Forums » General Roleplay » One Child (Closed 6 character RP)

The year doesn't matter much, wars have plagued this land for so long the last shreds of humanity now seek shelters called "Sanctuaries". Cities crumble, roads fall to the wayside, vehicles are now obsolete without much fuel left in the surrounding areas and nature is beginning to reclaim what man kind foolishly thought belonged to them. There is little hope to make things better - all you can do now is survive till you make it to a Sanctuary.

And so begins this tale. It all begins with a cry in the wilderness.

((Okay, so the setting is a small mountain landmark out in the middle of a grassy field. The sky is grey and heavily overcast, a front is moving in from the north so you can expect a turn in the weather at any moment. There are broken roads in the distance that lead towards the Northwest apparently they can take you to the sanctuary on the other side of the mountains.))

A single shrill cry is carried on the wind...

John wakes suddenly, was it a dream? He had seen a child's face smiling up at him happily and they were holding hands. The child a young girl no more that 6 years of age with her tiny hand grasping on tightly to John's own gnarled and scarred hand, she had certainly been excited about something in the dream. There had been a golden light with beautiful burgeoning flora all around them.

But it was just a dream, a stupid one at that. John rubbed his eyes, "I almost felt like I was about to be reclaimed in that one..." John said to himself as he talked about his sleep to no one. He had holed himself up in a cave in the only shelter he had found for miles, of course it was in a less than conspicuous location. The only land mark for miles was this small cave riddled mountain rock and it had taken John a whole day just to walk here from the last settlement that had kicked him out.

The same crying sound was heard from somewhere nearby and John turned to listen better, "Is there a... Baby? Somewhere around here?" John said as he looked around the grey stone room. It was coming from the mouth of his cave, John slowly walked in his stitched leather boots to the opening of his cave. Outside the wind was still blowing in the grasslands below seeing as John's cavern was situated a good couple hundred feet above the valley below, it was also a good mile hike to reach where John was at. The sky was still wet and grey as the low clouds hung in melancholy silence, the fields below were a pale greyish-amber and rippled with the wind as it brushed over like a fine-toothed comb. John couldn't see where there could be a person with a baby around here, the nearest settlement was supposed to be a full day away to the east.

Then he heard it again, the wind had shifted directions for just a moment and carried the cry right to John. "It must be close by," John reasoned. "-That wind only changed for a second... So the child must be..." John reasoned as he followed the direction of the crying to a small bush not too far from the cave. John peered in and saw a small baby wrapped in ragged blankets of varying colors and designs, all of them dirty from use. The baby herself was pale skinned, bright green eyes with a small mess of blonde curls on top of her head. John blinked in utter bewilderment, the baby looked back up to him in wonder - a look John often times never got. The baby didn't seem afraid of John or disturbed by his outward appearance but in fact had her arm trying to reach out to John. John picked up the wrapped bundle and cradled her in his massive arms, "Where did you come from?" John asked not so much to the baby but as a rhetorical question.

John stood there with the baby in his arms for a few minutes, he was studying her. She looked to be of european descent possibly Nordic. She was also about six months old and very strong for her age and size as a baby. While John was engrossed in the child his defences and normally vigilant disposition would be down, he would not notice anyone else who may not may not be nearby.

((I'm leaving in a week to go somewhere, I'll be gone for a week. Just a note.))

Rain. It's going to rain, I just know it. The sky is grey, the air, heavy, and cold. Dark, too. Now the cold and the dark, I can handle. But rain? No thank you. As a sort of precaution, I pull the slick black trench-coat of the Peacekeepers over my clothes and button it up, albeit reluctantly. The Peacekeepers. They cast me out. In the middle of nowhere. Shot me and left me for bloody dead, and they're supposed to be helping people? But I survived.

Ready to leave, I reach over and retrieve my rifle from the grass. In the midst of all the clicking and shuffling I had to do to make sure it was ready to fire, I heard... something. On the wind.
"What was that?" This, I said under my breath, so that no one but myself and the grass could hear it. And then it came again. A cry. Despair, loneliness, etched onto the plea. Desperation. This... This could be a trick. But I find myself curious, nonetheless. Why would someone be out here with a child? It sounded like a child. This is wild country, no place for an infant.

