Rise of the Beastmen [PG-13/Started/NOT Accepting]

[---------------]

Xero spun himself from under Graemjor, making him lose his footing for a moment and almost fall down. Xero quickly jumped back up looking angry. "I..." he yelled, but his anger trailed off into a sort of depression. "I... It's not like I'm not taking this seriously. It's just... Life is short. We all die, eventually. People get so caught up in things today, that they don't worry about what'll happen after they're gone. Their friends. Their family. The things they left behind. It can't just drop dead with them. So, that's why... I try not to worry about what might happen to me and instead to what might happen to you all. And I try to keep the mood up to keep you guys from worrying about anything. As long as you lot are safe, I can relax." At this point, Xero regained his usual cool demeanor. "And maybe get some fun in now and then."

With that, Xero jumped back into the trees. Remarkably standing on a narrow branch, Xero looked down at Graemjor. "By the way, [i]THIS[/i] is how I got to stand on wires. You might wanna try it sometime." Soon enough, Xero was off, training in the trees until dawn.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor shook his head and walked away to wake the others. "Varrun, Track, it's time to go. We should probably stop in Korima tonight if we take too long. If not, we can just continue to Uncharted Worlds today."
Varrun woke up and yawned. "Enough with the planning," he said, "We can play it by ear, it really is no problem getting there." Varrun stood up and took a sip from the bowl of water he'd left half full the night before. Or at least, that was how Varrun saw it, half full. 'Where's Xero?" he said, still rubbing his eyes from a long sleep.
"He's outside," Graemjor said, still taking in all that had happened in the past few moments, "Wake Track up, we'll have to be getting out of here soon. I'll go get whatever we need ready." Graemjor exited the camp again, grabbing his bag of money, and walking over to Xero. "Listen, kid. I'm sorry. I'm just on edge from this entire situation. But you know what, you're right. We should make a little vacation out of this. We'll stop in Korima, spend some time at the lake, and stay in the inn tonight. If that's what you want to do, we'll do it. Just, make sure you're prepared for anything once we actually arrive in Uncharted Worlds. I need you to keep yourself safe, understand?"
When Xero did nothing more than look at him and smile, Graemjor knew all was forgiven. Now that everyone was ready, they continued on. The fields were relatively empty aside from a few passing animals and one human guard (who was taken care of accordingly). After about ten hours of walking, they arrived in Korima.
"I'll go reserve rooms for tonight in the inn," Graemjor said walking off. Then, he entered the inn. "Yes," he said to the clerk, "I'd like to reserve four beds for tonight."
The clerk nodded, accepted the money, and allowed Graemjor to leave. Only, when he exited, he saw them. His friends were surrounded by a group of highwaymen. Just as he was about to grab his weapon, another of the bandits disarmed him and pushed him with the others. Then, they drew their blades, each and every one of them.
"Damnit," Graemjor spat, "I thought this was supposed to be a nice place."

[---------------]

Xero attempted a spinning kick at one of them, but the mugger successfully blocked him, and knocked him back. Track and Varrun didn't seem to have any luck either. One highwayman lifted his blade up and prepared to strike.

Suddenly, the sword was blocked by a metal arm band, definitely [i]not[/i] belonging to a member of either group. A tan martial artist had intervened, and, although he was human, Xero and company were equally as relieved as they were shocked. The martial artist spun the blade around his arm until the hand reaches the hilt, grabbing it. He then landed a hit on the mugger's chest, knocking the breath out and him to the floor. The other muggers moved their focus to the new enemy, and began attacking simultaneously. The man in the blue and brown stylized kenpo gi expertly dodged their swords, and knocked each of them down one by one. After a quick battle, the muggers finally absconded, and fled. Xero jumped up onto his two feet, amazed at their rescuer. "Than...," he was going to thank the human, until he was distracted with the fact that the human had long brown hair. The monk turned to face the beastmen [i][b]she[/b][/i] had rescued.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, apparently seriously concerned. But Xero was too distracted with her beauty to respond...

