< Meanwhile Upstairs | Rising Dark Logs | The Injured Awaken >
andrix_ST The dawn after the incident with the hunt sees you continuing to flee. Ire and Violet have recovered from the effects of the smoke and are sharing the burden of the still unconcious Luka with Mierin, following the mysterious figure who rescued you from the fire. The man has remained silent unless spoken to, leading you easterly through the forested area that stretches for a few miles to the side of the road,
andrix_ST though every so often he cast's a glance back to look at you. Those who are able to pay attention notice he's casting glances between Ire and Mierin, seemingly seeing somthing in both of the women. He stops, just as the rays of morning sunlight creep through the tree's and Mierin, unable to carry on any longer, falls to her knee's exhausted.
Mystery Man We need to keep moving the hunt aren't far behind!
andrix_ST As if to punctuate his words, you're sure you can hear the sounds of people moving a way behind you in the trees, though you can't judge whether it's a mile or five that they trail you by.
Ire hauls Luka up on one shoulder as Mierin's support is removed. She glares quietly at the strange man. She wanted to say something snide, she wanted to tell him where he could 'go', but she knew that the hunt would likely catch them and would have before without his aid.
Ire "You'd better have a better plan than just running." The twilight growls.
Mystery Man You're right. You can't keep going like this, they'll be on us within an hour if you slow down much more.
andrix_ST His words, though they would be slightly insulting are said with a reassuring tone, he ponders things for a second.
Ire "How about you tell us where we're going, hmm?" Ire queries, with all levels of irritation plain in her voice.
Mystery Man Keep going as best you can, I'll head back and slow them down for you. You need to stick together! Understand? if you split up, it's what they want, they can hunt you down individually and pick you off one by one. As a group they'll be far more cautious. There's a small town about two miles from here to the south east. Go there, get some rest, and keep moving!
andrix_ST The man turns around without waiting to consider a response from you and starts to head back into the trees
andrix_ST Almost as an afterthought, he stops and drops the equipment of yours he salvaged and has been carrying for you
Ire "A town." Ire sneers. "Wonderful. Whole lot of good it did us last time."
Mysterious Man turns on Ire, "would you rather I left you to them!"
Ire Ire gives him a pained ingenuine smile and lets him go. She tries to shift Luka's weight a bit more effectively on her bony shoulders, she was growing tired and Luka wasn't light. She looks down at the strange woman that had 'joined' them. The Zenith.
Ire "Get up you. Its little wonder they know what we are with your anima on display for all to see back there."
Violet picks up the dropped equipment with a sigh, "I suppose we better start walking then
Mierin Mierin takes a water pouch from her equipment and drinks heavily of it while sitting down by a tree with a grunt and glares at the man, "You, shut up. Now. I don't have people coming to me and barking off orders like this. If they come then we will throw them back."
Ire "Who's this "we"?" Ire mutters.
Mierin Mierin rolls her eyes, "If you want to run like a dog, thats your business. I'll not question it." She mentions as she checks on her wounds with a wince.
Ire "If you want to die like one that's yours - be careful with that Violet." Ire snaps when she picks up one of Ire's bundles that feels like a tent wrapped in fabric. She heaves Luka up again and staggers on.
Mysterious Man If they come, you die. They're ready for you this time. You can barely stand! Not only that, but you already have one man down, what would you do when you can barely hold your own weight! Leave him to them! There's a difference between defiance and suicide. Now get running!
andrix_ST His voice leaves little room for arguement and once again he turns his back on you, making his way into the woods
Ire "If only I had some firedust left..." The twilight pants, dragging Luka along while the others 'chat'
Mysterious Man breaks into a run, seemingly unphased by fatigue, spriting into the woods in the direction of your pursuers. As soon as he is five or six trees away, he has seemingly disappeared, no sound or sight betraying his whereabouts
Violet looks at Mierin questioningly, so you would rather wait on your own for the dragonblooded to catch up and kill you?
Mierin Mierin glances up at the sky then back towards Violet, "They can try if they like."
