forum "It's rotten work..." "Not to me. Not if it's you." [OxO] [Open]

Started March 17, 2023 by @bleeding_hearts

tune

The Black Wulf pushed his snout into Vidar's hand, prolonging the contact. At this stage, he was looking to build friendship, build bonds with Vidar.
In response to the question of his name, the Wulf made a noise that was half snarl, half yip. He directed it to Vidar, but Ruir looked at Romulus for a long second in trying to communicate the specific details.

"His name is Kyru, which translates roughly to Dark of the Midnight, or just Midnight." Romulus said, translating.
Vidar seemed aware of the importance of this, and that was good. The hardest part was behind him, at this point, and Romulus was glad all had come out well. Kyru was not only worthy, he would do well in keeping up with Ruir.

Vidar chuckled faintly, his eyes bright as he gazed at the powerful wulf. He carefully ran his hand through the wulf's fur, in complete awe of the powerful being in front of him. "Kyru… A fitting name." He seemed pleased, his eyes sparkling with admiration. He wanted to learn more, and he knew that Kyru was the perfect companion for that. Where he lacked strengths, he would learn from Kyru and even perhaps Rom. "Thank you for bringing me here, Rom. I really appreciate it." He offered a half smile before chuckling when Athene wove around Kyru's legs curiously before her tail wagged as she padded back to Vidar's side.
"Where to now?"

Kyru nuzzled Vidar's hand in his fur, getting used to being touched. Wulves generally didn't get petted before they had a rider, so it was a new sensation for him.
Romulus chuckled. "Well, I think you need to take a ride. We'll get you a saddle later, this first ride without it is important." He turned and swung into his own saddle on Ruir's back, before nodding in the direction of the open fields beyond the walls of the capitol city.
"Let's get a move on." He leaned forward, and Ruir bounded off, his footsteps shaking the ground despite being quiet.

Kyru gave Vidar an encouraging look, and leaned slightly sideways, making it only a little easier to get up on his back. The Wulf would not be soft with Vidar, especially since he was confident the warrior could handle it.

Vidar glanced over at Romulus and chuckled, "I tend to prefer to ride bareback. It allows me to move more in synch with my companion." He shrugged as he grabbed the cylinder from the ground nearby, reattaching it to a small latch at the small of his back. He looked at Kyru once Rom had mounted before chuckling. He swung up with surprising grace, his eyes bright as he glanced at Athene. "Follow with us, or go hunt."

Vidar did not expect Kyru to baby him or treat him like he was something delicate. He wanted to ride a companion that would challenge him, that would strengthen him. That was why he chose Kyru. It was clear that he had ridden large creatures before, and he looked surprisingly comfortable riding on the back of Kyru. He hummed faintly as he watched Athene chase after Ruir and Romulus. "Shall we then?"

Romulus shrugged. "That's all well and good, but a saddle will help you carry more things. Think of it as storage and stability. It'll also keep Kyru from getting slow spinal damage."

Kyru took off after Ruir and Romulus, and caught them easily. The guards at the gate didn't give the two a second look, recognizing the Prince and opening the gates without question.

Once outside the capitol, the open fields stretched towards the East for a while, and it was in this wide open area that Romulus allowed Ruir to run flat out. The red Wulf had a long stride, and pulled away from Kyru pretty quickly.

The countryside was pretty this time of year, but Kyru's focus was more on keeping up with Ruir. He wasn' quite as fast, but was fleet-footed enough for the wind to be whipping at Vidar's face as they ran.

Vidar paused, before nodding in acknowledgment. He supposed that made sense. He was a bit more used to riding bareback on creatures, but he didn't mind in the slightest if saddles were required. He always found that it was easier to move in tandem with the creature he was riding with. But if it was to avoid harm, so be it.

He gave out a whoop of laughter when they took off, before leaning forward and watching as they caught up to Rom. Vidar realized that when he had served these kinds of missions, he hadn't been treated like this- It was a rare oddity to him. How strange it was that he was able to learn how to ride such a powerful creature. To be seen as a 'friend' rather than a shadow. How nice it was just to… be.

A breath of relief left his lips as they exited into the countryside. the capitol always felt stuffy. Here it was freeing, here it was open. He laughed loudly as he felt the wind in his hair, his eyes shut as he allowed himself to soak in the sun, to breathe in the fresh air.

He glanced over at Rom, his cheeks still flushed with laughter, his eyes bright. For once- he didn't look like a killer. He looked free. He almost didn't want to stop going- didn't want this moment to end. But he knew… it did eventually. For now, he would enjoy it. He let the prince guide him, unsure about where they were going.

Romulus glanced over at Vidar a few times, though he didn't maintain any kind of serious eye contact. The renowned warrior seemed to be enjoying himself, and Romulus was glad. He'd been worried that Vidar was going to be a complete and total stick-in-the-mud, and that wouldn't have worked out for them very well.
They rode for about an hour, in a big loop that eventually pulled them back through the city gates of Khand. Kyru and Ruir alternated leading, overtaking each other and keeping up, testing each other in a friendly way. The soldiers in the guardhouse at the gate didn't say anything, but all of their eyebrows shot up as the four individuals came sprinting back by them.
Renowned assassin Vidar Kane, and the Warrior Prince himself, rode back through on the backs of two massive Wulves, one black as the night, the other the red of blood.
It was quite the sight.

They hadn't said much over the hour, and that was fine with Romulus. He wasn't dying to talk a lot, and Vidar seemed ok with the silence as well. However, once they got back within the walls, the Prince slowed down, and Kyru pulled even with him.
"Well done. That first ride will have sealed things for you both. You should be able to hear him now."
Kyru turned his head, and in Vidar's mind, there was a quiet voice. A low, rumbling, bestial voice, that spoke with respect in its tone. "Sir?"
The mind and soul connection from a Wulf to its Rider was a serious affair.
Romulus gave a small smile as Kyru looked up at Vidar. "And if that's in order, then it's time for a celebratory drink, I think. Onwards." He nudged Ruir, and the Wulf took off at a trot, further into Khand.

The capitol was a bustling city on good days, and today was a day where Romulus often felt most like he could disappear. Khand was separated into several sections. The Palace was in the northernmost corner of the city, abutted up against walls that were back by a huge cliff. The only way to come into the city would be to climb the sheer cliff walls, or come through the front gates, in the south of the city. In order to do that, a person had to circle the butte Khand was built on.
But between the Palace and gates was a long road. On one side of the road, the side towards the Palace, were the homes of many of the nobles, the merchants, or reputable businesses where an ambassador from one of the other 5 kingdoms might find a nice room or get a delicious meal.
On the other side of the road were the slums, the prisons and workhouses, and more importantly to Romulus, the bars, brothels, and bare-knuckle fights. Khand could be a rough place, and that's how the Prince liked it. Easy to disappear in a crowd when everyone was too busy looking at the ground to avoid making eye contact and angering others.
It was to this side of Khand that the Prince now made his way. He was headed for a bar where he knew his friends would be waiting.