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor stood up, covered in dirt from the street, "Yes we're fine, but... no hate for beastmen?" he said looking from her to Xero, smiling, "Anyway, thanks for saving us. They would have taken everything." Graemjor gathered all of the weapons that were scattered across the ground and handed them to their respectful owners.
"No hate," she said, "Nothing living deserves hate. All creatures deserve the passion and love as they give to their own." She looked back to the grizzled, dilapidated, old tiger man that she'd saved, and then to all of his companions. They all seemed to be unique in a way. A young teenager, a playful lion man, an old lion man hardened by war, and a rhino man who had scars of his past written all over him, as though he was an open book for all to read.
"You're very outspoken," Graemjor said, slightly bowing his head, "My name is Graemjor Lorien. And you are?"

[Asriel Dreemurr]

The doorway to the inn was suddenly filled with the form of one Senak Hekal, a relatively well known High Degree Mage who was rumored to know a fair deal more about magic than almost any other mage. The way he stood was not hostile, and his slate-gray-skinned hands were crossed over each other and held against the center of his belt while the yin and yang pendant which hung from his neck was currently void of any glow which might reveal the preparation to cast a spell. The lower half of his face remained obscured by his black scarf, and his long silver hair framed the upper half in such a way as to hide his ears. His eyes glowed faintly red, as they always did, but for the moment they were locked on the highway men who were fleeing in terror. He simply turned his head first to the monk, offering a slight bow, and then turned it to gaze upon the rest of the group.

"I can see that you have fended off that group of louts rather successfully," he began, his voice bearing a curious accent, "though thanks to the timely arrival of a curious savior. Please, come inside and have a drink with me. I believe that there is something which we could discuss." With that he simply turned about and returned to the Inn, making his way to a table in the furthest corner of the tavernesque space that occupied the first floor. Whether the others were to follow him or not was yet to be seen.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor shrugged, "There's one nice human in this town that we've met already. Maybe he's another." Graemjor signaled for the others to follow him into the inn. Upon entry, he walked over, sat down across from Senak, ordered a drink, and started to speak. "So, human," he said, "What is your name? I am Graemjor Lorien."
Then, Graemjor kicked himself under the table. [i]Damnit! [/i]he though [i]My name may be out, there could be men looking for me. Hopefully he doesn't recognize the name.[/i]
Then, Varrun walked over and sat. "Yes, he's Graemjor. My name is Varrun. And you are?" Varrun ordered a drink for himself as well, and downed it in one gulp. He needed a pick-me-up.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

The mage smirked slightly, already having a nice glass of fine wine sitting before him on the table as the others ordered their drinks. He was silent for quite a while, the red glow of his eyes unnerving any of the would be trouble makers in the tavern as he carefully inspected all of them. The names Graemjor and Varrun registered invisibly in his mind, though he did not mention anything about it. He waited for the others present to take their seats, calm and patience literally radiating from him into the environment within which he existed.

"I am Senak Hekal," he began after some time, pushing down his scarf to take a sip from his wine glass before re-covering his mouth with it before any of those present could see it. "I find it odd to find such a number of beastmen so far from the borders of the fang, though I suppose it cannot be helped if your intention is what i guess it to be. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe you are headed west from here into the Uncharted worlds." With that he became silent once more, drinking again from his glass in the same manner as before.

[---------------]

Track followed Varrun and the others in, but Terra was preoccupied with Xero. He was in a sort of trance, only looking straight ahead. She motioned to the mysterious Senak that she'll remain outside. When the four others were in, she refocused on Xero. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Suddenly, the trance was broken, and Xero tried but failed to speak. "I.. Uh, I mean.. Yea, I.. Just.. Well, thing is... yea. I'm fine. Terra. I MEAN. Xero." The tigerman jutted his hand out for Terra to shake, which she did. She laughed at his awkwardness.

"Do you have a last name, Xero?" she asked, examining him closely to make sure he was okay.

"Ahh, yea. Bra- I mean, Terrion." Xero blushed slightly, but the feeling went away as Terra strangely began feeling his scalp. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you didn't hurt your head. A sudden head injury could cause mild dementia." At the word 'dementia', Xero began knocking her hands away.

