Reincarnated Remake

[pudding]

Fia nodded in agreement, following Ash closely as he approached another group of centaurs. Remaining standing nearby, she scratched at the ground, digging up a few bugs as if she wasn't aware of what they were talking about.

The centaurs looked up as Ash approached. One, with a grey lower half, sighed at his question, shaking his head slightly. "There haven't been and ladies for some time. They started disappearing a long time ago and recently, the last few disappeared from these parts. Similar things happened with Felitaurs and Cervitaurs. None of us know where they went but they just started vanishing in the middle of the night."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Could it be possible they went east or north? And the Evil is said to have returned... it could be a source... Surprising how much has changed in just two generations. My grandmother was from these parts. No wonder you don't have any shaman healers and rely on the Cervitars for healers. Shaman are mostly female, very rarely a male takes the task... " He fingers the necklace, the symbol of a shaman. "At home there are lady centaurs, but they were all older or younger then I. No happy medium.."

[pudding]

"We don't know anything about that," The centaur replied blankly with a shrug. "We banded together because we need to. We're trying to make a land for ourselves and it benefits all of us so we aren't just wandering and subject to being trapped by other creatures. You're lucky you got away from the humans but you'd be one in a thousand." He pointed at a group of Felitaurs lounging on their sides nearby. "We don't even have it so bad. Felitaurs are sent to rings to fight in and Cervitaurs are just hunted by a lot of our neighbors. It's easier to band together and fight with them than have another enemy." He shook his head slightly then looked up at the sky. "We don't know anything about an Evil or shaman or whatever. We're just looking to survive, not entertain stories."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Shaman where the wise. They looked to the heavens on major decisions and predict the outcome. They'll heal and pass on the knowledge of our people, train the young to be strong, advise the leaders in wisdom. They were respected and feared for they can mix positions and poisons, and even take a darkin head on! As for the Evil.... the Evil was responsible for destruction and death. War.. endless war... " He shook his head. "And dark days indeed. No wonder the Shaman's path isn't visible. No one remembers them. The humans didn't let me go. I was very happy living there, and volunteered for a important quest when my own wild kind captured me and the only two who can possibly stop this madness." He shivers and pulls over his blanket on his shoulders and it covered some of his back half.

[pudding]

"You'd be better off not talking like that," the centaur warned with a frown. "Nobody around here likes humans. If the pack leaders heard you talking like that, they'd cast you out immediately. You'd be better off just not mentioning them at all." He sniffed slightly and pointed towards the wagons, glancing at the others gathered around. "I hear they've got a human locked up over there. Apparently the Felitaurs want to toss him in a ring and make him fight. It'll be a good show if they do decide to do that."

"Well the Cervitaurs were whispering about a sacrafice."

"That sounds like them."

 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Do that, he'll come back with a grudge. He died once before, two hundred years ago. He is Ranaghar, the guardian of the forest. I heard what he can do. He most certainly not human. Don't believe me, have the Felitaur take him to the elf forest edge. You'll believe me then. Now. Look north." He points to the far side of the Plaines. The sky grew darker over there. "And tell me you don't see the unnatural black sky. No starts, no clouds, just black. Worse things are coming and I know this. Tarak our legendary warrior even says so, his olive branch of peace is not showing, only his bow of war. Besides, what gods are there to help us now? You have all forgotten the way of your people and expect them to listen to you?" He should his head sadly and got up. "No better then a heard of wild horses now. We were the fighters, we where the healers of the Plaines. I feel like I am the only one left who is actually proud being a centaur. Good night...... and my the star weaver have mercy on your dreams...." He walked away from all the fires and into the dark laying down on the outskirts of camp. He had changed the correct good night from "may the star weaver grant you peaceful dreams" to what he said. He felt ashamed being with this kind now. He only spoke the truth, as all proper shamans should, he did feel like the only one here still proud of their heritage.

[pudding]

The centaur glanced at one another but ended up laughing loudly when Ash walked away. And why wouldn't they? Two hundred years was plenty of time for stories to fade into legends and turn into fairytales. Two hundred years was enough time for creatures to look up at a black ask and merely think rain was coming. Two hundred years was enough time to forget the guardian of a nearby forest.

"Pride doesn't bring back those of us who were captured and sold into slavery, kid!" One brown centaur yelled after him.

"If you've got enough time to talk about fairytales, how about you go help the Felitaurs hunt something down?"

Fia glanced back at the centaurs then huffed and quickly followed after Ash, running up alongside him and gently hitting his side with her wing. "I guess a lot of things change," She said softly. "But if it makes you feel any better, I don't think I'd get along with my wild kin either."

