Finding Inspiration [Open]

[Hara Small Fire]

It was a nice night in the city. Hara hated nice nights. Nice nights were boring. The breeze was perfect. The moon was bright. The stars twinkled. Everyone was quite jolly in the little tavern. Humans drank themselves to death, but that had a fantastic time while they did so. Most of them were too drunk to even bother taking notice of the wind elemental in their midst.

Hara had dressed for her journey to The City. Long feather ear rings dangled from her ears. Her bodice was made of ratty brown wool and her chemise was plain and un-dyed. Rather than pairing this with the usual skirts, Hara chose to wear brown breeches and brown leather boots. It was not the most glamorous outfit to be sure, but it would suffice. What more could a simple hermit afford?

The elemental packed her parchment, ink, and quill into her bag and rose. This tavern was too stuffy for her. She needed the wind. How could she find her inspiration with the feel of the wind against her skin? Hara left the tavern without a backwards glance. There was a story out there. She could feel it. All she had to do was find it.

[Tondra]

Normally, when one wants to find a certain destination, they use a map.Tondra had instead used the advice of an old drunkard back in Spirit. The destination? The City of Thieves. And where was she now? In the middle of the human city. Bother. It was impossible to find clothes that fit around her wings, and shoes were generally made for feet rather than talons. She received leers from men who had had a little too much ale, while the women about town at this late hour glared at Tondra, as if she would at any point snatch up their husbands and children.

There was not a Fae in sight. It would be almost alright if there were a non-human about, but Tondra was alone and vulnerable to attack. She could not fend off every citizen in town, and she could not hide her distinct Fae-ness. Why hadn't she paid attention when she was taught how to use a glamour? She was about to give up hope and fly off into a forest to find a clearing to spend the night in when she saw something odd. A woman, definitely not human, walking out of a tavern. She was not Fae either, though, so Tondra approached with caution.

Unfortunately, a rather plump man with a mug of rum in hand blocked her path. "Hello, missy faerie," he slurred, "why doncha stay with me tonight? You sure don't mind givin' us a free show..." Men behind him chuckled, and Tondra fumed. How degrading! "Sir," she retorted, "it would do well for you to leave me alo-". The man had grabbed her around the waist and leaned in to do something unspeakable. In response, Tondra dug her talons into his feet. He squealed expletives at her as blood poured from his boots, and the men behind him grew angry. Uh oh. One drunken boor was one thing; ten was something else. She turned to fly away, but two men grabbed her wings. She protested, scratched, bit, and kicked, rendering three men unconscious, but was fully restrained by the remaining men. Blood dripped form her lip as she looked at the non-human female, pleading with her eyes.

[Hara Small Fire]

Eye contact. The start of every interesting interlude. That was how Hara first found the changeling girl. She stared, her eyes wide, as the changeling woman simple…walked through The City. Just like that. Hara blinked, unsure if this was an apparition caused by lack of fresh air. Nope. Still there. She blinked again. Only when the human man began to harass her did she dare believe her eyes.

Yes, that made things slightly more normal. But only slightly. Hara was impressed that the girl had made it that far into The City without being challenged.

Uh-oh. Things were looking grim. Hara stared into the pleading eyes. Innocent. Frightened. Hara’s featured hardened and a small snarl rose in her throat. Suddenly, the daemon looked terrifying indeed. Her fangs were bared, her golden hair was flying wildly around her. She looked ready for a fight.

Seven human men. Two females; one changeling and one daemon. The odds did not look good. Then again, those men were drunk. Hara threw caution to the wind and jumped in to the fight, aiming first for those who held the girl in the hope that she could free herself and help. Her silver claws glinted in the moonlight as she struck, aiming straight for their eyes.

[echo]

What had ailed him to come here? Something strange, definitely. The daemon was not lost or weak and didn't have anything on him. He curled his lip slightly at the reek; humans, humans everywhere and all taking a few shots each. Well, the males were. Somehow the females didn't enjoy alcohol as much as men did. But then, everyone was entitled to their own preferences. It wasn't like he cared. But being on the ground made him feel... underprivileged. He was short. He knew that much. Almost everyone seemed taller than he was, except any random kid that was out. And even kids knew to stay away.