When next it came, I squinted off into the grasslands, attempting to pinpoint its location. I had made camp at a little spot beneath a hill, protected from the wind but nothing else. This cry, it's coming from higher ground. Up the hill and into a more cavernous region. Okay I will admit this is definitely odd. I need to go and see what it is. The Peacekeeper in me is coming out again.

I shouldered my rifle and began wading through the tall, dead grass. Wind whipped through my ears and pulled at my hair, a sure attempt to disable me from moving further. I could always make out the cry though, despite nature's effort to keep me away. My rifle, I kept in a ready position, not aiming, but held firmly enough that I could fire from the hip, should the need arise. The steady incline offered little insight as to where I was going, but the cry... It most certainly came from this direction.

It was maybe a half mile or so to get up into the high grounds, and by the time I did, my heart was beating at an accelerated rate, and I'd gotten a little more on the hot side. A figure caught my attention - large. And when I say large, I mean, eight feet tall large. He was shaded, as the sky afforded little opportunity for sight; meaning I cannot properly see him, or the apparent bundle in his arms. Well, now it seems my heart is jumping out of my chest - throat dry. My legs are shaking as I take small, slow steps, making virtually no noise. His back is turned to me. And, my rifle is now raised completely. The intentions of people nowadays are always uncertain. I don't want to hurt anyone, but if I have to shoot... then I have to shoot.

Jadis stopped dead in her tracks, stifling a gasp. She had made a camp not too far down the mountain from where the cave was, having heard the baby's cries and setting off as fast as she could.

That wasn't a baby. That thing was a monster! Its back was turned to her now, but it was clear that it was a very big ogre. Those were good at imitating sounds and luring people to their deaths.

But as it turned, cradling a baby in its arms, Jadis realized it actually did have an infant. It wasn't crying any longer, but she knew that what was about to come could be the end for the innocent thing. It was either stand up or stand back, and she knew that if she took the latter path that her actions would haunt her conscience for the rest of her life.

"Hey! Monster!" Not exactly as eloquent as possible, but she hoped to get its attention.

Jadis was wearing her leather traveling clothes and padding, with her cloak draped over them. She had by now drawn her dagger, and started to draw upon her magic energy. The armbands around her forearms began to glow. "Put the infant down!"

She had yet to notice the silent hunter behind them. Or perhaps she did, and decided against acting on that knowledge for the moment.

Survival. That was the main thing on Synthia's mind. She'd been on her own for a while now, and it was all she could do to keep moving forward. Her once white hair was browned from dirt and mud, and most of her body was covered in dirt. When the world came down on their heads, she'd done all she could do just to keep herself in one piece. Mercenaries weren't popular before, and you'd better be sure they were no more popular now than they were before. Already she'd been in a few scuffles with other survivors, most of them instigated by the other person... usually people who were driven to madness by their desperation. She was a just person, but also merciful. Most of them were easily dispatched with a solid whack to the head with the butt of Synthia's sword. While they took their brief nap, she 'borrowed' a portion of whatever supplies they had and moved on, leaving them alone. Her sole goal was to stay alive, not to kill nor concern herself with others.

Until she heard the distant sound of an infant's cry. Pausing her trek through the woods, she turned and walked in the direction of the sound. Slowing as she found the source, she took in the surroundings. A large man, odd one too, was holding the baby, there was a girl with a gun levelled at the man, and another one with a dagger and seemed ready to strike the man. The girl with the dagger yelled at the man, which, because the man seemed harmless enough, despite his size and appearance, grated on Synthia's patience. She stepped out, taking a place between the girl and the man. "Watch your mouth." Her tone was scolding. Keeping one hand on her sword, she stared at the girl for a long moment.

Then, turning her attention to the man, she glanced at the infant, and then at him, assessing the situation for herself. She wasn't the type to jump to conclusions.

