Romancing the Stone {KayLove & The Wolven Lord}

[KayLove]

Species Description:
Human: The most adaptive and numerous race within the realm. Their shorter lifespans are perhaps paramount to which the speed they create industry. However some Humans live far on the edges of civilization in wild barbaric tribes that worship the old gods.

Lycanthropy: Were-Bear. Gorn when enraged by the moonlight turns into a giant half bear monstrous creature that appears more animal than man. His fur is black like the night, his eyes a sanguine color of scarlet. Only a loved one could soothe the beast from going on a near blind killing spree.

However in Human form, Gorn is gentle for his size, and often will go out of his way to help others in need.

Name: Gorn Longshadow

Gender: Male

Age: 30


Appearance~ 6'5 and 235 pounds. Lean and heavy muscled from a hard life in the outer edge of civilization. His body is covered in traditional tribal tattoos, marking his status as a protector of the wild. Fey spirits and the like recognize Gorn's special energy through the tattoos which were inscribed in a magical ritual. They bear the runes that tell the story of his people.

Visual: His hair is dark brown and shoulder length. A short beard covers his face.

Physical: 6'5 feet tall. 235 pounds. Athletic and strong with a hardy constitution. Scar on his chest from a spear wound that barely missed his heart.

Clothing/Armor: A mixture of heavy cloth and leather, earth tones in appearance. Leather boats filled with rabbit fur, a wooden shield and a sword. A dark brown cloak to ward off the chill of night.


Personal~

Personality: Reserved. Deep thinker. An aggressive guardian sworn by an oath to protect what is valued more than his own life.

Likes: Peace. Good drink. A warm bed. The comfort of a woman. Safety. Good food and good friends to share it with. Honesty. Loyalty. Honor.

Dislikes: The suffering of others. Injustice. People who do not keep their word. Evil.

Powers/Abilities/Skills: Curse of Lycanthrophy. During a full moon when he is in his Were form, mundane physical attacks have little impact upon his health. Enchanted weapons must be used or those from an enchanted source,

Can track, hunt, and is a melee fighting expert. Can survive in the field without support by living off the land.

Weaknesses: Loved one in trouble. A woman being hurt. Honor bound *will fulfil his oath even if it means his death*
Attractive women. Promises of loot.

In Human form he is very mortal and is subject to the frailties of such. However during a full moon he becomes a neigh unstoppable force of brutal nature. Enchanted weapons can do lasting harm.

Weapons/Items: Wooden shield and broad sword. Shortbow with 25 arrows. Boot knife. Hand axe.


History~

Bio: Gorn was apart of the Dark Bane tribe from the Northern Wastes, far removed from civilization. It was his people the moon god Slaar Koth blessed with lycanthropy. They were HIS divine hunters who protected the Wastes from the ever greedy reaches of industrious men.

However perhaps they fell out of favor, for a rabies like disease spread amongst his people from origins unknown. Brother turned on brother and sister upon sister. The tribe literally devoured itself to nothing after thousands of years of existence gone overnight.

It is unknown how Gorn survived, or why he travelled south to the lands of Kings. Lost without a home and still suffering from his "blessing", Gorn attempts to atone for the atrocious things he and his people did to travelling settlers in the name of the Blood God.

Mostly serving as a mercenary for caravans and traders, Gorn quickly earned a reputation for a sword for hire that delivers faithfully and true.

On full moon nights, Gorn will retreat to deep in the forest where he loses himself to the beast within. He will awake the next morning naked and full, covered in dirt and blood. He would have no choice but to pick his life back up again and carry on until he can find a cure.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


This world is much like our own, many creatures inhabit it, but unlike our own this world has magic. Creatures that you have only read in stories. And anything could happen to an unsuspecting soul of the world. But this world has aged slower than our own keeping it in the primitive times of knights in shining armor, wenches in taverns, and beasts stealing babies from villages. In this world there is prime opportunity for evil to take its hold on unsuspecting people. And so came King Stefan, an evil king with but one desire to rule no matter how cruel the consequences. This causes conflict in the lands.

