Author: Lou, Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:29 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox watched Ed sit up in bed then swing his legs off to the side. He made it perfectly evident that he wanted to get out of the hospital wing. She wouldn't complain, it wasn't necessarily her favorite place in the world either. She straightened upright so that her weight wasn't leaning against the wall. She watched him quietly with perked ears as he got dressed. He didn't talk much, but that was fine. He'd talked plenty on the way over here, but then again, those weren't necessarily sober thoughts. She was glad he was doing better and seemed less delirious. Whatever had happened to him had evidently worn off. 

She gave him a small smile as he stood and walked over to her. She turned carefully and walked with him down the hallway toward the kitchen. She was hungry and she thought he would be as well, considering he hadn't eaten the whole time he'd been in her company. She was careful not to step on his feet as they went. She looked down at him and turned an ear in his direction. "You don't have to thank me," she said. "I did what anyone would have in that situation. My conscious wouldn't let me leave you behind like that, especially in the state and condition you were in."

She guided him around a corner of the hall, a short way down was the kitchen. Upon entering, she started rifling through a basket on a counter. She gestured to him to have a seat at the small table in the galley, while she brought out a loaf of bread from the basket and grabbed two apples off the stack. She set the apple and loaf of bread down in front of him, keeping the last apple for herself. "I figured you would be hungry, this should hold you over until dinner." She carefully folded her legs up underneath her, giving one the impression that she too was sitting at the table. "You don't have to repay me for anything," she said as she bit into her apple. It was sweet and ripe, and she would have loved to have eaten several more, but she was content to wait until the formal meal.

"If you want, the scientists always could you use an extra set of hands in the labs or an extra guard out front. Only if you want to, of course." She turned the apple in her hand. "I'm sure you saw in the infirmary that we're a little short staffed right now. One of the guards told me they had an incident earlier with a shipment that came in, some creatures tried to make off with some items. That was the result, honestly, not the worst I've seen since I've been here." She chuckled dryly. "It's been interesting working here on this island. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's been a unique experience just the same."

She chewed thoughtfully on the apple as she looked at him. When she got to the core, she set it carefully on a napkin. She'd throw it out later, or use the seeds for something. She didn't want to waste it, especially here. Everything had value in the Fortress, there just wasn't enough to be wasteful with it. "You never did say how you ended up on here on Bakulaw. Not my first choice of places to end up. I hope you didn't lose a bet." She quickly flicked her ears at him. "I definitely think you should get your money back on that one." 

Author: Goggle, Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:03 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

As his faculties began to return Ed was able to take in more of his surroundings. It was his professional opinion that right now he was in some kind of hospital ward. He had been in enough of them to recognize the signs. There were the beds, of course. The screens that were set up next to them. The smell of medicines and potions in the air, at the same time smelling clean but bringing to mind the awful medicinal tastes that made him wrinkle his nose. There were the friendly, smiling people who worked there, dressed in their nice clean clothing and carrying themselves with the knowledge of one who could bring someone back from the brink of death through magical and mundane means if necessary. Oh, and then there were the moaning and crying patients that surrounded him. They kind of clued him in on his location, too. Looking to his left Ed saw a man, or what he thought might have once been a human man, swaddled up in bandages that already had blood soaking through them. In the bed on the opposite side of the room was an elven woman who was missing an arm, her left side ending in bandage wrapped stump. Immediately Ed began to pat himself down, checking that he was whole. A look around the room confirmed that the beds were full, there were four of them in total and the final bed was blocked off by a screen but that was where the crying was coming from. Where the hell was he that there were so many people hurt so badly? He had been damned lucky, it seemed, to get through whatever had happened here unscathed.

"Oh, hello, there. You're looking much better, aren't you?" Ed looked over at the source of the voice, a catfolk woman in a clean white dress, wearing some kind of white hat. Ed frowned at her, licking his lips nervously, still unsure of himself in this strange place.
"Where am I?"
"Oh, dear, don't you remember? You're on Bakulaw Isle."

Ed stared at the catfolk woman silently, trying to comprehend this. His recent memories were a little fuzzy, he vaguely remembered wandering through.. Had it been some kind of desert? It had been hot, he remembered that much. How had he got there though? And Bakulaw? Wasn't that the island with all the monstrous lizards that nobody was meant to go to for fear of a horrible, horrible death?

"Yes, dear. That's the one."
Ed looked at the… Nurse? Healer? Whatever she was. He hadn't realized he had spoken. He closed his eyes and groaned, resting his head back on the pillow.
"Well dear, if you get a little more rest that should be fine, but you'll have to be getting out of here soon. Plenty of folks'll be wanting this bed soon."

There was a knock at the door, and Ed opened his eyes to get a look at who would be coming in next. In walked the centaur lady, the one who he had half expected to have been a delusion of some kind. Ed smiled, looking up at her, but then remembered the company they were in. He tried to look more somber as she asked him how he was doing.

"I'm doing much better, thank you. I think I'm actually ready to be getting out of here…"

With that he swung his legs out of the bed, somewhat grateful that he hadn't been stripped completely. Hanging over a chair next to the bed were his trousers, which looked to be clean, as well as his overcoat. He was currently wearing a plain white undershirt he didn't recognize, but it would do since his shirt was nowhere in sight. He wondered why that was as he dressed, quickly, sitting down long enough to pull on his boots before turning to face the centaur again, realizing he had been rude to not keep up any kind of conversation while he dressed, no matter how quickly he had done so.

"I think I might have you to thank for saving me, my lady. Though… Things are a little… Fuzzy. How may I repay you?" He glanced around the room at the injured people, hoping to go somewhere a little less grim to thank her.