Violet "and probably succeed given that you can barely walk at the moment"
Ire calls back, "Oh, by all means stand and talk, we have *plenty* of time to do that!"
Violet Violet starts walking after Ire, not waiting for Mierins response
andrix_ST You travel through the woods for around an hour, slowed by branches underfoot and exhaustion. Eventually, you reach the edge of the forest and emerge back onto the road. You quickly see the town which the man told you about. As approach however, it seems strangely silent, the birds chattering in the trees masking the lack of any human activity.
Ire "There it is, lets go..." Ire says breathlessly, beads of sweat running down her forhead and cheeks, mixing with soot to form ugly black streaks down her narrow face.
Mierin Mierin follows up beside them and frowns slightly down at her armor and clothing then shrugs and makes her way up towards the town. "I would like to get myself cleaned up."
Ire "Almost...there Luka..."
Luka groans slightly in unconscious response to his name.
andrix_ST The town is a small one based around a market by the looks of the brightly coloured stalls which are set out, in a stark juxtaposition to the complete lack of human life evident. Fruit strewn across the street and a large smear of blood show strongly to anyone with a brain that there has been a struggle, though any bodies are absent.
Ire "Fascinating..." Ire drones monotone, dragging him along once more.
Violet "Wonder what happened here
Ire "That loud dragonblooded captain of House Sesus mentioned some sort of atrocities commited nearby at the hands of Anathema. Guess this must be 'our' handywork." Ire replies, laying Luka temporarily against the wheel of an old farmer's cart.
Mierin Mierin glances around at the blood smears and takes a few steps towards them for a closer look. She bends down on one knee and peers around abit while making a small 'hrm' noise. "Definitely doesn't look good I'll say that."
Ire looks up at the sky, her hair still, the air at peace. "No wind..."
Violet "the town looks deserted" Violet said, watching as flies clustered on the fallen fruit
andrix_ST Mierin notices that the blood smear is about 18 hours old meaning the dragonblooded would have been pushing it to have commited anything like this and make their move on you, though it's not impossible. There is also another smear on the wall of a building, slightly more recent, probably only a few hours old and still slightly sticky. The footprints about the place suggest that there was a large struggle initially,
andrix_ST with another smaller one happening at the same time as the one on the wall. The footprints left in the earth from the second are masked slightly by the volume of prints from the first, which presumably saw everyone in the town attempting to flee whatever happened. A horse was involved in the second though only one or two people with irregular movements on foot were also present
andrix_ST Most interesting however are a set of large, irrgularly round prints, set deeper than the others and with a diameter of about a yard. They're scattered around sluggishly suggesting a stride belonging to somthing that would be at least 10 foot tall if human. Though roughly resembling a foot, it doesn't quite fit the profile. You're completly unable to place it, even when you show it to the others
andrix_ST from what you can tell, the prints are from the first scuffle and would be large enough that you'd know if it was still here
andrix_ST the largest prints lead out of the town in the opposite direction to that you came in
andrix_ST There's a loud crash from inside one of the buildings just off the main road, what looks like a blacksmiths, directly followed by a distressed cry of terror
Mierin Mierin stands and dusts off her hands then starts off towards the cry quickly, with a glance back at the others,
Ire looks at Violet, then at Mierin. Her expression seems to say 'Oh dont mind me, go ahead.'
andrix_ST Peering inside the large door's of the forge you instantly spy a figure, squat underneath a workbench, a small ammount of half completed work stacked infront of it in an obvious attempt to conceal its whereabouts. A large hunk of metal lies on the floor a short way from the others, still rocking slightly from being knocked over. The person in question is attempting to hide. Badly.
Mierin Mierin moves into the forge and glances around for anything better hidden then the person under the table, "Can you tell me what happen here, sir?"
andrix_ST The figure squeals slightly, utterly pertrified. From the sound of the squeak, sir is evidently a miss.
