[Skye Verath Lodge] A Guided Tour. (Kylar, Crimson)

[Kylar]

As Nir'wei spoke, Kylar felt a slight bit of shame. The man talked about killing so brutally, and he wasn't far from the truth. These creatures, albeit beautiful, were used for that purpose - methods of killing. Of course, it was all for justice and to save people, but he would be training to kill with one of these creatures. Heck, he already HAD trained to kill. He lowered his gaze a little at the thought of it. What he did was for good, but that didn't make it good. He took life, something so precious and personal. It wasn't something he was proud of doing. But someone had to. There were people out there who killed without second thought, and those were the people he hunted down. If he lived with regret his whole life, so be it - as long as he was saving more lives than he took.

"I can imagine, hence my desire to become a rider. A handler, as well, one day. But that bond is something I want" he explained, keeping his eyes fixed on Sorclen as he did so. "As a hunter, I always felt different to the rest. The other hunters were violent and took joy in the kill of an animal. They saw themselves above the animals on the food chain. But for me, it was like we were equals. A battle of power and mind between me and my hunt. I guess I've always felt a connection."
He wanted to explain how he didn't hunt animals anymore, but bringing himself to say he hunt people wasn't something he could do. Crimson knew, as did most of his friends - as few as he may have. But that was partially the reason he isolated himself so much. He would never let what he did make him proud, and surrounding himself with people who either believe it's fine or tell him it is out of sympathy was no good for him. Sometimes he wondered which Crimson was, did she just comfort him or did she really believe it was right? Perhaps one day he would ask.

Kylar sighed, then slowed down his scratching of Sorclen. As much fun as he was having, he was here for a tour. "I think it's best we go and carry on, if that's alright. But I hope to see this one again" he chuckled. "Besides, Jacadon sound interesting. What do you say Crimson?"
He turned his attention to Sorclen once more and gave him one final scratch behind the ear. "I hope to see you again soon, Sorclen."

[Crimson]

As Nir'wei spoke about killing, Crimson saw Kylar's gaze lower. She felt the discomfort coming from him. She tried to read his face, seeing exactly what he was feeling - but it was pretty obvious. She put a hand on his cheek and raised his eyes to look at her. When she looked in his, she saw guilt. "Kylar, I want you to listen to me" she said softly. "What you do is for good. Never be ashamed of that. You save lives, and by being a rider you will save even more. Even if you do have to kill to do it."
She turned to Nir'wei after saying that and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, you didn't need to hear any of that!" she said and chuckled. She ruffled Kylar's hair and then turned back to Sorclen.

As Kylar spoke of being a rider, her heart filled with pride. This bond he spoke about was something she noticed but rarely got the chance to see. Thus far, they hadn't gone hunting together much - not since the beginning of their relationship. To hear this bond he wanted to grow and to see it grow before her was incredible. This man was hers, and nobody would take that much from her. The fact that he saw himself as an equal to the animals he hunted was a concept she couldn't grasp, but one she admired. Most hunters, from what she heard and saw, took pleasure in knowing they were stronger than the animals they hunted. But Kylar, even if he hunted a rabbit, would say otherwise. He had once told her 'If you underestimate any opponent it can get you killed. A man was given a brain by the immortals, as was a rabbit, as was a dragon. All of us are created the same way, by the same being. We are all Karem's creatures, and as such we all deserve the same respect and fear'. It confused her, how someone as strong as him would ever compare himself to an animal small and frail - but he did. Perhaps not because of whichever had the power, but more out of respect.

As sad as it was to say good bye, if Kylar wanted to go then she would follow. After all, she was only enjoying herself so much because she saw the pleasure it gave Kylar. "I think we should go as well" she said, giving Sorclen one last stroke and smiling. As they walked away, she took Kylar's hand. "I love you, Kylar" she said gently.

[Nir'wei]

He'd only made a casual remark; nothing intentionally spiteful, not that he couldn't have turned around and easily rattled off a thousand reasons or more why he had every good reason to despise the Iron Hand and everything they did. It was surprising though, to see that it had such an immediate and profound effect on Kylar. He took a step back, letting Crimson take over with her reassurances. Telling him that he was working for good. Saving lives by killing others. Funny to think how many people slept at night, all over the world, telling each-other exactly the same thing. Everyone thought they were doing good. Everyone thought they were saving lives, even if it meant killing others. Nir'wei kept his thoughts to himself though. He stood, tight-lipped, nodded with a smile to Crimson and added in his own little tidbit at the end. "You know, the fact that you have such a hard time deciding whether what you're doing is the right thing, means that you care more about it than most. Especially those who don't give any thought at all."

That moment aside, it was time to get back into the meaty conversation. "The bond is something everyone wants, I think." Sure, there were a few who thought themselves too mighty to lower themselves to equal footing with Volareon, even Jacadon in some of the extreme cases. "It's something every animal has. That... hrm. You can't explain it, can you?" He grinned at Kylar; perhaps one of the few people that might actually understand what he was talking about, with a curious glance towards Crimson as well, to see if she shared the same mindset. "That connection. That understanding that surpasses everything else."

