Enter: the Hermit

[Zeph]

Jebediah sat, eyes closed, in a small grotto cut into a wall of earth and stone by erosion from wind, people, or possibly ancient bodies of water. The old goat never considered the origin of his cave, but that was probably because it didn't matter. The cave kept him warm, dry, and safe. It was far enough away from large settlements that he never had to worry about cities being built to close to his home, and as an added bonus, it kept his stores safe and dry.

Maybe you're wondering, 'if Jeb needs to steal in order to do his job, why does he live so far out in the boonies?'. You see, although Jeb as a man was far past his prime, as a goat, he could travel like the wind, and easily reach a nearby village or city from which he could obtain new wares.

Now this in itself may seem silly. Why would he leave all his goods alone for a whole day in order to collect more? How in the world did he transport his newly stolens back home? Well, the answer is pretty much a mystery, and when confronted with a withered in need of two naps a day, you don't generally puzzle him with difficult questions. No, sir, logic was certainly not something to bother Jebediah the Geezer with.

Today, however, was Jeb's resting day. He had no need to leave his home, so he would simply stay with his wares, and await the company of travelers, collectors, or merchants who had lost their way, or heard of the Hermit's Hideaway from other travelers. Generally it was the former. Not many people bothered with second visits unless it was on their way. Jeb's home was just too far into the country to go to. Unless of course, you have goat legs.

Today was a slow day. Jeb figured he needed some neon lights or something, but then remembered that he had no idea what neon lights were, and had never even heard of them. Whatever they were, Jebediah ought to find some for his storage. Oftentimes Jebediah would think of an item for his collection, but then remember that they didn't exist. The name would always be catchy, however, so he had no problem running possible items that could possess those names through his brain. Jebediah also talked to himself a lot. Being a hermit was lonely, being a goat lonelier. Sometimes he wished he had a friend, but then he remembered that having a friend would defeat the purpose of being a hermit. You couldn't be a hermit if you weren't a grumpy old guy!

Whatever nonsense was running through the confused old man's head, he just sat there and bared with it. Maybe if he was lucky someone would happen upon his home, and he could trade with them. Or beat them away with his walking stick, which now stood leaning against a far cave wall, near most of his wares.

[Kamui Shiro]

Kamui had just finished a mission in another town and had left it as quickly as possible. Once again he had not been spotted but he did walk calmly toward a small cave. His trek to his home would be long and arduous and he was going to need the rest because he was going to be seeing more fights now. He had just left the syndicate he was working for and that meant at least two years of them sending A class assassins or higher after him which would make things much more difficult.

He was contemplating all of these things and more when a group of men crossed his path. At first he paid them no mind but each of them drew guns and they were all trained on him.
"Stop there and drop down all your valuables." One of the men ordered. Kamui was already starting to loose his cool by this point.
"You'll all want to drop the guns if you want to live." He warned. As expected though, all of the men simply started laughing and in a flash he had his guns drawn, both of them chambered and he let out two cross shots, springing forward slightly and avoiding a bullet. He then slammed the blunt and weighted end of one of his guns on one of the theive's wrists and sprung into the air, dodging a bullet which killed the man with the now injured wrist as he leaned back and shot two shots at the last man standing, sending two bullets through the man's head, one through each eye before he finally snapped out of his rage. With that he searched the men for ammunition and holstered his guns.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." He muttered as he walked calmly into the cave. That was when he caught a scent.
"Who is there?" He demanded.

[Kerythia]

Kerythia, who had been following Kamui all along, had found a stream of water in their last stop. Being an otter, she instantly changed with a yip of glee and dashed into the water. With a giggle, she forgot all about the world and dove underneath to look at the fish. As her head popped back up to the surface, a look around told her that Kamui had left without her. She shook her fur dry and went to change into her clothes.

After a little jog down the road, she found the man walking towards a cave. Bodies of groaning men littered the ground and Kerythia had a handle to her harpoon incase on of them did move. Calmly following him, she came behind as he sharply questioned the air. With a little sense of fear and excitement, she asked,
"Maybe you should go inside..."

