Hellhole }{ [open]

[thedookienut]

Samuel lifted his head, the bright light bouncing off his bright blue eyes. He watched the city streets, studying everyone who walked past. He had become paranoid and jumping since the sudden uprising of strange demons.

He gripped his sword tightly, making sure it lay shielded under his coat. He slowly got to his feet, keeping his head down low and letting his hair cover the odd and foul scar that drift from his right eye to his collar bone.

He speeded up, finally darting down an empty street, glancing behind him as he did.

[ninjaofdoom]

The days all blended together for Riki these days. There were a few days that stuck out in this string of fleeting moments. The day she had met Orion and found her mentor's journal was the day that stuck out the most. She clutched the journal to her chest as she thought of this. It was the last thing she had of her mentor.

She had only been in this village for a short while, but it still felt like forever. In some ways, she felt that she really could just settle down here. But deep down she knew that if she stayed too long, she'd become anxious and need to move along. The empty street stretched before her like her life, never seeming to meet anything interesting or meaningful.

Her ear twitched as she heard a scuffling. Someone was coming down this street from the other direction. She looked up toward the noise in time to see a young man hurrying uncomfortably down the street. He had one hand hidden under his coat, gripping something quite firmly and he was looking down so that his hair covered his face. He glanced back quickly, allowing Riki that chance to catch a glimpse of the scar that he hid. She could imagine why he might try to keep it hidden, but was really only curious as to how he came upon such a wound.

She stopped walking as she mused the possibilities. Maybe it had been a nasty fight? Or someone..or something...had attacked him? Even as his hair covered his face back up and he looked back down, she remembered his face. His piercing blue eyes looking back, worried and fearful. Was he being chased?

Since he was looking down, and she had stopped moving, the man bumped into her. She had seen in coming, but reacting before the action had been carried out may have scared this man even more. He was jumpy; he didn't need to think that he had just met a potential threat. Well...she likely was, but she didn't like to leave poor impressions on people.

He seemed startled when he ran into her and jumped back. "I'm sorry," Riki said quickly, unsure if this man would turn and run or try to attack her.

[thedookienut]

He'd been so lost in his thought that he hadn't noticed the female crash straight into him. He stepped back abruptly, staring straight at the girl. His eyes were wide open, mostly with shock and fear. His new found paranoia had changed the most ordinary things into strange threats or dangerous situations.

He fought to get words out of his mouth. Finally he muttered a breif. "My fault." His voice was rough and seemed scared. He returned his face to a more normal expression, or as close as he could get.

The girl seemed strange, almost taken aback by his appearance. Almost curious. He merely sighed and bowed his head in apology.

[ninjaofdoom]

The man looked up with shocked eyes and took a small, quick step back. He seemed to be struggling to speak, but managed a quick, "My fault," after a few moments. He spoke with a rough voice that quivered with fear.

She watched him intently as he tried to apologize, first shocked and then bowing his head. This time, she'd had a long clear look at his face. His eyes were blue all the way through the iris, which was most certainly intriguing if not a little otherworldly. The scar she had just glimpsed earlier started at his eye, disappearing behind his hair and reappearing again along the left side of his neck.

"No need to apologize," she said. "I should have moved, really. But...I hope you don't mind me asking...you seem to trying to escape something...or someone? Are you being chased?" She couldn't help but ask. It was probably not particularly polite, but she showed no sign that she may feel awkward asking like that. She just stared at him with her own unusual eyes, their pupils slitted and blue eyes shifting to gold to adjust to the darkening sky. She hardly noticed the change in her vision anymore. It always shifted so seamlessly. But others might be put off by it. Not that he'd notice, hiding behind his hair like that.

[thedookienut]

Her question caused him to lift his head up suddenly, the same frighten look there again. He paused, taking a deep breat before returning his face to something more normal.

"Not more than a few nights ago, I happened to see a large group of, let's say, sinister looking people. They saw me and well one of them dived a me before they all vanished just like that. I managed to see that they were crowded around something...a body. Its limbs were spread almost as if it were a sacrifice." He shuddered at the memory, closing his eyes.

[ninjaofdoom]

The man lifted his head up again with the same frightened and pained look. With a deep breath, he was able to return his face to a more normal expression before answering her question. "Not more than a few nights ago," he started, "I happened to see a large group of, let's say, sinister looking people. They saw me and, well, one of them dived at me before they all vanished just like that. I managed to see that they were crowded around something...a body. Its limbs were spread almost as if it were a sacrifice..." The man shuddered at the memory, closing his eyes and turning away.

Riki wasn't sure what to say to this. She had heard of cultures using live sacrifices in their religious practices, but never so close. And much more horrid than she had believed. "So, these...sinister...people are after you now?" she asked, trying to draw a conclusion from what he'd just told her.

[thedookienut]

He nodded briefly. "Or so I can tell. I've seen a few when I walk down streets alone. They just appear." His voice sounding worried. He sighed, looking down again. "I sound stupid don't I?"

Samuel tilted his head back, stareing up at the sky. He'd assumed many people thought he was an idiot for being so paranoid but there was something truly scary about the strangers.

[Morrigan Cahdera]

Blasted sun. Morrigan thought as she covered her eyes and glanced at a small piece of paper which had directions written from top to bottom in an elaborately elegant script, her own handwriting. Covering her eyes didn't help much, but enough to get rid of the piercing glare of the sun's rays. She let out a sigh of desperation and brushed back her long, dyed brown hair with right hand. How did anyone find their way through this hellhole of a city?! No streets seemed to be marked and the ones that were had the names concealed by the street vendor's signs!

