[ AW ] An Unusual Scent

Rhychdir stalked along, her coat standing out amongst the autumnal hues of the forest around her. She had not been a soldier for long – had not been in Rhionnach long either, less than a year. She had joined the imperial army, had obtained the measly rank of soldier, and it is here that she finds herself. Rhy wandered the forest trails, scenting deer and squirrels and all manner of animals as she did so. All were tantalizing scents, all enough to almost make her paws veer off of her path. She was stationed here, a lone soldier in the Redwood area.

’What the fuck?’ She thought to herself, her head tilting to the side, heterochromatic eyes rolling over the environment around her. Her nose noticed something that her eyes had yet to pick up, but a stroke of curiosity brought her forward. Rhychdir’s tail lifted slightly as she moved forward, legs churning in a steady trot.

”Who goes there?” She called, ears angled forward, voice stern and firm.

MERCURY

The black jester settles in a tree, limbs hanging idly from a branch as if he has perched, a cat waiting for its prey to scuttle on by.

"Scuttle, scuttle." he purrs, catching wind of a newcomer on the horizon. "Mmm..heavy steps. Bold." He purrs, and he melts from the branches like a thick syrup, slithering from the branch to the trunk to the ground and in a single motion he has drawn himself stark upright and his sightless gaze focuses squarely upon her. He cocks his head to the right. Far far far far until his head is settled at nearly a right angle, his neck appearing over-long in it's eerie stretch. He is tall and thin and gargoyle-esque, his form broken upon the smattering of shadow and light of the woods. "Well well. A soldier?You reek of...Hmmm. Curiosity? Ohoho, goodie. I haven't yet had the chance to examine one of these Rionnach soldiers up close!" he admits, delight creeping into his velveteen voice. Without warning, the blind man moves towards her-- swift and sweeping, and brushes almost too close to her person for comfort. "Oh oh! How rude of me. Your steps are uncertain. You must be exploring?" he leans back, tilting on his heels to rock back and forth, though not in the manner one might imagine. Instead it's a slow, controlled rock--following the distant birdcalls. He is....listening.

His grinning visage remains focused upon her, his head unmoving though the rest of his body almost undulates like a pulse, unable to be stilled. Like something writhes beneath his skin. "Want a tour of all the best spots?" Hmm, perhaps not the best idea to follow the blind man into the creepy woods. But hey, people have made worse decisions.

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Rhychdir drew up short, a step half completed as someone dropped from the tree. ’In the tree – I wouldn’t have thought of that. Creepy fucker,’ she thought to herself, her tail twitching slowly back and forth, still arched over her back in a dominant posture. Rhychidr tilted her head to the side, studying the man before her. He was a strange-looking fellow, she had to admit, but not the strangest – no the creepiest – she’d seen before. A slight sneer touched her lips, but it dawned on her that the man could not see it, nor her reaction to his behavior in nearly breaking his damned neck to peer at her. Or rather not peer at her. She realized that his eyes were likely sightless, pale as they were.

”Well, well. A soldier?? You reek of… hmmm. Curiosity? Ohoho, goodie. I haven’t yet had the chance to examine one of these Rionnach soldiers up close!” The man said. Rhychdir blinked, one of her ears flickering back.

”And you won’t,” she stated bluntly. ”Get any cl-,” she backed up a few steps as the man scuttled forward. A growl rumbled deep in her throat, brows pinching together in anger and aggravation.

”Oh oh! How rude of me. Your steps are uncertain. You must be exploring?” The man said, slowly beginning to rock back and forth.

”Patrolling,” Rhy stated, still trying to figure out what to make of this strange strange man.

”Want a tour of all the best spots?” He asked.

”I was born a fuckin’ day, but it sure wasn’t yesterday,” she said bluntly but punctuated her words with a harsh laugh. ”But, aye, what do you know about this place?” She asked, slowly allowing herself to take on a more neutral stance, but her hind legs still tensed in case she needed to spring one direction or the other.

”Who the fuck are you?” She asked, figuring she might as well try to figure out who this creepy fucker was.

