Predator and Prey (Closed)

[Miryn]

(OoC: Open to anyone, though I'd like to keep the thread size relatively small at 4 people max. If we get that many, I'll consider this thread closed. Any questions, please drop me a PM!

 

Update: We have 4 people, thanks for joining! Marking this topic closed.)

 

Miryn found him while returning to Ul'dah after a delivery job. It was midday, what little shade offered by the trees of Wellwick Wood her only respite from the fierce Thanalan sun. Thinking it wise to refill her water skin before she continued home, Miryn had taken a detour to the river, where she spotted a person-shaped lump by the bushes.

 

Calling out returned no reply. Her first assumption was that he'd collapsed from heatstroke. It wasn't uncommon for strangers to this land (strangers like Miryn) to be caught off guard by the climate, given its tendency to jump from blistering heat to pouring rain and back again. Full of sympathy, Miryn moved closer, ready to help.

 

But then she saw all the blood.

 

He had not been dead for very long. A young Hyur midlander, with a head of orange hair and a splash of freckles across his cheeks. Miryn judged him to be an adventurer of some sort, for there was a sword in his lap and the light armor under his cloak had no markings. The armor had also failed to do its job - four enormous gouges ran deep and angry across his belly. They had most likely contributed to his demise.

 

A quick glance around showed no signs of whatever might've ended this man, but Miryn was grateful all the same for the weight of her own sword and shield at her back. If his killer returned, she'd be ready to mete out justice. In the meantime, Miryn knelt and began to search the corpse's pockets. Perhaps she'd find something to identify the poor fella with.

[DreamedReality]

Zabine had left Ul'dah just a few bells past midday when she'd set out from Ul'dah the previous sun. She'd explored the city-state and now was attempting to familiarize herself with the land. Her destination currently being some crystallized canyon called the Burning Wall that apparently housed fluffy creatures called snurbles with fleece golden and glittering in the sun. That promised to be an interesting sight at the very least.

 

Spying the small band of amaljaa as she left out of Highbridge she turned Southeast off the road where a river she was supposed to follow upstream flowed. If her directions were accurate. Which she had -no- doubts on now since the very obvious and enormous crystal spires rose high above the obscuring cliffs. She wasn't entirely certain about the beastmen and kept her distance, walking stealthily and assuredly through desert foliage that grew ever thicker the closer to water she got. Then skirted around different, smaller beastmen as she made her way. The sounds of the river growing ever louder.

 

Still moving silently as a she picked her way across the desert landscape. She was about to round a clump of vegetation when she heard the shift of metal and the rustling of something moving just ahead. She froze. Then very cautiously and slowly the Duskwight shifted to look through a break in the foliage to see another elezen crouched, facing mostly away, near a body.

 

She was quick to process the scene. Lack of stench even with the heat, still wet blood, the buzzing of Vilekin just beginning to settle in but no other sounds of movement nearby. The... killer? No. She could only see the tip of the sword since it was on the woman's opposite side but it seemed clean. Which meant the near arm was her swordarm and from what she could see that seemed clean. The shield glinting the midday sun in full view was clean of fresh blood. The amount of blood she could see there was no way this woman would be clean from that kill.

 

A frown clouded her features as she debated her next course of action in silence. Still listening for any odd sounds nearby and detecting none. After a couple moments she just as silently as she had approached backed off several paces. Then began to walk towards the river once more. She walked with far less stealth than before but was cautious not to over exaggerate her approach either. The scuffs of her thin-soled leather shoes over rock and letting the light and loose tan garments she wore catch on a dry bit of shrub to rustle faintly.

 

When she finally did round the vegetation separating her from the body and sworded elezen she let her black gaze fall first to the body, doing her best to feign a look of surprise. She couldn't quite muster a look of fear but she lets the slight apprehension she felt -wondering if she was making the right decision by showing herself- show through on her black skinned features as she shifted her gaze to the paler elezen. Her hands moved slowly, keeping her empty palms visible and hovering a bit away from the satchel that hung across her shoulders and the hilts of the small daggers at her hips in a show of peace. Her accent is strong but her words are still clear when she finally speaks in a mature and deep feminine voice that bordered on sultry, "I suppose zat zis is where I 'ope you are a bounty 'unter and not a bandit, no?"

