Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

Water poured from the skies as the storm raged, and the soil breathed for perhaps the first time in the entire season. One could almost feel the suckling, the devouring, and the leeching of the water as it was absorbed and hoarded by the hungry vegetation, by the very grass that now heaved in pleasure as torrents of water slid through its green hairs. The clouds above menacingly clashed against one another, the raging bullfight of grey clouds culminating in thunderous explosions that almost shook the very earth they dominated. Gusts of wind threatened to hurl entire trees with their surprisingly arid heat, until they too drifted into the distant, gigantic plains and hills that plagued the landscape. The rolling red hills, as these scenes were commonly known as, would slowly drown if the rain continued.
It apparently would still continue, as Kovic himself had even dared to predict. It was ironic for him to predict such outcome, when he was certain that clouds, rains and storms were product of a quarrel between sky and soil. This feud, a verbal assault to one another, is what made the sky so angry that he decided to try to defeat the soil, while the soil tried to remain firmly on the spot under the mighty fury of the lid above. Kovic didn’t like those arguments, mostly because they were so loud he couldn’t understand what was quite said, or just where and how far away he had to walk to hear the voices. Perhaps one day he could befriend the sky and the soil.
Despite the questions Kovic never had an answer for, what he did know is that moving was almost impossible. Although strong enough to move, and even eager to do it, his targets were not willing to make the move. These two men he had been following for the entire trial were camped between three thick trees a hundred yards away, where they had risen a small tarp with the use of some rope to find refuge from the falling rain. Regular in height but slightly above the regular weight, these individuals had captured Kovic’s attention in a way nobody had done so far. Thankfully, he was able to follow them without much problem, as the road had been in decline ever since these pesky hills began. Thus, Kovic had the high ground, and was able to follow them not only with his strides, but also with his blue gaze.

The storm had had many breaks, in which the rain did cease completely, occasions which they could’ve used to advance. However, they didn’t use those occasions. They would sometimes bolt up away from their hiding point and rush forward, doing so slowly and with extreme care, as if stalking a prey. In other times, they would remain on the spot for long periods of time no matter how clear the fight between the heavens and the earth got. Their behavior was random, very random, and no matter how much Kovic focused on trying to decipher it, the less sense it made. What were they doing? Mortals were so mysterious to him, and when he watched behavior as strange as this, he needed to understand just why they acted in such a way.
Kovic was perhaps so focused on them, his eyes so caught in their unmoving camp, that the creature had not detected what those two men watched, the target they themselves followed for whatever reason.

There was a break of rain, in which the hot breeze seemed to have blown the falling rain against the face of a mountain, for the clamor of torrential rain against soil and rock halted suddenly. Kovic’s blue eyes widened, his obsession with the men growing so intense it seemed about to consume him as he hid behind the rock, eager to see if they would take the opportunity to move or if they would remain on the spot. And as the bits passed, and the men remained on the spot while the rain was nowhere to be seen, Kovic decided to finally arm himself with bravery. Rising from his spot, he decided to advance himself, to approach them further and stalk them from a shorter distance.
Slipping from behind the rock, Kovic’s advance downhill was met with defeat, as the soil below his feet had not only turned very soft, but also extremely slippery, losing his balance on the very first step outside his cover and falling on his rear, before the weight of his wet body caused him to slide down the green hill at alarming speed. The earth parted as he sailed through like sea water to a ship, Kovic literally sailing downhill.

A loud yelp left his mouth, which was amplified in the hills and plains of Ne’haer landscapes, perhaps to be heard or perhaps to mingle with the sounds of wind or thunder that punished the trial.

