Plot Log | "Sentinel" | Noturan Sentinel | Qip Oken

Posted on Sun Dec 1st, 2013 @ 3:49am by

1,048 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: In the Dark
Location: The Wilds of Notura
Timeline: Before the Vindicator Crew arrive.

=/\= The Wilds, Notura =/\=

An icy breeze swept through the trees on the dangerous wilds. The biting sting of wind stabbed like needles into the young Sentinel's face, bringing a new shade of red to his already chapped skin. His eyes were constant in their gaze as he scanned the wooden pillars, their leafless branches swayed about like outstretched arms. Clouds of misty snow billowed about in the storm, the calm of the day had passes and a new front of weather had managed to get the better of his skill. Now his instincts were the best weapon he had against the threat of the deadly frost. Even a few hours of mistaken direction would leave Qip hopelessly lost in the wilds, and the trees would be nearly impossible to navigate.

Although the frosty woods were dangerous, and difficult to move through in this type of weather, it was nothing Qip wasn't used to. He'd been sent out in worse looking for lost pets or children who'd wandered outside the walls of the village. The cold didn't bother him as much as the cover. More deadly threats could be looming in wait behind the sheets of white. Creatures favored the camouflage provided by the storm, and would take full advantage of their new hunting abilities. Noises in the distance would catch his attention, more than likely being a snapping limb of some overburdened tree, but the possibility of something else was a thought he couldn't shake. His senses and awareness would keep him at arms reach from falling prey to an animal though, and it was something else entirely which he feared.

Clutching the hilt of his small hand-axe, Qip made his way hurriedly through the woods. The village was just shy of an hour away by foot, and there was no other way to traverse the wilds. His boots fell lightly in the snow, careful not to advertise his footfalls to anything that might be tracking him. Fortunately, the new-fallen snow would cover his tracks better than he could do at this speed. As a sentinel, he'd been trained and raised to move with near invisibility in the shroud of the forest. Most of the land was covered in the dense wood which he scouted, and he was the most capable of his team.

His breath was heavy, now, as he ran as quickly as the storm would allow. Each intake of air brought another shocking wave of cold into his lungs, but he ignored the slight pain. Even though he could feel his core shiver with a chill, beads of sweat still fell from his forehead. He wiped at his cap-covered hair, removing the frozen droplets of moisture. In this temperature even his water-skin would become ice before too long. His pace was necessary, though, and the message he carried dire.

They had surfaced...

The Esurient had finally shown their faces in the open light once again. Choosing to remain in the caverns and deep crevices of the long-abandoned mines, his own people were content to let them exist apart and away from the people of his village. Every so often they would return and rise from the dark places beyond the far edge of the wilds, and when they did it usually meant they needed something. The Esurient were dangerous, volatile, and quick. He was not experienced with shaking them from his trail, and if one had followed him this far Qip would be caught unaware. He had taken a long scouting path along the edge of the rocky faces. The wilds ended abruptly before a wide stretch of mountainous cliffs, and inside those held the mines of the civilization which came before. His people had given them up as lost long ago, having no need for the minerals they contained. The Esurient now used them as their home, however.

Now no one ventured near, with the sole exception of the Sentinels. His role was to keep an eye on the caves, and to report back anything there was to see.

A loud snap among the trees behind him made him stop, still and silent. His heart quickened as his training kicked in more heavily. With a silent motion, Qip slipped down between a large tree and a snow-covered bunch of foliage, disappearing into the windy cover. A few moments passed as he listened intently, the warmth of his breath barely creating a cloud as he tried to remain as quiet as possible. Could one of the Esurient have followed him this far? He could not think of reason for why they would need to chase him towards the village, but then again they were not known for their reasoning. The Esurient were wild, ruthless, mindless and most of all deadly.

The stories of their carnivorous and brutal attacks were wide-spread through the village. Children were frightened of the shadows, knowing these creatures which were once called men and women lived in savagery outside the walls.

Then he saw it...

Blackened skin, covered in filthy char and ash, was blistered in open wounds which were undoubtedly self-inflicted. He knew not why they would do such a thing to their own bodies. All he could think of was the need to squelch the terror rising in his gut. The creature, once a man, twitched menacingly forward. His dark leathers, laden with sharpened bits of metal and bone, were just as filthy. It sniffed at the air, now trying to find Qip after he had hidden. Deeply pungent Aroo bushes would cover his scent, however, as long as the Sentinel could remain silent. So he waited, his mind screaming, praying the Esurient would not see or smell him. Qip was uncertain whether he possessed the skills he needed to fight off such a foe.

As the dark enemy passed, though, the likelihood of a battle seemed to dissipate. Qip watched, wide-eyed from his hiding place, as the Esurient marched slowly onward into the storm. The Sentinel waited patiently, as he was taught, for the danger to pass. Then we waited even longer to be sure. His message was too important for him to die in the wilds. His people needed to be warned.

The Esurient were among them once again.

=/\= END LOG =/\=

Sentinel Qip
Noturan Scout (apb Landon)

 

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