Mich liked having fun but lately everyone he meets would try to kill him. They seem to be going crazy without protection. Mich would leave before things got to crazy to keep himself safe. He could survive by himself if he wanted.

He was hunting this afternoon, he had his bow pointed at a rabbit. He let the arrow fly towards the rabbit but suddenly a cried echoed threw the mountains. The rabbit jetted but was stop by an arrow in the lower back. Mich picked the rabbit up and placed it into his bag. He then heard the cry again. He decided to follow the sound.

He knew the mountain fairly well so he knew some short cuts and arrived in good time. He arrived and saw a giant man holding a baby, a woman with a weapon pointed at him, and two other women farther down the landscape. He sat down out of view and waited to see what happens before he got involved.

John wasn't sure what had happened first, all he knew was that he had to protect the child from these people at all costs. "Leave her alone!!!" John bellowed loud enough to shake some of the loose rocks from above. The baby wasn't scared by this and didn't cry, in fact she sort of giggled as she watched the tiny pebbles fall from the cliff above.

John tucked the bundle closer to his chest and blocked the child from the rifle and the dagger, but to John's surprise someone had taken a stand with him and had a sword waiting to be drawn if anyone tried anything funny. But even that made John a little weary, he didn't want the child in harm's way so he did the first thing that came naturally. He ran back into his cave with the child in tow, if anyone followed John had plenty of things to throw at them and if those ran out he could always smash his way out of any situation as a last resort.

"Stay away from us!" John called out from within his cavern.

Somewhere slightly farther up the mountain, where the wind would guard the air from a baby's call and instead replace it with it's own song, Taylor Armiger had set up camp. Sticks, leaves, and a tarp were what his shelter consisted of. With his back pressed against a boulder that made up the onl wall in his shelter Taylor bit into an apple. Content with the juicy pleasure he held, it was not until a booming voice called out, "Leave her alone!!!"

This took Taylor off guard. "What?" He said allowed as he blinked and looked up from the apple. After a moment it registered. That was a cry of danger, which meant someone needed help. Neglecting his instincts Taylor leaped up, grabbed his makeshift hunting spear, and darted off down the mountain towards the voice.

As he ran the brooding sky finally opened up, unleashing a downpour of rain as if there had been a drought for years and the earth was gulping new life into itself. Rain. I should have known it would rain. He thought as his soaked clothes began to cling to his body. The wind had played a trick with the sound, however, and the distance was much shorter than Taylor had perceived.

The mountain seemed to end abruptly before the youth, and a heel turn was not enough to save him. Attempting to stop and go back, Taylor slid on the wet rock until he hit the edge. Now facing the direction he had come from Taylor hung by his arms onto the ledge before they too slipped and fell a short distance onto his back, knocking the air out of him. Several seconds later he opened his eyes, lightening lighting the sky up enough for him to see his spear teetering on the edge of where he had fallen. Seeing this, Taylor rolled quickly to the side and the spear landed beside him. The obsidian head hurried itself into the dirt. A moan was all Taylor gave infront of the cave. His ears listened to the events around him. He was at the mouth of the cave where the cry had come from, but time had passed since he heard the call.

((Okay this is a really bad way to write a character out but I really can't do it any other time and I only have so much to work with. Forgive me for this abomination of a post, I'm normally not this bad. But I can't just have her sitting there staring blankly at a cave for a week.))

I followed the larger man, gun now lowered. He didn't seem to want to hurt anyone, but my main concern was the child. She - he said it was a she - was screaming earlier, and I do have leftover provisions. Little things, but it would provide proper nourishment or heal a few simple wounds. If the child was hurt, I would help without question. I stopped in front of the cave, pulling the clip out of my rifle and slipping it in my pocket. Then, rain. Lots of it. Of course. The drops hit my guard-issue coat, forming beads and sliding off. Biting my lip, I took off my pack and removed some wrapped food and medicine, then tossed them in the mouth of the cave.
"I mean you no harm. If that baby needs anything, use those." I tried to shout over the rain. Don't really know if it worked.

