//------------------------------// // The Forest I // Story: A Norseman Raids Equestria // by Timemaster //------------------------------// Alrik Alrik, led by Chrysalis, is over a forest in the middle of "Gryphonia", where the civil war between the Gryphonic Republic and the Gryphonic Empire and several smaller factions is being held. Alrik lowers into the forest, as the Gryphon people are fliers, and starts up a camp. Using his rusty axe, Alrik chopped down trees till he had a pile of twelve. He cut the wood into planks and, using his jarids, created both holes and pegs. He then used his brute strength to build him a small, and rather horrid, shack to use as a temporary safe haven. Alrik put his dragonscale and bag of riches in the shack, put his jarids into their sheathes, and carried his axe as he started walking out the forest heading north. Chrysalis explained why they should head North, "North is where most of the fighting and friction is happening, as there are many historic places in the north that are vital to each faction's ancestry. The bird brains are willing to die for places where their ancestors died." Alrik nods, his eyes a shade of green. Alrik thinks, " Why come here, then? I though we were here to recruit?" Chrysalis, "Yes, we are, but neither of us are particularly good at diplomacy, so I suggest the best route for us is to-" "Scare them?" "Yes, how'd you know?" "Don't know, maybe I'm in your mind, too." Alrik joked. "I sure hope not." Alrik 'smiles', "Do you think they would mind if we killed a few hundred?" "I hope not~." Alrik cackles a little, which boomed across the forest... Aine The Hunter Aine is resting in his cabin near the woods, his steel claw tips set by the bed on the dresser. The cabin is surrounded in today's spoils. There is a few bear hides, a small container of cockatrice beaks, and the ear of a golden bunny. Aine sighs, looking at the ear, "Can't believe the rest of that thing got away... I'll try better next time." Aine scratches his chin as he lays down... and out of the peaceful, yet dangerous, forest of IGG he hears a mighty noise that haunts his ears. Aine sits up and thinks about the noise, which although doesn't match any animal he's ever heard, he states, "This is... oddly similar to a magic beast's roar." Aine's fur stands up a bit and his eyes narrow but, nay, they do not narrow in fear. No, Aine's grin grew, "I haven't hunted a magic beast in years." Aine quickly grabbed for his steel claw tips, put them on tight and snug, although a bit too snug as they are uncomfortable for too long. Aine ran to the wooden dresser where he turned the flower pattern copper knob and let it creak open fast to reveal his thick, multi-colored armor. He slipped on the armor and he didn't seem to have problems carrying such heavy equipment. Aine looks at a helmet, cracked in the middle, and frowns a little as he put it on. The helmet crushed his unique head feathers. Aine sighs and thinks for a little in silence. A rustling came from a bush outside, but with his keen ears he knew it was a small animal like a bunny or cockatrice, which he shouldn't be wary of. The rustling, though, did bring him out of his thoughts and, with and deep breath, Aine left his little shack. Around the shack was dirt, thin grass, and some small flowers. He tends to his lawn. But, around the lawn, there are large bushes and trees that lead into the forested part of the Forest of IGG. Aine looks right to see a small bunny eating some grass near the purple flowers and well-preserved grave stones. He nods and walks straight into the forest, with a small bit of disappointment in his face that is soon thereafter erased by the wave of joy the moment he took a step into the forest.