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Post by Gar on Nov 28, 2017 19:52:10 GMT -6
Gar’s eyes scanned a document. It was something about some type of beast roaming around and causing terror for villagers in the area. Gar almost immediately wrote it off as someone else’s problem to deal with. He shrugged and began to turn away. June had other ideas. Do you intend to leave those villagers to live in fear? Gar breathed through his nose and responded to his weapon in thought. I’m sure someone else will be able to handle a bear. Or wolf or whatever animal is scaring them. We have more dangerous enemies to take down. The imposing axe at Gar’s back pulsed a faint glow.
I suggest you read that document again. This beast didn’t seem to be your typical animal. It seemed more, foreign. Gar furrowed his brow. Foreign? As in corrupt? The holy weapon did not get that sense for some reason. I don’t want to presume anything.Gar laughed. Typically, June was the first to jump to conclusions, especially when darkness was involved. That’s new. Turning over a new leaf? The weapon didn’t respond. Either way, Gar tore the document down from the board and began to travel north.
The road was relatively short, and not particularly harsh. Even so, Gar wasn’t in a particularly good mood. Whenever Gar was in the Ryerde area he got several scowls and hushed insults. It was some type of political bickering that Gar had no interest in. Luckily, the request wasn’t for Ryerde proper, it was east. On the opposite side of the river.
There weren’t quite enough homes or farms here to be called a town, but there was some substantial damage done to two of the homes. In time, Gar arrived at a building near the center of a cluster of other buildings. He pounded on the door three times. The door opened, and he was greeted by a middle aged man who seemed a little prematurely gray. He looked like he hadn’t slept well in days, if not a week. “Greetings, welcome to our humble town. How may we be of assistance to you newcomer?”
Gar smirked. “I think you got that backwards.” He dug through his satchel and retrieved the document about the beast quest. The captain held it up and pointed to it. “I’m here to help with the uhhh. Beast?” The man’s sunken eyes lit up ever so slightly.
“Oh yes. Yes of course, I should’ve guessed. Please come in.” The man led Gar into the building and had him take a seat on a bench at a long table. The man took a seat at another bench on the opposite side of the table. “ You may be running alone on this one. For some reason, we haven’t gotten much of a response from adventurers.”
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Post by Elijah on Dec 1, 2017 20:14:50 GMT -6
The trip was supposed to be straight forward. From Pherae to Worde, through Santaruz and Laus. One way trip, a couple dozen gold for the carriage. Elijah had planned it all out and he'd planned well. For the most part that HAD been how the trip had gone. There were just a couple things he'd failed to factor in that seemed to leave him constantly making unplanned stops.
Firstly, Elijah had failed to account for dangers in Lycia beyond the cesspit Caelin had become. He knew about the monsters, of course he did. The issue was that he knew they seemed to originate from Ostia, and that as such they would be few and far between towards Eastern or Central Lycia. For the most part, he was correct...yet he found himself dealing with a host of them in Santaruz all the same.
Secondly...
“Excuse me.” Elijah began as he gazed into a fair sized building. He'd never spent much time in or around Ryerde in the past, but given one of the men he could see within the building, who was built strong and armed, he figured that he'd arrived at the right location. “I've a document here detailing need for aid in slaying a beast?”
Elijah held up the flyer in question and proceeded to enter, worn down from being kept in the pocket of his coat. It had only been chance that he'd seen it – when his carriage had stopped to rest in a nearby Ryerdan city. Of course it wasn't the only flyer Elijah had seen, but the nature of the beast described within seemed...different, even from the monstrosities that crawl out from the chaos that used to be Ostia.
Besides, Ryerde was not all that far from his destination. There was a chance Astraea had been tasked with eliminating this particular threat. Given the timeframe, if that were actually true then Elijah would fear the worst. But he kept that grim possibility buried behind a warm smile.
“I'd like to lend my sword to the cause, but first I must ask a few questions. If you'll have me.”
