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littlelizzie

Wonderland

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Zoraffe groaned and raised her head slightly as she felt something coil around her, then quickly uncoiled. She shivered as she looked up the dog. "I'm no threat," Zoraffe said, trying to stand up. She felt so weak when she collapsed. She never felt so weak. "And I'm fine." She had to sit down hard as her vision blurred. Her ears twitched madly as she felt her heartbeat bound in her ears. "I must get away. Got to get away from attackers." She then once again tried to stand up.

 

(NOTE: I will be away for a couple of days, not by my own choosing, but due to an ice warning in my state and I don't want to go out and drive while ice is on the road just to be on the internet)

Edited by Raptor of Dragons

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He glared at the dog, and then looked at the now awake giraffe girl. Etrall had admittedly been a bit cowardly when he was coiled around his victim and unable to attack, but now that he had lost his meal he was in a sour mood and not as keen to take sass from a dog. "Little?" He said indignantly. "I may have looked smaller coiled up, but I think it is you who is little. I bet you love to be fed and pet and loved by your humans. But for me? I get to hide in a bush all day!" Etrall narrowed his eyes. Maybe he would fight this dog, even if it did look capable enough to rip his wings.

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"Loved and petted? Oh, you naive thing. How does it feel to care for someone, only to have the shove you away, curse at you, cry in terror, try themselves to kill you? How does it feel to be shunned from your own race and to be stuck following a human?" Iceblood snarled, his soul blazing. "Only I could tell. Only I know the pain to see your very master wither away before your very eyes, and yet you can do nothing about it. You can do nothing but watch and prevent an early death."

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Alice watched the whole scene play out in front of her. When Iceblood looked at her she frowned and looked back at the snake like creature. 'Will it actually eat her?' She thought, not knowing what to do. She heard the giraffe girl say something. She then watched as the girl tried to stand up and looked at Iceblood. She knelt down by him and touched his head, hearing what he had said about his masters. "Attack him, but don't hurt him to badly. Just scare him away." She whispered, glaring at the snake. No one got to talk like that to Iceblood. She worried slightly, though. She didn't know what the snake could do, and she didn't know Iceblood's capability in a fight. If things got to hairy, then she would call back Iceblood.

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"At least you have a human to protect!" Etrall retorted furiously. "The closest I ever get to one is when they're asleep. Because, you see dog, this is what happens when I do muster up the courage to show myself to a waking human." He had heard the girl's comment about scaring him away. He didn't care anymore, though: he was well ready for a fight now. Even if he had to lose a little of his own blood, Etrall was not going to let this contemptuous dog get away thinking he had the shorter end of the stick. Did this dog cause nightmares wherever he went? No. Was it the only way he could survive? No. And so what if any other dogs shunned him? Etrall had never met another serpent like him in his life!

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Iceblood let out a deep growl. "As you wish, Mistress." With that, he started circling. There was very little anger in his movements at first. He walked almost as though nothing strange was going on. After a few seconds, though, he bared his teeth, letting his fiery soul blaze bright. The strange flames flowed from his eyes, glowing across his skin and curling around his paws. Iceblood was ready to attack, and there wasn't a chance in the world that he'd let this one get away unscathed.

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Zoraffe watched as the dog circle the snake creature, almost jealous with rage. She had a human she visited way back when, but now she couldn't go back. Everytime she tried to get help, the thing that was hunting her kept attacking her. "I know you're feeling snake," Zoraffe said, hoping to calm down the situation. "But my version is a bit different. I have a human counterpart that I can't reach anymore. Something keeps attacking me because of... what happened.

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He watched as the dog drew its lips back in a snarl, and Etrall returned with a ferocious roar. He reared up for attack, but as he prepared to crash down he flinched. "You don't know how I feel," he growled softly. "You have one thing hunting you. But it seems no matter how far I go, everything is against me. I've tried to explain that what I do is not by choice, I really have, but no one listens. No one cares. I'm just the big demon snake to them." He narrowed his eyes and turned back to the dog, anger burning in his eyes. He flared out his wings and roared again, pouncing at the dog. Etrall was no longer afraid, but he would defend himself at all costs.