My Character~

Species Description:
Gargoyle: a creature crafted from stone and brought to life by stone magic by a skilled craftsman. They are rare creatures that live for as long as their stone bodies are still assembled. These creatures are in a flesh form during the night and slowly turn back to stone as the sun comes back up, completely reverting back to stone when the sun is fully in the sky and then slowly changing back as the sun lowers over the horizon. These creatures have stone Magic and are able to control rocks, crafting them or bending them to their will as well as very hard flesh skin and will take on any features that their stone form is made with. Gargoyles are loyal creatures and will stay with their creators until death of either creator or gargoyle. Gargoyles are not the fastest or lightest creatures, they weigh a ton, literally, and sink very easily in water. Unless they have another mode of transportation they are slow on their feet but can be trained to fight fast in battle.
All in all they are protectors, to protect whatever the original creature desired them to do

General~

Name: Athena Lynn Deligh

Gender: Female

Age: 248, looks about 23

Appearance~

Visual:
General face profile picture:

How her wings and clothing look during the night:

The pose that she returns to every day:

Physical: Athena has light green and scattered golden eyes framed by dark red hair that is usually braided down her back. She stands at about 6'0". Her skin tone is tan because of the type of stone she was carved out of, with curves that could stop a man in their tracks but her muscles are defined in a highly feminine way.
Athena has spiraling horns that curve just below her ears, thinner than in the picture, that are as hard as stone even when in flesh form.
The feathers of her wings are a golden color that she can fold into her skin when in flesh form, although it is highly painful. They are about as long as she is tall when spread out and touch the ground. She doesn't like showing her wings to anyone that doesn't need to see. But since she has to have them when returning to stone from she has to take them out every night.
In her stone form Athena is a dark bronze colored stone, her surfaces are slightly jagged but firm and impenetrable.
Features: She has slightly jagged features on the sides of her face as well as a carved poem down the outside of both her legs, she doesn't know what it means.

Clothing/Armor: Athena when she does rarely take off her armor she wares a light long sleeved shirt in a dark blue color, with long black pants that tuck into her boots. She can also always be found wearing her makers necklace with an amethyst stone on the end, resting on her breasts. She also wares a cloak that during the day she pulls over her head and covers her eyes.

Armor: As shown in the pictures she wares a dull bronze corset and arm gauntlets.




Personal~

Personality: She has a slight anxiety disorder when she gets close to people and they leave her before she can wake up during the night. Abandonment issues. But other than that she is fiercely protective creature and had troubles knowing when it is ok to be protective and when it isn't. She doesn't talk much but when she does it is sophisticated and she tends to over think things. She is not one to try and hurt anyone's feelings but will tell you bluntly what is on her mind.


Likes: The night and moon.
Being in good company.
Reading a good book.
The taste of wine.
Exploring and protecting those that she loves.
Men who try to protect her when in reality she can protect herself.

Dislikes: Sunlight.
Watching others suffer.
Petty arguments.
Watching people fall in love.
Mirrors.

Powers/abilities/Skills:Athena even when in her real almost human looking form her skin is still almost impenetrable but that doesn't mean that she cannot be hurt, it just takes a lot for her to be hurt.
She is stronger than a human but not fast unless she is flying and even when flying she can only go at a fast pace for a few seconds before slowing.
She also has the ability to use stone magic, so trolling stone to make anything from a path over a river to a weapon. She only uses her magic when absolutely necessary because of how much energy it takes out of her.


Weaknesses: obviously when the sun fully comes up she turns back into stone she has to finish whatever she is doing before that time.
Water.
Horses or any large animal.


Weapons/Items: two scimitars http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs48/f/2009/218/1/a/Scimitar_by_Bearman88.jpg
Strapped upside down on her back.

History~

Bio:Athena was crated by an older man who desired to have someone that he could teach and pass down his name to. Being unmarried and without child be chose to study how to create a gargoyle.
And so came Athena, she was his everything, she was finished by the second year of his hard work and by that time the old mans body was weakening from making her.
Athena entered the world with the loving man that treated her like a daughter and taught her everything she knows, and in return he said that she gave him joy. But as years passed and Athena stayed the same her father became ill. She could only watch as he withered away and she cried, stains now forever on her stone cheeks when daylight came. She stayed at his small cabin in the middle of nowhere protecting it from intruders for numerous years.

