Guards and Guarddeer.

[Atlas Steele]

Atlas himself was sitting on a cart, slowly wagging his legs as he contently let out a soft hum from his absolutely devastating singing talent, which meant that he had absolutely no talent, of course.

Waiting calmly as one of the simpler guards, one who hasn't seen one of the previous scientists from 'home' coming to the academy to deliver the vegetables and herbs that were grown from their fields.



The cart itself was not that impressive, a wooden cart with wooden wheels, yet the creature infront was something quite a bit more impressive, a beast that he himself and his people have called a green hoove, that spread plants and flowers in their trails with the height of 32 feet pure muscle standing proud and glaring towards the guard who kept stammering about rules and regulations (https://prnt.sc/kfxrhd for the beast)



Atlas himself simply growing tired at this point then shouted "Can somebody please just explain to this man that i am trying to deliver vegetables, herbs and meats!? Please for the love of all that is holy, before the animal pulling my cart destroys this poor man!?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai would be walking by when he would notice a man with a large creature being... harassed by a couple of guards.

"Yo, What's this all about here?"

"Oh shit! You- you are- I mean... What's your name citizen."

Rai blinked in confusion.

"Raikotsu Sudeki, Blood Dragon."

"That's uh... Ok. Well, I was never here, and if anyone asks... No one will, so, good-bye."

"Uhm... bye?"

Even more confused he would turn to the second guy standing there with the giant of a beast.

"So, do you know what that was all about?"

[Atlas Steele]

Atlas noticed the question of the man, thought for a second how he wasn't heard that much while still being helped, he then brought forwards a soft smile.

"Come on kid, get on the cart and i will let you drive along for a bit as i explain, if you surely do not mind?"

his soft smile soon growing wider as he had a loud bouldering laugh exhale out of his body before he would point towards the beast that was pulling his cart, if the kid would sit next to him, he would start having it move forwards by snapping his fingers and whistling a certain tone before offering him a small cannister of a sweetened vegetable juice made with strawberries and a strange sweeter melon that they grew back at 'Home'.

"This beast sadly isn't that friendly when seen by others, especially when other people are often killed by the beasts that roam outside, so it isn't uncommon when a guard or two start calling things as they do not recognise our new district yet, we are called 'home' or 'homestead' it depends on the family, we are farmers with a bit of luck.
Who do you happen to be mister? Tell me about yourself buddy."

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai indeed would hop onto the cart next to the older man, and would thank him for the drink as it was offered to him, it was surprisingly delicious, Rai couldn't remember a time when he had had something so fresh, and refreshing. He listened to the mans tale and he wasn't entirely surprised to find out that Cabal was still cold towards outsiders.

"Ah, yeah that makes sense. Well, my name is Raikotsu Sudeki, I am the Blood Dragon, I am considered an outlaw in Cabal territory, but most are too scared to actually attempt to arrest me so they just let me go on my way. Now don't worry, I'm not actually a bad person or anything, nor have I done anything bad. I'm just a named leader in a gang that used to roam here before Cabal was established, and it was deemed that those who weren't with Cabal were against them, and thus I am now an outlaw. Kinda bs if you ask me, but whatever, I don't mess with them, they're scared of me. Life goes on and everyone is happy."

Rai chuckled and handed back the drink.

"That drink is delicious, do you make it yourself?"

[Atlas Steele]

Confused why the man would say the letters b and s so soon after each other before it struck him, Atlas just let out a bouldering laugh and shook his head contently, knowing that this outlook on life wasn't much to be proud of.
Yet here he was, contently sharing a drink with a stranger as his hand naturally tried to shift to be placed on the person beside him his head to ruffle his hair.

"Oh no! It was made by the kids that work at the farm back at our little home, it was founded way back at the slow end of the war and it wasn't explored much due to a large surrounding of beasts, but we are slowly starting up trade again after the famine went away!
Many, many beasts have suffered and died in that famine and it just brought us closer to understanding them.
If you ever want to hug a massive do- wolf, wolf, sorry, old habit, if you want to hug a massive wolf, simply tell me and i can bring you to our 'homestead' and show you around!"

Smiling contently, he turned around as the beast kept the slow pace up, taking another bottle and pouring himself from a small collection of barrels in the back.

"If you need more, go ahead! consider it payment for telling me such an interesting story about yourself! Absolutely fascinating to hear about people their lives!"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai's hair would get ruffled... What the hell? Is that a thing people actually do? Wait... It's possible to be old and not be a complete and total ass?! Rai's world just got turned upside down.

"Uhm, thanks..."

Rai would take another sip. God this drink was good.

"So, tell me about yourself, you said you've got a new territory, and from the looks and sound of things, you've got rather large beasts. That's incredibly interesting, I've heard of Qi beast being all over but I haven't heard of anyone being able to successfully controlling them."

