Open Chronicles Ripples In The Pond

[Ishar Morrad]

Ishar nodded his head as Runa spoke, his gaze flickering towards the woods every now and again.

He'd never been greatly concerned with animals of the wild. Even bears tended to stay away from him naturally. They were either fearful of what he could do or simply tended to avoid the scent of his unnatural flesh.

"Plenty." The former Templar offered with a smile.

"In the Blightlands most of our enemies were presented to us by Menalus." He foolishly assumed that she would know who the Fire-Giant was. "Blight Orcs, Ogres, Elementals of fire and lava."

A frown touched his lips. "A few times there were other things, Wyrms and the like."

A hand ran through his hair as he assisted her further.

"He was fond of using beastmen too. Not just Werewolves but twisted things." He remembered fighting those creatures, they had been...difficult. "A few Ash Vampires as well, though they held to themselves and not Menalus."

Fighting Monsters had been his business for better part of two decades. He had fought and beaten more than most.

 

[Runa]

She listened, nodding her head, understanding some of it, the other parts were new to her, but the woman didn’t let on she was oblivious to it. She’d research it later to get a better understanding of what he was talking about.

Runa quietly glanced from the shadows then back to the rather large tent, it actually was nice size, it had to be, it was going to fit two people in it, standing back she examined their work and a satisfied look appeared on her face.

“Seems we work good as a team.” She turned her head to the side looking at him, a wink she was off to go and get the things to put in the tent.

“I do see, how you can be very cautions with creatures, not really knowing if they want to eat you, or not.” A retort back to him as she grabbed bedding and things, heaving it on her shoulder heading back to the tent.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

"Most of my life has been spent fighting monsters." Though a great share of them had been human.

More than anything, Menalus enjoyed turning the people on the blightlands on one another. It was a show of the kind of creature he truly was. Ishar had long thought the Fire-Giant enjoyed cruelty more than any dragon could.

His lips thinned for a moment and his head shook.

"I gather." The former Templar began. "That such things are not really a problem here."

Perhaps monsters did not like the cold.

 

[Runa]

Coming out of the tent dusting off her hands, shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes and no, one can only do so much to keep darkness out, but it finds us non the less." Pausing as she turned her head side ways to look at him from another arm full of items.

"That with saying, the light does fund us too." Once more she went back to putting items in the tent, but it was truly not everything was gloom and doom, but there were sprinkles of hope here. The idea that one can be lost into the darkness in which engulfs you day in and day out, makes sense.

Runa understood that one could end up forgetting that even good things do walk this plain of existence.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

He nodded in understanding.

It certainly seemed brighter here than it did at home. Most places did in fact. Ishar had never been to the East, but from what he been told things were far more calm there. War was less common, and useless death less so.

At least that was what he'd been told. "I've been many places of the last few years."

The former Templar commented quietly.

"True calm is difficult to find." Even seemingly peaceful mountain villages turned out to be trapped with horror and death. Once he had nearly been put the question by a strange religious organization.

He still remembered the scent of the brand they'd tried to use on him.

 

[Runa]

A nod of her head agreeing with that and with a satisfied expression she was done unloading items as she looked toward him and sighed.

"Well, hopefully if our plan works, you'll have many more peaceful moments." She stated this gesturing for him to take a look inside his new home.

Inside he'd find the tent was actually pretty nice size able to have two beds, comfortably put on the ground, a place for cooking, tables and everything needed to make it feel nice.

"I hope this will do." She looked to him.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

Ishar peered around the small tent, smiling to himself.

This was perhaps the most comfortable space that he'd had to stay in since the last village he'd visited over four months ago. It might have been better since there were no cockroaches quite yet. That at the very least made him feel somewhat more calm.

"It will." Ishar answered finally with a nod of his head. "Thank you."

Things were looking up in a way. "Hopefully I won't wake one morning to find everything has scratch marks."

Something that had happened more than once.

 

[Runa]

A smiled etched itself upon her lips as she nodded her head and moved to make sure food and drink was well covered, and able to get to, in case someone got the late night munchies.

She turned toward him with an arch of a brow and this time a very pretty laugh came from her.

"We can only hope, but if it does, I think it will be one to remember why they got there." She gave a comforting look.

"In time you will find yourself less guarded." She turned back and stared at the flap.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

Comfort was not something he was all that used to anymore.

In fact, Ishar wasn't entirely sure that he was ever used to comfort. The beds back in the Blightlands Templar Fortress had been more hammocks than anything else. His clothes had always been bare, and even hot water wasn't something that could be found all that readily.

Perhaps that was why he had taken so well to being a wanderer. Sleeping on the hard ground, braving the elements. Everything had always been just like home.