Author: Lou, Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 2:26 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox trotted along with her weighty burden. It was awkward and unbalanced, but she would manage. It wasn't long before the Fortress walls were in view and she slowed down to a steady walk. Some of the guards saw her and she waved back to them as she got close. There was a loud metal noise as the Fortress gate was opened and a small group of armed men came to escort her back inside. Only once they were back inside the safety of the mighty walls and the door was sealed did she speak. "Hello gentlemen, thank you for the help, but I think I can manage." The backed up a few paces after seeing the individual was not much a threat.

She stood still as several medics and aids surrounded her to investigate the man on her back. It was uncommon for centaurs to allow riders upon their backs, however, she found this case to be of an exception, especially given their location. They started asking her about him and she answered their questions the best she could. "I found him out in a field. He's likely drunk, poisoned, or under a spell. Something is wrong with him. See to it that no harm comes to him." She said as he was lifted off of her back. "I will come to see him when I can."' The assistance carried him into the medical portion of the Fortress, where he would likely be given an evaluation, as well as food, water, and some clean clothes. Even after the long walk, he still had the lingering scent of bile. 

After he was gone, she was rather annoyed that the smell had seeped into her fur. She took her headpiece off and held it in the crook of her arm. Quietly she turned and headed toward the armory to put her equipment away and then take a bath. One of the young guards went with her. Her hooves clipped on the dirt as she made her way to the side of the building. "Interesting fellow, isn't he?" She glanced down at him and gave a half smile while perking an ear. "Quite so, I've never seen an individual just lying in a field like that on this island. It's almost suicide. I'm more curious about what happened to him, as well as how he got there." 

She opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open for the young guard to follow her. They made it to the armory and she placed her headpiece upon its specific shelf. Upon the creation of her armor, she was given her own designated corner for her equipment, not that it would get confused for anyone else's. There were no horses on the island, at least none to ride. She took off her saddlebags and bardiche sheath and leaned it against the wall. She undid her vest while the guard helped her take off her croupiere. She was flexible, like most centaurs, but the croupiere was a bit of a stretch, pun intended. The light metal slid off her muscles and he put it away in its place. The same went for the individual pieces covering her back and her criniere. Once the criniere and vest were removed, she was able to take off her leg bracers. They went with the bracers that were on her lower arms. 

She shook herself once the last piece was removed and the guard backed up a few steps. She let her mane out of its tight braid and the red hair fell over her white blouse and gray hide. She looked down at the guard, her armor off, she looked again like a wild and fierce centaur. "How were things here while I was gone?" She asked. She stepped to the side and went into the high walled wash rack. Once out of his view, she removed her blouse and began her bath. "Anything interesting happens?" She washed under the warm water and perked an ear as she heard the guard sit on a chair nearby. 

"Oh you know how it is," he said leaning back with his eyes half closed. "You've been here long enough. Just typical guarding of the Fort, making sure nothing gets in that shouldn't be in here. Nothing special." He paused and she heard him cross his arms over his chest. "Had a supply shipment come in, that was the main excitement for the day. A couple of those nasty little critters tried to make off with some things, needless to say, they didn't get very far." Paradox nodded as she rinsed the bubbles and soap from her mane. "Very good. Did the scientists find out anything new? Speaking of them, we saw a strange snake that we hadn't investigated yet. Very large and stayed high in the trees and wouldn't come down except for prey." She heard him give a quiet scoff as she turned off the water. The guards typically weren't that interested in the scientific stuff, but she could appreciate them just the same.

She threw on a clean shirt and made her way out of the stall, picking up her dirty shirt along the way. "Shall we be off?" He jumped up and they made their way out of the armory. She'd clean her equipment later, but now she was curious about what had happened to the man she had brought back to the Fortress. She threw her dirty shirt in with the others and they went carefully up the stairs. Though she had been in the human world for some time, there were still things that needed time to adjust to. When they got up to the medical wing, she bid farewell to her company, as she'd see him later at dinner, and walked into the ward. She got to his room just as the nurse was leaving it. She knocked quietly on the door and walked in, not necessarily waiting for an answer. "How are you doing?" She asked him as she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, her ears perked forward.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:28 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

He must have blacked out because the next thing Ed knew he was slung over something, head swaying back and forth as his body rocked gently as the surface he was on rolled along. He cracked open his eyes and saw the legs of a horse moving, inches away from his face. He held back a groan of pain as his head began aching fiercely again, and looked to see if the centaur lady was around. He wondered briefly where she had found a horse for him to ride on when… Ah. He peered along the body of the horse to where it became a woman and realized, mortified, what was actually happening. He considered trying to slip off her back but then he acknowledged that that wasn't going to be the best of ideas. Even if he could get down without injuring himself what would that actually accomplish, in the end? He would go back to stumbling and falling and then what? Have her leave him behind or just end up right back where he was, on her back and feeling twice as sorry for himself.

He relaxed as much as he could, settling in to wait to reach wherever it was that they were going. There was one moment where he heard a mighty roar, but it came from far off and Ed thought, in his own humble opinion, that whatever was making the sound would be far off. No real threat. Shouts came from much closer by, though, human shouts that he couldn't make out the words from. Blearily, he looked around and there, between flashes of leg, he saw a wall approaching. Ah good, so wherever it was that he had found himself had some kind of civilization at least. That was good news. Civilization hopefully meant something to drink, a place to get washed up in and clean clothes. Then, maybe, just maybe, he would be able to find someway to repay Paradox for saving him and all the trouble that he had put her through. Then, after that, a return to his crew was in order, followed quickly by the demise of a certain pesky dragon.

