“The border was like a wall; Not in a literal sense, as there was nothing truly stopping us from crossing to the other side… yet, here we sat… staring at the greener grass.” -H
With no sign of a trail for miles, it seemed they had finally met the end of the road, and boy was it a sight to behold! The tree’s of Noor came to a dead stop, with the branches that should hover over the plains reeling back in towards the jungle. It was as if Noor refused to provide shade to Tulok, a phenomenon even visible in its lack of a shadow. It was surreal; All of it. From the means in which they severed Pounnem’s tie to the Thasclea, and in turn Hexlith’s to the Jaseve… All the way to their discussions of Eizavelle which led them… here! A border which acted as the Highway to the Pio, a mass grouping of gypsies, which use the perimeters of the land as their home. Such people were exactly what the two were waiting for, as they planned to hitch a ride, and blend in with the gypsies further north. While the main kingdom of Noor was located far to the south-east, the primary Tulok kingdom reigned supreme in the northwest! Much unlike the two’s homeland, Tulok is a wall-less city, it holds no gates, and the guards? Are the very people who walk the streets day by day as citizens. In that right, it almost made the place more secure than Noor, albeit their outlook on the death of Magic? Strays vastly from the Alchemic Kingdom to the south. Instead of putting effort into gathering materials for strength, the Tulokians opt to gather that strength within themselves through intense training. While they’re still a far cry from using magic, the strongest warriors of Tulok are known for being so strong they seem to bend the laws of physics. A trait that Hexlith noticed… also dwelled within the mysterious strength Pounnem possessed. As more often than not, whenever she made contact with that massive sword of hers? A sort of spark seemed to be released, as if she were putting enough force into her strikes to start a fire.
“The tinctures… they did wonders Hexlith… I didn’t expect them to last as long as they had.”
Glancing over to Pounnem as she spoke, Hexlith found himself instinctively smirking, as a slow flood of fond memories overtook his vision. The time he spent with Uthwix was the only quality family time he had growing up, she was the sole person to treat him like a living being, rather than some talking corpse. So hearing someone compliment his sister's work made him warm inside, his tiny little smirk growing ever larger as he curled up where he sat in the canopy. Before he could credit her though, throughout the glimpses of his past, he’d see the top of a carriage strolling over the hillside to the far left of the two. The colors it donned, a striking blue and yellow contrast to the Purple and Maroon of the Noor lands, or the Orange and Red of Tulok! It was the colors of a Pio caravan, which the longer they’d watch- only stretched further and further in its expanse. From the first carriage, which was no more than a wagon walked by an Arch-Horned Ox, all the way to a small grouping of drophants, each herded by a sole Jewled-Mahout, who was seamlessly hopping from one to the other to keep them in line. The latter of which was quite the sight to behold, especially for Pounnem, and Hexlith- who rarely ever got the chance to see a Drophant in person. Wonderful animals really, they’re smaller than elephants, but in that regard are much more muscular, making them a great fit for the Pio caravans as not only mounts, but also security. Their horns, all finely tipped, and adorned with ornate jewels, swayed, and clanged with every hefty step taken. While Pounnem wore nothing more than a smile in the wake of their soon to be new friends, Hexlith was straight up enamored by the Drophants, and their handler. The figure moved with such finesse, as they not only commune through a set of commands, but also a peculiar type of body language, that the creatures seemed very struck by. It wasn’t every day that he got to see anima, and/or tamers in action, especially back in Noor, where most were hunters and gatherers, rather than farmers.
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“Shall we then?” Pounnem would whisper to Hexlith, as she scoots a bit closer to him on their branch, her head tilting a bit to allow those ever vibrant white and red locks of hair to drape over her shoulders. An Inquisitive look pinning itself onto Hexlith’s deep blue gaze, which was still focusing intently on the Drophants. A smile reaping its way onto the Nephilim’s face at the sight of her favorite Magkin’s amazement.
“I’d love to, but we’ll have to let the Drophants get a bit further… we need a crowd that won’t immediately label us as threats.” The disappointment was apparent in his voice, and he almost seemed hesitant in saying this, yet once more- Pounnem recognized Hexlith shouldering his steps for hers. Something that… she frankly adored at first, but now? Simply made her worried for her new friends' wellbeing, both physically… and mentally.
“~And… What exactly is that supposed to look like Hexxy?”
Hexlith remained silent for a moment after what Pounnem said, his head turning slowly from the Caravan, over to her with an extremely low hanging gaze. “Do not… call me that.”
“We’re waiting for the last flagbearer, they’re who’ll give us the right away to travel with them. From there, do whatever you want- I don’t care.” With that, Hexlith would lift his right foot up onto the branch, and push off of its respective knee to stand upright with a soft groan… before stepping to the side, and hopping off the branch to a lesser one. Leaving Pounnem with a somewhat hurt gaze, frowning down upon Hexlith as he moved from branch to branch, his hand raising to wave her along once he had hit his third step. To which she simply sighed, her eyes tracing from the zoologist below her, to the tamer who was still maintaining the drophants path. While Hexlith had some prior knowledge on these creatures, to Pounnem? The sight of such creatures was a new thing in its entirety! Their discolored skin, which looked almost scaly in nature, was a sight to behold, as the blood behind the flesh slowly shifts the pigment of each drophant present. It was akin to how a chameleon changes their hues, yet the purpose was obviously far-off from the little spiral-tailed cuties. From a glance, she guessed heat regulation, but Elephants were present in the same climates Drophants roam, so that couldn’t quite be it.
“Intimidation maybe?” She’d murmur, her gaze tracing down to Hexlith- who of course… was staring back up at her, his visage still tense as could be. Shaking his head somewhat dismissively, he’d let out a long sigh, before tracing his finger through the air to point out the Mahout. “You’re close, but no.”
“They’re herding animals- even the wild ones, and those who look the best? Tend to be the leaders amongst their group, rather than the strongest. This is why they let someone so small command them, they draw the most attention.” Tracing his gaze back up to Pounnem after his explanation, he figured he’d receive a weird look in return, but instead? Was met with an attentive gaze, which pinned directly onto where he had just pointed. Smiling towards her expression for a moment, Hexlith found himself having to turn his head back before he was caught. His smirk dying down ever so slightly as he tries to relocate the flagbearer he wished to approach.
“Alright, let’s get a move on Pounnem-” He’d say in a somewhat short tone, his right hand gesturing for her to follow, as he moved branch by branch to the forest floor. The Nephilim held her gaze on the Mahout for only a second longer, before descending alongside Hexlith.
