Open Chronicles A little outing

[TimberDusk]

Timber woke from his little nest high in the tree. As he stood up and dressed he decided to leave his bow behind today, most people were a little put off by it and he didn't want to upset anyone. He had become a sort of oddity in the city, not many Fae had ventured into Alliria and he made no effort to hide himself. He flitted and fluttered to the ground and looked out on the city, it looked like rain "I had better get to the tavern quickly" he sighed as he began to fly. Rain makes it hard, if not impossible to fly for Fae folk.

About halfway there he felt a drop of water hit him in the head. The force sent him tumbling head over heels until he could regain force and regain flight for a moment until he could land normally. His wings folded behind him as he looked out at the colossal decision ahead of him, he knew he was dead center of his journey from a flight standpoint and hes sure it's not much different on foot, but should he go home or head to the tavern still. "Damn, i was really looking forward to that drink" he rustled out a small acorn cup from his bag "even made my own cup so I don't need need to get one of those gigantic mugs, you know what, I've earned it, I'm going. " Tim dashed to the nearest building and walked very close, he'd found it was the least likely spot to get trampled.

For the most part, he was safe on his trip. Most people didn't notice him at all, some kids thought he was a doll and had to be pulled away by parents, occasionally a boot would come perilously close as people pushed or squeezed past each other. He hated when he couldn't fly but he was at least glad he was trained enough to dodge most blows the slow clumsy giants would inadvertently send his way. Then he came to an intersection, he thought for sure he would be stepped on....again. It had happened before, but his Fae physiology was able to withstand it with minimal damage, but just as much unpleasantness. Without the cover of a building he had to enter the intersection of the two streets and hope it wouldn't happen again. As he went to dash across the street, there it was, a young ladies foot came down nearly on top of him, just barely missing him. He gasped in shock and startled her, without looking she thought it might be a rat and flicked her ankle to shoo the creature. Tim caught the brunt of a light kick which sent him back and tumbling to his back, he grunted again as she looked down and realized it wasn't a rat but a man. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry" she crouched down and scooped Tim up "Are you okay?" he shook his head as he regained composure "Yes Madam, sorry to have startled you, hard to fly around in rain you see." Tim stood up in her hand and bowed "I shall take my leave" She shook her head as he fluttered across the street quickly before landing and resuming his walk.

He made it to the tavern, a nondescript place frequented by all sorts. He shook his wings out and the water shook off onto the ground as he made his way to the bar. He flew up and landed much to the shock to the Orc drinking there and the Dwarven maiden serving him "WAT THE 'ELL" the Orc slammed his mug down to attempt to smash Tim, who deftly dodged the mug as hit sloshed ale down on top of him. The Dwarf woman stopped a second attempt as the Orc had barely noticed he wasn't some sort of vermin. "'Oly crap, it's a fairy, sorry mate thought you was a spider" he laughed as Tim shook off the ale "Well....I'm not." a hefty sigh left his lips as he looked to the Dwarf ushered the Orc off with little incident as he returned to his table "What'll it be little guy?" she spoke to him softly as he looked up to her "Mead, i hear it's made from honey" she smiled as she grabbed a large bottle and thought for a second, her mouth opened and Tim pulled out his acorn cup "Ah, that makes sense" she said as she carefully poured the mead into the cup and handed it down to him "How much do I owe you m'lady?" Tim rustled through his rucksack "On the house honey, least I can do, besides, I doubt you can drink that much" she smiled at him and went to serve some other patrons "Damn, everyday life is rough in the city" he sipped the mead with a smile "a little harsh, but I like it" he sat in the tavern hoping the rest of the day would be a little less of an adventure.

 

[Odessa]

Dessy had finally made her way back to Alliria, the city air was filled with smells that brought her back to the times she’d first came to this place. She smiled gently to herself pulling the hood of her robe closer to her face, as the cool breeze tugged on her clothing.

She quietly made her way to the tavern in which she knew would possibly have work for her, after all she did have to tales to tell. The journal that she had been traveling with tucked nicely under her left arm as she’d dodge a few strangers who where busy trying to get to their destinations.

The soft thumps of her slippers graced the wooden steps of the porch and gently her hand pushed the door open and in she went closing the door behind her. She removed the hood from her head, revealing the person beneath.

She quietly moved toward the bar in search of the owner and once there she seated herself upon empty bar stool. Dessy placed her leather-bound book upon the bar top, but something caught her eye.

If someone had told Odessa she was going to see a tiny winged man, she’d have told them that they were very drunk and needed to seek a healer. Yes, in fact there he was, drinking out a small mug made from.

She squinted a little to see what it was, and her eyes widened with delight, an acorn, he was drinking from an acorn. The creature before her, was something that she only heard in fairy tales. Dessy’s mind was twisting and turning with so many creative thoughts for a story she could write.