He heard the creaking of hinges as gates that must have been substantially sturdy and impressive were opened to admit them, and suddenly people were rushing out and surrounding them. Ed tried to raise a hand, to ask for people to stop prodding and pulling at him for a moment so he could thank the lady centaur, but then he was being borne away while others surrounded Paradox to ask her questions. She seemed to be quite popular around here. That would make it easier to find her, once these people had done whatever it was that they were planning to do with him. He sighed, closing his eyes and accepting whatever was about to happen.

When his eyes opened again he was in the blessedly cool interior of some building. A motherly looking woman was poking at him, lifting something to his lips and saying all kinds of stern words. He no longer had the strength to argue. He drank whatever it was, some bitter concoction, but almost immediately his head began to clear. He finished the rest of it and breathed out a sigh of relief as his senses started to come back to him. It must have been some kind of healing potion, and it was doing well.

Elsewhere.

A tearing sound echoes across the empty plain as a gateway is opened.
"I left him right here. You all need to stop your complaining RIGHT NOW! Gosh, it's like none of you have ever stranded someone for fun before."

Author: Lou, Posted: Mon Oct 8, 2018 12:10 AM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox turned behind her to see if Ed was following or not, and judging by his recent disappearance, he was not. With a frustrated growl, she turned around and started tracking back to where she had last seen him. The snake was still above them, she could sense it, so this was not the time for him to be playing hide and seek with her. Intoxicated, jinked, dehydrated, or whatever was wrong with him, she was very disappointed his sense of self-preservation wasn't higher. She was starting to think that he was indeed just a standard idiot, and she was the fool trying to save his miserable life. If she let him get eaten purposefully, she'd always feel guilty about it.

She trecked quickly through the woods as nimbly as she could. She heard a sound ahead of her and grimaced. It sounded like he was sick to his stomach, no doubt a result of not drinking anything or drinking too much right away. She pinned her ears back at the vulgar sound and stomped over to the brush where he was currently vomiting. "Ed!" She snapped at him. "This is not the time to be playing games. We have to go!" She waited until he had finished then stepped over to him and grabbed him by the shoulder. His skin was damp and sticky from sweat and she was disgusted. She roughly threw his heavy body over her horse half, his head and arms dangling on one side and his legs on the other.

She looked up briefly to keep an eye out on the giant snake before continuing on her way back to The Fortress. Her ears were still pinned as she looked over her shoulder at him. "If you throw up on me, I swear, I will buck you off so fast, you'll think your head was a top, it'll spin so fast." She started at a quick jog, her head still raised on the lookout and her ears now perked forward attentively. They were only a short distance from The Fortress now, but she still had to keep an eye out for anything that would potentially see them as a worthwhile meal.

The progress she made with an additional two hundred pounds of weight on her back seemed to be even faster than when she was starting and stopping and waiting for him to catch up. Now the progress was swift and steady. She was annoyed at herself that she didn't proceed to take this course of action sooner. They probably would have been back by now if she hadn't screwed around and waited for him to come on his own. Ridiculous drunkard, no point in waiting, as soon as she made one step forward, he would force her to take two steps back. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw the gates of The Fortress a short distance from them. 

. 

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sun Oct 7, 2018 3:25 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Ed watched as his new friend, the floating eye, disappeared up into the trees. He could hear movement from behind him and turned to see the centaur lady, and what had her name been again, approaching while pulling out that weapon of hers. The same one that had hurt the lizard from before. Why did she feel the need to attack everything they came across? His head was hurting something fierce, but he didn't let it bother him too much. The centaur… Her name began with a P, he was sure of that much, put herself protectively between where the eye had been and Ed. That was nice of her. He smiled up at her but saw she had her eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating on something. He watched, fascinated until her eyes shot open and she was spinning in place, swinging her weapon to attack… Pandora! That was her name! There was a shriek from above him, and Ed felt something wet land on his head but in the time it took him to look up there was nothing there. His reactions were getting slower, he could admit as much to himself. 

Then she was calling to him, telling them they had to leave, that there was something around here that was dangerous? Wouldn't he have noticed if there was something dangerous attacking them? As far as he could tell there was only the two of them, and that friendly eye that had been floating about. Oh, but how he wanted to throw up right now. He touched his forehead, looking at his fingers as they came away red with blood. When had he cut himself? He was about to ask Paradox, that was her name, he was sure of it, but she was already moving away. She turned back to him, a worried look on her face, and Ed tried to smile at her reassuringly. If she was scared he would do whatever he could to alleviate her fears. After all, they had been friends for how long now? Too long for Ed to even remember, at least right now. He reached into his pocket and came out with a canteen. Oh, he needed a drink pretty badly, but the centaur lady was getting away from him. He stuffed the canteen back into his pocket and began running after her.

The running quickly became a stumble, which turned into a fall and the next thing Ed knew he was lying on his back looking up into the branches above. He groaned, but made no move to right himself. He just didn't feel up to it right then. Maybe after he took a nap he would feel a little better. He could do with a drink. Hadn't he had a canteen earlier? Ed grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out his trusty canteen. Unscrewing the top, he lifted it to his lips and ended up spilling most of it into his beard and down his neck. The water he managed to get into his mouth, tasting warm and stale, was still the best tasting water he could remember ever drinking at that point. He swallowed a mouthful, choking on a second and had to put the canteen aside for a moment. His head was hurting pretty badly. What had he been thinking, wandering off into a forest like this? He could hear the sounds of someone, or something, approaching and quickly sat up. This caused his head to spin and almost had him flat out on his back again, but years of alcoholic stupors had taught him balance and control. He stayed upright, and managed to lift himself to his feet, scooping up the canteen and draining it dry.