[Zeph]

Jebediah sat calmly in his little home, even as he heard noises of footsteps and gunfire outside. If anyone came to steal his goods, they would have to go through the hard horns of a rather large goat. He hoped however that things would not come down to violence, and that the battlers outside would be happy to trade their shiney guns for an exotic cactus or something. Maybe the gunslingers had neon lights (whatever the hell they were) that they were willing to trade.

Suddenly, he was hit with the scent of death. It overpowered the musky smell of his own home and clothing. He was now slightly terrified. Well, really, slightly was a bit of an understatement. Whoever was left standing outside had shot and killed several people, and were now coming for him. They wouldn't murder an old man, would they?

"Who is there?" were the words he heard first, spoken by a man who seemed rather sure of himself, and ready to fire if he feels even slightly uncomfortable. This was the voice of a murderer.

Of course, Jeb was rather familiar with crime. Heck, he'd even call himself a criminal mastermind. But rarely did he kill anyone. This person's voice absolutely reeked of death. This scared the old goat. It scared him very badly.

"Maybe you should go inside..." Came the voice of a woman. This one was rather more soothing, and it showed weakness and insecurity. Jebediah smiled to himself. The man's lover perhaps? This made the old man feel much safer. The stranger would probably not challenge the old man to a battle when he had a woman to impress. What lady is impressed by the senseless beating of a frail old geezer?

"Come on in..." Jebediah called out. He did not want to be rude, but was still worried that he could be inviting his potential killer into his home.

[Mia]

Miella had been scouting the outer reaches of Ferru, looking for any signs of trouble. Her search proved to be worth while, once the sound of gun shots rang throughout the once calm air. Miella reached for her rifle, sliding the sling off of her shoulder. Her rifle was equipped with a bayonet for close counters and if necessary she could shoot from a few miles away. The scope of the rifle was long and thick, to ensure optimum results.

Miella began walking towards the direction of the fired shots, praying that nobody innocent had been hurt. A number of six bullets had been discharged from what Miella could tell, but she was unsure. Whatever event happened ended quickly, and she didn't want to drag herself into any trouble.

Miella rounded a bend before she noticed two bodies lying motionless, only the wind could be heard now. Miella silently made her way around the bend, trying to conceal herself to her best abilities. Whatever... or whomever did this could still be around. But Miella noticed a cave not but 100 meters away. Looking in the direction of the cave she could see two slender figures standing in the entrance. Miella reached for her voice receiver which could amplify distant sounds, which came in handy for such occasions. "Maybe you should go inside..." said the younger looking of the two; a female.

[Kamui Shiro]

Kamui had heard three distinct sounds. First was the sound of Kery who had told him that perhaps he should go inside, the second was the sound of an older voice, also encouraging him to come in, and the last was the sound of mechanical static followed by the repeat of Kery's response. He said nothing but did walk into the cave dragging Kery with him and looking into her eyes and then to the left, indicating that someone or something was outside.
"I don't know who would invite an assassin into their abode but I'll tell you now I don't mean any harm. We just need a place to rest for a while before moving on." He said.
"Also if you have a gun don't draw it on me. I can't garuntee anything if that end up being the case." He warned.

[Kerythia]

Kerythia nodded with every word the assassin said. Those men on the ground outside did make a mistake. The girl was frightened to the bone right now, seeing there was somebody outside. A trembling thought made its way into Kerythia imagination and she shook her head. Execution was worse than a nightmare, more than torture. She hunched her willowy shoulders and hunkered down into the cave.

The man that sat in front of them was old, elderly, and hunched at the back. He seemed rather frail, but something about him told her wrong, almost like her mother. The girl took her seat by the hermit, but, seeing there was no fire, she started one just in case. Looking to Kamui for guidance, Kerythia kept quiet.