Violet Violet leans on the doorframe, "Don't worry we don't want to hurt you" she said
Mierin Mierin moves alittle closer and bends down slightly to look under the workbench, "Are you hurt?" She askes in a less stern voice.
andrix_ST The girl flinches and tries to move further under the bench
andrix_ST From what you can see there isn't any blood or obvious injury
Mierin Mierin tilts her head slightly and turns back to Violet with a shrug. She moves alittle closer and ducks under the table. "Don't worry.. What ever it was is gone now."
andrix_ST The girl wiggles out slightly, wrapping her arms around Mierin's neck and sobbing uncontrolably. She's at least twenty and pretty. Very pretty. That much is evident, even underneath the matted mess of her black hair which is covered in dirt and grime from underneath the bench. "What was that thing," she emplores, burying her head into Mierin's shoulder.
Violet Violet asks the girl what the 'thing' looked like
andrix_ST The girl continues to cry, unable to formulate words amidst the tears. As Mierin is comforting them, you hear hoofbeats coming towards the town from the south, over a small rise that stopped you seeing what was beyond it.
Ire pulls Luka and her equipment under the cart as quickly as she can, getting out of sight, watching carefully from the dark shadows beside it.
Mierin Mierin looks down at the girl and seems at a lost of what to do so she carries her to the door and peeks outside to see what the noise is.
Violet Violet ducks into the forge, whispering to Mierin to get back into the shadows and quiet the girl
Emerald Falcon The man who rides up from the town is on what you might at first think is an overly large horse, though as he draws nearer it's apparent that the sandy coloured beast has a much more leonine face. The man astride it has dark hair tied back from his face, rather plain in features though, wearing clothing of greys and green and with a large bow across his back. As he approaches the town he slows, riding in a little ...
Emerald Falcon ... above a slow trot, the beast he rides casting about predatory glances.
Mierin Mierin tries to decide what to do to the girl attached to her while watching the man riding in on the horse, "Hail sir. Seems the town got hit hard by something. Not sure what yet."
Emerald Falcon spies the 5 hiding the village, hearing the girl crying too, and smoothly swings down off his mount, scratching it behind the ears before he walks a little closer to the house before stopping a distance away. "Hail, lady." He says as he is greeting. "As to what ... last night when I was here, it was the dead."
Emerald Falcon "Are you all well?"
andrix_ST As falcon mentions the dead, the minds of the other exalts spring back to what the Sesus captain mentioned about having to purge the undead taint from the area's they had come across.
Mierin "About as well as to be expected. I think I might lose the feeling in my neck soon though." She adjusts the woman and makes a small snort. "We just came in from another near by town. Some problems with fire."
Ire comes out of the shadows near the cart.
Emerald Falcon "A fire?" He tilts his head curiously. "Greetings, Lady." he nods respectfully to Ire.
Ire Ire nods once. "Nothing out of the ordinary..." she says giving Mierin a signifigant glance.
Violet Violet, who had left the cover of the forge said "how do you know that it was the dead who attacked here?
Emerald Falcon "Because I was here last night, and they attacked me." Behind him, the leonine horse starts to look around for things to browse on, deciding that perhaps the body under the cart would be good perhaps ...
Ire "Wait wait wait!" Ire shouts in alarm moving to the cart. "Control your beast!"
Emerald Falcon "Stop that." He puts a warning hand on the creatures side. "My apologies. He knows better than that. Though your companion, he does not look so well."
Ire "Thank you for your concern, but he'll be just fine..." She replies warilly.
Mierin Mierin nods and sits the girl down on the steps, "As I said we had some problems with fire last night." She repeats.
Emerald Falcon "I am a healer of some small talent. Might I at least have a look at him?"
Ire "I suppose that would be acceptable." Ire concedes and walks over to the cart, pulling the unconcious solar out from his hiding place beneath it.
Emerald Falcon gives his steed a cautionary look and then walks over to the unconcious man, setting his bow down before he kneels to study his wounds.
