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Julian had heard tales of the Nephil, he’d always assumed they existed in some form in one part of the land or the other but he never thought he’d actually meet one, they were renowned for their seclusion. Bards and jesters spun tales of the Nephil tribes scattered around the land in area’s that weren’t quite settled but not entirely uninhabitable. Of course such tales usually involved the Nephil warriors hunting down and gutting any travelers that got to close to their home, barbaric tribes of people half beast with a taste for human flesh. Julian himself had always pictured a race more animal than human but he was pleasantly surprised to find this female Nephil to be mostly human in appearance. In fact that only thing that gave her away as a Nephil was her ears, tail and unmistakably feline eyes.
“My name is Adu-Megil,” she said to him before putting away one of her blades and pulling out a small sack “and in gratitude for helping me, I am required to share some of my food supplies”
Julian was about to decline when he felt his stomach growl. He realized he had yet to break his fast for the morning and the sun was poking its head from behind the horizon. He sheathed his sword and removed his helmet.
“I would gladly accept your gratitude, my name is Julian”
Julian awkwardly sat down on the ground as Adu-Megil withdrew enough meat for the two of them. As she worked Julian started to remove his plate leggings so that he might sit more comfortably, however he found himself stealing glances at his unexpected dining companion. She had an exotic beauty Julian would have immediately found attractive… if she was human. Her hair was snow white and when it blended together it almost seemed like a hole in the world that led to an endless sea of white nothingness it was almost magical, then she’d move and the strands would part dispelling the illusion. Her skin was a tanned bronze, it looked like the skin of a seasoned warrior yet still seemed smooth and flat against her obviously well defined muscles, her ears and tail matched the colour of her hair. As she worked her tail gently swayed behind her, keeping out of her way but not touching the mud and earth beneath her boots.
Julian imagined he must look the complete opposite to an outsider, his skin while not overly pale hadn’t tanned since he had gotten his full plate mail. It was offset by his jet-black hair that right now was probably more than a little tangled from a few days of neglects and confinement under his helmet. His body wasn’t the nimble, dexterous form Adu-Megil’s was, it wasn’t overly muscular but years of training have sculpted it into the body of a swordsman, more power and precision than anything else.
“It’s dangerous to be traveling the land by yourself these days, tell me Julian, what are you doing this far northwest?” Julian was surprised to find that he found the sound of his name spoken by Adu-Megil quite pleasant.
“Well I’d heard these lands had been untouched by the Mori-Mongers, so I traveled here to find out why, I was hoping to find something my people could use to turn away the Mori-Mongers” Adu-Megil made a huff noise before swallowing her last chunk of meat.
“Your people are the reason these Mori-Mongers exists, I doubt even half your race could even get past their quarterstaffs let alone pierce their armor” Julian lifted his head to look at her, she hadn’t said it with any spite or venom in her voice but spoke flatly as if stating well-known fact.
“What do you mean? We didn’t create those things, they came from the Moridor” Adu-Megil stared at him for a long time before shaking her head.
“I think you should speak with our elder… he can explain everything…” Adu-Megil started packing up her gear, which mainly consisted of burying the bones of their meal and re-attaching her ration pack to her belt. She then patiently waited for Julian to secure his leggings to Arauka, as it would take too long for him to reattach them.
“You know we could get there faster if we rode Arauka there” He suggested hopfully as he didn’t look forward to walking for who knows how long and he wouldn’t feel comfortable riding while she walked. Adu-Megil just looked at the horse dubiously.
“I’d rather walk” She said flatly before turning around and walking down a trail only she seemed to be able to see. Julian sighed and followed after her leading Arauka after him.
“So, what is it you do Julian?” Adu-Megil asked him, probably more to fill the silence than any real curiosity.
“Well… I’m a Mori-hunter I guess… I never really found anywhere to settle down over the last… 6 years or so.”
“How do you make a living killing Mori-Mongers, I understand money is required to survive in your world”
Your world she seemed to take every opportunity to remind him they came from different worlds, he didn’t really like it for some reason.
