Private Tales A Real God-forsaken Rescue

[Rhidian]

"Well, we're fucked either way." Rhidian concluded, shrugging as he looked down the cliffside. The forest continued before them, the opposite side of the river that flowed between became a dangerous current as the snow began to melt.

Rhidian turned to Orchid, shrugging once again. It couldn't be helped.

"Either we turn back and try with the were-creatures... or, we jump. What say you, friend?"


Orchid

 

[Orchid]

"I'm not your friend."
It said to Rhidian as it cast two eyes down on the rushing water. Cold rarely bothered it but if it shaped to swim then it could do it.
Rhidian would of course be on his own.
"Survival. Can you live through the jump and swim with strength enough to return to safety?"
It could hear them coming through the trees towards them.
The headstart they had was spent.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian exhaled exasperatedly, not realising the word friend would be so prominent to the other Initiate.

"Oh, I can jump. Was just asking as a  courtesy." Rhidian rolled his grey eyes and pivoted on his feet, turning to fall slowly over the edge.

He tucked his arms and legs as best he could before concentrating on the cliff face, willing an explosive burst if frequency to barrel him down into the freezing waters.

Fortunately, the current looked stronger from above, and although it used his energy reserves, Rhid was able to position himself towards the first sight of banks as the valley opened up.

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

It followed Rhidian without mirth.
Jumping high and plummeting into the water like an arrow through the blasted dust and rock from Rhidian's frequency burst.
Once it was submerged it made several subtle changes to itself.
Altered it's lungs to filter air through water and pass it under its shirt.
Webbed hands helped and it softened it's bones to allow more fluid motion.
The cold was not an issue and the current only slowed it a bit.
The thing shot past Rhidian and reached the shore in moments, hauling itself out and returning to its fully human form.
Wet and cold but not in any danger.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

He knew something odd was up with this Orchid person, but Rhidian had not expected him to be already on shore, looking around their surroundings. He was only human, taking his time to make his way and climbing the slight incline before getting on his feet. Immediately, he removed his jacket from his person and clung to it in one hand.

"We need to find higher ground again. Try to locate the rest of the group. I know they have Quinnick, but for my own peace of mind, I am not sitting around waiting to be found. Agreed?" Rhidian wiped away the water that dripped from his saturated curls, brushing them back and glancing around the trees.

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

It agreed.
High ground was imperative now, not just to keep moving but to get the lay of the land. It would have said as much but when it saw Rhidian pull his cold and wet body up it realised that Rhidian was not as resistant to the cold as it seemed to be.
"You need to get dry and warm or you'll freeze to death."
Not that it cared. It just had to act like it did.
"I don't want to tell the others you died freezing because we got cornered and jumped into a freezing river."
It would have been bothersome.
"But I agree, we should find high ground and get back to the others."

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian chuckled wryly at Orchid.

"Yeah, I'm working on that."

He called on his magic and let it course through his body, his veins and his skin warming from the frequencies waiting to be used. He did not expel the destructive magic, instead letting it burn out inside him as he began to walk. He would dry over time, but they needed to keep moving. "What about you, got some heating powers of your own, do ya?"

Rhidian turned to look over his shoulder at the other Initiate. He never really hung in the same circles as Orchid, but even as they got separated from the rest of the group, Rhid knew getting to know the other would be interesting.

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

"No."
It stated flatly.
"But the cold doesn't bother me that much, even this. Quirk of my shapeshifting I guess."
It smiled, offering that little bit of info was simple and not exactly a lie. It didn't mind the cold. At the lowest It had ever felt the cold had only made it feel sleepy.
"Let's move. If we get caught by those freaks in the dark we'll be in trouble."
At least Rhidian knew his stuff.
Orchid had not much of a circle to hang in. It spent most of its free time in the wilderness around the Academy, eating.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian couldn't agree more with Orchid.

"Right, well... We were heading back to the Academy, right? That's... sorta east? Or did we dip down south some where?" He had gotten lazy, only following what Livia was talking about before the group scattered from the creatures that surprised them. "You know... now I wish I actually owned a compass."

But he knew where east was just looking up at the sky. They could always reach the coast and skirt along it if anything.

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

"Walk and talk. You will stay warmer that way!"
It had considered eating Rhidian. Disruptive as the others powers were it was confident in the end it would triumph but then it would have to explain Rhidian's absence and sometimes they had truth tellers.
If Rhidian died it could tell them that and eat him.
"East yes, the river flows north to south so, this is the east side, roughly."
It began to walk and as it did it felt like taking off its shoes to feel the earth under its feet.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

"Alright, alright." He muttered, walking and listening to his fellow Initiate.

"Then we are well on our way." They had no supply to camp or eat, no real weapon besides that of their magic. "We should scout for shelter to stay in overnight. Maybe the team will find us by then?"

Hopeful, as he did not want to spend too much time in Orchid's strange company.

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

First this one cannot fly, then they cannot swim, now he speaks of camp. For Rhidian it made sense though. His body was weak and needed constant consideration.
It looked up at the darkening sky. Just a few hues off the bright blue of normal but enough for it to notice.
"We cannot do both."
It kept walking without looking back. One of the eyes hidden in its hair watched Rhidian.
The thick brush and wood was not easy to see through but it looked anyway.
"If we set up camp you need fire and food but that means blood, smoke. strong smells, easy for lycanthropes to follow."
It continued.
"But, if it's a cold night and we are forced to keep walking you will freeze and I will leave you."
It was of course, not going to leave Rhidian. That would be wasteful.
It would eat him then keep moving.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

"Well, good thing I have magic to keep me warm." Rhidian shook his head, turning to give the other Initiate a look. "I said shelter, not a camp. We have shit all to cook with and I am no hunter. My magic would explode anything right now."

