Open Chronicles From Alliria to Heilige Stad

Hahnah's right hand slowly clasped the fist of her left once placed together, atop the small swell of her breast. A motion that was second nature, done without the apparent need of consciousness or coherent thought.

The same sort of habituated motion as Hahnah's lips briefly paused, then moved again.

"Have I done well?"

Tiny words barely amounting to a whisper.

"Have I done well?"

And again.

"Have I done well?"

Her left eye opened. Just slightly, matching her right now. Both had the look of a dazed tiredness--the lingering effect of the significant blood loss.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr alphabunny

Tozen was kicked by his prey, pushed away but held firmly by the hand which accomplished what he would have tried to do.
When she kicked him it dislodged his claws from her shoulder... In the worst way possible... But still her ability to regenerate saved her arm from becoming permanently useless right then and there.
Tozen would have lunged back upon her immediately but her attack had caught him off guard and he went down, still she had held his hand and followed him down... Her mistake.
An animal tamer would know that you never get a wild animal on their back, because instead of three weapons, their two claws and a bite, they suddenly have five weapons including their back feet.

Getting in a grapple with Tozen, in spite of her superhuman strength, was practically a death sentence. His claws raked at her sides and stomach as she came down on top of him, he reached around her and sank his claws into the back of her shoulder before raking all the way across her back. Still, she attacked and he felt heavy blows slam against his chitin armored crest, blows which nearly beat him senseless had he not thrown her off and rolled to a crouch.

Her wounds recovered and disappeared while her blood remained illuminating both of his claws in the darkness. She would be able to see his attacks coming now. he heard the rasp of two short blades being drawn and saw her in a ready position. His head was pounding with bloodlust, pain, and adrenaline... But through his addled senses her words came through just barely and he recognized the common tongue.

Ferelith Scathach said:

“This ones mine Alexi. Go back to the girl. That’s what the bastard wants. Don’t you .” She growled. This was a predator. And an apex one at that. What it didn’t realize yet was she was as well. “Your not getting through beast.”

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The golden eyes were visible once more in the darkness, hiding was pointless now anyways, but instead of stalking like an animal he drew himself up and clenched his hands into armored fists.
He raised one hand and a long tongue snaked out to taste the glowing blood... He was tempted to abandon his former prey for this one... Her essence was strong, that strength will make him strong as well... But not yet, the creature he hunted wasn't human like this girl, and he reasoned that unless she fled the forest their paths will cross again when he could hunt her properly...

once the pounding in his head calmed down he could hear a different pounding... A pounding in her chest that spoke a different story than her brave words... He could hear her fear, he could practically smell it... And fearful prey is bound to make a mistake. All she had to do was slip up once and he will break free of her troublesome interference...

Ferelith Scathach said:

“This is my home and you will not come here and do as you like.” She growled. A deep sound her small frame did not lend itself to. Her teeth set into a genuine snarl. “Now let’s go again.”

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A snort of respect. She was tenacious... An enviable trait. If he knew how he would wrap her in a chrysalis like he was and make her like him so she could be his mate. This time he didn't lunge for her, he could see her daggers and he wouldn't rush in like an idiot now.
Instead he came at her again, this time stepping and weaving like a boxer, his armored fists and forearms like natural shields and boxing gloves designed to cave in skulls.
He opened the next round of battle with a battering ram of a punch straight at her face and then used his arms as shields while he came after her, feinting and jabbing, looking for the weakness in her defense much like an intelligent human would do.

“Hm..” Ferelith cocked an eye brow at the creatures sudden change in tactics. But where she had made the mistake of taking the creature to its back, the creature in turn made its own mistake.

Ferelith was a great boxer. One didn’t live very long in her tribe with Kyla as a sister with out learning to use their hands.

Blocking his first strike with her forearm. The bone shattered but the strength behind it was clear as it stopped the strike dead.

She sank her teeth into her lip glowing blood running down her chin as she fought through the searing, sickening pain. Firing her left into what she hoped was the creatures jaw. It fired a jab into her gut as she extended before she could dodge or block it.