“Some 15 years ago, once it was clear that the Mori-Mongers weren’t going anywhere, the then King Jacob decreed that the sum of one gold piece would be awarded to anyone who turns in a Mori-Monger helmet. It was basically to entice mercenaries and freelance swordsmen to kill Mori-Mongers to help lower their numbers, now quite a few skilled swordsmen make a living off killing the Mori-Mongers, I only turn in helmets when I need cash though.” Adu-Megil turned her head slightly and glanced pointedly at his sword, armor and horse.
“One gold coin per helmet is pretty good pay but I don’t see how you could afford such high quality gear, and a pure breed mare no less, did you ‘liberate’ those items?” Julian narrowed his eyes slightly but her back was to him so he doubted she noticed.
“Are you insinuating I stole these things from the dead? No I saved up to purchase this horse, and I got the armor and sword from… well my father.”
Although Adu-Megil didn’t say anything Julian caught sight of Adu-Megil giving a small nod. However she quickly froze as she found a razor sharp blade at her throat. Hiding behind a tree another Nephil, male, stepped out holding his short blade just under her chin.
“What’s this Megil? You really should have better awareness of your surroundings.”
The Nephil gave a small chuckle but it quickly dies as the tip of Julian’s blade made it under his chin, singing the song of a freshly drawn sword.
“And you really should do better recon on a target before giving yourself away” Julian growled lifting the Nephils head slightly with his blade. The Male Nephil’s face contorted into a scowl.
“Consorting with human’s now Megil?” He withdrew his blade and put it away from raising his hands to show he meant no harm. Julian didn’t like how the Nephil spit out the word ‘human’. It was clear the Nephil knew Adu-Megil personally and meant no danger in his greeting but Julian didn’t like this Nephil and wasn’t ready to put his sword away until Adu-Megil told him to.
“You bring this upon yourself Kelbourn, you should have been more careful… It’s ok Julian he’s an Adu” Julian narrowed his eyes at Kelbourn before withdrawing his sword and driving it home into his scabbard.
“Kelbourn eh?” Julian said while scratching his chin and watching the Nephil closely.
“That’s Adu-Kelbourn ignorant brute”
“Kelbourn-” Adu-Megil began to protest his words but Kelbourn just shifted his weapons belt pointedly before straightening himself and walking away briskly.
“Forgive Kelbourn, although his reaction a little severe given how little you know of us Adu is more than just part of a name, it’s an honorific term, only those of equal or greater stature may call him Kelbourn.” Megil turned to him attempting to explain Kelbourn’s actions lest it cause problems later.
“And I’m not equal to him?” was his only response, in the back of his mind he realized that Adu-Megil was actually Megil and as much of this was about him calling Kelbourn by his name Julian had to admit part of it was that he wished to call Megil by her name as well.
“Well… not really, you’re an outsider, you haven’t proven yourself to him or the rest of the clan so you have to refer to him as Adu-Kelbourn, as you have to refer to me as Adu-Megil.” Megil turned to continue on their journey to her tribe, Julian stood on spot for a moment before jogging to catch up.
“But have I not proven myself to you? Am I your equal?” Megil sighed and stopped obviously she’d hoped the conversation was over.
“Honestly yes, you helped me kill 5 Mori-Mongers and although I’ve only known you for a while I have enough information to know you’ve good intentions…”
“So does that not mean I can refer to you by your name only?” Megil smiles but it soon turned to a look of awkwardness.
“It wouldn’t be proper… call me Adu-Megil.” With that she turned her back on him and continued on their journey towards her tribe. Julian felt disappointed for some reason but could see why the proper use of such terms would be important especially if he was to be speaking to their ‘elder’ who would presumably the most respected and highest ranking person in their social structure.
The rest of the journey was taken in silence, thankfully it wasn’t much further and they soon came on a large clearing where Julian was met with something he didn’t expect a palisade wall with a guard tower at each corner surrounding the tribe, honestly Julian half expected a collection of muddy huts, he mentally cursed his stupidity, Megil’s blades were of fine craftsmanship, a culture that hadn’t utilized something as simple as a wall, especially in these dark times, wouldn’t be able to craft two blades as flawless as hers. He shook his head as if to clear it of his jumbled thoughts as Megil waved for him to follow.
