The Bonduin Beasts

From FiranMUX

Anarinuell: Palace District -- Army Barracks

A cute giggle sounds suddenly from nowhere.

Zafir is sitting on his cot, studying a painting carefully. He seems to look at it with some amusement as he relaxes at his personal space. At the soft giggle, the man glances around silently. If Draugik heard one of the soldiers giggle like that, he'd be /pissed/.

The giggle sounds again. Somewhere in the shadows of the barracks.

Curiosity takes over, and the commander sets the painting down upon his lap as he looks about the barracks, his lips pursing curiously. He doesn't sleep in the vicinity of any women, and hopefully no floofs.

Nathim relaxes and turns to make his way to Umut. His face remaning quite firmly neutral. After all, one must lead by example. Even if he does share the mirth of some of the other guards. He finaly approaches Umut and murmurs to him.

Zoey emerges quietly from the shadows and sneak up behind Zafir. She goes, "BOO!" very loudly in deed.

Zafir is immediatley up from his cot, the painting falling from his lap. His hand flicks out towards the sword belt hanging off of the corner of his cot, and as his sword is halfway drawn he realizes that it was just a practical joke. He furrows his brow towards the joker, curiously. "Mes Zoey?!" he asks.

Zoey giggles, "Oh you're no fun, Lord Zaffy! Just like Captain Carac. You both don't even notice when someone is sneaking into the barracks? What if the Shammis decide to send a spy?" She asks curiously as she climbs up on the bench and gaze up towards him with her puppy dog eyes.

Zafir lets his sword drop back into its scabbard, and his brow furrows. "Well, I hadn't expected someone to be around the barracks at this time in the evening. Non-military personell, at least." he smirks, and slowly sits back on his cot. This little girl is lucky that the Commander has taken a shine to her, or he'd be yelling. "Shamibelians are big, ungainly brutes. I've fought ones over six feet tall before. If one would have come in here, we would have noticed." he motions around the room. "Gathered here are the finest warriors this city has to offer. We're not afraid of Shamibelians."

Zoey bobs her head ernestly and then she replies, "I know that, Commander! But what happens if they wanna come in here to hear all your military secrets!? Wouldn't that be awful?" She asks curiously as she gaze up towards him.

Zafir chuckles softly. "We don't discuss military secrets in the barracks. This is merely where we sleep. Most secrets are discusses either in the Palace, or the Jail. The two most guarded places in the city" he smiles, and motions to his cot. "Have a seat, young mes. I'm sure snooping around can get very tiresome."

Zoey wrinkles her nose as she climbs up on his cot and she starts sniffling the things around and she holds her nose, "PppppYeeeeww.. Doncha all wash things around here?" She asks curiously, "Actually I was a little concerned for Captain Caraca. Is he allright? He was pretty upset a few days before..so I thought I'll come in and look." and then she points at the painting on the ground, "What's that?" SHe asks curiously.

Zafir furrows his brow. "I assure you whatever it is that you are smelling certainly is not a smell from my cot. I keep my personal effects meticulously clean." and very spartan - the Commander doesn't have much in the way of objects in his living space - his armor and spare clothing is kept under his bunk, sword belt hung on the side of the cot. At the mention of the painting he smiles. "Oh, well I think that you will find this very interesting. It is a drawing that was sent to me by Lady Bashona IstaBannos. It's of three mythical creatures. Would you like to have a look?" he takes the painting, offering it to her.

Zoey takes up the painting and huddle close to Zafir as she looks at it. The poor little girl appear to be covered head to toe in wounds despite the fact that she was wearing armor. The most telling wounds was the large gash across her knee and the huge cut around her hips that even the papyrus bandage cannot hide the blood.

Caracallo rubs his eyes and awakens.

Nicolos wakes up with a start from his bunk. Coming bolt upright his hands instantly go to his axe as of for protection. Then he opens his eyes and notices where he is "I gotta stop hunting in my dreams." He slowly rubs his eyes with the back of his hands and jumps from his bunk.

Zoey is huddling close to Zafir and sitting on his cot as she stares at a painting that he has given her. The little girl is dressed up in full combat armor and has several papyrus bandages around her body.

Zafir nods to Zoey, and explains. "You see, this big one in the middle here - I forget the odd name the Bonduins have for it, but they claim it roams the lands that they live upon. As big as a house, they say...with a tentacle for a nose, and two large tusks. It sounds like a very dangerous animal." he points to the grey beast in the picture. He notices the girls wounds, and looks up at her. "Mes Zoey? May I ask you a question?" he inquires, politley. For those of you just tuning in, Zafir and Zoey are seated on Zafir's cot, and Zafir is showing her a picture.

