The Camp Grounds [Ore]

Jocu wandered in and about, but he was getting tired of not having anything to do. He decided to retire for the day, and started to make his way toward his tent. He caught himself yawning, and realized that the late night yesterday was starting to manifest itself. *Ill take a nap and maybe continue tonight. It would be nice to pick up some more supplies before we move out,* he considered as he meandered along.

He noticed the medical tent and poked his head in just long enough to get a good look. His eye feel immediately on a lovely little circlet resting abandoned on a nearby table. He had seen it once before, he never forgot a lustrous jewel like that. He whistled appreciatively, and searched the proximity. Sure enough there was the aquas himself, standing like he was in a trance. After studying the slow breathing he realized that he was sleeping, but standing and with his eyes open. *That's just a tad discomforting.* he observed wryly. He walked toward the table softly. He passed right by them. It was all in the movement, act unwavering and no one would look twice. The only mark of his passing was the evaporation of the royal circlet. As he continued through the bustling medical tent, he tucked it away in the corner of his satchel. He kept aware of everything around him, but acted as if he was just strolling. Going somewhere, but not urgently. *I think that it has gone unnoticed.* He deliberated factually, a little pleased that he hadn't lost his touch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rav peered in to see Corran working away, and tried to see what he was doing. *He has quite a collection of little bottles... its not so different from the collection of specialized screws and gears...* He mildly approved of the golden dactyl right from the start, though he wasn't taken with the thought of being in his company. He didn't question Gibbous's wisdom, however, and considered Corran's black spot curiously.

Spoiler:

Kairi woke up after having a weird dream, and looked around her. Sure enough, she was still in the medical tent and Nenadair was still asleep beside her. She then, remembering Nenadair's silver circlet looked over at the table. Sure enough, it was gone! Kairi's jaw dropped in shock, and thought, I wonder who took Nenadair's circlet? Well... I better wake him up, and let him know about it.
Sad that she didn't do a good job of making sure someone wouldn't take it, Kairi woke up Nenadair, and said to him, "Someone took your circlet! I'm not sure who took it because I'd fallen asleep, but when I'd woken up, it was gone! I'm sorry though. It's my fault- I should've done a better job of looking after it."

Hajeed saw Jobu take the circlet out of the corner of his eye. He growled angrily. "Dirty little thief...', he thought.

Ears pricked, Jocu vaguely heard a shout behind him. He hoped that the sleeping arctic zetian hadn't woken up yet, as he would rather be farther away, but the resulting disturbance as others stopped to listen and comment on the theft was unmistakable. He knew that the doctor that had growled behind him was probably upset over the robbery in general, but he had a bad feeling that he might have been seen. *Ill luck. I need to reach a place that is especially safe.* He grimly considered several hiding spots that he had marked in his mind, and considered if just acting would get him past any suspicious persons. He wouldn't touch his bag for fear of being noticed until he was a good distance away from the scene and back in the relative protection of the throng of recruits. He resisted increasing his pace, but looked around a bit more, taking in the surroundings so if he had to get away quickly he could.

He finally turned and looked at the creature inside the tent. His dark eyes glittered with wonder at the form of this one. If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought he had joined a circus. Perhaps one day he'd finally build up the courage to inquire about how exactly so many oddities had come together to fight.
Yes, there was something about a crystal being taken and a threat to their world as it was, but it had hardly affected his small pride. Once his father died, he realized that he needed a sense of direction. His pride separated into smaller groups and he, who in all technicalities had been a prince and had now become king, was alone, left to rule over only himself. He promised himself that he wouldn't make a show of his lineage, lest upset one of the other strangelings.
"How is your ankle feeling now?" Gibbous inquired in an attempt to distract himself. "I'm sorry. I was rather rude in assuming that you'd rather ride. If you'd like to walk, I'll happily make it easy for you to dismount."