Role play sample:

Athena could feel the itching feeling that she always felt in the back of her mind as the sun started to fall from the sky, it was always the longest part of the day. But ever so slowly the sun disappeared from the horizon and she could feel as her stone form slowly started to become softer and she slowly started to move her muscles, inch by inch the stone turned to her tanned skin tone. Her insides were the last to become flesh as she felt her heart slowly begin to beat and lungs gasped for air.
Her green eyes opened wide as she quickly stood from her kneeling position and felt a pang of jealousy as she saw wished one day she could see the sun in its full glory instead of weakly rising above the earth and feel its full heat on her stone cold skin.
Her ears perked when she heard a scream behind her in the ally way, she turned and followed the sound at a quick pace, pulling one of her swords out from her back holster. She watched with suspicion as a man attempted for force himself upon a women in the small ally way. She stopped a and decided that a blade was not the weapon for the job, sliding it back.
Concentrating for a moment as the cobblestone ground below the man started to move and stones flew up from the ground and separated his body from hers with force and continued to push him away from the women finally pinning him against the opposite side of the ally way. The women looked at he man with wide eyes before looking at Athena and running behind her savior.
Athena didn't need the thankful stumbling a from the women as she pinned the man to the wall and slowly made her way in front of him and without a word used her elbow to punch him square in the temple.
As soon as he was knocked out the stones dropped along with him, she guessed that he would be bruised form how hard the stones were against him but she simply looked back at the women in silence making sure she was fine before walking off in silence, pulling her hood over her head.

 

[KayLove]

RE: Of Stone and Beast {KayLove & The Wolven Lord}

The joyous music could be heard from miles away, it's tune carried by the warm southern winds through the trees and into the mountains edges, the waves of the Sapphire Sea echoing it's song along the beaches of Lerosh. Lerosh was to put it simply a fisherman's village, it had a steady income and export of its goods. Travelers came and went, none seeming to stay for long. So it was easy for a stranger to slip into the local festival with ease and leave without a soul questioning.

For Athena this was as big of a town as she would ever venture into again, just big enough to be called a city and be unnoticed but small enough that kings did not come trotting about begging for someone to hang. And for the night she would allow herself the luxury of letting herself believe she was one of them, part of their world, for a night. Perhaps she was being to hopeful...

She had been spending her days lately in the local graveyard, that was the was the place for a creature like her, seeing as there we no grand castles for her to loom over. No one ever seemed to notice when a statue appeared or disappeared, they just assumed it was a trick of their eyes or a wave of the breeze that made them look twice. After all they were walking amongst the dead.

As she entered the cobblestone town square she took time to unbraid her hair, letting her dark red waves flow freely to hide her spiraling horns on either side of her head, giving it a toss or two to make it larger and conceal them even further. She stayed in the shadows of the ally as she watched for a few moments.

The women were all dressed in flowing dresses, flower crowns around their heads and laughter rang out as children chased one another and people offered gifts to the God of the sea, their God, not hers, but still she would pay her respects this night as well. The men laughter whole heartedly in their groups the few pubs around the square over flowing with ale and honey wine for all those who had the money to buy.

Athena wasn't dressed for this, her pants and armor seemed far to harsh for this world. With a quick wave of her hand she took off a stone of the building beside her and unbuckled her chest armor as well as her twin swords upon her back and placed them in the stone hole she made for herself before letting the stone slide back into its place, only ajar slightly. Her golden wings were next, even as they were folded tightly against her back the tip of them dragged upon the ground behind her. Her deep golden eyes darkened just a bit as she endured the pain of pulling them into herself and disappeared into her being. She was left with a deep blue long sleeved flowing shirt with a V down her chest, tucked into a brown leather corset around her waist, and high waisted pants tucked into her knee high leather boots. All of which she made herself. After all she had the time.her gauntlets around her wrists gleamed a in the flickering flames as she looked down at herself. Of course she could pass for human... Wouldn't she?

Her doubts were shoved to the back of her mind as she stepped out into the town square and into the flames light. In less than moments she was caught up in the commotion of things, a soft smile upon her lips as a young girl came up to her with a wild flower crown for her.

"Lady! No one as lovely as you should be without a crown!" The young girl held up the crown to her to put it upon her head.