Echo was not dressed very elaborately, a sleeveless linen tunic, stockings and leather boots, not in the best condition, but enough to get him by as a tramp or a street kid. After all, not many people had random leaves and feathers in their hair as some kind of fashion code. In fact, the last time Echo was aware that feathers and leaves had been in fashion was a couple of centuries ago. Or that's what he guessed anyways. But no one was dressed with leaves and feathers so he was the odd one out. No one approached him, they must have been able to sense that no good would come from trying to provoke him. Curiosity was a human's worse enemy. It was something that they couldn't help. Oh, and pity. Humans were piteous creatures.

Sudden nonhuman noises. They sounded like they were part animal. Were they part animal? It sounded like that. Echo immediately stopped and changed courses, almost seeming that he was doubling back, when actually, his course took him somewhere more to the west than where he came from. "Ah..." He whispered, copying the wild screeches and changing them to an amused, slightly curious tone. Yes, a changeling with wings, golden wings. He'd have to ask for a feather later. And talons. There was some human on the ground that seemed to have suffered from the avian changeling's talons. Well, that was his problem. The changeling couldn't handle all seven men at once, that was for sure. Echo stood there, unwilling to him, but he couldn't help but wonder if he should have.

He didn't need to. Another screech, a battle cry, sounded through the air. Echo swiveled his head. A woman with golden hair and silver claws. What was... oh wait, she was a wind daemon, like him. Never mind. He didn't need to help. Echo was sure that the two females could handle the humans. The wind daemon seemed to have the power to battle. It was ok, he didn't need to intervene, so he stood there, watching, waiting.

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[Tondra]

Tondra thought herself done for when the wind Daemon entered the fight. Relieved, Tondra found new strength within her and managed to bite one of her captors, drawing blood. He howled and hurled expletives at her, but now her arms were free, and she scratched and punched and bit until a few of the humans fled. They were brave against her alone, but the fighting force of a Fae and a Daemon was something to be reckoned with. The remaining humans, despite their drunken stupor, realized this and stumbled back into the bar. Tondra noticed a few bleeding humans on the ground, and was amazed at the amount of people the wind daemon had managed to incapacitate. She glanced at her rescuer with awe and gratitude. "Daemon, you have saved my life, or at least my virtue. You do not know me, we have never met, and yet you threw yourself into a dangerous situation. Why have you helped me? I am thankful, to say the least, but I must wonder why a Daemon would help a simple Fae like me." Tondra hoped she did not sound rude; she was amazed to have had any help, however, and wanted answers. "I am called Tondra, miss, and if you have any need of my aid, I shall give it to you. You have lengthened my life, and I must do you a favor in return."

[Hara Small Fire]

The fight became a blur as the smell of blood reached Hara’s nose. The tang of battle was in the air and, daemon as she was, she could not help but feel the adrenaline excitement pulsing through her body. She could feel the way her claws sank into human flesh with morbid satisfaction. She could hear the pained screams, grunts, and moans. And just like that it was over; the men retreated.

Hara snarled at them as they ran, standing protectively in front of the girl. Only when she heard the girl speak did she turn. Instantly, the snarl was replaced by a gentle smile. This girl was sweet and Hara quite liked her. “Their actions were evil,” she told Tondra, “And you did nothing to deserve that fate.” There was a pause as a gust of wind brushed against Hara’s ears.

The daemon frowned. Already news was spreading. “We must get going. They will be looking for us. There is not much time.” Hara held her clawed hand out to the changeling girl. Blood still stained the tips, but Hara hardly noticed. “My name is Hara.” Her body was tensed as the wind swirled around her, feeding her bits and pieces of information.

