The Lone Gruitin [Open]

[SirRob]

[First post, hope it's alright.]

Mhkaia's ears twitched at the sound of dripping water. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself in a dimly lit cave. Sitting up, he yawned, rubbed his eyes, and scratched his belly. Although he would prefer to sleep for a bit more, his stomach was grumbling rather loudly. It had been over a day since he had eaten, so he was in desperate need for a meal. The Gruitin looked around, and found a light not too far in the distance. Mhkaia scampered towards the opening, and soon found himself immersed in a sea of trees. Not too long after he left the cave, he heard a rustling in the vegetation nearby. Perhaps it was a meal, thought the Gruitin. He ran towards the noise, and pounced, flushing out whatever was in the bushes. A small mammal jumped out of it, and ran away from into the distance. Mhkaia ran after it, not allowing it escape. However, eventually he lost sight of the creature, as he could not keep up; he didn't have the energy to. Thus, the Gruitin was left in the middle of the forest, tired, lost, and hungry.

[Treijim]

[Joining with Esmond]

"HEY!" the man roared after the animal. He grabbed the nearest item -- a metal mug -- and threw it in the direction of the wolf. He missed and the mug and struck a rock, spraying its contents over the grass and dirt.

Esmond mumbled and went to retrieve the mug. He was far too tired to chase a petty animal just for a piece of meat. He blamed himself for closing his eyes while he waited for his meat to cook. He returned to his campfire and sat down on the makeshift chair again, eying the forest around him. It was peaceful to him: there were no monsters to fight here. Still, buzzing insects, puddles of mud hidden beneath dry leaves, and strange ferns that kept tugging at his cloak were quite annoying to put up with.

Contempt after eating his other jerky, he stomped out the fire, gathered his things, and continued his trek in the light of the morning sun. It wasn't long before he stopped and looked to his side, catching sight of what looked like a wolf. Silently, he drew his sword, but then he paused. That's not a wolf. Frowning, he ducked low, hoping the werewolf hadn't picked up his scent. What was such a young beast doing on its own in the middle of a forest in the middle of the day. Thinking there may be enslavers also watching, he scanned the area quickly with just his eyes, but finally convinced himself there was nobody else. He continued to watch from behind the bushes, not yet making a move.

[SirRob]

Mhkaia’s nose was powerful; he could sense the presence of any creature that was near him, no matter how well they were hidden. Soon after he had lost his prey, he picked up the distinct scent of a human. The human was nearby; Mhkaia was sure that the person was spying on him. Becoming tense, the Gruitin wondered what he should do. He could attempt to attack the human for a meal, but it wasn’t in his nature to kill a human just for a snack, even if he was a Gruitin. Maybe he could try and talk to him, and ask for a meal. However, what if the person was a hunter? Perhaps he should just ignore the human, and try search for more prey.

Mhkaia decided to take his chances and attempt to speak with the human. He reasoned that he did not have the energy to hunt for a meal, and that if the human was a hunter, Mhkaia wouldn’t be able to escape him in his current state. Speaking the best that he could, Mhkaia called out to the person, “Human, I know you are nearby. You can come out; I do not want to hurt you.”

[Treijim]

Esmond narrowed his eyes. So the Gruitin had a nose. All Gruitin have keen smell. He should have expected that. Sword in hand, he stood and walked around the bushes before him, now behind the hybrid. He tilted his head slightly sidewards and forwards, looking the young beast up and down. Esmond knew enough about Gruitin to recognise an outcast when he saw one. His eyes glistened with a smirk but his mouth was pursed.

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried." He lifted the end of his sword off the ground at nonspecific intervals while he observed the Gruitin. "Why are you alone, beast?"

[SirRob]

Mhkaia frowned. Whether the man was very strong, or just very stupid, he did not know. Regardless, Mhkaia didn’t like the guy. How dare he make such a rude remark after the Gruitin promised that he would not do any harm. However, at least the human was not a hunter; Mhkaia could tell that this man wouldn't fight him unless provoked. The beast, as the man called him, would not be in any danger if he kept himself reserved. Unintentionally glancing at the man’s sword, Mhkaia replied, “I lost my pack; that is all.” Then the Gruitin looked up to the man's face. “And what are you doing, sneaking around in the wilderness?”

[Treijim]

Esmond lifted his sword up and let it rest on the leather strap over his shoulder. He ran a hand through his messy hair but held it on top of its head, as though he was struck by a thought so intense that it paralysed him. He took fearless steps towards the Gruitin and stopped at arm's length, still with one arm in his hair and the other holding the sword's grip. He looked down with a look that somehow mixed melancholy with apprehension, and then he walked a full circle around the young beast. When he had completed his circle, he looked around the forest once more, even though he had already convinced himself that they were alone.

Staring out at nothing, he muttered, "I'm not sneaking."