[Atlas Steele]

Atlas then raised a question to the question that was popped back at him, with a soft smile as he looked at the beast that was being proudly shown infront of his cart, Casually moving ahead.
Grass growing over the road, flowers starting to bloom on the sides as it even took a moment to grunt towards a tree with content as it slowly turned pink and petals started to drop.

"Have we ever done anything but slaughter them as we try to survive? We were both on the top of the food chain and we sought to improve our chances to survive, which was fine.
But when i see people question why we have not controlled or tamed any, it is because you cannot do that, you live with them in unison and maybe you will one day hear their voice."

At this point, Atlas looked slightly sad as his expression turned a bit more somber, his eyes looking like they were about to shed some tears as he soon took a deep breath and spoke.

"Sadly, this also means that i am not the perfect match to go along with these creatures, i am on their good behaviour, but i will probably never hear their voices like the kids in the village.
They say that mystic powers have been spreading but i say that it is nonsense as it would create a divide between people.
Everybody, including you, yha little bugger!"

Finishing up the ruffling of his hair, Atlas showed a brilliant smile as his face was still covered by a small mask.

"You are all my grand kids and i have to keep working to supply you all with a good meal! Even if it kills me you know!
So, what do you say, want to try some of the other things we have made at the village using pre-war recipes?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai had just come to the understanding that today he was apparently just meant to stay in a state of confusion. The guard, this guy, Qi beasts with voices... Alrighty then, why not honestly, stranger things after all.

"Uhm, Sure that would be great. Though, I am curious. Where are we headed?"

A question Rai probably should have asked before getting on the cart...

[Atlas Steele]

Atlas looked with a confused look at the man before looking back into the back of his cart, a stern look was given around before he would nod his head, almost confused at the declaration he was about to make before then speaking with a bright smile.

"Hoshishishi~ It seems that i am carrying quite a bit food right? Now if we were to then take the information that i was bringing forwards a small trade towards this area, even getting past the guards into the campus itself..."

Raising his finger to the sky and swirling around softly, as if wrapping all that information up in one bundle before reaching out his palm towards you, at some point one of the snacks that was laying in the back having appeared on the palm of his hand sneakily, a small little magician trick he learned from his own dad back when he was young.

"Take the snack, it is a bar made from dried fruits and cereals using grains, but with me having a carriage entirely filled with food, drinks and all that what would you assume would be my goal?"

If he were to answer that he was here to deliver a supply of food, then he would agree and give him a small set of bars, ten of them.
Telling him to eat them slowly, so he wouldn't run out nearly instantly.
If he would be wrong, Atlas would correct him, handing him a small bag of two bars, saying it is a consolation reward for his great attempt, before then correcting him that he was here to deliver some healthy delicious food towards the campus and maybe earn enough to help their attempts to buy and grab more surrounding land, that latter information shared in both cases.

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai would nod.

"Ah, setting up trade relations with Cabal. A very important thing to do, especially for a new territory fresh in development."

Rai paused to ponder and he was handed treats as a reward for his answer, Who is this guy?!

"Uhm, th-thank you... well, with that being the case I should probably hop off and let you be on your way. Cabal typically doesn't care about me or my actions, but I'd rather not cause you any unnecessary hardships."

Rai would hold out his hand for a handshake.

"I've enjoyed this old man, hopefully I'll catch you on you're return trip and we can talk more then. If not, I'll be sure to come by your territory and you show me those giant wolves you were telling me about."

Rai said with a smile. This guys was a damn decent human being. One of the very few Rai had come to encounter throughout these many years.

[Atlas Steele]

Smiling kindly as atlas was leaning backwards, seeing the man hop off, he would realize rather quickly that he wasn't capable of doing much in this scenario if he wasn't feeling comfortable with the cabal and their ways of protecting the areas.
Letting a soft sigh escape his mouth, Atlas would soon toss a small card towards the man that had hopped off, making sure that this piece of material was read in the least as his cart slowly barreled away.

"If you ever need me and you are near my territory, just show the bears those card! But remember to not panick and start harming them! I do not want to clean up either human bits or bear bits!"

Just laughing as the man that he had a rather comfortable meeting with would soon vanish from his sight unless he had something else to say.
A small sense of loneliness starting to crawl into his torso as he would have a few droplets of salty water touch his cheeks.
This person that was so shocked, that was so amusing to interact with, there was nothing else to say about him then the comment of resemblance.
He resembled the kids at this 'home' that he had worked to erect, he was as amusing, interesting, yet above all, Atlas even with his lack of skills as a fighter himself saw a little bit of potential.
Decent muscle mass and above all, a beautifull soul that would probably shine through those remarks against him.
His sorrowfull look of loneliness soon again drawing into a brilliant smile as he greeted more and more people!

SPOILER: Click to show

(Any ideas on how to continue or wish to round this one off and make a new one?)