Username:Clan: kingdom of khafraQuest Number: 1
Response:Tranquil silence rested over those of Khafra, a peacefulness that could only be found during this time of night. With the soldiers patrolling the borders while the hunters searched about for prey, the rest of Khafra was generally quiet. Pharaoh Alani appreciated such a thing - ruling over so many was an exhausting task, some days more so than others. But in the end, Khafra would always count on his final word...regardless if he wanted it to or not. For the tom, such a weight upon his shoulders was undesirable...but he certainly would do his best for them, if only because he was entrusted with it. Even so, he'd still take the peaceful times and allow himself time to relax - in both mind and body.
XXXXAlas, it wouldn't be much longer that such a state of mind existed. His relaxation was disturbed when a cry sounded from above him. Blue eyes snapped open in surprise, before turning to gaze skyward. He met the gaze of a feathered friend, who had begun to descend. His ears pricked with interest as the bird landed, a series of chips and twitters sounding from the winged fellow. Alani sighed as he recognized the calls - cries of warning, danger. It must be something quite displeasing for him to be alerted of such things. Or maybe they just know how quick I am to respond. One's good traits sometimes were their worst downfall. But he couldn't just ignore the plea for help could he? With a heavy breath, the flame-point arose to his paws, signaling for his soaring counterpart to lead him onwards. Best to not keep others waiting.
Alani was quick to make his way out of the kingdom walls, bringing along the trusted soldier Applesnap. He knew the kingdom wouldn't take it very well had he left without some sort of protection - sure, he could care for himself but for whatever reason they hated it when he slipped out of Khafra alone. Besides, at least he and Applesnap were on fairly good terms - so it wouldn't be overwhelmingly awkward. The flame-point allowed for the rosetted warrioress to lead the way, following their messenger.
The bird led them to a patrol of cats who had seemed to have encountered something. Faint voices could be heard, slowly growing in volume as they grew closer. As the distance between them closed, Alani was able to make out more of the situation - and it wasn't anything but pleasing.
XXXXThe patrol had run into what appeared to be a small group of outsiders. Those types of felines were wildcards more than anything. Single outsiders typically posed no threat toward them, however, groups of them could very well be quite the opposite. Groups of outsiders could range from that of a traveling family to a brutish colony that was constantly looking for trouble. Alani quickened his pace to reach Applesnap's side, signaling for her to use caution. The soldier huffed yet seemed to follow his instructions...for now, at least. Once the two had reached those of Khafra, Alani's ears twitched as he picked up on the current conversation.
"Yeah, I get that. But...what do you mean? Tri-" Weaselskip's gruff voice was easily distinguishable, yet unfamiliar voices were quick to confound the flame-point tom. "Trick or treat, silly! Just give us what you have, a trick or treat! It's not that hard, dumby."
XXXXAlani slipped past the opposing cats of the patrol, reaching Weaselskip's side. "Excuse me." He muttered to the spotted tom, before turning to the opposite group of cats. As he saw earlier, it was a small group - only three. They seemed fairly young, so perhaps these felines had gotten lost somehow. Or merely up to childish mischief. "Uhm- excuse me, but what's all this about trick or treat? I..don't think Weaselskip here understands what you mean by that." Alani interjected, blue eyes harboring a curious light. The outsiders cast annoyed glances at one another, before turning back to the Khafra patrol. "Mister, we're looking to do some trick or treating." The first replied, green eyes wide. "Don't you know how that works?"
XXXXAlani paused, whiskers quivering as he tossed the words about. What in Altan's name was trick or treating? He shook his head, before opening his mouth to reply. But before he was able to get more than a breath out, Applesnap had stepped in. "Alright, enough of this nonsense. You three." She hissed, eyeing the group of outsiders. "I'd advise you all to leave before I personally give you a nasty treat." The first of the outsiders sprung to his paws, tail waving about. "Treats aren't supposed to be nasty! Jeez, you're all so dumb. I can't believe-"
XXXXThe soldier cut the young tom off, lashing her own tail. "I can't believe you're still here." Claws unsheathing, the soldier approached the outsiders steadily. "Now leave. Before I tear you to shreds. All of you."