 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"It doesn't.... if my mother or grandmother was here, they will march up to the leaders and tan their flanks for letting such things happen. I tried diplomatic rezoning. We need to get the heroes away.." He pulled out herbs and powders mashing them together. Then he stopped and looked up at her. "these aren't centaurs, only half breed mules."He got up and folded his blanket, slipping it in a pouch and trotted past the laughing group to the elder centaurs.. at least he thought it was, their fire was the best and brightest in the camp. As he passed the group he threw in a herb, the fire turned dark purple and gave off no heat. Hopefully the elderly remember the ways. Edited August 14, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[pudding]

The centaurs jumped in surprise and quickly scattered, bolting in different directions.

There were three creatures sitting around the brightest fire, though not all were centaur. In fact, only one was. The massive creature towered over the other two easily. He had a light brown lower half and dark hair that was incredibly long and tied back in a loose ponytail. Sitting to his right was a small cervitaur with a silver lower half and medium sized antlers growing from his head. To the centaur's left was a large felitaur whose bottom half was striped. He had yellow hair and was laying down, paws crossed regally over one another. The three were speaking softly to one another but were clearly leaders of some kind.

Edited August 14, 2015 by pudding

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ash approached slowly and stopped with his head low. He hit the iron shoe on his hoof against a rock, making a ringing sound. He cleared his throat and folded a front leg in a bow. "I am sorry to interrupt, I am new and would like to ask a few questions if you wouldn't mind." He spoke lowly, but clearly, his necklace jangling and flashing in the firefight.

[pudding]

The whispering amongst the three quickly ceased as black, blue and yellow eyes turned to stare up at Ash. The felitaur's tail flicked back and forth slightly but he gestured to Ash for him to speak as the other two nodded.

"We will answer the questions you have if we can," The cervitaur said in a small voice. He was decorated in different painted symbols that caused him to stand out from other cervitaur.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ash straightened and looked at the three creatures with his own light blue eyes. It startled him that the large centaur had blue eyes as well. As it is rare among normal horses, it is rare among centaur people too. "Could you clarify for me- I am rather confused- A old centaur named Atha told me stories of the Plaines. The Cervitaur and their spiritual ways, the ferocious Felitaur and their battle skills... and of course of my own kind, the proud centaurs who can read the stars and the wise shamans who assist the leaders. But now..... I see the Felitaur and Cervitaur hasn't forgotten their ways, but my own kind has fallen so far in two mere generations. Can you explain the reasoning behind it? I am glad our three kinds are no longer at war but am saddened that the very brothers I have longed to meet has lost the knowledge I have acquired...."

[pudding]

Both the Felitaur and the Cervitaur looked surprised before turning to look at the Centaur sitting between them. The Centaur stared at Ash then shook his head just once. "I don't know what rock you've been under but none of our tribes are the same as they used to be. And if you're going to be pretentious about it, you're going to get your ass kicked. We've adapted to our surroundings and we're better off this way. All of us. We aren't going to make you conform to it but don't go saying we've fallen when you don't even know what struggles we face."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"And I don't pretend to know. But I do want to know, what ails you now. " He sat, clearly not going anywhere soon. "Perhaps I could help in some way. I admit there isn't much I know of the present clans besides the lack of females... and the Evil that approaches... although none believe me on that issue." He acted like one of the children that he told the story too. He tilted his head, long dark hair falling to the side. "Or do you know about the Estern painted flanks?" his grandmother's heard, and would have been his mother's- his grandmother was with child when captured- thus making him half wild 'mustang' half 'domestic'.

[pudding]

"Look, kid," the tiger suddenly said, speaking up. His hair was wild and messy and he was laying on the ground, his tail flicking back and forth. He wore several feathers and large teeth in a necklace around his neck and the sides of his body seemed to be striped in a slightly darker color. "We don't need shaman right now. All of our species are on the brink of disaster. We don't need the stars to tell us that. Those you see before you are the only Centaurs, Felitaurs and Cervitaurs we know of. Our numbers have dwindled down to this. We can't concern ourselves right now with some Evil thing lurking in the background. We need to focus on actually finding a way to keep our species from fading out entirely."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Understood." He got up and turned to walk away, when a sudden thought occurred to him. He turned halfway back towards them. Atha also told me a shorter story, about two hundred years ago the same thing happened... all three kinds where banding together, only the ones who was left where female....funny how it clashes with the same two hundred years, the Evil and the two heroes story. I told the children that one. At least you'll know the children would be keeping out of trouble with me around. I know lots of legends to keep them entertained." He smiled and left after bowing again. He murmurs to Fia. "Let them chew on that for a little. Let's go check on James..." He trotted around looking for James. When he found him, he lay down near by. Acting like he was sleeping, his human half on his back, he watched out of the corner of his eye.