[Tondra]

Tondra smiled at the Daemon, expressing more gratitude than before. Amazed at Hara's ability to process information from the wind, Tondra stared for a few moments before shaking her head and thinking about the task ahead. "Yes, we should get going. I was planning on getting to the city of thieves, but obviously I made a wrong turn or two..." she looked around, "or five...anyway, if we could head off in that direction I would be much obliged. I don't know if I can handle being around all these humans much longer."

The humans had scared her. She had never made much contact with them before, other than her encounter in Spirit. The lust in the eyes of the men and their brutishness disgusted her, and she wondered if she could trust one of their kind ever again.

She smiled at Hara again. "Maybe we could get out of this city and set up camp for the night? And perhaps you could tell me what you're doing in the middle of a human city. At least you were more prepared than I was...." she shivered. After a short bit of spacing out and daydreaming about the incident, Tondra headed off and beckoned Hara to join her.

[Hara Small Fire]

Hara decided that she liked Tondra’s smile. It made the world slow down a little bit. But this was no time to slow down. She took Tondra by the hand and changed directions. “We must go to the place I am staying and grab a few things. Then we will go to the City of Thieves. It is the safest place for us right now, although you must be careful. Your kind are not like there either.”

Her eyes ran up and down the creature beside her. She was gorgeous in an adorable sort of way. By her standards. She was also terrifyingly conspicuous. “Can you not use your glamour? We are drawing too much attention.” Hara did not have any clothes to hide Tondra’s wings, though perhaps she could pass her new friend off as a shapeshifter if she could put together the right sort of outfit.

People were pointing. Hara could hear them whispering. Escape was going to be tricky. They were lucky it was night time. Not many people were out. Those who were had been drinking for the most part. It was the hounds, the guards who patrolled the streets, that they had to watch out for...

[Tondra]

Tondra shuffled her feet awkwardly. Hara made her feel self-conscious...why was that? She cleared her throat. "I sort of...never got used to the glamour magic. I can usually do enough to at least hide my avian features...but I erm...didn't think about it on the way in..." How embarrassing! She quickly hid her wings and talons under the glamour and glanced at Hara with sheepish eyes. "Sorry about that, I can be somewhat ditzy..." The Fae were graceful, indeed. But was she not more spacey than usual tonight? Maybe it had something to do with Hara's eyes...they were almost golden and...Tondra shook herself and stopped staring.

Finally addressing Hara's first statement, Tondra enthusiastically approved and walked with her to the inn. Even without her wings, people could not stop staring at both of them. Although Hara was somewhat disguised, an ethereal beauty still emanated from her; Tondra, too, looked too hawk-like and had eyes that were much too large to be human. That, and she was stark naked. She hated clothing, but realized that it was important for her to find some, and fast.

[echo]

Once determining that the wind daemon and shifter fae had handled the situation, Echo had to rethink his next action plan. The humans had obviously decided to leave them alone, although they didn't stop the curious looks that seemed to plague them wherever they went. Even he got a few looks, but considerably less then the two taller, probably older females. They didn't need any help so there was no need to interfere, but he was rather curious about the wind daemon and was dying to ask the shifter fae for a feather. He wasn't really bothered by her nudity, but it the humans were more than bothered about it. Humans were very secretive about their true looks and didn't think that other races thought differently. Humans were selfish that way, but nothing could change them. Many had tried before, they had all failed.

The fae's moving once again caught his attention and then his mind was made up; he would approach. He was desperate for one of her feathers that he could add to his collections. The gold-based color made it perfect for him and it would even stick out too much. Coming from a fae, it was bound to be nice and soft, softer and smoother than the other feathers that be had. The daemon was also one of the only daemons that he had ever seen that was like himself. In fact, the only other one in a long time.