Her ribs gave a sickening crunch. Her right arm still healing her ribs would be broken for a little longer than she could stand. The bone in her arm snapped back together but her ribs were now healing at a slower rate. She had lost a lot of blood in her tackling blunder. Even if she had done some damage the damage the creature had done was far more substantial. So she took full advantage here. Time to burn up what she had in the tank.

Her tattoo glowed the same color of her blood. Her eyes burst blood vessels leaving them filling up with glowing blood. Her speed went from quick to break neck.

Weaving through his jabs and feints in the same flowingly graceful way she used her sword. Some times a fist, some times a slice or stab of her blade weakening the armor. At least that was what she was hoping. They stayed locked in an almost dance.

A few of the creatures blows did land. He was cunning and Ferelith was not PERFECT. A blow glancing the side of her jaw and snapping it like a twig. She fell back clutching her jaw as it slowly pulled itself back together. She popped back up ready to go again. But she was wearing down.

“C-come..C-come on..” She wheezed as her ribs were still tender. Sinking to one knee but keeping her guard up as her healing sapped her strength for a moment. She wouldn’t be able to keep this up for more than a few minutes and afterwards there would be no coming back. Well.. So be it.

Her heart beat slowed even as it appeared she was close if not risking being beaten. And yet she seemed more calm than the beginning of the battle.

A true smirk playing across her eyes and a steeled glint of chilling almost manic hatred in her glowing eyes. Twin tiny pits of darkness resting at the center of each. She had no words to say. There was nothing left to say. And she had a feeling the creature felt the same. The extent of the damage she had been able to do.

Her survival rested heavily on the answer.


.....................

“Kyla!” Alexi rushed in. Carrying the girl she almost tripped over a body shrouded in the shadows cast by the torches that illuminated Kyla’s stern gaze. “Alexi?” Kyla asked as she wiped blood off her hands. “Can you make this quick?” She asked with a questioning cock of her eye brow.

“Your lack of action last night has set us back a bit. This messenger was kind enough to pass on a threat from our buyer. His head should be answer enough as to my opinion on the matter but I’m holding you, miles and my sister responsible for the profit loss.” Her expression was neutral and her tone one of slight annoyance than rage. But that was how she always was.

Alexi had no doubt she had simply nodded to the messenger seeming to consider a response before casually seeming to come to one only to yank his head off by the neck without a blink. Ferelith scared her less than Kyla. Ferelith was human. Her moods plain and what one would expect. Kyla was a snake. Cold blooded and completely detached. It was all just means to an end.

Business. “I know Kyla, but-“ Alexi began coming closer holding up the girl and catching her breath. “No, I-“ Kyla began before halting at the sight of the creature before her. “What the hell is that...” Kyla asked cocking an eyebrow. “I’m not exactly sure...” Alexi admitted. “But the caravan came after it when it got away from them. I..I thought it’d be valuable.” Kyla rolled her eyes assuming it was just an animal.

“Fine feed it and throw it in a cell til it wakes up. I don’t need it running around pissing on things.” Kyla said dismissively. “The reaper followed us in Ferelith’s holding it off as we speak.” She said before Kyla could start speaking again. The woman froze. “Which way.” She said simply. No true surprise but a slight raise of her eyebrows. “Supply tunnel B-9. Largest.” She said as Kyla simply began walking.

Casting aside her claymore she drew her short war ax and suddenly shot off at a sprint down the tunnel. Alexi closely behind.

In the darkness there is only the faint orange glow of her eyes.

The Temple is a place of stone. She explores with a curious wonder at first. There are not many chambers. Five in total. She does not know that the outside world exists; there are no windows nor is there any light from the heavy stone door. Her world in these first months following her birth is small and confined.

And her food, the human bodies, has run out.

She tried gnawing on the bones. It was not good. There was a pain in her throat she would come to know as thirst.

She has grown a lot in these first months. But now she is too weak to move. She does not know how long it has been since she last had something to eat or drink.

On the floor she lays.

Helpless.


Hahnah was placed in the cell. Still she suffered the effects of severe blood loss, to which only time and replenishment of fluids would help.