"W-We better go! I think this is all a trick!" The second cried. Only a moment longer was spared before the three turned tail and ran. Applesnap snorted as she watched them leave, turning back to the patrol. "You waste so much unnecessary time." She huffed to Alani, before turning to Weaselskip. "And you. You and your stupid hide. Mere kits are nothing to send a messenger for! How in the lands of Altan am I able to trust you with anything? I swear, if something this stupid happens again I'll-"
XXXX"That's enough, Applesnap. Let's return home, we're done here. Let's all just...take a break and breathe for a bit, alright?" The tom suggested, as he took the lead of the patrol. A sigh escaped him as he led the way back to Khafra. The simplest of things could cause so much trouble sometimes.
But such troubles were far from over. Later that night, Alani had decided to take a stroll through the kingdom. He usually made his way down to the gates of Khafra, which was his current path of travel. The kingdom was still relatively quiet, though he passed quite a few felines out and about as they tended to various duties. Yet as he reached the entrance to the kingdom, his eyes widened. Maplewish stood there...chatting with the same outsiders he saw earlier. With hardly a moment to spare, the tom rushed over to them.
XXXX"Trick or treat!" They called again. The caliby seemed all too fond of the young felines, delighted to be in their presence even. "Oh, is this a game? Can I play too?" She inquired cheerfully. "No, that's not how it goes! You're supposed to-" One of them began, before the leader of the trio cut them off. "Hey, wait a sec. Maybe she could join us. She looks like one of those cats we saw earlier. I'm sure she knows where the best treats are!"
XXXXBy this time, Alani had finally reached the small gathering. His blue eyes flickered over the outsiders, before landing upon Maplewish. "Maplewish. What're doing? These are outsiders, have you forgotten the protocol for such situations?" The flame-point paused, exhaling. "I'm beginning to sound like Applesnap, forgive me. But honestly...I encountered these felines earlier alongside a patrol." He began, attention shifting toward the trio. "They were told to leave but...they must've followed us from a distance."
Maplewish hummed, whiskers quivering. "Oh really? So you brought back visitors? How exciting!" She chirped, springing to her paws. The leader's eyes grew even wider, mind beginning to scatter about. "N-No. They're not visitors, I don't know them one bit. As far as I know, they could be-"
XXXX"No wait! We are visitors and we'd love to have a look around! Could we please, please, please explore your home? And show us the greatest treats you have!" The trio leader piped up, cutting off Alani. The others nodded, pleading with the hunter in the same manner. "Oh, you want treats? To see the kingdom? Well, why didn't you say so!" Maplewish replied cheerfully, waving her tail to signal for them to follow her. And without more than another moment or two, Maplewish and the trio of outsiders had left the Pharaoh behind. He stood there, astonished. And horrified. "No, no, no! MAPLEWISH!!" He cried, before charing after them. This wasn't good at all.
The flame-point was quick to follow after the escapees, blue gaze focused as he made his way through that of Khafra. At every twist and turn, he just caught the tail of one of the outsiders, briefly noticing the occasional glance in their direction. It didn't take him long to eventually find them however - the group had paused outside of a hunters den, where Maplewish was currently…
XXXX"Maplewish, stop! Stop! What in Altan's name are you doing?!" Alani cried as he bounded over. The huntress had begun to give the young trio prey, the three felines more than pleased with each piece they were given. "Oh hi, Alani! I was just giving our visitors a treat or two!" The molly replied with a bright smile, padding over toward the tom. "They seem to be enjoying it, such nice catches. I wonder who caught those rodents anyway, they really have an eye for the best catches!" The caliby winked at the tom, who merely rolled his eyes in response. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to wonder about such things. Do tell me if you find out who it is though." A slight grin, before a more serious expression took over. "Honestly, though. You can't be giving outsiders this kind of stuff. Or even more so, letting them into Khafra. We don't know who they are or where they came from, who knows what or who they could be tied to."