The idea of trying to find the owner was replaced by her opening her journal, the quill she kept within pulled from the book. She took out a small vial of ink, popped the cork dipped the quill in it, placed the top back on, and placed it back into the pocket of her robe. She began to write vigorously upon the pages.

 

[TimberDusk]

Tim sat drinking drinking his mead slowly. He'd only recently started drinking "Another wonderful creation of the giants." He finished off his acorn and put it in his bag once again, he stood up to see the young woman writing. "Oooooh, human writing. Excuse me miss, what is is you're writing about?" The characters on the page held little meaning to Timber since he had only recently begun his exploration outside his village. He approached slowly and looked up to her, he could tell she was petite for a human but he still only stood about a hand tall. He looked at the ink and shook his head "that would be a lifetime supply for us, and you write with feathers dipped in, what kind of dye is that?" His curiosity only seemed heightened by his slight inebriation. His eyes twinkled with wonder as he approached with, what would appear to be, reckless abandon based on prior dealings earlier this evening let alone most daily interaction.

 

[Odessa]

“Hmm?” She distractedly made a noise, and then as if her brain decided to allow her some clarity she’d snap to. Her lips widened into a smile at how excited she was that this creature was talking to her.

“Oh, this.” A small blush came to her cheeks.
“I hope you do mind, but I’m writing a character that is like you, you are just so . . .” She leaned closer.
“Interesting, I must say, I didn’t know you excited, well only in fairy tales.” A pause a moment as she glanced toward her ink.

“Oh, its ink, not really dye, but I guess it’s a best way to describe it.” A chuckle escaped her lips as she then looked back to him.
“I have so many questions.” Her brain began to flow with thoughts.
“Where were you born?”
“Are there many more of you?”
“Your so tiny, are you that tall or do your kind get taller?”
“Oh, and what do you eat, like do you eat just like us or do you have to have certain foods?”
Odessa seemed to have the gift of holding breath as the questions fired off quicker, she blinked as she took in a breath and sighed.
“I’m sorry, I seemed to have gotten carried away.” Her cheeks keeping that cherry red color to them.

 

[TimberDusk]

Timber smiles and flits his wings, a small buzz accompanies the motion. "I was born in the deep falwood, there are pixies and faeries all over, but we generally don't like people and your cities, we prefer nature. I'm about average height, some are bigger and smaller, not just average differences like you humans. Water sprites, faeries, pixies, all manner of Far are varying sizes. I mostly eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries." He smiles and his wings flap a little and he floats around gracefully "so you said ink, like squid ink? Or is it like the fae iron they use to make my tattoo?" His curiosity is very obvious, his inebriation isn't helping either. He idly does a quick loop-de-loop and lands next to the book, his little boots making a small clunk "and what do you mean fairy tales? People tell stories about us and aren't sure we exist? You giants sure are weird."
His high energy nature keeping him from focusing as he walks over the edge of the table and seems to stick to the side, those with acute senses can tell his wings are flapping subtly. "So, are you some kind of cleric? They're the ones I usually see reading and writing your weird squiggles." He walks back on top of the table with a giggle "Mead is a little stronger than the ale I normally try in taverns, I like it more though. Don't think I need to drink a lot though, I can tell my senses are dulled some" Tim's head snaps to Odessa "my goodness miss, I haven't let you get a word in edgewise" he coughs and clears his throat "I'm sorry miss, what is your name?" He sits cross legged on the table next to the inkwell looking up at her huge face.

 

[Odessa]

She soaked up everything he said like a sponge, it was knowledge she would use at a later time. The personality this creature had was delightful and she just found him so fascinating. Her attention was so focused on the little being before her, the question of ink was almost ignored.

The last word snapped her too, as she looked to the ink then back to him.

"I think it might be, then again I never quite asked. . ." She honestly thought on that a moment.

Dessy, really needed to look in what was in her materials sometime. She just got what she could afford at the time.

"I guess we are." She chuckled at the comment about how weird we giants are. It was interesting he called those like her giants, but it made since, after all compared to him most things were.

"I'm a bard of sorts, I write stories and turn them into song." She gestured toward her book. She waved her hand in a dismissing manner.

"Oh, its ok, I am just as bad . . .I'm Odessa and you are." She gently held out her right hand to his.

 

[TimberDusk]

"Timber Dusk, some folks call me Tim. Pleasure to meet you miss Odessa." He stood and bowed. As he stood with a smile he seemed to study the page "human languages are so interesting. I'll learn to read them eventually. Speaking them was hard enough." He seems to have begun to sober up, pixie metabolism and all. "So, allow me to answer any and all questions you may have about my people, I'd like to set the stories straight" he sat back down, leaned back resting on his hands awaiting her questions.

 

[Odessa]

Dessy, was never so happy in her life, this was a gift she was not going to squander.