Zoey looks very interested in the pictures and then she nods her head wide-eyed as she gaze at it, "ITs as big as a house? DO you think its as big as one of those monster let out from Uf's flask of Dreams?" She asks curiously as she turns the painting upside down to see the animals curiously, "What about this animal with a long , long neck? He's gonna find it hard to bend down, isn't it?" Before she beams up towards the commander and readily answers, "Of course. What's the question?"

Zafir continues. He'll get to the picture later. "Why is it that you have so many wounds? Did something happen to you, Mes Zoey?" his eyes glance towards Nicolos as the man gets up with a start, but looks back as it seems the man is merely waking from a nightmare.

Caracallo opens his eyes only, the rest of him lying perfectly still, while he is alert. That is the way a soldier should awake. Ready, but unmoving. He listens to the soft voice of Zoey and the not as soft voice of Zafir answering it, and for a moment smiles faintly. Only then does he sit up, and begins to slip into his armor, not intending to disturb the Commander and the little Mes that are sitting a few cots away from him.

Nicolos moves out to do his chores.

Zoey jumps a little at the sound of Nicolos waking up so suddenly. She turns to look at Nicolos and then she turns to look back at Zafir, "An elk bullied me. He was so big and large." and she beams up towards Zafir.

Zafir nods slowly. "I see. A little girl like you shouldn't be wandering in the forest alone. That might be well and good for a Ticanee, mind you, but normal little girls could trip and get hurt. Or be assaulted by animals. And the forest is so big, if you got lost and hurt you might not be found for some time..." he nods, sagely. "So...you should be careful." he smiles softly. "But, since you asked...I have no idea what this long-necked thing is. It looks like a horse that was stretched out, doesn't it? Except it has these little horns on it's head, so it looks like an oxen. I think it is a rather funny creature. I've never heard the Bonduin traders speak of something like this, so I think Lady Bashona just made this one up..." he jokes.

Caracallo finishes buckling his armor and lacing his boots, before he fully rises from his cot, and takes the spear into his left hand, slowly making his way over to Zafir and Zoey. Once he is close enough he stops and salute the Commander, as it is proper, waiting for his acknowledgement.

Zoey bobs her head curiously as she studies the painting, "DO you think that they actually exist?" She asks curiously as she looks at the painting, "it got strips on it like a spider." She adds, "Maybe its a spider-horse." and she beams up towards Zafir happily, "You don't have to worry about me in the forest, Lord Zaffy. I'm a Firanosizen and I'm one with the forest. The elk was really painful, I wanted to tame him but in the end I killed him all by myself but he kicked me here and lots of other places." as she touches her hips and her eyes brighten up at the sight of Caracallo, "Caraca!" She squeals as she clings on tightly to the painting and throws her little body towards him to catch. Test of his duty. Heh.

Zafir nods crisply to Caracallo, saluting the man. His fist hits his tunic-covered chest with a soft thud. "Captain." he looks the man over for a moment, before nodding approvingly. "You look well. How is your injury holding up?" he asks, and as Zoey flings herself towards the Captain, Zafir realizes that there is no was the man can stay at his attention. "At ease, Captain" he says, and smirks.

Caracallo did actually break his salute beforehand to catch Zoey, and he shakes his head at her, frowning. "Thank you, sir.", he comments, after he has secured Zoey as good as he could and then lets her down to the floor. "Little Mes, I told you before that this is no place to play.", he scolds her, before he looks at Zafir again. "The wound is healing well. It only rips open now and then when I move the arm too much, but that isn't a problem.", he reports.

Zoey points to her hips and her legs, "I got wounds too!" She states very proudly, "I only came to see how are you. The last time I saw you, you were so upset and angry. You look better now." The little eaglet says quite critically as she studies Caracallo as one would study a piece of meat of course. She turns towards Zafir and then towards Caracallo and asks, "Do you two know each other, Lord Zaffy?"

Zafir nods slowly. "Hell, Captain. A lesser man would have went home crying to his mother. Got right out of working, tried to make us pay him an injured soldiers pension. I'm glad you're still holding up." he smirks. "Why does Draugik get all of the good soldiers?" he compliments the man with a joke, and glances back to Zoey. "I know, you are a very brave little girl, fighting an elk like that. Very reckless, but recklessness requires some amount of bravery." he nods to her question. "Yes, the Captain and I know each other. We are both in the first division. Captain Caracallo is one of the best guards we've got."