[Miryn]

There wasn't much in his pockets. A small pouch of gil (lighter than even Miryn's), a whistle carved from bone, and a folded sheet of paper. Leaving the money and the whistle on the ground beside their owner, Miryn flicked open the paper and glanced over it. At the bottom was a stamp bearing the mark of the Gladiator's Guild. It was all she registered before a rustling noise pulled her attention behind her.

 

Miryn dropped the paper and pivoted, one hand braced against the ground in case she needed to spring into action, her other hand firm on the hilt of her sword, blade drawn an inch free of the scabbard. As she took in the sight before her though, alarm faded into caution. The woman - a duskwight - looked just as surprised as Miryn had felt upon discovering the corpse. She wore no armor, and her body language did not speak of hostility. First impressions did not color the stranger as a threat. Still, better knights than Miryn had fallen victim to deceit before, and she had no intentions of following in their footsteps.

 

The question gave Miryn pause. Her eye drifted briefly to the daggers before returning to the woman's face. After a long moment, Miryn let her sword slide fully into the sheathe again. She shook her head as she stood up.

 

"Neither. I saw him as I was passing by. Not sure what killed him, or who he even is."

 

The idea that the duskwight woman was responsible for the murder seemed less and less likely with every passing second. For one, those daggers didn't look at all capable of inflicting such wounds as what the man had suffered. Miryn thought back to her earlier words.

 

"Bounty hunter or a bandit... Has something happened? This area was relatively peaceful when I last came through."

[Lillini]

Noxaelius had gone to Ul'dah for some personal business - one that involved ordering many more crates of Qiqirn Firewater, to be delivered to his house. The male had decided to go for a walk after he was done in the city, although he was now greatly regretting his decision due to the sweltering sun. Just as he was about to go back to the city, he heard several female voices nearby and rounded around a large rock to see two Elezen women in the distance.

 

The young man smirked to himself and made his way over with questionable motives - possibly with the intention of inviting them for a drink in Ul'dah. However, as he neared the females, he picked up on a vile scent. The stink of a corpse. The smell of death.

 

He stopped several yalms away from the women, in plain view, his eyes landing on the corpse at their feet. The Miqo'te did not care for the body nor its killer at all, but it being there posed a problem, because the scene of a dead body was hardly the place to be making passes at women. Now he was faced with a dilemma. Would he approach them anyway, perhaps drawing them away from the body to continue to his goal? Or should he simply walk away?

 

The flaming rays of the sun beat relentlessly on his dark skin, making the whole situation much more annoying than was needed. Perhaps it would just be better for him to return to the Quicksand and find a drinking partner there.

[DreamedReality]

(sorry for posting late. family stuff.)

 

"Bounty hunter or a bandit... Has something happened? This area was relatively peaceful when I last came through."

 

Zabine slowly eased her posture as she found the wildwood also doing so and gave a small shrug at the question. "I am new to ze area. I would not know. But ze Quicksand had no shortage of warnings and bounties listed on zeir board. Several about ze beast-people back zat way." a small motion behind herself. "It would not seem zhat this land is free from strife." Her gaze flickered down to the corpse once again, "No clues to who--"

 

A bit of movement caught her attention and she turned her dark gaze to the equally dark skinned miqo'te that had come to stand a distance away. She doubted the man was the killer largely to the hesitation he seemed to show about getting nearer and how openly he showed himself. Until knowing more she kept her tone light and neutral. Talking louder, letting her voice carry, she looks back to the wildwood, "I did not sink zat zis area would be so popular."

[Miryn]

(OoC: No worries, there is no rush. I'm pretty leisurely myself!)

 

Mention of the Amalj'aa had Miryn straighten her back and glance in the direction indicated by the other woman. She'd journeyed through these parts often enough to know that the lizardfolk frequented these woods, all too happy to inflict violence upon unlucky travelers. A few jobs had even brought her into direct conflict against them. But there was no evidence pointing towards the beast tribe. The dead man still had his money in his pocket, and even if Miryn assumed the Amalj'aa had no use for gil, surely his arms and armor would've made fine trophies?