Hunting was similar. Not identical, not even very close really, but, similar. "You see the fight, yes. The game of survival. The others just see simple, brutal killing and nothing more, as if they'd have the same amount of enjoyment from killing an animal while it's still in a cage. They don't appreciate what it is they're doing." Despite himself, a grin built on the corners of his mouth. "The stalking, the tracking. They pull ahead, you follow. Sometimes they win, they throw you off and you can never find them again, and they win the game. Other times, they're not smart enough, and you chase them down. They fight, you fight, together locked in a battle the likes of which seasoned warriors could never find on the harshest battlefields." He laughed at his own melodramatic speech and how utterly ridiculous it sounded now, but he kept going. "The true battle lasts trials. Trials sitting in a tent, staring at the night sky, just thinking about it. Trials scouting the landscape, following the tracks, losing them, finding them again. A gruelling challenge... and, at the end, a thrilling climax as you take your prize. If they lose, they lose. The battle is what matters, though."

He'd not realized just how heavily he was breathing. A tiny translucent paw was waving back and forth over his eyes; Archailist trying to snap him back into the current reality. "Oh. Uh. Heh, sorry." Nir'wei smiled sheepishly. "Alright, let's move along to the Jacadon. Now, they're quite a bit more restrained, because unlike the Volareon, all of them are already bound to a rider of their own; that's the only way they arrive here, because a Blazer has ascended the Burning Mountains and successfully passed the task set to them by the young Jacadon, while surviving its overprotective parents," Nir'wei rattled on as he started strolling down the corridor of stalls, towards the next building along. His voice fired off remarks, all the information he could remember over the past near-Arc of Gaspards informative lectures, and more still from the Blazers that visited.

The rest of the tour, unfortunately, wasn't as interesting as Sorclen. The Volareon's foot was treated successfully thanks to the early diagnosis, and as the sun set and Nir'wei came to the end of his tour, he promised that next time they came back, Sorclen would still be waiting for them. After all, the young bird was still in training. He wouldn't be going anywhere for at least a few more seasons. By then, who knew? Maybe Kylar would be the one that took his reins.

[Pegasus]

Rewards for All!

Nir'wei

Story: 5 /5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:
Animal Husbandry: Check in-training Volareon every seven trials
Animal Husbandry: Domesticated Volareon are much more prone to infection
Animal Husbandry: Full body check for in training Volareon
Animal Husbandry: Soothing skittish Volareon
Animal Husbandry: Distracting from unpleasant tasks with a nice ear-scratch
Animal Husbandry: How to check a Volareon's paw
Animal Training: Getting the Volareon use to it's name helps training
Investigation: Seeking out fungus in all the best places
Detection: Spotting the small details.
Storytelling: Passion adds to the story
Teaching: Lead by example
Teaching: Explain why you do what you do
Teaching: Give all the options
Teaching: Encouragement goes a long way.
Kylar: A Lotharro
Crimson: A Sev'ryn


Loot: NA
Fame: +1 (general good deed: thinking of what they'll like on the tour)
Devotion: NA
Magic: These points may NOT be used for arcana

Kylar

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:
Psychology: It's important to make a good first impression.
Animal Husbandry: Don't make sudden moves around Jacadons / Volareons in training, it frightens them.
Animal Husbandry: Animals can sense fear
Animal Husbandry: Feeding Volareon
Animal Husbandry: Distracting from unpleasant tasks with a nice ear-scratch
Animal Husbandry: How to check a Volareon's paw
Animal Husbandry: Canenula: Deals with fungal rot
Animal Training: Getting the Volareon use to it's name helps training
Investigation: Seeking out fungus in all the best places
Location: Skye Verath Lodge
Nir'wei: Works at the lodge
Nir'wei: A bit scruffy-looking
Nir'wei: A pacifist
Nir'wei: A passionate man
The difference between an animal handler and a skyrider


Loot: NA
Fame: NA
Devotion: +1 (prayer to Karem)
Magic: These points may NOT be used for arcana

Crimson

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

Knowledge:
Animal Husbandry: Don't make sudden moves around Jacadons / Volareons in training, it frightens them.
Detection: Spotting small details in order to gauge a situation.
Detection: Facial expressions
Animal Husbandry: Feeding Volareon
Animal Husbandry: Canenula: Deals with fungal rot
Animal Training: Getting the Volareon use to it's name helps training
Investigation: Seeking out fungus in all the best places
Location: Skye Verath Lodge
Nir'wei: Works at the lodge
Nir'wei: A bit scruffy-looking
Nir'wei: A pacifist
Nir'wei: A passionate man
The difference between an animal handler and a skyrider

Loot: NA
Fame: +1 (supporting Kylar)
Devotion: NA
Magic: These points may NOT be used for arcana

Story All good! A nice story, I enjoyed it and it was great to see the characters interact. Three very different people, all played very well!
Structure No issues.

Please do PM me if you've got any questions