Athena smiled and knelt down to allow the girl to place the crown upon her. "Thank you little one." Her voice sounded foreign even to her own ears but the girl simply smiled from ear to ear as the gargoyle took a silver coin from her pocket and slipped it into her hands. Athena winked as she ran off in a giggling fit to assumingly show her parents what she had earned for the night.

She watched the girl go and headed further in, past the fire roasting fish and women dancing in circles only to catch the attention of the men they desired. And to one of the smaller taverns, the Black Fish, to get herself a cup of the infamous plum wine that she had heard the humans so fondly talk of.

 

[The Wolven Lord]

The Black Fish was known to be loud and full of the kinds of characters who enjoy imbibing in colorful company down at the docks. Boisterous laughter come from within accompanied by cries of excitement. One of the fisherman known for being no stranger to the bottle had challenged the Wastelander to a drinking contest. They are Barbaric people from the Northern wastes. The harsh environment ensured only the strongest survived. Standing at six and a half feet and thick with muscle, the monstrous man made the pint glass in his hands look like a child's cup while he slammed them back keeping pace with the local marinor. The men and women who took a liking to their nomadic friend by cheering his name on.

" Gorn! Gorn! Gorn! Gorn!" Fists slamming on various surfaces in sync together with the crowds heart rythm increasing along with the crescendo. The fisherman put up a admirable attempt to put drink the Waster, but Humans simply have the disadvantage constitutionally. The sailor literally blacked out face down onto the taverns table. Gorn polished off the last tankard while drawing raised mugs from the crowd saluting his prowess to consume in excess.

Bar flies and wenches alike attempted for the handsome Wasterlander's attention. His long brown hair, thick beard and tribal tattoos covering his skin everywhere but his face gave him a striking appearance compared to the usual faire. Gorn eyed the lasses in a way that could be described as a tiger with a full belly watching baby deer play. It was perhaps arguable he was more animal than Man.

The Wastelander travelled a route through the Kings Highway on a security detail providing protection for Victor Slythe, a success merchant who had this part of the realm locked down when it came to commerce. Beastmen stalked the woods these days as the Blood Moon rose in the sky, causing them to go into a madness enduced frenzy. The goatmen take Human women and kill everyone else.
They raid and murder those on the highway traveling at night in the last few weeks. Victor took no chances and hired Gorn weeks ago who quickly proved worth the investment when he intimidated a group of bandits by instantly killing their leader during initial negotiations.

Gorn stepped out of the tavern for a spell to clear his head with the salty breeze. His vision swam and he comfortably numb. Victor granted him a few days leave until it was time to start heading back to Crows Landing, the trade hub on the southern coast. The Waster leaned against the building sparking his briar thorn pipe. The roar of the ocean granting him a sense of post victory serenity. The red moon rose like a wound in the sky, giving the water an eerie blood like hue.

Dark times indeed.

 

[KayLove]

The rhythm of the bar was intoxicating on its own as Athena slipped Through the door drawn by the chanting of a foreign name. She couldn't help but stop and watch as the obvious waster was downing more liquid than a man could possibly hold.

"Bets! Place 'em now!" Yelled a bald middle aged man that she could have sworn was only the size of her leg but she laughed at his budging eye as he looked up at her.

"Silver on the Wastelander!" She tossed him a couple coins and he was off again. Athena kept her eye on the drinking match as she sipped on her plum wine, back against the bar. She knew where he was from and hadn't seen any of his kind in decades. Watching the little show was enough to tell that he was a warrior with his scared hands and weathered cheeks. A saddened thought crept into her mind as she stared without blinking, no matter how skilled they were something always seemed to catch up to them in the end. She shook the thought away and quickly drank three glasses by the time the other man was head first into the table. "Ha! Gorn!" She finally cheered and burst out with laughter, The gargoyle hadn't laughed this hard in centuries, simply finding it all rather amusing, especially seeing as she had just won.

She clapped and finished off her forth.

Athena watched as her champion walked out of the bar and into the humid night air. Curiosity was getting to her now she had to know. As she hopped off of the barstool and headed out after him, her golden green eyes brighter from the wine and her tan skin flushed slightly at the cheeks.

Vibrations on the cobblestone ground were easy enough to follow as she went to the side of the building and strode past the smoking man to the wooden railing of the dock. Her natural stride was relaxed, confident, as her hips swayed with every step. She took a few breaths of the cool sea air as if her real intent was to simply watch the ocean and stare at the reddened moon above.