"I don't have dementia!" Xero yelled, a bit of annoyance in his tone. Terra laughed at his response.

"Clearly," she continued to laugh for a moment, then slyly asked, "then why the incoherent speech and reddening face?"

Xero paused for a moment. "...Oh nooo I have dementiaaa~!" He said, as he comically flailed his arms in the air. Terra began laughing again, and soon Xero joined in. A few moments later, when they stopped, Terra suggested they joined the others inside. And so they did...

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor drained his glass, shook his head (he always was a fan of stronger drinks), and slammed the now empty glass on the table. "So," Graemjor said, "Senak, right? I have two questions. Firstly, why do you want to help us? Secondly, why should we even trust you?" Then, Graemjor noticed Xero and Terra enter. "Ah," he said, momentarily ignoring Senak, "Come in, come in. Sit down, I'll buy you both a Fangwater Rum and we can discuss things. Graemjor called over for three glasses of the incredibly strong beverage he enjoyed so much. He downed his glass again, and put his focus back on Senak. "Now," he said, burping, "about those questions."

[Asriel Dreemurr]

"To answer you," Senak began, nodding towards the monk as she entered the group about the table, "firstly you should trust be because there is no one else who is willing to guide you into the uncharted worlds." As he finished this statement, he drank down the rest of his wine glass which was very quickly filled by a nervous-looking waitress into whose back pocket he slipped a small ruby as she left. He took a sip from his fresh wine and looked over those around him, noting the beauty of the monk who had joined them. It was a while yet before he answered the first question.

"And I want to help you, because there is an item of great value within the Uncharted Worlds that I have an agenda involving. It is of no consequence to you, simply a lens crafted from solid diamond." He finished this statement, laying both of his hands palm-down on the table before him and casting his red gaze over the whole of those present before him. "So, what is your decision?"

[John A. Zoidberg]

Varrun the decided to chime in, "You don't seem to realize, that I used to live in Valenine before it was destroyed. I am beyond qualified to guide you all. But, I am not familiar with this lens you speak of. If you can tell us why you need it, and why we should help you get it, then we will take you, but for now, no deal." Varrun smirked and ordered another drink.
Graemjor drained his glass once more. He was beginning to be intoxicated. The large lion man burped again and punched Xero in the shoulder. "Listen, kid," he said, "if you *hic* don't drink that *hic* I'm just gonna *hic* drink it for you.." Graemjor was a little wobbly in his seat, but not completely inebriated. It was clear that he'd lost all interest in Senak.

[---------------]

Xero's heart skipped a beat when Senak told them about the diamond lens. He had to have it, so in that order, he'd have to find a way to keep Senak from coming with them. He was thinking it over when Graemjor asked for his drink. Xero pulled his drink further from the drunken tiger, when he had a thought. If Graemjor got drunk enough, he might be able to go into a rage with provocation, and Xero would be able to direct it at Senak. So, he happily gave Graemjor his drink, then asked the waitress for another. Terra nudged him in the shoulder, asking why he'd really give Graemjor his drink if he was clearly getting intoxicated. "Relax," Xero said quietly, "he can handle a few drinks." Xero then repaid attention to Senak and company to hear more of the diamond lens, but Terra looked worried. She knew that tigermen were very violent when intoxicated. Xero wouldn't know this, having never been drunk.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor continued downing drinks, one glass at a time. Eventually, he'd had a total of 10, and he was done. "So *hic* Xero... I wanchata know *hic* that I love you kid." Then, he started singing a drunken song. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH XERO'S A FINE LAD, THE FINEST EVER HAD, AND LADEE DODEE DEEDLEE DAD." By the point, the bartender was getting aggravated. After one more song and another thoughtful speech towards Xero, the bartender was furious.
"Go up stair and go to sleep or get outside till you're at least tolerable!" the bartender yelled.
Graemjor looked at him, confused. "Okay.... but... can I hava drink first?" he said smiling waiting for an answer.
"GET OUT!" the bartender screamed, literally tossing Graemjor out of the door. Graemjor hit the ground, coughed, and vomited a little since he landed on his stomach.
"Come on!" he said playfully, "What'd I even do?" A few minutes later, he forgot they were even in there and walked away, whistling the little tune he'd sang for Xero earlier.
"Xero," Varrun said, "Can you go watch out for him while I talk things over with Senak?"

