Outside of the inn the
sky crackled with distant lightning as the storm that had been
threatening the area for so long moved in. Although the sky had been
gloomy and overcast since the moment Biara had arrived at Popolion, an
actual storm was a rare thing. It was as if the sky here decided to mock
the dead woodlands all around with the promise of eventual water but
instead left an oppressive, ever-present gloom.
Biara took in the distant storm through the inn's thickly paned windows before shrugging and returning her gaze to the table before her. In her hand was a tall glass of an amber-hued ale, and she took a sip of it, sighing a little in contentment. After spending two days in the forests around Popolion, it was a relief to be somewhere that was relatively safe; at least here she didn't have the risk of large hunting cats lurching from nearby bushes or maddened soldiers or settlers charging after her in an attempt to take her life.
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and eyeing the crowd around her. As she expected, here and there a few hostile looks met her glance. It was the maddened soldiers in the forest that was the problem after all. Too many Castanics had been driven mad. To be fair, it had not only been Castanics, but after what had happened in the Fey Forest around Lumbertown, any unusual actions by her kind were likely to be viewed with suspicion.
And now some of them had gone mad.
She shook her head, the blade-like horns on her head reflecting the light of the candles that lit the room. The situation was getting more complex now, and she still was no closer to finding out what had befallen her father since she and Kyliska had set out from their home in Castanica. Certainly they had found no evidence of his demise on the Island of Dawn, and she'd seen no hint that he had joined the followers of Lok in the Fey Forest.
The very idea made her cringe and she took another sip of her ale, trying to focus her thoughts. The followers of Lok were no better than demons; Castanics that wanted to return to the old ways, to the time when they had been the chosen of the gods. There was a price to be paid for such power though, and the evil that corrupted them was as clear as day to Biara's eyes. Where her markings and horns represented simply the purity of her race, theirs had become twisted, malformed signs of who they now were. There was no way that her father would be amongst them, Biara knew it in her heart.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a patter of laughter drifted over her table. The voice was female, and sounded like a human. The sound almost made Biara groan as she lifted her head and scanned the inn for the source of the noise, already knowing what she would see.
Through the smokey haze inside the common room Biara's silver-blue eyes immediately spotted a crowd of four people at one end of the bar. Three men surrounding a woman who was in the middle of letting out another stream of bubbly laughter, a hand pressed lightly on one of the men's chests as she shared some private joke with them. Beside her sat a drink and a meal that she likely had not had to pay for. Biara rolled her eyes and mentally groaned to herself.
As if catching the thought from across the room the woman, who was of course Biara's friend Endelle, locked her gaze on Biara and shot her a wink. An entire conversation was transmitted in that brief moment of eye contact and Biara shivered once as she realized the seemingly air-headed woman who sometimes allowed people to call her 'Dilly Black' knew exactly what she was doing.
The Castanic studied the woman for a few minutes, noting how she never let any of the men actually touch her. How she positioned herself to give them the best view without actually ever making good on any of the promises her subconscious movements seemed to give. The longer Biara watched, the higher her assessment of Endelle's actual intelligence became. Clearly the woman was much smarter than she seemed; her skill with magic was proof enough of it and her manipulation of the situation to her advantage was further evidence.
Endelle turned again, and still seeing Biara's eyes on her mouthed silently, "Hi Bibi!" before returning her gaze back to the men she was conversing with. Biara groaned aloud this time and rubbed her temples. The woman insisted on calling her that, and also on showing up at the most unusual times and places. Even so, she seemed to know her way around the forests surrounding Popolion, and on top of that, seemed to know how to deal with the beasts and vampiric creatures that lurked amongst the ruins hidden in the forests.
At least the girl hadn't had any bite marks on her when Biara last met her!
Biara sighed again and drained her glass in one last gulp before setting it back down on the table. She and Endelle had been planning on meeting and exchanging news and information, but it seemed the woman would be occupied for quite some time. It was of little consequence to the Castanic; she would rather be hunting in the forest anyway. It had been too many hours since she'd last drawn blood.
She rose swiftly, dropping a variety of glittering coins on the table to pay for her drink, eyes scanning the bar one last time. Again the hostile stares, some openly, some simply at the horns on her head. It just made her grin as she glanced at Endelle one last time; no one was going to buy her a meal, that was for sure!