"You know, " she spoke loud enough to let her voice be carried to him, "I can still remember when I visited the Dark Bane tribe, and I stumbled across that lake of theirs, the one that reflects the moon so clearly that you can't tell which is the real thing." She laughed softly, "they almost killed me right then and there for even stepping into the water, they always took that God of yours so very seriously." She was still looking at the moon as she talked, hoping she wasn't talking to herself. Athena could remember how chilling the water had been on her toes, how shockingly peaceful the place was, almost unnaturally so. When they had finally calmed down enough and allowed her to speak they realized she wasn't some human that had come here to take their land, the only way to prove that was show them her wings and extent of her powers.

"One of my greatest friends was part of that tribe." She admitted, but if she was still alive she would have been an old maid by now.

 

[The Wolven Lord]

The Wastelander couldn't miss the tall shapely woman swaying her hips in plain view for him. He chuckled to himself blowing out tendrils of smoke from his lips. Another admirer trying her luck at getting bred by this bestial fighter. However her words made his blood run cold.

Gorn's eyes darkened at the mention of his tribe. He hasn't spoke at length about his past to anyone down in the southern realm. Memories of the lake his people called Sky Mirror came to mind. Druids and shamans dressed in animal masks blessing the tribes youth in the motionless crystal clear waters that they believed was a portal to their God. The site was most sacred. Non tribesmen where sacrificed on site. The ashes of trespassers would be offered to the Sky Mirror to become one with the sky God once again.

Visions of the entire Dark Bane family as animals engulfed in one another in a sea of fur, blood, fangs and claws. The haunting chorus of pain and rage emerged from the depths of Gorns mind were quickly switched off with a shake of his head. The souls of the dead that lived in his heart were forced back into containment for the time being.
His reply came out cold and guarded.

" Who are you?"

He didn't make a move for the knife in his belt. If she meant to kill him
She wouldn't have exposed her back to him. The scarlet moon that hung lazily in the sky suddenly felt more ominous as the sea breeze turned bitter. His pipe rested on the chair beside him as the half giant barbarian crossed his massive tattooed arms over his chest. The laughter inside the Black Fish seemed to fade. It was just them under the eerie crimson glow and the roar of the sea.

 

[KayLove]

"Who are you?" .... That struck her as an odd first question seeing as most asked 'What are you?' Then again she quite enjoyed the change in pace. Athena smiled softly as she turned around finally to face the man, she felt comfortable being a meter or so away from him. The old gargoyle rested her backside against the railing as she gauged his body language. She had certainly rattled him, the lazy haze of jovial fun had all but left his features. But she somewhat liked him that way. Athena's eyes looked up his crossed arms for a lingering moment as if to recall if she'd ever seen those markings before, her studying as lazy as a hawk, but finally her golden eyes finally found his face.

The silence of the waves hung between them as she decided how to answer.

"Your people called me a 'Guardian', probably the nicest name I've ever received," she cocked her head to the side and as if she could still hear his people calling her the name, "But I am simply a wanderer. No one of importance."

A strong breeze hit her back from the ocean, "But I was right wasn't I?" She asked as she watched the petals from from her yellow crown fall to their feet. "You are of that tribe." She didn't ask she simply knew, knew from the posture, how he had reacted, and even the ink upon his skin gave him away. To her it was smack in the face, but people of the south had no idea of the culture that dwelled there. "What I can't figure out, Gorn, is why you are so far from home..." She was back to studying his face, the red moon causing her red hair to look far deeper than it really was.

 

[The Wolven Lord]

Gorn realized he was not speaking to an ordinary mortal woman. A Guardian was in reference to an ageless immortal who witnessed the coming and going of the ages. The Dark Banes believed they were agents of the sky god, who's motives were far beyond what Gorn found acceptable. Not after what he allowed to happen to his family..
Was the Sky Father trying to communicate with him in someway through this Guardian before him?

The tattoos upon his arm were sacred Northern tribal knots, depicting patterns that granted one strength , wisdom, and courage. Ravens where adored upon his shoulders that would have them resting there. His spiritual advisors where never far from his ear this way.
Gorn relaxed somewhat then. Supernatural entities where something Northern tribesman where more accustomed to seeing them the southern kingdoms. Gorn could see the difference in her eyes, the way her hair glowed like fire. Her beauty was unearthly, as if it were she fell from the sky realm.