His stomach rebelled against the sudden intake of water, and Ed's eyes widened as he was forced to rush off into the brush to vomit.

Author: Lou, Posted: Wed Oct 3, 2018 1:53 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox stared intently at the large eye hanging from the tree top. Ed saw it too and called out to it, but fortunately didn't decide to approach it this time. The predatory eye of the creature was enough to make the fur underneath her armor stand up on end. She didn't like the looks of this creature, not even a little bit. She hadn't seen all the creatures on this island, but she had been here long enough to know that the majority of the animals here were not peaceful or herbivorous. Not even the plants were safe to walk among most days. They too had carnivorous intentions.

This creature, judging by its ability to camouflage itself and its massive size, was probably no exception. It looked at them with an evil glint in its unblinking eye. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it pulled its large head back up into the trees and disappeared. She slowly pulled her bardiche out of its sheath again, her eyes trained on the branches above them. From its silent approach and scaley appearance, it was likely some sort of giant serpent. She carefully walked over to where Ed was standing, putting a foot in front of him, her ears flicking wildly in an attempt to hear a sound of the creature. In the sudden silence, all sounds seemed to be amplified as the adrenaline started to flow in her veins. The most dangerous enemy for a centaur was one they couldn't see.

She closed her eyes and focused on just the sounds around them. She heard a leaf flicker above them, determined where it was coming from and then flashed open her eyes. It a split second she'd shifted her weight onto her hindquarters and spun on her hooves. The mighty serpent struck down at them from the branches, its mouth large enough to engulf half her body at once. The monstrous fangs were as long as her arm. With a flash of her large blade, she brought it down across the creature's snout, leaving a large bloody gash among the green scales. It gave a shriek and pulled itself back up into the trees. 

She looked down at Ed, her eyes bright and ears perked. "We have to go," she told him firmly. "I didn't kill that thing, I only made it angry. With him being up in the trees, I can't protect you. We have to run for it, the fortress is only a short ways off. Once we get there, we'll be safe. The other guards will come and assist us if it tries to follow." She heard the mighty tree serpent already starting to follow them in the branches as she took a few steps away from Ed. "Come on, we have to go." She looked back at him, her tail flicking nervously. She waited for him and then turned and cantered through the trees. She made sure to only go at a pace that he could follow. 

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Oct 3, 2018 12:44 AM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

The centaur, Paradox, began leading the way and Ed followed her. What else was there for him to do at this point? She stepped easily over a log, which he was forced to scramble over. He glanced up at her to see if she had noticed that, hoping she hadn't. She didn't indicate that she had, and he would just go on believing that. He watched, a shocked, as something he thought was part of a tree snapped at her. Some kind of snake, surely. She seemed to be unfazed by it though, crushing it against the nearest tree as if these things happened all the time. Lucky for her she had been wearing that armor. He suddenly felt naked and exposed. She called it a weed?! What kind of weeds did that? He began looking around nervously, suddenly afraid of every plant and flower, picturing them as lurking predators that were just waiting for the chance to spring on him. Was paranoia a sign of dehydration? He thought about the canteen, licking dry lips with a dry tongue. He would hold out a little longer before risking the poisoned water. Just a bit longer.

His mind began to drift as they continued their trek through the forest. His vigilance hadn't lasted for long. He was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on the here and now, his thoughts just drifting away. He stepped on something that had a little give to it and looked down. It looked like a log, perhaps rotten judging by the texture. Paradox was there in a flash, though, kicking whatever it was aside. The log tried biting her. That was… Worrisome. What was he doing out here? She warned him, quietly, and he vowed to himself that he would pay attention from here on. For whatever reason she seemed to be trying to help him, and was putting herself at quite some risk to lead him through this forest. Unless… Why would you lead someone through this death trap… Was there really no other way? He bit his lower lip, worrying it as he continued following her again. If she wanted him dead, that would have been easy enough. So what was she up to? She began pulling away, her longer stride becoming harder to keep up with. She did appear to be trying to slow her pace, though, and stopped regularly.

It was during one of these stops, when he was finally deciding that trusting her was the only way to proceed from here if he had any hopes of surviving, when she approached him. She asked how he was holding up, which was nice of her. Something caught her attention though, off in the trees. Ed turned to follow her gaze, his reactions sluggish. Was there something there? He blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to focus but finding it hard. Instead, he began walking over. He was sure there was something there, now. Was that an eye? It sure looked like an eye, the pupil a slit like a snake's. It was at about head height, maybe a little higher. Just… Hanging there, leaves and shadows hiding whatever it belonged to. "Hey there…." he croaked, his parched throat raw. He lifted his hands up in a calming gesture. He sure hoped it was friendly, whatever it was.

Author: Lou, Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:56 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox watched him take the canteen from her but didn't drink from it. She saw him narrow his eyes at her, skeptical likely. She didn't trust him. She didn't care, that was his deal. She was concerned mainly with getting him back to The Fortress in one piece. Which, on this island, would surely prove to be a challenge. After he started stepping in her direction and following her, did she turn and started walking back towards The Fortress. She cocked an ear back and tilted her head as she heard him speak. The first coherent and relevant words he'd said this whole time. He introduced himself as Ed. It was a relief that he felt comfortable enough to tell her his name, whether it was real or not was to be decided. 

