backpedaled and the blow went wide. Seeing his opening he threw a punch at his opponent's face, and was met with a satisfying crunch.  The warrior stumbled, reeling from the blow, and he lashed out with the pommel of his axe.

Crack! His axe hit its mark, silencing the jeering crowd that had gathered around them. The captain collapsed, clutching at his head and groaning, his blood mingling with the sand. Daylin planted his boot firmly on the orc's back, glaring at the chief, "Was that really needed? I just want to talk."  The thrill of combat was getting to him, white-hot adrenaline pumping through his veins on overdrive. He was struggling to keep his head.

[Yume Tsuki]

Neicha's ears lowered once again. A plague? Suddenly this task seemed like more than she could handle. Reverting the transformation of the villagers in her own world appeared like such a smaller problem than what was going on over here. This definitely required a lot more research the fact that there is a plant that survives it does give her a little spark of hope. A pat on the shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Oh yes, a good idea. I am quite weary from travelling."
With that she was led to one of the tents, offered a place to sleep. Placing her satchel next to the pile of hay that was her bed quietly going to sleep.

When she opened her eyes she looked at the wooden ceiling of her hut. She quickly got up grabbing her stick and satchel, leaving quickly through the door heading towards the village. It was pretty late in the morning. She walked right to the person she needed.
"Rayleigh."
She called out. A wolf turning towards her.
"Ah, Neicha, what can I do for you?"
"I need your help with something, it involves Self-defense."
The wolf was silent for a while.
"Self-defense? You know you can always take an escort with you--"
"Sorry but that is impossible."
"Why? Is it a matter of pride? Do you not trust us? You can barely even walk."
"I am going to change that, I no longer want to rely on a stick. I need to be able to defend myself when things go wrong."
"Look, if you think things get a little too dangerous you could just ask--"
"That is not the point in this case Rayleigh. I might be on to something. But it's a really hard way to get there, it even might seem a bit silly..."
Neicha talked quieter at each sentence, not really sure about what to say. It was all a dream after all. It could have all been just some imagination.
"Huh. On to something. You mean that you're making progress? Where is this place you need to go."
"It's kind of hard to explain... And it might have the answers you seek. I'm just not sure."
Rayleigh remained silent for a while, pondering. Everyone had gathered around the two, curious of what was going on. Whispering hopeful words to each other.
"Well, since you're stubborn... I might as well learn you a thing or two, but why did you come to me for this?"
"Well, you used to be a swordsman..."
Neicha looked shyly at the ground.
"I'd thought you could learn me a thing or two..."
The wolf looked at the deer.
"I thought you disliked violence?"
"I do... But... I should at least learn how to fend on my own..."
The deer fidgeted the stick in her hands.
"Fine, come with me... I know a clearing where we could practice."

The rest of the day Neicha learned the basics of deflecting, using sticks as swords. She tumbled over a lot getting caught in time by the wolf before she hits the ground. Rayleigh gave directions on how the deer could improve her footing letting her practice standing without help of her walking stick. They took short breaks going back to the village to have some food. And repeated the training until sunset. Tired and sweaty Neicha took a dip in the pond near her hut. Her muscles aching. After she was done and wrapped herself in some fur she went inside to dry. Then she dropped herself back on the bed and fell quickly to sleep from the tiring day. Hoping that the dream she had was actually real so she could keep grasping on it for answers.

[Lunartic]

She giggled at the remark, but said nothing.

The lake Floressa mentioned was more like a pond, but that didn't matter. The water was clear and tranquil and the grass was nice and soft under her bare soles. She dipped a toe into the water. It wasn't as warm as she would like, but it was bearable.

Less than an hour later, she returned to the campsite looking as stunning as ever. Noting the lumpy bedroll, she nudged it with her foot. "Rise and shine Tyrren, you've had enough sleep for today."

