Researching What Lies in Shadows

[Yunneth]

It had been a while since Yunneth's last adventures. Her friend was killed which made her return to Etruria. It was the first time she felt so close to someone as to call them, friend. Though Yunneth knew that traveling meant heart ache at times, she just...didn't want to go through it a third time. The Shaman simply left with out a word as if to protect those who remained. The woman knew she was no longer welcome in the holy cities so she simply set up a camp in a cave to hide from villagers, travelers, and the cult that continued to hunt her down. To locals, she went by many names. But the most common was Witch of Shadows. When Yunneth was scaring people off, she would be going through caverns, collecting data and rarely left the cave. Today was no exception. The Shaman rose up from her short nap and gave a sigh.

"...Its that time again I see..."

Yunneth walked over to some plants that she collected from the cave. She wanted to see the effects of the potions she had made. She wanted to see if they would grow, or shrink, or any other effect. Before her were three plants. Each were a purplish green. Soon Yunneth reaches for a beaker and drips a little bit of the liquid on the plant and began to write down everything that was happening as well as the time as well. Though this kind of life made the shaman content, her habits have only gotten worse. She looked weaker and paler, just by sitting in the dank cave day and night. It seems living alone makes one lose motivation.

[Deleted]

"Curses", shouted Orland as he slammed his fist against the wall. The giant entered into the cave hoping to take shelter for a while. His mind was still on Sacae. He and his gang had gotten hammered. Their leader Helen was dead and their group scattered. They were not strong enough to handle the threats and his pride was too great for him to slink back to his parents. Orland was forced to flee the plains and head into Eturia. Even after months of traveling he was still ticked off about the whole thing. Thanks to their pursuers Orland was forced to leave the group. His large size and unique description made him hard to hide. Odin, Morgan, and Han left to Bern. They swore to meet up again, but Orland doubted it would happen.

The giant stumped into the cave and looked around for a bit. He did not see anything at the moment, but animals had a way of hiding themselves in the darkness. "Hay is there anyone else in here", shouted Orland. He did not expect a response from a person, but rather the sound of a moving animal, or a roar of a bear.

[Dio]

Dio stayed with Orland since he made himself into a target as well for attacking the group that came for Orland's head. Moving slowly, he noted at where they were. Anger filled him since they weren't far from his parents old home. Memories of the night of him being a child came to him from time to time as they moved through the area of darkness. Entering a cave, he would sit down and looked out of the cave entrance. Taking out his book, he would begin to write some in it. Making a drawling of the entrance of the cave and the view he had looking out of it. TO anyone else, it looked like a good artist was making it. But to him, it was simple. He had many years of practice to get to where he was in drawling now. With his other two books, his Flux Tome and his Book of plants, methods, and uses of were in his bag as well. He took out his Herbotolgy book out and set it on his lap since he wanted to make sure that this copy was up to date on the information that he had gathered. Looking it over, it was up to date and he kept it on his lap.

"If an animal comes out at us, they you are going to deal with it." Dio said to him as he went back to drawling and making notes in it as well about the stars formation, the moon's shape. He was making his form of book of Astrology. Most Scholars of Magic did their own research and written their own books to be able to pass it down to others to learn from. He had much pride in doing such with the students he was teaching. Going back into his bag, he would pull out two good size blood roots. He would hand one over to Orland. "It's not much, but it'll keep your body going. And no worries, it's not poisones." taking a bite out of his own root, he would keep chewing on it for a bit before swallowing. having something in his stomach was a good feeling and he took another bite out of it.

[Yunneth]

As Yunneth toiled and worked, she heard sounds come from the cave. Since her living area was simply a large tent, it wasn't difficult to hear things around the area. Yunneth slips into the shadows and watches from the shadows. Yunneth saw two men at the entrance. Great...intruders. Yunneth wasn't in the mood. Might as well chase them away like the others. Yunneth continued to slip through shadows and approached a bear that lived in the cave with her. The shaman had scared it into submission. Yunneth took out some berries for the bear and had it follow her. Soon enough Yunneth leads the bear close to the entrance and used a spell to make the bear look...disfigured and evil. Soon enough the bear ran towards the two men at a great speed as if it knew what to do.

[Deleted]

Orland looked into the shadows and saw a great beast rushing toward him. He was sure it was a bear, but something about it did not seem right. Still it was a bear. Immediately Orland raised his massive shield. The bear was swiftly upon him. Orland stabbed forward with his spear, but the great beast would not be deterred. It charged forward taking the stab and bull rushing the knight over. For the first time in years Orland had been knocked back.

"Mage give me a hand", shouted Orland as he attempted to keep the bear off him with his shield.