I heard something above all this - a sort of muffled grunt. Looking up, it was all I could do to get out of the way of the falling body. In doing so, I acted poorly, jumping to the right instead of the left. I slipped, teetering over the edge of a small cliff that hugged the cave. Thirty-forty feet, maybe fifty, a small pond below. Oh no. The strap of my rifle was over my shoulder. My pack, on the other hand, snagged on a rock. I jerked to a halt, putting too much strain on my shoulder - it dislocated itself. The rock shifted and fell with me, and we broke the surface together. Water filled my lungs. I... Forgot to hold my breath. The water was shallow, and I hit the bottom hard, but not hard enough to break anything. Struggling with my bad shoulder, I went up to the surface, gasping for air, then forced my way to the little shore. Oh well this is going to be fun.

Might be that those people up there know where the next settlement is. I need to get there. But I am likely unwelcome in their direct company. I will follow them, from a distance. While I was in the service, I was a scout. I can go unheard for a long period of time. First thing's first though, I need to dry my clothes out. I'm trapped, for now. I can't get back up to that little cave without going a few miles around and climbing the hill again.

((Really? The man's over 8 ft tall, 300 lbs, has bright green skin, and is covered head to toe with scars- yet nobody finds it the slightest bit odd or suspicious that he's carrying a small child?))

"My tongue is not the most pressing issue at the moment!" Jadis scolded in return. She wasn't just about to let some stranger dictate how she spoke. Besides, there was an ogre not five feet away!

Stepping past Synthia, Jadis glared at John. "I'm afraid that's not possible, beast." She spat the word out, hoping to elicit a response. Getting him distracted from the baby would all she needed to free her. "The child is my main con-" She was cut off by John's booming voice. "-cern..." She finished to herself.

Oh, no. She didn't like this at all. While the behavior exhibited was... Strange- Atypical for your typical monster, it didn't strike Jadis as odd enough to think much of. Using phrases like "Us" and referring to the baby (unless it was an ugly female and referred to itself in the third person, which wasn't entirely unlikely,) on its own indicated that it at least had enough care for it to not want to eat it. Or perhaps it was just more clever than it let on. Was it lust, then? Wait til the girl was old enough and then marry her? Or perhaps make her his slave? Jadis had heard too many stories and seen too many things to just feel ready to stand aside.

But now there was rain to think about. Jadis turned around and glared at Synthia, her clothes suddenly becoming less comfortable. "You can feel free to let monsters roam about and capture infants as they please, but others of us still have a conscience!" Before her melodramatic zinger could be punctuated by a swift 180º and heroic charge into the cave, however, a man suddenly fell out in front of them= Almost directly on top of a woman Jadis hadn't yet noticed (or had chosen to ignore). This woman then leapt to the right- Directly over the edge. Jadis could only watch as the woman fell. Awful. She ran to the ledge to look down, hoping to see movement. The wind was picking up quickly, though. The rain coming down harder. Soon, the only shelter anyone could reasonably get to would be the cave itself.

Synthia scowled at the other woman, observing her. Her normally vivid blue eyes clouding with anger. This was a pretty mess she'd gotten herself into. This was why she stayed away from other people. She cringed when the man yelled. Well, good to know his lungs and vocal cords were functional. Thus far, he'd only been aggressive to the people he perceived as a threat to the child or perhaps himself. Interesting.

The sharp words of the other woman put a dark expression on Synthia's face. "You're the one assuming he has poor intentions. My conscience won't sit easy unless I know he's done something wrong for me to punish. Can yours handle killing what could be an innocent person?" Was her flat and unfriendly reply, her tone was cold and serious. While she considered herself to be a just person, she also worked to try to give everyone a fair chance to speak their mind. She had killed an innocent person only once, and the memory hung heavy over her mind even now.

When there was a crumbling sound, Synthia sidestepped, observing what conspired after that. One of the other women fell over a cliffside and the other went to look for her. There was a mild temptation to shove her, but she clenched her fist for a moment, opting to put her sword away and lean over the fallen boy. "Well, I never thought I'd see the day that it would rain men." She quipped, before extending a hand to help him up. "Are you alright?"