Her hands were still clasped in prayer on her chest, even though her lips had stopped moving. Tiny breaths. Her eyes closing fully and opening slightly, a losing effort to stay conscious.

And on the floor she lay.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr alphabunny

His first punch was met with a sickening crunch as her arm absorbed the blow. She was powerful, it was true, and her pain tolerance was incredible... But she could have easily dodged the strike instead of taking it head on, especially with the way she moved after a feint caught her in the ribs. Her speed was incredible and more and more he was forced to rely on his human intelligence to fend off her attacks.
In this moment they were evenly matched. She landed a hit on him with her fist, a strike to the jaw where her knuckles were met by spiney bone plates that would cut her hand while he would be staggered by the sheer force of the blow that cracked bone. Her dagger whipped in and out, occasionally finding chinks in his armor and drawing blood. She would heal so she could afford such reckless combat... But he noticed how she started favoring her left side, the ribs he broke earlier weren't healing so good. It was then that he could sense that this battle was coming to a close.

But the animal was not in control anymore... A man with the claws of a monster, once a blade for hire and an assassin. He became calculating and efficient.
She was a glowing mess at this point and he was having a hard time as well. He recognized that look in her glowing eyes, she was about o go into her all or nothing phase if she wasn't there already... And that simply wouldn't do, this meant their fight was over.

He approached her to provoke an attack. An attack he would catch and then follow up with his other arm to grab her wounded rib with sheathed claws, this was to induce bone deep consistent pain in order to drive her back to her knees.
His aim was to not allow her to kill herself by fighting him all out, win or lose.
A whispered sentence, a request with words barely remembered of the common tongue.
"No be fool... Accept you bested... Finished... Rest..."
With that he would drop the girl to the ground and attempt to walk around her down the tunnel.

Whilst Rou

Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr said:

(OOC: Wouldn't dream of it, so long as your still in. Might just rewind the clock a bit so Cauldwin is still at the point where he is patching up Rou, might make things a wee bit less complicated.)

Hahnah Tzuriel Alanthis
Ferelith Scathach Tozen
alphabunny

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yes please do

The golem has rubbed some ointment on her arm which had most definitely helped with the pain. They went their separate ways, as Rou made her way back to the caravan she was guarding - it just happened to be the one in front of Hahnahs cage, she caught sight of a rather messy situation to come. Hahnah had escaped somehow and Vestof and his men were immediately after her. Rou was torn, should she assist in catching Hahnah? From what Vestof had told her she was a dangerous creature but when Rou interacted with Hahnah, she seemed delicate, frightened even.

Before Rou was aloud to make a decision the caravan master told them to carry on forward, most probably to avoid another incident. Vestof and his men had disappeared into the trees, they were most likely to catch up sooner or later. That man deserved a little trouble in her personal opinion. As Rou mounted her horse to continue the journey, she did not see The Golem ahead of her, previously he had been, guarding a caravan right in the front.

She turned her head to look at the abandond cage and there he was.
She let out a low whistle, catching his attention, "It worries me aswell, but we have to keep moving. They will rejoin us eventually." With that the remaining group began moving forward.

A long night would be ahead, Rou felt it in her bones.

She had damaged him enough. At this point his condition was neither worse than she had hoped or better than she feared. He looked almost as spent as she was.

He moved to attack and with a growl turning to a snarl Ferelith lunged as well. Only to be caught. The creatures true intent becoming clear.

“Wha-Ahhhh!” A scream ripped from her throat as the creatures hand gripped her ribs. Breath left her lungs from the lightening bolt of pain arching up her spine and chest.

He spoke.

Rudimentary words almost as if he was speaking a third or fourth language he barely remembered. She listened trying capture a breath his grip kept from her. His blunted fingers sinking between the weak ribs rebreaking a couple.

“You..” She struggled out between gasps.

“First...” and she spat a glowing glob of blood right into his face before he dropped her to the ground in a heap.

She was silent as her wounds were barely healing at a speed that would be combat efficient. Let alone leaving her enough strength. Yet the creature still stood. Yet as he passed a hand shot out grabbing his ankle. She spoke no words. The grip tightening like a vice. Depending on how thick his armor was it might even start to crack.