[Zeph]

The frail old man brushed his greasy, tangled hair out of his eyes, to examine the people who had happened upon his humble abode. They didn't look much different from what he had expected. The assassin was lithe and dark-haired. He had an air of mystery, and of danger. The woman nearby was tall and thin, with long brown hair. She, unlike her male companion seemed vulnerable and shy. "Fear not, friends. I have no guns, but food and treasures are of great abundance here," he said.

Addressing two now-faced characters, he seemed much more confident. The fear of the unknown was gone, as there wasn't much left unknown. From what Jebediah could infer, the male was an assassin of some sort, and a deadly weapons master. He was also a traveler. The man seemed to enjoy power and control. The words he spoke were humble and kind, but the tone and air he used in his speech and attitude displayed a superior confidence.

"I am a trader of sorts. Most people would call me a Hermit, I suppose. I would be very glad to trade some of my more exotic goods with the two of you, but food is free for new friends," the old goat said with a toothy grin. Conversation was good for inference, and friendship good for business. Jebediah wanted to know who these people were, and needed a general summary of their personalities before he could truly begin to reveal himself to them.

"My name is Jebediah, and you are?" The wrinkled man voiced slowly. He watched the strangers carefully as they no doubt prepared their reply in their minds.

[Mia]

Miella watched as the two dissapeared into the darkness of the cavern. The sound of their voices still rang clear in the earpeace, though a little static became present. Moving closer she tried to remain as quiet as possible. If these were only humans then they would not know she was here, but if it was shifters then they would be no problem. Shifters were now no problem... or less of a problem due to the newly established treaty alliance between the Shifter race and the Human race. Miella continued to make her way towards the cave and quickly planted her backside to the wall. The reception was much better than it was before and she could hear exactly what they were saying.

"I don't know who would invite an assassin into their abode but I'll tell you now I don't mean any harm. We just need a place to rest for a while before moving on. Also if you have a gun don't draw it on me. I can't garuntee anything if that end up being the case."

Miella understood that the man was no pushover. He certainly had a tone of control and power. Miella did not want to get into a tangle with this man if she could avoid it. What she would like to do though is confirm exactly what happened outside. But for now she would continue to listen.

"Fear not, friends. I have no guns, but food and treasures are of great abundance here." came the voice of what sounded to be an elderly man. "I am a trader of sorts. Most people would call me a Hermit, I suppose. I would be very glad to trade some of my more exotic goods with the two of you, but food is free for new friends." The man said in a friendly tone. "My name is Jebediah, and you are?"

Miella peered around the cave entrance to see who the three figures were and if she could see any distinct features of Shifters.

[Kamui Shiro]

Kamui drew his scythe and in a flash he was at the entrance of the cave. The idea was to eliminate the use of guns due to the use of close range weaponry. The hearing granted him from the nature of his shifter form had alerted him to the person's footsteps and he was more than ready to kill the person that was there. He hated people trying to sneak up on him.
"You have approximately three seconds to identify yourself or your head becomes a separate part of your body. I'd also like to add that if you're going to sneak up on someone, don't use electronic equipment, I heard you the moment you pulled that out. He said.

[Mia]

Miella listened to the cold mans words. "You have approximately three seconds to identify yourself or your head becomes a separate part of your body. I'd also like to add that if you're going to sneak up on someone, don't use electronic equipment, I heard you the moment you pulled that out."

Miella walked into the open mouth of the cave, revealing herself. "It is I who should be asking the questions, not you!" Miella cleary made an attempt to assert her authority over this mans. "I'm am Field Marshal Shay of the human race. But you clearly do not understand the situation you're in. Two men are dead outside this cave and telling by those firearms at your sides I assume you are the one who killed them." Miella flickered her eyes towards his weapons. "I suggest that you place your weapons down quietly and slowly. This way the matter can be resolved without violence. And considering the fact that shifters and humans are allies now, it would be unwise to provoke me."

Miella made a firm command with her hand for him to set his weapon down, her eyes burning into his. If this man wanted a fight he would have one. Miella hadn't spent her whole life devoted to the marshal arts and sword practice for no reason. Being human, you needed to be ready for everything, including shifters. Miella reached around her shoulder and slid a slender katana from her back. It was sheathed, but the blunt case could easily stun an enemy if the user knew how to use it properly. She leaned against the sword and waited for the mans response and coarse of action.