" Forgive me. I mistook you for a mortal. "

His gaze lingered within hers while the half giant spoke.

" The Dark Banes' are all dead. I am the only one left. I left the Wastes to seek a new life down here. If another tribe where to find me , the last of a once powerful family, they wouldn't be able to help but want to sacrifice me to their god. "

Every tribe had their own individual diety. At the beginning of time there were many more Northern tribes. But their culture and unique religions all died with them from war and famine. After the Dark Banes fall, there are but three tribes left.
To sacrifice the last of something for a god was considered one of the highest forms of tribute known.

" I've been a sword for hire. Men tend to be frailer down here. All this abundance has made them soft."
Gorn then took a few steps towards her away from the tavern further.

" What brings you this way Guardian? Surely not to talk with ghosts like myself".

 

[KayLove]

Athena nodded at his words of recondition, arching a playful brow as she watched the man formulate what she was. Finally, someone who knew even a little about her.

But his next words hit her a bit, well, hard, "They're all dead?" The playfulness in her brow subsided and she took a slow breath. She had hoped to see her friends daughters and even grandchildren when they came into the world one day. Hoped to go back to a place where she was so respected and even loved.... Had it truly been that long since she had stumbled across their lands? Perhaps it was. Being an immortal took its toll as it corroded away at ones sense of time.

The pain of the knowledge he had given her was clear upon her features as he spoke of his current situation. The sound of his steps upon the wood made her shove the shock of pain away and pay a bit more attention to the question he asked of her.

"Ghosts like you are what I live for now a days you know, I wander, no real purpose, I simply ended up here." She managed to shove the rest of her sorrow out of her mind and give him a small smile, "It has nothing to do with the fact that I over heard people talking, across the continent, about how good the plum wine was here." She had spent the last week or so making her way, flying for the most part, across the rivers and forests simply to be here for a little while to get her fill.

"Come now, Gorn. You'll not spend an evening like this one watching the tide come in with a bat like me." She closed the distance between them, "But I shall buy you several glasses of wine, for the night is still young." She held her arm out for him to take and as soon as she did she clasped him in a vice like hold and tugged him to her just close enough for her to kiss his cheek. It was a brush of a kiss if that as she had to go onto her toes to give it to him.

She let him go as quickly as she grabbed him and started towards the town square once again, "Come along Wastelander, you may call me Athena, I am no Guardian. For what is there for me to guard in a world like this?" Her words had more dark truth than she meant even as she flashed him a smile and kept on towards the fires and laughter. Hoping the hulking man was on her heel.

 

[The Wolven Lord]

Her grip upon his forearm was notably strong, Gorn felt the grasp of another Waster from her which brought him no small comfort. His calloused large hand palmed her forearm and shook it once accepting her offer of friendship by custom. Her strength suprised him as she dre the Half Giant closer. Her scent was warm and earthy that makes one think of a warm grassy knoll. Athena's kiss was soft yet searing. Gorn's breath leaked unknowingly from his lips.

And then soon as it happened it was over like a dream. Together they made their way for the Market square. A bonfire lit in a steel drum lproviding warmth to a small group of revealers. The twang of a mouth harp haunted the cool misty night under the red crescent moon. Street poetry was being performed by a roguish character to the slow beat of drums. Of in the distance a pair of guards lazily smoked to ward the chill off.

Gorn studied Athena for a moment. Who was she really? Had the Sky God sent her here for a reason yet unknown?

A voice crept into his mind. The voice of the Speaker. He who spoke the will of the Lord of Stars.

" As is above, so is below".

The chant the village cited in unison before the Sky Mirror on a clear night. The Speaker dressed in his Death's Head mask looked to Gorn directly in his memory as if from the grave.

Gorn forced the thoughts away and placed a huge hand gently on Athena's shoulder.
" The plum wine was the other direction friend. Where are you taking us?"
The Half Giant eyed the Crimson shadows warily. The night felt eerie as good honest folk have long sought shelter.