XXXX"Oh, Alani! Don't be so worrisome, they're hardly novices! I'm sure they're just- Hey, where did they go?" A sudden pause as the two felines turned to glance over to where the trio had been...only to find nothing there. Alani's ears lowered as he dashed over to the spot, glancing about wildly before turning to look inside. A couple of moments later he exited the den, only to meet the curious gaze of Maplewish. "They're not here. They've...vanished." A heavy breath came from the tom. The hunter approached him, leaning into him. "Don't worry Alani! I'm sure we'll find them somewhere! Come on, we can search now!" She replied, as she bounded away. Alani stared after her for a few moments, a long sigh sounding from him. There was no time to waste. So, off he went.
It hadn't taken Alani and Maplewish very long to find the trio, soon coming across the sound of cries and screams. With newfound purpose - and concern - the two followed the sounds, ending up at the entrance to Fadedhaze's den. The healer was crouched at the entrance, ember-colored eyes wide. "P-Please! T-Those are important, don't touch them! No wait! Leave that alone, please!" The tom cried, fur bristling wildly. "Come on sir, where are you hiding the good stuff at? All you have is a bunch of smelly plants!" Another voice cried.
XXXXAlani inhaled sharply. He approached the frightened feline cautiously, offering a comforting touch with a paw. "Relax." He whispered, before turning to the wrecked den. "Hey, stop! You're wrecking the place!" He called into the den. "Trick or treat!" One of them cried again, approaching the two toms. "Oh, it's you again."
XXXX"T-They keep asking 'trick or treat.' I-I don't know what that means...they keep demanding it though." Fadedhaze managed to say to the flame-point. The tom's gaze narrowed slightly, ears lowering slightly. "I will kindly ask for you and your companions to leave. Now. You've practically destroyed poor Fadedhaze's home. There's no treats in there." With a glance between each other, the trio began to exit the den. Alani turned to Maplewish. "Alright, I think I've-"
XXXXSuddenly, a yell sounded from behind him. The tom whipped around just in time to see the trio charging at him. He had only enough time for a step or two, as he knocked Fadedhaze out of the way - the trio bowled him over, before skittering off into the night, snickering. "How's that for a trick?!" One called over their shoulder, disappearing from sight as they rounded a corner. The flame-point laid there, stunned. "Oh, Alani! Are you alright...?" Fadedhaze asked, warily approaching the leader. Maplewish watched from a distance, clear uncertainty written upon her face. A grunt sounded from the bright-furred feline. "I'm fine. I'll be better once those outsiders are gone." Slowly rising, the tom turned to Maplewish. "Find Applesnap and tell her I need soldiers. There are intruders that need to be stopped, we need to alert the kingdom. If they haven't noticed already..."
Once Maplewish had left to find Applesnap and alert her of the situation, Alani had set off alongside Fadedhaze to track down the runaway outsiders. There was quite a bit of evidence which made things both fortunately - and unfortunately - easy to track them down. "Oh yes, those young ones came by earlier." Was the constant reply received from those they came across, yet no definite direction. It wasn't until they came across a familiar face - or faces - that they knew they'd found the trio.
XXXX"Explain to me why in Altan's name would you give them that! Those weapons are sacred, belonging to the House of Junud! And you have the audacity to just- give it away?!" A furious cry echoed from up ahead, belonging to that of a rosetted feline. "I swear Weaselskip, one of these days I'll have you eliminated from Junud's ranks." A guilty spotted tom sat nearby, next to Rootsnap, another soldier. Alani grimaced at the situation ahead, quickening his pace to reach them before things escalated any further.
"You found them." The tom stated, once reaching the felines. The trio were currently toying about with one of Junud's weapons, perhaps trying to figure out how the claws worked. "Of course, we did." Came an irritable reply, Applesnap's tail lashing to match her words. "Only problem is, we need to get those claws back. This idiot decided he'd treat them with it." Alani glanced at Weaselskip who tried to offer a smile back, but truly looked disappointed in himself. The Pharaoh attempted to shoot him a sympathetic look, before turning his attention back to the warrioress. "Give him a break, will you? I'm sure we can get it back, but arguing amongst ourselves won't get it."