Before his mind could object, Echo's feet propelled him forwards slowly but steadily. Now he couldn't change his mind without looking awkward and drawing attention to himself. The wind brought him the sound of voices, the fae thanking the daemon, introducing herself as Tondra, the daemon explaining her urge and giving her name as Hara. The fae started off back out to the wild, but the daemon took her hand and changed courses. Echo slightly quickened his pace, eager to catch up with them. His own abstract interests were overriding his reckless sense of danger, which was next to non-existent. And he had seen their power. Hara wouldn't dare to leave him, a not even fully matured daemon alone out in the middle of all the fully grown humans; she had already proven her nature to him.

"Would you mind if I joined?" Echo asked, looking up at Hara and Tondra with an innocent look in his eyes. He had played this part too many times before and it came naturally to him. The helpless, innocent little kid look always fooled people and he couldn't discourage himself now and ruin the act. The trick was not to let any irrelevant thoughts break through and produce even the slightest flaw. Once again, Echo let his eyes stray to Tondra's wings, admiring the golden color.

[Hara Small Fire]

Something within the daemon constricted when Tondra mentioned her inability to create a full glamour. This woman was probably the most adorable creature Hara had ever come into contact with. The daemon could not help but smile. “That is fine,” Hara murmured, “At least it helps a bit. The guards will be searching for a woman with wings.” Yelling reached her ears, carried on the wind. Hara frowned. Their situation was far more dire than she realized. They would be killed if they were caught.

Hara would not say that out loud. She did not wish her new companion to be frightened.

Suddenly, a new voice startled her. Hara paused. They were at the entrance to the inn she was staying at. “This is too dangerous,” she told him. That was all. Hara pushed her way inside, practically dragging Tondra with her. She hurried up the stairs and through the door, hoping the kid had not followed. The last thing she needed was his head on the line, too!

Hara immediately started to dig through her things. Every once in a while she would toss an article of clothing towards Tondra. “No matter what else you wear, make sure the cloak is included. And wear the hood up so it shadows your face and covers your hair.”

[Tondra]

Following Hara back to the tavern, Tondra was surprised to meet the small Daemon boy. That was three non-humans altogether in a human city...how unlikely! Hara quickly brushed him off, however, and while Tondra felt a twinge of regret and sadness for the boy, she understood their need for secrecy. Hara looked more and more worried as the wind caught her hair; something terrible had to be afoot. Tondra bit her lip worriedly as they walked into the wind Daemon's room. The men in the tavern all had a good look at her naked breasts when she walked past. Tondra had never felt so...naked before. The humans made her feel shameful in her own skin, made her feel like she should hide her body under thick clothing. She was happy to oblige when Hara threw a cloak and various other articles of clothing at her. Everything was a little tight, but it would do. She chose a shimmering white gown and a pair of forest pants and boots, not knowing what was considered fashionable among humans, and not quite caring. After fastening the cloak's clasp and pulling the hood over her tangled hair, Tondra smiled at Hara. "Thanks for the clothes. You've done more for me tonight than many Fae have done in their lifetimes. I wish I had something for you in return..." She chewed on her lip apologetically. "Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask!"

She thought about the Daemon boy outside. "That boy...do you think he'll be alright? He might try and follow us, you know. I'm almost sure of it." What would they do if he did? Attack him? She hoped not. He was absolutely adorable, if not a tad devious looking.

[Hara Small Fire]

Only when Tondra spoke did Hara stop going through her things. “Hope he does not follow us. If he does, we shall deal with it la—“ Hara’s eyes fell upon Tondra’s chosen outfit just then. In the midst of everything that was going on, the daemon found herself able to emit a short bark of laughter. “Tondra, dear, you are not meant to wear the pants with the dress.”

The daemon quickly approached the changeling girl and frowned. Her taloned feet would not fit in any of the shoes Hara had, she was sure of it. That meant Tondra would have to play the part of a poor woman. Which meant the gown would be too expensive for her. Right. Hara looked at the small pile of clothes and offered a patched blue dress made of wool. It would be warm and would look quite lovely on her despite its haggard appearance; the color was pretty.

“Try that. Then put the cloak on over it and cover up.” The heavy grey cloak did not go very well with the feminine blue dress, but it would have to do. Hara could hear shouting from down stairs. She did not need the wind to tell her what was going on below them.