Caracallo bows and smirks slightly at the compliment. "And give up the fun to be shot at by Shameblian griffon riders. By no means sir!", he replies and then nods to his explenation. "Lord Commander leads investigation, Zoey. He is the one who brings down those criminals if they break the law.", he explains, looking at her injuries. "Didn't I tell you to be careful? Foolishness is only going to kill you, Zoey. Pick smaller pray!", he scolds, shaking his head at her.

Zoey wrinkles her nose, "But I thought the elk wouldn't be so difficult after all I did hunt him together with Sabby the other day." Though she didn't add that Sabby did all the hunting, she beams up towards him, "THe healers said that I will be well in a few days times. They were surprised that I only got that huge cut because the elk kicked me right over some rocks, but its okay. It hurts but its slowly going off." and she beams excitedly at the news, "Can I fight griffon riders as well? Can I do investigation as well? I'm very good at getting information if you want! I can sneak around!"

Zafir nods crisply to Caracallo. "That's what I like to hear, Captain! Half the fun of being a guard is the mortal combat, long hours, and low pay" he jokes, looking back to Zoey. "I don't think you are old enough to do all of that, Mes Zoey. Fighting Shamibelians is difficult. Fighting Shamibelian pilots is even more difficult. As for investigations, well...it's much more then just getting information. And the guard doesn't sneak around - that is what Covis' Cutthroats are for. Perhaps, in a few years, if you wish to join the guard, you can enlist. But for now, you should probably just stick to adventuring..."

Caracallo nods at that as well. "Yes Zoey.", he says simply, before he again grins at Zafir. "Did the interrogation turn up anything interesting, Commander? I hope we didn't let those goatheads live for nothing?", he rumbles slightly.

Zoey looks disappointed as she scuffs her boot into the ground and says, "I"m always too little for anything. I want to grow up fast." She adds as she glances from Caracallo to Zafir and then back again, "Caraca. Did you see this painting Lord Zaffy got? Its got interesting animals in it? Wouldn't it be grand if we could see some of these animals here in Aerval? DO you think they are real?" She asks curiously.

A few lights can be seen burning bright this evening as some hard working Firans tend to their chores.

Zafir raises his eyebrows. "Well, they still live. Commander Draugik and I need to interrogate them as a dual effort. Commander Draugik can get the questions out of them, and I know exactly what questions need to be asked. We merely need to catch each other at a good time. He has been quite busy, as I understand it." he smiles to Zoey, and watches her ramble on about the painting.

Caracallo rises his eyebrows to look at the painting. After a moment he shakes his head. "Well, those horses could be real, but this white animal certainly isn't. I never saw somethig like this before.", he says, before he nods at Zafir again. "Good. I would like to see that those are good for something at last.", he says.

Zoey stares at the painting again as she scratches her head and then she says, "But the horses have black and white stripes on them? Why do they have such funny markings? Do you think that someone painted a white horse with black stripes or a black horse with white stripes?" as she concentrates on the painting totally ignoring their 'business' talk.

Zafir nods to Caracallo. "You have to watch out for them in interrogations. The ones with important information have an odd way of commiting suicide. They keep chanting 'Obala', which is thier name for the dark god. Then...they just die. Swallow thier own tounges. At least, the one I had to interrogate did." he looks back to Zoey, shrugging his shoulders. "Because they aren't from around here. They are from far away, in the Bonduin lands. The black and white horse has an easily remembered name. Lady Bashona said that the Bonduins call that one a 'Zeb-rae', or something to that degree. I've never been much good with Bonduin..." he looks up to Caracallo, and grins. "Yes, you're right. It does seem like a fake creature, does it not? But the Bonduin tradesman speak of it. They say it roams thier lands, like the great cats that they kill and skin to sell pelts this far north. Some have imagined that it is a lost monster, that Firanos never captured, but the Bonduins say that it can be killed, and that there are more then one of them. What Lady Bashona drew is not how I imagined the creature from the stories, but it does fit the description well..."

Caracallo nods at that, looking at the picture more closely now. "Well, if there a more then one of those, then it can't be the beast out of the stories. Remeber how many people the one beast has been said to have killed. There would be no Bonduin left if it was the beast from the legend.", he says, quite firmly.