Because, ultimately, that was what Elijah had failed to take into account. His old desire to help those in need. The torch that had been lit within him as a child, eventually becoming a blazing ideal to strive for, still burned within him. Old habits died hard, ideologies died harder. Ordinarily there wouldn't be a shred of doubt in Elijah, but it wasn't as though he'd undertaken this journey to aid others as he had done previously in life.
How many times could he afford to take breaks from his goal? If Astraea truly was at stake...how many distractions could he entertain until any ill fate that befell her rested entirely in his hands?
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Post by Gar on Dec 2, 2017 0:42:39 GMT -6
Gar leaned back and waved a hand toward the man who had just arrived. “Ahoy.” He put his hand down but continued to speak to the man. “I’m Gar. Looks like we’re gonna be the whole crew on this one.” “Yes, welcome. We appreciate your assistance in this matter.” The town leader beckoned for the blonde hero to sit down on the bench next to Gar. He began the debriefing. “I can answer any questions you may have, but please allow me to speak my piece beforehand.”
“First off, I want to make something clear. This is not a monster born of the nether. Rather it is a natural beast that it is troubling us.” Gar exhaled through his nostrils. He could almost hear these next words before they were spoken. “I would prefer you don’t kill the beast. It’s been around for decades without troubling us, only recently did it begin top rampage. Please try to subdue it or relocate it so it doesn’t bother our small town anymore. That said, if it comes down to it, do as you must.” The town leader gave permission for the kill if they had to. Albeit, solemnly.
The berserker spoke. “Don’t worry. We’ll subdue the beast. You have my word.” This would make things more difficult, but he was confident. How strong could a beast be anyway? The quest giver unfolded a piece of paper and placed it on the table in front of the duo. Gar’s eyes examined what looked like a bull’s head on a man’s torso, on a bull’s hind legs. The beast held an axe in hand. “This is a Minotaur.” Initially, Gar almost wanted to laugh at the concept. Then he continued thinking. He had seen stranger things. Monsters, taguel, dragons. Hell, the berserker was once given a brand on his abdomen of a similar visage.
The face of a bull and a ring in the nostrils. Gar had to wonder if Bullring, the late, slave driving pirate lord, had come across a beast such as this at one point. It made so much sense that it was hard to deny. Even though it was simple speculation, this made things a lot more personal for the berserker. The town leader continued to speak, but Gar wasn’t entirely listening. He was invested enough as it was.
“Any further questions I will be happy to answer.”
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Post by Elijah on Dec 2, 2017 1:37:30 GMT -6
“Aye. The name's Elijah. Looking forward to working with you.” Elijah introduced himself with a smile once he took a seat next to Gar, his apparent partner in this job. The man had the look of a mercenary or warrior for the most part, though...was that a captain's coat he wore? Elijah kept that in mind, He'd known many a sailor, though when it came to Lycia they oft stuck to Badon. His partner here likely had an interesting story to tell...
But that wasn't why he was there.
Elijah listened as the older man spoke to them of their plight. A beast of nature rather than nether, that they seemed somewhat familiar with. A sketching revealed it to be a minotaur, straight out of the stories. Evidently they were to try their best to spare the beast's life and simply urge it to relocate, or do so by force.
That was troubling. Eli knew full well the desire to preserve a life if possible. However, when it came to choices such as this, there were outlying risks involved. Where would the minotaur go? To trouble some other villagers? Was he going to send one man's problems away to another? Not to mention that it would be difficult to simply wound the minotaur if the encounter became violent. Who knew how much strength the beast possessed over the two of them?
However the old man was not unreasonable. He reluctantly stated that he would accept the job's success if Elijah and Gar were forced to kill it. Gar seemed to be all right with the man's desire, and voiced his confidence for the non-fatal option. Elijah decided that it would be a conversation to be had between the two. He too preferred the notion of sparing a life, as the minotaur was not wrought from the black pits that had overcome Ostia, and decided he'd reassure the man.