 

Her train of thought was derailed by the sudden appearance of a miqo'te man some distance away. He also seemed as taken aback by the victim as the rest of them were. If she'd been thinking clearly, Miryn would've considered him just as unlikely to be the killer, but the quickly growing number of people in the area threw her on guard.

 

Miryn's hand came to rest on her sword again and she assessed him quickly, looking for weapons or other potential threats. The other elezen's quip made her frown. Popular was not what a murder scene needed, especially if it attracted the Amalj'aa's attention.

 

"What are you doing here?" she directed at the miqo'te. Miryn's inflection was somewhat frostier than the duskwight's.

[Lillini]

The dark-skinned male glanced at the two women when they addressed him. He walked closer to them, although the smell of the corpse under the heated sun was quite distasteful. "Mmm, I wonder," he replied to the Elezen with the lighter accent. The other two had looked to be on guard, and Noxaelius guessed that they were probably wondering who had committed the murder, since the way they moved didn't seem as though they were the ones who killed the unfortunate Hyur. It wasn't him either, obviously, but he was feeling bored and if he wasn't going to invite them to the Quicksand, he might as well have some fun.

 

A sly smile spread across the Miqo'te's face as he looked at the corpse again. "How interesting. A corpse out here in the open, with the killer nowhere in sight. I wonder who, or what it could be. It couldn't have possibly been either one of you or both, could it?" His voice was light and casual - much too casual, and he was observing the scene as though it was some strange display in a museum.

[DreamedReality]

A small cant of her head as she watches the man approach. Listens to his words. Cocky. After his question she mimics his casual tone, "What do your eyes and nose tell you?"

 

She casts a glance to the wildwood before shifting to be by the body, keeping a cautious distance between herself and the other elezen. Crouching near it with her back to the river she picks up the piece of parchment that Miryn had dropped to give it a quick read.

[Antain]

The sun beat down on him, warming the thick black metal armor the tall Duskwight wore. He already took off his helm, the heat becoming too much. His face was heavily scarred, and it seemed to continue down his neck and under the plate. The most viscous of the scars hung right at the armor's collar, almost unnoticed and passing as a shadow at times.

 

His dark purple eyes scanned the desert before him, a hand pushing back the thick black hair, the purple that he once had it grown out a few cycles ago, and hadn't been completely cut away. His ebony skin glistened with sweat...and a little blood.

 

It was then the trail he was following came across the group: two Elezen women and a miqo'te male. He sneered slightly as he saw the body coming into focus. Well, that ended that. He cautiously approached, eying the crowd, hand on the hilt of the sword at his hip, though didn't grasp it tightly. His shield was still strapped to his back as he pulled out a notebook with his free hand, opening it and seeming to scan the bookmarked page, stopping just a few paces from the crowd, should they allow him to get that close.

[Miryn]

He didn't answer her question. Miryn felt a spike of irritation that tilted ever closer to full-blown dislike as he continued in a flippant tone. It was doubtful he knew who their dead man was; Miryn didn't expect the miqo'te to mourn a stranger, but it wouldn't have hurt to show at least a little... respect.

 

The other woman replied and Miryn shook her head. "No, we only just arrived." Realizing then she didn't even know their names, she added, "I'm called Miryn. I apologize for being curt, though given present circumstances, I hope you understand." She tilted her head at the body.

 

Upon opening the letter, Zabine would find the following words written upon it:

 

Randal,

 

The shepherds of Highbridge tell us their flocks of karakul are being preyed upon by some manner of wild beast. As you are unoccupied at present, pray venture to East Thanalan and assist them.

 

Again, I cannot say how much longer your suspension will last, though I estimate no more than two to three weeks. Accusations of foul play on the bloodsands carry extremely grave consequences, so we must investigate thoroughly. Perform this deed well, at least, and continue to convince First Sword Mylla of your good character.

 

Twelve keep you,

 

Secretary Adelaide

 

As Miryn pondered what to do about her sudden companions, the sound of footsteps snapped her gaze to a third arrival, clad in heavy dark armor. Just by physical appearance alone, the newest comer cut the most threatening figure of all and impulse screamed that he was the likeliest candidate for murderer they had yet. He paused closer than she would've liked and Miryn shifted a step back before realizing what she'd done.

