A trip like this wasn't one Winter had planned, in fact she wouldn't have gone here even if Sartana had ordered it. Not because it was a fairly hostile place where anybody not belonging to the city was in a good deal of trouble, Winter just couldn't stand the races that inhabited it, for one most of them smelled terrible. But there was a very good reason she was ascending into this hole of depression, she been on a routine trip to the rain forest when a small pack of Lizarians charged past her from behind without even considering her presence at all. The result of this had caused Winter to fall flat on her face and consequentially get covered in mud. Once she'd managed to get up again she noticed that her ice dirk had vanished from her belt and when she looked up at the lizarians in the distance she noticed one of them turning something shiny over in his hands, apparently having just picked it up off the floor.
So she found herself here, sneaking into a forest civilization just for a dagger. She could see the group of reptilian barbarian's from here, each one of them looking around as they walked, one at the back turning the dagger over in his hand. Winter scowled and crept forwards, hoping to take him by surprise despite her lack of stealth skills.
"What're you doing?"
The half angel doubled up and looked around, noticing a Lupine standing behind her. He had matted gray fur and beady yellow eyes, Winter also noticed that his nose was divided almost exactly in two by a small scar.
"None of your business," she replied coldly.
The Lupine leaned closer and sniffed.
"You smell funny," he commented.
Winter blinked and then took a whiff of her own, raising one arm to do so. She smelled perfectly fine.
"I'll ask again," the lupine said "What're you doing?"
"Retrieving something," Winter said, turning to look at the creature and suddenly homing in on the scarred nose.
"What you looking at?" the canine replied "Oh, this?" he rubbed his scar with one of his claws "Did a dare when I was a kid, pulled a horse's tail for a laugh, so the Horse took its revenge."
Winter raised her eyebrow at such an unusual backstory for such a strange scar, how a horse could ever cause such a thing was a mystery to her anyway.
"Well, if you'll excuse me," she said, making her way towards the lizarian currently fingering her ice dirk.
Normally Nathaniel kept as far from the rainforest as he could. He hated the blasted place; it was far too muggy to keep high energy levels. Many times he found himself slothing around, eyes half-lidded with shoulders slouched. The green earth under him was ignored, the beauty entirely over-looked as he crushed plants beneath his booted heel. Nathaniel was in a foul mood, so this entire place could suffer along with him. Sure a few vicious looking plants tried to bite him, more than a few times managing it, but over all his bullying ways were able to overcome the stubborn plant life. But why was he here? What possible thing had induced him to the lunacy of marching through this place again?
His sword had been stolen. A terrible event, one that had spurred him on to try finding the culprits. Some sort of snake like creature, human features bound to it. The animal likely wasn't easy to fight, plus stranded with little more to fight with than a large log he had a poor chance of defeating the scum. The thought that there might be a tribe of them here, that they might be cunning enough to fight back was lost on the raven-haired warrior. He just knew he was very, very upset. If he was lucky they'd discard his sword somewhere, though that was even less likely than them being rainbow rabbits in disguise.
More important, of course, was the fact they had claimed two victims. Two warriors who had been stolen from. Were they collecting a massive amount to make an army, or perhaps just the opposite-- destroying them to prevent war? Either way he wanted revenge. Nathaniel crushed more plant life under foot, elbowing between trees with harsh grunts. His hands were sticky from swatting at thick mosquitoes, mud trailed up to the knees of his pant legs, which made him hate this area even more. A boisterous choir of birds were singing, but that was ignored as the tree line thinned.
Yes, forestry drew away to paint a massive city. What appeared to somewhat be humanoid creatures roamed, with weapons at their sides. Rystoff didn't see his sword at first, but it might be anywhere. What did catch his eye was a furred dog-man near a winged woman. He knew everything out here wanted to end him, that no one would spare him if given to strike -- not even the most pure-hearted of young women. So he tightened his fist upon the thick piece of wood he was using as a mace, approaching the pair with caution. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Where is my sword?" He grunted in fast succession, voice deep as it muttered from behind them.
"I shoulda never kicked that horse in da butt.” Kale lamented, shaking his head. His companion, a black-haired man sporting a pointy mustache, goatee, and flamboyant robe, slapped him on the back. “There there, my friend! You nudged it with your foot, and so the horse took it's revenge. No big deal! In my opinion, the hoof-shaped imprint on your forehead looks good!” The man complimented effusively (and no doubt falsely, hoping to make his companion feel better).
The half-demon shrugged. “Ahh forget it! Thanks, Tim, 'ole buddy; you gotta be the mos' good-natured enchanter I know, I tell ya.” He jabbed the man's side lightly. Something hit him suddenly, though. “Say, d'ya have anymore of that cabbage? I'm starvin'!”
Tim flopped his backpack onto the forest floor. “I might... but you're a damned rabbit when you eat the stuff—I've went through three heads of it already!” Kale shrugged, turning to face the expanse of jungle before them. “Hikin' is tough work, ya know; gotta have plenty o'... whatever's in cabbage!” Something hit the back of Kale's head, sending him face-first into the moss and mud at his feet. Tim stood over him laughing, holding his staff lightly to the side. “You'll have to work for your food this time, Kale!”
Jumping to his feet, the berserker grabbed his sword from the ground beside him. It was an odd-looking weapon, to say the least; a barbed, broken battle blade bathing in the waning sunlight. He would fight for his food, if he had to, with the help of his partner...
“Gnomey?” Where was his statuesque companion? He had placed him on the ground, beside his sword, not a moment earlier. Tim noticed his friend's distress, and lowered his weapon. He scratched his chin. “Mayhaps Gnomey fled your side, given your present less-than-cleanly state? I didn't want to say anything, but...” This place was a fetid hole of slimy bugs and pricking plants. Kale's body odor only added to the pungency.
“Less-than..?” The half-demon turned and subtly raised a pit, sniffing tentatively. He shrugged and lowered it once more. “Nah, Gnomey'd never leave just 'cause I smell. He's more polite than some.”
Tim shrugged. “We'd best get searching, either way.” No sooner had they packed up, and set out, voices rang through the moist trees around them. Both men looked at each other curiously, before setting off in the sound's direction, hopeful that they might find Kale's lost gnome statue.