MERCURY

He chuckles, though the sound quickly finds itself gurgling into a roiling laugh before fizzling out. Perhaps it can put to his blindness that he does not notice her discomfort--or, more likely, he notices and simply does not care. He leans forward, craning his neck close and stretching it out too far--how long is his neck, after all...?-- to come perhaps too close to her. Silent, for too long. Unmoving, unblinking, his focus is settled entirely upon her. "......Well," he suddenly folds back in on himself and rises to his feet, the action surprisingly smooth, as if he draws in and unfolds all simultaneously with no break between the action, swiveling to pivot on his heels,"This forest is home to a myriad of lovely little outcroppings and clearings. There is a freshwater pool not too far from here, makes for good hunting as the creatures in the area find this pool far closer and more convenient than wandering to any rivers, and it's free of the saltwater that often backwashes upstream from the ocean. Come along. Perhaps you'll see something of merit." He pauses, head cocking as he thinks--or rather, internally debates upon his next statement,"....Though there is also a place of blood. Perhaps that is more to your liking. A small clearing of death and decay, where the groundwater bubbles up in a bog and remains stained red and the peat sucks in any unfortunate creature who ventures too far in. Perhaps that is more interesting. Certainly provides entertainment." he laughs, poised to pick a direction to lead her."...I am called 'Mercury'. Have been for a while now, I suppose." a shrug, followed by a widening of his grin.

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Rhychdir frowned, a constant frown that never left her tri-toned features. She couldn’t help the frown, couldn’t help the way it tugged her lips down. The man before her was strange, peculiar, and clearly an oddity. She hadn’t met many in the Kingdom, but had met enough to know that he was not the usual. Her tail flicked slowly at her backside, almost feline in nature. Her ears pricked forward as the man leaned forward and… simply stood there in an uncomfortable extended position. One of her ears leaned back against her skull in discomfort.

”Well…” The man started, before pausing again. Rhychdir felt a stir of discomfort deep in her belly, a parasite writhing there in her guts, threatening to make her feel nauseated. She lifted a paw at his sudden movement, a sneer forming on her lips, crinkling her maw.

”This forest is home to a myriad of lovely little outcroppings and clearings. There is a freshwater pool not too far from here, makes for good hunting as the creatures in the area find this pool far closer and more convenient than wandering to any rivers, and it's free of the saltwater that often backwashes upstream from the ocean. Come along. Perhaps you'll see something of merit.” The man says. Rhy tilted her head slightly to the side, blinking slowly in thought. Did she trust this man? This strange, strange creature of a man? She only gave a wordless huff before he continued.

”Though there is also a place of blood. Perhaps that is more to your liking. A small clearing of death and decay, where the groundwater bubbles up in a bog and remains stained red and the peat sucks in any unfortunate creature who ventures too far in. Perhaps that is more interesting. Certainly provides entertainment.” The man said.

”Both could prove to be interesting,” The Bradshagh commented carefully. ”What would I owe you for following you?” Rhychdir asked. She paused before she laughed a little. ’Am I really fuckin’ about to follow a blind man? Suppose it… wouldn’t be the first time I followed the blind blindly. Fuck.’ She thought to herself.

”I am called 'Mercury'. Have been for a while now, I suppose.” The man introduced himself. There was some comfort in a name, but not much.

”You’re a strange man, Mercury,” Rhy commented bluntly. ”I’m called Rhychdir,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

MERCURY

Fun! Finally, something to break the monotonous drone of existing on this plane. He rises and twists upon himself like a ribbon in the wind,"Information," he replies,"Is all I ask. I enjoy learning almost as much as I enjoy beautiful women and beautiful men. ...Almost, being the key word." he grins even wider,"And so I will simply ask a question of you, and expect you to answer to the best of your abilities and knowledge. Nothing too unsavory," he promises,"It may even be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things." He walks almost on his toes, his steps light and floating-- does he walk, or does he prance? His steps from place to place border on a dance indeed, though whatever rhythm it is he hears is not one she can. Perhaps it is something else he comprehends, but his step never falters. "Perhaps we will head, then, to the bog. First. Mayhaps then the freshwater clearing will cleanse your palatte." He shifts suddenly, lowering his form to race along into the nearby woods, almost vanishing into the underbrush. Only the dappling of sunlight against his coat breaks the pattern, and from within the myriad bush and brush are his ever-staring eyes, awaiting her to follow him into the unknown. Besides... it was always more fun when the unknown came to you.

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Rhychdir knew, on some level, that following the man before her wasn’t the brightest idea she’d ever had. But, hell, following weirdos and assholes had gotten her to where she was in life, so… who was she to truly judge? She tilted her head slightly to the side as the man began to speak, his voice carrying like a wispy melody.

“Information is all I ask. I enjoy learning almost as much as I enjoy beautiful women and beautiful men… Almost., being the key word.” The man explains, making one of Rhy’s ears twitch slightly to the side in curiosity and perhaps a bit of anxiety. He continued. “And so I will simply ask a question of you, and expect you to answer to the best of your abilities and knowledge. Nothing too unsavory. It may even be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.”

“Well, fuck it then. I agree to do it, to the best of my abilities.” Rhychdir said honestly, with a roll of her shoulders. She watched for a moment as the man began to walk away, heading into thicker foliage. ‘This could very well be some kind of fuckin’ trap. But this… weirdo should be nothing too hard to fight off if he comes up psycho,’ Rhy thought to herself, giving a small hum before she took a few steps in his direction.