[---------------]

Xero sighed. Things didn't work out exactly as planned. But, he supposed it was better than nothing. A drunk tiger is better than a questioning one. Or, at least, in this case. Xero was about to get up and watch over Graemjor, when Terra held him back. She stood up and offered to go instead, as she didn't fancy bars. Frankly, Xero was much happier letting her go. He didn't want to have to sit through another one of Graemjor's songs, especially since they praised him.

Terra got up and left the bar. Outside, she could still clearly here Graemjor's drunken babbling, she looked around, and soon found him in the alley next to the bar, leaning against the wall. He was playing with his Bagh Nakhs, rather dangerously. She quickly rushed over and took them from him, while still trying not to upset him.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Graemjor looked at her like he was about to cry when she took away the Bagh Nakhs. "Why'd you take away my precious?" he said, starting to cry a little, "My boy Xero gave to m- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH XERO'S A FINE LAD, THE FINEST EVER HAD, AND LADEE DODEE DEEDLEE DAD." Graemjor never really was a violent drunk. Moreso the moodswingy kind, who'd go from sad to happy as can be in a matter of seconds. "So," he said to Terra, "I think Xero's *hic* got a thing for you there *hic* missy. 'Couse I've never *hic* seen a cross species romance like *hic* that before, but hey. Xero's a good kid." Then, after the thoughtful little speech, Graemjor sighed and passed out in the alley, mumbling his song to Xero in his sleep.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

The whole time that the events involving the tiger man had been going on, Senak had been quietly sipping on his wine. His second glass had now been emptied and he held up a hand for the attendant who came to refill his glass, showing that he did not have the desire to drink any more. As the others left the table, his red gaze fell directly upon Varrun and he felt a wry smile growing behind his scarf.

"Though you may have once lived in what is now the forgotten worlds," he began, reaching into one of the pockets of his long red coat and setting what appeared to be a fang composed entirely of darkness, "you are ill-prepared to face the threats within. All I ask is a single gemstone which has no usefulness to any of your party. In return, I will supply you with protection against those foes whom your blades are ineffective against. Now then, have we an agreement?"

[John A. Zoidberg]

Varrun touched the fang. It burned his very skin. "Before I agree, what makes you so powerful as to being able to defeat these things? Why are you not as vulnerable to them as my comrades and I? If it lives, it can die. And if it's dead, it cannot move. Those are the laws of life." Varrun, as well, held his hand to show he did not want another drink. He could hear Varrun singing and yelling outside. His fingers rubbed around his temples. "That man always is a pain in the ass when he's drunk. Sometimes I wish he WOULD be violent."
Then, the yelling stopped.
"Alright," Varrun said, "Now that I can think straight, I can answer. Senak, you have yourself a deal. We will depart tomorrow morning. But for now, please, join us for some recreation. Some calm before the storm, if you will."

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Senak simply shook his head back and forth slightly, choosing to remain in his chair and even leaning back to relax quite a bit more than he already was. He signaled for his glass to be filled once more and such was done without hesitation. He nodded his thanks to the waitress whom he had given the ruby earlier and noticed that she gave him a deep bow, blushing as she did so. He guessed that she had found the ruby.