Kovic’s fall was soften than what one would expect after witnessing the catastrophic scene happening in the muddy hills. What had started as a slide down on the hill soon turned into a vicious cycle of rolling and turning until the male landed safely on a surface plain enough to recover. Once only wet, the creature was now covered in mud and dirt, his clothing heavy and cold as it had almost merged with the ground during the fall. On his belly, Kovic’s first reaction was to quickly incorporate himself and direct his somewhat alarmed gaze towards the tarp he had been watching the past breaks. Almost fearing having alarmed them – or worse, having provoked them – Kovic stood up quickly and armed himself with a rock, face neutral as he approached his target with a quick pace. And as he pulled one of the edges away from the trees, he was shocked.
They were gone. Mouth agape, Kovic not realized the tarp was not as low as he imagined, as between the trees there was enough depth to actually stand up and move freely, or even start a fire if it was needed Furthermore, it seemed as if the tarp and part of the soil were covered in ash, which unbeknownst to Kovic, served to hide one’s scent. A drop of approximately seven feet is what his eyes saw, connected directly to the forest, his previous vantage point having been unable to distinguish such detail. This meant Kovic was merely staring at something similar to the lid of a well, a structure which was hidden in its nature, and believing he was seeing the roof of a clearly visible house. It was a grave mistake. Crouching down hastily, Kovic jumped down the approximately 7 feet that stood between tarp and ground, and as he landed, he wiped his hands with his clothing before touching the soil. It was lightly warm, which meant whoever had been sitting there was not too far.

Cold and calculative, Kovic exited into the woods, trying to look through the incoming darkness of night for any signs of movement, or any sort of hint towards the direction of the individuals he looked for. As much as he tried, however, Kovic saw nothing… at first. Amongst the distant trees he did see something, the sight of an enormous white animal whose eyes were clearly set on him. Never having seen a tiger before, Kovic could easily decipher that, judging by the animal’s size and physical constitution, it was a predator-type mammal – and most likely carnivorous. Dropping the stone and facing the direction opposite of the one followed by the beast, Kovic began his run. The use of his abilities would offer no help, certainly not against such a predator, and thus he was defenseless unless he could find a way to cripple or kill the menace.
Even if the initial distance between the hunter and the hunted was quite large, Kovic had barely advanced 20 yards before the predator reached him, hearing the thumping of the predator’s run in the small ponds that plagued the clearing. Still resilient, Kovic’s last chance came in the form of a another rock present maybe two yards away, this one possessing an edge which perhaps was not sharp enough to mortally wound, but it was certainly enough to cripple the pursuer. Throwing himself forward as he extended his arms, Kovic’s instinct was successful once again, as his palm managed to wrap around the rock the moment he landed. Unfortunately, just as he managed to roll on his back, hoping to have enough time to strike at the opponent’s head, the beast jumped on top of him with a snarl so fierce it any lesser being would be bathing in their own urine. The weight of the predator was not the only thing that avoided Kovic’s attempted escape, however, but also the distant sight of fire moving between the nearby trees, a figure approaching fearlessly no matter how loudly the beast growled atop Kovic.
The realization was sudden and quite pleasing. The beast had not yet bit at his jugular nor mauled him to death, and the approaching figure most likely meant the beast was trained. Kovic quickly tossed the rock aside before his hand swept over the mud to cover any sort of track the removal of the improvised weapon could’ve left on the soil. Furthermore, he halted any sort of resistance against the beast, except perhaps the few grunts of struggle he faked. Even his face, for the first time since the encounter, had acquired an actual expression, teeth clenched and displayed for the beast as if the man was overwhelmed with fear – which was nothing but a ruse now that the individual revealed herself in the clearing.

Shooting a quick glance towards the female, Kovic quickly analyzed her. Female, young adult, light brown hair, fair features. Height above average, and weight superior in consequence. Wide hips, symmetrical features, and the lack of major make-up products showed natural beauty. Her flesh was untainted by major imperfections and mostly untanned, which could mean indoor locations were common for her. Her clothing was practical and dry, she carried fire and apparently feared not her beast, which hinted towards her ability of survival. Her poise was correct, and her motions were confident, but not arrogant. The fact that she was dry to prove of her capabilities to build shelter, the fire she carried with her serving to prove her capacity of survival in the wilderness, and the fact that a beast was apparently at her command clearly exalted her to a position of power, at least in the current situation. It was a quick, preliminary analysis that would help him blend in initially, and any posterior changes in facts he could adapt to.