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((Just a note: Iceblood doesn't have lips o-o))

 

Iceblood leaped to the side, the snake clipping his back paw by a hair's breadth. The dog winced, feeling his paw being bent a little to far upwards, before landing with a loud thud, turning to make a move of his own. He bounded back in, opening his jaw wide, launching himself at the snake's tail.

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There was a cold wind flowing through the mountains. It was biting, a devious demonic zephyr that wished nothing more than to cause suffering. It was the kind of enemy you could not fight, only hope to attempt to defend against.

Aldranon stepped through the cracks and crevices of the mountain, unfeeling. Fur coats dangled over his shoulders, keeping his body regulated. His breath, however, was ragged and misty.

He grabbed the flask at his side as he marched onward through the steppes. He drank slowly from it, appreciating it. It was a drink which renewed vigor, staying warm even in these conditions.

As he trudged on, he heard the whispers of the mountain. Some would say it was just the wind, rolling across the rocks. Aldranon knew better. Mountains were old, mighty beings with much to tell. The legacies of those who had come before to train here were etched into the rocks, their strength frozen in the undying stone. It gave Aldranon power as he walked among them, laying his hand upon each stone.

He had finally finished the Pilgrimage of the Blade, one which many had done before him in this world of fantasy and glory. It was a test of a person's endurance, wisdom, and survival. Every facet of your body, pummeled by wind, beast, and even man - those driven insane in the mountains, who attempted the same trial and had not the strength to carry on.

It was like a tournament of heroism. Those without willpower and determination would fall into the snow, forgotten, crushed under the heel of the mountain's foot. Like the snowflakes of the blizzards which seemed incessant, they were blown from the mountain, beaten.

Those who survived, however, were honored. There was a great glory in reaching the top of the mountain's peak. The mountain pass, the Madman's Knives, was a death trap that only the foolhardy or brave would ever attempt.

Aldranon had attempted it. He had proved his worth. Two arduous years of mentally training his mind and body, allowing the snows to crash against him, allowing the animals to attack him only to be cast back, allowing his mind to hear the calls of the mountain which carried him on.

At last, he had made it to the summit. A shrine here, built centuries ago by the first warrior to make it to the top, stood weathered by time and wind.

He stood before it. Suddenly, he felt words coming to his mind, beckoning him to speak them.

"I, Aldranon Theodores, am as a mountain." he proclaimed fervently, unsheathing his blade. "The snow crashes against me as a wave. I stand unmoving. Enemies attack me from all angles. I strike them down with the fury of stone. Voices call to me to give up. I continue to survive, unyielding."

He raised his blade to the skies. The blizzard howled furiously for a moment, hoping to make a last attempt to halt his advance. The voices of the mountain grew in his ears, cursing him for his victory. He ignored it all. His mind was in pure bliss, a blackness, unfeeling. All he felt was might and honor.

"I am a mountain taller than all the mountains in this pass!" he roared out into the distance. "I am a wall of stone stronger than any rock in the steppes!"

The mountain howled more enraged than before. Lightning crackled above him, threatening to strike him down. Now was the moment of truth.

"HEAR ME, STONES OF THE EARTH! I HAVE WON!" he roared into the wind, his voice carrying above the blizzard and storm. "YOU HAVE TRIED TO STRIKE ME DOWN, AND I HAVE DEFEATED YOU. SUBMIT, AND GIVE TO ME YOUR BLESSING! I WILL CARRY ON THE LEGACY OF THE EARTH!"

The wind reached a tumultuous height. Aldranon shoved his blade into the stones of the mountain.

The blizzard ended abruptly. The lightning stopped. The howl of the wind became a mere murmur.

 

---

 

Aldranon rose his head, staring forward. Ahead of him, a stone awaited for him to carve his symbol into it, making it his. As he stepped forward, the stones seemed to welcome him now. He was now one of them.

He was a mountain.

He kneeled before the stone and grabbed his dagger, made for this purpose.

For twelve hours, he sat, painstakingly carving his rune into the stone to perfection. This would leave a legacy for future heroes to witness and praise.

As he carved, his eyes began to change color - the blessing of the mountain, showing that he was a warrior to be feared.

For he was the stone.

He finished his work, breathing upon it so that his legacy would be told to future heroes. A fragment of his valor would forever be embedded in the stone, a permanent reminder of what he did.