Mierin Mierin steadies the girl and walks down the steps of the forge towards them. "A healer? I haven't seen a proper healer in ages." She murmers to herself.
Emerald Falcon "A fire, yes..." He carefully wipes some of the caked blood away, studying the wound.
andrix_ST It's obvious at a glance what knocked Luka cold, the blood from his nose still caked slightly around his face, the nose itself swollen hideously and drasitcally broken. The rest of his face is also serverly bruised.
andrix_ST His body is also very crisp, having been charred alive in the burning building, a series of nasty burns prominent on his torso and arms
Ire "A fire." Ire confirms simply.
Emerald Falcon "A violent one, no doubt..." he gives a little shake of his head. "I can do something for him, but it would better if I could do it somewhere sheltered and warm." He glances around at the four women. "I am travelling with a caravan, just over that hill. If you wished, and if it will not take you too far out of your way, you could travel with us a day or two, at least until I get your companion on his feet."
Emerald Falcon "In any case, I would ask that at least one of you accompany me, there was someone asking for the girl you have around your neck, lady."
Mierin Mierin straights her armor and pulls the tear soaked leather padding away from her skin with a grimace. "I suppose I could travel with you. I don't currently have much of a direction."
Violet "I would be happy to travel with a caravan for a while, where do you travel to?"
Emerald Falcon "We're headed East. Eventually the caravan will be reaching Great Forks, though we travel a winding path."
Ire "A generous offer..." Ire says carefully, but says with very signifigant glances to Mierin and Violet. "But would you give us a moment to confer?"
Mierin Mierin raises an eyebrow at Ire and folds her arms over her chest, "Just what are we going to confer on?"
Emerald Falcon "Of course." He nods. "I will go and find some water for your companion."
Ire "My thanks." She waits untill he is out of earshot before addressing her two accidental travelling companions.
Emerald Falcon wanders off into one of the houses with his bow, to find some water.
Ire "Whilst his offer may be genuine, let us not forget that we have the Wyld Hunt dogging our ankles. If we travel with him we could put him and an entire innocent caravan in danger." She says darkly. "Or do you suppose that the Dragon-bloods will just 'let them off with a warning' for aiding anathema?"
Violet "We need somewhere to rest, and for Luka to heal, hopefully that man will have diverted the hunt long enough for us to do that."
Mierin Mierin makes a small 'hrm' noise to herself, "We should warn them at least that they may court death to invite us."
Violet "I'm sure the caravan master could make up a nice story about being fooled by the silver tongues of the anathema
Ire "Agreed. This stranger has a right to know what he is getting himself into." Ire nods simply.
Ire "It would be unfitting of us to accept their aid whilst hiding the true danger we pose to them."
Violet "What do we tell them, that we are the evil demons of legends and likely to kill them all?"
Violet "You think they would help us then?"
Ire "Its less about getting what we want and more about protecting those that our existences affect." Ire states. "They may help us. They may not, that is the risk we take."
Mierin Mierin grins slightly, "Im sure I could convince them the of the truth. I am no demon and I will not be thought of as such."
Violet "Then tell them that we are being chased for something like theft, not for being demons"
Ire "Would you buy that?"
Violet "Dragonblooded don't appreciate it when you steal their artefacts, I know that much"
Mierin "I would tell them the truth and they would still take us in. I am sure of this." She states simply.
Ire "He at least-" Ire nods slightly in the direction the stranger took, "-deserves to know the danger we pose before he takes us to his caravan."
Violet "I suppose we should at least tell him about the dragonblooded approaching"
Ire "We should *especially* tell him about the Dragon-blooded approaching." Ire says, deliberately making the grammatical error as strange emphasis.
Violet "Why? so that he can enlist their aid against the undead?"
Mierin "Enough talk, lets settle this." She says as she moves over towards the stranger, "We seem to have been thrown together by chance in a mishap sometime ago and we might bring a fair amount of danger with us. I thought you should know this."
Ire folds her arms and smirks triumphantly at Violet, then following in Mierin's wake.