XXXXNow, the tom turned toward the young felines. His gaze hovered over them for a moment, before steadily approaching them. "Uhm...hello." He greeted them. The young cats turned to him, suspicious. "You again? Are you just trying to steal our treats?" The leader of the three asked, eyes narrowing. Alani huffed, shaking his head. "No. I'm actually hoping to have those back. My friend gave them to you by accident...I'm sure Maplewish would be willing to give you some more prey in return." He offered. The young felines shook their heads. "No way." One replied, before the others sounded their agreement.
XXXXAlani inhaled slowly. He glanced back at the others, who were watching him expectantly. What to do, what to do. He tossed about various ideas in his mind, before he settled on simply asking a question. "Alright, but consider this...if you have anything else you'd like, what would it be? What would I have to give you in return...?" A moment of silence. An annoyed grumble then followed, as the leader of the trio sighed once more. "Trick or treat. Take us trick or treating and we'll give you it back. Only the good places. Deal? ...Please?" The tom stood there for a moment, blinking. "Is that...all?" Gaze flickering over to his companions, he slowly nodded. "Okay. Sure, I'll take you trick or treating." The three felines smiled at one another, springing to their paws. "It's a deal then!"
And so, for the next couple of hours, Alani took the three kits trick or treating. By the time they were done, they'd experienced quite a few tricks, yet had obtained quite a few treats in the process, which made it all worth it. As the felines were herded toward Khafra's entrance, they returned the weapon as promised. "Thank you." Alani replied, with a dip of his head. "Yes, sir! Now onto the next kingdom. See ya!" And before they knew it, the three were gone.
XXXX"Awww, there they go! They were so cute... We should do this more often!" Maplewish exclaimed. "No. I'd actually prefer if we never did that again. Ever." Alani replied with a huff. "Trick or treating is exhausting. And if it involves outsiders...no thank you. But I have to admit...I did enjoy myself a bit." With a sheepish smile, the tom turned and led his companions away. The night had been quite eventful...surely one to remember.
Word Count: 2,828
Quest Number: 2
Response:
Quest Number: 3
Response:Out among the territory once more were two felines - Rootsnap and Weaselskip. The two toms were frequently seen together among those of Khafra and usually, when they were, it meant trouble would arise sooner or later. So one might ask, would such arise tonight? Perhaps, after all, it was quite likely that such could happen. Especially when one considered the reasoning behind their current journey…
XXXXThe two toms were currently nosing about the rock-filled clearing, presumably searching for something. Rootsnap searched one side, while Weaselskip searched the other. The two turned over various stones, kicking about the smaller ones. After a while of this, Rootsnap raised his head, grunting. "I can't find anything. Are you sure there's some mystical stone here or was I stupid for believing you?" Rootsnap hissed, turning to the larger tom. Weaselskip's whiskers twitched, but he merely grinned. "Oh, Rootsnap. Of course there is! Well...maybe not here, but I'm sure there's one somewhere among the Lands of Altan!"
Rootsnap frowned, huffing. "So you mean to tell me we've wasted all of our time out here for absolutely nothing? Weaselskip, I-" The tabby paused, sighing heavily. "What do you even need that stone for anyway? Do you have some sort of rock collection or something?" The spotted tom blinked, shaking his head. "No...I have ghosts in my den. I think a mystical rock could scare them away."
Rootsnap stared at the opposing tom, blinking rapidly. "Ghosts? What're you talking about? Do you really believe in those things?" He questioned. Weaselskip was silent for a moment, hesitating to answer. "Well...yes? They're a part of the Forbidden Land, aren't they?"
XXXX"Yeah and what's in the Forbidden Land, stays in the Forbidden Land. Why do you think there are ghosts in your den?" Rootsnap asked the soldier, growing curious. "Oh...well, my food keeps disappearing. I'm serious!" He cried as Rootsnap shot him a skeptical look. "And my weapons keep...moving? Some even vanish, I'd say! I'm sure of it!"
