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Post by Pa'landri on Jun 22, 2014 22:08:24 GMT 1
Though always a city alive and constantly buzzing, moving, ever changing, The Awakening Festival multiplies it all tenfold. The crowds filling the streets become a near impenetrable wall of flesh, cloth, hair, and steel. The few spots where no people are are wooden barrels of mead, free to take and take again for those who manage to reach them, as well as tables filled (woe the unlucky man who drew upon himself the duty of refilling it) with heaps of various delicacies from all across the land. The street itself turns invisible under the hundreds of thousands of pairs of feet covering it for three days straight, most of which hardly ever even moves during this time, stuck in their places but celebrating with great enthusiasm non the less. Nothing could crush the spirit of these people.
Banners of all kinds decorate the walls both outside and in, some trail after the many youngsters and more agile of citizens who have taken to running and jumping across the rooftops and towers in an improvised dance. Music to go with it might be playing in the background somewhere, or it might not. It is difficult to tell over the shouts and laughter of the people, and the city guards know better than to try and gain any semblance of control, so they rather join in.
Palandrion, the festival of the Goddess' salvation is the grandest in all the land; fittingly so, being the capital and house to the White Dragon Palace where Pa'landri once established her rule. Not a soul cares on this day that the throne room, and the throne, stand empty.
When the night falls and the lack of lights will render the city blind, the festivities will yet continue, carrying on with cheer until the dawn brings back the sun.
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Indi Willows
Wanderer
My ghost, where'd you go?
Posts: 13 
Race: Mundane
Primary Class: Rogue
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 73
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Post by Indi Willows on Jun 23, 2014 3:51:19 GMT 1
Back when Indi would have to fight for food, way back before she joined Gil on the road, she'd live for the days that the bandits would lurk around a city during a festival day. She'd dress in her best clothes, hair pulled back and neat, if only to blend in and score enough bread for a few weeks, and enough mead to fill her belly and make her light on her feet. She'd stumble back to camp, and toss food at them and feel, if only for a moment as they rejoiced, that she was actually wanted, even though it was a lie she'd tell herself to sleep easier at night, when the buzzing in her brain would stop.
But she didn't have to do that anymore. She'd separate from Gil for the day, lose herself in the music and the dance, pig out until she couldn't move before collapsing wherever they had set up to sleep. That's how most festivals went with her. They were loud, and she loved it, reminded her that the world was more than just the muffled noises and awkward silence she'd grown so accustomed to. The city reminded her that she was alive and had something worth living for, although it was herself. But it was the most important thing she could ever live for. Sure, she was like any other and would wonder what happened to the Goddess, but just like everyone else, she'd get caught up in the jeers and cheers, and a smiling soul clapping a hand on her back, and shoving a tankard in a hand and a sweet roll in the other.
She'd been standing in the square, money tucked away safely in her chest when she saw a circle of small children dancing around, singing. So she did the only thing that felt natural, and dance around them as they squealed at her. They'd wave her down, and a girl would tuck a flower in to her braids before grabbing their hands and running off. Indi would say she hated kids to anyone's face, but if there was none around that she felt as if she'd have to be a bigger person to, it would be quite the opposite. By the end of the day, there would be a dozen flowers woven in to the braids that she'd so painstakingly do that morning. If she wasn't dancing with children, she'd be tucked away in a corner, coy smile stealing a man of the gold that hung too heavy in his pockets. The guards never really paid attention anyways when a pretty girl would lure a drunk man away.
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"Magpie"
Messengers 
May the winds carry me to my destination.
Posts: 4
Race: Anthromorph
Primary Class: Barbarian
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 0
Morality: Chaotic Evil
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Post by "Magpie" on Jun 24, 2014 2:21:32 GMT 1
Strong winds bore her body easily for miles upon miles across the land, leading her forward and up towards the heavens where she could soar undisturbed, until she would have to descend and land by her faraway destination. Woe when that moment came when she'd once again, the millionth time, be forced to give up her freedom and rightful place as a queen in the sky, to dirty her feet in the mud of the ground and play errand girl for the up nosed fat-cats of Quakerion House. At least the air was fresh and the currents good, breezing in soothingly under her feathers as she twisted her wings to ride along while the setting sun still provided some warmth from above.
