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ᚦ @battleraised​​​​ | random dialog | accepting !

Many say gods are the ones who can give and take, the concept spoke partial truth, the best they could do was   WATCH   and guide where necessary.   Though hunters were often the subject of one brother  ( his domain the dewy fields ),  their profession was typically shared between a   NUMBER   of equal parts Vanir and Æsir.   Beowulf did not go unnoticed, his   FAME   traveled the realms through both yells and whispers, his school neither ignored, and the slayers that it produced had procured the curiosity of deities.   Thrud was no exception.

Where a   BEAST   nested, a hunter would not be far from its trail.   Except time began to turn against the unknown, centuries birthed new beliefs and worked diligently to abolish the ancient and the relentless and the tired.   What was the norm evolved into the feared.   Until their names became nothing more than faded   ETCHINGS   on stone.

Her wolves had gone fishing for a meal within man’s woodlands and caught unwanted concern–they were no Fenrir, but they were   TALLER   than most–and dared to catch the attention to one of them.

Hugleikr and Magn lay open in view, sharing a grown   DOE   as he approached.   The wolves aware he was there but paid him little regard, they knew they were safe so long as their mother’s presence was there to assure it.   Even as she was careful,   SILENT   in her own approach but dubiously unnoticed, while leaned against a tree to the side of him.

THREAT   was far from intention unless proven necessary, instead it was inquisitiveness that was her motivation.

❝ I don’t often get the chance to talk to someone like you. ❞

they say that idle hands are the   DEVIL’S   playthings, and in kaleb’s case, truer words had   NEVER   been spoken.   it was a concoction of hubris and restlessness that drove him deeper and deeper into the woods, all by his lonesome.   rumors had traveled; tall tales about   GIANT   wolves, large enough to swallow a man whole if they so wished.   ‘pft,’ he thought, ‘i’ll believe that when i see it.’   well, the joke was on him. 

there they were, two   FEROCIOUS   beasts that man had feared since the beginning of dawn, sharing a meal.   he had sought them out in hopes they would provide a challenge, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb them.   from what he could tell they had yet to hurt anyone... except for a deer, but that was simply nature running its course.

                      HIS APPROACH WAS MET WITH UTTER SILENCE,  gaze  fixated  on  him  and  only him.  perhaps  it  was the tranquility of it that refrained lungs from heaving,  or  merely  the  fact  that  he  cleverly obeyed her demand. a very clever breed, indeed.

                              ❛  don’t get in my way again.  ❜   pivoting on her heel, the wheel of life starting churning around them again as she vanished into the building. it must have served him well, earning unvoiced respect everywhere he went ( be it out of fear or not ). clearly, others weren’t as LUCKY.

                               once  again,  a good few months passed where no run-in took place — and thank gods for that, seeing as she had had her fill of mutants to last a while.  this  time  however, there was no luck involved;  just  sheer and utter DESPERATION. he could tell by the way surrounding tavern guests all slowed down before him, coming to a controlled pause as beckoned by the source. then, as if on cue, fay slithered between the masses in order to seize a seat beside him. seeing as the server himself was temporarily out of it, nimble fingers grabbed the nearest bottle in the name of self-service. don’t worry, she’d still leave a tip.

                             ❛  long time no see.  ❜   cheers to that, am i right?

                       ELBOWS RESTED ON THE COUNTER AS HE SAT THERE,  hunched over, minding his own business. thankfully, those around were too inebriated to notice, or care, about his presence         just the way he liked it. however, having learned the hard way, good things never seemed to last  ( supposed that’s why he never took anything for granted ).

                            you would think he had gotten used to this little trick of hers by now, but frankly, that shit still caught him off guard. not that his face revealed such a thing, but the gooseflesh traveling down his spine sure did.     a soft sigh was exhaled as he stared into his soon-to-be empty mug, counting the seconds until the scent of amber hit his nose. he heard her way before he smelled her, the way she carried herself just as unique as everything else. 

                       EVERYWHERE  SHE  WENT,  HE  FOLLOWED;  or so it seemed from the looks of it. whether it was him that arrived first or her, his was a company that seemed highly anticipated by now. perhaps that was why the decent bounties had all disappeared — things were starting to get a bit too crowded.

                               ❛  i don’t need your CHARITY, witcher.  ❜   daggers  for  words,  marching  steps  following  him outside once the ear had been traded with that of coin purse.  it irked her just the right way,  having  him  slither  into her business on TWO separate occasions and counting.   ❛  the money is yours, claim it.  ❜    a demand so powerful, its immediate effect had surrounding peasants all freezing mid-step.         so  much  for  having  witnesses,  her  own weariness causing pace to halt in the middle of the muddy plaza. clearly, the lack of a boot still hindered her in doing anything remotely mundane ( like getting her life straight again, for starters ).