Kovic, in light of the information gathered from the female, quickly formed a personality. Her ability to survive and the confidence she held with her most likely indicated a dominant personality, in which case suspiciousness could likely trigger a violent response from her part. Thus, for the time being, Kovic was forbidden from acquiring a fully dominant role, as confidence without any proof to back it was considered arrogance, which often triggered distrust in the peers. Furthermore, when dominant personalities clashed usually conflict raised, which Kovic had no intention of causing. A fully submissive role was also discarded, as dominant personalities had the tendency of inflicting abuse to such individuals, especially in situations like these where the control was totally on the dominator’s hands. It needed to be something in between, a face of confidence that did not overstep, realistic and careful, while at the same time slightly audacious and impish.

“Ughhhh!” Grunted Kovic, hands going flat against the damp soil below to surrender to the beast, blue eyes flying over towards the female with a mixture of desperation and expectation. “I believe I have found your feline, miss!”
The white tiger’s hot breath reached Kovic’s features, whom glanced defying towards the tiger, a daring gesture being exchanged between the creature and the beast. A moment later, Kovic glanced towards the female in a silent plea, his voice soft and unthreatening, lacking any comical attempt.
“I mean you no harm.”

Suspicion.

The female was smarter than Kovic would’ve measured initially, proving to him that his initial analysis had been somewhat inaccurate. However, he could’ve predicted the rise in suspicion as his situation was far from understandable. Nonetheless, everything could be fixed, the human mind being an imperfect and complex tool that, despite Kovic not quite understanding yet, he was slowly learning to manipulate to his needs. Emotions, desires and memories are what moved a mind further than any knowledge, logic, or skill. It was all based to that, and having survived this long proved his point.

“I am unarmed, dirty, and wet.” Replied Kovic to her initial claims, grunting as he shot a worried glance towards the tiger, creature that still trapped him in the cold. “I am unfit and unprepared to do any of those things, lady. And this creature and yourself is the most exciting element I have encountered, believe me.”

To further support his claim, Kovic communicated his disapproval of her suspicion with a disappointed glance, hoping that it would be the initial crack in her conviction. He needed to maintain his façade and personality for the time being, despite the response from the female was not really what he had hoped for. This did not remain when the beast freed him from its weight, to which Kovic slowly incorporated himself with a few faked grunts and pants, taking some water from a nearby pond to splash on his face and beard, removing some of the mud. Soon enough, he incorporated himself at full height, facing the female with a rather innocent and partially offended expression as he rose his arms to justify his claims.
“He has caught me once already. I doubt I could outrun your companion, lady. If you would just---“ Her threat came through, and so was her demand, which Kovic did not doubt to follow, mouth shutting and an exasperated sigh coming from him. He muttered something in a bad mood and turned where he was pointed.

Kovic began his procession in said direction, and the doubts were already coming through. Giving a stranger the back implied he was being denied the privilege of dialogue, thus any attempts of persuasion would be far less effective without eye contact or the presence of his acting. Was it paranoia? An irrational delusion of being followed or chased after? If this was so, winning the female’s trust would be almost impossible, and the fact that she possessed a large beast as a companion made her a great menace. However, it also made her a huge asset, a possibility to roam the wilderness unharmed as long as he remained by her side – if he managed to win her trust, that is. Kovic closed his eyes for a moment, as he increased the strength of his spark, the Ether Lure leaking great quantities of ether in attempts of it affecting the female somehow. If he was lucky, she would be a magic user, as those individuals were affected severely by it. The female had to be indoctrinated onto his side.
The clearing ended and the forest began, Kovic’s wet boots slipping in almost every tree root he stepped on. A squish was heard each step he took, the male remaining busy by attempting to shake off part of the mood from his head and clothes, while his mind tried to find a solution for his most immediate problem: the refuge he found. It was her voice again and her casual comment what incited his words, as he took it as a door towards possible negotiations, explanations and eventually a way out.
“Of course I am out here for a reason, lady.” Replied Kovic in a sigh. His tone was soft and soothing, faked confidence masking his lies. “Some fellow claimed I was stealing chickens from the caravan I was with, which is obviously a blatant lie as what I don is what I possess. Nonetheless, it seemed his word was believed more than mine, and so I was abandoned out here. And if I’m being honest, if it wasn’t for your companion and yourself, the only danger I had encountered was a peculiarly slippery hill by the road.”