"It's nice to meet you, Ed," she said, she glanced back at him as she walked through the trees. She picked her a foreleg over a large log, careful not to rap her hind hooves on the hardwood. She didn't want to make unnecessary sounds to alert the nearby predators. A vine on a tree tried to snap at her as if it was a snake. It "bit" into the metal on her shin and she casually leaned against it to crush it into the tree. "Be careful with these nasty weeds," she called back to him while looking for more of the snapping plants. "They aren't very particular about what they snap into."

Every so often, she'd look back to make sure he was doing alright. This was not a simple walk in the woods, here, everything was willing and able to kill, hurt, maim, or poison you if you weren't careful. At one point, she saw him about to step on a large toothed slug, under the disguise of a log. She promptly walked over and gave it a swift kick out of the way. It snapped back at her, but she was too fast, and it flew out of sight before it could reach her. She planted her hind leg firmly back into the ground before looking back at Ed. "A little bit more awareness will save you a lot of agonies later," she told him quietly. She flicked her ears back and forth, checking to see if there were any creatures nearby.

She continued onward at a slow but steady pace, stopping periodically for him to catch up and rest. After spending more time with people, she had learned that she took rather large steps in comparison and fatigued slower, as a result of her equine endurance. It wasn't a big deal and it was one she was easily able to adapt to. After they stopped again, she approached him, careful not to appear as intimidating. "How are you holding up?" She asked. She glanced at the sun, noticing that it had shifted more towards the horizon. "We will be at The Fortress very soon if you can keep going at this pace." She was quiet for a bit as she waited, turning her head suddenly. Whether it was a flash of light or a leaf falling, she couldn't be sure. "What was that?" She was ready to fight at a moments notice.
 

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:37 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

The centaur began trying to calm him, much like he imagined he would try to calm a horse if he was ever called upon to do such a thing. The thought was… Amusing. On the other hand, it was also the way he would attempt to calm an animal that was being led to a slaughter, too. He narrowed his eyes at her, watching her warily and feeling the absence of any kind of weapon sorely. She was armed, though, and he had seen just how capable she was with that weapon. He wasn't even going to try and kid himself here. Even if he was fully armed and at his peak there was no way he was going to be able to keep up with her. This in mind, and the fact that he wasn't armed or anywhere near peak condition, he decided that fighting was completely out of the picture. It just wouldn't and couldn't happen, so violence? Not something he was going to entertain thoughts of. That left flight. He could still run, he was sure of that. His two legs against her four, though. That wasn't going to end well. Maybe if he got into the forest, between the trees and on the uneven ground… Aid himself with a little magic… Yeah, that could work. If she didn't strike him down first, that was. That was a strange course for his thoughts to take, he could see that. All because she was treating him like an animal…

He took the offered canteen from her, in no way trusting her but at the same time not wanting to provoke her in any way. He had no idea of knowing how she would react if he spurned her offer. He was beginning to believe she was real though. He wasn't sure at exactly what point he had decided to place his faith in her reality, but there it was. It's just water. She promised. Why would she feel the need to add that, at the end there. His already narrowed eyes narrowed even further, but he made an effort to quit that as she lowered herself to inspect him. Trying to figure out how much meat was available? Or how much silver he was carrying? He stared into her gray eyes, looking for some kind of sign that would reveal her intent towards him. Nothing. He couldn't tell. She introduced herself as a paradox. Or, as Paradox. He lifted the canteen to his lips as she explained where she wanted him to believe they were, making a show of taking a drink but not letting any of the liquid pass his lips. He couldn't trust it, unless he saw her drink from it first. Even then… Where there poisons that affected humans and not centaurs? How frustrating. He had heard of this island, Bakulaw. Never saw a point of going there though, or here he should say if the centaur could be trusted, because there wasn't a huge demand for anything he had ever had an interest in smuggling. The creatures were meant to be deadly… Oh. He thought about this for a moment. The giant lizard… What if Shyrus had sent him here to die?

He lost track of what she was saying as he thought about the implications. The question came down to who could he trust more? A stranger he had met recently, a dragon who Ed was sure was a little psychotic and had been hounding him and his crew for a while now. Driving them crazy. Or a stranger he had met just now, who might have possibly saved his life. Well, that wasn't really much of a question, was it? How could he really trust anyone in this situation? He slipped the canteen into his coat pocket and followed after the centaur as she began to walk away. He had caught something about a fortress, and getting there before night. A glance up to the sky told him they had some time yet, but how was he to know how far away the fortress even was? "I am Ed, by the way!" he called out to her. Normally he would have introduced himself as the captain of one of the vessels but for now it would be best to play things close to the chest. Something in the trees caught his eye, just for a second. Had he seen movement just then? Whatever it was hadn't been close to the size of the monster the centaur had fought off, but still… He shook his head, not seeing anything. A trick of the light on his exhausted, dehydrated mind he supposed.

Author: Lou, Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 12:26 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox pinned her ears back and squinted her eyes at his reply. She couldn't tell if he was delirious or merely idiotic. She looked down at him, wondering to herself if had suffered a head wound of some sort or had some other impairment that would cause him to lose his common sense and sense of preservation. She walked over to him slowly, careful about her movements so that he would not have cause for alarm. Her tail flickered once above her hocks in hesitancy and she looked over to the tree line. Perhaps he was drugged or under a spell of some sort. That would explain his odd behavior, but it still didn't explain how he had ended up here so suddenly without warning.

