Please note that this is very vauge from normal D&D stuff. I used my character from D&D to be the main character, but that's pretty much all that it has in common with it. Please don't post too many flames, but critisism is welcome. Also ideas. That would be awesome. thanks!
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"WHAP!" Xanaphia grumbled and rubbed the spot on her cheek where a
tree branch had just slapped her. Gripping her sword tightly, she sliced the thick branch in half with one easy movement. Xanaphia paused in tought, then sliced the branch in half once more, for good measure. Scowling at the sticky sap that now slimed her beautiful amber sword, gilded with silver to form the pattern of a mighty dragon coasting down the length of it. Reaching for the cleaning cloth, Xanaphia also admired the hilt, which was true to her half ansestry. The delicate strands of gold entwined the hilt, around her hand. Near her wrist was the elvin symbol for strength and beaty. Xanaphia smiled as she foundly remembered when this sword was given to her by her parents on herseventeemth birthday. She was now twenty-four, and had traveled thousands of miles from her hometown. But this suited Xanaphia. She kept walking down the well-known path. She considered. The path was well known to her, but ordinary travelers wouldn't dare take it. Rumors of monsters and demons were thick in this town. So any path that was not well lit or traveled was avoided. However this was perfect hunting area for Xanaphia. She was a rougue, and needed to keep quick on her feet and her mind sharp. The occasional monster that she met was quickly delt or barganed with. A glint shone in her emerald eyes as sounds of the busy town met her elegantly elfin ears. She strode out of the forest, shaking bits of leafs and twigs from her hair. She was always noticed because of her hair. She cursed the witch that had given it to her. It was a bright Robin Egg blue. Not good for a theif and a trickster. This was proved time and again, when Xanaphia had only evaded capture by a hair's breath. Walking through the busteling streets toward's Crusher's Shop, Xanaphia nimbley traded the well chosen stones in her pocket with the gold peices of anothers. Silently she went on trading untill she reached Crusher's Shop. Her coin purse was considerably heavier. A rare smirk reached her eyes as she rounded the corner to her enterance. A yell of
"Halt! You, with the Blue Hair!" Made her dash for the sanctity of the shop. She heard the footsteps pause at her concealed enterance, then a voice curse his luck, and walk away. Letting out the breath she did not know she had been holding, Xanaphia resumed her walk to the counter. Placing her elbows on the counter with her chin in her hands, she rang the bell, calling Crusher to the front. He appeared in his normal bear-like manner, lumbering from one of the many doors behind the counter. Sighting her imeadiately, he asked.
"The usual?"
Xanaphia nodded, "Plus a hairbrush."
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Rough day?"
Xanaphia shrugged, "Kinda, someone almost caught me, again."
Crusher nodded in understanding. Xanaphia had been his faithfull customer since she had come to this forest town, at the age of nineteen. The year before, the Law of Coppersea had killed his daughter, under false charges. A tear trickled down Crusher's wheatherworn face. He thought of Xanaphia as almost a daughter, keeping her out of trouble. This had to be done subtely for she was suspicious of anyone who presented assistance uncalled for. He had wheedled the reason for this a two years ago. This being that she had accepted this kind of assistance, and nearly lost her life to it, while on her travels. Ever since, that and other alike instances, Xanaphia had locked out all men in her life, save Crusher. Gathering her items in the backroom, Crusher thought that three years was long enough time to run from something. An idea sparked, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as he carried the things to the counter. Ratteling off the price, he glaced at her face. It was the normal expressionless expression that she always wore. "Show no weakness" she had told him countless times before. Laying one fourth of her daily 'earnings' on the counter, she gathered all the items into her bag. Crusher had often marveled at the elfin made bag. It was one of the few items that she guarded jealously. That, and her necklace. She had told him once, on a stormy afternoon when the hunting was bad, that herbest friendhad given it to her. The week before that afternoon, she had received the sad news of her mother's death. She turned to leave the shop, peeking out of the door to see if the Law was still stirred up. Finding the streets calm once more, she slipped into the crowd. Xanaphia headed to her next favorite shop, B's garments. Xanaphia glanced down at her clothes. The top that was suposed to be made of strips of leather, had several strips missing from her many fights and near escapes. Her skirt and leggings were in the same tattered condition. A trip to B's was definately needed. Though it saddened her to part with her earnings, she new she needed another outfit. She shuddered at the memory of those few months of slavery and bondage. Gold and some fastthinking had gotten her out. Now she was determined never to be caught without it. During those months they had taken her sword. However, once she was free, the very sword they had stolen from her was their fate. She glanced at her arms, still scarred with the marks of many whips and beatings. Striding into B's shop, the keeper soon pulled out her collection of tops, skirts. leggings and shoes. Xanaphia picked out a new leather top, in the same make as the one she wore, and a pleated light purple skirt, that was exactly nine inches long. choosing a matching pair of leggings, and a pair of flat sandels whose laces wound up her calf to just below her knee. depositing another fourth of her earnings on the counter, Xanaphia went into the changing room . Leaving her tattered clothes for mending and re-sale, Xanaphia walked out of the shop feeling infinitely better that before. Heading back to the forest, she whistled an elfin tune. One of warriors and battles and victory. Halfway towards the forest, She suddenly felt tired. She judged the position of the sun. She had at least five hours untill dark, a nap wouldn't hurt. Turning back. She headed towards Crusher's Shop. But before she reached it, she turned down a path that led to His Barn. There was where she had stayed for the years she was in Coppersea. She entered the stall that she had fixed to suit her needs. A thick rope stretched across the stall six and a half feet off the ground. Xanaphia reached this easily, with her own hieght of Five feet and eight inches. Hanging upside down, the leggings she'd chosen covering her securly. She fell asleep for a short nap. About twenty minutes in, her eyes snapped open and her wrist flew to catch the one of the foolish teen boy. His expression read unmistakabley of one like a child who had been caught with his arm reaching for the cookie jar.