"A pleasure Timber, I am truly honored." She bowed her head slightly, she'd dip the tip of her quill in the ink readying herself.

The questions in her mind, was pushing against a metaphorical damn and when Timber said ask all question, like a cork pulled from a wine bottle, POP and a flood would burst.

"Is it true that you only eat sugar, and that if dipped in tea or coffee you will make the liquid sweet?"

"Do you really steal babies and eat them?"

"Is it true that if you actually do step foot in a fairy ring you are trapped forever?"

"Can you stop time?"

"How strong are your wings, and can they fly in anything?" She beamed as that was the first few questions but oh there was more.

 

[TimberDusk]

Timber looked at Odessa with a quizzical look "Wow, who taught you all this junk. Let's go in order, No we don't only eat sugar. In fact because we typically stay in the wild it's hard to come across sugar cane. We eat fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables, you know the bounty of nature type thing. I've never been dipped in coffee or tea so I'm not sure if I sweeten beverages, can't imagine I would though." His wings flutter about some as he stands up and looks her right in the face "I can only remember my village taking one baby, an elf baby. Didn't take her because we were stealing her. She was a powerful mage but had little to no control of her abilities. We had to trick her to coming with us so she didn't have a toddler tantrum that could destroy the entire falwood. And to that end again, look at notes on our diet and you will see no babies." He flutters about gently and lands once more "sorry not used to sitting still. The rings are as you said, more of a fairy thing. We can use them too but I think the whole trapping thing came from a handful of incidents from when I was a kid" he lands and paces back and forth on the table "See there were these hunters, one was just a normal guy but he was with a friend that was obsessed with catching one of us. Village elder wouldn't tell us why he wanted us but that usually means he wanted us imprisoned for experimentation, food or....gross human desires" he shivers a second "So we used the ring to capture the creepy one, out leaders took over and I never learned his fate. The other guy saw and told everyone about the ring. We cannot stop time, but we do experience the world on a different time scale than you giants. Right now I'm talking slowly, like how I've seen your kind talk to the mentally feeble. But otherwise my voice sounds like bells and wind to you." His wings buzzed again "and these are pretty strong, way stronger than normal insect wings but not indestructible. On the occasion where I've been manhandled they've broken. It doesn't hurt it just makes me unable to fly without using crazy amounts of magic in their place. Repairing them costs a salve made from hard to find ingredients and a few hours of meditation and channeling my energies into growing new ones. I cannot fly in anything, similar to other insects if my wings are wet I can't use them. If I have to fly and it's raining I can make a sort I magic barrier, but I normally save it for the occasions when I have to fight with giants. I mean one direct hit from a blade or club and that's it for me." He watches her finish her notes and looked up "More?"

 

[Odessa]

Dessy’s quill moved at a speed that seemed impossible for a mere mortal to do, but she did it. She nodded her every few moments as she listened to the little guy, who did seem to be talking rather oddly, but with him explaining in detail why he sounded odd to her, she understood.
A blush here and there from her cheeks as he answered questions in a blunt way, she felt rather foolish to believe any creature did such horrible things. Odessa smiled gently as she did in fact finish her notes when she opened her mouth again.
“Mmhmm, that makes perfect sense, I’m sorry if my questioning is a bit forward, but if you don’t mind.” Coughed a little to clear her throat.
“How does a pixie come to be?” She asked in the best way of not sounding vulgar. She gestured. She didn’t know maybe they are magically created, are they born out of eggs, or normal mammals and live births. Fairies are said to be born from a baby’s first laugh other say they are just balls of energy that just come to be.
In Dessy’s mind maybe Pixies work the same way.

 

[TimberDusk]

Tim stopped a second and looks at Odessa with a chuckle "Similar but not the same as humans. We can only conceive during equinoxes, and are born on the opposite equinox. We do....um....mate....you know, outside of that but it cannot result in a new pixie. We also don't even have kids that often. Usually a new couple will have one or two children, unless something happened where we had casualties. We live pretty much forever unless we take ill or something kills us, so we don't reproduce as prodigiously as most giants." He flutters up to directly in front of her face "Now answer me this, why do giants make up stories about things and always make them bad? You're not the first to ask me about the stealing babies thing"

 

[Odessa]

Odessa nodded her head again as she wrote down what Timber stated and then she blinked as she looked up from her writing. Her eyes almost threatened to cross at how close he was to her face, she moved her head back a little, blinking a little from the sudden near crossing.

Her front bottom lip tucked under her top teeth in a thinking expression as she pondered this. It was cute the way she looked but no more cute then most. A thought came to her mind and with a deep sigh she replied to his question.

"I guess, some are afraid of what they don't know or understand, so they make things up to fit this fear, a way to process, I suppose." Her brow furrowed.