                         HE, TOO, FROZE IN PLACE,  but for different reasons altogether. the frantic vibrations of his medallion caused spine to lock into place as muscles tensed. unable to determine her true intentions, it became abundantly clear that she was chaos incarnate; a wildfire willing to consume the earth. he had suspected as much, but now he was certain.

                               the turn was slow, controlled, half-expecting her eyes to be ablaze. the heat radiating off of her had his gaze transfixed, and for good reason. if this was all it took to set her off, what would uncontrollable wrath unleash? or worse, devoted intent... it’s not fear that has him staring, in fact, the witcher remains perfectly stoic; an endless expanse of calm sea.     her demand was met, unwilling to argue when pride outweighed logic. the last thing he needed was for this to escalate into something that could never be undone.   ❛  what you do need, is guidance.  ❜   tone devoid of authority, words merely offered as an observation. had proper training and self-discipline been taught, such a fervid display of powers would surely not have occurred on open street.

                                 an awkward reminder flooded his mind; the fact that he had found the missing boot and that it resided mere inches away, safely stowed within the confines of his saddlebag. to present her with such a find would surely be his undoing, seeing as his  ‘ charity ’  was not needed, or so she had proclaimed.      cue a break in eye contact as he mounted the beast of burden.

                        HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE PREDICAMENT  they were already in,  fay would have questioned  him  further;  sure,  she  had  heard  of  the  odd  court  mage  here and there,  but considering such a position for herself was nowhere in reach. not even in the slightest.

                                ❛  thanks.  ❜   dry delivery, coupled with a glare more so directed at his blasé approach to being fatally wounded. nonetheless, at least she could bet on returning to the village before him at this rate, claiming the oren for herself. cue a DAGGER being drawn, the ear of the beast making for decent enough proof.   ❛  ‘til we meet again, i suppose.  ❜  mumbled as she wrapped the ear up in a handkerchief, heading for the endless forest waiting ahead of her. 

                                 there was something cathartic about it, walking along cold and empty gravel roads wearing only one boot; the experience made her appreciate the desert so much more, its looming promise of death forcing one to keep their spirits up,  never allowing you to surrender.  here,  however,  there was no such thing.  just  EMPTINESS, temporarily hidden behind the depths of murky fog. no  wonder  people  allowed  beasts  to  roam  around  freely — witchers  among  them.

                               ❛  what do you mean it’s not REAL?  ❜   surprisingly composed, despite the sheer vitriol seeping from her tongue.    the innkeeper’s following laugh didn’t bring him any further from having her blade rearranging his intestines.  ‘it’s FAKE! there’s no way someone like you defeated it on your own!’  fingers tightened their grip around the dismembered ear, temper about to erupt like there was no tomorrow. was he serious?   how come someone like her didn’t have any agency unless she whipped up her abilities as testament?  then again, it wasn’t the first time she was ridiculed for her exterior.  cue the palm of her hand clashing with the counter separating them.      ❛  hey — i did NOT fucking sacrifice two nights of sleep and a portion of my sanity to have your stinky breath laugh me in the face. either pay up, or suffer the consequences.  ❜   an  improvement  from  earlier  days;  most of the time, she wouldn’t even bother giving them a warning.

                                           THE DOOR FLEW OPEN  and the atmosphere of the room was drastically altered.  thankfully, he was used to it by now.  heavy footfalls carried him directly toward the counter, shortly followed by a loud SLAM as the entirety of a chort’s head  ( missing an ear, mind you )  was placed upon it. without having to ask, or even open his mouth, the coin was placed within reach. despite the state she had left him in, kaleb showed no signs of any injuries whatsoever. though whether he was still in pain or not was impossible to tell. impressive really, had he not been a mutant. 

                        AT  LEAST  HER  TACTIC  DIDN’T  INVOLVE   getting  attacked  head  on  by  that ginormous thing. instead, she’d personally go for a ‘hit and run’ sort of strategy, but guess she’d never know how that’d turn out. following him with a limp due to the missing boot, frustration painted itself onto her whole being.

                                 ❛  why would i do something like that?  ❜   the sheer audacity with this one; the only thing those rich fools would ever get from her was either a cold shoulder, or rather, a cold blade shoved up their skull.   ❛  hey — this kill was mine, too!  ❜   and she’d be damned if he snatched the bounty right in front of her ( at the very least, she could openly locate his weak spot should they have to brawl it out ).       ❛  you won’t even make it back to the village looking like that. as if people weren’t scared enough by your kind, you’ll show up with an impaled stomach??  ❜  the fervent pointing ought to tell him she was beyond having it.