 

[KayLove]

Athena hadn't realized how much she missed the human touch until she felt the steadiness of the hand upon her arm and the graze of beard on her chin. Human's were such fragile things, she had trained herself not to harm them on accident. Trained being the better word for her experiences over the years. At one time in her life a handshake like that might have left a man crippled and broken beyond repair. But thankfully her days, or rather nights, had given to time to train her muscles.

She watched as women with golden hair danced slowly with fishermen as they walked, her golden eyes picking up light from the fire and twinkling.

"Hmm?" The warm hand upon her shoulder made her stop in her tracks and her eyes drifted back to the waster beside her, his features were less guarded now but like the warrior he was his eyes never stayed on her for long "Oh..." She looked from the fire to the buildings around and realized she wasn't headed towards where she wanted to go she was headed towards... Well towards her home for now. The hollow grounds in which only the dead linger. "I'm... Forgive me." She gave a small laugh at herself. "Gorn, sometimes I get into my own head, one tends to do that when you have been around as long as I have."

There was a change in the breeze as they spoke, instead of coming from the sea it came from the forest beyond the village. "Wastelander..." Her voice was softer as she stilled, not even breathing as she listened to the woods. They were on the other side of the town square now, the Black Fishes sign hanging far behind them now as it and squeaked in the wind. "Tonight is no night for humans to be out..." It was a warning, maybe it was the supernatural inside of her or maybe she had simply gotten used to it but the smell of death wasn't something to be forgotten easily.

 

[The Wolven Lord]

Gorn gave Athena a knowing look. He wasn't suprised a Guardian could sense such things. Somehow he knew she could be trusted. Or maybe it was because she was beautiful and had interest in him.
He rarely could tell the difference. When in doubt go with your gut, his father told him as a boy.
Advice that bore a rather mixed blessing of fruit. However from a Waster's perspective, the world is harsh.

A scream tore through the night like a banshee. Followed by several more. The revellers by the lit barrel froze in their tracks looking towards the direction of the cries of distress. A few people began to move briskly towards the source. No guards had responded yet. It was likely the few guards stationed in this remote fishing village were rousing from a drink induced stupor. Muttering a curse, Gorn felt like he needed to investigate. A woman was in trouble. He began running towards the sound and turned back to Athena shouting " Come on!"

His boots thundered down the cobblestone street towards the marketplace. The trader stalls were empty. Earlier today it might have been full of people shopping for food and various wares. Now it was a scene of chaos. A man clearly out of control with rage was struggling with another. A woman lay on the ground screaming clutching her bloody face. Crimson ran between her fingertips freely. The deranged man was trying to bite and claw the other. Gorn growled and bounded towards the maniac.
With a grab at the collar of the mans shirt and trouser leg, Gorn hoisted him over his head and promptly threw him into a stall shattering the wood. Into several large pieces.

The man who came to the woman's aid knelt beside her trying to assess her situation.
He was an older man with a salt and pepper five o clock shadow. His clothing suggested he was working class. The woman was in her twentys with shoulder length blonde hair. Her sky blue dress was now stained with dark blood. Her wails of pain filled Gorns ears. The older man looked up at Gorn and quietly said

" It's bad. She needs a magister."

Before Gorn could respond the crazed man shot up from the broken traders stall and charged Gorn taking him by surprise. His mouth was foaming, snapping teeth stained with gore. He closed the distance to the Waster with alarming speed. Gorn was too focused on the hurt woman to react quick enough. The older man yelled " Look out!"

 

[KayLove]

Athena almost regretted finding interest in the man as he started off after the scream. Normally, she did not involve herself in matters of human affairs, her soul purpose, the reason for being created was to guard those she thought worthy. And throughout the years few had earned that in which she deemed a legitimate reason to do so. And even when she did she found that she got into far more trouble than it was worth. Getting thrust into wars, petty fights, and outlandish battles. But one thing that always struck her in any situation is that no innocent deserved to suffer for the wrongs of others.

Her face was as still as stone as she took a moment to watch him run urgently towards the scream. Only breaking her quiet visage when he yelled for her to follow. "By the gods." She took a breath and followed after him. She wasn't a fast runner, she could run for miles without end, but she was only fast in the air. And for nowhere golden wings were not needed.