"This doesn't make it alright to do, obviously but unfortunately it is in the nature of some Giants, as you call us." Her brow relaxed and showed a kind smile.

"My motto, not everything is as it seems." a wink and a gently nudge with her finger upon his tiny shoulder as a gesture of kindness.

"Would you like to join me in something to eat?" She asked as she was getting rather hungry from all this knowledge.

 

[TimberDusk]

He smiles and lowers himself slowly and settles down on the table again "I would like that very much. " He sat cross legged next to her inkwell, using it as an arm rest. "So, what are we eating?"

 

[Odessa]

She thought a moment.
"Well, how about a tray of fruits, cheeses and meats and bread, yes fresh bread if they have it." She stated with a smile and then she leaned over.

"For desert some delicious biscuits." a sparkle of delight appeared in her eyes at the thought of the biscuits that were going to enter her mouth.

A gesture to the bar keep ordering said food, pulling out a few gold coins from her pouch and placing them on the smooth bar top, gently sliding them to the keep, who nodded and went to fetch the order. Dessy looked back to her hand, left was two gold coins and a few silver ones and some copper, another sigh escaped her lips.

"Looks like it's time to sing some of my stories." A smile returned to her features as she looked back to her companion.

"No, matter its well worth a good meal." A wink as she slid the coins back into her pouch, tucking it back in the pocket within her robe.

"Do you have a favorite food?" She asked in a nonchalant manner.

 

[TimberDusk]

"I'm fond of berries of all kinds" he says as he flits about. He eyes her and his eyes shine for a second and the tattoo over his eye seems to shift and then realign. "You have a magic about you, not like you use it but, it's a persistent effect on you. It doesn't seem natural though. Are you enchanted or cursed?" He studys her and seems to be measuring her reactions to his words. "As an attractive and kind young woman it would be a shame if you were cursed." He flipped and landed on his feet with a grace that can only be described as supernatural "And before you ask, I'm sure I can't remove it, I can see that it's there but it's not familiar" he seemed to be lost in thought a moment as he watched other patrons mill about for a moment and then back to Odessa.

 

[Odessa]

Glancing down at her book as she began to write, she stopped her quill to only look up from her book and with a blush on her cheeks, she suddenly felt her stomach turn a bit.


She had missed the magic in which he had studied her and doubt that would have easier her feeling as how did he know, and she couldn't really tell him. She blinked at him replying about her asking if he could even remove it.

She gave a slight awkward smile as she closed her book once more, only after she had placed the quill inside. She sighed softly.

"It's a long story, and you could say it's a curse." She trailed off glancing around as if hoping no one really heard the conversation before looking back to him, as she leaned close to whisper.

"I'd never ask you to try and remove it, as it can't be removed that easily anyway, though thank you for letting me know, but can we just keep this maybe to ourselves, I wouldn't want people to really know about it." She sat back up with a worried look, glancing about.

 

[TimberDusk]

Tim nodded to Odessa "oh no, I wouldn't dare. I don't have much knowledge of hexes, curses, long standing enchantments. If I tried to meddle with one I'd probably end up making it worse, or fixing it, or altering reality as we know it" he chuckled and walked up close to her book "So, what was bringing you to this tavern today? You seem like the kind of young lady that would have a million prior engagements. Certainly something better than spending the day with a tiny guy in a tavern."

 

[Odessa]

The bar maiden would set a tray of food before the two, making sure not to harm Timber. She'd gently take some bread and rip pieces off of it for herself and timber size and grab a piece of cheese placing it on the bread and took a bite.

She'd chew the piece for a moment before swallowing sighing with satisfaction she'd answer.

"You'd think that." A wink as she laughed a little.

"No, I was actually going to see if I could work here for the night, I'm a bard." She took another bite of bread and cheese.

"By far though, you are well worth not playing tonight, its not every day you meet an amazing guy like you." She gently nudge him with her finger.

"Please help yourself." gesturing to the food before them.

 

[TimberDusk]

As he nibbled the bread, cheese and fruits he looked up "I'd like to hear a song, human songs are interesting. Songs are a big part of my culture, but we use a lot of natural elements. We grow reeds and hang bark and stone by vines where prevalent wind blows. Drumming on mushrooms or logs and singing as our elder speaks in an elder tongue casting ancient spells" he sat and watched the, to him anyway, giant woman. He watched her write and eat as he listened to her speak, it was easy to believe she was a bard, her voice was lyrical and sweet "What instrument do you play?"

 

[Odessa]

She swallowed a piece of bread as she wrote down more of what he spoke of in her journal, she closed the book and gently took a swig of her drink, wiping the remnants with the back of her hand.

"That sounds lovely." replied with a warm expression written on her face.

"I guess the only instrument I have is my voice." She took a bite of cheese and swallowed.

"Maybe you'll get to hear me sing one day." A wink came with her reply.