XXXXThe opposing soldier shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Alright, well, if you really do have ghosts no mere mystical stone is gonna solve that problem. Come with me..." He replied, beginning to lead the tom back towards Khafra.
"G-Ghosts? I'm sorry but...I don't think healers deal with those things." Came the nervous reply of Fadedhaze. The tom's ember-colored eye was wide as he gazed into the mouth of the den, whiskers quivering nervously. "What'd you mean? Don't you guys deal with this kind of stuff? Whatever, can you just help out my pal here? Can't have him terrified or anything." Fadedhaze eyed the larger tom for a moment. "By any chance...have you gone in there?" Rootsnap paused, gaze narrowing as his ears lowered. "Y-Yeah, of course I have!"
XXXX"He did and he ran straight out when the ghost made noise!" Weaselskip offered. Rootsnap glared at the spotted tabby, shooting the healer a sheepish grin. "He's making that up, I did no such thing."
Fadedhaze sighed, warily approaching the den's entrance. His gaze flickered about the den, as he slowly disappeared among the shadowy shelter. The two soldiers awaited outside, silent as the healer moved about inside, tossing herbs about. Suddenly, the den was silent. A few tense moments later, Fadedhaze bounded out of the den, yowling.
XXXX"It touched me, it touched me!" He cried. Rootsnap whacked the tom's ears. "How? Ghosts can't touch you, idiot!" The healer yelled again, covering his head with his paws. As the tom laid there trembling, he managed to respond to the soldier's words. "If you think I'm such an idiot, you go in there! Such a waste of herbs..."
XXXX"W-What? No way! I'm not getting cursed going in there!" A sudden gasp sounded from both opposing toms. "Cursed?! Do you mean we're cursed now?!" They cried, nearly in sync. "Well...uh..." Rootsnap mumbled, as the toms began to panic.
Suddenly, a new voice interrupted them. "What's all this talk about curses? Is there a problem?" As the three turned to see the new face, they recognized him immediately - Vaporfrost. "V-Vaporfrost!" Fadedhaze cried, scrambling to his paws as he bounded to the tom's side. "There's ghosts in Weaselskip's den and one of them touched me!"
XXXXThe newcomer glanced over the others, who nodded in agreement. Vaporfrost neared the den cautiously, before turning to face those around him. "Well, this is no way to deal with them...if there are any." He began, shaking his head. "Those types of situations need to come straight to me or another cat of Sahar...Alani even. Such could mean horrid news of Khafra as a whole, if the spirit belongs to the Forbidden. If it is merely an ancestor then we don't have much to worry about...I think. But they can certainly bring just as much harm as good. After all, it can be dangerous for felines such as yourselves, especially an ill-intentioned one." Once the tom had believed to have made his point, he turned about and entered the den.
XXXXA couple of moments later, Vaporfrost stepped out of the den, seemingly unharmed. "Did you get it?" Weaselskip asked. The tom shook his head. "Nope. I'll be right back though." Without another word, he dashed off. The trio glanced about one another, awaiting for his return. A short while later, Vaporfrost returned with the hunter, Maplewish. With a few words spared between them, the molly entered the den. They awaited her return curiously, the sounds of occasional scuffle coming from within. And then, she finally returned with…
"That's not a ghost!" Rootsnap cried. Vaporfrost nodded. "Nope, but that little guy certainly had some fun pretending to be one. Had a whole stash of stuff in there, but his size was a little too much for me to attempt to get him out..." The tom sighed. "But there's your ghost."
XXXX"See Weaselskip, I told you ghosts didn't exist!" The soldier exclaimed. Weaselskip huffed, chuckling. "But then why were you so afraid? You told me-"
"Enough, enough of that! Let's...just go now. Thanks, we'll take the rat. It'll make a nice meal, don't you think? Come on, Weaselskip!" The tabby called, snatching the rat from the caliby before dashing off. An amused glance was spared between the felines, before Weaselskip followed after his friend.
Word Count: 1,052