This tent and the idea of actually having his own space was…odd to say the least. That did of course not mean it was not appreciated, but for the old Templar it was most certainly a strange prospect. He frowned a brief moment, then nodded slightly. "One would hope I will."

Ishar said to Runa with a smile.

"Alas, I still see monsters in ever corner. Not just myself." A result of his training. He had fought for more than half his life, so of course he always saw things that could be a threat.

Still, the tent was a sanctuary of sorts. At least that was how he chose to see it.

 

[Runa]

She'd turn head toward the side.

"That, is understandable, I can if you like make some warm tea, that has herbs to help sooth and maybe it might help with those monsters and who knows might help keep off the beast for a bit." She shrugged still offered a smile.

"I know, this is all new and I don't want you uncomfortable, so there is no rush to ease in, take your time." She gestured as she moved toward the kettle to see if he'd like some tea before falling asleep.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "That's alright. In a strange way its a comfort."

The comment likely would seem off too Runa, but it made sense in the Templar's old head.

"There are few things left to me of my old life." Ishar began to explain as he sat himself down, frowning slightly and inspecting his hands as though he would actually find something there. "Before I was turned, I mean."

He chuckled. "I was a Captain in the Templar. One of the oldest."

There weren't a lot of old Templar in the Blightlands.

"While some might see it as being haunted. I find that it's almost reassuring my instincts haven't left me." A piece of his old self still there.

 

[Runa]

Runa nodded listening as she understood, the idea of wanting to hold onto some sort of normality of something, made perfect sense.

“That’s fair.” A comforting smile.

“Though, offer is still there when needed.”

She gestured, as she started making traditional tea, something that would calm at least her nervous and maybe quench his thirst. The way he moved and stared at himself didn’t go unnoticed, she watched out of the corner of her eyes.

After a moment of stirring the tea she moved toward him setting the mug down near him and then moved to sit into her bed, curling her legs up toward her chest, sipping the tea.

“If it helps, I’m the daughter to one of the great legends where I come from, seems I live in the darker side of that shadow.” Shrugged gently.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

"Royalty?" He asked, unsure if that was actually a concept for people so northerly.

This place was still very much foreign to him. Ishar knew very little about the North, or really any place that wasn't the Blightland. He somehow doubted that the northmen had any concept of politics, but royalty could be a thing.

Though, she had not said King nor Emperor. Just legend.

Taking his seat more comfortably, Ishar shifted slightly and then crossed his legs beneath him in order to wait for her to reply.

 

[Runa]

Runa removed the mug from her lips and rested in gently in her lap as she looked from the amber looking liquid to him. Her eyes gave way to the expression written on her face, this was one of those answers that were hard to put to words, but the very short pause she found them.

“In a way, yes, but no, we have a tribal leader, I guess you could see her as Queen, but I come from a hero in my tribe, really what I mean.” Her eyes darted to the side, as she let the thoughts run through her mind.

“I don’t know, where you come from if Hero’s are celebrated and honored, but ours are, and so it’s tradition that offspring of said Hero’s follow in their mother’s foot steps so to speak.” Now, her eyes were back on the Templar.

“It’s more complicated then it seems.” She stated shrugging her shoulders and glancing back to the mug within her hands.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

"I see." The Blightlands did not have heroes, at a least not any that lived for long. Menalus made short work of anyone that would try to rise up and help the weak.

Symbols were powerful things, and even one person going above and beyond was not something the fire giant tolerated. The only reason the Templar had lasted so long against his might was their fortress. The great mountain keep was almost impossible to besiege, though it had been attempted many times.

"I never knew my mother." He offered. "She was taken by blight orcs before I was aware."

As had most of his family.

He found the thought of being born of a hero strange. The expectation of living up to something you did not want to be must have been difficult. Ishar had always been a Templar, a great Captain, but only because that was what he had chosen to be. No one had forced him to do it.

Nor even expected it. "What did your mother do?"

He inquired slowly.

 

[Runa]

She watched him and now she understood a little more about the man before her, and admiration planted its seed in her heart. Runa looked down at her mug as he asked a question that to her refreshing, most everyone knew her mother and she never had to talk about her exploits, but then again it was also a bit bitter.

The idea of never measuring up to her mother was always proven to her, when she failed a test, or didn’t spar correctly.

“The real question is what she didn’t do.” A bit of a sigh, her eyes looked back to him.

“My mother, was always quicker and smarter than most the female warriors in our tribe and so, it didn’t surprise many when she became one of the captains, I believe you call it, in our tribe.” A shrug of her shoulder as she moved to put her mug down on a table beside her, then lean back against her pillow too look at him.

“She helped win many wars between my tribe and a neighboring tribe, aided in rescuing our princess from men who’d in slave her to the highest bidder, many enemies heads she brought back to use as warnings to those who wished to harm our tribe, things of that nature.” She gestured. It was obvious in the way Runa spoke of her mother, it wasn’t that she didn’t love her, but there was a bit of darkness there, it was obvious the girl was put under great pressure like he thought.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

"I see." Great Expectations.