“We'll do our best to see no lives are lost.” Was the promise Elijah made. He clasped his hands together atop the table and leaned forward a touch. “Though I would like to know more about this minotaur. Any knowledge, if it can even be called such, that I have on them comes from fairy tales. What is the beast capable of? How was it you've become so familiar with the beast that you even have a sketching of them?”
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Post by Gar on Dec 2, 2017 3:13:05 GMT -6
Gar was glad Elijah had no qualms with taking the beast alive. So long as the beast had no connection to the corrupt beings of the continent, Gar was content with leaving the creature alive. Honestly, he was so confident in his abilities that the captain thought he could subdue the beast on his own. Having a competent partner would make the quest that much easier.While Gar was still considering the relation between Bullring and the Minotaur. The town’s leader kept speaking.
“I will speak of everything we know. The beast was once a myth in our community. The children would claim to see monsters in the hills. We’d say ‘A man with the head of a bull? That’s impossible.’ However, there were always our elders who had seen the beast, those who had confronted the beast. They would swear up and down that the creature existed. Often times, in our legends the being came across as neutral, peaceful, even helpful.” The elder took a pause and a breath. He felt as if he was speaking of legends that had somehow managed to come true. He was nearly shaking. Nevertheless, he continued speaking. “The beast would only fight to protect it’s own territory, a small area along the river northeast of here. The beast fought off those reanimated corpses and skeletons moving in from Eastern Lycia. It protected us. Our community came to respect the Minotaur. Even praise it. There have been many reports of a part man, part bull beast in this area. We have managed to protect the being by keeping it underwraps. That was, until it got out of control.”
The berserker had heard enough backstory. He rose from the bench, cracked his neck and addressed Elijah. “I’m going to get ready out front. Grab me when you’re ready to take this beast down.” Gar made his way to the door that he had entered through. The town leader turned to Elijah after Gar had exited.
"If it at all possible to find out why the Minotaur started acting this way... It would be much appreciated."
[OOC: Feel free to use the NPC to answer more questions.]
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Post by Elijah on Dec 2, 2017 21:32:45 GMT -6
A decent chunk of Elijah's questioning was answered by the man. For the most part. He was told a tale about a time where the minotaur defended the village, and really it DID feel like a tale. One that could easily have been dismissed before the fall of Ostia. However Elijah took the man's words seriously, and pondered on the possible nature of such a beast. It wasn't likely that the minotaur defended the village itself, but perhaps the “area”. It could have claimed the entire area as territory, much like a more standard animal.
Though the minotaur was not a pure animal was it? It bore some physical traits of a man. How many of those traits were reflected in its mentality and thoughts? Perhaps it really did have a sort of silent pact with the leaders of this village. It protected them, and they kept its existence secret.
Elijah supposed it would be up to him and Gar to find out. His partner seemed satisfied with the information given and, frankly, it didn't sound like the old man knew much more than he already had shared...though a key piece of knowledge was needed.
“Where exactly is the minotaur's territory or lair?”
“Most times it keeps to the side of the river opposite ours. Tucked away in the deep woods...I'm afraid I don't know where within it makes its bed, though.”
A solid direction, at least. Elijah and Gar would have to track the beast a bit, something that would likely be impossible if one didn't know of the creature's existence. However the beast had grown violent, and the men knew full well what it was they sought. Satisfied, Elijah stood up from the bench.
“We'll do our best. I hope to return soon with good news.” Elijah smiled as he exited the man's house. Once outside he closed the door behind him and glanced towards Gar.
“We'll find the beast across the river, deep within the woods. Given the area, there's the risk we may find other creatures as well.” Monsters. The minotaur had no love for them, but that didn't mean they wouldn't worm their way into the wood regardless. Monsters simply sought blood, though it had become clear to Elijah in his last encounter that some had better instincts than others.