[Kerythia]

Kerythia glanced up. The fire had sparked, but no warmth came from the embers. She smiled warmly at the old man, Jebediah as he was called, and replied,
"I'm Kerythia. So you live here on your own?"
But Kamui was to his feet and Kerythia looked up. The girl was about to go out to fetch firewood, but all ideas of that were gone. She slipped behind the man, interested on what was going about. A human dressed in a uniform had made her way to the cave. She looked at Kamui with a sigh. He had gone on red alert again and was at his full height to kill her. No matter what she was, she was a woman. Particularly a strong woman. She slipped to his side, but when the woman declared her name, she jumped up at least 5 feet in the air. The Marshal? Being part of the guard, especially an ex-guard, made her jumpy, but to meet the Marshal?

Gulping several times, she crept behind Kamui, whispering in his ear.
"Please, follow her directions." Kery tried hard, but the urgency and strain in her voice was impending.

[Zeph]

Jebediah had heard the buzz of the electronic device as well, which was fine by him. He never liked to raise a fuss. Attention was not always a wise thing to bring to yourself. Well, at least not in his human form. As a frail old man, he would obviously be no more than gun-fodder. To this seemingly strictly-business human soldier, one shifter life, let alone the life of a hermit shifter, would mean next to nothing. He glanced around the poorly lit cave rapidly, assuring himself that the two people in his company were likely shape-shifters as well.

It was that pleading girl's voice that made him do it. Her sweet innocent voice begging for the assassin to listen to the soldier, and for the soldier to leave them alone. Soon enough, Jebediah the Geezer was gone, replaced entirely by a handsome goat, with shaggy black and white fur hiding any real signs of humanistic intelligence. The majestic beast's horns protruded from its shaggy but neatly combed fur, curling and warping in several directions before ending in sharp points. He let out a loud bleat, and then, he was on the move.

In moments only, he had reached the human girl who stood with an air of authority and power, leaning on a sheathed katana, not nearly a match for his natural weapons, his horns. He leaped at the woman, his head lowered, horns aimed right at her chest. By this time, he was moving like a bus, and if his horns hit their mark, the immense weight of his body, all channeled into horns, would hurt about as much as a bus, too.

[Kamui Shiro]

Kamui had already decided not to follow kerynthia's advice when the goat charged. At first he had thought that he was the target but as he listened he noticed the trajectory of the sounds of the footsteps were off and he simply sidestepped to allow the goat through. If he was going to be an ally Kamui had no intention of letting him do this alone.
"Kery, if you back down to authority figures when they meet us, you're going to get put in a cell. We're now on the run, from my syndicate, from any guards or militia. We're not exactly a friend of the world." He said calmly as if he was simply a teacher giving a lesson. As soon as this was said he resheathed his katana. This was not going to be an assassination.

[Cilam Quanou]

Watching the interesting group of people from the tree line was Cilam. He was in his wolf form, sitting by the roots of a nearby tree. He was well hidden as he watched the conversation go. He had been following a lead that told of an old man who lived somewhere in these parts. 'Seam's like the rumors where true, that old man does live here.' He thought to himself as he watched the assassin, girl and the Old man. He had met the girl, who's name was Kerythia some years ago, but hadn't seen her much since then. The assassin he had heard of, not a guy you would want to mess with, his name was Kamui Shiro.

What shocked him a little was when he saw Miella coming towards the group. 'Crap! I hope at least that she know who she is dealing with.' He thought and stood up to get a better view. He didn't hear the conversation but when he saw the old man shapeshift into a goat and charge at Miella at high speed, he sprinted out of his hiding spot and took a defensive stance in front of Miella and charged himself. Obviously he knew that this was stupid, since the goat had horns and he did not, but at least he could hold him back for a wile. "Picking the wrong place to be at again Miella?" He asked as a joke right before he met the goat face to face.