Mich was watching these women fight. One wanted the thing dead claling it an orge or a troll. He knew what trools and orge looked like. This one was not one of them, if he was he would be a child.The other woman wanted to understand the situation that is taking place.

When Mich got up to show himself to the other a man came by and fell off the cave entrance. Mich then went to the peak and looked down. ''Are you alright?'' He was also thinking they should all get into the cave before they got sick. Even though he loved the rain.

John had retreated to the very back of the cavern where he had set up little more than a meager bed of discarded leather and cloth over the rock floor he had planned later to fashion it into a sleeping bag of sorts for better traveling purposes, while it fit himself perfectly it would fit 3 people quite nicely if he chose to let others use it instead of himself. John set the baby girl down and shushed her, "Shh-shh-shh, it'll be alright little one. I'll make sure these creeps don't bother us again.

The little girl gurgled to herself playfully, although most everyone would dismiss this as a baby talking to itself and not knowing what John had said or what he meant behind his words John saw this as a fleeting moment of clarity and moral reasoning. "I won't hurt them too badly, they'll still be able to crawl away... Maybe..." John said to the baby as if she had tried to reason with him. Whether John realized it or not he was subconsciously projecting his conscience through the baby, like Jiminy Cricket in baby form. The little girl giggled at the sounds she made, "Fine, but they hit me I'll hit back!" John said defensively as he walked away and around the corner to where the long passage way led to the entrance of the cave.

And already John could see several people either just outside or already coming in. John picked up a nearby rock that was roughly the size of a mini-refrigerator with relative ease with one hand and readied it for the first person to strike him. "Last warning, leave her alone!" Johns voice boomed in the tunnel, its echo making the whole cave shake somewhat. John stood, with rock in hand, just within the deep shadow of the cave where the others outside could only see his massive and imposing form and his glowing yellow eyes.

((One post and I knock someone over a cliff! Maybe he should get better shoes... ))

Taylor jumped as he was spoken to. Recent events had not allowed him much time to notice others. Noticing them now, he quickly sat up, and ten climbed to his feet. "Yes, I'm alright. Are you the people I h--," he stopped speaking when he noticed the large threatening creature all to near to him. "Holy crap!" He exclaimed, stumbling over himself quickly backwards several steps. Somewhere in his process of moving he grabbed his spear from where it lay lodged in the earth beside him. Now he gelded it up before him. "You're the one that stole the baby!" He shouted at the couture in the cave. To Taylor's knowledge the baby was in distress, this figure seemed capable of making it so.

((I was waiting to give someone else a chance, but I can go now.))

As soon as the boy started freaking out, Synthia's hand found her face and she facepalmed with a rather loud SMACK! "For the love of the gods... another idiot." She groaned to herself. Finally, she dared to step towards the cave. "I'm going to put my weapons on the ground. I just want to help you." She said, speaking calmly. With skilled fingers, she unstrapped her sword from her belt and then set it down just inside of the cave. Then, she started removing one of her two daggers. If she was going to communicate, the first step was showing that she was willing to put her life in the hands of the other person and put her weapons down. Unlike the hotheaded people who wanted to run in blindly and possibly cause more hurt than help.

Mich followed the white haired girl into the cave. He saw her drop her weapons. He than stopped and let her go ahead to talk to the one who had the baby. He wasn't wiling to put his life in the hands of others. He stood at the same spot watching her in case anything bad happened. He couldn't realy hear anything in the cave because of the heavy rain outside.

((Found it! Sorry it is short, but Taylor isn't really all that important atm ))

Taylor flinched at the slap he heard next to him. It sounded painful. "Who's baby is that!?" He called out, addressing anyone who would know the answer. He adjusted his grip on his makeshift spear. He wasn't looking for any fights at all, but he heard trouble, and so he was hear. The rain kept pouring, and lightening lit up the sky. Great. I didn't prepare my shelter for this strong of a storm, Taylor thought as he stood in a fighting stance, spear head pointed out towards the opening, in front of the cave.