Kovic was slowly changing the direction of his walk, turning slightly to the right, slightly downhill as opposed to approaching the end of the hill, where the makeshift structure was abandoned. Speaking about it now, or even before, would only increase her suspicion, which could easily result in his death – something Kovic would not allow to be taken from him. Alas, it seemed the female was slowly preparing to deliver it, which meant Kovic had to take a slightly different approach to the situation.
“Lady, I mean you no harm. I only have my life in this world, and so I only desire to keep it with me. I can imagine you are already taking me to where you wish your companion to devour me, however.” Kovic glanced over his shoulder towards beast and master, hoping to argument his reason. “I would prefer if that did not happen.”

A crossroad opened before Kovic, metaphorically. Now that he had proven his faked suspicions to the female, he had two choices: remain calm or panic. Remaining calm could possibly trigger further suspicion, as no man walks calmly to their deaths. However, it would also signify a trust in her spoken intention, a gamble that meant he had nothing to hide. If she was taking him to his grave however – path not very unlikely – he would be pray. Panicking, on the other hand, was the opposite. It could mean that his character refused to give up no matter how uneven the odds, perhaps shaking her into reason or trigger some sort of act of mercy, which was another gamble. It could also mean he was suspicious of her intentions, which could be taken as an offense from a dominant personality, and thus resulting in further reason to end his life. Dominant personalities tend to seek either the approval or the obedience from their peers, and so both possibilities could be easily his downfall.
Before he could make a decision, however, his choice of direction had proven to be fatal. Two deep footprints were spotted by Kovic’s blue eyes, right beside the path they were following, engraved in the mud for all six eyes to witness. They were very deep, thus meaning whoever left them was not only barefoot, as the toes were clearly printed in the mud, but also in great hurry, perhaps having ran downhill. It was very bizarre, something even Kovic did not understand, but he could quickly guess that they were left by the two silhouettes he had been following for the day. This would be his downfall. His eyes tried to find a nearby stone, a rock, or something to take in his hands as a last resort, but his subtle scan of his enviment wielded almost anything, the light being too dim to find a tool.

In a last attempt, Kovic turned around, agitated. He couldn’t let the footprints to be seen by the female and the blame tossed onto him. He had to blame her, and so he pointed towards the footprints as his trembling voice spoke.
“What is that? Another one of your victims?” He said, eyes jumping from woman to the beast, sharing the suspicion with them. “You hunt for men to feed your beast, is that it? You do not have to do this, lady. Please, let me go.”

Not a very though out argument, but one that could perhaps serve its purpose. Kovic was not really good at persuading without a warning, and that could cost him his life.

Kovic was no fool, although the remark was certainly not a stroke to his ego. Despite his accusation having spared his life for the time being, danger still loomed all around him. Be it the males he had been chasing after, the screams that had alerted the female, her tiger, and Kovic himself of violence, or whatever roamed the pending darkness other than hypothermia, Kovic was far from saved. Being a selfless man, Kovic would always opt for the option that benefit him most, or at least the ones that satisfied his immediate needs of security. The female had been adamant with her orders, and she was clearly no stranger to paranoia – or precaution, if Kovic’s improvised diagnosis was to be discarded.