“We ought to work out a basic plan while we walk.”
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Post by Gar on Dec 10, 2017 18:22:42 GMT -6
Gar nodded at Elijah as he emerged from the building. He provided Gar with the information he had gained. Over the river and through the woods. That was likely more than enough to track a large beast. "Aye. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for other threats. Beasts, monsters, what have you. I'm sure we'll be able to handle them." Gar began to walk toward the river. Elijah made mention of coming up with a plan. Gar wasn't exactly a planner but he would give his typical outline for fights.
"Well my usual plan is to hit the enemy with my axe. Simple, but it works pretty well for me." Gar gave his companion a smile. He knew that wasn't much of a plan, especially against an unknown enemy. Gar laughed for a bit then scratched his head. He started to provide an actual thought. "Really, I don't know what our mark's capabilities are, aside from it being strong enough to fight off monsters and damage homes. We might want to scout it out for a little prior to engagement. Just to get a feel for its size and how it moves." Gar shifted his thoughts to the question of how well he would be able to work with his current partner in a fight. Gar figured it may be useful to explain the powers of his weapon.
"My axe here has a couple powers. It can boost my strength and it can create solid structures of light. Just letting you know in case we need to use those powers." Gar approached the bank of the river. He turned his head to both sides without finding a bridge. He turned to Elijah. "You good for a quick swim?" The captain was more than comfortable swimming to the opposite side. He just wanted to be sure his travelling mate felt the same way. If not, they could stroll up and down the bank until they found a bridge. That could cost some daylight though.
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Post by Elijah on Dec 16, 2017 10:18:36 GMT -6
When Gar had begun to speak of his axe Elijah was filled with a sharp sense of nostalgia. It was a magically empowered weapon, with two blessings rather than the standard. Elijah's gaze grew distant as his thoughts took him to another time. He was silent for but a moment, though, and did not allow himself to dwell on memories. “I see, that's good to know. My sword isn't anything special, I'm afraid, but I've got a good few decades of experience with it.”
The blast from the past hadn't begun with the axe, though. Gar's plan was to “Hit the enemy with his axe” huh? Thankfully Elijah was...fairly used to working with people who stated such plans. Personal experience had told him not to underestimate an ally just because they didn't announce a detailed strategy. The greatest warrior he'd ever known had liked to say similar, after all. “As for your uh, battle plan; Fair enough, and agreed. I have no idea what a minotaur might be capable of either.”
Gar seemed to want to take a shortcut rather than walk around to the bridge. Elijah knew how to swim, he just wasn't exactly dressed well for such an endeavor. His sword would weigh him down, and the risk of sickness was always one to consider. Perhaps if he'd been a bit younger...heh, no. When Elijah was younger he often wore armor – which would be even worse to swim in. “Swimming would save us some time, but I honestly don't see it ending too well for me I'm afraid. These clothes won't dry off all that fast, and if they're wet they'll weigh me down in battle.”
Still, most wouldn't be so quick to suggest a swim over walking to find a bridge. Gar must be remarkably accustomed to the act....
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Post by Gar on Jan 14, 2018 16:04:59 GMT -6
Gar smiled as the pair discussed their abilities. The captain had to comment."Put a few decades of experience against a scrub with a glowing stick. My money is on the experience every time." Gar nodded confidently as they approached the river bank. Elijah opted to avoid swimming. That was fair, not every person shared his attraction to water. Not to mention, very few people even knew how to swim. There is a reason they're called land lovers after all.
Even though Gar understood the rational, he still made a face. He figured some wet clothes never hurt anyone. Gar didn't have any reason to expect maidens in the area so if it came down to it they could fight the Minotaur shirtless. still, Gar didn't voice this thought. "Aye, let's find a bridge." Gar turned his head up and down the bank as he did once before. This time he squinted his eyes as if it would allow him to see further or more clearly. Again, he saw no signs of a bridge. What he did find was a fairly tall tree near the bank. Gar placed a hand against the scruff on his chin. "You know, I might have a plan..." He had a twinkle in his eye. A few good whacks with Xigshaw should topple that tree. Make us a solid bridge.