Chuckling to herself at her own darkness, Biara headed for the door, swords swaying in their sheaths on her back, the sound almost a whisper of encouragement to draw them.
Soon enough. Soon enough my dear friends.
Biara took in the distant storm through the inn's thickly paned windows before shrugging and returning her gaze to the table before her. In her hand was a tall glass of an amber-hued ale, and she took a sip of it, sighing a little in contentment. After spending two days in the forests around Popolion, it was a relief to be somewhere that was relatively safe; at least here she didn't have the risk of large hunting cats lurching from nearby bushes or maddened soldiers or settlers charging after her in an attempt to take her life.
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and eyeing the crowd around her. As she expected, here and there a few hostile looks met her glance. It was the maddened soldiers in the forest that was the problem after all. Too many Castanics had been driven mad. To be fair, it had not only been Castanics, but after what had happened in the Fey Forest around Lumbertown, any unusual actions by her kind were likely to be viewed with suspicion.
And now some of them had gone mad.
She shook her head, the blade-like horns on her head reflecting the light of the candles that lit the room. The situation was getting more complex now, and she still was no closer to finding out what had befallen her father since she and Kyliska had set out from their home in Castanica. Certainly they had found no evidence of his demise on the Island of Dawn, and she'd seen no hint that he had joined the followers of Lok in the Fey Forest.
The very idea made her cringe and she took another sip of her ale, trying to focus her thoughts. The followers of Lok were no better than demons; Castanics that wanted to return to the old ways, to the time when they had been the chosen of the gods. There was a price to be paid for such power though, and the evil that corrupted them was as clear as day to Biara's eyes. Where her markings and horns represented simply the purity of her race, theirs had become twisted, malformed signs of who they now were. There was no way that her father would be amongst them, Biara knew it in her heart.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a patter of laughter drifted over her table. The voice was female, and sounded like a human. The sound almost made Biara groan as she lifted her head and scanned the inn for the source of the noise, already knowing what she would see.
Through the smokey haze inside the common room Biara's silver-blue eyes immediately spotted a crowd of four people at one end of the bar. Three men surrounding a woman who was in the middle of letting out another stream of bubbly laughter, a hand pressed lightly on one of the men's chests as she shared some private joke with them. Beside her sat a drink and a meal that she likely had not had to pay for. Biara rolled her eyes and mentally groaned to herself.
As if catching the thought from across the room the woman, who was of course Biara's friend Endelle, locked her gaze on Biara and shot her a wink. An entire conversation was transmitted in that brief moment of eye contact and Biara shivered once as she realized the seemingly air-headed woman who sometimes allowed people to call her 'Dilly Black' knew exactly what she was doing.
The Castanic studied the woman for a few minutes, noting how she never let any of the men actually touch her. How she positioned herself to give them the best view without actually ever making good on any of the promises her subconscious movements seemed to give. The longer Biara watched, the higher her assessment of Endelle's actual intelligence became. Clearly the woman was much smarter than she seemed; her skill with magic was proof enough of it and her manipulation of the situation to her advantage was further evidence.
Endelle turned again, and still seeing Biara's eyes on her mouthed silently, "Hi Bibi!" before returning her gaze back to the men she was conversing with. Biara groaned aloud this time and rubbed her temples. The woman insisted on calling her that, and also on showing up at the most unusual times and places. Even so, she seemed to know her way around the forests surrounding Popolion, and on top of that, seemed to know how to deal with the beasts and vampiric creatures that lurked amongst the ruins hidden in the forests.
At least the girl hadn't had any bite marks on her when Biara last met her!
Biara sighed again and drained her glass in one last gulp before setting it back down on the table. She and Endelle had been planning on meeting and exchanging news and information, but it seemed the woman would be occupied for quite some time. It was of little consequence to the Castanic; she would rather be hunting in the forest anyway. It had been too many hours since she'd last drawn blood.
She rose swiftly, dropping a variety of glittering coins on the table to pay for her drink, eyes scanning the bar one last time. Again the hostile stares, some openly, some simply at the horns on her head. It just made her grin as she glanced at Endelle one last time; no one was going to buy her a meal, that was for sure!
Chuckling to herself at her own darkness, Biara headed for the door, swords swaying in their sheaths on her back, the sound almost a whisper of encouragement to draw them.
Soon enough. Soon enough my dear friends.
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