[Dio]

Hearing the charge, Dio jumped out of the way. Seeing his companion get knocked down he reached into his bag of herbs like before. Pulling out a jar full of what looked like red sand. Dio placed a part of his robe over Orlands face. Taking a handful of the red material, he would blow heavily onto it making it fly into the nose and eyes of the bear. With it roaring, it ran out of the cave and towards a stream. Pulling the robe away from Orland's face, the Knight would smell something spicey in the air. Almost as if it was peppers. The jar went back into his bag of goodies as he brushed his hands together and rubbed them in the dirt to get the red powder off.

"I don't think that massive bear won't bother us for a while. Not with burning eyes and nose. I wonder why it acted the way it did? It usually sleeps through things like you did at night. Something must have woken it up and drawed it out from slumber."

[Yunneth]

To be perfectly frank...Yunneth had NO faith what so ever in that bear. But she didn't want to waste her time and energy on reckless brigands. Yunneth stood in silence and sighed. Yunneth just wanted to be left be in her cave. She hated random visitors. Yunneth just...wanted to be alone. The shaman sighed and walked out of the shadows with her Nosferatu tome at the ready.

"...Get out of my cave. Now. I don't care why you are here and I don't want to hear it. I just want you out of my home, you damn brigands..."

Yunneth kept an emotionless look on her face but her voice was filled with venom and hatred. She didn't want to get involved with brigands again. Soon Yunneth opened her tome and glared at the two with her crimson eyes.

"...I am only giving you one chance to back away..."

[Deleted]

"Screw that", shouted Orland as he pulled himself off the ground. He was in no mood too forgive and let go. The massive Knight rushed toward the fleeing bear and stabbed his lance into its ear socket. The massive beast hollered as the knight's lance rammed through the bones and it's eardrum. The iron tip found itself a spot into the bears brain killing it almost instantly. "Stupid Bear almost killed me. I don't know what you take me fore mage, but I ain't one to just let things go", spoke Orland as he pulled the lance out. As he turned a woman appeared from the darkness. "It seems that you were on the money mage".

The woman immediately erupted into a fit of hostility. The very action ticked Orland off even more. "First off witch", shouted Orland as he saw Yunneth's tome. "This is not your cave. You did not build it, nor do you actually own it. Second you are the one who sent the bear after me. Making an attempt on my life is going to cost you dearly." Orland raised his spear and his shield as he stared into the maiden's crimson eyes. He was a bit weary of fighting another Shaman. He had taken a blow from Dio back when they were in the village. Shots of magical energy hurt much more than any blade. He was going to let the Yunneth make the first move. Moving first would only put him in danger.

[Dio]

Turning around, Dio watched her carefully since she was now infront of him with the Orger of a Knight outside of the cave now. The tome that was in her hand looked old, so he rolled up his slevees and watched her some more not saying a word. He would rest his hand ontop of where his Tome was resting inside his robe. He would speak up, "Madam, we are no Brigands. We are simply resting for the night since we've been traveling all day from Sacae. I don't want another fight on our hands due to misidentifaction. My name is Dio, I was born not to far from this Cave. My I ask of your very own name Miss?" Keeping his hand over his tome, he would use his kindness first and if all else fails he would attack her back with his flux.

[Yunneth]

Just hearing the knight go into a fit pissed Yunneth off greatly. Obviously she didn't build the cave but for all he knew, Yunneth could have the deed to the area. Of course she doesn't but...it was obvious this never ran across the knights mind. When his lance was in her face, Yunneth's gaze intensified. It was almost scary. It was like she could turn into a monster and eat them. When Dio introduced himself, Yunneth gave her glare towards Dio.

"...Yunneth. And as for your weariness, that is a personal problem. I don't run a inn. And as for ownership of the cave, I earned it. Fair and square. I fight a lot in order to clear it out. That's enough to call it mine. And by the looks of you, it is obvious you haven't worked a day in your life to earn something you pathetic leech."

Yunneth was in no mood to fight. She was grouchy due to the lack of sleep. Apparently she was still in her old habits. She had been messing with potions and experiments. Her clothes even smell like weird herbs. She just wanted them to leave so she could finish what she was previously doing then rest. But...it seems those plans will be postponed.

[Deleted]

As Dio began to speak Orland started to calm down. The mage had a point. They had been trekking across Sacae for quite a bit of time. Orland was not in the best condition to be running around. Still he was not going to go anywhere else that was already made up in his mind.

"I am Orland", spoke the giant after Dio introduced himself. After Yunneth finished speaking the knight began to talk once more.

"Well according to your logic", spoke Orland as he moved to one side of the cave. "Since I just killed our good friend the bear I now own this peice of the cave", spoke the knight as he laid his lance on the wall. In a pouch he still had his flail in case anything went wrong. "Too put it simple, Yunneth", spoke the giant with a bit of trouble. "I aint leaving. We can either share the cave and not kill each other, or we can duke it out. The latter of the two is not a good option for you."