The large axe began to pulse with a faint light. How many times must I reiterate this? I am a righteous weapon for justice, not a lumberjack's hatchet. Gar let out a breath. "Nevermind, the spirit here isn't being cooperative. " With Gar's incredible plans thoroughly foiled, he returned to the old fashioned way of travel. " Any idea where the nearest bridge is likely to be?"
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Post by Elijah on Feb 15, 2018 10:58:11 GMT -6
Gar seemed to value experience, though for the sake of morale Elijah decided to leave out how rusty he was. He had still been getting used to the swing of things again. When one spent so much time wielding a blade, the knowledge was never truly lost, but it could take a while for muscle memory to recall – and Elijah had never been a prodigy. It had taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where he had been at his peak. No doubt it would take some more to reach that level once again.
In place of a bridge within eyesight, Gar seemed to have the idea of chopping a tree down instead. Despite the inconvenience that was to follow, Elijah couldn't help but wear a slight smile when Gar stated that the spirit within his axe didn't seem to care for that plan. It...brought back some memories, was all. Of course that was hardly the time to dwell on them, though. They seemed to have a slight dilemma. There really was no bridge in eyesight, and while Gar's axe refused to play hatchet, Eli's sword would break before it cut halfway into that tree. How much time could they afford to spend wandering up and down the riverbank in search of a bridge that may not exist?
"Have I become picky as I've aged?" Elijah wondered with a silent sigh. He didn't like it, but there was no sense delaying the inevitable.
“...Well, I guess it can't be helped.” Elijah let out a weak chuckle and scratched the back of his head. “We'll swim across, then. Push comes to shove I'll leave the jacket to hang on a branch across the river.” Swordsmanship took a while to come back, but thankfully Eli was confident he remembered how to swim. At least well enough to cross a fairly tame river, that is. The blonde swordsman nodded to Gar as he approached the river bank, and gave him an apologetic smile. “I should have just agreed in the first place – we do have a job to get to, after all. You'll have to forgive me for that.”
With that he began to wade into the river.
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Post by Gar on Feb 18, 2018 18:10:29 GMT -6
Gar’s countenance became notably happier during Elijah’s change of heart. It looked like they were going for a swim after all. “Hahar. That’s what I like to hear mate.” Gar unlatched his magical axe from his back and tossed it across the river with one clean swing of his arm. He aimed a little down the riverbank, expecting the current to carry him downstream. The axe sailed through the air and landed on the opposite bank with an unnaturally heavy thud. A plume of dust and dirt rose up from the small crater that the heavy axe left in the ground. Without the axe weighing him down, Gar was able to swim freely.
He waded out and dove into the water as an experienced swimmer. Powerful strokes and kicks carried him swiftly through the water. He tilted his head every so often to inhale through the portion of his mouth that peeked out of the water. The crossing wasn’t a challenge for the captain, he had traversed rougher waters in his time. Gar puller himself out of the water on the opposite bank. He shook his head and shoulders to clear off the excess water of his body and clothes. Then he ran a hand over his head to keep the hair from falling over his face. Now that he thought about it, he could probably use a haircut.
Gar moved and picked up Xigshaw from the small crater it left. Immediately, the weapon started glowing and communicating with Gar. Do not toss me around as if I am some plaything. Gar knew he was going to be scolded as soon as the weapon left his hand. He smirked as he latched the weapon onto his back. Aye, aye. Sorry about that. I just couldn’t have you weighing me down as I swam is all. June wasn’t convinced. We both know you could have utilized my strength boost to entirely ignore my weight. I have to imagine you were simply unhappy with me for refusing to act as your wood cutter. Gar didn’t respond, he did gain a slight satisfaction from giving June a good toss though. The berserker looked over his shoulder to ensure that Elijah didn’t run into any trouble in the crossing.