“Come on, you must meet the elder…”

Description
Julian had heard tales of the Nephil, he’d always assumed they existed in some form in one part of the land or the other but he never thought he’d actually meet one, they were renowned for their seclusion. Bards and jesters spun tales of the Nephil tribes scattered around the land in area’s that weren’t quite settled but not entirely uninhabitable. Of course such tales usually involved the Nephil warriors hunting down and gutting any travelers that got to close to their home, barbaric tribes of people half beast with a taste for human flesh. Julian himself had always pictured a race more animal than human but he was pleasantly surprised to find this female Nephil to be mostly human in appearance. In fact that only thing that gave her away as a Nephil was her ears, tail and unmistakably feline eyes.
“My name is Adu-Megil,” she said to him before putting away one of her blades and pulling out a small sack “and in gratitude for helping me, I am required to share some of my food supplies”
Julian was about to decline when he felt his stomach growl. He realized he had yet to break his fast for the morning and the sun was poking its head from behind the horizon. He sheathed his sword and removed his helmet.
“I would gladly accept your gratitude, my name is Julian”
Julian awkwardly sat down on the ground as Adu-Megil withdrew enough meat for the two of them. As she worked Julian started to remove his plate leggings so that he might sit more comfortably, however he found himself stealing glances at his unexpected dining companion. She had an exotic beauty Julian would have immediately found attractive… if she was human. Her hair was snow white and when it blended together it almost seemed like a hole in the world that led to an endless sea of white nothingness it was almost magical, then she’d move and the strands would part dispelling the illusion. Her skin was a tanned bronze, it looked like the skin of a seasoned warrior yet still seemed smooth and flat against her obviously well defined muscles, her ears and tail matched the colour of her hair. As she worked her tail gently swayed behind her, keeping out of her way but not touching the mud and earth beneath her boots.
Julian imagined he must look the complete opposite to an outsider, his skin while not overly pale hadn’t tanned since he had gotten his full plate mail. It was offset by his jet-black hair that right now was probably more than a little tangled from a few days of neglects and confinement under his helmet. His body wasn’t the nimble, dexterous form Adu-Megil’s was, it wasn’t overly muscular but years of training have sculpted it into the body of a swordsman, more power and precision than anything else.
“It’s dangerous to be traveling the land by yourself these days, tell me Julian, what are you doing this far northwest?” Julian was surprised to find that he found the sound of his name spoken by Adu-Megil quite pleasant.
“Well I’d heard these lands had been untouched by the Mori-Mongers, so I traveled here to find out why, I was hoping to find something my people could use to turn away the Mori-Mongers” Adu-Megil made a huff noise before swallowing her last chunk of meat.
“Your people are the reason these Mori-Mongers exists, I doubt even half your race could even get past their quarterstaffs let alone pierce their armor” Julian lifted his head to look at her, she hadn’t said it with any spite or venom in her voice but spoke flatly as if stating well-known fact.
“What do you mean? We didn’t create those things, they came from the Moridor” Adu-Megil stared at him for a long time before shaking her head.
“I think you should speak with our elder… he can explain everything…” Adu-Megil started packing up her gear, which mainly consisted of burying the bones of their meal and re-attaching her ration pack to her belt. She then patiently waited for Julian to secure his leggings to Arauka, as it would take too long for him to reattach them.
“You know we could get there faster if we rode Arauka there” He suggested hopfully as he didn’t look forward to walking for who knows how long and he wouldn’t feel comfortable riding while she walked. Adu-Megil just looked at the horse dubiously.
“I’d rather walk” She said flatly before turning around and walking down a trail only she seemed to be able to see. Julian sighed and followed after her leading Arauka after him.
“So, what is it you do Julian?” Adu-Megil asked him, probably more to fill the silence than any real curiosity.
“Well… I’m a Mori-hunter I guess… I never really found anywhere to settle down over the last… 6 years or so.”
“How do you make a living killing Mori-Mongers, I understand money is required to survive in your world”
Your world she seemed to take every opportunity to remind him they came from different worlds, he didn’t really like it for some reason.