"Take it easy," she said, she stepped towards him quietly, putting her hands out to show that she was no threat. "I'm not going to hurt you." She reached slowly behind her and pulled out her canteen. She held it out to him. "Here, drink this. The sun is probably getting to you. It's just water. I promise." She waited patiently for him to take it. She cocked a back leg casually and bent down to look at him more closely. She perked ears forward in interest. "My name is Paradox, " she said slowly. "I am not a hallucination. You are on Bakulaw Isle, its an island off the coast of Parvpora. I'm with a research group doing studies and investigations into the flora and fauna of this place. We are the only humans on the island, there is no one else."

She paused for a minute, giving him time to process the information she'd just given him. She hoped the water would help clear his mind. After a short time, she continued to speak. "I just ask you to come with me to The Fortress. There are people there that can help you and can help get you back to where you came from. This island is very dangerous. Both the plants and the animals here are designed to inflict harm and pain. Being new to the island, they will be quick to pick up on your naivety and take advantage of it. Come with me, I would like to be back to The Fortress before dark if we can manage. The creatures here are very clever and at night, I will not be able to protect you as well."

She let him keep the flask and took a few steps away from him. She turned and looked back at him to see if he would follow her. Her eyes were bright and sharp but had no sign of malice. She'd helped escort visitors before and had worked with the guards on a few occasions. She preferred the scholarly research, but she could be very protective if needed. Especially with this armor now, she would be very difficult to defeat in combat. 

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:45 AM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Ed couldn't fathom the logic behind this entire thing, the way the dragon thought was entirely alien to him. The fact that she had sent him here and waited for him to hit rock bottom before finally sending this strange breed of flightless dragon to rescue him must have been hilarious to her. For him, though, he was just happy that he hadn't truly been left here. As the creature turned towards him, staring at him with those beady reptilian eyes, he had a moment of doubt. Whatever this thing was, it was here to rescue him, right?

"Hi there, be fella…" Ed looked up, and up, and up at it. It was big. It's mouth was full of rows of sharp teeth, each one of them the size of a dagger, which were revealed as it's mouth began to hang open. He reached up, pulling the shirt from around his head as he stared into the mouth of whatever it was. "So… Er… Where do we go from here?"

Before his new scaly companion could reply and lead him to freedom, the sound of thundering hooves drowned everything out. He had a moment to glance back over his shoulder before his hallucination was soaring over him. He managed a single thought about how majestic she looked flying through the air before she landed again. He blade was swinging, her movements fast and precise and she did battle with his rescuer. That meant, if she wasn't real then neither was the giant lizard creature… Had his subconscious really picked such a form for him to see? Ed bit his lip as he watched the centaur's blade cut into the back of the creature's neck. It gave another roar before turning tail and running. Ed's jaw hung open. It all looked so realistic, the dehydration lending only a slight fuzziness to all the details. Could it be this was all real? If that were so, did that make the centaur warrior woman a friend or foe? She had sure charged in quickly.

She snapped at him, questioning his actions and leaving him speechless. He realised he was still gaping at her after watching that impressive display. He shut it with an audible click. He looked from her to the signs of the creature's retreat and back to her again, trying to work out what it was she was asking. Why wouldn't he run up to his way out of this place? Somewhere, probably in that forest right there, Shyrus could be waiting with a portal to take him back home.

"Well you see, what happened was… Er… That was a friend, of a friend, you see… And you, er, kind of…. Well anyway, Madam Centaur, it has been a pleasure but… Er…" Throughout this bumbling, stumbling little speech he had been edging closer and closer towards the treeline. Perhaps if he got there he could follow the trail that was left by that giant lizard.

Author: Lou, Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:42 AM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox heard the man speak and was about to respond to him when he started talking again. She looked down at him and perked her ears in his direction, her tail flicking quickly above her hocks. She opened her mouth to respond when the snout of a large reptile peaked out of the trees. She promptly shut her mouth and braced herself, slowly bringing her hand back to the handle of her blade. She was ready for anything, especially with these large creatures. She was more concerned by the fact that she couldn't sense others with this creature. If it was alone, it likely meant it was one of the predatory creatures on the island.

This made it all the more surprising to her when he ran over to the creature waving his arms to further get its attention. Her jaw dropped in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was actually running towards a predator that wanted to eat him. She didn't know what to say. It took her a second to regain her composure before she was cantering after the man. A part of her questioned whether letting him get eaten would be worthwhile, but she decided the guilt would be too much. A life was a life after all. She pulled her blade from its sheath and held it in both hands. 

Her hooves thundered over the ground as the man got close to the creature. She saw it tense up as it was about to strike and swallow him. She leaped up over the man, swinging her blade underneath of her and catching the creatures top jaw in the hook, preventing it from closing its mouth. She landed in front of the man, her weapon still caught in the creature. Bracing her hindquarters and she reared up on her back legs. While kicking out with her front legs, she powerfully moved forward, pushing the creature back into the trees. The creature screamed in pain, as she pulled her blade out from its mouth and swinging it quickly over her head. She brought it down hard behind the creatures head, making a deep cut in its neck. 

It started bleeding heavily, but she doubted the wound would prove fatal, it wasn't near any arteries and wasn't deep enough to penetrate the nervous system. It did prove to be a serious deterrent against a future attack. She fell back down to all fours as the creature screamed again briefly before turning back into the jungle. Only after its heavy footsteps faded did she turn and look at the man. She put her blade back in the sheath, she'd clean it later back at the base. Her ears pinned back as she looked down at him sternly, her tail flicked impatiently. "Please tell me what exactly you were thinking when you thought it would be a good idea to run up to that thing?"