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Post by Elijah on Feb 25, 2018 20:49:08 GMT -6
It seemed Gar was quite happy about Elijah's change of mind. The propsect of a swim seemed quite wonderful to him. Eli only wished he shared that same enthusiasm for the water, and it was not much a surprise that Gar swiftly passed Eli as they continued to swim. Eli was poorly dressed for a swim, and while he had enough experience and strength not to DROWN – speed had never really been a thing he worked on.
What would have been more surprising, to most, was that Gar had tossed his axe across the stream and onto the next shore. It was no small axe, so the feat was quite remarkable. “Did he draw on the axe to boost his strength for that? Or was that just natural might? And either way...wouldn't the enhancement let him ignore the weight of the weapon as it were?” Eli had quietly wondered when he first witnessed the sight. By the time he reached the other side of the stream, he had decided not to question it.
“Whew...” Eli exhaled as he stumbled onto shore. He was thoroughly soaked, and it felt...less than pleasant, to say the least. If he didn't dry off enough before a potential fight he really would have to abandon the jacket. Temporarily. There was no way he was going to allow it to be lost or destroyed. As that very thought crossed his mind, Eli quickly checked the shaft of his blade. The twin red fabrics tied to it were wet but intact, and he managed a sigh of relief.
“While I'm glad I changed my mind, I...don't think I'll ever be doing that again.” Elijah stated as he shot a weak smile and a chuckle Gar's way. He really hoped he didn't wind up catching a sickness after this now...
“Anyway...” Elijah removed his sword belt as well as his jacket. He held it out wide and gave it a good few shakes to help it dry. “I'm guessing we're not far enough into the woods to really expect unusual signs. If we head deeper I'd wager we'd see territory markings of some kind. It is part beast, after all.” Those were the only thoughts Elijah had at the moment, at least regarding the mission. They had a strong lead as to where their mark would be thanks to the elderly man from before, but that wasn't what Elijah had hinted at.
The whole reason he'd brought that point up was to remind Gar they'd need to be increasingly cautious as they progressed deeper into the wood.
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Post by Gar on Mar 10, 2018 14:53:38 GMT -6
Gar saw Elijah’s discomfort after the swim. Still the man was able to power through and keep moving. To do it with a smile at that. In Gar’s eyes, that was commendable. It seemed that his companion on this quest wasn’t simply some washed up swordsman. Not figuratively and by the result of his quick swim, not literally either.
The duo should’ve counted themselves lucky that the temperature wasn’t too cold. Otherwise they would have to stop moving to build a fire and dry off. They would catch some sort of ailment and probably have to abandon the quest altogether. But if that were the case the likely wouldn’t have gone for the swim in the first place.
They began to enter the treeline of the forest. Elijah mentioned that they shouldn’t see too many marking until they were deeper in the area. Gar noted the comment. He wasn’t an experienced tracker or anything, but he was confident he would be able to notice the signs of an angry part man part beast creature. Unless, it was hiding for whatever reason.
Gar exhaled through his nose. “Aye. Now that you mention it, we may want to count ourselves lucky that it isn’t around. The sound of my axe falling may have alerted it to our presence. ” Gar shook his head, annoyed at his own absent mindedness. “Sorry about that. I’ll try to keep focused from here on out.” Gar nodded his head to reassure himself.
The two moved deeper into the woodlands. Gar’s eyes traces the floor of the forest, the roots and the trees. He saw something that looked quite familiar. A fairly thick root was cleanly split in two. Gar crouched down and waved Elijah over. “ This is a cut from an axe. I don’t imagine any animals to have this thick of claws or teeth. This is evidence that the beast we are tracking truly wields an axe.” Not to mention, evidence that the beast is real and that they were on the right track. Gar rose and looked deeper into the woods.