                                ❛  COMMON SENSE?  ❜   assuming it would be easier for her to earn coins that way, of course. if not, then perhaps to assist the noble folk with their many odd ailments. it would definitely pose a lesser risk to her own life. no matter, what she did on her own time was no concern of his.  ❛  let me take what i need and the rest is yours.  ❜   offered with hands deep within guts. by the time she had made her way over he had already claimed what was needed as proof of kill, leaving the chort mostly intact and the hide untouched. he would have taken that too, seeing as it was worth way more than what the bounty was offering, but she did have a point.

                                        rising to his feet and turning to face her, slitted pupils dilated ever so slightly as they were given the chance to properly study her up close. while he was standing there, staring, an all too familiar scent could be detected; amber, buried underneath a layer of mud, but still there regardless.

                         IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS RELIEF,  followed shortly by shock as gaze landed on the wound in his side;     how was he even standing with that thing poking out of him like that?   the  distraction  was  barely enough to interrupt her powers, hesitant to let go until the coast was as clear as could be. consciousness was starting to dwindle, however, and had he not lifted her with force, fay surely would have blacked out once the beast freed itself from her metaphysical grasp.

                                  ❛  ….. let me down.  ❜   spoken  once  the  mage  regained  a sense of recollection of what just happened, the pungent smell of death threatening to taint the air around them.  did  he  just…  off  the  beast  in  one giant slice?   well, the sooner the better.  sliding off his shoulder proved a true test of her balance,  hand involuntarily seeking support from his frame once feet made contact with uneven ground.  she  would  miss  that  boot,  for  more reasons than one, at that.   ❛  you should have let me handle it from the start.  you  almost  got  me  killed.  ❜   thumb wiped away the blood from her face, as if that would erase what he just saw. either way, he probably had his own dilemmas to worry about ( like that of his mock-fatal injury ).

                                KNEES BUCKLED INSTINCTIVELY  as she began to slither down, causing him to shift his weight in the process in order to bring her feet closer to the treacherous terrain        you’re welcome.     in doing so, however, he was reminded of a certain branch still embedded into his flesh. there was a brief pause in breath as the exhale got cut short, preventing himself from groaning. the pain traveled like a pulse through his body, causing muscles to momentarily flex and jaw to twitch before he seemingly returned back to normal. although, his breath still remained restrained. he would have yanked it out had it not been for the possibility of bleeding to death; he would just have to wait and deal with it once he was back at camp.

                          THE  URGE  TO  STOP  HIM  TIGHTENED  HER  THROAT,  only  for  warning  to summon  a  cursed  hiss;  where  was  she  even  supposed  to  go?     in matter of seconds, fay threw herself in the opposite direction, making a run for it towards the nearest block of stones while covering her mouth and nostrils with the fabric of her scarf. midway, however, her leg got swallowed by uneven ground, mud seeping into her boot shortly after she fell.  that’s  when  she  noticed  the  beast,  squirming  and  shrieking  from  the  gas   ( clearly angered and confused ).  thanks, witcher.

                                   ❛  ……  ❜   seconds felt like hours as its attention turned towards her, form slowly lifting herself off the wet terrain. this was the disadvantage of not familiarizing herself with the area beforehand,    the reliance on sheer luck too ingrained within. at the very least, the monster seemed reduced in its reflexes as it charged towards her, the poisonous fog clearing up just in time. groaning as she tried to free herself one final time, desperation led a hand to reach out, the tense of her muscles forcing the creature to stop dead in its tracks. freezing a monster of its size like that took an immense toll both physically and mentally, and yet outing herself as a mage in front of some stranger felt all the more harrowing. speaking of — where the FUCK was he?

                                     heavy, uneven breaths lapsed from her lungs as she kept her hold on him, simultaneously struggling to pull herself up from the suction of the mud.   judging  by  the  trembling  of  her  hand,  there was only a matter of time before she had to release it,   the lack of a plan b starting to settle as blood began cascading from her nose. could she cry for help?  possibly, but for all she knew, the mutant may have been knocked out harder than first expected. what a way to go out, right?

                                    WHEN THE THICK SMOG FINALLY DISSIPATED,  the sight that greeted him caught him off guard and he began to question his own sanity.  there, the chort stood, completely still. the mixture of saltpeter and sewant mushrooms still lingered in the air, and for a moment he thought he was hallucinating.

                                          cautious in his approach, yet fully audible due to the amount of mud, kaleb finally stepped into view. a few critical glares were given, golden hues flickering back and forth between woman and beast. the steady stream of crimson trickling from her nose made it obvious they were running out of time. upon realizing this, he decided to take advantage of the situation. unsheathing his sword, no time was wasted as he quickly applied relict oil onto the blade before plunging it deep into the heart of the beast. the amount of force required caused every muscle to tense, which in turn made the wound at his side ache even more. a dragged out groan left him as the sword was removed with an upward swing, making sure to cause as much damage as possible.