 

Again, another spike of irritation flitted through her. So strange that this corpse could attract so many together in such a short amount of time, when they didn't even know who he was. And the heat was doing nothing for her mood.

 

"Our dead man is attracting quite the number of vultures," Miryn said evenly, gaze firm on the armor-clad elezen. "I don't suppose you know who he is?" And what was that notebook of his?

[Lillini]

Noxaelius was not interested in reading the letter, nor in finding out who the dead Hyur was or why he had been killed. He had been hoping for some fun - perhaps a fight, or a verbal battle - with the women, but the newcomer lessened the chances of that.

 

The Miqo'te raised an eyebrow at the male Elezen and his notebook. Who the hell took out a notebook at the sight of a dead body? Such a strange action. He pulled out his wineskin again and took another swig from it. "I actually came for the live bodies, not the dead one," the young man replied in the same casual tone, with it turning sarcastic in the next sentence. "I would have never thought a rotting corpse in the middle of nowhere would be a popular social congregation area. Perhaps having more of these around will encourage a sense of community?"

[DreamedReality]

After Miryn supplied her name and finished speaking she spoke up as she unfolded the note, "Zabine."

 

Zabine's read through the note is interrupted by the latest stranger to approach. Her brow raising a bit as she studied the scarred fighter. Something about him made her uneasy. Her eyes traveled to his blade and then back to the wounds on the corpse in front of her. Trying to see how sharp a blade or claw had rent the man's light armour.

 

Her gaze flickered to the other Duskwight's boots. Then to the baked earth around them, trying to see if the body being so close to the riverbank had left any noticeable tracks that might match the towering specimen of her kind with his... notebook? Or grimoire? The others were talking again and she only listened enough to know that none of them were addressing her directly. Miryn was irritated. The miqo'te keeping up his unflappable and vaguely antagonistic front.

 

Letting out a slow breath she focuses her mind, trying to block out the oppressive heat and the chaotic aether the area seemed to thrum with in it's notes of discord. Likely caused by the giant crystal structures looming behind the cliffs behind her. If he was about to cast something she wanted to perhaps feel it coming.

[Antain]

The Duskwight man payed little attention to the others surrounding the corpse, but seemed very interested in the dead man. He did glance from person to person and they introduced themselves, but remained silent. As the Duskwight woman refolded a letter, he narrowed his eyes slightly with a small tilt of his head, looking both curious and suspicious.

 

He took another cautious step forward, keeping a rigid posture, accentuating his nearly seven fulm frame. It was almost as if he was staking territory from the miqo'te, but not for the women. From the spine of the leather-bound notebook, he opened a compartment and a small piece of charcoal slipped out. He moved closer to the body, writing hastily into the book and moving to shift the body around for inspection, keeping an eye on the Wildwood.

[Miryn]

Silence met her question and Miryn's jaw tightened. True, she wasn't a knight anymore and could no longer claim the respect that came with such a title, but when she talked, she still expected to be paid attention to. At least the miqo'te had acknowledged her presence.

 

His comments had Miryn cast him a sharp glance, eye narrowed. Between the hinted debauchery or implied violence, she wasn't sure which was worse. "This isn't the time for jokes," she said softly. "You dishonor the dead."

 

The duskwight man moved closer and Miryn instinctively stepped back to give his considerable stature more space. It was galling somehow, his arrival. An intrusion, almost. Having been the first one to find the body, Miryn felt a twisted sense of ownership with it, coupled with a duty to find out who'd killed him. The duskwight man clearly had his own agenda and the other three were just part of the backdrop. If he knew something, Miryn would offer her help. If he didn't, and was only looking to cause trouble... Well, she'd tackle that possibility only if it came to light.

 

Miryn went to stand near Zabine, who had fallen quiet. Did the other woman feel as unsettled as she did? Then Miryn sighed. Perhaps a different approach would convince the elezen man to speak.

 

"Ser," she said, managing not to sound sarcastic, "Do you require any assistance?"