"Do you like this hand?" Xanaphia growled, her long nails biting into his skin.
"Somewhat." He whimpered, visibly shaking from the fire that was crackeling in her green eyes.
"Then I suggest that you keep it away from me." She snarled at the terrifyed youth. Letting go of his wrist he scampered off. Xanaphia scoffed at the so-called bravery of the youth. If it was one thing that Xanaphia hated more than spiders, it was men who were bold past their call. Falling back to sleep for another ten minutes or so, she awoke ready for a good hunt. Flipping down from the rope, Xanaphia brushed out the knots in her hair. Picking a few strands of sparkeling blue hair from the brush, She headed back to the forest.
In the middle of think underbrush, Xanaphia crumpled the strand into a sparkley ball. Placing this bobble in a near by branch she waited. The wait wasn't long. Soon a Wolop, the none too bright bird like creature, appeared in the thicket. Drawn to the sparckeling hair, in aproched withing two feet of Xanaphia and the hair. At the last second, before the Wolop would have grabbed the hair and flown away, Xanaphia let out a peircing shreek that would have done a banshee very proud. The Wolop jumped, startled. Then fell into Xanaphia's hands, dead. The years had proved this the most humane and nurishing mehtod of hunting. For Wolops were far from rare and one meal of their meat would last a starving being two days before they felt the need to eat again. Plucking the dusty brown plumage from the fowl, She wrapped it in a giant leaf that she had found on her way into the forest. Heading back to the path, she bumped into the solid chest of a stranger.
"Oomph!" Grunted Xanaphia in surprise.
"Pardon me, Was it you who screamed?"
Xanaphia looked up into the glimmering brown eyes of the stranger. He would be considered attractive to nearly every maiden in the world, but Xnaphia had grown suspicious of men in general, and he was no exeption. Wordlessly, she side stepped him and kept going on her way back to town.
Colm, watched as the woman walked away from him. Born from the God Alcolmist, the God of Love. Colm was used to girls swooning after him wherever he went. Thus he usually kept to the more avoided paths, like the one he had just met the strange woman on. This obvious show of disinterest presented a challange to him.
" Be warned M'Lady." Colm muttered to himself, " I never back down from a challenge."
And with that he strode towards the town, and the girl.
Xanaphia was imensly ready to eat her dinner and go to sleep. Unfortunately Wolops prove to be very slow cookers, unless one likes their meal half raw. Xanaphia did not like her meals half raw, but well cooked all the way through. She was hanging upside down again, watching her cleverly constructed, self-turning spit, cook her meal. This allowed her mind to reflect on the course of the day. The fair amount of earnings, and the odd stranger who had come to help the one who'd screamed. Xanaphia was suspicious of him already. What was a man like that doing alone in a forest, on a path like hers? He looked more like the type who'd be fighting dragons to save "Poor little Princesses". Xanaphia scoffed. She would've been a princess. If the road of adventure had not captured her heart. The courts would not miss a half breed like her. She had other brothers and sisters that were pure elves, who would gladly take the job. Xanaphia was so wrapped in thought, that she did not see the figure approaching.