[pudding]

After being carted off by the centaur earlier, James had been locked away in a small wooden cage. Clearly the centaur didn't trust him at all as hands were tied behind his back and attached to a pole that ran through the center of the cage. When Ash approached, James glanced up briefly. Grinding his teeth slightly, he fidgeted uncomfortably against his restraints before lowering his head again. Great. This was just perfect. The only thing he had going for him was the fact they hadn't tied up his tail but even his weapon had been taken away. But he'd been in worse places. He wasn't going to give up just because he was trapped for the moment.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ash stretched forward, digging his hand in the soil like cat claws. His claws can slowly cut through the ropes.

 

Derek had found another way. Glad he had his flexibility, he scooted down to where his hands where at his head. Then when nobody was looking, he'd pick at the strands with his sharp teeth, fraying the rope. He wiggled his hand so it was lose on his wrist and sat for a moment watching everything, trying to determine where the weapons were kept.

[pudding]

Ranaghar had opted for another method. Without claws or teeth to speak of, he relied on brute strength most of the time. But now was not such a time. As his hands were tied behind his back, he wiggled himself closer to the wagon they had been placed down and began to rub his hands against the rope. It took much longer but he managed to slowly work the rope down until he could likely snap it with his strength alone. They'd have to wait, though. Felitaurs constantly patrolled the edge and there was no escape route. They needed to think of a plan.

 

The alien didn't seem to notice Ash but someone else did. "Hey, newbie!" a Felitaur suddenly growled, jogging over at a quick pace and moving between Ash and the cage. "This one is dangerous. Nobody is permitted to be close to it unless authorized by the council or on guard duty." The lion felitaur frowned as he looked down at Ash. "You have to step back. If you want to sleep, go do it away from here."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ash yawns and got up. "He doesn't look very dangerous... hey is it true Felitaur has the sharpest claws? I heard they can cut through anything, even rope made from the main of the Nemian lion? Sorry, just curious, never met a Felitaur before. I'll just leave." He backed up and left.

 

 

((Same thing as nemean lion I just don't think they'd have a nemea there))

[pudding]

"Of course that's true!" The felitaur huffed after him with a shake of his head. Scowling, the Felitaur glanced back at the cage then sat down a few feet away, making sure nobody else approached it. He had his orders and he was not going to let anyone break them. Especially not with some strange, unknown creature trapped in the cage. He didn't need that getting loose.

Edited August 15, 2015 by pudding

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ash took a spot by the vacated purple fire, using a scaled glove made from a fire salamander to pull out the herb and have the fire return to normal. Hopefully James got his message emphasizing certain words. And the council mulling over his parting words about the Evil might being a bigger problem then they realize.

Edited August 16, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[pudding]

Inside the cage, James glanced up. Wiggling his fingers slightly, he frowned then shook his head. His claws were sharp but his hands had been shoved in tiny, leather sacks that prevented him from actually using them. In fact, he could barely do anything more than wiggle his fingers. They really had taken extra precautions with him. Did they know?

Scowling, he glanced around at the cage before pulling at his restraints, trying to wiggle his way out.

"None of that," The lion guard chided as he tapped the cage with the opposite end of his spear. The alien paused and stared at the lion as the creature's tufted tail swayed from side to side. "Just calm down there...thing. We'll sort out what we're going to do with you soon enough."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"There isn't anything else we can do for them. Lay down Fia.. it'll be a long night tonight." Ash said with a sigh and pulled out the blanket for them. He leaned against his back, looking at the sky.

 

 

Derek watched ash move around. "I think ash is trying to help.... " He muttered.

[pudding]

Fia nervously looked back at the cage but sat down next to Ash anyway. Turning her head around, she rested her head on her body, letting the feathers act as a pillow. Maybe in the morning something would change that would let them escape.

 

Ranaghar glanced over at Derek with a frown then looked around again. From what he could see, Felitaur patrolled the area at night while Cervitaur patrolled at dawn and dusk. Centaur took charge during the day. That meant thwere was little chance of being able to sneak off as the Felitaur's eyes were much better than all of theirs in the dark. Additionally, each guard had a horn that they could use to call others to their locations. In total, there appeared to be six guards who each walked to the right, meaning that a guard passed in front of them every seven minutes or so. "We need a horn," Ranaghar muttered to Derek, watching as a Felituar walked by. "Or a distraction. But we must first speak with Ash."