He stood to his feet, staring at it with glory and pride. Then, he grabbed his sword and raised it to the skies, shouting loudly with bestial vigor across the steppes.

The mountains echoed his cry.

"Now." he sheathed the sword slowly, turning. "The Wandering Blade shall find his new path."

He left the stone, the dagger shoved into the top of it.

 

---

 

It had taken nearly two years to climb the way it was meant to be climbed, but took only a few days to scale back down. The mountain's slopes quickened his speed. Using a rope made for the purpose, he leapt down the mountainside, staring at the top.

The rules had been simple - no rope. No food you did not grab yourself. The only thing you could have is your best sword and a knife made in a certain way. The knife was your greatest ally - your eternal servant. When it was satiated by the snows and blood of the mountain, then it could be used to carve the rune into the Rocks of Honor.

Even though he wasn't of this world, Aldranon respected its traditions. With his newly colored eyes, those of the same path would treat him with dignity and grace. He could even have become a knight in the army of the kings themselves - if they hadn't died in that war.

Now, it was just simply something to show that he wouldn't die like a fool in the snow, weak and pitiful. He would be as the mountain, unmoving.

 

----

 

He reached the bottom, then kneeled to face the entrance to the mountain pass, bowing.

"I thank you for allowing me to step upon you." he whispered to the stones. "I was honored to tread upon the rocks of such a powerful foe."

He then turned and wrapped his scarf of wolf hide back around his neck, shrouding his face from the winds of the lower steppes. A town nearby, Stonesbreath, would treat his wounds and feed him for his endeavors. There would be a festival celebrating the birth of a new warrior.

Yet, that mattered little to him. Though he would honor tradition, no amount of food, drink, or revelry would satiate his hunger for glory - not until this war-torn land recognized him as a true hero. He needed to perform a quest, one he had been told of many years ago. A quest which would require all of his faculties to be at their fullest potential.

Now that he had proven himself to the mountain, this would be a much easier task. Still, he had to first find those who were to aid him in the path.

He trudged towards Stonesbreath, filled with a strong sense of motivation and tenacity.

 

---

 

"You haven't heard anything about any new heroes?"

"No sir. You're the only one."

"Are you certain? They may not look like heroes. They may seem as normal people."

"Not many people come out here besides warriors with a desire to prove something."

"I understand.. Thank you for your help."

Aldranon left the inn, sighing. Another fruitless search for the ones who would follow him on his path to victory.

It had been a week since the festival which honored his birth as a hero. It had been grand, yes, and he had been given the ceremonial tattoo of the mountain upon his right shoulder. Such an honor should have filled him with great pride. However, at the moment, he was despairing.

Had he been too early? Too late? Had the heroes failed due to his training in the mountains? Were they fighting, even now, without him there to lend his sword?!

He grabbed the hilt of his blade to calm himself, feeling the familiar sheen of Speculum's magical energy flow through him. Just holding the sword reminded him of the battle with the great beast who had wielded it before him, aiding him in overcoming all that stood in his way. When doubt had clouded his vision, Speculum had renewed his faith in his abilities.

The blade of a mirror's edge, reflecting the future of the wielder in two forms. Those with weak hearts would have been unable to use it without falling victim to the dreams and nightmares it brought with it. When eyes alighted upon the blade, they saw their futures, torn in two - the good parts of the future, shining and fantastical, and the terrible parts, bloody and wicked. Worse, the sword gave no notion of WHEN such things would occur, it just told WHAT would, and how to make it happen. Since time could not be changed, Aldranon had learned to follow what the sword told him, unafraid of the bad future, looking only forward towards the good.

 

---

 

He sat down in his room in the inn, curious. With a heavy breath, he removed the cloth from the blade's surface, allowing it to reflect once more.

Before he began, he admired the blade as he always did. It reminded the user of a shard of glass, broken from a mirror and turned into a blade. Yet it was far more than a simple shank or something of the sort. Beautifully crafted runes and symbols decorated the hilt of the sword, which was forged of ivory and ebony, representing the forces of yin and yang. This was, of course, due to the sword's duality.