*Rude? How could that be rude?* The gremlick was puzzled by the suggestion that offering a ride would be any less than extremely generous. He hoped that it wasn't a disguised way of indicating that Rav was getting tiresome. *Perhaps he is asking in his own way that I carry myself now. Its so hard to try and know what someone wants! It was so much easier when I didn't have to worry about it. Its not that having a friend is bad, its just that I want to make him happy, but I can't even do that.* Deliberating intensely he made an effort to please the leo, "You are not rude. And I can dismount without you having to do anything." Without waiting for a reply he hastily hopped off, his stilts extending and fluidly cushioning the landing. The oiled machinery was in top condition as always and so the springs took the force of his fall and repelled it smoothly. It didn't jolt the ankle, but it did sent a bit of a shock. He straightened, shrugging it off as best he could for his friend's benefit. "Ah! That was a little greater that I thought it would be." He said sheepishly. "I'm fine though." He was still determined to make it back to the tent of his own power if it was what the leo wanted. It occurred to him that the dactyl had witnessed his pain, and he twisted his head to face him more head on. He was very uncomfortable that he had been seen in a instance of weakness, but felt better since Gibbous was beside him. "Its just a little prick of venom." He mentioned, a little belligerently. "I'm sure it will wear off soon...." his voice was just a little uncertain. He had no idea if it would in actuality, and since the pain hadn't lessened much since they departed from the tent, he feared it wouldn't.

Spoiler:

He sighed and sat, watching Rav with a slightly raised eyebrow. He hadn't intended to make the little one feel as if he had to dismount, and now he felt utterly guilty because he'd given off such an impression.
His dark eyes glittered in the fading sunlight as he watched Rav in pain.
"You know," he said softly, "You needn't have dismounted if you didn't feel like it. I thought that perhaps you would be happier if you took yourself to your tent...
I thought perhaps your pride wished for you to do such on your own."
He crouched down and rested chin on the ground, preparing for him to mount again. "I'll more than happily take you the rest of the way, though."
The setting sun told him that his newfound friend would have to make it back to his tent soon anyway, lest they both find themselves lost along the way.

Corran's ears pricked up, "Well, sure. But I suppose...", he quickly picked up multiple poisons and antidotes. He didn't like to go anywhere without them. For the first time, he saw the pair infront of his tent, a mechanical gremlick, and a shadow leo. What an odd pair. With that thought, he outstretched a hand towards them both and said "I am Corran by the way, and you?" if he was going to be with them, he needed to know their names at least. Noticing that the gremlick saw his black spot, Corran blushed slightly, thinking back to his old village in T'enelm.

Gibbous stared at the hand for a moment, attempting to remember exactly what it was that he was supposed to do with it. Felines didn't greet each other in such a way, so he had to recall back further to before his pride became reclusive, when his father hadn't been quite so near death.
He sat up and held out a massive paw. He had no thumb to grip Corran's hand, and wouldn't dare let out his claws lest he hurt him, so he simply tried to curl his snow-white pads around it.
"My name is Gibbous of the Shadow pride," he said, still unwilling to let the word "king" into his vocabulary. It seemed ridiculous and tasted funny on his tongue every time he said it.
"I suppose, now that it's getting close to sun-down, we are going back to Rav's tent, where I intend to start a small fire and cook something for dinner. It would help if I knew what both of you ate, though."

Seeing that he had put the leo in an awkward position by putting his hand out, Corran blushed silently. Upon hearing the announcement of nightfall, he glanced up at the sky. It was dark blue, he couldn't see any clouds, nor stars, and the only light was that of the moon. He heard Gibbous ask what they wanted to eat and, looked slightly over to the gremlick to see if he had anything to say then, stated "I'll eat almost anything... except for fish, for some reason, my system doesn't agree with them." Corran didn't really know why he couldn't eat fish, others of his kind could, maybe it had to do with his bodies immunity to poisons. Brushing the thought away, looked back to the leo, noticing that his paws had been white instead of black. It seemed they all had something special about them.

Rav hesitantly inspected the proffered hand. He avoided it, though not rudely. He just didn't want contact with such a stranger. To make up for his inhospitable action he volunteered his name. "I am Rav Peritron." Then continued to watch Corran while Gibbous introduced himself. Rav shuffled awkwardly, doing his best to be well behaved. He wondered why their new acquaintance had blushed, but forgot about it almost immediately. "Um. He is my friend." He tried to sound as benevolent as he could, but couldn't think of much to say. He was a bit relieved that Gibbous broke the silence. "I suppose, now that it's getting close to sun-down, we are going back to Rav's tent, where I intend to start a small fire and cook something for dinner. It would help if I knew what both of you ate, though." He nodded, eyes shining appreciatively at the suggestion. "Okay, that is a good idea.... I don't have much preference for what I eat. Anything you cook will be fine, I am sure." He hadn't actually eaten for a while, let alone a cooked meal. He caught sight of the objects Corran had brought. "What are those?" He inquired curiously, automatically reaching for one to get a better look.