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 2:22 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Ed stood staring at the crumbling walls, creeping vines, empty door and windows and tried to plan his next course of action. Would it be better to stay here, search the building and hope to find some kind of… Something that would help him wait out however long it would be before his crew came for him? Or should he return. Find his way back to where he had appeared in this place. It was possible, he supposed, that they were already back there waiting for him. That wandering off had been a bad decision. Even now they might be decided to leave without him. Just give up on finding him. His heart rate and breathing sped up and the panic began to set in. It wasn't just the fact that he was here alone but also now there was whatever had roared. A voice called out to him, distracting him and drawing him back from the edge. He looked over, an eyebrow raising as he looked her over.

He had a couple of seconds to file away key details. She was a centaur, armed and armored and out here in the middle of wherever he was. She was obviously a hallucination. Years ago he had spent time, against the will of his crew at the time, chasing rumors of a tribe of attractive warrior women. It was true that when he had pictured them they hadn't had quite so many legs, but as he gave her another appraising look, it seemed his subconscious had cooked up a centaur to embody the fantasy. He knew he had been dehydrated, but hadn't thought he was quite so far gone. Oh well, it was going something to pass the time. He put on his most charming grin and turned to face her fully. 

"Don't move, eh? Who don't you want seeing us?" he had forgotten completely about the shirt wrapped around his head and how ridiculous he must look. This was his fantasy which meant even if he did acknowledge how ridiculous he looked then it wouldn't even make a difference. This wasn't his first experience with hallucinations and he would just roll with this one for as long as it lasted. The ground rumbled and there was that roar again. Ed shot a look at the nearby trees. Was this a part of the fantasy or was this real? Another rumble, and another. Ed turned his back on the centaur and took two cautious steps towards the tree line. There was the sound of something large moving through the trees, branches snapping, trees groaning. A scaled snout appeared and Ed watched as the giant monster appeared in the open. "What the…" It was like nothing that he had ever seen before. Well, not nothing. It reminded him of a dragon, in a way, but standing on two legs and with two short arms. No wings. This wasn't a dragon then. Was it as intelligent as a dragon? Perhaps it knew Shyrus!

Ed began jogging over to the creature, waving his arms to get it's attention. He was saved!

Author: Lou, Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:17 PM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Paradox had jumped at the chance to take a researching trip to Bakulaw Isle. She had never been to the island before and was curious to discover if the legends surrounding the place was true. It had been a brief boat ride over and hadn't taken nearly as long as she'd expected, not that she would really complain. She wasn't the biggest fan of boats anyway. She had spent that last couple days inside the fortress of the research facility helping to identify the miscellaneous animals and plants that the hunters had been able to locate and bring back alive.  Everything here seemed to have an aggressive streak, it was rare to discover any plants or creatures that didn't want to attack an individual outright.

While she had enjoyed staying inside and studying the creatures from the laboratory and their cages, she'd really been looking forward to going outside. At first, she was only allowed to venture out of the fortress with armed guards accompanying her. After some time when she had proved herself capable of her own protection against most creatures, was she able to explore unsupervised. However, even though she was allowed to wander alone, she still made sure to make some precautions. She wore a light metal armor of sorts to protect herself. She wore a metal croupiere which covered her hindquarters, with metal plating that went up to the criniere that covered the horse chest above her forelegs. She wore metal bracers on all four legs to protect them from being stung or bitten. She wore a metal vest over her human chest that extended down her stomach. She had braces on her lower arms while keeping her upper arms exposed. 

She kept her head relatively void of armor, as her large ears would make it difficult to have more than a small helmet upon her head for long periods of time. She had strapped to her flank her long bardiche in case she would need it. Once her armor was sufficiently in place, she stood before the mighty gates as they were slowly opened. With a nod and brief thank you to the gatekeepers, she trotted out of the fortress and into the natural part of the island. The metal was awkward to wear at first, but she got used to it the longer she wore it. The metal workers had engineered it specifically for her, as no other Centaurs had participated in a research study on the island before. She appreciated their efforts, as the armor provided ample protection but also allowed her to still have her full range of motion. 

It was on one of her daily excursions that she found a large field that had been previously not been documented. She made a mental note as she went along the tree cover beside the great plain. The strength of the sun here was brutal and she figured that in the metal tin that she was, it would take no time at all for her to bake. She stayed in the shade as often as she could, her hooves clopping quietly along the forest floor. Occasionally a small plant would rear back its flowered head and either attempt to nip or spit something foul at her. Her heavy foot made short work of it.

She was trotting along for a short while when she heard a vaguely human sound. She stopped and perked her ears in the direction of the sound, puzzled. There were no hunters out today. She thought to herself. It couldn't have been a person, merely a bird imitating one or something. She started walking, her ears still intent to pick up the sound.  She heard a thrashing sound, like something hurrying very quickly through brush and she braced herself, turning to face the forest. Her hand lept to her long blade and pulled it out of its sheath, holding it at the ready. Suddenly the sound stopped and she heard a loud sigh. Definitely a human sound. She turned around and looked out into the big field. Just outside the tree line was a large man with a shirt on his head and wearing an overcoat. A very odd sight indeed for these parts.

She stepped up to the edge of the field and called out to him. "Hello there! Are you alright?" She was rather curious about this, she'd never seen a person outside the fortress before, especially so far out. She didn't have time to wait for a response before she heard a loud roar nearby. She felt the earth shaking under her feet and quickly cantered over to the man. She stood next to him, holding her arm out in front of his chest. She looked towards the forest a determined look on her face. "Be absolutely still," she whispered to him quietly. She planted her feet firmly in the ground. "They can't see you if you don't move."