The blade had told him before of the fates which had befallen those who had attempted to wield it long ago. The users would sooner or later lose their minds to madness, as everyone did in Wonderland at some point, and then slowly turn into the new Mirror Guardian. Aldranon swore that such a fate would not become his.

In any case, he stopped admiring it after a time and finally stared at it with his mind clear.

Immediately, the familiar sensation of being in a dream hit him. He willed himself to stay conscious, staring into the depths of the light half of the sword. The future began to develop within the blade, his own reflection disappearing to return along with people standing behind him, in an area he didn't recognize. If he had to wager a guess, however, he'd suggest the forest areas of Eastern Wonderland. To get there, he'd have to go across the land devastated by the War of the Kings.

But now he knew for sure the heroes were still awaiting him. Relieved, he covered the blade back up with the cloth which he used to shroud it from the eyes of the weak. He knew that those without conviction would fall to the blade's corruption when their eyes fell upon it.

He stood to his feet, stretching. He wasn't accomplishing anything here. He needed to head out upon the roads again.

It was time to find them.

 

---

 

Three days later, he was still traveling along the road from Stonesbreath to the city of Madness, a place aptly named for its history. According to lore, a sudden streak of dementia afflicted the inhabitants of the town, forcing those who still held their sanity to take refuge within their homes and fight for survival. At the end of it all, blood ran through the streets. The city was Madness.

He stepped up to the gates of the city, unabashed. In recent times, the city had taken great care to prevent such a catastrophe, creating bunkers and safety precautions over the years for those who needed shelter if it ever happened again. It was these bunkers which had saved the city during the War of Kings.

Time to start asking around.

 

---

 

Of course, he left the city without any information at all. From what he had learned, the heroes had probably just recently entered Wonderland. Where could they be now?

Thankfully, he had taken the time to make sure that the innkeepers knew who to refer the heroes to if they came to the town. However, for some reason, Aldranon doubted they'd come over here before he found them.

He was still in the Plains of Conflict, named for its amazing ability to turn men into war machines. It was a land quite different from the rest of Wonderland due to its nature. It was covered in barren stones and steppes, leaving little forest. Wars between the immortal imps and nymphs and the like occurred every day, leading to celebrations for the victors. The land was constantly in the center of war. It had been no surprise when the Kings had met here in bloody combat. Yet it had been a surprise for them to fight at all.

Aldranon hadn't really cared. The fights of politicians didn't concern him unless they asked for his help and proved their worth. He didn't fight for money nor did he fight for fame. He fought for honor as the Wandering Blade, his nickname known throughout the Plains of Conflict since he had first entered. Those who saw his mirror blade Speculum knew immediately their battle would be their last, in most cases.

Sadly, Aldranon knew the people he fought weren't worth the effort to slay or defeat. He had yet to find a warrior who could challenge him in any aspect of battle - even without his blade. Due to his nature as a human, he had an advantage over the strange and fantastical races of Wonderland - he was still sane. Most of the enemies in this world, especially in the Plains, were blabbering fools and mad monsters, spouting their nonsense until their throats were cut. It was quite depressing for him to kill them but he did it nonetheless if they drew their blades against him.

How long ago was it since his last venture from the Plains? He wondered how the rest of the land and its inhabitants had fared after the war, especially without monarchs.

He shrugged as he walked, unperturbed, upon the dusty road known as the Trail of Duels. In the old times, the Wonderland nobles would pass each other upon these roads and normally end up desiring to fight each other for one reason or another. This was also part of the challenge to climb to the top of the Madman's Knives. In regards to that, Madman's Knives hadn't been named for nothing - one of the many nobles had been a madman from Madness, who had escaped the city in search of a man he called "the Shadow." From what Aldranon had heard, the blabbering lunatic had dueled about twenty or more nobles on the road with a simple kitchen knife, leaving their bodies in the road to rot. When he had finally reached the mountain, he had been the second one to climb it. Somehow, he had made it to the top, in two and a half years. When the next hero climbed the mountain to seek his fame and fortune, he found the madman clutching his knife with white knuckles, his rune carved into both a rock of the mountain and his chest. Some say his last words, before the hero killed him out of mercy, were "NO! LEAVE ME! The Shadow is coming! I must slay him! The Shadow! THE SHADOW!"

