A knight, a hunter and Darnoxian night.
This jungle was an abyss. Trees of grand proportions made commonplace, covering this entire plain in a darkness even during the sun's highest dance. Vines draped and thorns strangled the feet of these monsters in vain attempts of ever breaching the light above. The ground, mostly of uneven jetting roots as large as people anchored into a grimy bog that expanded an oceans width, seemed to shift in irregular patterns with no clear source.
A single figure was passing this terrain. White plates welded together with precision, well worn yet clean despite the climate made her armour with a bronze cup hilt harbouring a rapier of similar glistening quality as her wear. Her own hair blended well with the attire, efficiently tied behind with her ruby eyes kept focused on her journey. Planting her feet upon the shores of solid ground, where the mountains of wood she had passed begun to give way to their stunted cousins, she took a moment of reprieve. On recovery, she pressed now with a greater pace and closed further inland to a thinly stoned route that refused to approach where she had travelled.
She stopped upon reaching it. Silence. Or, atleast there should have been. The wind? A whisper. In that blink she had her rapier teasing the neck of the guest that had approached her. A short lady with cinnamon locks was at the other end. Simple leather wear yet tactfully placed made the knight presume she was a hunter of sorts, though her thin wings - almost hidden in the dim environment made that strange.
"My apologies miss, I had not expected you to be so... swift."
There was a hint of venom in her words, though not intentionally deadly. A wasp that couldn't hide her stinger.
"In the case that I was not you would have committed theft."
"Theft? I would never have done such a thing!- Especially against a knight of the Lunarian Empire!"
The lady mockingly saluted the knight, blade still pressed upon her neck.
Squinting at the insult, the knight opened her eyes slowly and lowered their blade, still gripped well at their right. Turning back to the path they continued to walk. The temporary companion moving to join them. They spoke again, though with more restrained disgust.
"I'm heading to Ordgaul. It's the only city you're gonna make before nightfall."
"Travelled through night before."
The lady gave a laugh.
"Not a Darnoxian night."
The path they followed brought them straight into the mouth of Ordgaul. The lands around were scorched, salted and dry giving no shelter from the gaze of the large stone structures ahead. The elevated city was atop a massive mound of packed earth surrounded with smoothed stone with further moats of spikes and other traps making it's base. There was a single windy path that reached atop this hill and as the two climbed they were constantly in view of the main gate which loomed over the hill. Seven meters the dark wooden entrance stood, with multiple spires surrounding it boasting multiple levels of ballista either side that wrapped to the other faces overlooking the other walls. Entering the city the two parted ways as they both navigated the bustle that formed of traders and other peoples being processed to enter the city proper. Guided forward the knight greeted a guardsman of one booth, his metals were much dimmer and not worn in a complete set as a padded centre showed. Upon writing a few words on a parchment he had at his table he asked for her name and visit's purpose. "Palmera, Knight of Lunaris. I have business in Gandahan." He perched up, slowly turning his eyes across her and to the area around her before a call of the next visitor hastened his processing. "Cleared. You may proceed." Moving into the city, she joint the many heads journeying through this central road of mixed rocks. Looking along the street she noted many businesses all seeming shut despite the evening not having yet made way for darkness. One small restaurant caught her attention. A single barmaid was hosting with all the tables void of customers. Making an order, Palmera sat aside a small window, with a orange haze crawling through. Her meal was a singular steak. The meats of Darnox were prized and if she was going to dine, Palmera would at the least want the experience to be worthwhile. Taking a bite the meat was tough, though in consumption it softened quickly. The barmaid placed the other chairs atop their tables and when the knight left locked the door behind her, closing the blinds from that earlier window. Walking back to the gates to make leave before dusk arrived, her plans were shut in conjunction with the large gate as it was in a slow ascent. Upon aproaching the guardsman from earlier his only response to her was a shake of the head. Turning on heel the knight returned to the city proper in search of a temporary stay. Those thoughts too were interrupted by a deafening horn emanating from the walls of the castle which were followed by similar yet tonally unique calls from further afar. Eventually an Inn was found in a deep corner further inward. Opening the door a friendly ruckus of conversation singing and other talks filled the small hall, with those turning quieter as she made her way to the innkeeper. The knight turned her left eye to the onlookers. Butchers and fishers made the lot, with Palmera noting the suprising number of Elves whom seemed the most intent on her. Turning away she calmly took a room; the noise swiftly roared as she left the floor. Her residence was small with a similar tiny window giving the only quickly fading light. The knight stored away her armour and made rest. One that was hard to reach with the ballistae giving small shudders even to her room and her inability to be comfortable ignoring the sound of battle, as she had been told on her first shock that these were regular, expected and managed. Even still she would not be far from her weapon that night. With morn Palmera armed herself and returned to the city gate's once more. Many more people seemed to be active now and a congregation had formed among the street of locals discussing their days ahead and discussing "The haul". She was given no time to consider what that was before the first carts began to enter, as citizens were made to stand aside as they came. Upon the backs of these were heaps of exceptionally large, warped appearing creatures at sizes much bigger then any she had seen in her homeland. There weren't a few carts of this either, countless would ride to and from the gates causing crowds to gather in waiting for their allowance to cross. On her leave she saw what was earlier a desolate land had become a battlefield of beast overnight. Many further bodies of these hulking creatures were scattered along the dry land with large arrows impaling and surrounding them. Carts worked by armed men were evaluating these and taking the remains with younger workers being seen collecting the arrows. The knight pressed further on, taking note to stay clear of the forests which even with the sun she could see large shadows moving within, the mission which had called her to the Darnoxian capital could not suffer further delay.