It didn’t take him too much time to take a choice, for the balance of power was obviously tilted in the female’s direction. The large feline certainly seemed big enough to tip any scale, thought Kovic, somewhat sarcastically. Her warning had been clear: stay put, or next time the tiger would not be pinning a wanderer in the woods, but its next meal. However, remaining still whilst chaos grew around him seemed reckless and beyond stupid. Be it the cold, the dampness, the lack of refuge for the night, or the knowledge on how to build fire, Kovic immediately knew his fate lied with the female. Thankfully, he was a modest creature, and so his pride did not protest despite the knowledge that any other man would’ve protested to be socially dominated by a female.

As such, and when the female’s glowing torch had lost itself ahead, Kovic followed after her. He chased the fire more than he chased the female – or her feline – for heat would be what saved him. Whether the female died at the hands of others or his own was irrelevant, although her feline, once again, would prove to be an excellent asset for his survival. As such, the decision would have to be made whenever an optimal situation was presented to him.

Following after the female was easy. Her swift feet had imprinted the mud with clearly visible steps, and even in the darkness they could be distinguish to one degree or the other. With said method, Kovic followed the trail, which unfortunately ended shortly after picking it up due to some rather inconveniently low foliage that simply erased the trail. A more experienced tracker would’ve been able to make out the steps, and a more reckless man would’ve followed the general direction followed by the female. Kovic was none of those, and so he traced an alternative path, parallel to the more or less straight line the female he assumed had followed.

Moving through the mud was hard, which dissuaded Kovic from exerting himself by increasing his pace. His attention was focused on both his sight and hearing, for the forest was now a deathtrap for one’s stride, and the sounds and noises that reached him were his most trusted tool to escape into safety. His spark flared within him still, but its charm was suffocated quickly enough, especially now that he wished to remain unseen and unfelt by whatever roamed the darkness. As usual, lady misfortune arrived with her rain, for as soon as his Ether Lure’s aura decreased its intensity, the rain increased exponentially. The heavens fell down upon the soil, and Kovic’s hearing was now branded useless.

The branding was premature and incorrect, for in his pace he heard obvious ruffle in the nearby vegetation. Rain made noises in patterns, and so whenever that pattern was shattered, one could distinguish it. What Kovic made out of it was the fast pace of someone, or something. Well aware of the dangers it implied, Kovic still had to chase after the torch, and he had to guarantee its survival. As such, he rushed as quickly as he could towards the destination of those crunching noises.

At the same time that a feral roar escaped the female’s feline and reached Kovic’s ears, he laid eyes on the strangest creature he had ever encountered. Humanoid, large, stark naked. The whitest skin tone Kovic had seen, a male frame yet a complete absence of genitalia. Black markings, perhaps achieved with ink, tracing intricate and symmetrical patterns on most of his frame. A large tattooed eye stared through the back of the sprinting individual. It seemed surreal, and even Kovic, unafraid of most creatures he had encountered, currently watching from a safe distance without being spotted, felt intimidated. It seemed as if that particular barefoot individual was some sort of biological weapon, and even if Kovic considered said facts inconveniently obvious, he couldn’t help but feel the power in the imagery.

The giant was at quite some distance, and so Kovic followed the parallel trail to his. At a safe distance, Kovic soon spotted the scene developing within the encampment. Many dead, a tiger challenging the apparent culprit, the female attempting to reach something, and the pale giant rushing directly towards her. From what Kovic could tell, the female had not spotted the giant just yet, which obviously tipped the scales greatly against her. Kovic approached further, until he too stood close to the edge of the encampment. Thankfully for his well-being, he attempted not to reveal himself too soon, for he hid behind a thick tree, and proceeded to wait.

Unwilling to intervene without benefit, Kovic would only swoop in to aid the winning side claim victory, for only then he could earn the trust of either the female or the pair of individuals he had been following. Leaning down, Kovic armed himself with the most powerful weapon known to him – a rock – and got ready to toss it towards the losing side.

Whoever won the odds would also win Kovic, for he was, obviously, the prize. He smiled at the thought.