                                         while the monster remained frozen in chaos, kaleb took a knee in front of her, the sword cast aside. rough hands, now covered in blood, grabbed a hold of her calf and ankle before yanking it out of the sludge. considering she had suspended the creature mid charge, it was vital to get her out of the path of destruction. seeing no other solution, kaleb resorted to hoist her up, causing her to hang over his shoulder. mere seconds after stepping out of harms way, the howler regained animation and continued to barrel forward, its bellowing now caused by searing agony rather than blinding rage. the creature rammed its head into a trunk, causing it to topple over before silence graced his ears once more, and the medallion that was safely tucked away beneath his armor ceased its vibrations.

                           THE MUTANT PROVED HIMSELF STUBBORN.  of course he would be, this being his whole livelihood and all; hunting, slaying… brooding?  familiarities indeed, although hers was a tale of more running than that of actually chasing. lucky for him, however, faylene was also not one to beg.

                                    ❛  —— fine.  ❜   coins found themselves back into her palm, molten eyes measuring him one final time.  ❛  good luck out there.  ❜  witcher. mumbled as she scooched in the opposite direction, calmly disengaging the attempt at trading objectives. as she left the door, the next time she’d meet him was on the monstrous battlefield itself, seeking shelter from a rancid HOWLER.

                                     fay had stumbled upon the beast after talking with lindenvale locals, assuming its bounty was up for grabs.   seeking shelter behind a trunk once the beast suspected intruders, the mage could feel her heart rate increasing as she sifted through the potions at hand.     upon a noticeable crack, however, she paused at its behest; there, only a few meters away, the silhouette of an all too recognizable witcher lurked in the comforts of shadowy trees. cue a prominent frown laden with confusion.

                                    ❛  what. are. you. doing.  ❜  a breathless mouthing, if anything.

                                    IT ISN’T UNTIL SHE WALKED AWAY  that lucent eyes flickered in the dim light, compelled to watch her leave. she defied all expectations, and under no circumstances had he thought she would give up so easily without a fight. perhaps he had read her wrong? 

                                              a final deep breath was taken, determined to cherish the sweet mixture of honey and rich earth before his senses was once again polluted by days old sweat, mediocre brew, and who knows what else. something told him he hadn’t seen the last of her. 

                                             intuition was proven right when their paths crossed yet again, but this time under much more dangerous conditions; surrounded but a harsher environment well known as no man’s land. if the creatures here didn’t swallow you whole, the bog sure would. 

                                              the frown given was gladly returned as features constructed a grimace of their own.   ❛  what. are. YOU. doing.  ❜   mouthed back while eyes narrowed, thoroughly questioning this woman’s sanity, or rather, the lack of it  ( the rapid beat of her pulse suggesting she was doing the same ).  chorts were formidable foes, even in the eyes of a witcher, and yet here she was, ready to prove her worth all on her own.

                                               attention quickly returned to the beast in question, only to make direct eye contact with it. with a face now drained of emotion, the urge to crouch was no longer necessary as arms fell lax.   ❛   —— ah, fuck.  ❜   muttered while the creature had already began its charge. moments before the impact that sent him soaring, kaleb was able to cast quen. the protective shield shattered as soon as he connected with the uneven terrain, taking most of the brunt, however, it offered no protection against the broken piece of a dried branch that was now embedded into his side as he continued to roll.

                            THE DIM-LIT TAVERN PROVIDES  just enough privacy for the mage to slide into view, back arching itself against the counter.   she’s the embodiment of intention; gods knew how long she had wandered the wartorn streets of novigrad, practically begging for a good reason to leave the filth behind. that’s why she drops a bag of coins in front of him, as if she had to make it any more obvious she demanded his attention.

                                     ❛  —— give it to me.  ❜   room for patience, though the pungent smell of a hovering bartender reminds her just how much she needs this.     ❛  the flyer. give it to me.  ❜   a sense of urgency seeps through, poorly concealed as superiority.    ❛  i’m buying you out. i’m sure you can find a more decent ‘quest’ out there.  ❜  like slaying a dragon or whatever.

* ~ @battleraised​​​​

                               THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK  rises up the moment she passes the threshold. a soft sigh leaves him before indulging in another sip of his drink. there was a loud determination in each step that carried her forward. other patrons had enough wit about them to give him space, revealing that he was her mark all along. the thud of a coin purse draws unwanted attention from nearby strangers, though they’re quick to avert their gaze, deciding it was best to mind their own damn business.