Ah, yes, a journey in her favor it was, but a painstakingly long one still. It was not every day that she was to be tasked with a message to take far outside the borders of the county she served. The humans had a tendency to stay all nestled up in their little corners, hissing at strangers and refusing to dignify anyone but their own with even a word of greeting. So many knew nothing of the world and refused to learn. Getting to leave her usual area of duty came as a surprise, though not necessarily a bad one. It would be a grave lie to claim she hadn't been eager to take off, happy to stretch her wings to the fullest, even if it was for a lower cause.
Four days after leaving Boul, Magpie set foot at last upon roof of the west messengers' tower in Palandrion. She made quick work of going through the usual procedure, exchanging her message for another one, handed to her by a wobbling fellow whose breath smelled of mead and sour milk when he approached her. She did her best not to grimace at the foul thing, not to gag at the stench which lingered on the parchment she'd taken with her talons from the man's hand, before promptly fleeing the scene and finding herself comforting herself with the mental image of the other stumbling out the tower window behind her. Perhaps she'd come back some day, just to see it come true.
With the wind blowing from the south, it was evident the returning trip would not come as smoothly as the the journey here had. A week, perhaps, if she was lucky and well rested by the time she set off. Perched atop the roof of a lower building, she was still and fairly relaxed for the first time since she'd landed. Her long, black tail feathers dangled down lazily over the street, her chest steadily rising and falling with her deep breaths, and eyes closed in an attempt to block out the noise of the celebrating crowds around her. In vain, of course. Magpie could not hope to find anywhere quiet or peaceful (or clean) enough for her to get some real rest, not while the festival was still ongoing.
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Indi Willows
Wanderer
My ghost, where'd you go?
Posts: 13
Race: Mundane
Primary Class: Rogue
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 73
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Post by Indi Willows on Jun 24, 2014 22:04:13 GMT 1
After wandering back to where it was safe to drop off any coin she'd gathered, the blonde head back out in to the city, joining in the groups of people staring at the sky in drunken stupor, squawking over a being in flight. She didn't really pay attention as she waded through them to get to an area for her to sit down and enjoy relaxing. Indi had come across of a lot of things in her travels. The bandits had gone all over the land, she'd pass all sorts of shifters and tribes, and things she didn't even know she passed when she did. It's something that made her life so exciting. She was always so wide-eyed, not yet jaded by anything that would or will happen to her. So when she got up and started to walk down the streets, giggling at all the drunken fools, and she came across a bird- no. Not a bird. A human? No, no that's not right either.
A columbine.
Indi hadn't ever been this close to one before, she'd seen them, yes. But not so close. Not within earshot, within reach. Maybe it was because she was a thief, but his had the nature in her to want to touch anything that shimmered or sparkled. And in the sunlight, the being was. "Maybe it's not a good idea to let your feathers dangle like that, birdy~" Indi said, a singsong lilt to her voice, but kept her hands to herself. "Don't want some little gross kid to trounce by and pluck one." She smiled, not quite sure how to take in the moment, but kept her distance. She did not want to add "Had eyes popped out" to her list of defects.
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"Magpie"
Messengers
May the winds carry me to my destination.
Posts: 4
Race: Anthromorph
Primary Class: Barbarian
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 0
Morality: Chaotic Evil
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Post by "Magpie" on Jul 6, 2014 22:30:46 GMT 1
At first, it did not register in her head that it was she who was being spoken too. Among the thousands of voices, noises, the rustling of the crowds bellow, one woman's words were easily lost, particularly to the one who were already actively trying not to listen. In vain, of course. Magpie did not possess the undoubtedly magical abilities necessary to block out the buzz. Still, what was aimed at her melted into everything else, and it was only a strange nagging feeling in her chest feathers which made the columbine open her eyes anyway, turning around to find a female mundane looking up at her from the street. She seemed as though she was waiting for a response.