Her steady pace allowed her to round the corner just as the scene unfolded before her. The crimson faced woman, the workman, Gorn with his chest heaving ever so slightly, and finally the crazed man. She was never one to like blood as she eyes found more interest in the animal of a man rushing towards Gorn.

Everything seemed to slow down in her eyes, it always did when she used her magic in a situation like this. It was like an energy from the core of her being that sparked to life and made its way down her arm and through her fingertips. She flicked her wrist and the large flat stone under the man's forward foot slid out from under him, causing him to stumble back. And with a flattening of her palm she was able to lift the rock up and push it onto his chest.

The crazy man hit the ground with a solid thud onto his back. He might have a few broken ribs but from the snarling and foam he was not going to live unless the antidote was within reach.

"Watch it waster." She warned, all of the carelessness vanished from her features, the smiles and laughter long gone. Her eyes were dark and pupils wide as she took a few steps, out of flailing arms reach to look down at the man under the large rock. His teeth gnashing together like a dog and nails digging into the rock upon his chest even as his fingers started to bleed. She only glanced at the helping man watching in shock at what she had just done. She would leave Gorn to help them or not.


Her brows furrowed as she wondered what exactly could have done this, "Is he simply man from the moon? Poison?" She asked as she crouched down beside him only to watch as blood started to flow from his ears and nose.

If Athena's ears could have perked they would have, as the sound of fighting and yelling echoed ahead, "There's more." The gargoyle stated as she gave Gorn a solid look before she stood quickly and took off the simple crown of flowers that adorned her head and let it slip from her fingers as she stepped over the now dead man. Her horns showing through her deep red hair as it was swept to the side by the light breeze.

She gave a mental kick to herself as she remembered her swords and armor were across the small town tucked away safely but not useful to her in any way.

The further they went down the road the more evidence of ravenous violence. Doors were broken down, men, women and children alike all running the opposite direction in which they strode as quickly as possible. Towns people telling them to go back, they're monsters, and wailing with various wounds and tormented features from pain inflicted upon them mercilessly.

There were about eight of them, going from door to door knocking them down and running after anything that moved. Their faces covered in victims blood and snarls like that of animals coming from their mouths. She gave Gorn only a glance as if to say that she had his back before she started after the closest man, a tall brute, dragging a blonde woman by the hair from her home.

Athena grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed, hard, the bones cracking and an inhuman sound came from the man as he let go of her hair and swung a dull blade at Athena's head. Her wrist coming up just in time to hear the clang of metal against her gauntlet. The woman took her shot at running and scrambled away form the two.

When it came to killing, Athena didn't like it, never had but seeing no humanity left in his black eyes it made it slightly easier to rip the blade from his hands and quickly turn it around on him, slicing it through his jugular.

She let the blade fall from her hand and quickly wiped off blood that sprayed onto her cheek as she looked from the body on the ground to the high scream of a girl. Recondition kicked in as she realized it was the same little girl that gave her the flowers, she was holding onto the hand of what looked like her little shabby haired brother, he was crying hysterically as he clung to his sisters side as they were attempting to back away from the savage man swiping at them with a rusty axe. The crazed man was large and plump, even in his state he could not properly swing a weapon, showing him as a higher born male.

It was Athena's turn to bare her teeth as anger bubbled up and she swiftly jumped to their aid. In a couple long legged bounds she was in front of him, her back to the children. He didn't seem to notice her presence as he kept swinging. The gargoyle dodged the swings easily before seeing her chance and in one hard uppercut of a punch knocked him to the ground.

She turned swiftly to crouch next to the frightened children, "Little ones," she smiled softly to them both, "It's alright, I'm going to get you out of here." She wiped the girls cheek with her thumb and the little boy flung himself into her arms, hiding his face in her hair and shoulder.

The moment of weakness didn't go unseen to the forsaken men as one made a beeline of a path towards Athena's back. The blade he was holding, strong and fine, perhaps a man from across the seas by looks of his dark skin and finer cloths. She stood with the little boy just as the man swung his sword at her back, the metal tore through her light shirt across her shoulders and scraped against her skin. Although that kind of blow might have gone deep on any human the only mark upon her skin was a scrape like that of a stone against metal. But none the less it still hurt.

Her yell was quick as the pain hit her and she fell back into her knees before the girl, the small boy still clinging to her.