“Perhaps we will head, then, to the bog. First. Mayhaps then the freshwater clearing will cleanse your palette.” Mercury said.

“I mean, where ever works for me,” Rhychdir mumbled, mostly to herself as the man darted off. She watched for a second, ears angled forward, hesitant in her initial steps. She glimpsed his eyes peering through the foliage, and with a small sigh, Rhychdir started following. While her own steps were quiet enough, compared to the man’s prancing gait, her steps were heavy-bodied and sure-footed, not having the same kind of ‘pitter-patter’ that his did as he seemingly danced along.

MERCURY

He laughs! The sound is almost a bark, surprising in it's boisterousness as he prances onward. Yes, that's what he likes to hear! The beauty of curiosity in all it's forms--there's no way anything else can come close to the visceral way curiosity and desire both seep into his bones.
"Ah, yes. I'm certain that you will live a fruitful life if that is your attitude." He almost sounds sarcastic, though the honest amusement in his voice betrays whatever sarcasm may have been there. "It's truly marvelous." He sighs almost wistfully, even as he expertly weaves through the trees and over the brush. He seems to have no issue with his footing, either he is so confident that if he mis-steps it is well played off, or he simply has not misstepped. In any case, he makes a sharp turn and begins to lead her ever deeper, until the ground beneath them begins to feel sticky and wet. The earth grows more dull, more desolate. The greenery begins to die a bit, losing whatever color it may have had until they come across what he's referred to previously as 'the bog'.

Upon first glance, it appears to be a normal, somewhat swampy area--but closer inspection reveals the myriad of small corpses stuck in the earth. The ground itself quivers in the wind-- it is unstable and not solid, despite initial appearances. "I would not step too far, if I were you." he settles down at the borders, only to pick up a stone in his jaws to toss it into the swampy lands. It splashes--but sinks uncomfortably slowly. Whatever is beneath the film of greenery is thick and goopey.

"...Otherwise, explore to your hearts' content."

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At her response, the man barked out a laugh. Rhychdir tilted her head slightly to the side as she watched the man as he pranced along — he was a strange thing, she noted but accepted nonetheless. ‘Should I really be following this fucker?’ Rhy thought to herself as she padded along, close behind the prancing madman.

“Ah, yes. I’m certain that you will live a fruitful life if that is your attitude. It’s truly marvelous.” The man said, his words sounding borderline sarcastic. Although, Rhy did not get the impression that he was truly being sarcastic, but rather that that was simply the tone of his voice.

“It’s made a fruitful life thus far,” she said quietly, thinking briefly back over the whirlwind that her life had been since she’d left the Volcano’s slopes as a young woman. She wasn’t quite so young now, but the years had given her quite a fruitful life, one that she held no shame over, despite certain aspects of it having been something that… perhaps she shouldn’t have done. Rhy glanced around as she followed the man, making note of where he was taking her.

The environment around them changes slowly, turning from the red-leafed forest to a bog. Rhy had seen things like this before, but she had generally avoided them after having lived in a tropical environment for a little bit — she was cautious of the giant meat-eating lizards that had jaws that could snap a wolf’s neck in one bite. She wondered if they existed here, in this area of Rionnach.

“I would not step too far if I were you. Otherwise, explore to your hearts’ content.” The man said. Rhychdir watched as he picked up a stone, and threw it. She watched with a blank expression as it slowly sunk into the watery ground. ‘Noted,’ she thought to herself, with an apprehensive swish of her tail. This is where wolves went to die if they weren’t careful.

“So,” she started. “What are your questions?” She slowly stepped forward, testing the ground with each step, refusing to move another paw until she was certain that the ground wasn’t an illusion with a viscous liquid beneath, waiting to consume her. The muck sucked at her paws, even on solid ground.

MERCURY

He closes his eyes, unseeing as they are. Not to block anything out, but rather, to let something in--the ambience. The way the forest sounds muffle and still amidst the buzzing insects and dull gurgle of the constantly shifting earth. The way the wind rustles the wet grass, the sound of her feet as she plods her way through the marsh with careful consideration. And...her question. His ear flicks, his head tilted back to let his chin lift towards the sky,"...Not yet. I will ask it when I need to. Or when I want to." he shrugs, the action followed by a relaxed sigh. He seems at ease, despite the precariousness of the situation. "I will cash in on my questions when the need arises. For now, you need not concern yourself with it." He would wait--take her to the next place she wished to explore, let her learn and grow on her own. Oh yes, he would ask.... But not yet. He will wait for the right time--and to find the right question. After all...answers are valuable, and it must be a question she knows the answer to. "Take all the time you desire."

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