The story, though unnerving, seemed to hold little merit. Aldranon heard nothing else about this Shadow that the lunatic seemed to want to give up everything to slay. Not even those of the Magician's Circle had heard of it in any of their books.

Whatever the truth of the story may be, Aldranon knew not, nor did he truly care much about it. It was just another piece of Wonderland's vast history of madness and fantasy.

He continued down the road, looking out into the distance to pass the time. Surprisingly enough, no one seemed to be fighting today on this part of the Plains. He was actually sort of confused.

"'Ey! Big censorkip.gif***! Move!"

Aldranon stopped suddenly and looked around, bewildered.

"Are ya deaf? Got rocks in yer giant ears!?" the voice was angry and shrill. "Mooooooove!"

Aldranon looked down.

At his feet there were three imps of diverse nature, one of which was staring at him with as much fury as he could muster. The other two were scratching themselves absentmindedly. All three of them were wearing the loincloths and sashes of the STUPID, the Scary, Terrible, Unbeatable, and Probably Invincible Demons.

They were also, as their name properly suggested, incredibly stupid to a fault, but Aldranon had to admit their tenacity in battle was admirable. Apparently, according to the imps Aldranon asked, STUPID was currently engaged in a feud with BOOKS, simply because STUPID couldn't understand them.

When Aldranon asked what BOOKS stood for, the imp looked at him oddly and said it didn't stand for anything. Aldranon then asked what BOOKS were.

The imp laughed and showed him a ragged, bound stack of paper and opened it, preparing to read it aloud for Aldranon.

"This is what they're fighting? ACTUAL books?"

"What others are there?" the imp asked, confused. "Aren't books books? Isn't STUPID STUPID?"

Aldranon now stared down at the imps at his feet and cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you three doing? Aren't you engaged in a ruthless battle with inked paper?"

The imp growled at him.

"Paper?! Books are dangerous! Give people weird words and confusin' thoughts! Makes 'em know things! Gives 'em power! They didn't give us power though, so we're gonna beat 'em!"

"I see." Aldranon rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just ask the other imps to teach you how to gain their information? Maybe you're not looking at them right?"

"Ask other imps?! PFFFT!" the imp scoffed. "Then we'd owe them somethin'. No! We are not weaker than the other clans! We're the best clan!"

"Right. Well, you enjoy yourself." Aldranon said as he stepped over the three, undaunted.

"You're lucky you're protected by the other imp clans, Launderin' Maid!" he spouted.

"Wandering Blade." Aldranon corrected, waving backward.

"No, you're a maid!" the imp bellowed back, waving his spear upside down. "Come clean my spear and feet, wench! See guys I know big words too!" he turned to his friends, grinning.

When he turned back around, there was a blade at his neck.

"I should clean you with your own blood for that." Aldranon seethed. "I have fought many women in the Plains of Conflict who fought just as well as men. The word wench dishonors each of them when a pathetic runt like you speaks it in such a way."

"Ah... sorry."

Aldranon sheathed his blade, his anger subsided. The mirror fragments that made up the sword shattered and surrounded him once more, hiding amongst his body.

It was quite the majestic sight, watching the cloth around the sword wrap around Aldranon's arm as the fragments of the blade separated from the hilt, returning to various places upon his body. The large, metal hilt which the blade attached to was then simply strapped onto his belt, easily removed.

He then turned around again, starting his walk with renewed vigor.

"By the way, should that nickname become popular among the other imp clans, I'll be sure to personally end your existence." he called back as he walked.

The imps weren't necessarily evil. In fact, they were considered by many to be something of a dreadful necessity. Due to their immortal nature and their multiple numbers, the imps could have easily overwhelmed a few cities long ago if they had wanted to. Instead, like with all forces that would be better together, they decided to squabble amongst each other. Nobles who noticed this began to bet on their little wars, sometimes even throwing in some monsters or two to turn the tide in their favor. The result became a bit of a tournament that started growing to popularity as the grandiose nature of the conflicts grew.

 

----

 

Aldranon finally reached the border of the Plains of Conflict that separated it from the Forests of Wonder. The forests were filled with all manner of curious and unusual creatures, their shapes and sizes only limited by imagination. Natural selection really didn't exist in Wonderland - rather, it was replaced by "things just become, and they stay being."