Corran nodded slightly at hearing the gremlick's name, and that they were friends. Quickly he moved the poisons away from Rav "Those are poisons, your probably suspicious of me now but I take them everywhere, in case I need them." he said, as if that would explain the toxins he was holding. Silently, he placed them in the pouch resting on his wing tip and straightened back up. Saying that he was a poison maker wasn't the best way to form a 'trusting relationship', but it was the truth.

Spoiler:

Wide eyed, Rav took a step back, and flinched when he accidentally jarred his ankle. His mind was too wrapped up in the new discovery that he was able to disregard the pain almost immediately. "Poisons?" He was vaguely attracted to lethal things, a side effect from thinking that the only way to gain in life was to force your way, so he didn't let the fact that he was addressing a poison maker agitate him. It may have even increased his respect. "So have you ever been poisoned? How much does it take to kill someone? What if someone swallows some?" He asked, eagerly. He watched longingly as the poisons were put away, still a little too interested for his own good. It was nice to meet someone who also had a dedicated pastime that was out of the ordinary.

Spoiler:

Gibbous couldn't help the smile that laced his lips at the embarrassment of Corran. He'd been suppressing his own instincts for awhile, such as trying to avoid bathing himself in public and making noises that weren't so normal to non-felines. He completely understood the misconception and tried to brush it off with, "It's alright; don't worry about it."
He knelt down slowly again, making room for Rav to sit on his back. The motion was becoming very common for him, and as he did so, he realized that it might not be so much common sense for the other.
"Pardon me," he said in the same musical, inviting, and charismatic tone that he used for everyone that he had just met,"if I invade your comfort zone, as we've only just met, but would you like a ride to Rav's tent? That seems to be his preferred way, but if you'd rather not fly..."

Corran noticed that Rav was curious about the poisons and replied "Well, yes I have... but only by my self, you see this way, I make my self immune. But it takes many years to do. As for the amount it takes to kill someone, that depends on the poison, I do indeed have some that could kill... but I won't show you those. And, if you swallowed some... well, if it's one that you consume, than you would in fact be intoxicated but if it's one you must inhale than you'd be fine. Then of course there are the ones that have to enter your blood stream and... Oh sorry, I'm rambling" Corran inclined his head slightly, he always liked it when zetains were interested in his poisons. Of course, most were just afraid, but the special few that weren't were very intriguing and quite interesting to talk to. Corran heard the offer of riding but declined it by shaking his head and taking off only a couple feet above them, making sure they were in plain view so that he wouldn't get lost.

Delighted at the attention he had received from Corran, as well as all the information he had learned, he commented, "You do know a lot." He watched Corran launch himself into the air, and wondered idly if there was someway he could mimic his wings. *They seem less complex than a swifte's...* He pondered the problem, lost in equations and diagrams, but he halted that as he turned to the dilemma of the immediate transportation back "home." He was a little ashamed of his injury still hurting him, and didn't want to trouble his comrade, but still the temptation was too much. Besides, he seemed to offer the position readily enough, so he opted to ride one last time back to his tent. With a light step, he got astride, and securely positioned himself. He looked up again at Corran, thoughtfully observing the way he maneuvered through the air. *I wonder what we will eat.* He considered absent mindedly, with his head still filled with mechanical plans. He was next reviewing all the events of the day, more than a little amazed at his good luck. *Its all because of Gibbous.* He decided affectionately.

It wasn't too long of a distance from Corran's tent to Rav's; if he was to estimate, Gibbous would have only said half a mile, and even that was a bit much. Once there, he laid down once again to make dismounting easy, and began to think through what would be most convenient for the others.
They seemed to be engaged in a conversation that couldn't quite pertain to him nomatter what way he thought about it, and so he would be the one to go out and hunt. It really wasn't a bother to him, but the act would be awkward for the simple fact that it was the females in the pride that hunted and not the males.
Realizing this, he blushed slightly, wearing the facial expression to match, but quickly recovered by saying gently, "I think it would be best if I went out and hunted for food. Perhaps you two should try to start a fire while I'm gone."

You know, I could probably give you something to get rid of that poison. What is it? Vortailer?' he called down. It looked like it would be easy to treat, and he probably had the ingredients in his pouch already. Corran smiled to himself, being of help was always pleasing, and helping someone like Rav, with all the gears and parts, seemed to be even more pleasing. With a satisfied nod he continued on, picking up some wind streams here and there to help with the flight. Soon, he touched down on land gently and checked his poisons and antidotes to make sure he hadn't dropped anything. Hearing the request, Corran tentatively picked up some twigs and stones and started a small spark. Not satisfied with the tiny fire, he flared it up with a drop of one of his poisons.