What an oddball this Orchid guy was proving to be.

"But if that is such a concern to you, then we might as well walk through the night."

Orchid

 

[Orchid]

"Good."
It spoke sharply but kept walking.
The night stretched its hand over the sky and it changed the world. The things of the day fled and the things of the night began to stir.
Orchid stirred with them. Like all creatures born of evil it was nocturnal by nature.
"When the lycanthropes find us they will have advantages. We would be best to be prepared."
His eyes adjusted unnaturally to the light, bringing the world to dim purples and blues of the night.
"Will we run or face them this time?"
There was no path, every step was an invasion deeper into the woodland wilds. It felt the ripple of their presence, they were unwelcome.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian lagged behind Orchid by a few paces, listening to him question what they would do if they were faced with the werewolves again. "Fight." It was the answer the Guard born boy turned Initiate would answer with too, there was no way he could keep running, not when he was now one of the most coveted magic wielders to join the ranks of Dreadlords.

"Target practice really. What better way to test the theory of detonating many targets at once?"

 

[Orchid]

It laughed at that thinking such a display would be most entertaining.
"I'll let you handle it then. Since you are so confident."
There was a teasing tone to its words that spoke of an expectation for Rhidian to fail.
They pressed on.
The wilderness felt cold around them as the dark grew closer.
It could smell them. Faintly, just over the horizon on the night breeze, that unmistakeable smell of a thing that was not quite a wolf and not exactly a man.
"The lychanthropes are following us. They might have our scent already."
It stated this as matter of fact, no fear or even excitement in its voice.

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian cut Orchid a look that was shades away from scrutiny.

"Right." He huffed, shaking his head. "Can't expect you to be a decent team player."

But Rhid knew he was right about the lycans closing in. It probably wasn't hard to find them, scent and hearing them bicker and talk as they navigated in the dark.

Let them come...

Rhidian crouched down, doing his best to draw a rune he had come to learn and knew there was little room for error. Charging it with pure mana, the eesence of his magic, just as Alistair had shown him, Rhidian created a surface level that allowed him to know where the lycans were. It had been an idea he had gotten working with Quinnick once, and how she knew where and how many bodies were near.

The first lycan to pounce towards them, Rhidian threw explosive force at it. He was glad for the dark, unable to see the body turning to pieces in the blast.

 

[Orchid]

It ducked.
Rhidian's power was one it feared and rightly so for it knew little else that could harm it. The bloody hot chunks flew in all directions as it stood back to holding its ears.
"You look like you can manage."
The pack was closing in but it had a different problem, it was still hungry and all this flesh suddenly became available. It's sharp eyes and keen nose could lead it to every morsel.
"Keep moving."
It must not give the game away.
"They'll follow that one to us."

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

"You first." Rhidian grunted, waiting for the other to carve their path. It would leave locating hostiles to him; a better chance to protect if he could sense where an attack could come from.

It was clear the hounds trailed after them, keeping such distance as the scents of blood and gore reached their senses. A threat that needed study. At least they were smart, but Rhidian was glad for the temporary cover to gain much distance.

"Smell that?" He asked, sniffing audibly. The familiar scent of burning wood, much like a campfire. There was something else in there, something herbal. A bitter and old scent, one he knew of but... what was it? An aromatic... "Food. Campfire and food being cooked. We need to get to higher ground again and assess... you good at climbing trees?"

 

[Orchid]

There was a lot of blood and the smell of it pulled at its body like fishooks in every cell of its being.
Contrary to popular myth the ability to have an acute sense of smell often hindered as much as it helped. In a clear environment it would have of course been able to smell the cooking food but the air was saturated with blood. Thick with the stench of raw meat and gore.
Orchid could smell nothing beyond it.

Mercifully Rhidian asked if it could climb and with a shaking of its head it was able to come back to the moment where it gave Rhidian a look of playful contempt
"Of course I am."
Without much hesitation it picked a slim but tall tree and gifting itself clawed hands was able to scurry up it without difficulty. Eyes adjusted to the dark spied from the perch as it scanned the area like an owl looking for a mouse.
There was a glint of something upwind and it knew it was the camp Rhidian suspected to find.
"There is a fire, small but not far."
Sparing a moment it took in the stars and moon, confirming to itself that they were still heading in the general right direction.
Mercifully they were.
The hooks of hunger gripped it's body again.
It needed to eat soon and it would prefer to not to eat Rhidian. It was beginning to appreciate him.
It climbed back down slowly.
"This way."
Was all it said as it began to drive a path through the brush with a certain impatient irritation that came when the hunger upon it.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian followed.

He was quick on his feet, careful not to allow his boots fall too heavily as they were now bought some time before the wolves came back for them. Rhidian was ready for them if they did, feeling his magic coursing through him as his heart beat faster, pumping that blood through him as the two Initiates ran through the thickets.

"There!" He whispered loudly, able to see the glow that the open flames gave off. Rhid slowed his footfalls, trying to calm his breathing so that he could hear. "Dreadlords."

It couldn't be. He could count three of them, standing there, conversing. What luck! Allies, guidance towards home.

"Where are the rest?" He wondered aloud.