It had been a long time since he had seen the forest. He also felt he was close to his allies. With a sigh, he stepped across the border. The magical barrier which separated the Forests from the Plains rippled as he passed through it, shimmering slightly. As he entered, he took a deep breath and smiled.

Immediately, he felt the change in atmosphere.

The Plains of Conflict filled those within it with an intense desire to wage war and battle. The Forests of Wonder filled those who inhabited it with a intense craving for knowledge and creation. As such, the magic within it turned whatever was strong in the minds of those who it found into reality. Sometimes, this didn't work out too well. Most of the time, it created random little beings who lived peacefully amongst themselves. Other times, it created the mightiest and most benevolent beasts of the forest, who became known as the Guardians.

Surely they would know where the other heroes were.

 

(( Stopping here because I want to give SOMEONE a chance to see Aldranon coming through the barrier into the Forest, should you guys be there, which I assume is the case. ))

Edited by Thaelasan

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((All of the characters are actually on the other side of the forest. I could make a creature so you have someone to roleplay with for a bit, or you can just make a long post again and get through the forest c: ))

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((One crazy Wonderland creature coming up! :3))

 

 

The sound of hoof beats could be heard. The creature was running from nothing, for it just wanted to run. It had to keep its head down while it was running, knowing that if its head was up its large, four foot antlers would get caught in tree branches. It quickly came to a stop at a thin river and pranced over it, turning to drink the fresh water. As it tilted its head down, the black antlers scratched against rocks and grass. The simple thin scratch on a rock hissed and started to fester, but soon grew mold in the crevice. Once the creature had finished its drink, it's long ears flicked. Someone had entered the forest. It turned to lick its dull green fur and watched for any Wonderland inhabitants.

 

When it saw no one, it cautiously walked to where the border of the forest was. It kept its head down, but made sure it could still see anything or anyone in its path. The creature was unknown to most inhabitants of wonderland, since it was one of the few creatures in the forest like itself. The creature called its species Lichas, but this certain creatures name was Asiah. When the creature came to the edge of the forest, it spotted a boy. The creature kept its head down and picked at some grass, uncertain if the boy would attack or not.

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Aldranon went a little further past the barrier until he noticed a strange, deer-like entity staring at him from a distance. He hadn't seen something like this before but that is normally the case with most creatures of this Forest.

For some odd reason, he felt drawn to it. It wasn't a desire to attack it for food or chase it for entertainment. It was more of a desire to know what it was.

Wonder, you could call it.

He stepped close, casually, unarmed, holding both hands out. It was a normal stance for someone meaning no harm but animals usually didn't understand. Most animals in this forest possessed some level of intelligence, though.

He got close to it until he could fully see its features. It was a glorious beast, to be sure. Back in his original land, a noble would have hunted such a magnificent creature simply to adorn its horns upon his mantle. Aldranon felt no such avarice. He was quite close now, and was afraid to startle the beast.

He reached out his hand, now mere feet from the creature, and stared at it to see what it would do.

He knew something was special about it. It wasn't any ordinary deer - which was sort of obvious due to its fur color.

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Asiah watched the boy as he walked towards him and lifted its head when he held his hands out. He knew that the boy wasn't going to attack, for his sword was still sheathed. He bowed his head down to the boy and picked some more grass, chewing it slowly. He then straightened himself again and looked the boy in the eyes, noticing he looked human.

"What might a human be doing in these woods?" He asked. His voice vibrated naturally, and was deep. This intimidated many of the creatures in the forest, and he was uncertain if the boy would back away or not.

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Aldranon was still a bit shocked when the creature spoke, even though he'd sort of become accustomed to such trivial matters by now.

He coughed a moment.

"I'm searching for a group of traveling heroes." he said, describing them as best he could from what he saw in the sword.

"I must find them. If I don't, then this broken world may end up finally shattered after all the resistance it has given." he said, dismayed. "I don't wish for that to happen."

He then stood back to his full height, bowing slightly.

"Oh, my apologies." he said. "I am Aldranon Theodores, the Wandering Blade. What's your name?"

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Zoraffe flinched at the sound of fighting, but otherwise said nothing. All the giraffe human did was flick her ears and sighed.

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