“Some 15 years ago, once it was clear that the Mori-Mongers weren’t going anywhere, the then King Jacob decreed that the sum of one gold piece would be awarded to anyone who turns in a Mori-Monger helmet. It was basically to entice mercenaries and freelance swordsmen to kill Mori-Mongers to help lower their numbers, now quite a few skilled swordsmen make a living off killing the Mori-Mongers, I only turn in helmets when I need cash though.” Adu-Megil turned her head slightly and glanced pointedly at his sword, armor and horse.
“One gold coin per helmet is pretty good pay but I don’t see how you could afford such high quality gear, and a pure breed mare no less, did you ‘liberate’ those items?” Julian narrowed his eyes slightly but her back was to him so he doubted she noticed.
“Are you insinuating I stole these things from the dead? No I saved up to purchase this horse, and I got the armor and sword from… well my father.”
Although Adu-Megil didn’t say anything Julian caught sight of Adu-Megil giving a small nod. However she quickly froze as she found a razor sharp blade at her throat. Hiding behind a tree another Nephil, male, stepped out holding his short blade just under her chin.
“What’s this Megil? You really should have better awareness of your surroundings.”
The Nephil gave a small chuckle but it quickly dies as the tip of Julian’s blade made it under his chin, singing the song of a freshly drawn sword.
“And you really should do better recon on a target before giving yourself away” Julian growled lifting the Nephils head slightly with his blade. The Male Nephil’s face contorted into a scowl.
“Consorting with human’s now Megil?” He withdrew his blade and put it away from raising his hands to show he meant no harm. Julian didn’t like how the Nephil spit out the word ‘human’. It was clear the Nephil knew Adu-Megil personally and meant no danger in his greeting but Julian didn’t like this Nephil and wasn’t ready to put his sword away until Adu-Megil told him to.
“You bring this upon yourself Kelbourn, you should have been more careful… It’s ok Julian he’s an Adu” Julian narrowed his eyes at Kelbourn before withdrawing his sword and driving it home into his scabbard.
“Kelbourn eh?” Julian said while scratching his chin and watching the Nephil closely.
“That’s Adu-Kelbourn ignorant brute”
“Kelbourn-” Adu-Megil began to protest his words but Kelbourn just shifted his weapons belt pointedly before straightening himself and walking away briskly.
“Forgive Kelbourn, although his reaction a little severe given how little you know of us Adu is more than just part of a name, it’s an honorific term, only those of equal or greater stature may call him Kelbourn.” Megil turned to him attempting to explain Kelbourn’s actions lest it cause problems later.
“And I’m not equal to him?” was his only response, in the back of his mind he realized that Adu-Megil was actually Megil and as much of this was about him calling Kelbourn by his name Julian had to admit part of it was that he wished to call Megil by her name as well.
“Well… not really, you’re an outsider, you haven’t proven yourself to him or the rest of the clan so you have to refer to him as Adu-Kelbourn, as you have to refer to me as Adu-Megil.” Megil turned to continue on their journey to her tribe, Julian stood on spot for a moment before jogging to catch up.
“But have I not proven myself to you? Am I your equal?” Megil sighed and stopped obviously she’d hoped the conversation was over.
“Honestly yes, you helped me kill 5 Mori-Mongers and although I’ve only known you for a while I have enough information to know you’ve good intentions…”
“So does that not mean I can refer to you by your name only?” Megil smiles but it soon turned to a look of awkwardness.
“It wouldn’t be proper… call me Adu-Megil.” With that she turned her back on him and continued on their journey towards her tribe. Julian felt disappointed for some reason but could see why the proper use of such terms would be important especially if he was to be speaking to their ‘elder’ who would presumably the most respected and highest ranking person in their social structure.
The rest of the journey was taken in silence, thankfully it wasn’t much further and they soon came on a large clearing where Julian was met with something he didn’t expect a palisade wall with a guard tower at each corner surrounding the tribe, honestly Julian half expected a collection of muddy huts, he mentally cursed his stupidity, Megil’s blades were of fine craftsmanship, a culture that hadn’t utilized something as simple as a wall, especially in these dark times, wouldn’t be able to craft two blades as flawless as hers. He shook his head as if to clear it of his jumbled thoughts as Megil waved for him to follow.
“Come on, you must meet the elder…”