Turning to face a street merchant who sold pottery and other kitchen-ware, she decided to ask him for directions. He just stood there, staring at her with a curious, somewhat lustful gaze. Poor thing, she thought, he's probably never seen a woman quite like me. And she was right. Most women of this town, human or not, didn't walk around in a short strapless dress that look liked it should be worn as an undergarment. A friendly smile appeared on her face and she walked over to his stall, trying to seem innocent.

"Kind sir," she addressed him, "Could you perhaps give me follow-able directions to the temple?" He seemed too shocked to answer, so she continued, "Not being from around here, I have no idea what the fastest and least crowded route is."

Eyes wide, he pointed down the street to an alley and stammered out, "F-F-Follow that w-way and turn right at the cobbler. Th-the temple will be in plain sight."

Morrigan smiled widely and thanked him for his help. Turning quickly, the fake smile left her face and she began to go over in her mind the words the Hag of Witchfall had said to her: "Seek knowledge only from those who have been sought by those on high." Clearly that meant the gods, but what she wasn't sure of is if any of the priestly order had actually been sought by those on high.

After making her way through the crowd of city folk, she turned into the alley. Thinking deeply, she focused on the cobblestones directly in front of her and didn’t hear or see the two other travelers who occupied the alley. Without warning she walked right into the man’s back. Quickly, she caught his left arm before her stilettos made her fall.

“Sorry!” she bit her lip, embarrassed, “I’m truly sorry!”

[thedookienut]

Samuel sighed, shaking his head as the female didn't reply. He froze. He could hear faint footsteps heading towards him. Before he had chance to turn, he found himself on the ground, a girl apoligizing.

"No...No. It's okay. I have a tendency to get knocked over." He replied, brushing off the dirt, noticing the stranger. "Are...you alright?" He added, trying not to act any different. The outfit the female was wearing did seem a little strange for where they were.

[Beast Shavo]

Wide hooves pounding against the ground below him, Shavo slowly walked a bustling road in the village, watching the people as they minded their business. (And some stared.) He had recently been teaching more mandolin lessons, broke a string and had to cut the lesson short. Thus, Shavo has ventured into the city to buy a new string.

During the twenty or thirty minutes he has been walking, Shavo has picked up a few rumors of demons. He thought nothing of it at first until, he overheard a very frantic woman talking about them with friends, while he rested for a pint of ale.

Shavo noticed that right in front of him, two people bumped into each other, a man and a woman. He heard the woman mutter something after the man fell to the ground. The man then told her it was okay, then asked her if she was alright.

"Smooth move man, are you all right? Oh, and by the way, could you point me to the nearest place to get a string for my mandolin?" Shavo asked as he galloped toward the pair.

[thedookienut]

Samuel jumped slightly, hearing someone rush towards them. "I'm fine, just shocked that's all." He replied, giving the newcomer a unfriendly glance. It seemed today wasn't going to be quiet.

He brushed his hair infront of one eye, hiding his mutalated scar from view. Better not to scare anyone. He held out on hand, offering to help the female up.

[ninjaofdoom]

Riki stood by patiently as first a woman walked into the man's back, causing him to fall over, and then a centaur walked up and asked about where he could get a string for a mandolin. The first man--had she even learned his name yet? No..she supposed not--donned a frustrated expression. She noticed him make sure his scar was hidden before turning to help the woman.

The woman who had bumped into them was a bit peculiar, and clearly not local. She appeared to be a little lost, and was wearing the most inconvenient garment and shoes that could possibly exist. Everything about her appearance made Riki feel a little irritated, though she suppressed the feelings--she could really be a good person, after all.

The centaur was tall, and clearly aged with scars scattered across his body. He had peculiar tattoos under his eyes and seemed friendly enough. But there was something about him that made her wish the darkness of the alley didn't reveal her feline eyes. She had heard once that centaurs could be touchy, and she really didn't want to find out.

"Umm," she started, making her presence a little more noticeable. "I'm not sure where exactly you could find a new string, as I'm just passing through myself, but there are a number of vendors at the other end of this alley. You might be able to ask around up there."

[thedookienut]

Samuel looked over to the centuar and shrugged. "I think there's a merchant up the street who sells strings.." He replied, trying his hardest not to appear shocked by the man's appearance. He'd never seen a beast like that before and it seemed almost unreal. He looked away, hiding his face once again.

He soon turned to the female he'd first collided with, Riki. He studied her for a breif few seconds and noticed her eyes. Strange feline like eyes. He took an abrupt step back and tripped, nearly crashing to the ground.

[ninjaofdoom]

Before the Centaur could respond, the man she'd been previously talking to stepped back away from her, moving too quickly for his feet to keep up. He tripped backward and nearly fell to the ground. Riki quickly grabbed his wrist before he fell and helped steady him. She didn't need to ask him if he was alright. He clearly was. But she knew that her eyes had probably set him off, especially with the bout of paranoia she'd seen earlier. If the sun would have stayed higher in the sky, her eyes would still be in their more natural state. Stupid sun...

[thedookienut]

Samuel gasped as the female's hand gripped his wrist and helped him stay upright. He muttered a breif 'thanks' and glanced back up at the centaur. He exhaled deeply a few times and regained his orginal stance.