[Rogus]

Rogus had been on the run from an incident in Badon involving a pirate and a few fire works. Unlike his friend, the pirate, Rogus had made away from Lycia unscathed, and had been traveling toward Etruria when he decided to take a rest stop near a cave. He napped in a small opening in a formation of rocks hidden by some brush. Well, he had been napping until the sounds of combat stirred him awake. He'd mutter to himself groggily about murdering whoever disturbed his nap, as he peered out of his current residence to identify where the noises were coming from.

He noticed a small indent in the hillside thirty yards away, and judging from the direction of the sounds, it probably was coming from inside.

"brigands no doubt... How lazy of me to not check that first..." He yawned and crawled out from his hide. Making sure his dagger, canteen, coin-purse and other essentials were on his person he'd swiftly sneak toward the entrance, slipping inside under the cover of the shadows. He'd make no sound, observing the tense conversation between the two mages and the tallest man he'd ever seen.

~Odd bunch... Girl's too pretty to be living here, seems like the other two are brigands of some sort... it'd be interesting to help even the odds...~ He'd muse thoughtfully. He hated magic users, but if anything he'd end the knight first, his neck seemed exposed enough along with his back being turned toward the entrance. However, he'd rather let them kill each other and take their things. Rogus would carefully kneel on the cold ground, holding position in shadows, and behind an outcropping root.

~Let's see what happens~

[Dio]

'Great, I can see more violence about to follow this one as well.' Dio shook his head while the two bickered back and forth. Smelling the air, he would pick up a few different scents coming off her. 'Herbs...' Moving closer to her, he would sniff again. Grabbing his herbotology book, he would begin to flip through the pages until he stopped at mushrooms. "By the way, you might not want to mess with the purple mushrooms. They tend to be poisones when ingested." Smiling again, he would hand her his book and said calmly. "And a leech isn't the best word I would say since i've seen my fair shares of battles and disappointments. Do'nt judge a book by it's cover for you don't know me Miss Yunneth." If she took the book or not, he would dive his one hand into his bag and retrieved a few herbs such as mint, lavender, and blood root. Placing them down on a flat surface rock, he would then take another rock that was rounded and began to crush them together until they were a fine paste like material. Taking the slab, he would hand it to her. "Here, this will calm you down and make you feel better from whatever state you are in right now."

[Yunneth]

Yunneth just glared at the Knight. To her he was an insolent, pig headed, ad loud man. No...not even a man! He shouted like a very angry toddler who didn't get what he wanted. Yunneth had half a mind to use flux on what brains this knight had. But her violent thoughts were interrupted by the shaman who cut in. It seems he was the only one trying not to fight. Yunneth just stared at the Shaman and then felt a new presence. Before she could call out on the thief hiding in the shadows, she heard Dio mention the mushrooms she was using. Yunneth let out a creepy chuckle while crossing her arms.

"...I never said I was going to drink it. That is the point. I am making poison for some rats that keep eating my spiders. And by the way Orland, have fun sleeping with my black widows. Oh! and watch out for Velma. She's a biter...."

Yunneth chuckled. If he wanted that spot. By all means. If he ends up bit, then she had her first subject for a human anatomy project she has been wanting to start. When Dio gave Yunneth a book and some sort of paste. She just looked at him and slowly took what he was wanting to give her.

"T-thanks..."

Yunneth wasn't used to people giving her things. At least for the last few months. For some reason...it made her uncomfortable. But she was humble about it at least. Finally she addressed the new comer.

"...I know you are there sneak thief. I think it best that you stop sneaking...trust me...it would be in your best interest...."

Yunneth sighed in frustration. Of all caves in Elibe...why did HERS have to be the one random people are wandering into.

[Rogus]

~Did she say spiders!?~ Rogus's eyes widened, his grin disappearing. If there was anything he hated more than spiders he hadn't seen it yet. Paranoia quickly set in. He'd begin feeling spiders crawl up his side, though they weren't, and would scratch his side to remove the imaginary spiders. However, that didn't stop the fear he felt.

~I must leave... Now...~ He'd look to his right hand that rested on a outcropping in the cave, and froze. A black spider, its red marking just barely visible had crawled onto his hand.

"AGH!" He'd scream in fear and leap from his hiding place, just behind the Giant man, whirling his hand around to remove the spider, "DAMN THINGS!"

After making sure the spider had been removed from his person he'd remember where he was, and what situation he had just entered. No doubt the people in the cave would be staring at him, or if they had not heard he'd simply leave, though he'd doubt they hadn't. His episode was rather loud. He'd look at the three with an embarrassed grin on his face.

"uh... Hello there... Nice cave, yeah?"