"While the offer is tempting, I must decline." He stated this rather flatly, his voice changing neither in tone or pitch. "I intend to enjoy the atmosphere of this inn for quite a while yet, and then I am likely going to sleep. Not that I would mind being kept company by that female acquaintance of yours, but I suspect that she would mind my company. Regardless, I intend to remain seated here and I invite the rest of you to go on about as you would normally." With that he began quietly sipping his wine again and watching the goings on of the inn.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Varrun looked over at Xero and grinned, "I'm certain my little friend here would be quite jealous if she stayed with you. If you change your mind, we'll most likely be near Hiaruchi Lake. Until tomorrow morning, Senak Hekal." Varrun smirked once more and left the inn along with Track and Xero to met the others. When they went outside, there was the sight of Graemjor hugging Terra. "Calm yourself, Graemjor!" Varrun yelled, "Let go of the poor girl!"
Graemjor looked up, ran over and squeezed Varrun in a big bear (or tiger, rather) hug. "Ohh! Varrun, I thought I lost you forever! Where'd you go? Why'd you leave me?" Graemjor started to sob.
"It's alright, buddy," Varrun said, slightly pushing the weeping lion away from him, "We're gonna go handfishing now. Does that sound fun to you, Graemjor? I nice way to blow off some steam? Come on."
Varrun and the others lead Graemjor to Hiaruchi lake, and took all of their armor off (other than, of course, the regular clothing) and dove in. Graemjor, on the other hand, just fell asleep on the dock, dressed in only underwear. Varrun was the first to catch a fish. He came up from underwater with one impaled on his face spike. Oddly enough, it was completely accidental.
The others, however, were not having as easy a time of it.
"Listen," Varrun said, "My old master, the Gankri, Furi Goi, once said something very wise to me. His words were 'when you try to obtain what you begin to see as impossible, the best solution to your problem is to stop trying, and to start doing.' That was what he said to me right before he saved my life. That man put me on a boat going to this lake, actually. This was the dock I got off at. I was one of maybe ten creatures to survive, and I owe it to him..."
Then, Varrun took the fish off his horn and went back to the inn, as though everything had just stopped. With the slam of the door, Graemjor woke up. "I, uh... what'd I miss...?" he said, "Oh no! Varrun disappeared again! Come on *hic* guys! Help me find him!"

[---------------]

Xero cursed rapid fire in his mind. He just knew that diamond lens had to be his. Perhaps he could take it before Senak did. When Varrun mentioned that Xero might be jealous if Terra stayed, he facepalmed. Soon enough, Varrun, Track and himself left the inn to find Graemjor and Terra. It wasn't a long search, as Graemjor was in the alley, hugging Terra. "Can somebody help?" she asked, still trying to disconnect herself from the tiger. Upon seeing Varrun, however, Graemjor rushed over and hugged him instead. He was still clearly drunk.

To relax a little, and wade out Graemjor's intoxication, the group went on a little fishing trip to the lake next to the inn. Varrun and Track tried to grab fish by hand, and soon Xero joined in as well, but Terra decided to meditate on the dock instead. When Varrun came out with a fish on his horn, Xero burst out in laughter. Then he told them about his master Furi Goi. He seemed to have gotten a little moved by his own speech, so he went inside. Xero tried to stop him, but he was already gone. Xero walked back to the dock to Terra, when Graemjor woke up again, proclaiming that they needed to find Varrun. Xero paused for a moment, annoyed, the kicked Graemjor into the water. Graemjor began flailing about, thinking he was drowning, when actually the water wasn't deep enough where he was at.

Terra was chuckling at what Xero had done. "Your father sure is a drinker."

"Oh, he's not my dad," Xero responded.

"Really? I just figured since you're both tigers and he'sa lot older than you..."

"Nah, my parents are dead."

Terra paused, in the awkward silence Xero had made. "Wow... damn good way to kill a mood."

"That language isn't very lady-like."

"And you [i]suddenly[/i] know what it takes to be 'lady-like'?" Xero laughed at Terra'd comeback, when he wondered...

"Terra... Why are you still here?"

"Uh.. What do you mean?"

"I mean, no offense, but there's no reason to hang around with us," Xero then looked deviously at her, "you know, unless you like one of us."

"Yes, it's true," Terra said sarcastically, "I just can't get enough of Graemjor." Terra pointed at the still ridiculously flailing Graemjor in the water. "Well, Senak and I aren't the best of friends, but we still [i]are[/i] friends. He told me of the diamond lens prior to your arrival, and I agreed to come."

Then, the two realized how quiet it was. Graemjor had stopped freaking out. The two looked over the dock to see the tiger face down in the water. "Um... Graemjor?" Xero called worriedly.