[WhistfulSoul]

@Duriel

Herrish smiled his stupid grin again. S'we can swap underpants, o-course! Colfer walked by and slapped him on the back of the head, which only resulted in more giggling. Colfer began fixing up their wagon while he explained, We's got a meetin' with tha king see, like all the other taverns, to make sure we's makin' tha proper quality and the like. 'Cept we gots a problem, we's missin' a fourth representative, we's was hopin' you would make up for it, bein' the Lost Guard an' all.

@Jacob

Except herbs won't help. The voice came from behind Jacob, and from a stunningly beautiful elf who seemed very commanding, despite her young appearance. She approached Jacob, before offering him the traditional elven handshake: a touch of the first and second fingers to their own forehead, followed by a thumb to the opposite shoulder. I am Mayla, current Elven Lady. A book of herbs won't do you much good, as whatever killed my father isn't listed in any of these books. It must be something new, an herb we've never seen before. Though I suspect the tome in your satchel may glean some insight? Mayla nodded her head in the direction of Jacob's bag.

@Daylin

Zang's face spread into a wicked smile, apparently reveling in the scuffle. The only talk you may have is with the corpse you lay next to beneath the earth! Again! Another captain jumped forward, and instead of weapons in his hands, they were equipped on the back of them. Protruding from the outer part of his wrists were blades made of bone, and armor that extended from his wrists up to his shoulders with spikes, fashioned from what seemed to be the spines of several dead creatures. He was skinnier than the orc before him, and slightly more more mobile. As he stepped forward, he clashed his blades together, a bit of clumsiness in his movements. His eyelids seemed to droop as he egged Daylin on.

@Neicha

Neicha woke to the fox leaning in her direction. Sorry, just wanted to make sure you're alright. The only one who sleeps as late as this is Slackjaw, and that's where he gets his name. The fox motioned towards a tree, which was vibrating from a rough snore that seemed to emanate from the clouds. I'm Fleetfoot by the way, nice to meet you. You're name's not like ours, based on a quality. Where'd you say you're from?

@Floressa

Tyrren raised his hand towards the sky to show that he was still awake. Trust me, if I wanted to sleep, which I don't, I would be able to, hah. He crawled out of his bedroll and re-rolled it while Floressa gathered her things. I've been up thinking of how this all might go. I've only ever seen knights once in a blue moon, much less talked to them. How am I supposed to fit in?

[Yume Tsuki]

Neicha sat straight up on the pile of hay she had slept on.
"Sorry for worrying you."
She stretched her arms. She wasn't really sure how much she was allowed to tell.
"I'm from a place where magic is not that strong. I guess the strongest kind I had seen there so far was our transformation from humans to beasts. Most of the people from my village wanted to become elves, and now they really regret their decision, they kind of turned to me for help into reverting this 'curse'. I myself didn't really mind the transformation, I wanted to start anew, somewhere nobody would bother me. Man is too greedy and wasteful in my opinion. Of course not all of them. I just had a bad experience with most. Anyways, I couldn't find an answer to their problem in the forest where we lived, so I decided to travel."

[The-Blades-slave]

They weren't going to listen to reason, Daylin decided, scowling as he sized up his newest opponent. The orc wasn't as big as the others, and the drug fogged his vision. He was sure he could overpower him, if it came to that.  He sprinted forward, axe clutched tightly in his white-knuckled grip, and swung.

The orc stopped his mocking and stepped backwards to avoid the attack, then rushed back in before he could recover, striking twice at his abdomen.

The first blow bounced harmlessly off his breastplate, but the second ripped through a chink in his armor, leaving a long cut on his stomach. Daylin grunted in pain and roughly shouldered the orc away. The wound stung. He hoisted his axe up between them, glaring at his opponent.