"Oh, you-- You speak, to me?" Magpie almost squeaked, just loud enough for her voice to carry down, apparently not quite believing it to be true. Few spoke to those of her kind if they did not have to, or unless they were barking out one demand after another. Magpie was not entirely convinced this was an exception.
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Indi Willows
Wanderer
My ghost, where'd you go?
Posts: 13
Race: Mundane
Primary Class: Rogue
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 73
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Post by Indi Willows on Jul 6, 2014 23:06:20 GMT 1
"I do," Indi spoke clear and precise, crossing her fingers and toes that the other being had heard her, considering she had grown up either speaking too loudly or too softly and she herself had only just barely heard the majestic being's voice. But she wasn't one to ask someone to speak up, better to hide ones faults then run around parading about them. "I thought your lot avoided cities." It was just something astonishing to Indi. The stories she had heard growing up about the creatures lost between humans and animals varied, but more often than not they consisted of hellish tales of war and pain, most likely embellished by the elder bandits. Indi had no idea what to believe but kept her safe distance, even though she knew that a bird could swoop and fly off before the thief could even make heads or tails of the situation.
So maybe the girl was a little bit curious. "Indi," she said bluntly, "That's my name."
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"Magpie"
Messengers
May the winds carry me to my destination.
Posts: 4
Race: Anthromorph
Primary Class: Barbarian
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 0
Morality: Chaotic Evil
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Post by "Magpie" on Jul 11, 2014 23:00:59 GMT 1
Her head cocked to the side, meeting the eyes of the human girl bellow her. Curiosity; she practically reeked of it. Or perhaps it was simply her natural stench, who could really tell with these fleshy, sweaty beings. Everything in this city smelled, as if the deafening noise wasn't enough. The Goddess must be playing a cruel joke on her, to send her here to play nice with lesser beings. At least this one had yet to demand anything of her, seemingly only interested in plainly conversing. Magpie supposed she could humor her prodding. For now.
"Yes. We d-do. Most of the t-time." She did not make much effort to speak up like the other, leaving it to luck for the girl to catch her soft words at all. Perhaps if she didn't, she would tire and stalk off. "B-But b-business takes us, strange p-places."
"Indi," she tasted the name on her tongue. "I am M-Magpie. I serve the Quaker-ion House." The tone of her voice was one of someone who had been trained to remember and repeat those words, someone who said them often and a thousand times over, tiredly and with no true feelings of neither pride nor joy at being in her position. Heavens know, she did not. "You live here, yes? In capital?"
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Indi Willows
Wanderer
My ghost, where'd you go?
Posts: 13
Race: Mundane
Primary Class: Rogue
Primary Level: 1
Soul Points: 73
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Post by Indi Willows on Jul 13, 2014 20:39:31 GMT 1
"Oh?" The only thing ever constant in her life was travels. The beatings were fleeting, and only in her past since she met Gil less than 2 years ago. But she yearned to travel, to move. They'd wander off for a few weeks, a few months, and then go back to Palandrion City. But the trips were long and Indi would tire and sleep tied to horses, tucked in to wagons. Indi wanted to pick her brain and hear everything she had to say about what she saw in the world.
Hearing her was on thing though. She had enough problems hearing day to day life that straining her ears, her stupid broken human ears, felt like too much of an effort. She could get some travelling merchant to tell her wildly spun tales for a few drinks, bodies pressed close and she'd only have to try to focus on him. But Indi didn't like backing down from something she saw as a challenge. And the columbine, Magpie, was interesting.
"Palndrion is hardly strange. People who live on farms are strange. Cities are wonderful," she shook her head after she spoke. She loved this city, loved what it offered her and just how.. central it was in the land. But it was far from home. Home didn't exist to her. "I'm here, and that's what matters right now."
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