Author: Goggle, Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 1:40 AM, Post Subject: [P] So, Who's Hungry?

Ed stretched out in his chair, back popping wonderfully as he did. He could see the first rays of light peaking in through the cracks in the shutters and wondered at that. They had been up all night playing this one lousy game. It was meant to be fun. Something to pass the time with friends. The icy one didn't like to lose. She was as tall as he was, slender and wrapped up in a light blue robe. She was obnoxious and had been following them around ever since meeting them, just popping in and out. Harassing them. Insisting on being a part of everything. It had been endearing at first, a little cute even. Not to mention the fact that having a powerful mage around who could become a dragon was a nice card to have up your sleeve. Speaking of which, that was normally a trick he would have tried. He didn't need to here though. She had suggested they start playing games a week or so before, picking games that were ancient. If she was truly as old as she claimed to be then they were most likely games from her own childhood. She had lost every game to one of the crew, night after night. Then Ed had thought hey, why not try and teach her something new? Something easier to pick up? Something they could gamble over, maybe? What a mistake that had been! Teaching her the basics had been simple enough, the seven of them gathered around the table laughing and joking with each other. One by one the others had dropped off though, too tired to continue as Shyrus insisted on rematches. The one time Ed had tried to talk her out of it had been met with the room temperature dropping drastically. She would keep playing until she won.

He thought he had her now, though. Right where he needed her. This was his fourth attempt to let her win now. Twinkle, the only one of the crew still awake and not seeming tired in the least, had taken victory the previous three times. There was no way of communicating with her what he was trying to do, not without alerting the dragon lady. That meant soldiering on. Why had she let the others beg off but had ignored his own attempts? Had he left it too late? Was he doomed now to play this game for all eternity. She wasn't even improving with time! If anything she was getting worse! He suppressed the urge to sob as she threw down two cards which could have won her the game. There was no way. She had to be screwing with him, it was the only rational explanation at this point. Nobody could be this bad.

"Listen, my friend, why don't we call it a night and pick this up again after we all rest? How does that sound? A nice little nap before coming back at it, refreshed and re energized? " The temperature dropped in the room again as those piercing blue eyes met his own. They were slit down the middle like a snake's, and she didn't blink. Now that he thought about it had she blinked at all during the whole night? Did dragons blink? What would happen if something flew into their eye while they were flying? It would cause such a mess if they… He stopped that line of thought. His mind was wandering, fatigue robbing him of his concentration. How was it, then, that he was still able to play around her so effectively? And why did she keep staring at him and not saying anything?! Oh, he needed to go to bed. It was late. Early. He hated his life right then, in that moment. The game ended with Twinkle taking victory again. Ed didn't even pay attention to the chips being slid across the table from in front of him, adding to her pile which had almost been empty just a short hour before. At least someone was enjoying themselves.

"So, are there many people like you? Dragons, I mean?" Another hour had passed and Ed was trying to make conversation now. More to keep himself awake than anything. He had dozed off fifteen minutes before and woke to an icy trickle of water running down his back. He had yelped in surprise and stopped short of saying or doing something that might have seen him eaten. He needed to find a dragon hunter. Someone to take care of this pest.

"Hey yeah Ed, why don't we take a little break? I'm feeling a little hungry if I'm honest with you." A wicked grin spread across her face, then, unnaturally large and showing an unnerving amount of sharp teeth. There was definitely something… Dragony? Draconian? Draconic? about it. Those eyes of hers were practically sparkling and he had a feeling he was being cornered. But what was he going to do, refuse her request? He could, probably. Try one more time to convince her to let him finally go to bed. Like that would work. With a sigh, he agreed with her. "That's great! Who else is hungry? Here, I can open a portal to this beautiful little place I know in Adeluna. You can hop through, pick us up some grub and hop on back. Convenient, eh?" He couldn't fault that. It sure did sound convenient. It would also give him a little time away from her. If he got really lucky he could grab himself a cat nap. Everything decided the mage stood and made a gesture, opening a gateway. The air that came through was warm and heavy with humidity, definitely not Adeluna. He was about to question this when he felt a hand upon his back exerting pressure, pushing him through the portal. He spun in place as his boots hit foreign ground, turning just in time to see an evil grin and a wink. Balls.

He took a mental inventory, his mind waking up quickly as panic threatened to ambush him. He had… Absolutely nothing. He was wearing a common set of pants and a plain white shirt, along with his well worn boots. His belt had a coin pouch attached with just a handful of silver. He had grabbed his overcoat from the back of his chair but it was far too humid to be wearing it right now. He looked around and his heart sunk even further. He had no clue to where he was, it wasn't a place that he recognized from his travels across either continent. He was in the middle of a plain. There was nothing, no landmarks he could orient himself with. There were trees up ahead though. And to either side. He sighed and ran his hand over his bare scalp. Okay. Don't panic. Just start walking and figure this out.

As the sun rose and began to beat down on him Ed stripped his shirt, wrapping it around his head and slipping on the overcoat. He wanted to stay cool, but at the same time he didn't want the sun to burn him. The trees were getting closer now and there, among them… Was that a building? He shaded his eyes with a hand and squinted, using a little magic to enhance his sight. It was a building! With a cry of joy he began to run towards it.

He was close to it when his run faltered, slowing until he finally stopped and stood there staring. What he had at first taken to be a tree next to the building was actually a tree growing through the building. Nobody had been here in years. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. The dragon would be back for him. She wasn't going to leave him here. By now Peabody would be awake and questioning where he was. Maybe Twinkle had already roused the others. There was a loud roar, from very close by. Ed swallowed. What could that be now?