Graemjor was startled awake by Xero's voice. "Ah! Whuh..XERO. YOUR SUCH A FINE LAD. DOODELE DELELE." And so Graemjor's song continued.

"Suddenly," Xero said, "I wish he was face down again." Terra began laughing hysterically.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Later that night, Graemjor had sobered up, and Varrun was quiet. They all sat around a comforting fire they'd made outside and ate dinner from the inn. "So," Graemjor said, "What... what happened earlier? I don't remember anything. It's all a blur."
Varrun laughed a little bit, "Oh, Graemjor. You did a bit more than you'd probably have though. You sang about six odes to Xero, hugged me and Terra a few times, and taken little things a bit too seriously. Sleep will be good for you tonight." Then, Varrun quieted down again and stared at the fire. He was fascinated by it, really. There was no reason it should be there, it just was. Just like Varrun. There was no reason for Furi to help him escape, but he did. Furi risked everything for nothing.
"So," Graemjor said, smiling, "Anyone wanna go inside and get me a drink?"

[Ranma124]

Track was trying to gab fish with his hand however he was having no luck. He then remembered about his tail. He then had an idea. He carried on swiping with his hands. He then used his tail and finally caught a fish. He began to cheer until he saw Greamjor get kicked into the water. "Geez Xero. Greamjor really needs to lay off the alchol." He then saw Greamjor get back up and started singing. Track walked over to him and stood on his head drowning him. "Can't you just shut up." Track lifted his foot and stared down at Greamjor who had gotten back up. "Really man. Have a little dignity."

Whilst sitting by the fire Track was listening to the conversation that was going on about Greamjor being drunk. When Greamjor asked if anyone wanted a drink Track face palled himself then punched Greamjor on the head. "No more alcohol for you. Your not the greatest guy to be around when you have a few drinks."

[---------------]

"Clearly," Xero said in response to what Track said about Graemjor, "unless you [i]enjoy[/i] flailing like an idiot in the lake." Xero took a sip of water that he had gotten from the inn. Terra wasn't with them. She was inside, already asleep. It was a decent time to sleep, but Xero guessed the four of them were used to sleeping later. His thoughts drifted to having fun in the lake, then to Varrun storming off. "Hey Varrun," he started, "Could you tell us more about your old master? Uh.. Furi Goi, right?" Xero took another drink of water, hoping that Varrun would get so emotional again.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Varrun looked around. "Well," he said, "He was a Gankri. One of the most respected in the world. However, he was nearing the end of his Journey, which, if you know anything about the Gankri, it means that he had to return to his birthplace in order to die peacefully. The problem with that was that he was born IN Valenine. If he came with me, he could have passed at any moment and lost his Birthright, or the honor given to him by his parents at birth. So, when we got to the nearest body of water, which was Haruut river, which, as you all know, leads right here, he put me on a raft and sent me away, miles and miles away from him, just to save me."
Varrun looked towards the sky.
"I often wonder what he did after I left. I was his only student, and for the most part, everyone else died. I guess he just sat around. There was no one to talk to. He probably considered it a blessing when he died."

[---------------]

"He sounds like a very honorable man," Xero said, hoping to make Varrun feel better.

"Of course he was! He's a Gankri! They're very honorable," Varrun said.

"Well, excuse me," Xero said arrantly, "I don't know what a Gankri is."

Varrun looked shocked at Xero, and Graemjor the same, but to a much lesser extent. Varrun adjusted his seat, then began to explain. "The Gankri are very tall, muscular creatures, with sort of an armor built into their skin, like me. The color of their skin ranges from as pale as a human to a dark purple. They are also known as most genius military strategists, and the strongest creatures in recorded history. However, there are many limitations. They have many boundaries based on honor-"

Graemjor then took over, "They generally won't fight unless challenged or otherwise properly provoked."

"They also fight fairly," Varrun said, "They won't help a warring nation unless their enemy is much stronger than them. They definitely wouldn't tolerate any trickery."

"Hm," Xero began, "... I don't think they'd like me." Then the four of them started laughing, as the night began to close...