Zoey repeats the word to herself, "Zeb-rae. Well it must be a good animal since it starts with the letter 'Z' the same as my name." and she wrinkles her nose and then she asks, "How did Lady Bashona get to see all these animals well enough to draw them?" She asks the Lord curious before she turns towards Caracallo and nods in agreement with him, "Yeah..if its one of those awful beasts of Firanos, then I'm sure that it would have killed all the Bonduins. I hope you get more information out of the Shammis, Lord Zaffy!" She adds the last statement almost absently as she studies the painting again and she shows it closer to caracallo.

Zafir nods to Caracallo. "Agreed. The Beast was also unable to be seen. I don't see how the Bonduins would be able to see the beast where the Firans and Ticanee could not. Aside - I like the Bonduins. I enjoy the mystery they carry. I remember as a child, not more then Mes Zoeys age, my brothers and I used to run down to the Forum whenever the traders from the Bonduin lands came in. Be they Bonduin or Firan, they always had great tales to tell." he looks to Zoey, and smiles. "I have no idea. I think she just drew them from her imagination. We have talked on this subject before. She finds the Bonduin lores as fascinating as I. And I don't think that the Shamibelians would know about these beasts. If they did, certainly they would be using them in battle, as they do with the griffons."

Caracallo nods again. "And I would assume those beast are harder to kill then griffons even. Look at it.", he shakes his head. "Well, perhaps we can soon start on the work to train Horses and Horsemen. I am sure this would benefit our troops with the taking of Ellish. There are a lot of ways to employ them, i am sure.", he states, then ruffles Zoey's hair gently. "And you, be more carefull during the hunt, little Mes. It is not a good thing to carry unnecessary wounds.".

Zoey giggles up towards Caracallo and she states proudly to him, "The healers said that if I had incurred anymore wounds, I would be with Unot! But I managed to limp to them in time...though I'm not telling Sanna or Talia about it. They'll only get worried." and she stares at the painting once again, "Maybe these big creatures are for riding on?" as she thinks about riding on anything especially griffons of course.

Zafir nods crisply to Caracallo. "I hope so, too. Unfortunatley, I won't be going to the battlefield this year. The Commanders of the guard must stay in the city to keep the peace." back to Zoey, again. "And Captain Caracallo is right. You need to stay out of trouble. Both he and I would be very dissapointed if we received a report that you had passed away...try to keep your adventures more safe. As for the creatures...well, I wouldn't want to ride the large one. If you fell off, you'd probably be crushed under it's feet. But I'd imagine you could ride the other two like horses..."

Caracallo looks at Zoey and sigh slightly, dissaproving. But he then nods to Zafir. "Well, I am hoping I will go to war this year. I had to stay home last year already. That is as much sparing as I want the Shameblians to get. Time we finally retake Ellish!", he says, then salutes again. "I will make my evening round now.", he says, and after he is dismissed he looks at Zoey. "Take care, little Mes.".

Zoey bobs her head and then she waves towards Caracallo and shouts hopefully afte rhim, "Maybe I'll get to go and protect you as well, Captain Carac." before she climbs back up on Zafir's cot and stares at him and then stares at the painting again, "You think Ic ould really ride one of these if I tried?" She assk curiously as she holds up the painting for it.

Zafir nods to Caracallo, saluting in return. "That is the spirit, Captain. I'm sure you'll make it this year. And I know we'll finally re-take Ellish from those goat-faces. Dismissed!" he nods.

Caracallo walks by the guards and out the door. Caracallo has left.

Zafir smirks to Zoey. "I think that you could, if you tried. Which one do you want to ride?" he asks, looking down at the picture.

Zoey points to the horse-like animal there, "It looks much easier to ride than the long -necked creature. I would be dreadfully afraid to break his neck. Why did Lady bashona give you this picture, Lord Zaffy?" She asks curiously.

Zafir nods. "That one looks just like a horse, but with odd stripes on it. Lady Bashona gave me the picture because she knows I like mythical creatures such as this. Ones that we don't know exist or not...like we did with the griffons."

Zoey bobs her head and then she yawns suddenly, "Okay. I' think I'm gonna head on home to bed, Lord Zaffy. I'm tired." and she snuggles up towards the Lord suddenly with all her armor. She was a rather affectionate little girl, "Have a good day, Lord Zaffy." as she hands the painting back at him and prepares to run off.

Zafir nods slowly, smiling. "You have a good day as well, Mes Zoey. Be good, and don't get into any more trouble. Understand?" he pats her on the shoulder as she snuggles, a little uncertain of the girls affection. "Farewell."

Zoey bobs her head and waves bye bye to him as she scampers off. Zoey walks by the guards and out the door. Zoey has left.