[Tondra]

The dress and pants did not go together? But the colors were just delightful. Like a young child who had proudly chosen their own outfit and had it rejected, Tondra pouted a little until Hara offered her a blue, woolen dress that she immediately adored. Hara obviously knew the fashions of the human world anyway, and Tondra felt sheepish about pouting; this was not about personal style, if was about survival. She was glad shoes weren't required, but she hoped the dress would cover her talons; they were just a little more than noticeable, and judging by Hara's expression and the commotion downstairs, stealth is what they needed. Tondra made a mental note to learn how to create a glamour as soon as she was out of this mess.

Tondra pulled the cloak over her shoulders and lifted the hood. She hated being so constrained! She wanted to feel the wind in her hair and the moonlight on her legs. How could humans stand such restraints? No matter; they needed to get out before a mob of them kicked down Hara's door.

"We should be going...now, I think, and not through the front door, of course...oh, if only I were stronger, I could fly out the window carrying you!" (I'm assuming they're not on the first floor...I might be totally wrong here). Tondra had no weapons, preferring to use her talons and claws, but she knew all too well that, with enough numbers, the humans would have them. She hoped Hara had a better plan; at this point, Tondra was simply following her lead.

[Hara Small Fire]

Hara slipped into a heavy brown cloak of her own and drew the hood before turning to inspect her guest once more. Good. Hara was satisfied. Not that she had much choice about that. The shouts and pounding footsteps were on their floor. It was time to leave. Tondra seemed to think the same thing. Hara offered the girl a toothy grin, baring her fangs in a manner that was wild in a way that was meant to instill comfort.

“We cannot afford to worry at the moment,” she said as she reached for the changeling girl’s hand, “This is not the first time I have had to make a quick getaway. Look.” Hara gestured towards the window. A trellis wrapped with vines was beside it. Thank goodness Hara did not seem too heavy! The trellis would not be strong, but it just might be able to hold them long enough to get down.

“Out you go!” Hara nudged her towards the window before turning back towards the door. She quickly slammed the bolt shut to buy them some more time. The innkeeper would not want his property damaged. They might pause long enough to try and bargain with them. If not, at least they would still have to take the time knocking the wooden barrier down. Hara was ready to fight, just in case.

[Tondra]

Hara's smile instantly calmed Tondra. Such delicate fangs, what would they taste like...? Woah. Tondra blinked. Okay. Focus on the task ahead.

The trellis looked rather weak...too weak. But there was no time, fists were banging on the door, and Tondra could make out guttural curses from the men behind it. At Hara's command, she poked a foot out the window. This was nuts, she could simply glide down if she wanted to...and leave Hara? No, she'd fight for her rescuer to the end if need be. After a bit of maneuvering, she was standing on the creaking trellis.

She held her hand out. "Come, Hara, the wind is fine!" She attempted to smile a smile similar to Hara's, but the fear in her belly turned it into a grimace.

A loud bang issued from the door. Someone was trying to ram it down...and they were succeeding. The door burst open, splinters flying, the innkeeper howling at the damage done to his room. Angry men with torches and knives leered at Hara, and Tondra screamed. Trying to calm herself, she pulled Hara out the window. "Sorry, lovely, but here we go!" She wrapped her arms around Hara's waist and leaped off of the building.

Wind. Dirt. Screaming. The fall seemed to take ages, but just as she jumped, Tondra dropped her glamour and spread her wings, ripping Hara's pretty blue dress, but allowing the air to slow their fall. She hit the ground with a thud, breaking her wrist, but there was nothing to do but run. She had not yet let go of Hara. "Are you alright? Can you run?"

[Hara Small Fire]

The daemons hesitated as Tondra called to her. She wanted to make sure it was safe before-BANG! Okay then. Time to go. Hara hissed and backed towards the window where Tondra was. Just as the door splintered and gave way, the changeling girl grabbed her and hopped out the window. Wind whistled in Hara’s ears, comforting her as they fell. It was a good thing Hara loved heights, because that fall was completely unexpected.