Violet sighs resignedly
Emerald Falcon looks around, bowl of water in his hands "Danger of what kind?"
Ire "The numerous and powerful kind." Ire admits simply.
Emerald Falcon "Ah. Are you going to be mysterious about it?"
Mierin Mierin grins then, "Do you fear death, sir? If you stand by my side then you need fear no foe. As to the nature of the danger.. Let us say that we have emenies which are even now trying to hunt us down. I would be more proactive in bringing the fight to them but I dispise needless loss of life."
Emerald Falcon "I have no desire to throw my life away meaninglessly. Still, who would hunt you with such vehemence?"
Mierin Mierin looks towards Ire and shrugs, "It may seem obvious to you given my current state but the dragon-blooded hunt us."
Emerald Falcon "And what have you done to earn the ire of the princes of earth?" He says as he sets the bowl down next to Luka and rolls up his sleaves to reveal gleaming gold bracers
Mierin Mierin raises an eyebrow at the bracers, "Then truely the blessing of the fates are on us. I suppose you know how the Dragon-Blooded hunt us because of our divinity?"
Emerald Falcon "I have, thus far, managed to keep a low enough profile to avoid drawing their attention. I suspect that has now changed."
Mierin Mierin snickers abit under her breathe, "I fear my new found companions would prefer I not be my usual forward self but I know nothing but to stand at the front where I belong." She says with another small shrug.
Ire "There are more ways to win a battle than frontal force." Ire criticises.
Violet "Why chose to battle when you can just walk past"
Emerald Falcon "Just so." He nods, dabbing the blow away from Luka's wounds.
Ire "On the topic of walking..." Ire changes the subject.
Emerald Falcon "The caravan is not that far."
Emerald Falcon "Though I do not think you will be welcome for long if your natures are known."
Mierin Mierin eyes them closely then replies, "Life is conflict. Challenges overcome makes one greater in the eyes of the world. If neither of you wish greatness then I suppose you wouldn't of received the divine essence. For myself I will not hide my light under a bushel. As to other ways to win a battle.. I am open to good suggestions.." She then frowns and shakes her head, "I go on far to much. You must excuse me, let us retire the
Ire simply frowns and nods.
Emerald Falcon "Ah, how rude of me. I am Emerald Falcon, and you ladies are?"
Mierin "I am simply called Mierin. I cannot claim my family name for reasons I think I best not discuss at this time."
Ire "Ire, will do for now."
Violet "I am called Violet Lotus"
Ire "Our unconcious male cohort is called Luka the Fox. Though it hardly suits now."
Emerald Falcon "He does not look much like fox, it's true. Damned nice hat though." He grins. "And what's your name, young girl?" he asks of her with a soft smile.
andrix_ST The girl who has stopped crying and is whimpering slightly pathetical sniffs hard, "Nimune sir"
Emerald Falcon "Can you describe your father to me?"
andrix_ST "Why?"
andrix_ST describe your husband*
andrix_ST The girl looks at you slightly confused as if she doesn't understand the relevance of the question
Emerald Falcon "There was a man asking about someone very much like you at the caravan."
Nimune Oh! That's not my husband, he's my err...travelling companion.
Emerald Falcon "Ah, my apologies for assuming."
Nimune No, it's okay. Is he okay.
andrix_ST She still seems very shook up but appears to perk slightly at the realisation he's still alive
Mierin Mierin glances between them and folds her arms, "I would retire to get cleaned up.. Also need a good area to practice. Do you know anyone near that would care to spar?"
Emerald Falcon "He seemed to be in good health, if concerned for your wherabouts."
Nimune Please, I'd like to see him.
Emerald Falcon "As soon as we get to the caravan, I am sure someone can take you to him." He nods.
Ire looks up at the sky, her face still blackened with streaks of soot. The winds were still absent. Though she could not hear the dragoblooded pursuit she was deadly sure it was closing with every second.
Ire "On that note, perhaps we had best take our leave of this ghost town?"
Emerald Falcon nods firmly
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