Colm, not close enough to confirm that this was the girl who had snubbed him earlier, decided to blink the rest of the way. Gathering the magic passed to him from his father, Colm took a deep breath, and blinked. In the next second, he appeared next to Xanaphia, who yelped. Her knees unlocked and she fell. Unfortunately, she fell right into the stranger's arms. When her brain had recovered from the shock, she found herself looking into those same Brown eyes. Slightly embarrassed, Xanaphia asked,
"Please put me down."
Colm considered.
"No, I'm quite comfortable here." Xanaphia scowled,
"Put. Me. Down. Please." Her patience, what was left of it, was wearing thin.
" No, I don't think I will."
Xanaphia sighed, She wished she lived in the time the gypsy had told her
about. When men and women were treated equally. Then instances like the one that will follow, would not happen. Her elbow met the stranger's neck, in a smart jab. He dropped her imediately, and went into a coughing fit. Xanaphia somehow managed to spin in midair, and roll away from the coughing Colm, to spring up. Within five seconds of her elbow meeting Colm's neck, her glittering sword was dangerously close to his throat.
"Who are you?" She asked, her teeth clenched together.
"Colm. Why did you do that?"
"Why didn't you listen?" Xanaphia shot back. Colm stayed silent for a moment.
"I can't answer that. But may I ask your name? you have mine." He pointed out. Rather brave of a man who had an extemely sharp blade at his throat.
"Xanaphia." She said, again through clenched teeth.
"May I call you Xana?"
"You may not."
Colm looked at the setting sun, he should be back at his inn.
"So sorry to leave like this, but I must be going." Colm said, oddly cheerfull, then blinked, and disapeared. Xanaphia stared at the space, once occupied by Colm.
"Who the Hell taught him to do that?" Xanaphia murmered aloud, before
turning back to her,now cooked, meal.
Colm, sat down on his bed, pondering about the quest, and Xanaphia. He would definately need help on his quest. Idealy some one like Xanaphia. But she would never agree to come with him. He thought back to a person who was suposed to know a lot about quests,their supplies and such. Crusher, Colm beleived was his name. Perhaps he would know of some one willing to jion the quest. Colm decided that tomorrow, he would go to Crusher, what an odd name for a man, to ask for help. Though it hurt his ego to ask a complete stranger, he decided that it couldn't be worse than having a sword at his neck.
The day came too soon for both Colm and Xanaphia. Colm, unused to the strange bad had had a bad night's sleep. Xanaphia, now paranoid that the mysterious Colm might show up at any time, after seeing him disapear with out warning, did not sleep well either. Crusher, who was origanally named Jerard before the Law had killed his daughter, had the interesting day of dealing with two people and their unpleasent instances with another person. The first was his long time customer and friend, Xanaphia.
"I mean,really, who goes around sneaking up on people, then trying to flirt with them? HIM apperently! So I elbow 'im in the neck, cuz I was getting pretty annoyed, he simply wouldn't put me down!and he starts coughing while I draw m sword and, of course, put it at his throat. I wanted him to accually listen to me, and if it had to be at the edge of my sword, well..." She raised her hands in a guesture showing that what had to be done would be done. Once Xanaphia had left, through her normal way of the side door, a stranger came in through the front. Crusher could always tell the newbies in this way. Any one who had spent more than two days in Coppersea used the side doors in shops like his.
"Hiya, stranger." Greeted the bearlike man. "What can I get you?"
"Some supplies, and a travel companion. I'm willing to pay by the week for the help. Idealy a rouge, smart, quick and evasive. Also with some forest and sea smarts, but who knows how to deal with people of high stature." Crusher thought this over. The description the stranger had suplied fit Xanaphia to a 'T'. Crusher could hardly hide the twinkle in his eyes. He didn't usually play matchmaker, but a fellow like this may just melt through the iron walls surounding Xanaphia's heart.
"Sounds acheivable." Crusher replied,"Just one question, Are you alright with a half-elf?"
Colm shrugged. "I have no quarrel with them. Just as long as they don't hold a sword at my throat. That happened to me the other day. She didn't give me the chance to explain myself."
The twinkle brightened in Crusher's eye. So this was the fellow who Xanaphia was so annoyed at. No, she wouldn't have, Crusher thought, she way too suspicious of men to give that chance. Would rather walk away than try to figure out excuses.
"Alright." Crusher said to the stranger. "I'll have them here by noon, come by to negotiate price. We're a city of barganers, y'know."
Colm nodded and walked out. Crusher locked the doors, and went to see Xanaphia about this offer. It was too bad that Crusher wouldn't get to see whether Xanaphia would go along with this quest. Crusher thought that any one could melt those walls, the stranger probably could. Probably.
END OF CHAPTER ONE