They hit the hard ground and Hara felt stone tearing her skin. She took a sharp intake of breath and grit her teeth. “I can run,” she said breathlessly. The men were shouting, telling people to chase after them. It was going to be a long night. The elemental wriggled free from Tondra and took her right hand. “Let’s go!” Hara started to sprint down an alleyway.

Her gaze drifted upwards, up to the stars as she tried to gauge their direction. They had to reach the City of Thieves soon if they were going to survive. And even then, Hara had no guarantees. The king of thieves was no friend of human law, but that did not mean he liked fae. “Hide your wings again.” They would just have to hope Tondra’s disguise held.

[echo]

Echo just watched Hara and Tondra with an amused, knowing expression on his face. They would come out again and this time he would go with them. There was nothing they could do that could stop him. He would follow and he could definitely match Hara's abilities. And on top of that, he was pretty sure that he had Tondra on his side. Now all he had to do was wait for them to come out like animals from a burning forest. He could tell that they were going to have to come out. He could pick up the slight commotion of Litharian hounds coming towards them; probably looking for Hara and Tondra. He smiled, slipping away into the shadows before he could come across as a suspect. No need for that kind of extra trouble.

Listening to the wind, Echo located (xDD Echolocation, get it?) using echoes a window opening, then Tondra's and Hara's voices coming out of it. Yep, that was where they made their lair. Too bad they had to abandon it. The soldiers were coming frighteningly close now. Echo started counting. One... two... three... they were bound to come out soon. Four... Five... Six... Seven... there was more commotion coming from the window and suddenly, Tondra burst out of the window with Hara behind her. Echo shrank back unnecessarily from the fae's wings, once again admiring the color. Now she had on a blue frock, probably lent to her by Hara.

As the fae landed, Echo winced as a sharp crack followed its the thud of her landing. She paused for a while to make sure that Hara was ok. Once Hara replied, Echo finally made his move, stragetically choosing to hide behind Tondra, away from Hara's fangs and claws, although he himself had his own set. He didn't say anything, but gave the two females a grin. No, he wasn't going to budge. He was following them if it was the last thing he was going to do. Not that he had anything else to do in the first place.

(( Pop goes the weasel~ xDD *shot'd* ))

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[Tondra]

Herwrist throbbed painfully. She hesitated, staring at it for just a moment before readying herself to run.

Just as she reapplied her glamour, she saw the small daemon standing near her. It seemed to look to her for protection...from what? The humans? No, it was from Hara...she could tell the male did not want a fight.

Before Hara could protest the newcomer's company, Tondra grabbed her arm with her good hand and beckoned the boy to accompany them. There was no time for arguing, not with the mob of humans climbing down the stairs of the inn and bursting through the door. "No time! Run!" Her talons dug into the dirt as she pounded the earth and moved as quickly as possible away from the coming crowd.

[Hara Small Fire]

Movement caught in Hara’s eyes. It was the little daemon boy. Apparently, he was determined to follow them. Oh well. His choice. Hara just hoped it would not slow them down. If that boy got them caught, she would be furious. On the other hand, if he got hurt...Hara hoped he knew what he was getting into. Of course, he was a daemon. She should not have to worry about him.

Anyway, Hara agreed with Tondra. There was no time to talk. She gave a brief nod before taking the lead again. The elemental used the wind as a guide, steering herself away from the places with lots of shouting. It was not a perfect system. Hara could not control the wind. Her magic had yet to be awakened. All she could do was go by whatever information it happened to give her.

At the same time, she had to get them to the City of Thieves. It was not too far away. Hara would never stay in a part of the City that was too far from the thief king’s territory. The difficult part would be getting there undetected. They needed to lose their pursuers long enough to blend in, or their disguises would be useless. Hara quickly turned the corner of the alleyway and reached a dead end.