[SirRob]

A cold sweat ran down Mhkaia’s spine. He was very tense at this point, and very nervous. What was the man doing, what was he thinking? Would he attack? Was Mhkaia wrong about him? Should the Gruitin attack before the man had a chance to? No, he must avoid attacking at all costs. He didn’t know how good a fighter the man was, plus Mhkaia was tired. If he fought the man, Mhkaia was sure he would not get out of this situation alive. The Gruitin bit his lip; he had to remain calm and gain the human’s trust. This might be the only chance he has of getting another meal. Keeping a close eye on the man’s sword, Mhkaia asked, “Then what are you doing here? You are a human; you shouldn’t be in the wilderness.”

[Treijim]

He turned back to Mhkaia, staring now at his ear or something in his hair.

"Why not?" he mumbled. "Is it yours?"

Esmond remained silent but walked away a few steps. He looked at the Gruitin sideways, giving him a moment to think up a response, though it seemed that there was no reply that would have Esmond at a loss for words.

[SirRob]

Mhkaia clenched his hand into a fist without realizing it. He was both intimidated and aggravated by the man in front of him; it was as if the human was trying to test the Gruitin’s patience. If he wasn’t in dire need of food, Mhkaia would’ve attacked the man, without a doubt. Unfortunately, he did need food badly, and thus he had to restrain his Gruitin instincts. “Forgive me, I did not mean to offend you,” Mhkaia replied, “It’s just that it is dangerous for a human to be alone here.”

[Treijim]

Esmond neither accepted nor rejected the apology. He looked into the Gruitin's eyes with acknowledgment but said nothing of it. He didn't seem offended, at least.

"It's dangerous for a Gruitin to be alone out here," Esmond said quietly, his eyes now lifting and looking at something past Mhkaia, though it was just as likely he was looking at nothing. "A lone Gruitin is a potential meal for other packs of Gruitin. You're not exactly meaty, but you will feed perhaps two families." He looked back at the beast in utter seriousness. It now seemed as though Esmond had something else on his mind, as his gaze was distant.

[SirRob]

Forgetting his hunger, Mhkaia lowered his brow slightly and began to glare at the man. He should’ve expected such an insult by now. However, there was something about the human’s eyes that made the Gruitin wonder whether the man intended for his words to be offensive. Regardless, Mhkaia had an overwhelming urge to retort to the man. Looking away from him, Mhkaia replied, “There is nowhere else for me to go. I can’t find refuge in a town, unlike you, human.”

[Treijim]

Esmond smiled something creepy, and though it was clear he had heard the Gruitin, he said nothing more on the matter. Instead, he flipped the topic around completely.

"Have you seen a small wolf come this way? It took off with my jerky."

But even then he did not give the werewolf a chance to reply. He held up his hand, the smile draining from his face as he fixed his gaze on something behind the Gruitin. There indeed came the click of a stick being broken under the weight of a body. He cussed under his breath and lifted his sword for a moment, but then changes his mind, letting it rest behind him as though he was about to swing at an oncoming ball in a sport. However, if the Gruitin were to turn around, he would see nothing unusual... but would smell another human.

[SirRob]

The man had heard him, Mhkaia was sure of it. He began to growl at the human; the person had no right to simply ignore him. The Gruitin was about to speak, when he heard a noise from behind. Sniffing the air, he smelled the scent of another human. Mhkaia looked towards where he heard the noise, but found nothing. Slowly, his anger turned into anxiety. Having to deal with the human in front of him was tough enough, but another? Mhkaia didn’t know what to do. He looked at the man standing in front of him once again. The man had raised his sword, as though he were ready to attack. The Gruitin then looked back at the area where the noise originated and hesitated, waiting for what would happen next.

[Treijim]

Esmond waited a moment, and eventually a tall and dark man emerged from the forest with an odd grace. He first greeted Esmond with a nod and then regarded the Gruitin with a cocked brow.

"This the one?" the young man asked, who seemed about half Esmond's age. "When you said you were gonna get a wolf, I didn't think you'd go this far."

Esmond showed no signs of amusement. "This is just a werewolf cub," Esmond said. The young man walked a half-circle around the Gruitin to reach Esmond, who then added, "How long has it been?"

"Oh, about five days," the young man said, pulling back his long black hair so he could keep an eye on the Gruitin. "Why are you here talking to that thing? It looks dirty." The young man had a smirk on his lips all the while, and his sharp face was set with dark eyes, contrasted by two swords sheathed on either side of his belt. The swords had an odd shimmer to them.

[SirRob]

The situation just kept getting worse for the Gruitin. The man that had emerged from the forest seemed to be friends with the other. Even worse, they both seemed about the same, in terms of personality. It was all but a grumbling stomach that kept Mhkaia from attacking them both. The Gruitin took a deep breath to calm himself, and decided to introduce himself to the stranger. He thought that maybe if he did so, the humans might get a better impression of him, and possibly offer him some food. Trying to look as least hostile as possible, he said to the young man, “My name is Mhkaia. I am sorry if I disturbed your friend. I was just curious about him, and wanted to know why he was out here.” Mhkaia gulped, waiting for a response. If this didn’t set things straight, what would?