The path they followed brought them straight into the mouth of Ordgaul. The lands around were scorched, salted and dry giving no shelter from the gaze of the large stone structures ahead. The elevated city was atop a massive mound of packed earth surrounded with smoothed stone with further moats of spikes and other traps making it's base. There was a single windy path that reached atop this hill and as the two climbed they were constantly in view of the main gate which loomed over the hill. Seven meters the dark wooden entrance stood, with multiple spires surrounding it boasting multiple levels of ballista either side that wrapped to the other faces overlooking the other walls. Entering the city the two parted ways as they both navigated the bustle that formed of traders and other peoples being processed to enter the city proper. Guided forward the knight greeted a guardsman of one booth, his metals were much dimmer and not worn in a complete set as a padded centre showed. Upon writing a few words on a parchment he had at his table he asked for her name and visit's purpose. "Palmera, Knight of Lunaris. I have business in Gandahan." He perched up, slowly turning his eyes across her and to the area around her before a call of the next visitor hastened his processing. "Cleared. You may proceed." Moving into the city, she joint the many heads journeying through this central road of mixed rocks. Looking along the street she noted many businesses all seeming shut despite the evening not having yet made way for darkness. One small restaurant caught her attention. A single barmaid was hosting with all the tables void of customers. Making an order, Palmera sat aside a small window, with a orange haze crawling through. Her meal was a singular steak. The meats of Darnox were prized and if she was going to dine, Palmera would at the least want the experience to be worthwhile. Taking a bite the meat was tough, though in consumption it softened quickly. The barmaid placed the other chairs atop their tables and when the knight left locked the door behind her, closing the blinds from that earlier window. Walking back to the gates to make leave before dusk arrived, her plans were shut in conjunction with the large gate as it was in a slow ascent. Upon aproaching the guardsman from earlier his only response to her was a shake of the head. Turning on heel the knight returned to the city proper in search of a temporary stay. Those thoughts too were interrupted by a deafening horn emanating from the walls of the castle which were followed by similar yet tonally unique calls from further afar. Eventually an Inn was found in a deep corner further inward. Opening the door a friendly ruckus of conversation singing and other talks filled the small hall, with those turning quieter as she made her way to the innkeeper. The knight turned her left eye to the onlookers. Butchers and fishers made the lot, with Palmera noting the suprising number of Elves whom seemed the most intent on her. Turning away she calmly took a room; the noise swiftly roared as she left the floor. Her residence was small with a similar tiny window giving the only quickly fading light. The knight stored away her armour and made rest. One that was hard to reach with the ballistae giving small shudders even to her room and her inability to be comfortable ignoring the sound of battle, as she had been told on her first shock that these were regular, expected and managed. Even still she would not be far from her weapon that night. With morn Palmera armed herself and returned to the city gate's once more. Many more people seemed to be active now and a congregation had formed among the street of locals discussing their days ahead and discussing "The haul". She was given no time to consider what that was before the first carts began to enter, as citizens were made to stand aside as they came. Upon the backs of these were heaps of exceptionally large, warped appearing creatures at sizes much bigger then any she had seen in her homeland. There weren't a few carts of this either, countless would ride to and from the gates causing crowds to gather in waiting for their allowance to cross. On her leave she saw what was earlier a desolate land had become a battlefield of beast overnight. Many further bodies of these hulking creatures were scattered along the dry land with large arrows impaling and surrounding them. Carts worked by armed men were evaluating these and taking the remains with younger workers being seen collecting the arrows. The knight pressed further on, taking note to stay clear of the forests which even with the sun she could see large shadows moving within, the mission which had called her to the Darnoxian capital could not suffer further delay.
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