At first startled at the suggestion, Rav gaped at Corran. *Could he really cure it? Right now? I didn't think it would be healed after the doctors couldn't do anything.* He snorted, *I should have known better, they can't do anything right. But Corran seems like he knows things. I bet he could do much better than that silly trixy.* He nodded, agreeing to let Corran administer his potions albeit reluctantly. He watched Corran's every move intently, still not satisfied that he knew the dactyl well enough. "Yes. It is Vortailer. A red one attacked me impulsively." He was thinking about the unprovoked strike when something occurred to him. He asked as the herbalist examined his supplies, "You haven't said anything about my appearance. Doesn't it...." He searched for the word and settled for the closest one he could think of, "confound you a bit?" He wasn't quite to terms with the fact that many people thought that his additions were abominable instead of marvelous. After he had spent so much time and hours alone with them, it would have been understandable except that the primary reason was he was too self-centered to actually take note of other's expressions. He sat down awkwardly, and extended his hind foot to where it would be accessible.

It was as if he'd never existed. As he went out to find food for them, he felt almost completely ignored. His nostrils flared slightly as a soft, deep growl emitted from him. As soon as it escaped him, he stopped it, and left.
"I'll be back soon," he said as his dark form disappeared into the forest behind the tent.
Suddenly he didn't quite feel like hunting. He had lost his appetite, and was only concerned about the fact that, now that he'd shown Rav how to trust others, it seemed like the world was taking advantage of him, Gibbous, king of the Shadow pride.
It wasn't his fault that, after he'd carted Rav up and down the campgrounds, the nurse didn't give him the right medication and the doctor had been oblivious. But now that this Corran creature had somehow known exactly what to give Rav, suddenly he was a saint among peasants.
Gibbous glanced up at the sky, fighting his emotions. He was a king now. Kings didn't cry.
"Or at least you didn't, father."

Spoiler:

Corran smiled brightly, and took out a few herbs to use. Quickly he ground them up, mixing them in a watery substance. When he was done he made his way over to Rav, dabbing it gently on the wound area. Quietly he made his way back over to the ingredients and thought about the question of Rav's add on's "Well... Your different, I realize that, but I'm not bothered by it." One of the smaller reasons was that he had been cast out for his marking, and he didn't want that to happen to another. Plus, Rav seemed very interesting, and interested in his workings. He sighed and sat down, taking in the surroundings of their tent curiously. "Alright, good luck Gibbous! Corran called out, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but something seemed off. He didn't know what though, and decided to dismiss the thought from his mind.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

While he waited he mentioned, "I haven't started a fire for awhile." He added silently to himself, *I used to more than often when I was in T'enelm. Freezing cold nights. But I haven't bothered to cook for a long time... Actaully, I'm not sure when was the last time I had a meal. I haven't had the time to waste on preparing more than basic consumables.* His thoughts turned to the promised cooked meal, and his mouth watered as an apparition of steaming food displayed in his mind. He thought appreciatively of all the possibilities. *I bet Gibbous will bring back plenty for me.*

Something was bothering him, and he felt his mood sway uncertainly. He permitted the application of the mixture since he had swallowed the other one. He was quiet for a moment, then he looked up peeved. "Different? I'm better. I'm superior. I can design anything with mechanics, and these prove it." He stood up and advanced on Corran. Admiring his gleaming metal hand, he continued, "You may know a bit more about poisons, but I know something much more incredible. The secrets of mechanics." He finished grandly. In the back of his mind something continued to prickle at his consciousness.

Corran watched as Rav stepped forward and spoke. "I understand Rav, but understand this, that could have been a deadly toxin, you could be dead by now, and no mechanism could have stopped it. I understand the mighty power of mechanics, but it's only so much... you are the one that made them possible." with that, he turned to the fire and prodded it with a stick. He was getting tired, and decided that he should head back to his tent. Quickly, Corran stretched and got up, "I will see you in the morning Rav, and give my regards to Gibbous". With that, he took off, soaring through the air, the night air was even cooler than that of the morning, and even though it was harder to see, the sky seemed clearer. Spotting his tent below, Corran swooped down and entered his Cot, replacing the poisons and antidotes he had taken. Stiff from fatigue, he got into his cot and fell asleep.