The orc was back to taunting him now, pounding his fist against his chest. Drops of blood flew off the blade that had cut him,  meshing with the sand below. He stared blankly at it and the captain grinned. "What's wrong human, never seen your own blood? I knew your kind was only good as slaves. Frail little things, but your woman have nice, tight littl-"

Daylin tackled the captain with a guttural roar. They both went down in a flurry of limbs, swinging wildly at each other. The orc stabbed at him viciously, but he couldn't compete with the farmhand's raw strength. After several blows to the head he went limp, but Daylin continued to beat him until his face was an unrecognizable bloody pulp.

When he was finally done punching, he stood up and snarled at Zang, "I'm done with this!" He picked up the body of the orc he had beaten, lifted him over his head, and threw him at the Orc Chieftain. "Face me yourself, coward!"

[WhistfulSoul]

@Daylin

The Chieftain frowned. The sight of one of his captains so mangled was not something he was accustomed to, but he had to applaud the human for doing such a good job in getting him to see it. I told you of the rules! The only way you'll face me is if you face the others, and come out standing! NEXT! Another captain stepped forward, this one much bigger than the rest. He towered over Daylin, making the giant seem like a regular height for once. The captain bore a huge club, fashioned out of a thick wood, and wore armor made of the same bone material the others had worn. He lifted the club, but seemed to struggle slightly as he did so. Now you pay!

[The-Blades-slave]

The first swing glanced Daylin's shoulder, knocking his pauldron out of place. He noticed too late that it was a feint, though, when a headbutt smashed into his face and sent his helm flying backwards.

It was a hell of a shot. Outside of throwing his helmet off, which left him feeling exposed, his nose was busted and his vision swam. Blood dripped into his mouth and he spat out the coppery tasting fluid, stumbling backwards for his axe.

Fortunately, the orc had been drugged and, though he resisted it due to his massive statutre, it slowed him down. By the time he mustered to give chase, the former slave was across the arena and grabbing his axe.

Daylin stood straight, eyes red with rage, and stared his opponent—some mindless ogre who couldn't see straight—right in his big bleary eyes. The captain tried to intimidate him, but he was beyond the point of fear. He wanted revenge for the still-bleeding wound.

“You... are..." Daylin took a lurching step forward with each word. On the third, he swung: “dead!”

The blow was going to hit, the farmhand knew the second he swung it. It shattered green-skinned bastard's breastplate, lodging the head of the axe deep in his chest. He didn’t fall—sweet Maker how was that possible—but he was sent reeling back.
 
The farmhand pulled the axe free and winded back for another shot. The orc beat him to it, the heavy club smashing into his side. He struggled to stay on his feet. The club rose and fell again, and this time Daylin collapsed.

Then, he stood again.

It was unreal. Between the pain in his chest and the general confusion (he felt drunk), the sight of the human on his feet after the patented Tudagub-club sent the orc into a panic. He threw another swipe that Daylin ducked, then another that the man swung under again—and then responded in turn with a strongarmed uppercut.

Click. The sound of the captain’s upper and lower rows of teeth making unplanned contact rang out. Still, he kept his feet. Daylin stared in horror, how was it poss- slowly, chest gushing blood and eyes rolling, the orc fell backwards. He sighed in relief, using the axe as a makeshift-crutch and gazing around the gathering, face stained with blood. His vision fell upon the reason all of this was going on.

“Coward,” Daylin swore again at the chief, his throat sore from the effort of speaking that single word.

[Humen]

Jacob

His curiosity was raised at the appearance of yet again another mysterious woman who carried insight in the current situation. As she introduced herself Jacob waited and then did as she had done introducing himself. “I am Jacob, Marethari, what do you know of herbs to make such a bold claim. New species of plant do not simply appear out of thin air." He tried to put some authority in his voice, he had to at least sound like he knew what he was talking about pretending to be a master herbalist and all. He shifted the bag draped around his shoulder farther to his backside when she pointed it out.' It shouldn't be too hard to figure an herbalist would carry books on herbs but...' Jacob thought as he opened the flap to his bag seeing if any of its contents had been tampered with. "Should I assume you also know why i am here?"