“Be..sides.. I was just...” She struggled out. “Stalling..” She said as a buzz of a million angry hornets would meet his ears. Had he been completely focused on Ferelith he would be blindsided by the red blur of her sister coming towards him at a speed that would be considered “terminal velocity.”

A lunging punch aimed right for his jaw. Her war axe whistling through the air as she moved to follow up with an upward swinging strike.

Should it land the creature would be thrown back down the tunnel. An ax in its chest as deep as the armor would allow.

“Leave this place monster. This is my wolf den. If you fuck with one of my pups you have to deal with the mother.” She spat. Rage burning in her eyes. Her tattoo already glowing an angry red. Her voice held no fear. It held nothing but certainty of victory unclouded by any real emotion.

No emotion but anger. But not of the irrational variety.

She felt disrespected. A fury of an entirely different kind. The kind that motivates, rather than hinders.

A blade for hire that killed blades for hire.

His cunning would not save him here.

(OOC: well that's a bummer, I was kind of looking forward to showing a bit more of Cauldwin's humanity in that little exchange with Rou, but we are getting a little far behind in the thread, I do suppose.)

The Golem kept sprinting past the other carts, the occasional lantern or torch of a mounted caravan guard helping to light the path, his armor rustling while he was moving. He eventually reached the front of the line, "Attention: caravan master! Report: pending confirmation!", he shouted in an even composed tone, the urgency taking away the robotic inflection of the Golem. He kept moving, trying his damnedest to keep pace with the caravan masters cart. Kicking up dust with every step on his long bounding stride.

Hahnah alphabunny Tzuriel Alanthis
Ferelith Scathach

Hahnah's eyes closed as she lost her struggle to stay awake.

Her head lulled slightly to one side.

The peace of restful sleep upon her face.

It was quiet in her cell.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen

Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr said:

(OOC: well that's a bummer, I was kind of looking forward to showing a bit more of Cauldwin's humanity in that little exchange with Rou, but we are getting a little far behind in the thread, I do suppose.)

The Golem kept sprinting past the other carts, the occasional lantern or torch of a mounted caravan guard helping to light the path, his armor rustling while he was moving. He eventually reached the front of the line, "Attention: caravan master! Report: pending confirmation!", he shouted in an even composed tone, the urgency taking away the robotic inflection of the Golem. He kept moving, trying his damnedest to keep pace with the caravan masters cart. Kicking up dust with every step on his long bounding stride.

Hahnah alphabunny Tzuriel Alanthis
Ferelith Scathach

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((OOC ye sorry about that one, i fell a little behind. maybe they can talk at the camp because we probably going to settle soon))

Eventually the caravan master said the group could stop and set up camp. There was not a single man who didn't show some sign of relief.
A small campfire was made. Most of the company were fast asleep the moment they finished eating the rashions they had packed in. Rou however couldn't fall asleep, she was uneasy...she was certain something sinestar was going on.

Regardless, she leaned against one of the caravans, close enough to the fire that she could feel the heat of the flames.

There had still been no sign of Hahnah or Vestof and his men.

Rou began eating a piece of bread she had packed in for the journey, she settled in for the evening, made her self comfortable. She had a sleepless night ahead.

(OOC: Don’t look at me. It’s halo that’s dragging booty lol UwU)

(OOC: Sorry guys. I kinda made this thread for Alphabunny to help her out, but she seems to have lost interest. We can continue, but the focus was supposed to be around the journey to the location and giving Alpha a place to practice RP.)

(OOC: well you just got your butt kicked right back to her by my reckoning lol the caravan can resume and the bandits will attack it once more lol could have said something sooner dingle I even dm’d you and you mentioned nothing of this lol PS: I 2x wub you. UwU)

Tozen said:

(OOC: Sorry guys. I kinda made this thread for Alphabunny to help her out, but she seems to have lost interest. We can continue, but the focus was supposed to be around the journey to the location and giving Alpha a place to practice RP.)