Ishar had never really lived with that thought in his mind. He had a been a leader of men, and they had looked up to him, but that had never influenced who he was. Always he'd moved forward, always he'd done as he'd needed to do.

Anything else was just added.

Lips thinned for a brief moment and his head turned slightly. Something itched at the back of his head, but he could not say what it was. A strange feeling of dread that seemed to creep closer to him. "Have you ever thought of leaving the Tundra?"

He asked.

"No expectations out there." The benefits of being a wanderer.

 

[Runa]

"I have, but never stayed long, I was never allowed to do so for long." She paused with a slight look of a tad bit of longing and then it would disappear quickly.

"I had the option, but if I did stay long, it would mean that I'm no longer apart of the tribe and there for, to be forgotten." She sighed as she now rested her head back on her pillow looking up at the tent's ceiling, it might have been the fact she was distracted by the conversation, to notice any danger might be looming close to the camp.

"It's complicated." She rested her fingers over her chest.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

"Certainly sounds it." Ishar said quietly.

A part of him longed for something like Runa described. Not the expectations of course, that was a nightmare all it's own.

The sense of belonging, the tribe. That was what he yearned for.

Back in the Blightlands the Templar had been his tribe. Good men and women who had relied upon one another, seen themselves as a brotherhood. Ishar could still remember them well, their faces, the times they had.

His mind lingered there, too stuck to notice the quiet crack of a branch as a set of feet moved towards the tent.

 

[Runa]

Runa sat up slowly as a very sharp sting traveled through out her body, someone or thing had gotten through her barrier, she'd figure out how later.

She glanced toward the flap, and slowly she moved to grab her sword that was beside her by her bed and glanced toward the Templar.

Not wanting to make a sound, alerting to whatever was out there, that she knew it was there, by telling the Templar, so she just turned her eye toward the flap, waiting.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

His hand reached towards his own blade in two steps.

By the time he reached the sword though it was already too late. A massive set of claws tore through the side of the tent, four of them ripping the quietly honed fabric into shreds.

Ishar was about to yell to Runa telling her to get back when ear splitting roar thundered out.

The Templar took a single step back, one hand covering his ear as his head half turned low. Then he saw. A creature stepped into the tent through the ripped up wall. It stood three feet higher than he, it’s face a gnarled mixture of a wolf and a bear.

Antlers sat atop it’s head, and razor sharp claws lined it’s hands and arms.

”What the hell is that?” Ishar said as he drew his blade.

 

[Runa]

Runa leaped back off her bed as the shredding of the tent wall, her weapon in hand she was ready for whatever came through, or at least she thought she was ready. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the beast and her stomach fell sick as she turned her eyes toward the Templar who had been struck. She looked back and then she understood.

"I have no idea." She really didn't as she snarled at the beast, she couldn't fight this thing in this form, no she had to do something she never thought she'd do in front of a stranger.

"Distract it." She yelled as she threw backed up closing her eyes and suddenly the air around them would feel as there was something electric, hairs on everyone would start to possible stand up as she let out a painful roar and bent down.

In minutes a very gorgeous woman, now became a very cute rage medium to almost small black bear, with what appeared to be a yellow patch of fur circling her neck, Runa roared standing up on her hind legs, now only coming up to maybe the hip of the beast, she snarled roared showing her teeth.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

Ishar had every intention of doing more than just distracting the beast.

His blade bared the former Templar dashed forward. He ducked as the creature swung it's claws at him, his sword quickly flicking upward to catch the edge of the creatures razor sharp nails and drag them down into the dirt.

A boot came up a second later, crashing into the beasts knees and sending it half to the ground.

A squelch resounded in the tent as what should have been a broken bone instead bent inward and shifted. Ishar's eyes popped open in horror, and then the creature rebounded.

With a single strike it lashed out, it's claws digging into his chest and leaving three deep gashes in his skin.

 

[Runa]

Runa snarled again and ran full force at the creature, leaping off the bed that now lay on it side and landing on the back of the beast's back. . .A loud roar came from the belly of the bear as, her sharp fangs and teeth bit down onto the beast's neck, her claws dug into it's shoulders as she was going to tare the things throat out, to get it off of the Templar.

 

[Ishar Morrad]

The beast whirled half around as teeth sunk into it's neck.

A screech of pain ripped from the monsters teeth, it flailed and moved about, then shifted and tried to claw at Runa. As soon as it moved Ishar grabbed his blade.

His sword stabbed through the creatures stomach.

The blade plunged into the monster, brackish black blood spilling onto the floor and hissing as it touched the ground. The Creature screamed, and then it's form slowly went limp as it died.