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Post by Elijah on Apr 30, 2018 21:05:50 GMT -6
Elijah nodded when Gar apologized. It was certainly a careless move, but what bothered Elijah more was that he hadn’t even picked up on that until Gar came out and acknowledged it himself. Was he really so out of practice? Granted he had never been the best when it came to anything that required stealth. Cyrus had always led those missions. But this wasn’t espionage, it was at best low-level infiltration...into a forest.
He ought to have known enough to at least catch the error, even if he couldn’t have prevented it.
“We all make errors. At least this one hasn’t cost us our lives...yet.” Elijah responded with a light chuckle. The mood hadn’t been soured too badly, but the lesson didn’t have to pass by without a touch of humor. High spirits would do them well in the face of the unknown, provided it was kept in check by focus and attentiveness. “I’ll resolve to be a bit more decisive, for my part.”
As they began to make their way, hopefully, to the minotaur’s territory, Gar spotted a thick cut into the root of a tree. He believed it was from an axe, and Elijah agreed. Where Gar took that as an indication that the beast wielded an axe, Elijah certainly considered it.
“Not impossible. If the cut was in the trunk of a tree I’d take it more as a woodsman who started a job before an interruption. A root, though?” Had the beast truly gone mad then? Even if it required a root, an axe was...a less than effective harvesting tool for such things. “You’re probably right. Let’s keep an eye out for more cuts like that. Even imprints in the grass or other flora. I’d imagine the minotaur takes heavy steps.”
If the beast was distressed or otherwise, it may have savaged its territory in a variety of ways. Could even be crude territorial markings. Elijah, like Gar, decided he’d have to pay good attention to the trees and flora. Though as he continued on, his thoughts extended further, to how exactly they’d contend with the creature. All they knew about the beast was an outline of its appearance and that it likely carried an axe. They knew its territory was somewhere in the forest but not the specifics of its lair, should they find it there. Still, Elijah liked to have some idea of what to do ahead of time.
“We have limited information, but I still think we should come up with a baseline plan for how we handle our confrontation with the minotaur, should it be violent.” Which it inevitably would be, but Eli did like to hope for the unlikely possibility of peaceful negotiation. "How do you think we should approach it? Any ideas?"
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Post by Gar on May 1, 2018 11:19:02 GMT -6
Gar wasn’t a detective, but he imagined the beast could’ve gotten tangled up in to roots. Instead of carefully removing itself, it could’ve freed itself with one swing of the axe. Gar shrugged. The rationale wasn’t too important. Not at this point anyway. Elijah seemed adamant about making a plan for engaging the beast. That was fair, they were coming up on their target and had very little information to build off of. Gar stroked his scruff.
“We should try talking first right? Can a Minotaur speak?” Gar had no idea but there was no reason to engage in a fight if they could talk rationally. “But assuming it is territorial and aggressive…” Gar’s eyes scanned Elijah’s build quickly. He had never seen his partner in battle before, so he naturally had more confidence in his own ability. But he clearly saw that Elijah was much more than some rookie. He tried his best not to offend his partner with his next statement.
“I imagine I have more experience fighting foes with axes. Plus the strength boost of Xig should help me stand toe to toe with the beast. I think I should engage first. You can hang back, watch its movements. I’ll try my best to keep it off balance so keep an eye out for openings and blind spots.” Gar considered how to actually end the fight without killing the creature. It is part beast after all so a good injury should get it to lay low for a while. Until it was healed. Hopefully by then whatever was riling it up had passed by.
“When you get a chance, try to land a crippling blow. Maybe try and hamstring it when you get a chance? Or do whatever you think will subdue the beast. What do you think?” Gar continued to move into the woods, when he saw another sign of the beast’s presence. June pulsed briefly. The remnants of corruption. Gar pointed to a skeletal figure sprawled out on the forest floor. In it’s lifeless hand was a shattered lance. He spoke with a hushed tone. “Dead bonewalker over there. Think we’re getting close?”
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