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( ooc: naah naah im stil here sorry guys ive just been really sick and my wifi has been lagging.)
( ooc: okay whats the way forward now with camp and everything)

The relief for setting up for a camp was short lived. Many of the men became restless and a decision was made to continue moving forward. They could not risk another ambush. Thus, shifts would be made whilst the others were alpud to let there gaurd down and eat, maybe catch a short nap on the back of a caravan but that was as far as it would go. Rou and The Golem were in the first group who were aloud to be at ease.

The Golem lowered his pace until he was jogging along side the wagon that was to serve as his and few others quarters on this journey, the sky had darkened and become overcast. It began to pour, only adding to his annoyance. His report had fallen on deaf ears with the caravan master, "...got more to do than listen to ghost stories...", he had said, "Go get some rest, it's been a long day for everyone..." he had said. What a sham, if precautions were not taken all of his charges may be dead by morning.

Well, perhaps not by morning. Besides, he could use the rest, he hasn't slept for days on account of the "Green Burnings" case he was on before he was transferred to serve as protection for the caravan. He had caught the damned naked Goblin pyromancer and allowed the many antique shops of Allira to rest easy, but he knew those damn Drow had something to do with it. Those short, emo, man-hating, honorless, lawless, bitch-elves... They always have something to do with the crimes in Alliria... He didn't care if his beating of the goblin for an hour only had it admit it had acted alone, the Drow *always* have something to do with it. Something he wishes he had explained to Brog before he ordered him out, but fretting about it did nothing now.

He stepped up onto the platform at the front of the coach, lit by a travel lantern bolted to the front corner of the wagon, giving the driver a startle. The man was wearing a soaked light blue leather cloak around him, what being shown was only the mans long black beard. The Golem raised his open palm in a greeting gesture at which the stage driver sighed causing fog from his mouth to shoot out, shook his head and returned his gaze to the back of the oxen and the cart in front of him. Fair enough, a giant rusted metal man jump scares you after a bandit attack, Cauldwin would be annoyed too. He then ducked into the covered section of the wagon.

Inside the jumping wagon, there were currently only two other individuals in the second of the two designated "rest wagons": an older, short, thin gent that was something mixed with human curled-in-a-ball, sleeping (or at least trying to) in the left hand corner seats of the wagon, laying on a sheepskin blanket and resting his head on a sack filled with hay. On the right hand he saw the one he met a few times earlier, Rou thunder-something... (in truth he couldn't quite recall her last name). Thunder cracked outside, as he realized there was a makeshift repair to the canvas of the roof and a travel lantern hanging from an iron ring across the mid bar of the wagons skeletal roofing. Cozy for the Cauldwin, the low insolation and lack of windows reminded him of his house.


As he stepped further into the wagon, the rain that drenched him sloshed to the wooded floor, he then sat in the right hand seat opposite of the old man and far enough to give him some breathing room from Rou. One thing he definitely knew from his many patrols is that people really don't like having a watchman near them in their private moments. Thunder cracked again outside, as he began digging through his bag of alchemical supplies, doing a count of what he had remaining.

alphabunny​

Stalling... Stalling... That word had a different meaning to him at one point, what was it?
... Oh yeah...

... "Trap"...

The assault came in an instant from down the tunnel, he heard the whistling of a body moving incredibly fast... Inhumanely fast down the tunnel like a crossbow bolts, but less avoidable.

The punch that connected with his skull didn't do as much damage now, by now he'd adapted to the levels of force these people could generate with their fists and he could take it with only a modicum of discomfort, but what sent him flying was the axe that buried itself in his sternum between the armored plates of his pectoral chitin.
He landed hard and used the momentum to roll back to his feet, his own eyes glowed their baleful gold as they examined the new opponent.

... Too tired to take down another full strength enhanced human... Prioritize survival...
Without removing the axe he began moving backwards, slowly making his way back the way he came so he could finally escape into his beloved trees, no more of this underground fighting with no room to move.

If the human made any move to pursue him a series of bone spines would fly out of the darkness, aiming to finish off the wounded girl on the ground.